Of that and all the progress, more or less,

I keep spreadsheets on pretty much everything. I really do; airports I've flown to, states and provinces I've visited/flown into/driven in. And it occurred to me, looking at my spreadsheet I use to track my reading of this list, that perhaps it isn't all my fault I've been reading a little slower these past couple of years; this year in particular.

I say this, because I noticed today, the following chart:

Year                      Pages Read            Books               Average Pages/Book

2009                         911                         3                            303.67

2010                        7,503                     23                            325.22

2011                        7,233                     22                            328.77

2012                        4,904                     13                            377.23
2013                        3,606                       7                            515.14

Well obviously I've been reading longer books this year and to a lesser extent, in 2012. Of course that doesn't change the fact that I have indeed read fewer pages this year, but it does give me a reason for why I've read so few books this year.

Of course it isn't just that the more pages a book has, the longer it takes to read; that's obvious. But what I find is that the longer a book is, the slower my reading pace. A 250 page books usually takes about 7 days to read, but a 500 page book usually takes about 25 days. Thousand-pagers, 60+ days. I think the sheer size of some books often makes it feel as if you aren't making any progress, which can be quite deflating. This leads to my reading other (read: non-list), less intimidating books.

How much I'm enjoying a book doesn't seem to play a very big role in how fast I read something. The Sot-Weed Factor, at some 800 pages, still took me seven weeks to read, and I loved it from start to finish. Same goes for Gone With the Wind. But, that's also the case for Infinite Jest, which I despised.

On the flip side, Mrs. Dalloway (212 pages) didn't really take any longer to read than Lucky Jim (242 pages).

But again, these are just excuses as to why I haven't read more. Bottom line is, I need to be flipping more pages. My concern is that maybe the reason the books have become longer and longer is that I've left a lot of longer ones until the end, instead of distributing them more evenly amongst all 100 reads. That could be a problem.

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Holden Caulfield Boards the Train

I don't really have much to report, as I continue reading Possession. I'm still going at a rather slow pace, which I continue to blame on small print, italics, and the rather boring prospect of reading what others are reading. But a slow pace is better than no pace, and I am making progress. I'm probably about 60% finished.

In other news though, something finally happened this weekend that part of me thought would happen more often; I saw somebody on the train reading a book from The List. This weekend, taking the train downtown, somebody sat down across from me, pulled out a copy of The Catcher in the Rye and began reading.

At Christmas I no more desire a rose

As Christmas fast approaches, it might be a good time to look some books that would make great gifts.  The list presents a bit of a problem in this regard, as so few of the titles jump out at me as great presents to recommend.  I think it might be that so few of the books on the list appeal to a broad audience, so they require a real book lover to be the recipient. The other problem is that so many people have already read these titles, which is why people tend to gift new books instead of old. And some books on this list are so bad you'd only give them to your worst enemy, like Naked Lunch, the literary equivalent to a lump of coal.

But that doesn't mean there aren't some great gift ideas out there!

  

The Sot-Weed Factor.  This a good gift for a couple of reasons.  First off, you don't have to worry about anybody having read it already. Secondly, it's a very well written book that is able to combine slapstick comedy and literary wit. I also don't see this one being offensive to anybody like Lolita or Tropic of Cancer might. The downsides are that it is 756 pages (which intimidates a lot of people), it is obscure (people tend to prefer books they've heard of), and it's hard to find in a book store. This one is for your book loving friend (the one who reads real books, not James Patterson).

Lucky Jim. Kingsley Amis' first novel is funny, entertaining and accessible.  Plus at only 265 pages, it fits into the inside pocket of most jackets. This is a book I find appeals to both men and women, and is easy for almost any reader to get into. It's perfect for your office gift exchange.

Gone with the Wind.  It's well known I love this book, so I'm always quick to recommend it.  However, as a gift, it isn't for everybody. Because of it's size and age, many are turned off, plus they've already seen the movie and feel they don't need to read it. But, it's great for middle aged women, who remember reading it as a girl (and loving it). Don't know what to get your Mom?  Try this one. You can also pick up a replica first edition, which I think looks quite handsome on any bookshelf.

The Corrections. Like Lucky Jim, this one appeals to a very broad audience; men and women, young and old.  Plus, unlike the previous three, it is much newer. The book itself is well written, features great characters, and it's funny and depressing without going too far in either direction. People also like that Jonathan Franzen badmouthed Oprah's book club when it was a candidate.  Good for any friend or relative (except children or illiterate co-workers).

I, Claudius.  This is a good gift for men, especially men who tend to read only James Patterson, Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy.  Unlike those three, Robert Graves writes literature. It's also quite historically accurate and I find most men appreciate "historical fiction" more than just fiction.  Plus it is really entertaining, with back stabbing, gossip, murder, sex and politics. Who wouldn't love this book!? You could also pick up the beloved 12-disc 1976 BBC mini-series as a companion gift.

For the real literary nerd of course, any title from the list would do, so how about picking up a first edition? Check out the Manhattan Rare Book Company, but check you bank account before you click "Buy."  These also make great gifts for you favorite book blogger...


Later this week, I'll take a look at non-fiction as well as books not on the list!