Monday, July 26, 2010

mid year review

Not sure why, but it seems like a good time to take stock of my reading so far in 2010. Back in January, I read about the book a week idea. I liked the idea and have been committed to reading at this pace. It looks like I will definitely reach a goal of reading at least 52 books this year if I continue what I've been doing.

A quick check of the year's progress to this point reveals:

  • I've read 38 books
  • I've listened to one book (Making Toast)
  • I've read one graphic-style book (Fun Home)
  • Fiction: 18
  • Nonfiction: 21

Stand outs:

  • The Financial Lives of the Poets
  • Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It
  • Fun Home
  • The Elegance of the Hedgehog
  • American Rust
  • Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog
  • Brooklyn
  • The Spare Room
  • Unaccustomed Earth
  • The Suicide Index
  • Stuff - Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things
  • One Day

How's your year coming along?

6 comments:

Levi said...

If Stuff was a standout, do you think I would benefit from reading? I would really like to read this one.

I'm reading as fast as I can.
Not that kind of Girl is the current book.

Eidin said...

Definitely! I highly recommend "Stuff."

Cheryl Kohan said...

I have not read any of these books, I am sorry to say. In fact, I've hardly read at all, lately. I think it's a phase I'm going through. But you've inspired me and I'm going to start with "Stuff". For sure.

Citizen Reader said...

What an interesting list of books! I had "American Rust" home and didn't get it read--what did you like about it?

dkuroiwa said...

I'm having a hard time finding time to read the newspaper on a daily basis. ~~sigh~~ what happened to MY summer holiday??

just thought i'd stop by and say "hey"....hope you are having a nice relaxing summer....

Eidin said...

CR - I liked the way it (American Rust) was written and the distopian view of the US steel belt. Descriptions of abandoned factories together with the despair of the working class folks left behind were exceptional. These are the people who are invisible in this country. My only beef with the book is the two dimensional nature of the main female characters. The author is a good, solid writer but does not have the talent (so far - this is a first novel I think) to create fully human female characters that are more complex than their sexual behavior or attractiveness.