So Many Books, So Little Time : A Year of Passionate Reading

by Sara Nelson | Nonfiction |
ISBN: 0425198197 Global Overview for this book
Registered by loveamystery of Vancouver, British Columbia Canada on 11/11/2005
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10 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by loveamystery from Vancouver, British Columbia Canada on Friday, November 11, 2005
I loved the title of this book and that is what drew me to it. The front cover is marvellous too. I found it a bit choppy and even ho-hum in places. It wasn't passionate enough for me. Perhaps it was because I have not read much of what she wrote about. I did get some suggestions for books I might like to read, and best of all, it inspired me to write a diary of my own fifty-two books in a year.

Released 18 yrs ago (11/14/2005 UTC) at Bread Garden @ Metrotown Mall (near Zellers) in Burnaby, British Columbia Canada

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Released at the meet-up tonight. Enjoy!

Journal Entry 3 by eicuthbertson from Burnaby, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, November 15, 2005
I'm looking forward to reading this...especially since I recently read "Book Lust" by Nancy Pearl. This looks very different from that book!

I have often thought of keeping a 'books read' journal for myself...but that's the kind of resolution I never seem to keep.

I've been using a computer journal though called 'Life Journal'...maybe I could add my reading in there?

Thanks, loveamystery,
Hope you enjoy the mysteries you found, too.

Journal Entry 4 by eicuthbertson from Burnaby, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, December 7, 2005
Well, I too, think this not a passionate enough book. In fact, if I were a 50 pager person, or a 25 or 100 pag'r, I'd have laid it aside. (I must be in the Clean Plate Book Club, as Sara Nelson says.)

I did laugh when in September she talked about her son & "Charlotte's Web". He sounds just like my grandson!

Perhaps, for me, that's one problem about this book. I learned less about Sara's reading than about her life...and that was a bit more than I wanted to know.

I have read many of the books she talks about...some I haven't & honestly doubt I would, but others that she mentions, I will look for---Ian McEwan's "Atonement", for example, and Michael Faber's "The Crimson Petal and the White". And I'll reread "Cakes and Ale"; my mother must have liked Somerset Maugham too, as Sara's does. I seem to have all his books here, although I don't remember her ever talking about him.

But is Emma Donoghue's "Slammerkin" really about clothes? I didn't think only so, and although I agree that Margaret Atwood is sometime preachy, I didn't think "Alias Grace" was, nor that it was "inspired by the same historical crime", whatever Sara means by that?

I just read Donoghue's "The Woman Who Gave Birth To Rabbits"---great stuff, but then it's stories, so Sara Nelson might not like it and then she's not much for history, either, and I am. And I don't think that people in other times were 'just like us' either, as Sara apparently does.

Perhaps shr & I are just very different people. After all, she must be much younger & her background quite different. "Marjorie Morningstar", Philip Roth, "Fear of Flying"
never figured in my life. Now, "Forever Amber", "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" and all the Angelique novels ---those were good books!

Thanks, loveamystery, for passing this over...you can see it's got me thinking and isn't that what a good book should do? (And I see that there will be two more Angelique books by Anne Golon...this could be fun!

http://www.worldofangelique.com/index.htm



Journal Entry 5 by eicuthbertson from Burnaby, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Released this book back to loveamystery tonight.
Thanks!

Just thought I'd mention that I just found a copy of Michael Faber's "The Crimson Petal and the White" which was one of the books Sara Nelson mentioned. I'll be reading that very soon.

Journal Entry 6 by loveamystery from Vancouver, British Columbia Canada on Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Received back from Eicuthbertson to be placed in a future book box. Thank you.

Journal Entry 7 by loveamystery from Vancouver, British Columbia Canada on Sunday, April 9, 2006
I have decided to make this book a bookring. Please journal the book when it arrives and again when mailing it to the next person on the list. I would suggest that it be sent on within a month or keep me informed if you need more time. This book is now on its way to chocdrop.

LIST
chocdrop (UK)
mrspopoff (UK)
blaisezabini12 (Romania)
vexter (Slovenia)
rumble-bee (Germany)
mamikaem (US)
macewoman (US)
matahari009 (US) <-------IT'S HERE
gypsysmom (Canada)



Journal Entry 8 by chocdrop from Derby, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, May 17, 2006
This book arrived today in the post, thanks loveamystery.

I've got one more ring book to read first, but it shouldn't take me long.

