This post covers my 2016 Reading Challenges and goals, as best as my data and time allow.
Personally set goals and some counts
Total number of books finished in 2016: 120
- Nonfiction: 54
- Fiction: 64
- Graphic novels: 60
- Ebooks: 8
- Beer & Brewing: 15
- Biography: 2
- Central Oregon: 3
- Cookery: 6
- Erotica/Sex & Gender: 3
- History: 5
- Librariana: 0; 1 in progress very slowly
- Literature/Language: 2
- Memoir: 2
- Philosophy: 3
- Photography: 2
- Poetry: 2
- Renewal: 5
- Science: 6
- Tech/Software: 2
- Translations: 14
- Wander: 3
- YA & Kids: 13
I know one book counted as both fiction and nonfiction: Aesop, Five Centuries of Illustrated Fables. No doubt some counts in some of the categories could be retroactively changed if I felt like reanalyzing many entries. For instance, science just went up by 2 [doubled] with just a quick look. Taking data as is though until I see a need to do otherwise. It has already received a fair bit of “fact checking” and cross-checking.
These were my generic goals for 2016:
- More poetry; re-reading encouraged here,
- More erotica, sex & gender.
- Less graphic novels.
- More literature.
- Librariana? didn’t read any in 2015. “Who have I become?, one might ask.
- Translations check.
- Ebooks check.
- Nonfiction check.
- More essays and short stories.
How did I do on these?
Not so well. I read 1 less in poetry [3 vs 2 (2015 vs 2016)]; same number on erotica, sex & gender [3]; less than two-thirds as many graphic novels, so nailed this one [99 vs 60]; 7 less in lit [8 vs 1]; still 0 in librariana but I am working on one (very slowly); 7 less translations [21 vs 14]; 28 less ebooks [36 vs 8]; 14 less nonfiction [68 vs 54]; and as best I can tell no change in essays and short stories [0? vs 1?]. Not so well at all. The only one I actually accomplished was reading less graphic novels. ::sigh::
Books currently reading being read [2016current]
Finish all nine of the books I am supposedly currently reading.
Dunegan – Best Hikes Near Bend (A Falcon Guide)
Berlin – The Power of Ideas
Oliver – The Brewmaster’s Table
Bennett, ed. – Japanese love poems
Bishop – Living with Thunder
Gilbert – Collected poems [gave up]
- Kabat-Zinn – Full Catastrophe Living
- Farhi – The breathing book
- Hornsey – Alcohol and its role in the evolution of human society
Finished 5 and gave up on one. Sara and I were reading that to each other and we both agreed to quit it. So calling this 5 for 9. Not great but acceptable.
2016 Books To Read Challenge (personal) [2016poss]
Read 12 of 44 possible
Read 11 of 12. Of the 11 categories I read books from this list in 7 of them [and one is currently being read from another for 8]. I read books in all those other categories, just not from this list. So calling this one close enough.
2016 Goodreads Challenge
My goal is 100 this year, up from 75 last year. I have been alternating between demolishing my goals and being a bit over here for several years.
Made this a while ago. Not quite as early or numbers as high as last year but I also read a lot less graphic novels. Total read is 120.
Challenges hosted elsewhere
Nonfiction Reading Challenge 2016 [2016nfc]
Master level 16-20 books (top) Reached 20 on 05 June 2016 [well, finished reading; not posted yet],
25 reviews posted. 54 nonfiction books read in total.
Books in Translation Reading Challenge 2016 [2016trans]
Linguist 10-12 books (top)
12 books reviewed. 14 translations read.
2016 9th Annual Graphic Novel/Manga Challenge [2016gnc]
- 12 for Modern Age [Reached 31 January 2-16]
- So 24 for Bronze Age [Reached 8 May 2016]
- 52 for Silver Age [Reached 15 December 2016]
52 reviews posted but 60 graphic novels or manga read.
