Sunday, December 31, 2017

2017 Reading Year in Review

2017 Reading Year in Review


I read 48 individual works including: 22 novels/novellas, 13 short stories, 5 plays, 1 collection of poems, 4 non-fiction books, 2 children’s books, and The Bible. According to Goodreads these totaled 15,599 pages.




But before I get into my reading review - a little shameless self-promotion: One of my favorite posts this year, that didn't get many page views. It's my original spin on an old joke, now rendered as Ten Authors Walk into a Bar. Here's your second chance.

I read 17 novels from my 100 Greatest Novels Quest: Novels #76-92

(and nearing the finish)

The Wings of the Dove by Henry James
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky
The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene
Appointment in Samarra by John O’Hara
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
The Golden Bowl by Henry James
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne
A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh
All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren
The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
The Bridge of the San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust

Favorite: The Chronicles of Narnia
Close second: Les Miserables

Literary Bucket List: Remembrance of Things Past – the longest novel in the world.

I completed all 12 Classics for the Back to the Classics Challenge 2017,
And I completed the Pickwick Papers read along.


I also read the following that were not part of my Quest: 

Shakespeare


Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle


Other Fiction

Beowulf translated by J.R.R. Tolkien
Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien
Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
The Chimes by Charles Dickens
The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol

Non-fiction

Planet Narnia by Michael Ward

Guest Book Reviews by my Grandchildren
The Very Bad Bunny – reviewed by my Granddaughter Alathea
The Lorax – also reviewed by Alathea

New American Standard Bible - I try to read this every day. There were a total of 5 days this year that I was remiss.

Live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God.


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8 comments:

  1. Wow, how exciting to be almost finished your list! I can't see the end of most of my lists, however the process is fun so I'll just concentrate on that. All the best to you in 2018, Joseph!! :-)

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    1. Yep...I should finish sometime in 2018. Of course, I'll keep reading...just branch out a little more. Best wishes for you and yours in 2018.

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  2. Nice wrap up! You read some great classics.

    I am going to tackle Les Miserables in 2018. I might also try Proust. I know you found it a slog, but I am going to limit myself to the first book (unless I love it...who knows?).

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    1. I know you'll enjoy Les Mis. I wouldn't every discourage you from reading the First Book - Swann's Way, of Lost Time...but for me, as much as I didn't really care for the entire work...the final book did tie it all up, and I understood Proust's purpose a little better. I can't say it was worth the journey though. Yeah, good call, one book, see how you like it. Many love it, so who knows.

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  3. Excellent yearly wrap up! You had a great reading year. Such great titles on your list!

    I read the NKJV, and I definitely missed more days than you did, but I do about five days a week of reading through my Bible, one chapter a week, plus a chapter from Proverbs or the Psalms.

    Love your final words, too.

    Happy New Year!

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    1. Thanks Ruth. Those final words, are from my favorite verse, Micah 6:8. Happy New Year to you too.

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  4. Wow, well done! What a great year of reading.

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