06 July, 2011

2011 in Review - The Halfway Point, plus my Top 5

At the beginning of the year, I put up some goals I wanted to have accomplished by the end of the year and while I tend to get sucked up in the newest thing, I'd like to take the time to review my progress. I hope I'm doing well. :D

Read 60 books in 2011 - This goal means I need to be reading about 5 books a month. I was doing so well until finals hit. I'm not too far off, but at 27 books read this year, I'm down a few book but this is an uphill battle now.

Read at least two of these authors (Tad Williams, Stephen R. Donaldson, Glen Cook) - Okay, so this one's kind of working out surprisingly well. I'm reading Songs of the Dying Earth right now and Tad Williams and Glen Cook have written stories in it. I really hope I don't have to cop out on this one, but at least I'll have this goal accomplished ... through a technicality. I still want to read their actual novels.

Read one of these books by Melanie Rawn (The Golden Key, Stronghold) - Not even close on this one. Luckily, I still have 6 months.

Read at least one of these trilogies (Coldfire, Rai Kirah) - Also not even close. I'm very much looking forward to them though.

Read further in the Dark Tower series - Score! I've definitely finished this goal. I copped out in the making of this goal by only requiring one book, but I've actually read two (The Drawing of the Three and The Wastelands).

Read further in the Dresden Files - Again, not even close. I haven't even read the one for this cop out goal. Anyway, I still see this happening.

Added Goal:

Finish the Malazan Book of the Fallen series - I probably should have put this in the original goals list, but I guess it was such a given, I didn't even think about it. I only have two more to go, so here's to finishing this epic series!

That means I have at least 9 books to read to finish up my non-numerical goals and 33 to read anyway (which should hopefully include those 9). This seems easy, but I'm a pretty moody reader as I think I've mentioned before. I have to read something when the mood strikes perfectly and then it's smooth sailing.

Top 5 in 2011 (so far)

5. I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells
2. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
1. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

One caveat: I started my reread of The Wheel of Time this year and I'm not counting this series in any "Best of" lists. It's just not fair. Let it be known - The Wheel of Time is one of my favorite series.

My Top 5 was a really hard list to make. There have been some great reads this year including Shadow's Lure, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, River Kings' Road, Shatnerquake (How did anyone beat this?), and so many more.

4 comments:

Memory said...

I love your Top 5. I'm so with you on THE NAME OF THE WIND and TIGANA. They're among my favourites, too.

I also have to exclude beloved rereads from the running when I make Best Of lists. It just isn't fair; I'd end up with the same list, year after year!

Ryan said...

You're gonna have to read some really good shit to top what you've already got on your top 5. Reading The Name of the Wind AND Tigana in the same year is like not fair to the rest of the genre.

I like that you ADDED finishing off MBotF to your to do list. I'm at the same point in the series as you are and I'll probably hold to my one Malazan book per year schedule...maybe if you read them I'll get inspired.

Bryce L. said...

@Memory - So true, it's just not fair. I'm really glad I finally read Rothfuss and GGK. My credibility was seriously lacking having not read those two authors. :)

@Ryan - Haha, those were amazing. I also have high (really high) hopes of finishing MBotF, but we'll see. I suddenly ran out of time for reading lately and I don't see my schedule getting any more free in the near future. :(

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