Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Best of the Year, 2009


Time once again for a look back at the year's reading. Did I meet the goals I'd set for myself? Well, since my reading goals are not too strict I don't have a lot of problem meeting them - the one thing I had wanted to do which I didn't end up doing a lot of was rereading old favourites (hopefully the Flashback Challenge will help me with that in 2010).


I posted a list of ten great books a few weeks ago, for Weekly Geeks, books I enjoyed and thought were well worth the time spent reading them, but who knows how many will appear on my best-of list now? And next month I could have a different list also...there are too many great books in the year to only love a few. ;) I had a great reading year -- I found so many excellent reads, which was very satisfying. Last year those kind of reads were a bit scarcer on the ground.



Here is a statistical look at my reading in 2009.

Books Read 2009: 180

By women: 119

By men: 54

non-gendered reading (multiple authors, etc.): 7

Fiction: 122

Non-fiction: 58

Rereads: 6

In Translation: 7
1 German, 1 Norwegian, 1 Chinese, 1 Portugese, 1 Quebecois, 2 French



Challenges undertaken: 5

Challenges completed: 2



Review copies read: 18

Library copies read: 137

My own books read: 29
(far more books bought than read on my shelves this year!)


Best of the Year

Fiction:

The Post Office Girl / Stefan Zweig

Broken / Karin Fossum

Martin Pippin in the Apple Orchard / Eleanor Farjeon

Come, thou tortoise / Jessica Grant

The Children's Book / A.S. Byatt

Making It Up or Family Album / Penelope Lively


Honourable Mentions:

The Blythes are Quoted / LM Montgomery

Incident Report / Martha Baillie

The Good Mayor / Andrew Nicoll

The Day the Falls Stood Still / Cathy Marie Buchanan


Non-Fiction:

Script & Scribble / Kitty Burns Florey

In Bed with the Word / Daniel Coleman

Read for your Life / Joseph Gold

Where our Food comes from / Gary Paul Nabhan



YA/Children's:

The Little White Horse / Elizabeth Goudge

Puppet Master / Joanne Owen

Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter / R.J. Anderson

1000 Shades of Blue / Robin Stevenson



Next year? Well, as my last two posts prove, I am going to sign up for a lot of challenges, read some of my own books, and hope to enjoy continued reading and blogging relationships. Can't wait to add to my own tbr when I read everyone else's end of year lists as well!

I also enjoyed taking part in the Year of Readers project in 2009, but did feel as if I wasn't really doing enough to raise money. Still, the total raised is a few hundred dollars, which will help PLOW a little bit. Thanks again to Jodie at Bookgazing for that great initiative.

25 comments:

  1. I enjoy reading the end of the year posts, and seeing everyone's stats. I haven't yet done mine (although I'd better hurry if I want to post it tomorrow) and am curious to see what the final numbers look like. My reading number was really low this year, but I think I made up for it in my enjoyment of what I read.

    Karin Fossum is an author I've been really wanting to try. I'm glad she made your best of list.

    I wish you the best of luck with your reading next year. May you read many wonderful books!

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  2. Impressive totals! I find it interesting that your number of female authors is much greater than your male authors. My year end totals are the opposite. I was surprised by that as I don't conciously choose male over female authors, and if anyone was to ask, I don't have a preference-- but the stats suggest otherwise. Is yours an active decision?

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  3. I am seriously impressed at the amount of non-fiction you managed to read - I always start the year with good intentions and rarely complete more than a dozen. The number of library books is exemplary, too. Happy New Year and hope you have a great year of reading in 2010!

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  4. Literary Feline - I hope you will get yours up - I too enjoy seeing everyone's recommendations, and look forward to yours.

    John - it's funny, I was kind of surprised to see the totals as well. I don't make decisions of what to read based on gender, and was amazed by the huge difference. I do know that I am interested in books about women or from women's perspectives so I guess that shows up in my stats.

    Geranium Cat - I was amazed by the amount on nonfiction as well. Not something I always turn to first, but this year I did find quite a lot of interesting reading - although a lot of it was business related.

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  5. 180 books! Wowzer! Do you not sleep or have you figured out how to read while you sleep? :)

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  6. Stefanie - ha! Well, I do have the advantage of not having kids, not being at school, having a rapid reading speed, and having a husband who both does most of the housework and fully participates in my bookish habit.

