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Wednesday, January 02, 2008

2008 Reading Challenge


A few months ago, I read a sad story about the reading habits of people in the United States. Here are some statistics from this poll:

  • One in four adults read no books at all in the past year
  • Only 57% of American adults had read a book in 2002
  • Among those who said they had read books, the median figure — with half reading more, half fewer — was nine books for women and five for men
  • Democrats and liberals typically read slightly more books than Republicans and conservatives
  • Those likeliest to read religious books included older and married women, lower earners, minorities, lesser educated people, Southerners, rural residents, Republicans and conservatives
So I thought I would keep track of the books I read in 2008. Every time I finish a book this year, I am going to post about it. Anyone care to join me? Leave a comment on this post and we can keep up with each other, compare books, give suggestions, etc.

Happy Reading!

54 Comments:

  1. more cows than people said...
    i'll join you. my reading isn't all that impressive- especially in the "completed" department.

    do i get to count audio books?
    Alex said...
    Sure, I'd say audio books count! Thanks, MC.
    LittleMary said...
    what a fantastic idea. i am totally joining you. will post to your blog.
    Quotidian Grace said...
    Great idea, I'll try to keep up with it. In fact I posted a book review today about a book I've been reading all fall for a Sunday School class!
    Rev Kim said...
    Great idea! I also want to read more this year, both professionally and personally. Count me in!
    Alice said...
    I'm in!
    Pastor Peters said...
    i really like this idea. i'll do it.
    QuakerPastor said...
    Me too! gives me soemthing to lok forward to after the end of the college football season...
    I will be posting my first finished book sometime today...
    stayed up late to finish it last night ;)
    Charles R. said...
    Just finished N. T. Wright's "Evil and the Justice of God"

    From the flyleaf:
    ...evil is more serious thaneither our culture or our theology has supposed. How then might Jesus' death be the culmination of the Old Testament solution to evil but on a wider and deeper scale than most imagine? Can we possibly envision a world in which we are delivered from evil? How might we work toward such a future through prayer and justice in the present?
    St. Casserole said...
    Do I have to list the beach reading novels I read all year long? You know, the books, NOT ROMANCES, but cozy mystery reads?

    Really, do I HAVE TO LIST THESE?
    Joy said...
    I'm with st. casserole. Do I have to list the Mary Higgins Clark books I read? I don't read much educational stuff. I had to do too much of that in college.
    Alex said...
    Yes, please post all of your books! Trashy books are still books! And reading Mary Higgins Clark is WAY better for you than TV, I am sure...
    Rev Dr Mom said...
    I'm in...I don't read as much as I used to, but I can't imagine life without reading!
    Cathy said...
    yes, I'll play, and I am aiming for 50 books for the year. I am going to have a counter on my sidebar also.
    Teri said...
    okay, I'm a sheep. I'm in. :-)
    Kathryn said...
    Me too ...thank you for launching this
    Sue said...
    I found this challenge through the GoodinParts blog. I already do this - does that count? I keep a separate blog for all the books I read, along with short reviews. Apparently I completed 124 in 2007 and 123 in 2006 so I must be pushing the average up slightly (though I'm not in the USA).
    Mother Laura said...
    Cool idea! I saw it on Gannet Girl and it made me realize that I have been wanting to blog a book I read before Christmas and not getting organized.

    I may bore people to death if I post all my books since reading is a core part of my work as a theologian (and genre fiction of my downtime, thought a lot less now that I have discovered the web). But I'll give it a try....
    Songbird said...
    I'm in, too!
    Tony said...
    Count me in. (Also arrived via Good in Parts)
    apbs said...
    i'm in, too.
    Gannet Girl said...
    I got started today - thanks for this!
    Jan said...
    I heard about this from Songbird and Gannetgirl, and since I love books, this sounds like a good idea. I'd like to do it, too!

    (I'm re-reading a book now--that'll count, won't it?)
    semfem said...
    Great timing--I just started a book that is speaking to me quite deeply, which caused me to want to read more in 2008.

    Then I saw a lot of RGBPs were joining in your challenge.

    Seemed like a perfect match! Count me in!
    Ringelstruempfe said...
    Great Idea. I'll join. Hope books in foreign languages count as well...
    Diane said...
    great idea. I read a lot, but I don't always finish them, so this ought to help me get to the finish line!

    I'm in!
    Mary Beth said...
    I'm there. I read like a maniac(though that means little else gets done).
    Michelle said...
    Awesome idea...I'll join the party! I'm also tracking my reading on goodreads (thanks, Cathy!)
    Cal said...
    Read about this challenge on Kathyrn's blog and, as I had had vague thoughts myself about keeping track of my reading this year, thought I'd officially sign up if you'll have me.
    Alex said...
    Everything counts, as far as I am concerned! I'm steadily making my way through book #3 right now.
    Queen Mum said...
    I'm up for it! Just finished The Thirteenth Tale, and am starting on an Anne Tyler I missed. My challenge will be to read some things other than fiction, (and say something thoughtful about what I read) since I think my brain softened just a bit while I was staying home for six years....
    LutheranChik said...
    What a great idea!

    One of my resolutions this year is to read more, particularly more non-heavy-theology stuff. On the nightstand right now are Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and Bill Clinton's Giving. And I'm trying to get my hands on one of Anthony Bourdain's foodie travel books.
    Betsy Whaley said...
    I started a second blog last year with the intention of writing reviews of the books I read and I did write a few but I got bogged down. I think just listing the titles would be much more managable. Our family is fasting from TV this year so we are all reading a lot more. Thanks for the suggestion.
    Deb said...
    Cool! I'm in too! And I will have to get busy and blog, because I've finished THREE already... not even textbooks.

    I guess I should ask... do textbooks count? Because I have a slew of those to read as well.

    What a great idea, in any case!
    d
    Jennifer said...
    I'm in!

    Wow... there are a lot of people in. Maybe a group "2008 Reading Challenge" blog makes sense?

    (PS, I really blog over here, as ordinary girl)
    Deb said...
    OK. I put up my first blog on my reading here!
    :)
    deb
    Sally said...
    sounds good- I'm in
    Rev. Dulce said...
    I read all the time and post all the books at: http://www.goodreads.com/

    It will post your books and comments and send out emails to all of your friends on the web-site. Join me.
    Caty said...
    Ooh, good idea! Can I join in, too, please.
    Karaoke Rev said...
    I'm in.
    TNQR Rev said...
    I'm in too! I cannot believe that people don't read at all -- it is as essential as breathig to me.
    juniper68 said...
    I'm logging in late. I always have 3 or 4 books going, but dont always finish them. Maybe this will help?
    seethroughfaith said...
    reading loads this year - minimum of ten a month to day (and 5 already in July! but it is holiday month) - on bookcrossing I record all I read for pleasure - (those above) but I am also intentional about reading for spiritual growth (and also studies)

    audio books should count too but I don't use them much other than on long journeys on my own in the car (which I seldom do) as I don't have an ipod or mp3 :(
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    Liz said...
    Can I count the books I read to my students, too?
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