A Modest Construct

52 Books in 52 Weeks, 2007

Jen Marlowe • Darfur Diaries Darfur Diaries
by Jen Marlowe
Publisher: Nation Books
Year: 2006
Pages: 256
№11
Jennifer Ouellette • Black Bodies and Quantum Cats Black Bodies and Quantum Cats
by Jennifer Ouellette
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 2005
Pages: 336
№12
Robert Byron • The Road to Oxiana The Road to Oxiana
by Robert Byron
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 1982
Pages: 292
№13
J.R.R. Tolkien • The Silmarillion The Silmarillion
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 1999
Pages: 384
№14
Robert Heinlein • The Moon is a Harsh Mistress The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
by Robert Heinlein
Publisher: Orb Books
Year: 1967/1997
Pages: 384
№15
Anne Garrels • Naked in Baghdad Naked in Baghdad
by Anne Garrels
Publisher: Picador
Year: 2003/2004
Pages: 264
№16
Jasper Fforde • The Eyre Affair The Eyre Affair
by Jasper Fforde
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 2003
Pages: 384
№17
Sandy Tolan • The Lemon Tree The Lemon Tree
by Sandy Tolan
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 2003
Pages: 304
№18
Dave Eggers • What is the What What is the What
by Dave Eggers
Publisher: McSweeney's
Year: 2006
Pages: 475
№19
Maddox • The Alphabet of Manliness The Alphabet of Manliness
by Maddox
Publisher: Citadel
Year: 2006
Pages: 204
№20
Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6

13 ResponsesLeave one →

  1. I see you’ve got World War Z planned. Awesome book. I bought it a few weeks ago and just got around to finishing it. If you’ve never read his Zombie Survival Guide I’d recommend that too. :D

    Reply
  2. If I like World War Z, I’ll definitely think about it.

    Reply
  3. Just thought I’d let you know that I”m going to try and do this this year as well. Hopefully it’ll help me break my bad habit of attempting to read 15 books at once.

    Reply
  4. What is the best way to do this and still keep up with your business/career based reading (and love of magazines!)

    Or do you count books that are part of your career based learning (including textbooks, which we all know are difficult to devour in 1 week!)

    Reply
  5. I’ve never really had a problem, as my particular field doesn’t require too much book reading. For the occasional English course which requires me to read novels, I do count those, yes—I’ve never seen the point in the rule which says that only voluntary books can be counted.

    There’s no easy answer as to how you can best balance your workload and/or family life with a reading meme like this. It really just depends on your situation. My suggestion to you, however, would be to set a goal that’s realistic: it isn’t necessary to read 52 books a year if you’re really too busy to do so, and you read other material as well. Start with a number that’s more than you currently read—perhaps a book every two weeks—and spend the year doing that. If it’s a success, you can increase it next year, if you feel like it.

    Remember, too, that this meme isn’t simply about reading the books. It’s also about reviewing them, meaning part of the goal is to do a bit of writing as well, putting your thoughts about the book down in permanent form. It’s a double-whammy.

    Reply
  6. Dave – I’m in! This sounds like just the thing to get me writing more… reading I do – usually can knock off a book in a couple of nights! This sounds just super cool.

    Can’t promise they’ll be literature worth reading – my tastes run to some pretty weird and wonderful!

    Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  7. Sorry – I called the site owner Dave… :( How embarrassing. Sorry – it’s early where I am and I’m reading cross-eyed… not a good way to start! LOL

    Thanks again!

    Reply
  1. 52 26 books in 52 weeks at Speedkill
  2. A Modest Construct » The Corrections
  3. A Modest Construct » The God Delusion
  4. A Modest Construct » 52 Books in 52 Weeks: a wrap-up

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