2011: Just Blathering…

2011 has been a strange reading year for me. I am nowhere near the pace I usually set, and this looks like it’s going to be the first year I haven’t hit 100 books since 2005. Am I unhappy about this? Maybe a little. Mostly, I think it means that I haven’t done a great job choosing what to read. A number of the books I’ve had on my nightstand have been dense, long reads, and that really slows me down.  In most cases this hasn’t been a bad thing — I’ve read a number of good books that just happened to be dense — but in other cases, they are books I either didn’t finish or shouldn’t have finished. (The Sound and the Fury and The Sisters Brothers spring to mind) I’ve also been reading a lot of ARCs this year, more than I normally do. Another good/bad thing, as I have been neglecting books that are already on my shelves! I also haven’t been listening to as many audio books as I normally do. My podcast list has pretty much doubled in the last year, so sometimes I spend a lot of time between audiobooks catching up on podcasts.

I also have had a hard time finding time to blog this year. I certainly don’t plan to stop; keeping track of what I read is as much for me as it is for other people. But, it has meant that it’s taking me a lot longer to get reviews posted. And I haven’t been participating in many "extra-curriculars". I didn’t think at all about the read-a-thon a couple of weeks ago, and I have let all my challenges fall by the wayside. Good? Bad? I don’t know. Maybe it’s just more simple. I like simple.

Maybe I’ve just been spending too much time playing fetch with my cat.

That being said, I saw this meme somewhere this week, and thought it would be a good way to play catch-up.

The book I’m currently reading:
Per usual, I have a number of books on the go. In hard copy, I have been reading Margaret Drabble’s The Red Queen for my book club. I’m not going to get it finished in time for my meeting, but it’s good. Because I had a deadline for that book, I’ve left Daniel Woodrell’s The Bayou Trilogy on my nightstand with a bookmark in it. I also had to temporarily abandon George Pelecano’s The Cut on my Kindle, but I’ll be getting back to that tomorrow. In audio, I’m listening to Mira Grant’s Feed, which I thought was appropriate for this time of year. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how good it is. Finally, I have Anne Perry’s A Dangerous Mourning on my iPhone for emergencies. I’ve been reading that one for months.

Speaking of Kindles, I have pre-ordered a Kindle Touch. I may need an intervention.

The last book I finished:
Besides the books I temporarily abandoned, the last book I finished was Dead Beat by Jim Butcher on audio. I owe great thanks to whomever turned me on to James Marster’s narration of the Dresden Files books. He has saved the series for me.

The next book I want to read:
I have a copy of Chris Bohjalian’s newest book, The Night Strangers, sitting on my kitchen table.

The last book I bought:
A copy of Chris Hardwick’s The Nerdist Way was wirelessly delivered to my Kindle yesterday. Squee! (I have a little bit of a Chris Hardwick obsession right now.)

The last book I was given:
The final book in Gregory Maguire’s series, Out of Oz was left on my doorstep the other day by its generous publisher.

The last book I borrowed from the library:
I borrowed Outcasts United when OverDrive started delivering to Kindles. Worked like a champ!

The most recent e-book I read:
Finished? The afore-mentioned (and afore-reviewed) Outcasts United.

The book at the top of my Christmas list:
Y’know, I don’t really put many books on my Christmas list anymore. Mostly because anything new I buy in ebook. I’d rather just get a gift card!

2 thoughts on “2011: Just Blathering…

  • November 2, 2011 at 12:17 pm
    Permalink

    How could you resist playing with that gorgeous cat? I never knew cats played fetch, though.

    I bombed on challenges this year too and probably won’t sign up for any for next year.

    Reply
    • November 2, 2011 at 4:32 pm
      Permalink

      He has to be cute, it’s his survival mechanism. If he was homely, he couldn’t be a little turd most of the time!

      He’s the only one of our cats that will play fetch like that. The only problem is when he wants to do it in the middle of the night. I woke up this morning and he had left one of my socks in the bed next to me.

      Reply

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