What Katie Read (2011)

[Darrell]

You are amazing, Kate!! Good work!

 

[Abcinthia]

Thanks. I doubt I will read quite so many next year. I plan to read more History books and they are more time consuming.

 

[Alien Allen]

wow that is a ton of reading

I am lucky if I read a book every five years

I have trouble concentrating when reading and can not imagine keeping up with 3 books at a time

Do you speed read? We had a short class on that back in high school. Basically as I recall many times you can read the first and last paragraph on a page and get the gist of what is going on. Never worked for me though.

 

[Panacea]

That's such an accomplishment, wow! (Don't blame you at all for keeping track!)
I definitely wish I read more...I think there's always too much going on in my brain, I struggle to read sometimes because of it, but I always have wanted to.

 

[Abcinthia]

wow that is a ton of reading

I am lucky if I read a book every five years

I have trouble concentrating when reading and can not imagine keeping up with 3 books at a time

Do you speed read? We had a short class on that back in high school. Basically as I recall many times you can read the first and last paragraph on a page and get the gist of what is going on. Never worked for me though.

Speed reading doesn't really work for me either. I've tried a few times but I always find myself reading the 1st paragraph, last paragraph but then reading the ones in the middle.

I've always read a lot and for long periods of time (most evenings I can happily sit and read for 2-3hours and I read bits during the day. When I read The Stand, Under The Dome, Millenium Trilogy, Gone With The Wind and a couple of others I started reading at 8pm and read without stopping until 1-2am), so I've trained myself to read really fast whilst reading every word on the page. My mum's the same, she reads large quantities of books really quickly. I also read whilst doing watching tv and without either distracting me from the other.

I don't mind having several books on the go, since March I've been reading at least 3 at once. In August I had 5 books I was reading at once but it really was too many. I think it really only works if they are all different genres/styles because then it's really easy to remember which one is which. The three I'm currently reading are The Bible (I'm still on Exodus because it started to bore me), Jude The Obscure and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher.

That's such an accomplishment, wow! (Don't blame you at all for keeping track!)
I definitely wish I read more...I think there's always too much going on in my brain, I struggle to read sometimes because of it, but I always have wanted to.

I have a list of last years books as well. It's really interesting to look back and see what I read.

I know what you mean about having too much on the brain and struggling to read. I go through periods like that - in late August-late September I didn't read more than a few pages because I couldn't concentrate. I normally end up going manic afterwards and reading an obscene amount when I get my reading mojo back.

 

[Alien Allen]

I day dream when I read so it really gets irritating. I can read an entire page and then realize I have no clue what I just read. So I have to go back and read it again. ADD is a bitch that way.

 

[HK]

This is a great idea I've never kept track of what I'm reading (and I don't think I've ever read as much as you!) but I like the idea of keeping a list.... I might start a thread in the complex so I can keep track.


Great list!

 

[Abcinthia]

Ooo the complex thread is a good idea. I probably wouldn't do it as I keep a list on 2 other sites, along with the occassional reviews, so I don't want to repeat myself 3 times

 

[Panacea]

I should ask, of this list, which were some of your favorites and some you didn't much like (if any)?

 

[Abcinthia]

I've had lots of favourites. Madame Bovary was probably my favourite book of 2011. It was just incredible and I would happily recommend it to everyone. It's a classic but the story is as modern as can be. Emma Bovary has read lots of romance novels and when she gets married, she expects her life to be like that in the books and is shocked to find out life isn't like the books. Dissatisfied with life she starts having lots of affairs. It's also beautifully written.

Others that were also amazing: The Stand, Under The Dome (OK I like all Stephen King books so I'm going to stop listing them), Jane Eyre, Les Liaisons Dangeruses, Gone With The Wind, Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, Frenchman's Creek and Mary Tudor: England's First Queen.

I really REALLY disliked the ones I couldn't finish. Out of the ones I finished, I HATED Last of the Mohicans. It was not my cup of tea and how I managed to finish it without scratching my eyes out is a mystery. I also really disliked Murder Of The Romanovs. The blurb billed it as having "brand new information" on the Romanov murders and well it didn't have anything in it that I haven't seen in documentries from the last 5 years (book was published 2010). It also had inaccuracies on WWI and was just really a weak book on the Romanovs.

The worst book of 2011 is The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. Some of you might recognise her as the author as The Lovely Bones. I quite liked The Lovely Bones and was really looking forward to reading this novel. It was utter shit. Infact, even that is too much of a compliment. The plot is non-existant after the main character kills her mother in the first chapter. After that there's many chapters of the daughter dealing with the fallout and flashbacks of what an awful woman her mother is (she has many mental illnesses). Sounds interesting but it really falls flat. It goes no where. I guess we are meant to feel sorry for the daughter and to sympathise with her killing her awful mentally ill mother but I ended up hating every single character in the book. They are all so unlikable it's unbelievable.

 

[Kyle B]

Wow, this is an accomplishment. Books I've read on your list:

Lolita
To Kill A Mockingbird
Gone with the Wind
1984
Jane Eyre

If you liked 1984, you'll probably like Animal Farm as well, it's a quick read but one of my all time favorites.

When I was in high school we read one chapter of To Kill A Mockingbird, then the teacher just let us watch the movie LOL. I had to read that one on my own!

