Best of Intentions
I always have the best of intentions. Every year I say I want to be a writer, and yet every year I fail to actually write. So, here is to a year of accomplishments, rather than intentions.
Last year, I set a goal to read more books. See, I keep a journal of all the books I read, I have since August of 2002. I wish I had started it sooner, but I didn't, and that's just how it goes. The journal just lists the title, author, and date I finished the book. I also include who referred the book to me. Some of the entries refer to the University of California, Riverside, those are the books I didn't read while actually in college but figured I ought to since I bought them and earned the degree and all.
Year over year, I've read more and less. I've had relationships, gotten married, had kids, and moved countless times. The book journal is my road map.
2002 - 5 books logged.
The most memorable, Choke by Chuck Palahniuk. It's not memorable because I liked the book. In fact I really found it ridiculous. The voice of the book was of a medical student that read like a 6th grader. The improbable writing wasn't what struck me though. The boy I was madly in love with recommended this book. I was quite smitten. He died, in his sleep, likely due to drugs, just over a year after I finished this book. I loved him, but not his taste in literature.
2003 - 10 books logged
This was a good year for books, not in quantity, but in quality. The one that I look back most fondly this year was Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. The friend that referred this was a former boss and future wedding location host. The book recommendation made me appreciate her more. First, it's different, it's cleverly written, and it's totally weird which is definitely up my alley.
2004 - 8 books logged
This year didn't have a lot of books but those that I read were pretty good. The standout for this year was Journey of Souls, by Michael Newton. A high school teacher I worked with recommended this book. The take of what happens in the afterlife was interesting, a little far out for me, but still, I hung in there and appreciated it. I would later come to find that this was one of the more down to earth concepts this teacher believed in.
2005 - 12 books logged
These books were good, none too great or memorable. I suppose my favorite of this year was The Pearl Diver, by Jeff Talarigo (I think that's how I spelled his name in the book). My dad's girlfriend's daughter recommended this book. I really enjoyed the story line and I enjoyed learning a little bit of history in the process.
2006 - 6 books logged
The most memorable and the book that had the most impact on me was The Autobiography of a Tibetan Monk, by Palden Gyatso. I met the author at a woman's house in Scottsdale, Arizona. She had a Tibetan monk living with her and he would host meditation and educational talks. I tried to go every so often and this man, who spoke no English, was one of the most amazing people I think I will ever meet. He was in Scottsdale to have a procedure done in the Mayo Clinic. I think everyone should read his story, it's truly amazing.
2007 - 15 books logged
This is the year that I decided to knock out my African Literature books over the summer. It was a good year because work was letting me do 50% of my work from home and I could get 100% done in 1/2 of a working day. I would go into the office for 4 hours, knock everything out, and go home and read by the pool in the afternoon. I also had time to work out that summer and lost weight, those were the days. I read a lot of good books that year but I think Arrow of God, by Chinua Achebe, was one of my favorites.
2008- 12 books logged
There were a lot of random books this year. I think the standout for me this year was the one I got at the library, Voices from Chernobyl, by Svetlana Alexievich. Our family had a Ukranian exchange student stay with us when I was in high school and I think this gave me the first picture into where she was from and what life was like growing up.
2009 - 13 books logged
By far, my favorite was The Lost City of Z, by David Grann. Don't bother with the Amazon movie, the book though is wonderful. I found some dog books show up during this year, stuff from Cesar Milan, because this was the year that we adopted Walter, the dancing dog in my profile picture.
2010 - 7 books logged
I read a few travel books about Ireland before I went over St. Patrick's day during this year, but my stand out book had to be Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi. This is one of the many books I received after my grandmother's passing. My aunt and uncles went through her books to pick out the meaningful ones to keep, but I received a treasure trove of books with little notes hidden in them from her. Not only that, it's a great book!
2011 - 4 books logged
In all fairness, I was engaged, quit my job, got a new job, quit that job, got a new old one, got married, and found out I was pregnant, so reading wasn't a priority this year. I suppose The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, by Vicki Lovine was the most memorable that year.
2012 - 4 books logged
Hey, being a first time mom, working full time, reading just didn't top my list. Besides, I watch way too much TV! There was a good book this year though, and because of it, we make cherry sorbet almost every year when the cherries are in season. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver made me a little more cognizant of what I was eating, where it came from, and how to be a better parent.
2013 - 2 books logged
I let TV and my toddler take over here apparently. Both book I read were earlier in the year and both were from my grandmother's stash. The one that sticks with me the most is A Summons To Memphis, by Peter Taylor. From what I recall, it wasn't the most outstanding novel (because I don't remember too much from it) but it was good and the story was interesting.
2014 - 4 books logged
I picked up Beyond Superwoman, by Karen Strausser Kauffman and Peggy Downs Baskins out of my grandmother's books. It was a really good book for me, the lady in the office with one kid, trying for a second to take in. I read Half the Sky that year by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn and my heart broke.
