June 30, 2007

Mid-Year Check Up

June has come to a close. The year of 2007 is half over already. How has my reading measured up so far?

34 books read
23 novels
4 non-fiction works
4 books of poetry
2 dramas
8 kiddie lit.
9 classics
4 works from ancient history period

I know that I read The Importance of Being Earnest sometime this year but I never made a record of it on this blog or anywhere else but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also thought the movie with Colin Firth was very funny and another perfect role for Mr. Firth. I added it to the top of my running list of this year's reads in the sidebar.

This was the first time I had ever listened to a book on tape. I had always thought I wouldn't like it because I am not an auditory learner but I have found that I take a lot of pleasure in listening to a story well read. I never would have considered it reading before; after all, I am not looking at words written on a page and deciphering their meaning, but so many fellow bloggers have no qualms with it so I feel confident in labeling it as a book read.

I am pleased with my perseverance in the couple of challenges I've participated in this year. They have exposed me to genres I had not previously been in much contact with. I will continue to join challenges in moderation while I work through the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year. This blog has been a great encouragement for me to be diligent about thinking about what I have read instead of just reading and forgetting, and in being fair to the book and true to my feelings about each book.

So what have been my favorites so far?

  • Silas Marner

  • The Thirteenth Tale

  • The Last Unicorn

  • Stardust

  • Coraline

  • The Odyssey

  • The Five People You Meet in Heaven

  • The Cricket in Times Square

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream

  • Alice in Wonderland

  • Madame de Treymes

  • The Importance of Being Ernest

And what 1 book do I wish I hadn't wasted my time with?
  • The Penelopiad

4 comments:

Eva said...

I'd read it even if you don't agree w/ feminist theology, because the book is about so much more than that! It's really a coming of age novel. :)

Your reading roundup was quite interesting. I loved The Thirteenth Tale and Stardust! (and I own the movie version of Importance of Being Ernest w/ Firth) I'll have to go see if you did a review on Madame de Treymes-that's the only book on the list I've never even heard of.

Trish @ Love, Laughter, Insanity said...

I really like what you had to say about your blog--about it helping you think instead of just read and forget. That is part of the reason why I love journaling my books as well.

And I LOVED the comment you made about "join(ing) challenges in moderation." Ha ha! I wish I could do that...right now I am a glutton for challenges. :)

Oh, and I loved both the play and movie versions of The Importance of Being Ernest. Too funny!

Petunia said...

Eva-thanks for the encouragement about Bees. I'll see where I can squeeze it into my reading plan soon.

Trish-reading challenges are like hobbies. If I take up too many hobbies then I never have time for the things I need to do(chores, family time, personal quiet time). I have certain goals for my reading that must take precidence but I have enough wiggle room that I can add a couple of extra reads each month. Online challenges make life fun but my personal challenge are of great importance for me.

Stephanie said...

I love the diversity in your reading. That is what I am striving for this year. Not so much last year, but the year before, I was reading almost exclusively Chick Lit. I don't know why, but that's just the way things went.

Now, I'm branching out in all sorts of different ways. I love blogging and challenges for helping me do this.

I love, love, loved both Silas Marner and Stardust!!