This, according to the stats, was my year:
Number of Books Read - 125
Fiction - 90:
Novels - 84
Short Story Collections - 6
Nonfiction - 35:
Memoirs - 15
Biographies - 6
Literary Criticism - 3
Political Science - 3
Language Arts - 2
Sociology - 2
Sports - 2
Science - 1
True Crime - 1
Written by Men - 76
Written by Women - 45
Co-Authored by Both - 4
Audio Books - 13
E-Books - 10
Library Books - 41
Review Copies - 72
Started but Abandoned - 9
Author Nationality:
British - 10
Iranian - 2
Icelandic - 2
French - 1
Irish - 1
Spanish - 1
Canadian - 1
Australian - 1
American - 106
Length of Average Book Read in 2010 - 316 pages
Total Number of Pages Read (Excluding audio books) = 34,500+
Coming into the year, my rather vague goals included reading more international fiction, more nonfiction, more short story collections, more classic literature, and to read multiple books from a series or two. It appears that I failed miserably on all counts with the exception of short story collections. Next year's goals are going to be a bit different and I'll get into those in the next few days but I am convinced that I need to read fewer review copies in 2011. I love early-looks at books but I can see that I need to limit myself to three or four per month rather than the six or seven I have read each month during the last two years or so.
I'm excited about moving into the New Year and beginning the fifth year of Book Chase on January 20. Let's have some fun in 2011.
That's an amazing breakdown, Sam. Congrats on your efforts!
ReplyDeleteLet me ask you, how did the books you read in 2010 change you?
I read 101 books in 2010. I got all but six of them at a used bookstore (two e-books and four review copies). 52 of them were fiction and I averaged about 79 pages a day.
I truly enjoy your blog. I don't know why you started it, but I know I want you to continue.
Sincere wishes for your health and success in 2011!
Sounds like you had a fantastic reading year. I have reading slumps too. Sometimes it seems to happen after I have really enjoyed a book and can't seem to leave it behind to start another. I usually read magazines and newspapers for a few days and then I am able to get back to reading. I've enjoyed your blog throughout the year. See you in 2011!
ReplyDeleteSean, thanks for the kind words...much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI think this year's reading, especially of the memoirs, served as a good reminder that we have more in common than not, and that everyone will run into major difficulties and obstacles over the course of a lifetime.
Reading about what goes on behind closed doors tends to make me much more tolerant of the behavior of other people I encounter along the way. We are all struggling to overcome the things that shaped us in negative ways, some more successfully thn others.
It turned out to be one of my better reading years, Kathleen, especially in the nonfiction arena.
ReplyDeleteI think my slumps are more like negative streaks that offset my positive streaks. At times, everything I read strikes me as "blah"; at other times, everything I read seems to be really good. I can't figure out what causes me to shift from one reading mood to the other. Perhaps you are correct and it is an exceptionally good, or exceptionally bad, book that causes me to move from one direction to the other.
Great picks!
ReplyDeleteI read 95 books, not bad, considering I was in a reading slump for more than four months.
Happy New Year to you and your family. Have a great reading year in 2011!!!
Here are my Best Reads of 2010
Happy New Year, Gautami. I can't wait to kick off another year of great reading and I'll bet you feel the same.
ReplyDelete