I feel as though I’m a bit behind in these monthly and yearly wrap-up posts, but finishing off the WWII Reading Challenge at War Through the Generations in preparation for this year’s Vietnam War Reading Challenge was a bit exhausting. I’d fallen behind in updating the site due to a non-functioning computer, and I got the new laptop just in time. I certainly broke it in between Christmas and the new year!
Anyway, I made good on my 2009 blogging goals. First, I’d wanted to read 100 books last year, and having read 7 in December, my total for 2009 was 126 books! Second, I’d wanted to review every book I read, and though I finished the last review of my 2009 reads in the early days of the new year, I’m happy to report that my goal was accomplished!
Here are the books I read in December and links to my reviews:
The Sky Rained Heroes by Frederick E. LaCroix*
Night by Elie Wiesel*
The Silent Gift by Michael Landon Jr. and Cindy Kelley
Ivy + Bean: Doomed to Dance by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall (illus.)
Searching for Pemberley by Mary Lydon Simonsen***
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith**
Hitler’s Daughter by Jackie French*
*counts toward the WWII Reading Challenge at War Through the Generations
**counts toward the Everything Austen Challenge at Stephanie’s Written Word
***counts for both challenges
Reading is not about quantity; it’s about quality. Yet I felt a need to set a goal for the number of books read to push myself to use my time on the train and at home more wisely than napping or watching television (I have a serious addiction to anything and everything on the Food Network). And while it’s not necessary to review every book I read, I enjoy doing it and like to keep track of my thoughts so when I encounter a book and think I might have read it already, I need only check back here to make sure. (Am I the only one who forgets books a year or so after reading them? Not all books, but more than I’d care to admit. Oh, wait, I just admitted it.)
In 2010, I’d like to continue to read a lot and review every book I read. Also, I plan to accept no more than a handful of new review copies because I’d like to concentrate on clearing away the review copies already on my shelves, as well as read the unread books that have made up my personal library for quite some time and the new books I can’t stop myself from acquiring at library sales. For me, it’s all about balance.
Did you achieve all of your 2009 reading goals? What do you have planned for 2010?
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