Ah, the time of the year for summing up.
In no particular order, my top
No Orchids for Miss Blandish - James Hadley Chase {REVIEW}
The Blue Castle - L. M. Montgomery {REVIEW}
The Turn of the Screw - Henry James {REVIEW}
The Boys from Brazil - Ira Levin {REVIEW}
How to Be a Woman - Caitlin Moran {REVIEW}
The Return of the Soldier - Rebecca West {REVIEW}
The Ghost Map - Steven Johnson {REVIEW}
The Debt to Pleasure - John Lanchester {REVIEW}
In a Lonely Place - Dorothy B. Hughes {REVIEW}
The Shuttle - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Nella Last's War: The Second World War Diaries of Housewife,
49 - R. Broad & S. Fleming (eds.)
The Eye of Love - Margery Sharp {REVIEW}
I read just over 170 books this year. I keep getting a different figure owing to not having enough fingers, toes and concentration (the cricket was on in the background), but, roughly, it breaks down into fiction of the respectable literary type (37), crime/mystery/stuff I should be slightly ashamed of but am not in the least (113), non-fiction (23). Two more stats: e-books (128 - !!!!), re-reads (25).
At this time last year I was packing away my library as I thought I
might be moving. As it turned out, I didn't move. I also didn't
unpack. As a result, I have done rather less re-reading this year of old
favourites (um, unless I bought them again - bad person, bad person).
The single biggest change to my reading habits this year was caused by buying a Kindle. This has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of physical books entering the home and requiring homes of their own. This is both excellent - since space is always an issue - but, I do confess, a little sad, as I LOVE BEING SURROUNDED BY BOOKS. Books are beautiful, tactile, comforting,dusty, furnish a room; my library is part of me. But, I also love being able to highlight bits of text (I don't write on real books); I love being able to search electronically for something I only half remember; I love that e-books are cheaper than tree-books (a big consideration for an Australian as books are ludicrously expensive here); I love getting them instantly; I love travelling without a case so full of books I can't fit in a giant box of macarons. I miss: sharing books; the smell of books; not being able to get everything I want electronically (but that's (a) just greedy and (b) kinder on my bank balance).
The single biggest change to my reading habits this year was caused by buying a Kindle. This has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of physical books entering the home and requiring homes of their own. This is both excellent - since space is always an issue - but, I do confess, a little sad, as I LOVE BEING SURROUNDED BY BOOKS. Books are beautiful, tactile, comforting,
A couple of new discoveries this year have brought me much reading pleasure - Mary Stewart, Tess Gerritsen, Ira Levin, Alan Hollinghurst, Anne Zouroudi, Jo Nesbø. There were a couple of good sequels in favourite series - Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce, Carol K Carr's India Black. I don't go in much for 'challenges' but I really enjoyed International Anita Brookner Day (I reviewed Lewis Percy) and Paris in July (Zazie in the Metro and Chéri were highlights). I also had a HUGE binge on Patricia Wentworth, some of which were re-reads (favourite: The Case of William Smith).
2012? I want to: read more non-fiction (I feel as though I've read less than usual) and more noir and try to resist starting a new series as I cannot stop myself from reading ALL OF THE SERIES AND STUFFING UP MY READING PLANS. Yes, well, good luck.
Great list! The Shuttle made my list a few years ago. I read the Blue Castle but it didn't make my list. I think I would have loved it more if I had read it as a teenager. The other books you mentioned sound great. I'm going to have to look them up.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I want to read some more Hodgson Burnett soon - I've got T. Tembarom here *somewhere*.
ReplyDeleteMy friend in Australia recently bought a kindle and pointed out that a trip to the bookstore took three hours... Well, that was a decision that made sense, then! Loved reading your stats and am endlessly fascinated by people's favourites of the year lists. I am a huge Rebecca West fan and possibly an even bigger one of Colette. I'm half tempted by the Caitlin Moran book but get stuck in that limbo land, not quite ready to commit. Hmm, maybe I will one of these fine days.
ReplyDeleteThe Caitlin Moran book is so funny - read it when you need a good laugh. 3 hours for a book! - that makes one realise how technology makes a positive difference to people's lives.
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