2015 - 3 books logged
The most memorable book was From Colored Town To Pebble Beach, by Pat Duval. My dad sent me this book. Pat was a deputy sheriff with my father, he'd held my older brother when he was just a wee little baby. It's not well written, the grammar kills me at times, but the story is important to capture and he's a dear friend of our family and I will remember it for a long time to come.
2016 - 3 books logged
I think at the end of this year I finally realized I needed to make reading a bigger priority. Although this is the year that my co-worker introduced me to Kathy Reich books (my 4 year old loved watching Bones on TV), I think the stand out had to be my Christmas present from my husband, I Am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb.
2017 - 14 books logged
So I decided I needed to make reading a bigger priority this year and told myself I would read at least 1 book a month. And having been introduced the year earlier to Kathy Reich's books, well written and easy to read formulaic books that I enjoy nonetheless, I consider them my fast food books, it made it easier. One book that stood out though, Off The Road, by Jack Hitt. Another one of my grandmother's books, it told of a modern day pilgrimage to Santiago, I wanted to jump onto a plane and become a pilgrim immediately.
2018 - 29 books logged
I told myself since I could easily do 1 book a month the year prior, this year I would read 2 books a month. There were one or two months where I didn't quite accomplish this, but in the end I made up for it. I read the Tibetan Book of the Dead to my daughter in the evenings as she was falling asleep, I read Catcher in the Rye for the first time (people always ask me if I've read it because of my son's name), and handful of books from my grandmother's stash, some that my husband got me, the rest of the Kathy Reich's library, Michelle Obama's Becoming, but I think the most important one I read during the year had to be Factfulness by Hans Rosling. I try to keep the key points in mind when speaking to my children or making decisions at work.
So here we are. The beginning of 2019. I would up my reading quota, but I'm afraid if I do I will be over committing. I definitely want to keep to 2 books a month, my stretch goal is 50 I think for the year. I don't want to read so much I fail to take time to write. And of course I can't give up all of my TV viewing, and then there is time with children, dogs, and all that fun time I get to spend in my cubicle. Though, truth be told, I'm supposed to be out of a job in 6-10 months so who knows, maybe I will have all the time in the world for reading and writing.
2019 - 1 book logged so far
I read A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron yesterday, and I'll be honest, I cried like the baby I am. My second book, that I've started, is slightly more meaty and will take me a bit longer, but I'm excited to read it, Thinking Slow and Fast. Wish me luck!
For now it is time to go serve the dinner my daughter requested - Chicken Enchilasagna, thank you Rhee Drummond, my daughter adores you so we are trying your less than conventional dinner tonight.
Last year, I set a goal to read more books. See, I keep a journal of all the books I read, I have since August of 2002. I wish I had started it sooner, but I didn't, and that's just how it goes. The journal just lists the title, author, and date I finished the book. I also include who referred the book to me. Some of the entries refer to the University of California, Riverside, those are the books I didn't read while actually in college but figured I ought to since I bought them and earned the degree and all.
Year over year, I've read more and less. I've had relationships, gotten married, had kids, and moved countless times. The book journal is my road map.
2002 - 5 books logged.
The most memorable, Choke by Chuck Palahniuk. It's not memorable because I liked the book. In fact I really found it ridiculous. The voice of the book was of a medical student that read like a 6th grader. The improbable writing wasn't what struck me though. The boy I was madly in love with recommended this book. I was quite smitten. He died, in his sleep, likely due to drugs, just over a year after I finished this book. I loved him, but not his taste in literature.
2003 - 10 books logged
This was a good year for books, not in quantity, but in quality. The one that I look back most fondly this year was Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. The friend that referred this was a former boss and future wedding location host. The book recommendation made me appreciate her more. First, it's different, it's cleverly written, and it's totally weird which is definitely up my alley.
2004 - 8 books logged
This year didn't have a lot of books but those that I read were pretty good. The standout for this year was Journey of Souls, by Michael Newton. A high school teacher I worked with recommended this book. The take of what happens in the afterlife was interesting, a little far out for me, but still, I hung in there and appreciated it. I would later come to find that this was one of the more down to earth concepts this teacher believed in.
2005 - 12 books logged
These books were good, none too great or memorable. I suppose my favorite of this year was The Pearl Diver, by Jeff Talarigo (I think that's how I spelled his name in the book). My dad's girlfriend's daughter recommended this book. I really enjoyed the story line and I enjoyed learning a little bit of history in the process.
2006 - 6 books logged
The most memorable and the book that had the most impact on me was The Autobiography of a Tibetan Monk, by Palden Gyatso. I met the author at a woman's house in Scottsdale, Arizona. She had a Tibetan monk living with her and he would host meditation and educational talks. I tried to go every so often and this man, who spoke no English, was one of the most amazing people I think I will ever meet. He was in Scottsdale to have a procedure done in the Mayo Clinic. I think everyone should read his story, it's truly amazing.
