Spring has sprung. The pink trees are blooming and Easter is on the way. It is time to assess what bookery bloggery progress I've made in the first quarter of 2010.
My List of Lists is over in the right-side column. These are Prize Winners, Must Reads, and other lists of books I have read or intend to read for some reason or another. Also in the right-side column is a list of my favorite authors. I add to both lists from time to time.
This is a three-part assessment. This first part addresses the book lists. Part Two, coming soon, will deal with the challenges I joined this year. Part Three will take a look at the author lists.
THE LISTS
1899 Top 100
Books read so far: 7/100
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to read in 2010: 2
- The Moonstone by Willkie Collins
- Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz
All-TIME Top 100
Books read so far: 75/100
Books read in 2010:
- The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
- Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion (reviewed here)
Books on my TBR shelf: 14
Anthony Burgess
Books read so far: 28/99
Books read in 2010: 2
- A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (reviewed here)
- Titus Groan by Mervin Peake (reviewed here)
Books on my TBR shelf: 20
BBC's Big Read
Books read so far: 52/100
Books read in 2010: one (Black Beauty, Anna Sewell)
Books I hope to read in 2010: one more (Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake)
Books on my TBR shelf: 10
Book Club
Books read so far: 15/16
Books read in 2010: one (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz)
Books I hope to read in 2010: 5 (but The Red Tent is the only one I know so far)
Books on my TBR shelf: zero
College Board
Books read so far: 75/101
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to read in 2010: one (The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath)
Books on my TBR shelf: 15
Costa Book of the Year
Books read so far: 3/24
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to read in 2010: 2
- The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
- Small Island by Andrea Levy
Easton Press
Books read so far: 56/100
Books read in 2010: one (The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan)
Books I hope to read in 2010: only the one
Books on my TBR shelf: 25
Edgar Award
Books read so far: 6/55
Books read in 2010: one (New Orleans Mourning by Julie Smith)
Books I hope to read in 2010: only one
Books on my TBR shelf: 3
Erica Jong
Books read so far: 29/100
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to read in 2010: several, including
- Orlando by Virginia Woolf
- Rebecca by Daphne duMaurier
- The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein
French Connection
Books read so far: 43/109 (and counting -- there are more books to add to the list)
Books read in 2010: one (The Flaneur by Edmund White)
Books I hope to read in 2010: one more (The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein)
Books on my TBR shelf: 20
Books read so far: I don't keep track, because I delete them after I read them
Books read in 2010: same
Books I hope to read in 2010: 15 more (I'll be busy)
- The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos
- The Art of Disappearing by Ivy Pochoda
- The Evolution of Shadows by Jason Quinn Malott
- The Mermaid and the Messerschmitt by Rulka Langer
- Soldiers in Hiding by Richard Wiley
- Leaving Brooklyn by Lynn Sharon Schwartz
- Saving Stanley: The Brickman Stories by Scott Nadelson
- Clown Girl by Monica Drake
- The Farmer's Daughter by Jim Harrison
- Jumptown: The Golden Years of Portland Jazz 1942-1957 by Robert Dietsche
- Another Way the River Has: Taut True Tales from the Northwest by Robin Cody
- An Architectural Guidebook to Portland by Bart King
- The Grail: A Year Ambling & Shambling Through an Oregon Vinyard in Pursuit of the Best Pinot Noir Wine in the Whole Wild World by Brian Doyle
- The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees
James Tait Black Memorial Prize
Books read so far: 8/96
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to read in 2010: one (The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry)
Books on my TBR shelf: 9
LT Early Reviewers
Books read so far: 25/27
Books read in 2010: two
- A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (reviewed here)
- Maimonides: and the Biblical Prophets by Israel Drazin
- Homer and Langley by E. L. Doctorow (reviewed here)
- The Wall in My Head: Words and Images from the Fall of the Iron Curtain, published by Words Without Borders Anthologies
- Short Stories, Book I by Anton Chekhov
Man Booker Prize
Books read so far: 21/43
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to read in 2010: at least one, but I don't know which
Books on my TBR shelf: 13
MLA's 30
Books read so far: 22/30
Books read in 2010: one (The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver)
Books I hope to read in 2010: just the one
Books on my TBR shelf: 4
Modern Library
Books read so far: all of them!
