The Year in Reading 2010

leebase · 12-15-2010, 04:15 PM

I just counted up and I've read 43 books this year, and I'll likely squeeze one more before the year end.

3 physical books from the library
5 audio books from audible.com
35 ebooks

80% ebooks. I read mostly on my iPad that I got in April. I prefer the iBooks app best, but still buy my books mostly from Amazon. I use the Stanza app for all the Fictionwise books I've already purchased, but Fictionwise is pretty much dead to me of late. Last year most of my ebook purchases were through Fictionwise -- but no more.

I like Amazon for the way I can share my books with my wife and kids....and because it's DRM scheme can be circumvented. Not that _I_ would do such a thing, of course

I read a lot of books from the Baen Free Library. There is finally an app for the iPad that will read Adobe DRM books/Overdrive books from my library. Alas, the selection of available books from my library is yet to be "all that".

One of the highlights of reading for me this past year was reading "John Adams" by McCullough with my 15yr old daughter, out loud, together this summer.

Read a lot from my favorite authors: Orson Scott Card, David Weber, Eric Flint, James Patterson, Tom Clancy

Found a few new favorite series:
Tremerarie series of Dragons/Alt History by Naomi Novak
Sten series by Alan Cole, Chris Bunch (military sci fi)
Prince Rogers series by Ringo/Weber

Found a long lost favorite author and series: This Star Shall Abide by Sylvia Engdahl, even corresponded with the author

And have conclusively put Connie Willis in the "authors that I just don't like despite the awards they win".

I didn't hit my goal of 50 books, but then again, I didn't anticipate going to boot camp for 7 weeks. Actually, I could add about 15 course books that I read cover to cover that are larger than most novels.

How was your year in reading?

Lee

SHOECHICK · 12-15-2010, 04:26 PM

I seem to be around 40 - 42. I'll finish what I'm reading in a day or two and maybe another before the end of the year. I set 10 books in a folder that I wanted to tackle in 2010 and epic fail, I only read I think 4 or 5 of them. A couple that I did read this year were over 4,000 e pages and seemed to take forever to finish.

yakuzaboss · 12-15-2010, 04:34 PM

Since the beginning of September, I've read 24 books, all ebooks. Just started the 25th yesterday. I'll finish this book by the end of the week and I might be able to squeeze in 2 or 3 more before the year is up.

caleb72 · 12-15-2010, 05:10 PM

On about 30 at the moment with a couple more on the boil which I should have read before the end of the year.

Regards
Caleb

hgwlackey · 12-15-2010, 05:16 PM

I've read 104 books so far this year (and I'll probably squeeze in another 3-5, depending on how much time I have after Christmas):

- 55 on the iPad
- 39 on the Sony PRS-350
- 2 on the Kindle 2 I sold early this year (I never really warmed up to it)
- 8 print books

Of the print books, three were gifts, and all but one were read between selling my Kindle and receiving my iPad.

Three books were re-reads. Nine were nonfiction. Of the fiction, 50 of the authors were new to me; the other 19 I had read before. Of the 50 new authors, 19 made it onto my "I plan to read more from this author" list. Five of these authors I felt strongly enough about that I've already purchased most or all of their back catalogs. Two of the authors don't have back catalogs yet (only one book out each).

I started five books that I decided not to (ever) finish and three that I set aside to wait till I was more in the mood for them.

My ten favorite books of the year, in no particular order:

"Horns" by Joe Hill
"The Curse of the Wendigo" by Rick Yancey (sequel to "The Monstrumologist")
"Let the Right One In" by John Ajvide Lindqvist
"Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn
"The Nothing Man" by Jim Thompson
"The Little Stranger" by Sarah Waters
"A Visit from the Goon Squad" by Jennifer Egan
"Under the Skin" by Michel Faber
"Citrus County" by John Brandon
"The Prestige" by Christopher Priest

Right now I'm reading "Wench" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.

(Edited to add that getting the iPad and Sony seriously bumped up my reading. Prior to this year, I was more of a 30-to-40-books-a-year reader.)

lilac_jive · 12-15-2010, 06:25 PM

I've read 222 book this year so far, here's my breakdown:
106 were on my Sony
5 hardcover (all used)
20 on my iPhone
31 from the library
50 in mass market
5 on my computer
5 in trade paperback

I was going to direct everyone to my blogpost on my favorite books of the year, but I forgot that I have it set to be published next week.

