Saturday, March 01, 2008
2007 Reflections on the Year's Reading
Saturday, December 29, 2007
2007 is almost over. I've looked over my reviews for the past year; and I've read a lot of really good books and a number of not-so-good books. 109 total books!! It's understandable that I accomplished nothing this past year with my nose in a book so often. This was the year of book mooching and paperback swapping. I've mooched about 75 books and given away about that many. So I really didn't gain much additional space on the shelves. I've also finished 17 challenges. That seems almost unbelievable to me until I saw that I have already joined 8 challenges for 2008 and am continuing to work on my personal Book Around the States Challenge. I only read seven States books this past year; but if I finish all the books I have listed for other challenges, I'll read another fifteen. My reading included a splendid diversity ranging from non-fiction to fantasy, mysteries to westerns, and don't forget the classics. I read my first vampire book, first science fiction and first western. Here is a list of the books I rated a five for my own personal and very subjective reasons:
*******************************************************************************************************
Far and away, the best book I read this year: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
*******************************************************************************************************
Other 5's:
Trinity by Leon Uris
The Hummingbird's Daughter by Louis Albert Urrea
Zazoo by Richard Mosher
Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
Random Harvest by James Hilton
The Quiet Heart by Patricia Holland
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audry Niffenegger
More Than You Know by Beth Gutcheon
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brinks
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
The Boxmaker's Son by Donald Smurthwaite
East by Edith Pattou
English Creek by Ivan Doig
The Story Girl by L M Montgomery
Bridge to Terabithia by Kate Patterson
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Other great books that were not quite five's:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
Path Between the Seas by David McCullough
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
River Secrets by Shannon Hale
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
The Scarlett Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Posted by Framed at 12:45 PM
14 comments:
Nymeth said...
wow, 17 challenges! That's a lot!
I keep seeing people listing The Book Thief as their favourite... it makes me really excited about reading it!
12/29/2007 1:21 PM
BookGal said...
The Book Thief seems to be on everyone's list. I need to see what it's all about. I'm awed at the number of challenges you completed!
12/29/2007 1:31 PM
Marg said...
I've enjoyed a couple of the books on your list as well. The Book Thief and The Hummingbird's Daughter and The Time Travellers Wife.
12/29/2007 1:49 PM
Charley said...
I Am the Messenger is one of my Top 5 books of the year. I can't wait to read The Book Thief.
12/29/2007 8:34 PM
Tristi Pinkston said...
I just copied and pasted this whole blog onto my TBR list. Thanks for the recommendations! I did read Stardust and didn't enjoy it (the romp in the grass sorta threw me off) but I'm looking forward to the rest of them.
12/29/2007 11:52 PM
Literary Feline said...
I hope to read The Book Thief this next year. I committed myself to reading War and Peace January through April and so my plan to read The Book Thief the beginning of this year has fallen a bit by the wayside. You never know though!
You fit in a lot of books this year! And many good ones! I hope your reading this next year is even more worthwhile and fun!
12/30/2007 1:45 PM
Les said...
The Book Thief was my #1 read a couple of years ago. Glad you enjoyed it so well. Let's see, of the others you rated highly, I've read:
Ender's Game (liked), The Time Traveler's Wife (loved), and More Than You Know (don't remember much). I plan to read I am the Messenger and Stardust in 2008.
I read about half the number of books as you, but my numbers are way down this year, thanks to my wonderful job that cuts into my reading time! And, I only had one perfect 5/5. I'll get my list up later this week.
12/30/2007 4:00 PM
Booklogged said...
What a good reading year - so many good books.
12/30/2007 7:30 PM
Wendy said...
I am so with you on The Book Thief. It is on the top of my list this year too - and actually, it makes the top of my all-time favorites. What an amazing book.
I printed your list of 5's and almost 5's. I think you and I pretty much like the same stuff :)
12/31/2007 12:03 PM
gautami tripathy said...
I plan to read the Book Thief this year. I am impressed by your list!
Have a great reading year 2008!
1/01/2008 3:07 AM
Framed said...
For those of you who haven't read The Book Thief, enjoy, it's so wonderful.
About the challenges, I read someone's blog who did 31. WOW!
Tristi, if the romp in the grass was too much, avoid The Time Travelers Wife. It's very explicit. Too bad because it is so well-written and creative.
1/01/2008 10:12 AM
Andrea said...
The Book Thief is on my TBR challenge list! I also enjoyed The Time Travler's Wife. I see you have a lot of books by Shannon Hale, is she a YA author? Somehow her name seems familiar but I haven't read any of these books. I've written down the titles you have listed here to look up at the library later.
1/04/2008 12:42 PM
Maw Books said...
I also loved The Book Thief! It's sitting right here on my desk as I'm right in the middle of typing up a review that I hope to have up sometime this weekend. I borrowed it from the library, but now I think I must buy it to put in my library!
Thanks for the great list. I love lists!
1/19/2008 3:02 PM
Terri B. said...
I absolutely LOVED East by Edith Patou. I didn't realize at the time how much I liked it until months later I'm still thinking about it!
I really like Shannon Hale's YA books too and I can't wait to read Good Omens by T. Pratchett and N. Gaiman.
