One of the greatest gifts from my husband came right after we started dating. He encouraged me to start a reading log. And so, in the summer of 1975, I began logging my reading in a green spiral notebook. In it I recorded the title, author, date completed and a brief opinion of the book.
I'm always fascinated to look back through my log. Books on adoption when we were considering that. Books on sibling rivalry when my chickies were terrorizing each other. Books on faith before I even came to faith. Pretty much no rhyme, reason, or plan. I'm a spontaneous reader, I guess.
Two years were book-less: 1984 and 1986. Career changes, two babies and two moves were going on. I was doing good to keep us all fed. If you're into stats, my highest average was ten books a year, and in the last ten years my annual reading average nearly doubled.
How many books did I read? Officially: 164. Add in Bible studies and scores of magazine articles and it might be 200. I don't think it's nearly enough: think of all the great ones I've missed!
When the 50th anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird rolled around, I decided to read it. Only to discover, looking back over my log, that I'd read it 25 years earlier! Uh, and it did seem awfully familiar after a chapter or two.
It may seem like a pointless pursuit to you. But I treasure my log book and I challenge myself to read more each year.
And maybe someday my granddaughter will find Baba's reading log and get a sense of my love of reading.
Showing posts with label readers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label readers. Show all posts
Monday, April 11, 2011
Thursday, February 12, 2009
housekeeping
update: Katie Haller was the first reader to post herself! You don't win a single thing.
Although I don't really know what I'm doing, I'm goofing around with different blog features such as a counter and "readers."
Feel free to add yourself as a reader. Be the FIRST to do so, and I'll mention your name. I promise not to solicit you for anything.
Based on the counter, it appears that up to 50 people are checking this blog. (You get counted once per post. If you read a post 55 times, you're still counted only once. You also need more of a life.) Frankly, 50 astounds me. You are aware, right, that there are a bajillion more interesting blogs out there?
But thanks for reading. I am honored.
Although I don't really know what I'm doing, I'm goofing around with different blog features such as a counter and "readers."
Feel free to add yourself as a reader. Be the FIRST to do so, and I'll mention your name. I promise not to solicit you for anything.
Based on the counter, it appears that up to 50 people are checking this blog. (You get counted once per post. If you read a post 55 times, you're still counted only once. You also need more of a life.) Frankly, 50 astounds me. You are aware, right, that there are a bajillion more interesting blogs out there?
But thanks for reading. I am honored.
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