SeaBookGuy · 12-15-2010, 06:42 PM

I'll break mine down later, but wanted to pop in that I cannot recommend Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn highly enough: it's dead brilliant!

jgaiser · 12-15-2010, 08:20 PM

About 50 books this year, though I only seriously started counting in June.

17 in various forms of paper, the rest as ebooks.

cfrizz · 12-15-2010, 08:44 PM

So far 108 ebooks. And I have created 31 ebooks via Calibre from my fanfiction stories.

bookwerm · 12-16-2010, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I'll break mine down later, but wanted to pop in that I cannot recommend Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn highly enough: it's dead brilliant!

Thanks to both the previous posters for the recommendation! I just looked it up on amazon, and it looks really interesting.

Gosh I love MR and all the great book recommendations I get here.

SeaBookGuy · 12-16-2010, 06:42 PM

I'll come at the end of the year with just under 200, about 1/3 of which were audio. Yes, I do read fast.

My top picks (in chronological order):

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie -- mystery set in 50's Britain featuring teen sleuth Flavia DeLuce, whom some might find overly precocious, but I rather liked. Great audio narration.

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea -- six defectors' stories presented in rotating chapters for a more interesting mix, rather than Person #1's story , Person #2's story, etc. Highly recommended!

Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife -- Examination of what believers (mostly three western faiths) expect Heaven to be like, by the religion editor of "Newsweek" magazine.

Aiding and Abetting -- a Muriel Spark novel about the "fate" of the missing alleged murderer Lord Lucan -- who can resist a villainess called Beata Pappenheim?

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story -- what seems on the surface to be a silly idea for a book (a flock of talking sheep solve the murder of their shepherd), works beautifully. Especially good on audio, but highly recommended. Can't wait for the sequel to be translated to English!

Last Exit in New Jersey -- well written, suspenseful story that I couldn't put down - and I don't usually like this genre! One of my first e-books after getting a device, it's available at Amazon and Smashwords.

12-15-2010, 05:16 PM	#5
hgwlackey Zealot Posts: 123 Karma: 9550 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Tennessee, USA Device: Kindle Touch, HTC Thunderbolt	I've read 104 books so far this year (and I'll probably squeeze in another 3-5, depending on how much time I have after Christmas): - 55 on the iPad - 39 on the Sony PRS-350 - 2 on the Kindle 2 I sold early this year (I never really warmed up to it) - 8 print books Of the print books, three were gifts, and all but one were read between selling my Kindle and receiving my iPad. Three books were re-reads. Nine were nonfiction. Of the fiction, 50 of the authors were new to me; the other 19 I had read before. Of the 50 new authors, 19 made it onto my "I plan to read more from this author" list. Five of these authors I felt strongly enough about that I've already purchased most or all of their back catalogs. Two of the authors don't have back catalogs yet (only one book out each). I started five books that I decided not to (ever) finish and three that I set aside to wait till I was more in the mood for them. My ten favorite books of the year, in no particular order: "Horns" by Joe Hill "The Curse of the Wendigo" by Rick Yancey (sequel to "The Monstrumologist") "Let the Right One In" by John Ajvide Lindqvist "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn "The Nothing Man" by Jim Thompson "The Little Stranger" by Sarah Waters "A Visit from the Goon Squad" by Jennifer Egan "Under the Skin" by Michel Faber "Citrus County" by John Brandon "The Prestige" by Christopher Priest Right now I'm reading "Wench" by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. (Edited to add that getting the iPad and Sony seriously bumped up my reading. Prior to this year, I was more of a 30-to-40-books-a-year reader.) Last edited by hgwlackey; 12-15-2010 at 05:19 PM.

