Fifty Books

Last I wrote here, I shared my goal to read fifty books in 2018. I’m happy to report that I succeeded, while also admitting that it was kind of a sprint to the finish. I’ve been reflecting on what my reading meant to me, how it felt to read more consistently than I possibly ever have. What did I glean from those fifty books? Am I a more engaged reader and/or thinker because of them? Will I continue my streak in 2019?

First, I enjoyed the process of documenting my reading more than I thought I would. While I didn’t share my thoughts about what I was reading here, keeping a very simple list of the books I read was useful as a tool for reflection. I’ve enjoyed looking back on what I read as doing so invokes what I was feeling at the time I read a particular book, what was going on in my life at that moment, etc. Even if I didn’t exactly love a book, I’m finding a sense of nostalgia for it as a timekeeper. In looking at these fifty works collectively, I did not unearth anything too surprising about my tastes as a reader. I read mostly contemporary literary fiction, with a decent smattering of nonfiction; thirty-one works of fiction to nineteen nonfiction choices, in case you were wondering. I was a little surprised to realize I read so many physical books (twenty-nine to be exact), but only because I do a fair amount of digital reading when I can sneak it in surreptitiously. What can I say? A gal’s got to make it through her desk-bound days somehow. There were also some audiobooks on road trips, and a couple that I listened to walking to and from work (though this didn’t happen all that often). I’m not astounded to note that 70% of my choices were from female authors.

I applied Doris Lessing’s golden rule of reading to my efforts, which is to say I only read what appealed to me at any given time. This required suspending any sort of critical judgement or pressure. Some books were more involved, others pure pleasure. All provided something–a character I strongly identified with, a plot to ponder, a respite from outside life. A few of my selections required some recovery time, like After the Eclipse and An American Marriage. Some fulfilled another need, like Advanced Marathoning. It’s impossible to identify a favorite, though as I’ve continued reading my way through Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels, I’d say they’ve been the best all-around in offering strong, intelligent female characters that kept me wanting to jot down life-affirming comments. I completed three of these novels in 2018, and have started the fourth as a first read of 2019.

Will I try to continue my reading streak in 2019? Hell yes. It did help having a goal, as I felt my own constant nudge to read something. This process also started to create a sense of exploration. Convenience Store Woman and Strange Weather in Tokyo were so strange and wonderful in a way that made me want to read only Japanese writers. As a Western reader, admittedly, there was the added novelty of reading about characters drinking genmaicha from cans, or buying rice balls from convenience stores. I don’t know that my reading goal will increase this year, but I would like to include more reflection about my reading, which is to say that I’d like to try to use this space more frequently. In the meantime, back to reading…