2012 was an emotional roller-coaster, but there were some really cool things happening:
- Got pregnant!
- Touched a stone that came from the Moon
- Flew a kite for the first time (a kite I made myself!)
- Climbed the Etna Volcano in Sicily
- Watched Firefly for the first time and became a committed Browncoat
- Watched Doctor Who for the first time and became a committed Whovian
- Learned how to cook Brussels sprouts to perfection
- Tasted Key Lime Pie in Key West and Muscat d’Alsace in Alsace
- Touched the oldest tree in Belgium: Caesarsboom
I also did pretty well in the books department (considering), although I didn’t read as many as in 2011 – 84 books (minus 15). What I’m really proud of are the results of my 2012 Literary Commitments. They were:
Less challenges, more read-alongs and other community-building events
I only joined two challenges but participated in lots of other events* such as read-alongs, card and book swaps, special days, joint-reads, etc. They were all successful in making me interact more with the book blogging community, which was extremely rewarding. If I had to choose my favorite event of year I’d go for the 1st edition of the Armchair Audies organized by The Literate Housewife and The Guilded Earlobe.
Read more in different languages
Unfortunately I didn’t pick up any Spanish books, but I did read six in Portuguese and three in French.
Re-read more
I re-read seven books (only three in 2011) and they were among the best of the year.
Read War & Peace
Celebrate Dickens & Shakespeare
Dickens was never a favorite, but because of his anniversary I was determined to honor him. I ended up doing it by reading Claire Tomalin’s biography and A Christmas Carol.
I had never read anything by Shakespeare until 2012, when I tackled A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth. Also, I watched two of his plays: A Comedy of Errors and Henry V (a great midnight session at the Globe Theater in London).
At the Globe Theater, in good company, waiting for the show to start…
Like I said, feeling pretty good about these commitments 🙂
Now a bit of geekish statistics (2011 figures between brackets).
Format
All pretty much the same, except there was a slight increase in ebooks, probably because of the Project Gutenberg Project.
Genre
Disclaimer: not an exact science, just some figures to give me an idea if what I’ve been up to (e.g. a classic can also be historical and a mystery, a YA can also be sci-fi or fantasy, etc).
Last year, the top “genre” was fantasy but apparently this was a classics year (only 4th place in 2011). Interesting to see the slight decrease in “uncategorized fiction”. Children’s books also had a relatively big cut (something tells me that will change in the upcoming years…).
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Type
Also not an exact division (at least one graphic novels was non-fiction).
The supremacy of fiction once again, no surprise there. I’m proud of my adventure into theater and my intro to poetry.
xx
Languages
Better, but not quite there yet. Would love to increase the other two languages and include Spanish (which I actually read better than French).
Looking at my list I notice I’ve only read one translated book – War & Peace – but then again, I can argue that for me reading in English is reading translated lit…
x
PLANS FOR 2013
No plans
With a baby on the way it’s best if I really don’t make any big plans for 2013. I can only say that I’ll try to be around as much as possible and read as much as possible. Some general ideas:
- Continue to re-read more (thinking about 84 Charing Cross Road, another Guy Gavriel Kay, another Austen, North & South)
- Continue to read in different languages. Before the baby news hit, 2013 was suppose to be my year to learn more about Portuguese history. I’ll still try to give it a go.
- Participate in the Armchair Audies 2013
x
Happy 2013 everyone!
***
*2012 book blogging events, for posterity:
Read-alongs
The Importance of Being Earnest, Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastards #2), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth
Challenges
Southern Literature Challenge, Africa Reading Challenge
Special Days
Ada Lovelace Day 2012, The Daphne du Maurier Season, Shakespeare Reading Month
Swaps
All Hallow’s Read Swap, Virtual Advent Tour 2012, Book Bloggers Holiday Card Exchange
Buddy-reads
The Meantime – Nine short stories from Brussels (with Joanna), Tea With Mr. Rochester (with Shannon) and O Testamento do Sr. Napumoceno da Silva Araújo (with Francesca)
Other projects
Where in the World are you Reading?, Armchair Audies, Reading Shakespeare Project: a Play a Month, Book Blogger Buddy System, Small Press Fortnight, Project Gutenberg Project (cont. from 2010)
28 comments
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January 7, 2013 at 5:35 pm
Andre
It definitely looks like another full year of great reads and achievements!!
May long continue!
January 7, 2013 at 5:38 pm
Joanna @ CreateYourWorld
What a fulfilling year! I know it wasn’t all rosy but I’m glad there were so many good things too. 2013 will be an amazing year, you’ll get to finally meet your little fella! :-)))
January 10, 2013 at 4:06 pm
Alex
I’m looking forward to it – new adventures!
January 7, 2013 at 5:39 pm
farmlanebooks
I love seeing your firsts. Great list! Eating food from where they originate is always the best way to do it.
I’m sure the baby will change your life. You may not read many chidren’s books in the first year, but after that you’ll be an expert. Good luck!
January 10, 2013 at 4:08 pm
Alex
Food is a big deal at Maison Sleepless Reader and one of highlights of every trip we make!
