2011: Just Blathering…

2011 has been a strange reading year for me. I am nowhere near the pace I usually set, and this looks like it’s going to be the first year I haven’t hit 100 books since 2005. Am I unhappy about this? Maybe a little. Mostly, I think it means that I haven’t done a great job choosing what to read. A number of the books I’ve had on my nightstand have been dense, long reads, and that really slows me down.  In most cases this hasn’t been a bad thing — I’ve read a number of good books that just happened to be dense — but in other cases, they are books I either didn’t finish or shouldn’t have finished. (The Sound and the Fury and The Sisters Brothers spring to mind) I’ve also been reading a lot of ARCs this year, more than I normally do. Another good/bad thing, as I have been neglecting books that are already on my shelves! I also haven’t been listening to as many audio books as I normally do. My podcast list has pretty much doubled in the last year, so sometimes I spend a lot of time between audiobooks catching up on podcasts.

I also have had a hard time finding time to blog this year. I certainly don’t plan to stop; keeping track of what I read is as much for me as it is for other people. But, it has meant that it’s taking me a lot longer to get reviews posted. And I haven’t been participating in many "extra-curriculars". I didn’t think at all about the read-a-thon a couple of weeks ago, and I have let all my challenges fall by the wayside. Good? Bad? I don’t know. Maybe it’s just more simple. I like simple.

Maybe I’ve just been spending too much time playing fetch with my cat.

That being said, I saw this meme somewhere this week, and thought it would be a good way to play catch-up.

The book I’m currently reading:
Per usual, I have a number of books on the go. In hard copy, I have been reading Margaret Drabble’s The Red Queen for my book club. I’m not going to get it finished in time for my meeting, but it’s good. Because I had a deadline for that book, I’ve left Daniel Woodrell’s The Bayou Trilogy on my nightstand with a bookmark in it. I also had to temporarily abandon George Pelecano’s The Cut on my Kindle, but I’ll be getting back to that tomorrow. In audio, I’m listening to Mira Grant’s Feed, which I thought was appropriate for this time of year. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how good it is. Finally, I have Anne Perry’s A Dangerous Mourning on my iPhone for emergencies. I’ve been reading that one for months.

Speaking of Kindles, I have pre-ordered a Kindle Touch. I may need an intervention.

The last book I finished:
Besides the books I temporarily abandoned, the last book I finished was Dead Beat by Jim Butcher on audio. I owe great thanks to whomever turned me on to James Marster’s narration of the Dresden Files books. He has saved the series for me.

The next book I want to read:
I have a copy of Chris Bohjalian’s newest book, The Night Strangers, sitting on my kitchen table.

The last book I bought:
A copy of Chris Hardwick’s The Nerdist Way was wirelessly delivered to my Kindle yesterday. Squee! (I have a little bit of a Chris Hardwick obsession right now.)

The last book I was given:
The final book in Gregory Maguire’s series, Out of Oz was left on my doorstep the other day by its generous publisher.

The last book I borrowed from the library:
I borrowed Outcasts United when OverDrive started delivering to Kindles. Worked like a champ!

The most recent e-book I read:
Finished? The afore-mentioned (and afore-reviewed) Outcasts United.

The book at the top of my Christmas list:
Y’know, I don’t really put many books on my Christmas list anymore. Mostly because anything new I buy in ebook. I’d rather just get a gift card!