 

[Dana]

I need to pick up a book

 

[anathelia]

I read "The Almost Moon", and while I definitely agree with your assertion that the plot was incredibly empty and seemingly non-existent, I think I took a little more away from the book simply because a lot of things she dealt with with her mother growing up, I experienced myself...so I connected to it a little bit on that level. However, I was incredibly disappointed with the overall arc of the story.

I didn't read nearly as much as you this year, though I think you've given me a challenge. Have you ever considered investing in an eReader? Or do you already have one? It's made reading into something I can get a lot more into than I used to. I've always loved reading, but struggled to justify spending so much on a book that I know no one else will read and I will most likely only read once. But now, I buy my books on Amazon, at dirt cheap prices, I get them delivered to my Kindle immediately, and I never even have to get dressed if I don't want!

If you like Stephen King books so much, two of my favorites by him are "Bag of Bones" and "The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon". If you haven't read either of those, I highly suggest them.

Anyway, as a reader myself, it was fun to see all the different books you read this year. Good on you.

 

[Abcinthia]

Wow, this is an accomplishment. Books I've read on your list:

Lolita
To Kill A Mockingbird
Gone with the Wind
1984
Jane Eyre

If you liked 1984, you'll probably like Animal Farm as well, it's a quick read but one of my all time favorites.

When I was in high school we read one chapter of To Kill A Mockingbird, then the teacher just let us watch the movie LOL. I had to read that one on my own!

I studied To Kill a Mockingbird for my English Lit GCSE. We also watched the movie in class because most of the pupils couldn't be bothered to read the book. I prefered reading it this time round and not having to analyse everything.

I really enjoyed 1984. I'll read Animal Farm if I see it in the library or in a Charity Shop. I've got such a massive wish list and everyone keeps recommending me books that at the moment, I just read whatever I stumble across.

I read "The Almost Moon", and while I definitely agree with your assertion that the plot was incredibly empty and seemingly non-existent, I think I took a little more away from the book simply because a lot of things she dealt with with her mother growing up, I experienced myself...so I connected to it a little bit on that level. However, I was incredibly disappointed with the overall arc of the story.

I didn't read nearly as much as you this year, though I think you've given me a challenge. Have you ever considered investing in an eReader? Or do you already have one? It's made reading into something I can get a lot more into than I used to. I've always loved reading, but struggled to justify spending so much on a book that I know no one else will read and I will most likely only read once. But now, I buy my books on Amazon, at dirt cheap prices, I get them delivered to my Kindle immediately, and I never even have to get dressed if I don't want!

If you like Stephen King books so much, two of my favorites by him are "Bag of Bones" and "The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon". If you haven't read either of those, I highly suggest them.

Anyway, as a reader myself, it was fun to see all the different books you read this year. Good on you.

I haven't yet gotten a kindle. They cost a lot of money but so many of the classics are free/books so cheap and I think it would balance itself out cost-wise. I'm trying to curb my book spending (especially as I have a box of books that I have yet to read) so I've been going to the library a lot. Since moving to Surrey, the library is a lot better stocked than the one in High Wycombe and there's so much I want to read.

I haven't yet read either of them. I've been thinking of getting some Stephen King off of Amazon but I can't make up my mind as to which ones. I was looking at Misery, Desperation and Night Shift but now you've thrown a spanner in the works



Maybe we should do an OTZ reading challenge for 2012

 

[HK]

I love Desperation, but if you read it then you also need to read The Regulators next. I don't know how to say why without it sounding shit but the two are like pairs, but I've never seen anyone refer to the fact that they're linked.

 

[Abcinthia]

I love Desperation, but if you read it then you also need to read The Regulators next. I don't know how to say why without it sounding shit but the two are like pairs, but I've never seen anyone refer to the fact that they're linked.

Ah I get what you mean. My mum said she thought Desperation was linked to another, when I mentioned reading it to her ages ago, but she couldn't remember which one (she's read all his books). I'll have to have another look on Amazon.

 

[Kyle B]

I studied To Kill a Mockingbird for my English Lit GCSE. We also watched the movie in class because most of the pupils couldn't be bothered to read the book. I prefered reading it this time round and not having to analyse everything.

This is my big gripe about the way books are taught in schools. Students shouldn't read books only to write dumb essays about symbolism or characterization etc. Instead, class should be more of an open discussion about the book where students can talk about what interested them and such. I had one class like that and the teacher made sure we didn't BS by giving us a quiz at the beginning of every class on the prior night's reading.

Since moving to Surrey, the library is a lot better stocked than the one in High Wycombe and there's so much I want to read.

I feel your pain there. The public library in my town is pretty awful. I decided to check it out this semester when I was writing a research paper. They had a grand total of five books on Ancient Rome in their history section. Don't worry though, if you want to read about Hitler or grab a Danielle Steel book, you've hit the jackpot.

Maybe we should do an OTZ reading challenge for 2012

Not a bad idea lol.

 

[Panacea]

Haha this made me think of you! (I love the Hey Girl memes on Pinterest, they crack me up)

 

[dancingpotato]

Thats an impressive list!

I read To Kill a Mockingbird and watched the film, I must download it and read it again.

I've read a load more since getting my kindle but have slacked recently with being out of isolation nursing where I mind one baby and kill the time reading and with having stuff on over Xmas. Defo gonna read more in the new year.

 

[cam elle toe]

I just cant seem to concentrate on a book lately. I havent read a book in the last 6 months...since I started this job actually.

I have 4 books by a few of my favourite authors that have been sitting there unread all that time.

I have promised myself I WILL read the Harry Potter series next year, if its the last thing I do.