While I’m not always sure how interesting year in review posts are, I think it’s a good thing to go back over and year and see where you’ve been. It helps give a direction for where you decide you’re going. So here’s a look back at 2010 at Sophisticated Dorkiness, including my favorite books of the year each month.
January
- I had a big plan to read 3000 pages in the 30 days of my Christmas break (which actually started back in December). In the end, I only managed 2308 pages, but it was a fun challenge nonetheless.
Favorite Book: The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood because of the way it got me excited about reading to start the year. I flew through this book and did not want it to end.
February
- I got to introduce all of you to my darling kitten, Hannah, who is still a constant source of amusement (and a bit of annoyance – little cats get into everything!).
- Care (Care’s Online Book Club) and I decided to read Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail by Hunter S. Thompson, which we finished but never really reviewed. That’s ok, I didn’t have a lot to say because the book is crazy! C’est la vie.
- I finally started my Narrative Nonfiction 5 feature, starting out with a list of books on “current” events.
Favorite Book: The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum, but it’s hard for me to be objective about the book. I think Deb, a former professor, is great, and I loved hearing about the writing process of this book during classes with her.
March
- I was a guest on “That’s How I Blog!” — a podcast hosted by Nicole of Linus’s Blanket, where we got to chat about Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Susan Jane Gilman.
- And then school proceeded to kick my butt for the next two months.
Favorite Book: Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt because it hit just the right note when I wanted to read it. It’s a beautiful little memoir.
April
- I ranted about Nicholas Sparks, which was a fun chance of pace from the less ranty things I like to think I tend to write.
- Once I saw the end of school looming, I gave some advice about how to be a book blogger and a fabulous grad student. In hindsight, most of the advice is just about how to balance blogging and life.
Favorite Book: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath because it was one of those classics that felt completely relevant to me when I read it.
May
- I celebrated my two-year blogiversary, good times!
- I finally finished my Master’s degree in journalism!
- And then I got a real job!
- And then I got to go to Book Expo America and the Book Blogger Convention! I stayed with Shelia (Book Journey), Esme (Chocolate & Croissants), and Care (Care’s Online Book Club), which was amazing.
- I also got to be on a panel about writing and building content with some other amazing bloggers. So much fun.
- I also started a reading project to read all of Tim O’Brien’s books (more on that later).
- In conclusion, May was a crazy-awesome month.
Favorite Book: This Day in the Life by Joni B. Cole, Rebecca Joffrey, and B.K. Rakhra because I’ve loved every single one of these collections.
June
- I asked for help picking out an e-reader, and then I actually bought a nook
- I brought back a weekly link round up feature, Monday Tally.
- I guest-posted over at The 3R’s Blog about fact in fiction.
- Andi of Estella’s Revenge and I co-founded BookClubSandwich: An Online Book Club for Foodies and Wannabes.
Favorite Book: The Lunatic Express by Carl Hoffman because it was an informative and entertaining piece of travel narrative nonfiction that just worked for me at the time.
July
- I celebrated my 24th birthday!
- I ranted a little bit about Bill Bryson and travelogues.
- I hosted a book chat about Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried.
Favorite Book: Finny by Justin Kramon, which was another unexpectedly charming and lovely book that hit the spot for me over my 4th of July vacation.
August
- I moved in August, so the month was pretty quiet at the blog. I can’t find any posts that I really loved, so we’ll just chalk the month up to being mellow.
Favorite Book: The Tricking of Freya and The Angel of Grozny — I couldn’t pick just one of these since they were both so good, but for very different reasons.
September
- I read the entire Hunger Games trilogy right in a row, which was pretty fun and also exhausting.
- I wrote a Narrative Nonfiction 5 list to celebrate the start of football season.
- And I was voted best Nonfiction Book Blog for the 2010 Book Blogger Appreciation Week. That was amazing. Thank you so much.
Favorite Book: Candy Freak by Steve Almond because it was the perfect type of nonfiction — entertaining, fun, and informative.
October
- I finally got to participate in the Read-a-Thon, with my sister down in Iowa!
- I went to some of the Wisconsin Book Festival and heard some fun readings. I
- I went to the Twin Cities Book Festival and met up with some Midwest bloggers – so much fun!
Favorite Book: Hamlet’s Blackberry by Howard Richler, which I haven’t reviewed yet but loved a lot because of the way it made me feel more calm about technology.
November
- At the beginning of the month, I decided I was going to read whatever I wanted for the rest of the year — that ended up being books borrowed from friends and the library.
- I shared 15 “novelists” that have changed my life.
- I hosted a literature themed wine tasting that was a big success.
- I finished The Odyssey!
Favorite Book: The Odyssey by Homer because it surprised me. I thought it was going to be tense and hard to read, but it was a really fun book for me to read.
December
- I guest posted about my favorite Christmas cookies in the whole world.
- I wrote a gift guide for well-read engineers.
Favorite Book: Ummm…. The City and the City… or Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter… or The Weird Sisters… or The Warmth of Other Suns. December has been an awesome reading month.
