Remind me later this year not to make reading plans for 2012. You'd think I would have learned by now that I can't stick to plans, but that never stops me from making them. And worse, I will probably still make them in December as the promise of a fresh new year approaches. This year has been a washout in a variety of ways and my reading reflects just how much so it has been. I have had hard time concentrating on books, and a hard time finishing them. I sometimes think I have the attention span of a goldfish. I'm constantly starting new books only to set them aside even though there isn't anything wrong with the story. I've revamped my reading pile numerous times in the hope of getting back on track, but in the end find myself once again wallowing in a sea of books with no sight of dry land. Dry land being a happy medium of reading really good books, feeling satisfaction in what I'm reading and being able to write about them. Everything has been off this year.
So, even though it is August I am starting from scratch, sort of. I've removed my 2011 reading tabs page. No need to have a reminder of what I was going to read but am not reading. My pile of current reads is massive so I've culled it a bit and have made a master list. I want to finish these books by the end of the year. I'll still be adding new books to my reading pile as I finish something, but these will be mostly serendipitous choices, Slaves books, or books for Caroline's readalong. And I have every intention of joining Carl's RIP challenge (am already watching closely for his announcement). And that long read I was so determined to do (the one made up of four volumes--each volume with three novels...) has fizzled. Instead I just want to finish An American Tragedy. I'm only 100 pages in. Wish me luck.
Looking back over my reading I've read far fewer classics than I had hoped to read. Hardly no nonfiction. Though I've been pleased with how well I've stuck to my Italian crime extravaganza and am still going strong. I've read loads of mysteries and crime novels and lots of comfort reads. Actually I'm quite pleased by this in a way, as amongst those books there have been some really good ones. And I've needed those sorts of books for relief from other life stresses. But at the same time not as many books come to mind when contemplating which books have been really spectacular reads that are going to stick with me and I would want to press into friends' hands. Of course this could easily be my own fault and not the fault of the books I've read.
Along with my reading list (otherwise known as the books in my sidebar and a few I've left off...) I hope to read a few books that are a little more serious. Books that make me feel like I felt when I read Crossing to Safety or A Room with a View. Who knows what I'll find before the year runs out. To that end I'm going to read M.J. Hyland's This is How, which was longlisted for last year's Orange Prize and we'll see where I end up from there. It was fun raiding my own book stockpiles and choosing.
I did manage to finish Liza Marklund's Studio 69 (post to follow soon, I hope), and I'm close to finishing Amor Towles' The Rules of Civility. I didn't read much in the way of short stories despite being gung ho to read straight through, so may have to postpone any posts there. This week I'll be spending most of my time with History and In Cold Blood.
So, what about you? Have you been pleased with your reading this year? (Or maybe I think too hard about these things unnecessarily?). What have been your standout books so far?
A little postscript--I've added those little "you might also like" boxes to my posts. I've seen other bloggers do this to great effect, most recently Cornflower, so thought I'd give it a try. Not sure I like it on my own page but will try it out for a week or so, though they may well disappear.
Happy reading everyone.