04 January, 2012

Greatest Joy in Life


Last year (it gets hard to get used to saying it), I unfortunately didn’t read that many books.  Or well, for me, I didn’t think I read enough.  Looking at the pile of books next to me I quickly assembled that I’m positive I read all last year, I only read 38, but I wish I could have read more.  I wish I had more time, more willpower, and more importantly, more rain to get me in the mood.

On Goodreads, I’ve challenged myself to read fifty books this year.  Fifty stories (real or unreal) to get through—and I can and I will!  I’m so pumped.  Fortunately for me, I got a total head start at the New Year’s Party.  As any introverted wallflower will get, I quickly hugged and kissed and “Happy New Year’s!”’d all of my relatives, got quickly tired of what was happening, and settled into a couch to read The Virgin Suicides.  I spent 12:40 through seven in the morning on that first of January, reading, cringing, and finishing that book.  It wasn’t an easy book to get through (as the most hyper-squeamish human on this planet), but I did, and it is now one of my favorites.  As soon as I finished it, I picked up The History of Love by Nicole Krauss—who happens to be married to my other favorite writer, Jonathan Safran Foer, who wrote my other favorite book, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close!—and so far I love it.

I have so many books I want to read:  The Sun Also Rises, The Awakening, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Paper Towns, Norweigan Wood, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Clockwork Orange, and moar.
Which, of all the books you read in 2011, was your favorite?  Mine was Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close!  Happy reading, err’body!

4 comments :

  1. Aw yes! 2012 is going to be my comeback at reading too. I started with a brilliant one: The Great Gatsby. Next up is the History of Love and maybe later 1984 by George Orwell.

    You HAVE TO read Norwegian Wood by Murakami. I am a complete Murakami addict, and it was my first novel by him. And it may occur a bit... strange sometimes, just read through it, it's wonderful.

    Good luck on your challenge!!

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  2. My goal is 50 books as well, but I hope I surpass it! My goodness - the fact that Nicole Krauss and Jonathan Safran Foer are married blows my mind every time I remember. Haha. I LOVE JSF's boooks. To. Death. Two of my favorites this year was his, Everything Is Illuminated and Eating Animals. (I read Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close last year.)
    By Nicole Krauss I've read Great House and The Hisotry of Love. And I loved Great House, but didn't like The History of Love as much. Except for the parts from the book called The History of Love in the book.
    My other 2011 favorite reads were Howl's Moving Castle, The Book Thief, The Bell Jar and The Night Circus. Hoping for great books 2012!

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  3. I am reading Memory Keepers Daughter for a book report, it is amazing! You will enjoy it :)

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  4. oh man, i need to read more! i think i would be happy if i just read 3 books this year--how sad is that? i have been wanting to read the virgin suicides for the longest time, and also revisit classics like hemingway that i had to read in highschool. wish me luck! thanks for the inspiring post!

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Thank you, pal.