January 7, 2013 at 5:59 pm
Juhi (Nooks & Crannies)
Hi Alex! Was thinking of Miss Dunnett today and remembered you. 🙂
Congrats on the baby! What great news! I also love all your infographs – what a neat idea.
84, Charing Street is on my TBR for this year – would love to read your thoughts on it. And good to see another Firefly convert – after hearing universal acclaim I was thinking of finally seeing it this year. Have you seen Battlestar Galactica by any chance? Another great sci-fi series in my opinion.
A very Happy New Year to you and all the best with the baby!
January 10, 2013 at 4:09 pm
Alex
Battlestar Galactica has been on my list of series-to-see-while-breastfeeding for years, even before we decided to have a baby! Some people tell me it’s probably too gloomy for that period. What say you?
January 14, 2013 at 8:28 am
Juhi @ Nooks & Crannies
Well – It’s certainly not a light, airy-fairy affair – it does have dark tones threaded throughout its story line and plot. However, in my opinion it’s not a gloomy, dystopian sort of series since there’s dollops of hope and courage and positivity and all things good as well throughout. And of course the series finale is amazing. And hopeful. 🙂
January 7, 2013 at 6:15 pm
Ti
When are you due? I remember taking Harry Potter 4 to the hospital with me when I went to deliver the girl and the bookmark is still in the exact same spot and she is 9 now! The nurses laughed at me, thinking I could read while in the hospital. LOL.
January 10, 2013 at 4:10 pm
Alex
Due date is 14 March but I’d love it if it was one day early – 13.03.13 sounds great!
January 7, 2013 at 7:24 pm
Larissa
I love your stats! Whitehorse were the three books in French? 😉
2013 will be glorious, and yes reading with a baby can be difficult but oh the amazing moments you’ll experience!
January 10, 2013 at 4:11 pm
Alex
I’m looking forward to it and already mentally prepared for the lowest reading year in my recorded history, so hopefully I won’t get too frustrated.
January 7, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Leeswammes
You did some great things last year! I wish you another great year – with a baby arriving, that will surely happen.
January 10, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Alex
Fingers crossed! Then all I have to do is plant a tree and write a book and I’m all set!
January 8, 2013 at 6:13 am
Patty
on to a greater 2013! wishing you good health first of all, and good luck with your goals!
January 10, 2013 at 4:15 pm
Alex
Many thanks Patty 🙂 For you too!
January 8, 2013 at 10:35 am
Joanne
I decided to re-read more in 2012 too, and I was really enjoyed it. I’ve picked out 6 books to be re-read this year, and I think I’ll do this every year.
January 10, 2013 at 4:16 pm
Alex
I saw your re-reading list – Cloud Atlas is a good one, with the movie out. Have you read Mitchell’s Ghostwritten?
January 8, 2013 at 7:07 pm
victoriacorby
Congratulations all round! And do re-read 84 Charing Cross Road, I did this year and loved it all over again.
January 10, 2013 at 4:21 pm
Alex
It’s such a small book I might even also re-read the two sequels!
January 9, 2013 at 9:20 pm
Shannon (Giraffe Days)
Congrats, again, on your pregnancy – so exciting!
Sounds like you had a great year, and I love your geeky pie graphs! So happy you loved Doctor Who (and Firefly for that matter), yet oddly surprised you hadn’t read any Shakespeare before. I hadn’t thought of it before but I suppose he’s only really big in English-speaking (and industrialised) countries?
Maybe you could help me, Alex – can you recommend any books set in Belgium? I’ve started looking and thought I should ask you, though maybe it’s hard to know what’s been translated into English. Still, any ideas would help! Happy new year!
January 10, 2013 at 4:24 pm
Alex
There aren’t a lot of books set in Belgium and translated. I think the msot famous one is Charlotte Bronte’s Vilette. Vanity Fair also has a part set here and I’ve heard some good things about a recent publication: Under the Poppy (www.goodreads.com/book/show/8130308-under-the-poppy). Hope that helps!
January 10, 2013 at 7:53 pm
Shannon (Giraffe Days)
Oh I have Vilette, had no idea it was set in Belgium! I’ve read Vanity Fair. I’ll check out Under the Poppy. Resigned to not finding a Belgium-born author for this one. 🙂
January 10, 2013 at 11:15 pm
Alex
You can always go for comics, no lack of Belgians there: Lucky-Luke, Hergé, Schuiten & Peeters. There’s also George Simenon’s crime novels and Amélie Nothomb novels, especially the ones about Japan.
January 17, 2013 at 7:47 pm
Melissa
What an incredible year! You got pregnant and became a Browncoat in the same year, not to mention the Globe! It doesn’t get much better than that.
January 22, 2013 at 9:16 am
The Mad Isis
Hi, loved your round-up. That sounds like quite a feat, getting a touch of history in your every day life. And congratulations for your baby!
My own Shakespearean favourite is Twelfth Night, or What you Will. Love your reading statistics too.
And here’s my recap of 2012, at http://lexlingua.livejournal.com/35555.html.
Happy New Year!
Lex
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