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Sunday, November 16, 2008

The Sunday Salon: #7

A couple of weeks ago, Literary Feline posted a retrospective look at her reading. I thought that was a GREAT idea for a Sunday Salon, so I stole it. Plus, I didn't do much reading this week and I'd like to stay a little on topic. I did manage to finish one book, but I am saving the review for Wednesday. I managed to read a couple chapters in several others, but nothing new to mention. So, a look to the past.

I've been keeping a "book book" since 1993. I starting keeping track in a spiral notebook, and sometime in 1996 or so I transferred all the books to a pretty journal. (In reality, it's an ugly journal, that was back when choices were limited.) I filled that one up in 2000, and started a new one in 2001. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the first one. This in itself is a tragedy, as the very idea that it is lost (I can't hardly type that!) makes me wanna cry. It is also very weird, as I don't lose things. (Gina! back me up here!) I did copy everything into Library Thing, so I can recreate the list if I need to, but it won't be chronological.

Anyway, a little look back in the past-

In November 2001 I read 5 books, all romances. My first marriage was failing, my grandfather had just died, and it was just after September 11.

  • Jo Goodman, Wild Sweet Ecstasy
  • Stephanie Laurens, A Rake's Vow
  • Stephanie Laurens, Scandal's Bride
  • Stephanie Laurens, A Rogue's Proposal
  • Stephanie Laurens, A Secret Love

In November 2002 I read 4 books. I had lived in South Dakota for 3 months at this point, and my book collection was very small.

  • Michael Connelly, Void Moon
  • Christopher Moore, Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story
  • James Patterson, Violets are Blue
  • Kim Izzo & Ceri Marsh, The Fabulous Girl's Guide to Decorum
In November 2003 a measly 2 books (sounds like this year!) I can't remember the first thing about November 2003.
  • Richard Rubin, Confederacy of Silence: A True Tale of the New Old South
  • Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
In 2004, 2 books again. Apparently I slack off in November. In late 2004 I was pregnant with the Pirate. We had bought a house that August and were in full first time homeowners crazy decorating mode. Both books that November were romances.
  • Lisa Kleypas, Secrets of a Summer Night
  • Laure Lee Guhrke, His Every Kiss
In 2005, 3 books. I had a 7 month old baby this year. Two of the books I read had been on the TBR for a while, and the third I read while on our annual family cabin trip. (This year it will be for Christmas.)
  • John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany
  • J. Maartin Troost, The Sex Lives of Cannibals
  • Tracy Chevalier, Girl with a Pearl Earring
In 2006, 4. At this point I had created this blog, and started reviewing books. I'm not going back to link up, but you can search for the reviews from here out.
  • Charlaine Harris, Dead to the World
  • Charlaine Harris, Shakespeare's Landlord
  • Marlena de Blasi, A Thousand Days in Venice
  • Janet Evanovich, Twelve Sharp
In 2007, I did not complete a single book! That was when I was so sick from the pregnancy with the Bug and just didn't have it in me to focus.

This year I have finished two books, and will likely finish at least one more. It would be great if I could beat my average, but it doesn't look like it will be hard to do! I am inspired to go back and see what months I tend to read the most and average them all out. Do ya'll read more in certain months than in others? I'm wondering if the time change makes me read less. It gets dark so early that it feels late to me, so I just go to bed.

While I now keep the list in multiple places, I will always keep it in a journal, because I love the feel of it. I'm considering a new one next year, even though this one isn't QUITE full.

I really hope the other one turns up soon.


10 comments:

  1. Oh no! You lost your early journal! I do hope you find it. It'll probably turn up when you least expect it.

    It's so interesting to see what you were reading at the different times in your life. Thank you for sharing!

    Since I've been keeping track of my reading, I haven't noticed any obvious patterns in terms of how much I read when, other then for the month of November. November seems to be the month I really slow down. I don't know why it's worked out that way. I'm trying to change that this year. :-)

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  2. I'm impressed that you keep a reading journal. I do think my reading slows down in November in December because I'm busy with the holidays. Holidays are a good time for light, fluffy reading.

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  3. Yes, my reading definately slows down around November/December. I've only kept track of my reading habits since March of this year though (was it May?) so I have no statistics to back that up, it just feels right.

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  4. I wish I'd kept track of what books I read and when I read them when I was younger. I've been keeping a list since last year. I've got reviews of the books I've read in different places- some on my blog, some on Library Thing, and some in a word document. I think it's great that you can see how many books you've read and when. Hopefully in a few years, I'll be able to look back at my lists and see some kind of pattern emerging.

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  5. I've been keeping track of all the books I read for several years now. I usually keep my list in whatever journal I'm writing in. When I start a new journal instead of transferring the list, I just continue it. When the new year starts, I start the list over again at number one. Being in school, I realize the only time I can sit down and really read is during vacations.

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  6. My previous efforts at keeping track of my reading (by logging it in a journal) have all failed. It's much easier to keep track, now that I'm doing it online (at my blog and on LibraryThing)

    Your retrospective is interesting; to be able to connect your reading patterns to life events.

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  7. I wish so much that I had kept track of my reading over the years. It has been 99% library books, but I don't think they keep a database of what people have checked out in the past...or give that out to the library patron. If they did, I could piece my past reading together. I only started keeping track in January.

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  8. I have always marveled at how you don't lose anything. Seriously. I don't know that I have ever known you to lose anything. I am sorry that it was your journal. I always loved reading yours to see what books you were reading and how many books you read each month. I still keep mine, but it is not nearly as complete as yours. I tend to slack off of writing what months books were finished in sometime in July. After that there are just lists of books read with no dates.

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  9. The journal still has not shown up! I have looked in most of the likely places. I'm really hoping it's in the desk downstairs (we don't use the desk, but it's full of crap.)

    I do have my list online, but it's not the same.

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  10. I love looking back through my book journal. I may have to steal this idea also! :)

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