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.