I keep thinking I just might finish one more book before the clock strikes midnight on the 31st, but in spite of all the reading I’ve been doing on my vacation it is looking less and less likely. Now that I have decided to put up my 2011 stats, I will probably finish a book tomorrow. So it goes.
Books read: 56 (I read 56 last year too, call me Ms Consistent)
Books begun but abandoned: 1
Fiction: 31 (2 more than 2010)
Nonfiction: 19 (same as 2010)
Poetry: 2 (2 fewer than 2010 – the increase in fiction titles had to come from somewhere)
Plays: 4 (same as 2010)
From the above -
Books of essays: 9 (only read 3 in 2010)
Fantasy/ SF genre: 3
Graphic novels: 3
Graphic biography: 1
Short story collections: 3 (read 2 in 2010 and I thought I was reading so much more this year but I guess not)
Books on science: 1
Books about books: 6
Books by women: 20 (improved over last year’s 18)
Books by men: 34
Books by men and women: 2
ARCs: 7 (I am surprised that this is only 1 less than last year because I thought I had only read a couple)
Kindle: 7 (3 more than in 2010 – one of them was also from the library the rest were public domain which I don’t count as owned in case you are wondering why the numbers don’t add up)
Library: 22 (1 less than last year – it’s those free public domain Kindle books that skew things)
Own: 21 (same as last year)
Rereads: 2 (1 less than 2010)
Pub dates -
2011: 14
2000-2010: 18
1950-1999: 9
1900-1949: 5
19th century: 4
18th century: 1
14th century: 1
BCE: 4
In translation: 13 (Swedish, Spanish, Ancient Greek, Portuguese, Chinese, Persian, Italian, German, French – 3 more than in 2010)
Books over 500 pages: 9
Over 700 pages: 3
Over 900 pages: 2
Longest book: Bleak House @ 979 pages
Books read from my 2011 reading goals list: 10 (of 21 but I have two more in progress The Pickup and Labyrinths so that’s worth something, right?)
Five favorite books of the year in no particular order:
- Ulysses by James Joyce. This is among the books over 500 pages. I began it on June 16th and finished it in November. What a ride it was!
- The Trial by Franz Kafka. I’ve placed this one amongst the most bizarre and horrific books I have ever read. I cried a little at the end, a reaction that I did not expect. In spite of how weird the book is, it is laden with tension and emotion.
- Death With Interruptions by Jose Saramago. Beautiful and delightful says it all pretty much.
- Bleak House by Charles Dickens. This being the longest book I read so it’s a good thing it was also one of my favorites! I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat, I yelled at the characters, I clapped in delight, and I gasped at some of the most beautiful descriptive passages ever.
- 2666 by Roberto Bolano. This was the other book over 900 pages that I read. I am still not entirely sure what to make of it other than I liked it a lot. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it make me sick with horror, and it always made me think.
Honorary Mentions:
- The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood by James Gleick. Another book over 500 pages. Sometimes mind bending, sometimes head scratching as I tried to work out the science, frequently fascinating and always interesting.
- The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. Perhaps not the best written book of the year but certainly the most fun.
- The Gift by Hafiz. This book never failed to bring a smile to my face even when I felt tired and grumpy.
Not a bad year. Now to finalize my goals for 2012. Stay tuned!
What a great top-5, at least four are lifetime favourites of mine, and I’ve yet to read 2666 (one for this year: I do like the hype to die down). Bleak House is my favourite Dickens. I read and enjoyed your Ulysses journey. Thanks.
This is so a list I would create. Gosh, I love lists – good job!
What a thorough tally! The categories are thoughtful too. Impressive reading records, Stefanie. And for Bleak House, that’s my fave too, and probably the longest book I’ve read. Happy reading in 2012!
I think Ulysses and 2666 should each count for at least five or six! :–)
It’s that time again! Wow! My reading pretty much stopped at the end of October, I’ve barely been able to get through anything in the last two months. But I’ll do my post tomorrow maybe. Now I totally want to read Bleak House and The Trial. Maybe later I’ll be ready to tackle Ulysses again (tried it a few years ago… failed badly). You did a lot of really interesting reading this year! I’m trying to catch up on blog posts… and make my reading list for next year!
Wow, I’m impressed with all the classics you read and loved. Have fun reading in 2012.
I have never kept track of my reading in the past…but your list is inspiring me!! I think 2012 is the year I start tracking my reading.
I AM going to finish Bleak House. Someday. How’s that for not holding myself to anything definite? You always have such nicely varied books–different kinds, from different periods and you read some really long books (something else I failed at miserably this year). I want to read Kafka–maybe next year–am intrigued by the fact it brought tears to your eyes. And six books about books. I love books about books, but I never seem to read them–it’s obviously good you do so I can experience them vicariously through you!
Do you think next year you’ll squeeze in more books since you are done with school?
I wish my fiction to nonfiction, library reads, and pre-19th century numbers were more like yours this year, Stefanie! Other than that, thanks for another year of blogging entertainment for me and glad to see that 2666 made your end of the year Top 5. I love that book and wish more people would give it a try (that being said, I of course recognize that it’s not for everybody, ha ha). Happy New Year to you, too!