Journal Entry 9 by chocdrop from Derby, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Thursday, May 25, 2006
I agree with the other journalers - there is just not enough passion in this book. In some chapters, I found the books she was reading barely got a mention, but that it what I was interested in. We found out more about her life and family than I really wanted to know.

I have made a note of a few titles I would like to read, though.

However, she has got me wondering whether a friend of mine has a lesser opinion of me after I gave her some books back that she raved about, but I just couldn't get into!! I hope not!

I have PMed mrspopoff for her address and will post the book on as soon as I get it.

Thanks for organising the ring loveamystery.


Journal Entry 10 by chocdrop from Derby, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Saturday, May 27, 2006
Now have mrspopoff's address, will be posting today.

Journal Entry 11 by mrspopoff from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Received today - one more book to read before this - should be able to start it this weekend hopefully if not sooner!

Journal Entry 12 by mrspopoff from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Again, like others, I loved the title of this book and in the early stages of reading this did look promising. I loved the fact her husband had created her own library room (my dream!) and I loved the idea that she had books everywhere, in case she was every stuck in traffic etc. However, I do agree with the other comments made that really it seems to be more a book about how books fit into her life. The passion for books just did not come through at all. I did wonder as well, if it would have been better for an English person to have written this, as there was quite alot of books and authors I'd never heard of. Unfortunately, I think the only author I will probably read from this is Laura Zigman, that was mentioned very briefly and that has been sat on my tbr pile for the best part of a year!

Journal Entry 13 by rem_DUV-129661 on Saturday, June 24, 2006
Picked up today from the post office. This will the last book I am going to read before my departure to the USA where I am going to spend my summer. It looks great and the bookmark is adorable. Thank you for sharing this:)

26 June 06: This was the best book I've read in the last month. And not only because I understand how the authors feel about books ;) There were so many great quotes that it is difficult to choose just one as a motto. I can see why her husband doesn't like her reading on the street as I also have this problem with my family, ever since one my mum's friends saw me marching down the road with an open book :))
And I also like how she managed to describe the way in which books influence our relationships: I also have book-friends, people whom I meet every day in school but we only interact to recommend each other books as we are obsessed readers.
Some of the books she has read during her year of passionate reading seem really interesting and as I am going to the USA this summer I hope to buy some of them.
Thank you so much for sharing this book: I know it is on most BCers wishlists ;)
I already have the address of the next reader so it won't be a problem to send the book on its journey tomorrow.

27 June 06: mailed today!

Journal Entry 14 by vexter from Ljubljana, Osrednja Slovenija - Okolica Ljubljane in Ljubljana Slovenia on Wednesday, July 5, 2006
Yay, it's here! Thanks, blaisezabini12! The envelope got a little damaged, so my regional post office was nice enough to put the parcel in a nylon wrapping, I was quite surprised to see that. :)

I'm reading another book at the moment (Murphy's law: bookring books always arrive 1 day after you've been to the library/bookshop), so I'll probably finish this one during the next week or so.

Journal Entry 15 by vexter from Ljubljana, Osrednja Slovenija - Okolica Ljubljane in Ljubljana Slovenia on Sunday, July 9, 2006
This book traveled with me to a lovely Croatian beach and I finished it on the train back to Slovenia today!

My goal for year 2006 is to read (at least) 100 books, so my first thought when I started So Many Books, So Little Time (such an appropriate title!) was: only 52 books? wuss!. ;) I think I'm jealous of her insomnia. And her cherry shelves!

If I hadn't been warned by previous journal entries, I would've expected her to write much more about the books and much less about her personal life. But this way, I knew what to expect, I only wished she'd tip the scale to either side in some instances.

I liked how she writes about things common among us "book people". I could easily identify with the "a mountain of books TBR, but nothing to read" scenario. I was intrigued when she wrote about the "Clean Plate Club", of which I'm still a member, although I'd prefer not to be. And I could only nod in silent agreement reading the epilogue, where she mentions all the things she missed during her "year of reading dangerously" - I think my goal for the next year will be to catch up on all the things I missed while I was buried in books this year!

I've already PMed rumble-bee, but she's on holiday till July 10th, so I'll send the book when I get an answer.

