I'm working today on the questions for Elaine Ash of Beat to a Pulp, and that will be up in the next day or so. In the meantime, here's a kind of placeholder post.
I finish my reading year on my birthday, and naturally I keep records. I read 116 books since October 14 of 2009. Mystery and Thrillers accounted for 24 of those and SF added up to 21. Westerns and nonfiction accounted for 13 each, and fantasy scored 11. I read fewer graphic novels this year than last, 2 versus 5, and reread only three books rather than 6. I read only 3 YA books, as oppossed to 11 last year. That was a Harry Potter year. I went up very slightly this year in hororr and historical fiction, and remained steady in poetry at 5. I have 7 books in the "other" category this year as opposed to 0 last year. "Other" is a catch all category for books in genres I don't typically read in. A romance novel would fall in this category for me, for example, or a mainstream literary novel that doesn't fit into classics. I read 0 books in the comedy column, which is standard for me since I only have 2 listed in that column over the past 7 years. I just don't read much material that is meant to be humorous.
OK, that's probably enough boring details about my reading year. See you next year with the same kind of post. :)
------
-----
I've had a slow reading year - probably won't catch up to my usual count, either.
ReplyDeleteI usually start on January, but maybe I'll start with my birthday, too, this year (November.)
Happy birthday, Charles!
Wow! That's some reading you keep track off. Compare that with mine! I only keep a record of how many Saturdays I work in a year!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday and many more to come. xx
Happy birthday! And that's some serious reading.
ReplyDeletePaul, I figure a year should actually count from birthday to birthday. I've done it that way a long time. And thanks.
ReplyDeleteMiddle ditch, I'm a bit OCD in that way. Thanks.
Alex, thankee. I appreciate it.
Wow, that is some detailed stat keeping. I wish I read that many books a year. For me it's more like 50. And this year, fewer than that.
ReplyDeleteBut of all those books you read in the past year, any that particularly stand out? For any reason? Highlights?
Charles, Happy Birthday to you! I wish I could keep records like you do. I've read at least 18 books on my Ipad and numerous others that I had laying around. I'd read all day if I could get away with it....
ReplyDeleteyappy barfday, ye olde sodde! :O lol
ReplyDeleteyou did well in the reading department... mine has dropped off, down to about 6 for the year :(
Happy birthday Charles!And about reading counts... I don't keep one. For me have no sensee. i mean, i just enjoy the reading and that's all.
ReplyDeleteSaid this, slow reading month i fear. Working questioning for the government is a tedious task.
But i started today City of Flaming Shadows. My next read? Who knows?
This is so impressive! Do you keep a list? I mean, how do you know?
ReplyDeleteHmm, every year this post makes me wish I kept track of my reading...
ReplyDeleteBenjibopper, I'll have to have another report on the "best" ones I read this year. There were quite a few good ones I remember fondly. But I'm probably forgetting some off the top of my head too.
ReplyDeleteJodi, me too. I just love reading.
Laughingwolf, I dropped off a bit from last year but my total has gone up in general the last few years, more time off I think.
Deka, I'm kind of OCD about keeping records. Been doing it since I was a teenager. I enjoy it.
Leigh, I have a big three ring binder I record them all in, by title and author. And I record them these days on Goodreads.
Steve, see you next year. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's cool, Charles. Until 5 months ago, I wrote a review of everything I read for amazon - since about 2003. That was my record. Since almost none of it was genre fiction (he said, ducking brick bats), it would be hard to categorize.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll use your model and keep better track starting on my birthday in December.
ReplyDeleteI hope someday the add a 1 in your humor column with the Feedstore Chronicles.
That's a lot of years!
ReplyDeletePretty diverse set of reading material there.
ReplyDeleteI can probably count on both hands the amount of books I've read this year.
