Books Read: 78 - Average # of books read/month: 6.5
- Non-fiction: 22 (28%)
- Fiction: 54 (69%)
- YA Fiction: 2 (2.5%)
- Books by male authors: 53 (68%)
- Books by female authors: 25 (32%)
- Disliked: 7 (9%)
- Ambivalent about/sort of liked: 41 (52%)
- Actively enjoyed: 30 (38%)
By Genre:- Sci-Fi/Fantasy: 10
- Zombie: 3
- Graphic novels: 2
- Spiritual: 3
- Mystery/Thriller: 5
- Poetry: 2
- Historical Fiction: 3-ish
- Short story collections/Anthologies: 6
- Contemporary fiction: 4-ish
- Books about food: 2
- Animal books: 4
- Books about advertising: 1
- Science: 5
- History: 4
- Biography/Auto-biography: 6
- Horror (non-Zombiefied): 12-ish
- Classics: 0
- Romance (barf): 4
Compared to 2009: - I read 19 more books - whooomp there it is!
- I also read more non-fiction. Perhaps to compensate for graduating school and thus leaving the nourishing bosom of mother education for the scary reality of full-time work? Or I just had more time and read more overall, since I was no longer mired in a miasma of essay-writing and pointless group work. Your choice.
- I was really ambivalent about the majority of the books I read this year, which is not so much of a bummer - for the most part I liked bits and pieces of many of them even if I didn't fall in love with the whole package. The books I enjoyed, I really enjoyed; and I only disliked a handful, and even some of those were so bad as to be cheesily enjoyable (see: Romance category).
- I picked up the slack and read way more science, history & food books. I also watched more reality television this year than I ever have, so I figure it all evened out and prevented my brain from turning to goo.
- It may be time to retire the "zombie" category and just fold it into general horror. Zombie books are getting played out, yo! Still cooler than sparkly vampires though. ALSO I have not yet read the Twilight series. That counts for something.
Notes & Superlatives- Repeated authors: Stephen King (Don't hate - he's the master), Joe Hill (Save some talent for the rest of us, King family), Jennifer Weiner, Stieg Larsson (me and the rest of the world).
- Authors I "discovered" this year: Emma Donoghue, Sloane Crosley, Amy Greene, Joe Hill
- Favorite book of 2009 (Fiction): A crowded field! All of my favorites are so different. I loved The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Room by Emma Donoghue, and Under the Dome by Stephen King - 3 books with very different feels. The book that touched me the most was actually poetry, Black Stars in a White Night Sky, by JonArno Lawson. You should just read them all and decide for yourself.
- Favorite book of 2010 (Non-fiction): A tie. Grayson by Lynne Cox was a beautiful short memoir about her encounter with a baby whale while swimming off the coast of California. Elegant, descriptive, and transporting. I also really enjoyed Furious Love, by Sam Kashner, which was a tome and half about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's relationship. The glamour! The gossip! Reading Burton's love notes made me feel like a peeper but he was a great writer so I considered the whole thing a literary exercise. Hey, at least it's not Star Magazine.
- Least favorite of 2010: My least favorite was not by any means the worst book I read this year (see below in the "Best excerpt" category, for that stinker). Fear of Flying by Erica Jong was just...blah. I guess I was expecting to be shocked and entertained, and I was neither.
- Funniest book of 2010: Packing for Mars, by Mary Roach. Space toilets and lacquered sandwich cubes provide ample fodder for Roach's trademark wit. But do not read the space toilet chapter while eating lunch. Trust me.
- Saddest book of 2010: A Single Man, by Christopher Isherwood. Even the title is depressing. A good, short book - but if you want to at least enjoy some visual beauty while getting emotionally exhausted watch Tom Ford's gorgeously cast and directed movie version.
- Scariest book of 2010: The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters. Sometimes it's the quiet creepiness that is the most unsettling. Room by Emma Donoghue is a close second, but in that case I was more terrified for the characters/narrator than creeped out for myself.
- Most disappointing book of 2010: The Passage by Justin Cronin. It came so highly recommended by friends with similar taste AND the press that I went out and bought the hardcover. It had a promising start but definitely fizzled out completely for me. Bummer dude.
- Book that most lived up to the hype: Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer. Thoughtful, moving, non-judgy. I'm a vegetarian but even if I was a rampant McRib devouring carnivore I would still be able to appreciate this book (I hope).
- Best excerpt of 2010: From Star Bright by Catherine Anderson. "His breath smelled of coffee, mint, and faintly of cheese, one of her favorite sinful pleasures." Woah - I cannot handle that level of romance.
Here's to a 2011 full of great reads! Sitting next to me on my bedside table is some China Mieville, Kingsley Amis and Charles Yu - a good omen, I think. This year please resolve to visit your library more often (aka, ever - and not just to use the bathroom) and remember that reading actual books has been proven to prevent all illnesses, help you lose weight, and shrink your pores.*
*May not actually be true.
