Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Books I Loved but Never Reviewed



As of today, I have officially read 5,212 books on Goodreads. I have reviewed 4,394 books. In the last ten years, I review everything I read. That was not true in the past. I didn't keep track of the books I read at all until 1997, and then I only kept a partial list. I really got going in 2002 when I joined the Book-a-Week group online. We were asked to write a review for every book we read, and post it. Once I got into that habit, I found I liked writing down a little about the books I read and I have continued it until this day.

Still that leaves at least 818 books I have read but have not reviewed. Where do I start? 

How about with my favorite reads? I currently have a list of 172 favorite reads on a shelf at Goodreads. Of these 172 books, 49 have not been reviewed. That is 28%! Clearly I need to start catching up on reviews by reviewing these favorite books, many of which I have read many, many times.

The photo above is a picture I took some years ago of my favorite of the favorites. 

Are these all the books I love? Gracious, no. Where is the poetry? What? I left off Anne of Green Gables? Good grief, where is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? 

No, these are not all my favorite-favorites but they will do for a sample. Let's see how many have reviews:

Be Happy by Monica Sheehan 
Make a World by Ed Emberly (I didn't even have this one as a book I've read!)
Possession by A. S. Byatt 
The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman 
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami 
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 
The World is Not Enough by Zoe Oldenbourg 
The Little Prince (in English and French) by Antoine de Saint- Exupéry 
Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam
The Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers 
Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott 
Civility by Stephen L. Carter 
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok 
Material World by Peter Menzel 
The Secret History by Donna Tartt 
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith 
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo 
Watership Down by Richard Adams 

I still need to review 7 of 18 favorite books. Oh my! 

So let me start a list of books....



BOOKS I NEED TO REREAD AND REVIEW:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (all seven books, really)
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint- Exupéry 
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
The World is Not Enough by Zoe Oldenbourg
Material World by Peter Menzel
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
Strong Measures: Contemporary Poetry in Traditional Forms
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam

As well as a ridiculous number of children's picture books...

Go, Dog, Go by P. D. Eastman
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox



What books do you need to review? 





Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.

24 comments:

  1. I don’t think I’ve ever reviewed Lord of the Rings or Nineteen Eighty Four, they would be two of my most favourite books. I read so many good books before I started blogging in 2014, I feel a mass re-read coming on!

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  2. Oh wow. That's a lot. I know I probably have just as many. Basically looking at all my books and finding the ones that predate 2009 which is when I started blogging!


    Here's my Tuesday Post

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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  3. Hi Deb! I love the way you organize your thoughts and how well you keep track. I used to write down every single book that I've read. With a snippet or two. I'm behind at least 3 years now.... Will just need to go and sit and do it!

    There are a few of the books on your list that you feel you need to read again and review that I also want to read. How about you make us a reading challenge? I'm sure a number of people will want to join!!

    Thanks for stopping by, I always appreciate it soooo much.

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  4. I have so many books from when I was younger that I haven't reviewed! Tbh, I probably won't ever review them now because I never have time to reread anymore.
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/11/top-ten-tuesday-276/

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  5. Gilead is on my summer list. I've had it for years and I either need to read it or pass it on!

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  6. Oooh, I love that picture of your favorites! I, too, would love to reread A Fine Balance, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and The Good Earth. Such great novels! I know I missed a few reviews a few years ago when live got hectic, but I doubt I'll go back and write up those reviews. I'm back on track and have been for quite some time now. I'm also having fun posting my thoughts about the books I read pre-blogging days.

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  7. Interesting choices like always. If I was going on favorites, GWTW, The Joyous Season and Auntie Mame both by Patrick Dennis would make my list. A Town Like Alice, too. Hard to review them when you love them.

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  8. Can I just say, I love how thorough you are in your posts/lists! I can be certain that I will find a new book to read within them. Your number of reviewed books is impressive!

    My TTT

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  9. You've read quite a few books. ;)
    Here is my Top Ten Tuesday list this week.

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  10. Wow! That's quite a list you have going here!

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  11. Oh my, that's a lot of books you've reviewed! No doubt you'll be able to complete your reviews. I'm sure of it!

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  12. The Little Prince is one of those books I feel embarrassed that I still haven't read. I keep saying "one day", but still haven't gotten there. Looking forward to your review someday.

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  13. I'm pretty good at recording the books I read along with a short review on Goodreads as soon as I finish, but I'm ALWAYS behind on reviewing on my blog. It takes more time to create a fuller, more thoughtful review. Those quick GR reviews really help. I'm glad I'm good about that at least :)

    Happy TTT!

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  14. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and A Fine Balance are both books I remember loving, but would definitely need to reread them before I could review them.

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  15. I, too, made a promise to myself when I joined Goodreads to review every book that I read, and I think I have kept that promise. But all those years and books before? I could never go back and review them unless I reread all of them. Life is just too short.

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  16. I haven't gone back and reviewed reads pre-blog (before 2009) ... but once I started the blog I review every book I read. Hmm. I did recently reread & review Where the Red Fern Grows .... interesting to reread that book after so many years! Still makes me cry though.

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  17. I haven't read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn yet, but it's on my tbr for this year. Hopefully I get to it! Great post!

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  18. Nutritionally sparse comment again, but you're the only person I know with more book data than me and the RUSH your posts provide is just fantastic. I recently started adding favorite picture books to my account too, and boy did I not account for how tough it would be to condense all my childhood memories and appreciation into a review that does not exceed the book's word count.

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  19. Oh dear, like you I have many books I read and have not reviewed. I do make a point of reviewing every book I read by my favorite authors, Anthony Trollope for example. I want to get more people to read the classics, they are so brilliant and so fun. I see you are reading Devotions by Mary Oliver, I love that book and bought a hard cover, it is a keeper.

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  20. Anyway, I said I read a lot of your favourite books and they are my favourites, as well:
    Possession, The Little Prince, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Watership Down, The Good Earth.

    And I definitely need to read Where the Red Fern Grows, my son's favourite book when he was in fifth grade.

    Thanks for visiting my TTT earlier.

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  21. I love to read but am a lazy reviewer, I simply give them a rating on GoodReads.
    I have some classics I keep promising myself to read/reread. I should get on that!

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  22. I love to read but am a lazy reviewer, I simply give them a rating on GoodReads.
    I have some classics I keep promising myself to read/reread. I should get on that!

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  23. Since I've starting blogging, I sometimes have the feeling that if I don't review a book, I haven't really read it. Strange, I know.

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