Books read in 2010: zero (finished this list a couple of years ago)
Books I hope to read in 2010: none
Books on my TBR shelf: zero
National Book Award
Books read so far: 24/63
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to Read in 2010: 2 (for the Battle of the Prizes Challenge)
- Them by Joyce Carol Oates
- The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter
NBCC Award
Books read so far: 16/33
Books read in 2010: one (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz)
Books I hope to read in 2010: one more (Counterlife by Philip Roth)
Books on my TBR shelf: 8
Nobel Laureates
Authors read so far: 19/105
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to read in 2010: one (Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset)
Books on my TBR shelf: 30 (but most by authors already read)
Observer's Top 100
Books read so far: 55/100
Books read in 2010: 2
- Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
- The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Books on my TBR shelf: 19
Orange Prize
Books read so far: 1/13
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to read in 2010: one (Small Island by Andrea Levy)
Books on my TBR shelf: 4
Oregon Books
Books read so far: 3/20
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to read in 2010: maybe none
Books on my TBR shelf: 2
PEN/Faulkner
Books read so far: 7/29
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to read in 2010: 2
- Soldiers in Hiding by Richard Wiley (also on my Guilt List)
- Seaview by Toby Olson
Pulitzer Prize
Books read so far: 40
Books read in 2010: one (The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz)
Books I hope to read in 2010: at least 2 (for the Battle of the Prizes Challenge)
Books on my TBR shelf: 15
Radcliffe's Top 100
Books read so far: 86/100
Books read in 2010: tqo
- Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster (reviewed here)
- O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
- the rest of The Lord of the Rings
- Orlando by Virginia Woolf
- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
- Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
- Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally
RCR Top 10
Books read so far: 10/10 (it's my list)
Books read in 2010: zero (the list has not changed -- so far)
Books I hope to Read in 2010: maybe a new book will make it to the list
Books on my TBR shelf: zero
Well-Stocked Bookcase
Books read so far: 35/60
Books read in 2010: zero
Books I hope to Read in 2010: one (The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath)
Books on my TBR shelf: 14
I want to concentrate on the Radcliffe list because I have a shot at finishing that one once and for all. But my Guilt List is in danger of toppling over, so is claiming my immediate attention.
wow - this very analytical approach to "what to read next" is impressive. You are inspiring me to take a look at some of the lists you reference and create my own "to read" list!
ReplyDeleteBTW - I see Small Island on your TBR - it is on mine too. I heard a great interview with her about this novel on BBC World Book Club's podcast. It really made me want to dive into the book!
I always think I'm doing a lot of reading until I see how much reading you're doing.
ReplyDeleteMalcolml
Booksnyc -- I do spend a lot of time playing with my lists. They are part of the fun for me.
ReplyDeleteI think Small Island is moving to the top of my TBR pile. I keep getting little hints that I will like it.
SS -- Of course, you are also WRITING books, which takes away from reading time. :)
You exhaust me! But in a good way.
ReplyDeleteAdd my pluses to Small Island. I enjoyed it very much, to the point that I recommended it to friends, which I generally don't do.
I'm not feeling analytic tonight, but I LOVE the plate--do you own it, or did you find the image online.
ReplyDeletePerfect :)
Jane -- I do not own the Italian plate, but I wish I did. My sister and our mother used to own an Italian ceramic import business and retail stores for many years, so my house has more than its share of Italian stuff. They used to sell this set of Four Seasons plates and I loved it. But I found this picture on-line.
ReplyDeleteJG -- I sailed right over your comment. Your vote for Small Island counts for a lot. I am definitely going to get to that one very soon.
ReplyDeleteHoly Cow....
ReplyDeleteDo you know about my personal Reading List? I asked my blog readers to nominate and vote on books in five different categories, and came up with... a very eclectic assortment.
ReplyDeleteHeh. Just what you need, another list of books....
Michael -- I'll have to come see your list right away!
ReplyDelete