Love your list of reads.
2007 is almost over. I've looked over my reviews for the past year; and I've read a lot of really good books and a number of not-so-good books. 109 total books!! It's understandable that I accomplished nothing this past year with my nose in a book so often. This was the year of book mooching and paperback swapping. I've mooched about 75 books and given away about that many. So I really didn't gain much additional space on the shelves. I've also finished 17 challenges. That seems almost unbelievable to me until I saw that I have already joined 8 challenges for 2008 and am continuing to work on my personal Book Around the States Challenge. I only read seven States books this past year; but if I finish all the books I have listed for other challenges, I'll read another fifteen. My reading included a splendid diversity ranging from non-fiction to fantasy, mysteries to westerns, and don't forget the classics. I read my first vampire book, first science fiction and first western. Here is a list of the books I rated a five for my own personal and very subjective reasons:
*******************************************************************************************************
Far and away, the best book I read this year: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
*******************************************************************************************************
Other 5's:
Trinity by Leon Uris
The Hummingbird's Daughter by Louis Albert Urrea
Zazoo by Richard Mosher
Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
Random Harvest by James Hilton
The Quiet Heart by Patricia Holland
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audry Niffenegger
More Than You Know by Beth Gutcheon
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brinks
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
The Boxmaker's Son by Donald Smurthwaite
East by Edith Pattou
English Creek by Ivan Doig
The Story Girl by L M Montgomery
Bridge to Terabithia by Kate Patterson
I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
Other great books that were not quite five's:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows
Path Between the Seas by David McCullough
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
River Secrets by Shannon Hale
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
The Scarlett Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Posted by Framed at 12:45 PM
14 comments:
Nymeth said...
wow, 17 challenges! That's a lot!
I keep seeing people listing The Book Thief as their favourite... it makes me really excited about reading it!
12/29/2007 1:21 PM
BookGal said...
The Book Thief seems to be on everyone's list. I need to see what it's all about. I'm awed at the number of challenges you completed!
12/29/2007 1:31 PM
Marg said...
I've enjoyed a couple of the books on your list as well. The Book Thief and The Hummingbird's Daughter and The Time Travellers Wife.
12/29/2007 1:49 PM
Charley said...
I Am the Messenger is one of my Top 5 books of the year. I can't wait to read The Book Thief.
12/29/2007 8:34 PM
Tristi Pinkston said...
I just copied and pasted this whole blog onto my TBR list. Thanks for the recommendations! I did read Stardust and didn't enjoy it (the romp in the grass sorta threw me off) but I'm looking forward to the rest of them.
12/29/2007 11:52 PM
Literary Feline said...
I hope to read The Book Thief this next year. I committed myself to reading War and Peace January through April and so my plan to read The Book Thief the beginning of this year has fallen a bit by the wayside. You never know though!
You fit in a lot of books this year! And many good ones! I hope your reading this next year is even more worthwhile and fun!
12/30/2007 1:45 PM
Les said...
The Book Thief was my #1 read a couple of years ago. Glad you enjoyed it so well. Let's see, of the others you rated highly, I've read:
Ender's Game (liked), The Time Traveler's Wife (loved), and More Than You Know (don't remember much). I plan to read I am the Messenger and Stardust in 2008.
I read about half the number of books as you, but my numbers are way down this year, thanks to my wonderful job that cuts into my reading time! And, I only had one perfect 5/5. I'll get my list up later this week.
12/30/2007 4:00 PM
Booklogged said...
What a good reading year - so many good books.
12/30/2007 7:30 PM
Wendy said...
I am so with you on The Book Thief. It is on the top of my list this year too - and actually, it makes the top of my all-time favorites. What an amazing book.
I printed your list of 5's and almost 5's. I think you and I pretty much like the same stuff :)
12/31/2007 12:03 PM
gautami tripathy said...
I plan to read the Book Thief this year. I am impressed by your list!
Have a great reading year 2008!
1/01/2008 3:07 AM
Framed said...
For those of you who haven't read The Book Thief, enjoy, it's so wonderful.
About the challenges, I read someone's blog who did 31. WOW!
Tristi, if the romp in the grass was too much, avoid The Time Travelers Wife. It's very explicit. Too bad because it is so well-written and creative.
1/01/2008 10:12 AM
Andrea said...
The Book Thief is on my TBR challenge list! I also enjoyed The Time Travler's Wife. I see you have a lot of books by Shannon Hale, is she a YA author? Somehow her name seems familiar but I haven't read any of these books. I've written down the titles you have listed here to look up at the library later.
1/04/2008 12:42 PM
Maw Books said...
I also loved The Book Thief! It's sitting right here on my desk as I'm right in the middle of typing up a review that I hope to have up sometime this weekend. I borrowed it from the library, but now I think I must buy it to put in my library!
Thanks for the great list. I love lists!
1/19/2008 3:02 PM
Terri B. said...
I absolutely LOVED East by Edith Patou. I didn't realize at the time how much I liked it until months later I'm still thinking about it!
I really like Shannon Hale's YA books too and I can't wait to read Good Omens by T. Pratchett and N. Gaiman.
Love your list of reads.
# posted by Framed @ 7:34 PM 