One of these days I’ll make time for Bleak House (and Ulysses too). I love how you keep track of how many library books you’ve read – I might borrow the idea for 2012! Though I suspect the ereader plus public domain books will skew numbers in my case as well.
I love stats! I wonder if I should do mine today? I don’t think I will finish another book (although I thought I would – and just like you, I bet I will if I tally up now…). I think you did brilliantly, so many authors in translation and it gives me a kick to see you read 4 BC!!!! Very interesting to read your best-ofs too. I really must read Saramago next year.
Anthony, thanks! It was a pretty good year of reading. Glad you enjoyed my Ulysses journey. When you get to 2666 I expect you will find it lives up to the hype.
Cassie, thanks!
Arti, I didn’t used to keep track of so many different things until a couple years ago and it turned out to be so fun and interesting that I’ve kept it up. I plan to read another Dickens in 1012 but it will be hard tough for it to be as good as Bleak House. Happy 2012 reading and film viewing to you!
rhapsodyinbooks, LOL, they should, shouldn’t they?
wherethereisjoy, well, things got a bit topsy-turvy for you. 2012 will be so much better. I think you would like Bleak House and The Trial quite a lot.
Diane, I hadn’t realized I’d read so many classics until I looked over my list. It was a good year. Happy reading in 2012!
Tracie, I’ve been keeping track of the books I’ve read since the early 90s, not as extensively as I have in the past several years though. It’s fun to be able to look back over the lists.
Danielle, yes, you will finish Bleak House one of these days, it’s a really good one with some unforgettable characters but there is does sag a little after a really good beginning before it picks up again. The end of The Trial, devastating. I was surprised how many books about books I read this year. We’ll see if I manage a few more books in 2012 without school. It will all depend on how many chunky books I fin myself undertaking!
Richard, thanks for stopping by and commenting! 2666 was awesome even though the part about the murders was so long and so horrific to get through. But that was part of the point of it. I’ve got Savage Detectives I hope to get to in 2012. Happy reading to you!
Nymeth, you know, I read Bleak House on my Kindle and had no idea how very long it was until I was halfway through and looked up the print book. By that point it was too late to not keep going and I was totally sucked in to the story. I just started keeping track a couple years ago of where the books I read come from. It’s always interesting to add it up at the end of the year. Happy reading in 2012!
Litlove, oh yes, do your stats! I decided that if it looks like I am going to finish a book before tomorrow night that I will stop reading it an finish it in the new year. Cheating, I know, but hey, the stats are done! There will be more BC reading in 2012, still plenty of Euripides to get through. Saramago is always a gem. I’ve read three of his books now and loved all of them.
Great list, Stefanie! I have never done any stats either but looking over other people’s is so interesting it makes me wonder what I would find. I did tally up the gender balance of reviews on my blog (after the whole VIDA flap) and not counting 19thC novels (since I read those for work, mostly), I was over 70% women authors, which surprised me.
Anyway, I’ve enjoyed following along with your posts this year. Best wishes for 2012!
What a great list, Stefanie! I started Ulysses, and it languishes here beside me, unfinished. I will be starting it again in 2012. I did like what I read, it wasn’t the right time for it. I have Bleak House on my shelf to be read in 2012, finally – I enjoyed the BBC series a few years ago so much, that I started looking for the book to read. How thrilling that it made it on your books of the year!
Happy New Year, and happy reading for you!
Stefanie, while my number of books read for the year are around the same as your number of books read for the year (mine are 58 books so far and maybe one more before the year ends tonight), I can’t come close to the number of books you’ve read over 500 pages. I do have a few “chunksters” to start the year so that might change for next year…
It sounds like you had a great year! Your best-of list is really impressive; that was some serious reading! I’m also impressed by your books in translation. I’d like to get to more of those myself. Congrats on Ulysses — it’s great that you enjoyed it so much!
Rohan, thanks! I never did stats until I began blogging but it has turned out to be a lot of fun to see where my reading went and think about where I want it to go. 70% women authors is pretty amazing. I’ve never even reached 50% in the several years I’ve been keeping track.
Susan, yes, one really has to be in the right frame of mind for Ulysses, it isn’t light reading. good luck with it! And thanks for reminding me about the BBC Bleak House, I meant to watch it after I finished the book and then completely forgot about it! Happy New Year!
unfinishedperson, I was surprised how many chunky books I managed this year. It explains why I sometimes felt like I wasn’t finishing anything!
Rebecca, graduating from library school in June helped
I was surprised at the number of books in translation I was expecting it to be maybe 5 or 6. And thank, I was pleasantly surprised over how much I enjoyed Ulyssesl
what a great looking reading year! I’m impressed with the number of super-long books. I found I read a lot of them last year too. And I’m feeling quite satisfied with Bleak House so far myself! I am really enjoying it.
Rebecca, it was a good year. I’m so glad you are enjoying Bleak House too!
Bleak House is my favorite Dicken’s book. Glad you enjoyed it!