Monthly Archives: June 2014

2014 reading list (so far)

Waiting For the Man, by Arjun Basu

As I’ve done in years past, I’m taking a look at the halfway point in the year at the books I’ve read so far, with links where they exist to books that I’ve reviewed (either here on this blog or briefly on Goodreads). As I’ve perpetually remarked – and really mean it – it’s a competition with no one but myself, but it is always useful and interesting to stop and reflect a bit where one is at with one’s reading, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Of the 22 books I’ve read so far this year, 3 were non-fiction, 5 were poetry and the balance of 14 were fiction (novels and short story collections). It’s kind of nice to reflect on this Canada Day holiday that 15 of those 22 books were written by Canadians.

  1. All the Rage
    by A.L. Kennedy

  2. Life After Life
    by Kate Atkinson

  3. canlit

  4. A Recipe for Disaster & Other Unlikely Tales of Love
    by Eufemia Fantetti

  5. canlit

  6. how the gods pour tea
    by Lynn Davies

  7. canlit

  8. Maidenhead
    by Tamara Faith Berger

  9. canlit

  10. Crazy Town – The Rob Ford Story
    by Robyn Doolittle

  11. canlit

  12. The Luminaries
    by Eleanor Catton

  13. canlit

  14. Prairie Ostrich
    by Tamai Kobayashi

  15. Penelope Fitzgerald: A Life
    by Hermione Lee

  16. Bark
    by Lorrie Moore

  17. canlit

  18. Waiting for the Man
    by Arjun Basu

  19. canlit

  20. The Lease
    by Mathew Henderson

  21. canlit

  22. Grayling
    by Gillian Wigmore

  23. Sun Bear
    by Matthew Zapruder

  24. canlit

  25. Ocean
    by Sue Goyette

  26. canlit

  27. Cockroach
    by Rawi Hage
    (reviewed for bookgaga by Paul Whelan)

  28. canlit

  29. Dog Ear
    by Jim Johnstone

  30. canlit

  31. New Tab
    by Guillaume Morissette

  32. Congratulations, by the way
    by George Saunders

  33. canlit

  34. Based on a True Story
    by Elizabeth Renzetti

  35. Americanah
    by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

  36. canlit

  37. All My Puny Sorrows
    by Miriam Toews

Currently in progress:

  • The Rise & Fall of Great Powers
    by Tom Rachman

  • Everyone Is CO2
    by David James Brock

How is your reading going so far in 2014?

Book traffic report #4

pile-of-books

In this household brimming with books, we’re continuing to take a year-long look at how books make their way into (and out of) this place. This report reflects the months of April and May, and brings us to almost the halfway point in the year.

At the end of April (National Poetry Month, by the way), the two columns on my home office whiteboard tallied up as follows:

Incoming: 13

  • All incoming books were paper.
  • 9 of the incoming books were poetry collections.
  • 6 books were work-related.
  • 1 book was purchased directly from a publisher at a book event.
  • 7 received books were complimentary copies from publishers or authors.

Outgoing: 17

  • 13 outgoing books were contributed to three local Little Free Library boxes.
  • 3 books were given to friends.
  • 1 book was returned to the library.

At the end of May, the two columns on my home office whiteboard tallied up as follows:

Incoming: 4

  • 3 of the incoming books were purchased in bookstores (Book City and Ben McNally’s).
  • 1 book was purchased online from Amazon.

Outgoing: 7

2014 to date: 51 books incoming, 71 books outgoing

So far this year, a total of 19 incoming books are read and 33 are unread, and a total of 46 outgoing books have been read … and 28 books that have lived in this house unread are now back out in the world, presumably to join a household where they will be read.

So far this year, 27 fiction, 11 non-fiction and 13 poetry books have arrived, and 37 fiction, 29 non-fiction and 8 poetry books have departed.

Our outgoing numbers continue to illustrate that we have an abiding affection for our local Little Free Library boxes.

A pile of books. Photograph: Lorna Roach (via The Guardian)
(http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2010/mar/19/how-not-to-title-a-novel)