Reading Year in Review 2007

I read 38 books this year, a bit short of my “one book per week” goal, but still better than some years. I read a surprising amount of non-fiction (for me) and looking back on my list I read several books that I would consider “fluffy”. This was because I was living in the U.S. for half of the year where a lot more fluff is available. Usually I live in Brazil and depend on my impeccable collection of great books for good reading.

The most satisfying read was Jane Eyre, but I read that book too often for it to really count. The Giver  by Lois Lowry was wonderfully thought-provoking. Another YA book, A Parcel of Patterns, was a beautifully written, bittersweet story which is set in the period of the Black Plague. My favorite non-fiction book was The Too-Busy Book by Linda Anderson. I enjoyed its challenge to slow down and find time for intimacy with God. My favorite audio book was At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald. The first half is the best part of the book, but wading through the second half was worth it for the occasional gold nugget that surfaced.

This year I discovered the LibriVox website where you can download books in the public domain. Some recordings are much better than others, but I was glad to increase my book intake by putting daily chapters on my iPod. I look forward to more good reading (and listening) in 2008.