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12-15-2010, 04:15 PM	#1
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,932 Karma: 26616647 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	The Year in Reading 2010 I just counted up and I've read 43 books this year, and I'll likely squeeze one more before the year end. 3 physical books from the library 5 audio books from audible.com 35 ebooks 80% ebooks. I read mostly on my iPad that I got in April. I prefer the iBooks app best, but still buy my books mostly from Amazon. I use the Stanza app for all the Fictionwise books I've already purchased, but Fictionwise is pretty much dead to me of late. Last year most of my ebook purchases were through Fictionwise -- but no more. I like Amazon for the way I can share my books with my wife and kids....and because it's DRM scheme can be circumvented. Not that _I_ would do such a thing, of course I read a lot of books from the Baen Free Library. There is finally an app for the iPad that will read Adobe DRM books/Overdrive books from my library. Alas, the selection of available books from my library is yet to be "all that". One of the highlights of reading for me this past year was reading "John Adams" by McCullough with my 15yr old daughter, out loud, together this summer. Read a lot from my favorite authors: Orson Scott Card, David Weber, Eric Flint, James Patterson, Tom Clancy Found a few new favorite series: Tremerarie series of Dragons/Alt History by Naomi Novak Sten series by Alan Cole, Chris Bunch (military sci fi) Prince Rogers series by Ringo/Weber Found a long lost favorite author and series: This Star Shall Abide by Sylvia Engdahl, even corresponded with the author And have conclusively put Connie Willis in the "authors that I just don't like despite the awards they win". I didn't hit my goal of 50 books, but then again, I didn't anticipate going to boot camp for 7 weeks. Actually, I could add about 15 course books that I read cover to cover that are larger than most novels. How was your year in reading? Lee

12-15-2010, 04:26 PM	#2
SHOECHICK Addict Posts: 228 Karma: 1032 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Vancouver BC Device: Red Sony 505 and Ipad	I seem to be around 40 - 42. I'll finish what I'm reading in a day or two and maybe another before the end of the year. I set 10 books in a folder that I wanted to tackle in 2010 and epic fail, I only read I think 4 or 5 of them. A couple that I did read this year were over 4,000 e pages and seemed to take forever to finish. Last edited by SHOECHICK; 12-15-2010 at 04:59 PM.

12-15-2010, 04:34 PM	#3
yakuzaboss Groupie Posts: 171 Karma: 58 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Richmond, BC Device: Sony PRS-650	Since the beginning of September, I've read 24 books, all ebooks. Just started the 25th yesterday. I'll finish this book by the end of the week and I might be able to squeeze in 2 or 3 more before the year is up.

12-15-2010, 05:10 PM	#4
caleb72 Indie Advocate Posts: 2,863 Karma: 18794463 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Kindle	On about 30 at the moment with a couple more on the boil which I should have read before the end of the year. Regards Caleb

12-15-2010, 06:25 PM	#6
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	I've read 222 book this year so far, here's my breakdown: 106 were on my Sony 5 hardcover (all used) 20 on my iPhone 31 from the library 50 in mass market 5 on my computer 5 in trade paperback I was going to direct everyone to my blogpost on my favorite books of the year, but I forgot that I have it set to be published next week.

12-15-2010, 06:42 PM	#7
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,015 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	I'll break mine down later, but wanted to pop in that I cannot recommend Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn highly enough: it's dead brilliant!

12-15-2010, 08:20 PM	#8
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,281 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	About 50 books this year, though I only seriously started counting in June. 17 in various forms of paper, the rest as ebooks.

12-15-2010, 08:44 PM	#9
cfrizz Wizard Posts: 1,531 Karma: 34583358 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Quincy, MA Device: Samsung 54A, Kobo Libra H2O, Samsung S6 Lite	So far 108 ebooks. And I have created 31 ebooks via Calibre from my fanfiction stories.

12-16-2010, 06:42 PM	#11
SeaBookGuy Can one read too much? Posts: 2,015 Karma: 2487799 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Naples, FL Device: Kindle PW 3, Sony 350 and 650	I'll come at the end of the year with just under 200, about 1/3 of which were audio. Yes, I do read fast. My top picks (in chronological order): The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie -- mystery set in 50's Britain featuring teen sleuth Flavia DeLuce, whom some might find overly precocious, but I rather liked. Great audio narration. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea -- six defectors' stories presented in rotating chapters for a more interesting mix, rather than Person #1's story , Person #2's story, etc. Highly recommended! Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife -- Examination of what believers (mostly three western faiths) expect Heaven to be like, by the religion editor of "Newsweek" magazine. Aiding and Abetting -- a Muriel Spark novel about the "fate" of the missing alleged murderer Lord Lucan -- who can resist a villainess called Beata Pappenheim? Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story -- what seems on the surface to be a silly idea for a book (a flock of talking sheep solve the murder of their shepherd), works beautifully. Especially good on audio, but highly recommended. Can't wait for the sequel to be translated to English! Last Exit in New Jersey -- well written, suspenseful story that I couldn't put down - and I don't usually like this genre! One of my first e-books after getting a device, it's available at Amazon and Smashwords.

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