2007 Wrap-Up

Blech, 2007. I’ve been putting off writing this wrap-up because I can’t think of anything interesting to say about any of the books I read this year. There were a few highlights: The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon, and The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett come to mind. I also really liked Anne de Courcy’s biography of Diana Mosley. Otherwise it was a dull dull year.

Well I think I know why: I’m choosing dull books! My overwhelming reaction to nearly everything I read this year was “ho hum, more of the same.” But when you keep reading books by the same authors, in the same genre, why should you expect anything different? Interestingly, I bestowed "A" grades on most of these dull books. What should we make of that? I think it means I liked the books at the time, but they had no staying power.

While I’d love to think I’m one of those people who can set themselves up with a challenge and stick with it, I know that I’m not. So setting some lofty goal like “In 2008 I will only read books by authors I’ve never read before” (or a similar challenge) just won’t work. I know myself too well. I have a narrow comfort zone and an aversion to change.

All is not lost, though. Lots of bloggers have offered up lists of their best reads of 2007, and many of these lists contain books that I would try. I thought the list at Reading Matters was pretty interesting, and also the list at Nonfiction Readers Anonymous, since I am always trying to get myself to read more nonfiction.

So here is a simple goal: I will read more books by new authors, and more non-fiction. I will also try a bit harder to read books that don’t immediately fit inside my comfort zone. How am I doing so far, you might ask? Half and half, I would say. Right now I am listening to an audiobook version of End in Tears by Ruth Rendell, an author I have been reading since 1981. While it doesn’t fit my new plan, nevertheless I am loving it, and can’t seem to stop listening. On the other hand, I am also sticking with Cleopatra’s Nose, by Judith Thurman, even though there is much to dislike here.

I am almost finished creating the complete list of books read in 2007. It's a tedious process to put in all the links, so I'm doing it in bits. I should post it in the next few days.