Most of my book-blogging buddies have done a recap of their 2007 reading. I wanted to do a little year-end reading wrap-up, too, but I’m too lazy to count up the books I’ve read. However, I admire all you bloggers who have done that—I love poking around your statistics, and wondering at the amazing amounts and variety of books that you all have read.
I’ve had a very satisfying reading year. I’ve read many good books recommended by fellow bloggers. I’ve also participated in reading challenges for the first time, though I’ve yet to complete any of them fully!
Here are a few of my favorite books from 2007, in no particular order. If I wrote about them, then I linked to my review:
Half of a Yellow Sun, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell
The Maytrees, by Annie Dillard
Blindness, by Jose Saramago
Of Human Bondage, by W. Somerset Maugham
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver
How did your reading go in 2007? What are you looking forward to reading in 2008?
Posts
21 comments:
I'm sure many of us have our top 10 favourite reads of all time, and you know it's a good year when that needs to be editted. This year Blindness was added to mine. Glad you also enjoyed it. (I also added To Kill A Mockingbird this year.)
I have Cloud Atlas on my favorite books from 2007 list also! And I just started Half of a Yellow Sun this past weekend. Only 50 pages in so far but it's been interesting.
I'm glad to hear that you really liked Cloud Atlas and the Maytrees. I have both of these books waiting for me on my shelves at home.
The Maytrees is on my TBR list - I think that's a book I'll really enjoy.
I'm planning to read Half of Yellow Sun this year. It's a book group read and I'm also reading it for a book challenge - I figure if I combine some books that way I may actually finish the challenges - ha,ha. Hope you have another great reading year!
john--really enjoyed Blindness, it was very thought-provoking. And To Kill a Mockingbird has been on my all-time favorite list for awhile--glad you enjoyed it!
matt--I loved Cloud Atlas and have Black Swan Green on my night table. Looking forward to hearing if you like Half of a Yellow Sun!
lisa--both writers truly impressed me with their use of language. I'll be interested to hear what you think!
iliana--I hear you on the challenge thing--I'm great at starting them but terrible at finishing. I think I'll take your advice and try to find ones that combine!
What a great list of favorites for the year! I loved Cloud Atlas and Blindness when I read them too. I hope to get to the others on your list sometime.
couldn't get through Cloud Atlas, am adding Blindness to my list. my last book of the year The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox was one of my favorites.
thanks!
I really enjoyed Of Human Bondage as well and am looking forward to trying more Maugham. Don't know which, though.
stefanie--thanks! I look forward to discussing Maugham with you soem day!
melanie--I just looked it up--The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox looks interesting--thanks!
bybee--I'd like to read more Maugham, too. People are suggesting The Razor's Edge, The Moon and Sixpence, and Up at the Villa, among others--it's going to be hard to choose!
What a wonderful list! I'm definitely going to read Jose Saramango this year. I can also thoroughly recommend The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. I really must remember to blog about it sometime!
I adore Saramago! Have you read the Cave? I read his novel on Jesus Christ which I appreciated though did not enjoy.
Do you have a book journal? I dont like posting on my year recapped because I dont really think people care but I like to be a peacock on my own time. A book journal indulges me and also allows me to recall my initial reactions to a book versus "now".
I didn't have the fortitude to do a wrap-up, but I did do a sort of "buyer's guide" for cooks at the beginning of December, based on all those cookbooks I reviewed during the year.
litlove--I'd love to hear what you have to say about The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, and whether or not you like Saramago. Keep me posted!
nessie--Blindness is my first Saramago, but I'm looking forward to reading more. I think you're right, I need a book journal--could be a perfect project for '08. Love your blog, btw :)
heather--your "buyer's guide" sounds like a great idea--I'll have to look back at it :)
I need to read more David Mitchell this year. And I've had Blindness hiding in the stacks for far too long. Here's wishing you another year of good reads! :)
tanabata--Hope '08 is a great reading year for you, too--Happy New Year!
Blindness is one of my all-time favorites top 10. It's about time to re-read it.
David Mitchell is one of the authors whose work I want to read this year. He's brand new to me. Do you think I should start with Cloud Atlas?
Maytrees is in my TBR pile.
This year will be a year of world literature and translated literature. I've signed up for the Russian Challenge but have yet to start! I just returned from Asia and I'm a bit behind on book reviews and year-end wrap-up.
matt--you've got a good excuse for being behind--looks like it was an amazing trip! For David Mitchell, I would have to say start with Cloud Atlas--but that's only because that's the only one of his that I've read, lol! I have Black Swan Green on my pile, and I started Number9 Dream awhile back, but never got into it...
Would you recommend the cloud atlas? It is on my tbr pile.
yolanda--I loved Cloud Atlas. I reviewed it, if you want to read that, it's here:
http://shelflifeblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/cloud-atlas-by-david-mitchell-review.html
I loved Mitchell's writing, and while I normally don't choose to read what's termed "dystopian" fiction, this was really great!
I enjoyed Black Swan Green and am looking forward to The Cloud Atlas. Some of my favorites of 2007 were: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, Kartography by Kamila Shamsie, I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.
Post a Comment