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The Sunday Salon #68: 2010 Reading Recap

The      Sunday Salon.com

Even though I am very slow with completing books,  I thought it would be fun to track my reading progress each week. The Sunday Salon is  an online reading group where all the participants set aside time to read every Sunday and blog about the experience. To learn more or to join, click on the picture above.

I had one big picture reading goal for 2010 which was to read one more book than I did in 2009.  In spite of several life events which cut into my reading goal, I managed to complete 19 books which is three more than I did the year before.
My sense of accomplishment at completing that goal is almost enough to erase the sense of disappointment I have at not finishing more of the nine challenges for which I signed up.  While I said several times that completing challenges is aspirational for me, I still wanted to have a better track record.  Of the challenges for which I signed up, I only completed two challenges: The Chunskter Challenge which is still going on and The Women Unbound Challenge. 
Of the remaining seven challenges, I am going to continue to work to finish the Orbis Terrarum and What's in a Name Three challenges.  
The World Party Challenge is continuing for a few more months, so I am technically just behind :)
Unfortunately, I need to declare that I failed the following challenges: Everything Austen Two,  Reading Western Europe,  Global Reading Challenge, and South Asian Author challenge.   I am especially sad about the South Asian Author challenge as I own many books which would qualify, but other reading commitments kept me from reading those pages.
One of my reading goals for 2011 is to complete at least 50% of the challenges for which I sign up in the allocated time period.  I am also going to strive to read 20 books which is one more than I completed in 2010. 
Now for some fun reading statistics.  The questions are taken from Care's Online Book Club:

How many books read in 2010?

While the number is small to many reading rockstars, I am proud to say I finished 19 books! 

How many fiction and non fiction?

I read five non-fiction books in 2010 which is 26.3% of my reading

Male/Female author ratio?

 6 Males/13 Females

Favorite book of 2010?

While I did not give all of them a perfect rating, the following books truly amazed and moved me. I felt thankful that I knew how to read, so that I could get to know the characters and have the privilege of experience the journey on which the author took me:

Least favourite?

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender was such a disappointment. It had such potential, but the characters were annoying and I wish that I had spent the time reading something else.

Any that you simply couldn’t finish and why?

Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert.  It was a selection for a book club meeting and I just could not finish. I find her so self-absorbed and annoying.  Fortunately, other members at the meeting felt the same as I did, so I got to use it as a way to bond with people.

Oldest book read?

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston. (My review is here)  I never had it assigned for a class and did not get around to completing the book. I was glad that I got to finish and I really enjoyed it.

Newest?

I read two books that were published this year-- Everything Is Broken: A Tale of Catastrophe in Burma by Emma Larkin (my review is here) and I Love You and I’m Leaving You Anyway by Tracy McMillan (my review is here). Both were part of TLC book tours.  If I was not part of those book tours, I do not think I would have read anything that was published this year.  I tend to get my books from the library or purchase them in paperback which leads to a delay from when a book is published to when I finally have it in my hands. 

Longest and shortest book titles?

Longest book title is This Child Will be Great:Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President written by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. My review is here   Shortest book title is Chocolat by Joanne Harris.  My review is here.

Longest and shortest books?

Amazingly enough, I actually read five chunksters this year.  The longest book was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. (My review is here) at 590 pages. The shortest book is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston. (My review is here)  at 207 pages.

How many books from the library?

Since I was on a book buying diet this year, many of my books came from the library. 11  or 57.90% of the books I read this year were checked out from the library.  I feel like 2010 was the year I learned to utilize public libraries again.  It is like going into a book store without the guilt of spending too much money or stress of figuring out where to store books in your home.

Any translated books?

This is not something I track specifically.  From looking at my list, I do not think any of the books I read were translated. 

Most read author of the year, and how many books by that author?

I did not have any duplicate authors this year. 

Any re-reads?

No re-reads

Favourite character of the year?

Tied between Liesel from The Book Thief and Amal from The Geometry of God

Which countries did you go to through the page in your year of reading?

The books I read were set in the following countries: The United States, Pakistan, Canada, Germany, Burma, Liberia, Afghanistan, Vietnam, China, France, and Sweden.

Which book wouldn’t you have read without someone’s specific recommendation?

I am not sure.  I participated in a lot of book clubs in 2010 and a lot of my reading was done to be able to participate in meetings.  The following books were book club selections that I did not know of before they were picked: 

Which author was new to you in 2010 that you now want to read the entire works of?

I would love to read more of Mark Zusak and Uzma Aslam Khan

Which books are you annoyed you didn’t read?

I wish I had read more books to complete the South Asian Author Challenge and had done a better job of reading more countries for the Global Reading Challenge. 

Did you read any books you have always been meaning to read?

Yes, Blind Assassin and the Book Thief
Any HIGHLIGHTS from 2010?
I met the lovely and amazing Care in person! I hope to see her again in 2011 and to meet more book bloggers. In case you are wondering, she is as lovely in person as she is on her blog.  I participated in two book tours which is something I would like to do again.  Finally, I have loved continuing to be part of the blogging world and taking part in this virtual community.

Posted on Sunday, January 9, 2011 at 4:59PM by Registered Commenter[beastmomma] | CommentsPost a Comment

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