More breakdowns [books by month; from libraries]
These are the books I finished in 2016 by month (6 were started in 2015 and 1 in 2014!):
Author Title
January
- Bennett, ed. Japanese love poems
- Oliver The Brewmaster’s Table
- Modan The Property
- Fetter-Vorm Trinity
- Berlin The Power of Ideas
- Harris Integrating Reality
- Hester Vegan Slow Cooking: For Two or Just for You
- MacLean ApocalyptiGirl: Aria for the End Times
- Lee and Hart Messenger: The Legend of Joan of Arc
- Brrémaud and Bertolucci Love: The Fox
- McKendry Aesop, Five Centuries of Illustrated Fables
- Brontë, A The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
- Modan exit wounds
- Pond Over Easy
- Tezuka Ode to Kirihoto
- Way & Ba The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite [1]
- Abouet & Oubrerie Aya
- Modan Maya makes a Mess
- Way & Ba The Umbrella Academy: Dallas [2]
- Foster Porter (Classic Beer Styles 5)
February
- Wang Koko Be Good
- Brrémaud and Bertolucci Love: The Tiger
- Foster Brewing Porters & Stouts
- Williams A Pictorial History of the Bend Country
- Backes Cannabis Pharmacy
- Modan Jamilti and Other Stories
- Hayden The Story of My Tits
- Alanguilan Elmer
- Simone, et al. Red Sonja: Queen of Plagues (1)
- Simone, et al. Red Sonja: The Art of Blood and Fire
- Black The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book
- Morrison, et al. The Invisibles : say you want a revolution
- Strong Brewing Better Beer
- Waters Tipping the Velvet
March
- Gunders Waste Free Kitchen Handbook
- Thug Kitchen Thug Kitchen Party Grub
- Dunlap-Shohl My degeneration: a journey through Parkinson’s
- McQuaid Tasty
- North & Henderson The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1 (2015)
- Delavier Delavier’s core training anatomy
- Hennessy, Smith and McConnell The Comic Book Story of Beer
- Vitrano The Nature and Value of Happiness
- Hoffman Survival lessons
April
- Tucholke Wink Poppy Midnight
- Immonen & Immonen Moving Pictures
May
- Miyazaki Princess Mononoke: The First Story
- Rail Why Beer Matters
- Tezuka Apollo’s Song
- Lawson & Smith Sidewalk Flowers
- Guojin The Only Child
- Stuppy, et al. Wonders of the plant kingdom
- Rail The meanings of craft beer
- Miller Dave Miller’s Homebrewing Guide
- Jackson The New World Guide to Beer
- Kemp A bouquet of gardenias
- Love Bayou, volume one
- Dysart, et al. Neil Young’s Greendale
June
- Yana Toboso Black Butler I
- Yana Toboso Black Butler II
- Stevenson Nimona
- Dunegan Best Hikes Near Bend (A Falcon Guide)
- Chapman The 5 Love Languages
- Love and Love Shadow Rock
- Love and Morgan Bayou, volume two
- Toboso Black Butler III
- Ratey Spark
- Toboso Black Butler IV
- Tonatiuh Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras
- Halloran The new bread basket
- ACSM ACSM’s Health-Related Physical Fitness Assessment Manual
July
- DeConnick, et al. Bitch Planet, Vol. 1: Extraordinary Machine(Bitch Planet (Collected Editions))
- Miller Water: A Global History (The Edible Series)
- Kissell Take Control of Upgrading to El Capitan
August
- Martin, et al. A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel, volume 1
- Herz & Conley Beer Pairing
- Martin, et al. A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel, volume 2
- Arcudi, et al. A god somewhere
- McCool and Guevara Nevsky: a hero of the people
- Martin, et al. A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel, volume 3
- Martin, et al. A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel, volume 4
- Ottaviani & Purvis The imitation game
- Vaughan, et al. Paper Girls 1
- Abel La Perdida
- Carriger Prudence (The Custard Protocol; 1)
- Carriger Imprudence (The Custard Protocol; 2)
- Ottaviani & Wicks Primates: The fearless science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Gladikas
- Owens How to Build a Small Brewery
- Orchard Bera the one-Headed Troll
September
- Rowling The Tales of Beedle the Bard
- Cantwell & Bouckaert Wood & Beer
- McCoola & Carroll Baba Yaga’s Assistant
- Hales, ed. Beer & Philosophy
October
- Samanci Dare to disappoint: growing up in Turkey
- Ellis, et al. Trees, volume one: In shadow
- Schuiten & Peeters The leaning girl
- Tsutsumi, et al. Out of Picture Volume 1: Art from the Outside Looking In
November
- Stockton South Sister: a Central Oregon volcano
- ATK Healthy Slow Cooker Revolution
- Protz The ale trail
- Smith The Wander Society
- Krucoff Healing Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain: Easy, Effective Practices for Releasing Tension and Relieving Pain
- Hensperger & Kaufmann The ultimate rice cooker cookbook
- Sumner Brewing Science, Technology and Print, 1700-1880
- Duarte Monsters! and Other Stories
December
- Maltz, ed. intimate kisses
- Milne The Complete Tales & Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh
- Out of Picture Volume 2: Art from the Outside Looking In
- Brown Andre the giant: Life and legend
- Hanh How to walk
- Brubaker & Phillips Fatale, Book 1: Death Chases Me (Fatale #1)
- Brubaker & Phillips Fatale, Book 2: The Devil’s Business (Fatale #2)
- Ottaviani & Big Time Attic Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards: Edward Drinker Cope, Othniel Charles Marsh, and the Gilded Age of Paleontology
- Smith, et al. Long Walk to Valhalla
- Colfer, et al. The Supernaturalist
- Montellier & Mairowitz The Trial
- Culbard, Edginton; Doyle The Hound of the Baskervilles
- Bagieu Exquisite Corpse
- Bishop Living with Thunder
- Bryson Tasting whiskey
- Dawson The Place WherE I Come From
Totals finished per month are:
- Jan 20
- Feb 14
- Mar 9
- Apr 2
- May 12
- Jun 13
- Jul 3
- Aug 15
- Sep 4
- Oct 4
- Nov 8
- Dec 16
Not entirely sure what happened in April, July September or October. Perhaps I simply was reading more longer books then and thus finished less. Or, I cut my right index finger to shreds along with minor finger and hand injuries in April so … who knows?
From libraries:
- Central Oregon Community College Barber Library: 12
- Deschutes Public Library: 58
- Summit (consortium): 7
- OSU-Cascades: 3
- Interlibrary Loan: 1 [suspect is a bit higher]
So, 81 of 120 books came from libraries. Not bad. Then again, several of these started out as books from the library that I/we went on to purchase.
Wrap-up:
There is always more can be said–genders of authors; but that is pretty much a mug’s game–and perhaps I have forgotten something I wanted to count or add but oh well. I have straightened out some categories to track for 2017–things to make life easier, or at least I hope. I already have two posts re books in 2017 up but at least one more will be coming.