Books read: 59 (Disappointed in myself, you guys. I blame grad school!)
- Average # books read/month: 5.5
- Non-fiction: 7 (12%)
- Fiction: 32 (54%)
- YA Fiction: 20 (34%)
- Books by male authors: 37.5 (63.5%) *
- Books by female authors: 21.5 (36.4%)
- Disliked: 19 (32%)
- Ambivalent about/Sort of liked: 15 (25%)
- Actively enjoyed: 25 (42%)
By Genre- Sci-Fi/Fantasy: 5
- Zombie: 4
- Graphic novels: 4
- Spiritual: 3
- Mystery/Thriller: 9
- Poetry: 1
- Historical Fiction: 4
- Short story collections/Anthologies: 4
- Contemporary fiction: 8-ish
- Books about food: 0 (SHOCKING!)
- Science: 0 (Wow. Lame!)
- Biography/Auto-biography: 1
- Horror (non-Zombiefied): 7
- Classics: 0.5 *
- Romance (barf): 7
*Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was half-written by a woman (J.Austen) and half by a dude. It was also half a classic, and half zombies. FYI, the combination produced a mediocre whole. Compared to 2008: - I read 12 fewer books. My true nerdery is revealed by how much this fact sincerely bothers me! I also read less non-fiction! Sad.
- I disliked more and actively enjoyed fewer of the books I read this year, percentage-wise. How depressing. But I was also ambivalent about fewer than last year, so maybe this just means I became less wishy-washy.
- Last year I read 0 zombie books, this year I sought them out and read 4…but none were that great. Still: they are cooler than vampires.
- I can’t believe I went a year without reading any food or science books! I resolve to not let this continue through 2010 (in 2008 I read 4 and 2, respectively).
Notes & Superlatives: - I had a class this year on YA literature, so that took over my reading list for a while. It introduced me to some great books, but also forced me to read things like Seventeenth Summer and Boy Meets Boy, two saccharine romances that I could have lived without. So it totally skewed my list and took time away from other books I wanted to read. I got an “A” though, so it was worth it.
- Some common themes were: dystopias, plagues, missing/murdered children (disturbing!), Buddhism. My reading was very disjointed and random this year.
- Favorite book of 2009 (Fiction) = The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff (I read it all the way back in January, sheesh)
- Special category! Favorite YA book of 2009 (Fiction) = TIE : The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
- Favorite book of 2009 (Non-fiction) = Bonk: The Curious Couple of Science and Sex by Mary Roach
- Least favorite of 2009 = TIE: Dymond in the Rough by Precious (YA) and The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
- Funniest book of 2009: John Hodgman takes it two years in a row, this year with More Information Than You Require. Well done, Mr. Hodgman! The aforementioned Dymond in the Rough almost stole it from him, but it was disqualified since it was only unintentionally hilarious.
- Saddest book of 2009: Another year, another dead dog! The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. Bonus sadness points for basically being Hamlet. With dogs.
- Scariest book of 2009: Promise Not to Tell: A Novel by Jennifer Mcmahon. Creepy ghost child!!!
Upon review, 2009 was kind of a crappy year for me and books, both in quality and quantity. I am starting 2010 off with the new Stephen King, so that bodes well! Oh, you’re too good for one of the best-selling novelists of all time? He won an O. Henry award, what have you done?! Ahem. To 2010! May it be full of excellent reading for you and your loved ones. Turn off the TV.
Books read: 71- Average # books read/month: 5.9
- Non-fiction: 24 (34%)
- Fiction: 47 (66%)
- Books by male authors: 42 (59%)
- Books by female authors: 29 (41%)
- Disliked: 18 (25%)
- Ambivalent about/Sort of liked: (31%)
- Actively enjoyed: 31 (44%)
By Genre- Sci-Fi/Fantasy: 9
- Zombie: 0 (surprising!)
- Graphic novels: 2
- Spiritual: 6
- Mystery/Thriller: 7
- Poetry: 4
- Historical Fiction: 7
- Short story collections: 3
- Contemporary fiction: 6
- Books about food: 4
- Science: 2
- Biography/Auto-biography: 3
- Horror: 3
- Classics: 2
Notes & Superlatives:- Only one author had more than one book on the list (George R. R. Martin)
- Books by Japanese, Australian, British, American, Canadian, Colombian, and German authors were read
- 6 books by dead authors were read (spoooooky)
- Some common themes were dogs, Japan, quirky short fiction, the politics of food, and Eastern religions
- Favorite book of 2008 (Fiction) = TIE: A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin & The African Queen, by C. S. Forester
- Favorite book of 2008 (Non-fiction) = Red China Blues, by Jan Wong
- Least favorite of 2008 = TIE: The Tea Rose, by Jennifer Donnelly, & In the Miso Soup, by Ryo Murakami
- Funniest book of 2008: The Areas of my Expertise, by John Hodgman
- Saddest book of 2008: Marley & Me, by John Grogan (spoiler alert: THE DOG DIES)
