Reading Year in Review

I had all sorts of ideas about pithy end-of-year thoughts and New Year’s resolutions to post over the last couple of days — only to be felled by a nasty head cold that kept me in bed for the last four days of my break. And today I’m back at work. Where did those two weeks ago?

I did want to do a quick recap of my reading in 2007. Last year was the first year that I started keeping track of what I read and I’m glad I did. I wouldn’t have remembered half of them if I hadn’t written them down.

I read 47 books (the list currently has 46, but I’m going to count Reading Lolita in Tehran as my 47th, as the bulk was read in 2007). Since I’ve never kept track before, I don’t know if that’s a lot or not. Judging from other book blogs I read, I think it’s a little on the low side. Too much TV!

I read all seven of the Harry Potter novels last year. I had been avoiding them for years simply because of the hype. But I suddenly decided they needed more attention, especially when my sister kept talking about them. She doesn’t read much fiction, so I know these had to be good to keep her attention. I enjoyed them very much and know that they will definitely stand up to re-reading many times.

Probably the most eye-opening one was The Introvert Advantage. If you are an introvert, you really do need to read this book. It makes so many things much more clear about why we behave they way we do (note: it’s all perfectly normal).

I took a little trip back in time with some of Stephen King’s early writing. His first novels and short stories were some of my earliest “adult” reading, and it was interesting to read them again more than 20 years later.

With some foot dragging, I also read some more modern fiction. Philip Roth, Joyce Carol Oates and Cormac McCarthy were all new authors for me in 2007.

Is there some grand statement here? I don’t think so. My tastes are pretty eclectic. In addition to the above, I also read two books about the Mafia, a biography of Chairman Mao, a couple of chick lit titles and a local author who actually reads my blog (Colleen Gleason’s The Rest Falls Away).

I have no doubt that 2008 will be equally as all over the map. Do I have any plans? Not really, although the more I think about it, the idea is tempting. I am planning on a group read of Team of Rivals, which I’m really looking forward to. And I think I need to read another Dickens title this year. I haven’t read him in years and I’ve got a significant way to go to get through the rest of them. They are always a major investment in time, but well worth it in the end.

More later on some of those New Year’s resolutions.