My Reading Year in Review
By The Numbers
Number of Books Read 33
Number of Books from the Library 27
Number of Banned Books Read 10
Number of Published Reviews 30
Number of Reviews In Queued 3
How Much My Library Card Saved Me $520.90
How Much My Library Taxed Me $240.52
How My the Referendum Wanted to Tax Me $346.75
My Thoughts
My time as a library trustee is coming to an end. My public library tried and failed to pass a referendum for a new building this past April, which is where the checking the books out and totaling the value of my reading adventures began. Had the referendum passed, together both sets of taxes would have been more than what I used my library this past year.
Don't get me wrong, I believe in libraries and their work. And I will continue to advocated for everyone to get library card. But honestly, it's no wonder this referendum went down. Yes, I checked out fewer books this year than normal. Maybe about half as many. But still. 30 books is a lot to read in year. And the public needs to know their tax money is well spent. I would advise my fellow trustees to look harder into fundraising to lower that number. People need to get their money's worth.
My reading really suffered in the last half of the year, after my father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. He passed on Nov. 28, 2024, Thanksgiving Day. I had hoped to read 100 books and get to 24 banned books in this year, but I just couldn't keep pace. I did get to 10 banned books before I abandoned that project not long after his diagnosis.
I am now just over halfway through Agatha Christie's novels. I have read and reviewed for the blog, including the two upcoming reviews 34 of her 66 novels. I will read and review them all here.
I am just over a quarter of the way through my Anne Perry collection. I have read and reviewed 33 of her 120 ish novels. I'm not quite certain if 1 or 2 were published after her death or if the 120 number I originally had is accurate. And I've not put them into a spreadsheet to find out. I will get around to that, but the reading and review of all of her work will continue.
I am now nearly done with Michael Connelly's work. I think the sum total of his books that I haven't read yet is 5. I will get to those next year and then keep up.
And I am considering who to replace Michael with. It can't be James Patterson, he has over 500 books. And even if I could read 100 books a year (and I won't have that type of time) it would take 6 years to read his work at the rate he publishes. But I might do all of the Alex Cross novels. I would like for my reading to take me through a man's writing. And an American at that. I've read most of John Grisham's early work and I've read several of David Baldacci's. Then again, the tug to read and review Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series is real. And since I want to read something comforting, I might go through those 25 next year.
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The Future of This Blog
Well, it's not going anywhere, but...I don't know how much time I will have to devote to it. I hate to make plans that I cannot keep up with. I have little time left for this blog, what with all of the work that goes into my Substack. And in 2026, I am putting myself on book tour. I don't talk about that here, but it is happening.
Whatever the future brings, giving voice to my experiences reading has been fulfilling. Now, go get a library card!
Love,
Melanie
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