Fresh Air (1878) Winslow Homer source Wikiart |
2017 Reading Stats:
Best in Books
Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t: The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope. Perhaps it wasn’t much of a surprise. However, while I’m used to this series being light, Trollope also manages to weaves some depth into these books. With this one, it was all about love affairs and a very silly woman. It was somewhat annoying.
Most surprising (in a good or bad way) book you read in 2017: In a good way, The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm. It was recommended to me. Fromm is very counter-cultural, but his assessment of people’s ability to love, or more the lack of it, made so much sense! Our society does NOT practice any disciplines that will help us love better, and in fact, practices disciplines that hurt our ability to love. We need to be aware this in order to be present in our relationships with not only those closest to use but humanity in general. This is definitely a book that everyone should read!
Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did) in 2017: I haven’t even finished it myself yet, but it was Plato’s Republic. I really think this is a beneficial book to read and we should push ourselves, not only to get through it, but open our minds to it! It can also be taken too seriously, but experienced in balance, I believe it may change us in ways that we can’t even imagine.
Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel? Best Series Ender: Hmmm …… I didn’t intend to read the WHOLE series, but I, of course, thoroughly enjoyed my re-read of Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson It’s probably one of my favourite books of all time!
Favorite new author you discovered in 2017: M.M. Kaye is technically not new, but it’s been sooo long since I read anything by her, I’m going to call her new (and for lack of anyone else to choose from). I love her writing, and how she is able to craft a story that draws you right in!
Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/ out of your comfort zone: High Fidelity by Nick Hornsby. It was on my Guardian’s 1000 books list and in the library so I thought, why not. Meh! It was another one of those irresponsible coming-of-age books that are so annoying, where the writer can’t understand why his life is so unfulfilling even though, by his behaviour, it should be patently obvious.
Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year: I really don’t have a candidate for this category, so I’ll say The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides. But it perhaps wasn’t action-packed and unputdownable in the conventional way, lol!
Book you read in 2017 that you are most likley to reread next year: None, but if I had to pick one, probably The Man Who Knew Too Much by G.K. Chesterton, only because I listened to it as an audiobook and I’d like to eventually read it.
Most memorable characters of 2017: Mr. Pickwick (The Pickwick Papers) and Horne Fisher (The Man Who Knew Too Much)
Most-thought provoking/ life-changing book of 2017: The Art of Loving. According to Erich Fromm, there are few people who know how to love well. But in order to love well, like anything else worthwhile, it takes dedication and consistent hard work. Again, definitely a must-read!
Book that shocked you the most: High Fidelity probably because it’s puzzling how someone can be so self-destructive and so blind to one’s own behaviour at the same time. Also rather depressing because I think we can all be blind in this way. Some to a larger extent than others.
Favorite non-romantic relationship: Pickwick and Sam Weller from The Pickwick Papers.
Favorite book you read in 2017 from an author you’ve read previously: The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton. And I finally did enough research to “get” what Chesterton was trying to communicate. Yippeee!
Best book you read in 2017 that you read based solely on a recommendation from someone else: The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm, recommended by my aunt.
Best world-building/most vivid setting you read this year: Shadow of the Moon. But Herodotus did a good job with his narrative and Dickens is always a good romp!
Book that put a smile on your face/was the most fun to read: Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. His writing is fabulous and I laughed so hard much of the book!
Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2017: None this year.
Hidden gem of the year: The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm.
Most unique book you read in 2017: The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton. Chesterton has the most unique style of writing that I’ve experienced. His books take work, but boy, they’re worth it!
Book that made you the most mad: High Fidelity by Nick Hornsby. Again, don’t act stupidly, with little regard for others and expect your life to turn out well. Don’t be surprised when you’re alone and isolated. Don’t be delusional ……
Your Blogging/Bookish Life
Best event that you participated in: The Shadow of the Moon Read-Along hosted by Cirtnecce at Mockingbirds, Looking Glasses and Prejudices …… and the finish of the very long read-along of The Pickwick Papers hosted by O at On Bookes. I really would love to be part of more read-alongs.
Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2017: I must say, I was very pleased that I posted by book/chapter of both The Histories and The History of the Peloponnesian War. It was an arduous job but very satisfying. It’s made me more consoled at my terrible book total for the year.
Post you wished got a little more love: None.
Best bookish discovery: I will sound like a broken record but, The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm
Looking Ahead
Book you are most anticipating for 2018 (non-debut): A hard one because I don’t want to commit to anything but possibly The Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake.
Series ending/a sequel you are most anticipating in 2018: The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope. This answer is the same as last year. How depressing …. 😉
One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2018: I’ve started a food blog called Journey to the Garden, which is taking up much of my time. The start-up and promotion takes a big chunk, so I envision, as we get more well-known, that I will have more time to get back to reading. When this will happen is not known but hopefully sometime in 2018. And if I’m honest, with better time-management, I should have more time for reading. Wish me luck.
A long and prosperous reading year for everyone in 2018!!
The Magdalene Reading (1445) Rogier van der Weyden source Wikiart |
Thanks again to Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner for hosting this survey!