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  7. Very impressive statistics for the year! Some of the books on your favorites list are on my "must absolutely ready" in 2010 list - which makes me very excited to get started already! (:

    happy almost new year, Melanie!

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  8. Wow, you had a great year. What I'm finding interesting about everyone's list of 2009 favorites is that I've read almost none of them. That proves that I need to learn how to read faster or go without sleep. I just can't keep up.

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  9. saveophelia - thanks - and I look forward to your thoughts on the books you read in 2010. We'll see if any of my favourites turn out to be yours ;)

    Sam - I know, it is so wonderful how many different books we have all found and become fond of this year. I am always surprised by how much I haven't read, which all sound so fantastic that I must put them on the to-read list that never seems to get any smaller.

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  10. Oh, lucky you to have a husband who's into reading too! That an impressive number of library books you read. I read very few this year even though I borrowed lots! Glad to hear you had a great reading year!

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  11. I really want to read The Post Office Girl. It looks really good!

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  12. Holy crap! Pardon me...it just slipped out of my fingers. That is a great reading year, and it looks like you had good quality as well as quantity. Thumbs up!

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  13. Danielle - I am very lucky! And I think working at the library just enables my reading addiction - there are always more to tempt me...

    Kailana - read it if you can - it was utterly amazing - the story just crackles right off the page, it is so full of raw emotion. Loved it.

    Andi - he he... actually I was very fortunate this year to have a real run of fantastic reads. That doesn't always happen. :)

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  14. I love reading everyone end of year posts. It's so exciting to see what books people have loved and such...

    Looks like you had a great reading year and here's hoping the next one is just as great or even better!

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  15. Those are some great numbers! I'm glad you had such a good year and could read so many books. I'm glad to see the Zweig on your best-of list -- it really was a great book.

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  16. Iliana - I did have a great reading year! I also like checking through all the lists and finding new things to read next year ;)

    Dorothy - I agree, the Zweig book has to be on my best-of-list - it was a revelation. I was lucky to start off the year with such a fantastic book.

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  17. My best of list is constantly changing also...it depends on my mood when I think back on what I've read.

    Happy 2010...may it bring you lots more reading pleasure!

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  18. I've been waiting to get my hands on The Children's Book from the library - it looks SO good!

    You read ALOT this year! LOTS of Nonfic, too :) Congratulations on a wonderful reading year!

    Happy New Year!

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  19. great list for 2009! I have Post Office Girl on my 2010 list. Hope that you have a Happy and Healthy New Year. May all they books that your read in 2010 be terrific.

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  20. Such an interesting breakdown and an impressive total. I've posted my own list, though I've read about 1/3 as many as you have this year. (How did I get so slow in recent years, sheesh??)

    I was sure I'd hardly read any books by women this year, and then was pleased to see how many I actually had. Still not enough, though. (She said, stomping foot.)

    But now I think I may try to do more directed reading in 2010. More science!

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  21. 180! Wow, Melanie. Nice to see The Day the Falls Stood Still getting an honourable mention and with such good company.

    Happy New Year.

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  22. Wow, you are a wonderfully prolific reader Melanie.
    Wishing you reading joys, in 2010.
    --Cip

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  23. I've only read a couple on your best of lists, so now I want to go read the rest! :)

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  24. What a great reading year you had! Hope 2010 proves as fruitful :)

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  25. softdrink - my decisions about what to read in the first place, and my evaluations of them in hindsight, are always strongly affected by my mood!

    Susan - The Children's Book is so worth it! Just make sure you have lots of time when you go get it ;)

    Diane - hope you will find Post Office Girl as great as I did. Happy 2010 Reading!

    Phyl - you've read some great books this year. I find having a slight direction in my reading encourages me to read a little more widely - and I love the Science Book Challenge to get me reading some more nonfic!

    Cathy - I so enjoyed the chance to read your book this year. Everything in my list is a book I really found to be great reading.

    Cipriano - thanks, and wishing you much reading joy in 2010 as well. Your enthusiasm for your reading is always inspiring. :)

    Eva - your best-of lists always add to my TBR as well. But I believe you when you say you could read all the ones you haven't yet!

    Gentle Reader - I do as well - one excellent read after another is a bit of an anomaly.

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