reading

[kareina]

Some of my friends challenged themselves last year to the goal of reading 50 books in a year. For most of my life limiting myself to that few would have traumatized me. However, my reading has decreased markedly since starting my PhD project in mid-2005.

My totals:

June-Dec 2005: 37 books. (yup, probably read more than 50 that year)
2006: 55 books. (yup, not very many by my standards, but certainly more than 50)
2007: 60 books. (hey, shouldn't that number go down as the PhD project progresses?)
2008: 28 books. (yikes! That is an amazingly small number!)


So, what were the 28 books I read in 2008?

Anne McCaffery Nerilka's Story (re-read)
Deborah Ross MZB The Alton Gift (first time)
Douglas Adams Last Chance to See (re-read)
Eve Curie Marie Curie (re-read, but first time for this translation)
Female Science Professor Academeology: Random Musings, Strong Opinions & Somewhat Bizarre Anecdotes from an Academic Life (first time)
J. K. Rowling Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (re-read)
Katharine Kerr Spirit Stone (first time)
Katherine Kurtz Deryni Tales (re-read)
Katherine Kurtz In the King's Service (re-read)
Katherine Kurtz Childe Morgan (re-read)
L. M. Montgomery Anne's House of Dreams (re-read)
L. M. Montgomery Rainbow Valley (re-read)
L. M. Montgomery Rilla of Ingleside (re-read)
L. M. Montgomery Chronicles of Avonlea (re-read)
Marion Zimmer Bradley Thendara House (re-read)
Nan Chauncy Devil's Hill (first time)
Orson Scott Card Alvin Journyman (re-read)
Orson Scott Card Heartfire (re-read)
Orson Scott Card The Grinning Man (short story) (re-read)
Orson Scott Card The Yazoo Queen (short story) (re-read)
Orson Scott Card The Crystal City (re-read)
Sherri S. Tepper A Plague of Angels (first time)
Tamora Pierce Wild Magic (re-read)
Tamora Pierce Wolf Speaker (re-read)
Tamora Pierce The Emperor Mage (re-read)
Tamora Pierce Realm of the Gods (re-read)
Tamora Pierce Street Magic (re-read)
Tamora Pierce Melting Stones (first time)


My "normal" ratio of "re-read" to "first time" for books is 3/4. Yup, that's right, I'm so fond of re-reading old favourites that usually I tend to re-read three books for every one new book I pick up. However, last year I read *six* new books. All year. And one of them isn't even fiction.

If anyone had told me years ago that I'd ever see a year with so few books read, I'd not have believed them. I certainly wouldn't have thought it possible to stay sane reading that little. However, what that previous me doesn't know is that I've still been reading. Following livejournal (and to a lesser extent blogs/facebook/myspace) has become an addiction, though, I hope, one upon which I spend less time than I used to spend reading books. But I've also been reading *lots* of geologic literature.