2007 - 15 books logged
This is the year that I decided to knock out my African Literature books over the summer. It was a good year because work was letting me do 50% of my work from home and I could get 100% done in 1/2 of a working day. I would go into the office for 4 hours, knock everything out, and go home and read by the pool in the afternoon. I also had time to work out that summer and lost weight, those were the days. I read a lot of good books that year but I think Arrow of God, by Chinua Achebe, was one of my favorites.
2008- 12 books logged
There were a lot of random books this year. I think the standout for me this year was the one I got at the library, Voices from Chernobyl, by Svetlana Alexievich. Our family had a Ukranian exchange student stay with us when I was in high school and I think this gave me the first picture into where she was from and what life was like growing up.
2009 - 13 books logged
By far, my favorite was The Lost City of Z, by David Grann. Don't bother with the Amazon movie, the book though is wonderful. I found some dog books show up during this year, stuff from Cesar Milan, because this was the year that we adopted Walter, the dancing dog in my profile picture.
2010 - 7 books logged
I read a few travel books about Ireland before I went over St. Patrick's day during this year, but my stand out book had to be Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi. This is one of the many books I received after my grandmother's passing. My aunt and uncles went through her books to pick out the meaningful ones to keep, but I received a treasure trove of books with little notes hidden in them from her. Not only that, it's a great book!
2011 - 4 books logged
In all fairness, I was engaged, quit my job, got a new job, quit that job, got a new old one, got married, and found out I was pregnant, so reading wasn't a priority this year. I suppose The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy, by Vicki Lovine was the most memorable that year.
2012 - 4 books logged
Hey, being a first time mom, working full time, reading just didn't top my list. Besides, I watch way too much TV! There was a good book this year though, and because of it, we make cherry sorbet almost every year when the cherries are in season. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver made me a little more cognizant of what I was eating, where it came from, and how to be a better parent.
2013 - 2 books logged
I let TV and my toddler take over here apparently. Both book I read were earlier in the year and both were from my grandmother's stash. The one that sticks with me the most is A Summons To Memphis, by Peter Taylor. From what I recall, it wasn't the most outstanding novel (because I don't remember too much from it) but it was good and the story was interesting.
2014 - 4 books logged
I picked up Beyond Superwoman, by Karen Strausser Kauffman and Peggy Downs Baskins out of my grandmother's books. It was a really good book for me, the lady in the office with one kid, trying for a second to take in. I read Half the Sky that year by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn and my heart broke.
2015 - 3 books logged
The most memorable book was From Colored Town To Pebble Beach, by Pat Duval. My dad sent me this book. Pat was a deputy sheriff with my father, he'd held my older brother when he was just a wee little baby. It's not well written, the grammar kills me at times, but the story is important to capture and he's a dear friend of our family and I will remember it for a long time to come.
2016 - 3 books logged
I think at the end of this year I finally realized I needed to make reading a bigger priority. Although this is the year that my co-worker introduced me to Kathy Reich books (my 4 year old loved watching Bones on TV), I think the stand out had to be my Christmas present from my husband, I Am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb.
2017 - 14 books logged
So I decided I needed to make reading a bigger priority this year and told myself I would read at least 1 book a month. And having been introduced the year earlier to Kathy Reich's books, well written and easy to read formulaic books that I enjoy nonetheless, I consider them my fast food books, it made it easier. One book that stood out though, Off The Road, by Jack Hitt. Another one of my grandmother's books, it told of a modern day pilgrimage to Santiago, I wanted to jump onto a plane and become a pilgrim immediately.
2018 - 29 books logged
I told myself since I could easily do 1 book a month the year prior, this year I would read 2 books a month. There were one or two months where I didn't quite accomplish this, but in the end I made up for it. I read the Tibetan Book of the Dead to my daughter in the evenings as she was falling asleep, I read Catcher in the Rye for the first time (people always ask me if I've read it because of my son's name), and handful of books from my grandmother's stash, some that my husband got me, the rest of the Kathy Reich's library, Michelle Obama's Becoming, but I think the most important one I read during the year had to be Factfulness by Hans Rosling. I try to keep the key points in mind when speaking to my children or making decisions at work.
So here we are. The beginning of 2019. I would up my reading quota, but I'm afraid if I do I will be over committing. I definitely want to keep to 2 books a month, my stretch goal is 50 I think for the year. I don't want to read so much I fail to take time to write. And of course I can't give up all of my TV viewing, and then there is time with children, dogs, and all that fun time I get to spend in my cubicle. Though, truth be told, I'm supposed to be out of a job in 6-10 months so who knows, maybe I will have all the time in the world for reading and writing.
2019 - 1 book logged so far
I read A Dog's Way Home by W. Bruce Cameron yesterday, and I'll be honest, I cried like the baby I am. My second book, that I've started, is slightly more meaty and will take me a bit longer, but I'm excited to read it, Thinking Slow and Fast. Wish me luck!
For now it is time to go serve the dinner my daughter requested - Chicken Enchilasagna, thank you Rhee Drummond, my daughter adores you so we are trying your less than conventional dinner tonight.
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