Romance with Humor and Heart

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2011 – The Year in Review

By

Rose Spears (Rosanne E. Lortz)

Janus, the two-headed Roman god, looked both backwards and forwards, and as we approach the month of January, it is a good opportunity to look back over the past year and plan ahead for the year to come.

How fared my reading in 2011? Looking back over my posts, I see that I reviewed thirty-three books in total. Thirty qualified for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2011 hosted by Historical Tapestry, and out of those thirty, twenty were from Lindsey Davis’ Marcus Didius Falco series, mystery stories set in ancient Rome. I have stuck very close to the historical fiction genre this year, and even closer to a particular author whom I have come to know and love.

The three non-HF books I reviewed this year were: My Cousin Rachel, by Daphne Du Maurier; Georgette Heyer’s Regency World, by Jennifer Kloester, and Defending Constantine, by Peter J. Leithart. As you can see, my forays into the realm of nonfiction have been few and far between.

What are my reading plans for 2012? As much as I enjoyed my narrow focus on HF this year, I am determined to be a bit more eclectic in the year to come. I would like to read more nonfiction and perhaps some more contemporary or fantasy novels. (As of yesterday, I have The Hunger Games on hold at the library with 202 people ahead of me on the list.) I have not decided yet whether I will join any reading challenges, but if I do, I will be sure to post links to them. I have four new books on my bedside dresser right now–gifts from birthday and Christmas–and once I recover from the holidays and the holiday head cold I have, I can’t wait to dive right in….

7 responses to “2011 – The Year in Review”

  1. Amy Avatar
    Amy

    Wow! I think of you as reading a couple of books a week – I was shocked to see it was ONLY 33! ;) I read a measly 22 this past year and didn’t reach my goals of 36 total, 3 Lewis or 3 theology books. :( I haven’t decided whether to amend my goals or just try harder in 2012. Maybe with no grandbabies coming or European vacations to plan, I’ll have more time to read? Yeah, right.

    Reply
    1. Rosanne E. Lortz Avatar
      Rosanne E. Lortz

      I know! Disappointing numbers, eh? :-) Part of the problem was that I didn’t get anything read/reviewed in January, November, or December, what with hospital trips and sickness.

      Reply
      1. Amy Avatar
        Amy

        Yes, well, it’s amazing you read anything at all between twins, pregnancy, major medical crisis and writing a novel! You’re amazing.

  2. kerri Avatar
    kerri

    My reading is pretty much dictated by homeschooling, except what I read with my small group. We are reading Spurgeon together, but with the kids I’m reading “How to Train Your Dragon”, “Rascal” and “Story of the Romans”… At least that’s what’s up for the next couple of months..

    Reply
    1. Rosanne E. Lortz Avatar
      Rosanne E. Lortz

      Sometimes I miss reading the young adult books I taught to my junior high class. Reading along with kids who are experiencing the story for the first time and loving it can be a very rewarding experience.

      Reply
  3. WordsAndPeace Avatar
    WordsAndPeace

    great year! if you want more genres, you may find some good ideas in my 2011 recap: http://wordsandpeace.com/2011/12/30/year-of-reading-2011/

    Reply
    1. Rosanne E. Lortz Avatar
      Rosanne E. Lortz

      I don’t know which number is more staggering: 99 books read this year, or signing up for 23 reading challenges for next year! Congrats on your reading achievements, and good luck with the challenges! Looking at your list reminds me that I haven’t read a P.G. Wodehouse in a while….might need to rectify that.

      Reply

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