Edit: shipped to rumble-bee on July 11th.

loveamystery: thanks again for sharing this book! Several days later, I'm still thinking about books, my attitude towards them, reading... It may have its flaws, but it definitely made me think, which can only be good. :)

Journal Entry 16 by rumble-bee from Velbert, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Monday, July 17, 2006
yeah, it arrived at last! Thank you, vexter, for your patience...!
After reading your comments so far, I am almost certain that I will like this book.
Having just returned from my holidays (which were marvelous, by the way!), I know about most of the problems mentioned so far.
One of the greatest problems on earth must be for a bookworm to pack his or her suitcase ;-)))
I guess this won't take very long- I'll tell you more soon.

Journal Entry 17 by rumble-bee from Velbert, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Well, how do I feel about this book...
Let's put it like this:
Imagine your mum has prepared your favourite meal, just for you; say, a chocolate cake. Unfortunately, it is a bit overcooked or even burnt in some places - but nevertheless, you love it, because SHE made it for you. You easily forget about its flaws and enjoy the rest.
This is how I feel about this book ;-)))

I agree that it may have its weaknesses. But on the other hand I find the good passages are worth savouring !
This book should carry a caption or a warning: "Attention! This is NOT a book about books, but a book about reading habits."
As such, I found it was quite readable, and, in places, fascinating.
The author got me thinking about how much, and in which ways, books define our lives, and our relationships. I preferred the passages about "books as protection" and how we judge persons by the books they've read.
In fact, I agree that the book should or could be rewritten for the European market, as most of the books she's talking about have never ever been heard of over here.
On the whole, I enjoyed this read and would recommend it - but only together with the above mentioned warning!

will be sent along as soon as possible.

Journal Entry 18 by rumble-bee from Velbert, Nordrhein-Westfalen Germany on Friday, August 11, 2006
Brought to the post-office today.
Will travel via surface mail.
Happy reading, mamikaem!

Journal Entry 19 by Mamikaem from Maryland Heights, Missouri USA on Monday, August 21, 2006
Received this in today's mail. Looking forward to adding even more books to my TBR list!! I have a few bookrings in front of this, but will get to it as soon as I can. THANKS!

UPDATE: 09/16/2006 - Starting this today. Will try to finish it as quickly as possible.

Journal Entry 20 by Mamikaem from Maryland Heights, Missouri USA on Monday, October 9, 2006
I started this, but life has gotten in the way. Thank you for the opportunity, loveamystery!

UPDATE: 10/27/06 - finally got this in the mail. My sincere apologies for holding onto it so long!

Journal Entry 21 by macewoman from Winston Salem, North Carolina USA on Monday, October 30, 2006
Received the book today and I have a couple of ring books ahead of it. I'll get to it as soon as possible. Thanks loveamystery for sharing.

Journal Entry 22 by macewoman from Winston Salem, North Carolina USA on Saturday, November 11, 2006
I usually read a book and think "oh, I need to remember this feeling or passage for when I write my JE" and then promptly forget all of the things I meant to remember. After a couple of chapters, this one had me writing a note to myself, so that I wouldn't forget to include it.
This isn't a book I needed to read; it's a book my friends and family need to read to understand me. And then even if they dislike it, I've still managed to get them to read a book. :D

I still feel that way. For me it was almost boring because it could have been written about my reading life, but we diverged in a few places. My friends and I can differ greatly about books and it doesn't make a bit of difference in our friendship. It confuses/pains me when I book that I love isn't even liked by someone I care for, but I rarely make "good taste" a requirement for friendship. :D
Even though I haven't read a lot of the books she talks about, like the others I would have liked her to stick more to books and a little less to her life.

Thanks loveamystery for including me in this ring. I have matahari009's address and I'll be sending it out on Monday.


Journal Entry 23 by matahari009 from Lawrence, Kansas USA on Thursday, November 16, 2006
I am blessed to get to share in the reading of this book! Thank you! I started this book once beofre (not a clean plate person here, in fact, I can do 10, 25, or even 50 pages and stop...)anyhoo, it's vague in my memory how deep I got into the book before, but, like some of the comments above, I wondered if the author and I had read the same books (or was she lyeing about reading some of them?) Her descriptions of some of the books were way off, in my humble opinion...
So now, I will give it a re-read (possibly finish it this time) and let you know if I catch her in any discrepencies..

But the main reason for my post here todya, is to thank the kind sender to share this with me, so that I can (finally) make a decision about this book!
Thank you very very much macewoman!
Suze
And right on to writing about OUR book experiences! Great idea!

Journal Entry 24 by loveamystery from Vancouver, British Columbia Canada on Sunday, March 4, 2007
This book appears to be stalled. It still needs to be sent to gypsysmom, who is last on the list. Here's hoping it will start to move again.

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