Well, 2010 has come and gone. I didn't quite meet my goal of 100 books but I came pretty darn close and I learned a lot along the way. I tried never to read when it was a chore. The last thing I wanted out of this was to find myself forcing reading time in a way that would lead to book burnout. That being said, it was a fine line, because when I shifted focus into looking at different kinds of books and reviewing, I felt the need to finish books I might not otherwise have finished. So I never felt the urge to not be reading, but often wished I were reading something else. I often debated the benefits of this approach. On the one hand, in effect I wasted some time by pushing through books that were real duds (ahem, TruBlood books...), but on the other hand, I ended up discovering some real jewels among books that I would have discarded after the first couple of chapters if I didn't feel pushed to finish them. A friend recently asked what I did in situations where I was non-plussed after the first chapters and I honestly don't know what to recommend. It is so hard to anticipate which books will get better as the pages go by! Perhaps the easiest approach, for those who are pressed for time, is to find a book "guru" or reviewer with tastes similar to your own. And I stress that it is important that you have similar literary tastes! Don't just go to a mainstream reviewer, say New York Times or Oprah, unless you have agreed with their conclusions in the past. But even with good reviews, there is no guarantee with reading. It is so personal!
As the year progressed, so did my book speed. Some asked me whether or not I was still reading the books thoroughly. I hope my reviews attest to the fact that, yes, I did read them all completely. Even when I didn't like them! The change in speed is a reflection of my changing habits and schedule. As I started to make reading more important, I started devoting more time to it. We cancelled our cable subscription over the summer and I made other similar changes which allowed increasingly more time for reading as the year went on. Similarly, in the late winter and spring I was enrolled in reading heavy course. Long term followers will remember my struggles with completeling Richardson's Clarissa while also maintaining my personal reading. By the time I reached fall quarter I was enrolled in more practical application classes which involved significantly less reading, thus freeing up more space for personal reading.
I began one of my new classes for this quarter yesterday and as part of an ice breaker we were asked to tell our favorite book or movie of the year. Surprisingly, I was stumped. This happens all the time. I frequently get asked for the best book I read last year or for good recommendations. I wish such an answer were so easy! I read 82 books (or 104, depending on how you look at it) and I have to admit that the books I read last February, for example, are starting to get fuzzy. I can't call a list to mind instantly of all the books I read and sort through it for good ones. Inevitably I forget great books when faced with these questions. I could, perhaps, more easily answer a question broken into categories, such as "What was the best memoir you read last year" or "what was the best of the YA fiction you read?" But even these would be hard to answer with finality. Take for example, the YA paranormal review I did. I found several really great books (and some duds) in that genre. But to name a favorite would be hard because several come to mind depending on my mood. Stiefvater's, Kate's, and Mead's series all resonated well with me, but I couldn't tell you unequivically which one is best. So, I am happy to provide recommendations, and in fact love to do so, but if you really want a solid one you need to give me more of a framework! Tell me who you are, what you love, how you read, how you want to read, and so on.
Ok, moving on to the new year. In 2011 I will be continuing the blog and it will continue to evolve. At the beginning of last year I indicated that I was chronicaling my experience I would avoid reviewing. Obviously that didn't last and, actually, I quite enjoy reviewing the books. So I will continue to do that this year. I will once again, much to my husband's dismay, be trying for 100 non-required reading books in 2011. This should be easier this year, as I am switching programs away from a literature based one to a practical (teaching) program. That being said, don't expect all 100 to be reviewed and posted. I will continue to post reading experience and insight blogs occasionally, but if I am reading an older book, or a classic, I won't feel obligated to post a blog specifically for each book. You already know that Shakespeare is good. And I have a large pile of Dickens and Shakespeare waiting for me. This also allows me to read books that I don't necessarily want to talk about, but rather just want to read for sentimentality, etc. There were several books that I wanted to read or re-read last year which I avoided because I didn't know how it would come out in blog form and I don't want that to always be the case. If I want to read a crappy novel, I get to do it. I will, however, try to read and review a handful of new books each month.
Ok, that about wraps in up! Welcome to the new year and I hope this year encourages you to keep reading!
Sarah
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