So that was 2010 in review. I think it’s interesting how many of my favorite books from the year were books I accepted for reviews — 5 of 12. I have to say, I didn’t read a lot of mind-blowing books this year, but I did read a lot of very, very good ones. Overall, a pretty sweet year in my life and my blogging life. Let’s hope 2011 is just as great!
Comments on this entry are closed.
I love the way you organized this! I really, really, really still want to read THE POISONER’S HANDBOOK.
Jen: Read it 🙂 It goes really fast, actually, and is super fascinating. I bet it would be a good one on audio, too.
Thank you for reminding me about Making Toast! I really wanted to read it when it came out, but had forgotten about it since then. I loved how you did this by month. Can I also say that I’m so jealous of all the book blogger meeting you’ve gotten to do this year? That’s something I want to accomplish in the next year, meeting more of my blogging friends 🙂
Lu: I had so much fun doing book blogger meetings – this was the first year I did it, and I hope to do some more this year. I love meeting bloggers in person because so many of them are exactly as you expect they would be 🙂 And Making Toast was such a great book when I read it — I hope you like it!
I hope 2011 is just as great for you as well 🙂
Iris: Thanks, same to you!
What an awesome way to organize this! Love it – and may have to steal it for next year. 🙂
Trisha: Thanks! It took awhile to put together, but was fun to go back through posts and see what I’d written about. Steal away 🙂
You had an awesome year! I hope 2011 is just as great!
Vasilly: Yeah, I did. And I agree – yay for a great 2011!
Fun month by month wrap-up! I agree with Trisha – great idea for stealing! (with attribution, of course!) :–)
rhapsodyinbooks: Like I said to Trisha, steal away. I think doing it by month actually helped pick my favorite books.
I totally understand that some months can be pretty quite around the ol’ blog, but it looks like you had a pretty awesome year. I hope 2011 is just as good to you.
Christina: Yeah, it happens. Summer is hard, especially with my move, so it’s not too surprising that August was quite. Here’s to a great 2011 to you too!
What a great post! Hope 2011 is just as fantastic!
Miss Remmers: Thanks, you too!
Congratulations on a busy and successful year! You really had a great one and I loved your recap. Happy 2011 🙂
Amy: 2010 was a really busy year! I’m hoping 2011 is a little more relaxing, but also fun 🙂
I love year-in-review lists, and yours is a great one! Wishing you a great 2011 —
Unruly Reader: I’ve really loved all the year-in-review lists too. They can be a pain to put together, but lots of fun to read.
I’ve been reading excerpts from The Poisoner’s Handbook this week via DearReader.com (e-mail book club), and it’s fascinating. I think I’m going to go and read the rest of it at some point. Very cool that the author was your professor!
Florinda: That’s great, I hope you enjoy the book when you get a chance to read it!
argghh!! i somehow missed your rant about bill bryson–one of my favorite writers. a walk in the woods is a great book and an annual re-read for me. i’ve read the rest of his books, and while i’ve enjoyed his narratives, i rarely read them to learn about the places he’s visited. rather, i like to see his perspective on the places. he does connect with locals in several of his books–he meets up and has dinner with the mayor while he’s visiting the northern lights–but will concede that he generally spends his nights alone. i enjoy his snark but know that other book blogging friends are turned off by it. maybe you could try a walk in the woods before completely swearing off bryson–it’s part humor, part education. 🙂 happy 2011!
nat: Everyone that I’ve talked about Bryson with recommends A Walk in the Woods as a great book. It’s on my TBR list because I want to give Bryson a fair chance. I’m reading his newest book, At Home, now, and I’m liking it a lot more than some of the other travel books. Happy 2011 to you, too!
Wonderful post! I enjoyed reading your breakdown for the year! Happy new year Kim!
Sheila: Happy new year to you too, Sheila! I had so much fun meeting you in 2010 🙂
You have a great 2010 for books. I also liked Making Toast and the Bell Jar; Happy Reading in 2011
Bibliophile By the Sea: Loved Making Toast – it was a great memoir. Happy reading to you, too!
Happy new year!!! Let’s hope 2011 is as bookishly (and professionally, etc.) fruitful! *Heart* your blog always, Kim!
Andi: Happy new year to you too! I hope 2011 is just as lovely, since 2010 went pretty well 🙂
BEA was one of my favorite memories from the year-I am glad I got to share a room and meet you.
Happy New Year.
Esme: I loved BEA — I cannot wait for this year. And I am so glad to have met you as well.
Great post! I haven’t read any of the favorite books you listed except for The Bell Jar, which I really connected with when I read it as a teen, and The Odyssey. Happy New Year, Kim!
Stephanie: I think The Bell Jar has connections for women of a lot of ages — we’ve all had those feelings, I think. And I loved The Odyssey, it was so much fun.
I enjoy these recap posts because I always find something I missed over the course of the year. Wishing you all the best in 2011!
Anna: Same to you! I love skimming the recaps as well for the same reason.