Wow, and I thought I was nuts with the lists I keep of everything I read. At least I don't break it down into stats. Charles, you've given me something to live up to. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI only average about 50 books a year, and this year it's going to be more like 30. But this year I've read more than a few of those lengthy Malazan epic fantasy novels and just finished War and Peace.
Ron Scheer, It's hard to decide sometime. I put McCarthy in classics, but when I read the secret life of bees I put in in the "other" category. I don't guess it makes that much difference.
ReplyDeleteTravis Erwin, you can rest assured that one will be read.
Deka Black, indeed, and I'm hoping for many more.
G, I really read almost compulsively so I get a lot read. I know those who read more, though.
Ty Johnston, I read a fair number of short poetry books, and some of the space opera stuff I read is pretty short. I've never read War and Peace although I do hope to do so one day.
You are certainly an eclectic reader!
ReplyDeleteImpressive and diverse record. Even if I read that many books in a year, I couldn't count that high.
ReplyDeleteYou are a dynamo, Charles!
ReplyDeleteWarm Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
><}}(°>
Impressive! That's a book every three days or so, isn't it? Hope you've had a great birthday... and many, many more!
ReplyDeletepattinase, I kind of pride myself on that.
ReplyDeleteEvan Lewis, lol. You only have to count to six if you have a revolver, man.
Cloudia, not like I used to be. but thanks.
Jess, about that I think. I'm looking to try to celebrate a bit this weekend. too much happening today.
Zero books in the comedy column?
ReplyDeleteBut you read my posts!
Happy belated birthday!
ReplyDeleteTextbooks and non-fiction has been my diet lately.
I miss reading fiction, but right now all I do is reread half a page of a favorite novel or indulge in poetry before I fall asleep.
"have" been - sorry!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday and, as usual, a day late. Sorry, man.
ReplyDeleteNice reading list for someone who works full time and writes. That takes a considerable chunk of your non-sleeping/eating time.
Oh, my birthday comes ten days after yours. I'm rolling past 6-0(don't tell anybody I admitted that).
ReplyDeleteI hope you reac, let's say... 100 years. Is a good goal.
ReplyDeleteHope you had a good birthday Charles and now the count begins again at zero. Is that the same as someone who never ages past 39?
ReplyDeleteivan, If I counted blogs read I'd have a lot more comedy reads. Some intentional. Some not so much. :)
ReplyDeleteMerisi,these days I don't often read a lot of textbooks completely. I'll read a few chapters, or changed chapters. I do a fair amount of that but I don't count 'em unless I read start to finish. I've got a lot of textbooks on my list over the years.
Randy Johnson, thanks, my friend. I keep a book handy everywhere to read during minutes, and I am counting the ebooks that I'm having my Kindle read to me on my commutte. You can get through some stuff on 3 hour a day commute. October is a good month for birthdays.
Deka Black, yeah, that's a nice round number. My mom made it to 93, which was pretty fair.
Mark, I do indeed feel young today, perhaps more because of the results from certain tests I had run.
My little psycho reader man. Love you, hon. Happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteLana, and you encourage my habit, my dear. I love you for that. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't keep such detailed records, but by feel I know that this year was a slow year for reading until I got the Kindle. I was going at a nice steady pace since that purchase, but then I got stuck on the Clancy books. Once I finish The Bear and the Dragon, I'll leave Clancy behind. I just don't enjoy his style anymore.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
happy belated birthday! Good reading--I tend to read about 1/2 that many
ReplyDeleteTravis Cody, I liked the Clancy I read but never felt any driving urge to read more. Good stories but the characters usually don't attract me much.
ReplyDeleteSage, thanks man. I don't always get that many read either.
Happy Belated Birthday Charles. I'm so sorry I missed your birthday! I hope that you had a wonderful day and that you spent your birthday weekend doing something fun. I wish that your Razorbacks had gifted you with a win - I was pulling for them!
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I've had enough birthdays by now that I don't worry too much about them. But yes, I wish I the hogs had won
ReplyDelete