As I stated before I set out to read a book a week in 2011. It's a pretty modest goal, but I'm not the fastest reader ever and have many competing interests for my time. But I'm happy to say that I'm on pace to meet that goal, with 49 titles read through 48 weeks. Here's the list (including my ratings):
1. Roots and Branches, Tom Shippey, 4 stars
2. Legend, David Gemmell, 4 stars
3. The Sword of Rhiannon, Leigh Brackett, 3.5 stars
4. Grails: Quests of the Dawn, Richard Gilliam, Mercedes Lackey, Andre Norton editors, 3 stars
5. God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens, 3.5 stars
6. The Burning Land, Bernard Cornwell 3.5 stars
7. No Country for Old Men, Cormac McCarthy, 4.5 stars
8. The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, J.R.R. Tolkien, 3.5 stars
9. Resolute Determination: Napoleon and the French Empire (The Modern Scholar), 3.5 stars
10. The Company They Keep, Diana Glyer, 4 stars
11. The Desert of Souls, Howard Andrew Jones, 3.5 stars
12. The Brothers Bulger, Howie Carr, 3 stars
13. Phantastes, George MacDonald, 3.5 stars
14. Tolkien and the Invention of Myth, Jane Chance editor, 3.5 stars
15. One Who Walked Alone, Novalyne Price Ellis, 4 stars
16. Damnation Alley, Roger Zelazny, 3 stars
17. Walden, Henry David Thoreau, 4 stars
18. Ivanhoe, Sir Walter Scott, 4 stars
19. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, John Joseph Adams editor, 3.5 stars
20. Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson, 3.5 stars
21. The Broken Sword, Poul Anderson, 4.5 stars
22. The Dirt, Motley Crue, 3 stars
23. Tarzan of the Apes, Edgar Rice Burroughs, 4 stars
24. Tolkien: A Look Behind the Lord of the Rings, Lin Carter, 3.5 stars
25. The Dark Tide, Dennis McKiernan, 3 stars
26. Watership Down, Richard Adams, 5 stars
27. Shadows of Doom, Dennis McKiernan, 2.5 stars
28. The Darkest Day, Dennis McKiernan, 3 stars
29. The Allegory of Love, C.S. Lewis, 4 stars
30. Imaro, Charles Saunders, 3.5 stars
31. Sword Woman and Other Historical Adventures, Robert E. Howard, 4 stars
32. The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman, 4 stars
33. The Subtle Knife, Philip Pullman, 3.5 stars
34. The Fantastic Swordsmen, L. Sprague de Camp ed., 4 stars
35. Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis, 3.5 stars
36. Warriors, George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois eds., 4 stars
37. The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch, 3.5 stars
38. The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman, 3.5 stars
39. The Case for God, Karen Armstrong, 4 stars
40. The Golden Apples of the Sun, Ray Bradbury, 4 stars
41. Dangerous Visions, Harlan Ellison ed., 4 stars
42. The Rising, Brian Keene, 3.5 stars
43. The Undiscovered Self, C.G. Jung, 4.5 stars
44. Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead, John Skipp editor, 4 stars
45. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny, 4 stars
46. The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien, 5 stars
47. The Demon of Scattery, Poul Anderson and Mildred Downey Broxon, 3.5 stars
48. Bringing Down the House, Ben Mezrich, 3 stars
49. Dark Crusade, Karl Edward Wagner, 4 stars
My eclectic tastes are on full display here. There's a lot of swords and sorcery (Dark Crusade, Imaro, The Fantastic Swordsmen, Legend) mixed with epic fantasy (FOTR, His Dark Materials trilogy, Iron Tower trilogy). I've been picking off some of the SF/fantasy classics (Lord of Light, Phantastes, Golden Apples of the Sun) while showing my weakness for zombie stories (The Rising, Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead). I've got a fair bit of non-fiction mixed in too: Everything from both sides of the God debate (Hitchens vs. Armstrong), to an MIT card-counting ring (Bringing Down the House), to autobiographical material (Howard, C.S. Lewis) to Jung. If I'm interested in it, I'll read it.
This exercise has again underscored the need to increase my reading speed. I frankly have no idea how anyone can read 300 or 400 books in a year, but I've seen people claiming those totals. I am giving some serious thought to setting aside a future slot to a speed-reading title.
8 comments:
I am woefully under goal this year, but some of that is due to increased comic reading.
I hope to do better.
As for speed reading - good for school work. But, as a friend once told me, "I was reading Ursula LeGuin, and some asked if I speed-read it. I asked, 'Why in the world would I want to?'"
;)
That is an impressive list. I don't think its really all that eclectic. I noticed we both read Walden, and more or less had opposite reactions to him.
I'm afraid I'm going to come in just shy of my goal of 150 this year.. last year I met and exceeded it.. but with starting school, LARPing, D&D among other things.. its just kind of slowed me down..
Christopher Hitchens vs. Karen Armstrong? Armstrong wins, no question. I've always been impressed with her academic work.
I'd love to make a "books read this year" but I haven't kept track and there were just so many.
As for speed reading - good for school work. But, as a friend once told me, "I was reading Ursula LeGuin, and some asked if I speed-read it. I asked, 'Why in the world would I want to?'"
You're probably right Paul. I just to figure out a practical way to get to more. Maybe sleeping less :)?
I'm afraid I'm going to come in just shy of my goal of 150 this year.. last year I met and exceeded it.
Wow, 150 ... even with school and other distractions that's impressive. I wish I had a "down" year like that.
Christopher Hitchens vs. Karen Armstrong? Armstrong wins, no question. I've always been impressed with her academic work.
Hitchens wins on style, Armstrong on substance.
for fast reading the key is break the subvocalic barrier, barrera subvocalica in spanish, I don't know the english translation, to break that barrier you must read one entire line or a paragraph with just one look, not doing the usual reading of repeat every word in your mind, instead the look must go to the entire line or a paragraph when you practise... some people can read a page with just one look!!!
a lot of re readings in your lists, isn't it?
Thanks Francisco. A few re-readings, yes--I'm not one of those types who can read a book once and claim perfect knowledge.
Great Blog! I've just added it the list of recommended ones on my reading Blog.
Thanks Tim! I'll take at yours.
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