I should start off by first saying I went through a m a j o r reading slump in 2010. I started numerous books and put them down halfway through, never to be picked up again (ahem, The Blind Assassin). I don't know what went on last year to make me not be able to get into anything-- all I can say is that I hope this year will be a different story (pun intended). I did manage to read (and finish) 4 books, all memoirs. On Hitler's Mountain: Overcoming the Legacy of a Nazi Childhood
by Irmgard Hunt, My Lobotomy
by Howard Dully, Cast Member Confidential: A Disneyfied Memoir
by Chris Mitchell, and Summer at Tiffany
by Marjorie Hart (which I talked about here) and I just finished 700 Sundays
by Billy Crystal yesterday, but I think I'll count that towards my books of 2011. I know what you're thinking, "what is this? a book list for ants?! it needs to be at least... three times this long." I really enjoyed all of them and would definitely recommend them. I used to never read memoirs until one of my co-workers got me hooked on them (On Hilter's Mountain and My Lobotomy were actually borrowed from her) and now that's all I want to read.
I got wind of an uh-mazing after holiday sale going on at Barnes and Noble (like 80% off hardcovers uh-mazing) and I went a little crazy. I stocked up on reading material for the next year... or five. The majority being memoirs. This year I want to enroll in The School of Life and read true stories about people and places, maybe watch a documentary or ten. Listen to numerous hours of The Moth podcasts. Just educate myself. My new mantra this year will be "More reading, less Angry Birds." So far I think I'm off to a good start. Did you guys read anything great in 2010? Something I can maybe add to my ever-growing pile of books-to-read?
Man, I'm with you on the reading slump. School was a huge factor in that problem though. I constantly have SO MUCH reading for school that I can't justify reading books for my own pleasure. I've definitely been on it since the semester ended. Almost done with Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. I have one recommendation for sure though- The Book of Awesome. It's from the blog 1,000 Awesome Things and it is AMAZING! Obviously it's the type of book you can just dip in and out of whenever but it's so funny and made me so happy. Any time I was in a bad mood, I'd just pull out that book and read up on a few more awesome things and my mood would be lifted. Do it! :D
ReplyDeleteThe Book of Awesome sounds, well, awesome. I'll definitely check it out. I've been wanting to read Everything is Illuminated forever, how are you liking it? Have you seen the movie?
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about a reading slump - studying for exams managed to drain any reading enthusiasm I had at the beginning of the year! Hopefully once my exams finish on the 21st of Jan, I can properly sit down with a good book and cuppa :)
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
Hannie - Tea and Biscuits
xoxo
I think some of my favorite books I read in 2010 would have to be:
ReplyDeleteInto The Wild / Jon Krakauer
How to Read Literature Like a Professor / Thomas Foster
O Pioneers! / Willa Cather
& definitely, definitely, A Moveable Feast by Hemingway. It's one of my favorite books ever now. (:
I can say there wasn't anything particularly memorable that I read in 2010. I'll admit I went through my own phases of picking up and putting down books that I never quite finished too! I'd like to have a better reading year.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.maritimeshopaholic.com
I'm loving the Steig Larsson trilogy! If you haven't read it already go out and buy them, its phenomenal!
ReplyDeleteI second Steig Larsson and also want to add the Hunger Games :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite books of 2010 in no particular order:
ReplyDelete-The Last Days of Dogtown (by the author of The Red Tent - another great book.)
-Daughter of Fortune
-The Help
-The History of Love
-The Thirteenth Tale
None of them are memiors but I have a few on my to-read list (which now includes My Lobotomy and and Summer at Tiffany.) I'll let you know!
I've read the History of Love... and well, loved it. I've heard good things about The Help and The Thirteenth Tale. Must add to my list :)
ReplyDelete