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Books Read in 1996

I thought I might as well post stuff about books as I read them and see if they die in a disk crash before the end of the year. Ever the optimist.

At two-thirds of the way through the year, I have to say I'm happy to have been keeping this record. As with nearly all enterprises which encourage me to write down what I read about, my retention of what I read has improved -- and I like to think my ability to describe what I've read to others has also improved. It's also quite pleasant to be able to look back and see that while the new job at amazon.com temporarily impacted my rate of reading, over the long haul, my vice has withstood the test, and continues to consume voraciously all printed matter which crosses its path. Well, a lot of it, anyway. Nor has the quality of what I read stayed in the ghetto of any genre -- if anything I read more history than I used to.

January

January was the month I finally started reading Terry Pratchett (3 novels), continued reading about education and literacy (4 books). 5 of 17 books were written by women. 5 of 17 books were novels. 1 book reread. 1 book (not included in the 17) not completed.

February

More Terry Pratchett, and reread a bunch of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. This is the month I created my on-line catalog. As of the 14th, almost all of the books are logged. Many cross-reference on-line etexts. Where relevant, entries are cross-referenced to '95 and '96 reviews. Twelve read.

March

Still more Pratchett -- 5 this month. I continued the pioneer girls reading with Carol Ryrie Brink's books. This naturally led into rereading Helen Keller and a book about Nellie Bly. Out of 22 books, 3 were history, 5 memoirs, 10 novels and 12 by women. 6 of the novels were sf. 7 of the 22 were rereads.

April

Still more Pratchett -- 4 this month. I'm starting to run out of Pratchett easily available in the U.S. Three of these were from a trip to Victoria. I've ordered three more from Duthie's. Three rereads, 8 sf/f and 2 science books. 4 of the eleven books were by women.

May

Finally started reading those Colin Greenland novels. Mostly a month of genre fiction, I reread some Heyer, and read two new ones. This is also the month I started devouring Charles Sheffield novels and short stories. I had three on hand from Phil, and bought several more used and one new. Nineteen total, not counting one book started and not finished.

June

In which I continue to read Charles Sheffield novels, and consume the latest Miss Manners tome. Out of ten books, eight were fiction. Four were rereads, two were by women. All of the fiction was genre.

July

In which I continue to read History, to the extent that I manage to get time to read at all -- as I am also listening to operas. I've managed to slog my way through six. Six books read, also (not counting libretti).

August

In which I finally read the book Ryan loaned me, so I can return it, and make a trip to Twice Sold Tales and then work my way through the 7 book take. Some history, some philosophy, and the odd essays. No, I have not abandoned operas. And I dived back into subversive history and current events texts.

September

In which I continue to read social history, and putter away on feminist commentaries on the Qur'an and the Bible.

October

In which I reread a bunch of Bujold and chomp through the latest Flinx novel. The worthwhile books are a Regis and a Levine, but I descend into Heyer novels once again, withjoy and relief from stress.

An embarrassingly large number of cheesy rereads in the 18 books this month: Bujold, Schmitz and Heyer this time around.

November

Two more Heyer rereads; some books about the history of sexuality and some discussions/studies of relations between the sexes; an amusing history of Vitamins in America, largely drawn on the files of the FDA; the latest from the Ehrlichs, picking on some of the most deserving targets to see print lately; another round of Sheffield's Heritage Universe; and a snidely lovely volume from my favorite illustrator, Graeme Base (a present for Jeffrey).

December

The rest of the relationship (re)reads, three more Pratchett novels (why, oh why did I wrap up Hogwatcher before reading it?), the prequel to the first Sheffield I read, and two very silly non-fiction volumes picked up at work. Reread all the Honor Harrington novels.


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This file recreated from The Internet Wayback Machine in January 2002. Copyright Rebecca Allen, 2002.

Created January 8, 1996 
Modified March 13, 2009