Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Halfway through the Year

We've reached the last day of June, which means we're officially at the halfway point of 2010. So the big question is: how many books have I read so far?

Granted, there are much bigger questions a person might wish to ponder at this point in the year. Questions that would help realign goals with those beginning-of-the-year resolutions. Questions about where you want to be at the end of the year. Both are good things to ponder, but not nearly as much fun as checking over my Excel "Books Read in 2010" spreadsheet.

The number of books read to date is just about where I expected it to be: 36. Compared to 34 at the end of June 2009, I'm pretty much on par with my usual pace. If I keep it up, I can expect to read another 39-41 books this year (for some reason I always read more books later in the year). This means I won't be topping 100 books this year, which was never a stated goal, but something I've wondered if I could do. Maybe next year I should make it a goal.

Of those 36, 21 of the books I've read this year have been by new-to-me authors. No genre has shown itself as a forerunner, either. The fantasy and romance genre are tied at 8 each, unless you count paranormal romance in the same category as regular romance, and then romance dominates by 7.

My top five favorites of the year are (in order read):
  • Janet Evanovich, Eleven Big Ones
  • Gail Carriger, Soulless
  • Jill Bolte Taylor, My Stroke of Insight
  • Robin D. Owens, Heart Fate
  • Laurell K. Hamilton, Skin Trade
Oddly, the book I've thought the most about this year is not on the top five: Holly Black, White Cat. The ending of that book pops into my mind at the oddest of times. It was simply so perfect, and I can say that even though I really, really disliked the ending. I know, it doesn't make sense unless you've read the book.

Nonfiction is, as always, a distant last, with only 4 books making it onto my list so far. I've been feeling this strange (for me) desire to research a topic that I've wanted to write a book about for at least a year now, so maybe the nonfiction numbers will jump. I'll be sure to keep you posted, as I know you all wait with bated breath.

2 comments:

TikiBird said...

Although I don't have your admirable record-keeping tendencies, I think my numbers (far lower, too) would be flipped with fiction and nonfiction, although I have been on a novel kick lately!

Diana Gabaldon said in this week's Entertainment Weekly (oh yeah, I should factor in magazines into my numbers) that she reads 20-30 books A MONTH! And writes! Now there is a goal!

Rebecca Chastain said...

Even if I had nothing else to do but read, I don't think I could read 30 books a month. I can't remember the last time I read a book in a day! And she'd have to be doing that almost every day of the month to fit even 20 in. Crazy! Either she's a speed reader, or she's reading much shorter novels than the rest of us. :)