Firstly, apologies for the blog silence over the last month or so. I was recently astonished to meet two people who actually read my posts, so I am now feeling sense of obligation. My PhD has been keeping me very busy, as have various clients. Straddling the nineteenth and twentieth centuries is deceptively fatiguing, you know.
Anyway, thank you to Kirsty for resurrecting the annual reading meme.
How many books read in 2009?
So far, I’ve read 85 entire books, plus various short stories and chapters, and a squillion journal articles. I shall probably top 90 by the end of the year.
Fiction/Non-Fiction ratio?
Only 19 of them were non-fiction. I suspect the reason for that is that I seldom have the luxury of reading a non-fiction work from cover to cover – it’s normally a case of jumping straight to the index and finding the relevant references.
Male/Female authors?
Just 18 male authors, I’m afraid. Mind you, I’m really rather obliged to concentrate on women’s sensation fiction at the moment, and there’s only room for the occasional Trollope.
Favourite book read?
It’s so difficult to choose just one, but I’d probably plump for Victoria Glendinning’s masterly “Trollope”.
Least favourite?
That’s much easier: Sara Maitland’s “A Book of Silence” – I wanted to go and hit her with it.
Oldest book read?
“Rachel Ray” by Anthony Trollope (1863)
Newest?
“Hysteria”, from OUP’s excellent Biographies of Diseases series.
Longest book title?
Hmm, I’m not sure that sub-titles should really count, in which case it would be “The Strange Transfiguration of Hannah Stubbs” by Florence Marryat. That would also win the award for the most entertaining novel.
Shortest title?
Florence Marryat’s “Ange” (also a shockingly bad novel)
How many re-reads?
I’ve re-read around half a dozen of the Florence Marryats, and I’m now writing detailed synopses so I don’t have to read them all again!
Most books read by one author this year?
Unsurprisingly, Miss Marryat would be the undisputed champion in this category. I’ve almost finished my 41st Marryat novel this year. Some have been more enjoyable than others – for every corker there’s stinker, shall we say.
Any in translation?
Zola’s “La Bete Humaine”.
And how many of this year’s books were from the library?
Four of the titles from my “fun” reading list have come from the library, which is quite remarkable. I’ve also had to read rather a lot of the Florence Marryat’s at the British Library, so am getting used to having to give books back when I’ve finished with them (which still hurts).
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90! That knocks my 42 into a cocked hat. I blame the dissertation personally.
Yes, I think I reached the same figure as you in my dissertation year, Kirsty. It seemed to involve endlessly re-reading the same novels. Anyway, I’m sure you’ll eclipse me once I’m done with all the Florence Marryats. Only 27 to go!