read 30 books in 2006

I only read 16 books in 2006.. but that is far more than least 2005, so I’m satisfied with that!

I made it to 24.5. Not bad; I’ll try again in 2007

:)

The fact that I was sick today meant that I was actually able to get through my last book and finish this goal up properly. I love reading, but sometimes I can get distracted by the television and the computer, which are sometimes easier and more enticing than cracking open a book when I’m in a lazy mood. I think it’s important to put a goal for your reading, especially if you’re not used to it or if you’re easily distracted (guess which group I fall into?), because once you make it a habit it will be hard to break. 30 in 2007 is my minimum this year; hope I make it.

When I first picked up How The Scots Invented The Modern World, I thought it would be a quick, amusing read, but it’s a solid read and the moments of humour are few and far between. Arthur Herman has made an impressive book detailing how the Scots’ laid the groundwork for and influenced the creation of modern society; in order to do that, he also has to give an account of Scottish history from the end of the fifteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth. The book was well-written and presented its argument very well: I had a difficult time working my way through some of the historical events, but it wasn’t for lack of talent on the author’s part. Although it’s best to read with a critical eye, this book is definitely worth a read to people interested in the history of the development of the Western world in general and Scotland in particular.

It took me ten minutes to read this, which is probably on the long side. It’s nothing special; a self-help fable in the same style as The Celestine Prophecy or The Alchemist, except that it’s shorter than either of those and so less repetitive and ridiculous. I’m not the target audience for this: I don’t go in for the new age spirituality myself, whether it’s feebly disguised as fiction or not. Jonathan Livingston Seagull was a piece of fluff that I actually didn’t mind reading, which is more than I can say for those other two books. Not awe-inspiring, not awful.

This was tough going because I spent most of 2006 ill except the last couple of months when I wasn’t ill too much.
I actually started this goal off as read 50 books in 2006 and all was going well for the first three months but I got really ill and was really ill for about 6 weeks and didn’t get over that illness and was ill for another 8 months of the year.
I think I did great managing to get 30 books read this year on top of all the course books I have had to read this year too. If I added all those on top of this I would be at least at 80 books this year if not more.

I am pleased with myself over completing this goal but next year I think I will stick to read 12 books in 2007 simply because I will be doing 4 courses, starting a 5th and have lots of extra course reading for one of my courses and it would be made to try for more than one book a month but we will see how it goes.

Pyramids by Terry Pratchett 8/10

This is the funniest TP book I have read in a long time, it made me laugh most of the way through and there wasn’t many places that didn’t get a laugh out of me.
I love this book!! It is the best one since the last Mort or even one before that.
It was a great and very entertaining read and hope there is more just as funny as this book!!

Eric by Terry Pratchett 7/10.

I liked this one, isn’t as funny as some of the TP books but it made me chuckle here and there so that was good.
It has my fave TP character in, Rinsewind, so another thumbs up for that.
It was a nice bit of light reading to help me reach my 30 book target and I did enjoy it which is a bonus.

Next year I’ll set a more realistic goal. I had a hard time getting books for reading because I got my library membership cancelled (I’m not the kind of person who buy books :P) but that’s not the main reason though.
I’ve read so far (all of them in spanish):

1- JK Rowling – “Harry Potter y la Orden del Fénix”
2- CS Lewis – “Las Crónicas de Narnia, El León, la Bruja y el Ropero”
3- CS Lewis – “Las Crónicas de Narnia, El Príncipe Caspian”
4- CS Lewis – “Las Cónicas de Narnia, La Travesía del Explorador del Amanecer”
5- CS Lewis – “Las Crónicas de Narnia, El Caballo y su Niño”
6- CS Lewis – “Las Crónicas de Narnia, El Sobrino del Mago”
7- CS Lewis – “Las Crónicas de Narnia, La Batalla Final”
8- Herman Hesse – “El Lobo Estepario”
9- Richard Bach – “Crónicas de los Hurones I, En el Mar”
10- Phillip K Dick – “Blade Runner”
11- Richard Bach – “Crónicas de los Hurones II, En el Aire”
12- Isabel Allende – “La Casa de los Espíritus”
13- Mario Benedetti – “La Tregua”
14- Maestro Hsing Tun – “La Esencia del Budismo”
15- Eoin Colfer – “Artemis Fowl”

I’m giving up this one.