Saturday, December 11, 2021

Can I Read and Review 500 Books This Year? Yes, I Think I Can...

 










What I Read
Happy Day! The big news this week is that I (finally!) finished reading David Copperfield. I've been reading on it since August. Somehow I missed reading this one earlier in life, but I'm delighted that I decided to give it a read now. My review is here.





What I Am Reading

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Birdie's Bargain by Katherine Paterson
The Dire Days of Willowweep Manor by Shaenon K. Garrity
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
The Kindness Workbook: An Interactive Guide for Creating Compassion in Yourself and the World by Robin Raven
Kindness Tales: World Folktales to Talk About by Margaret Read MacDonald






Last week I posted here at Readerbuzz:







I finished the 2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge and signed up for the 2022 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Shelleyrae at Book'd Out. You can sign up here.




I am awfully close to 500 books for the year...







Good Thing #1
I saw the most beautiful bird I've ever seen, a Great Blue Heron.




Good Thing #2
My library is offering a monthly online calligraphy class.
Why have I never tried this before now?



Good Thing #3
monarch caterpillar on a milkweed plant last week...





I'm happy you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

  • What was your week like?
  • Read any good books? Tell us about them.
  • What other bookish things did you do? 
  • What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

        

My linkup for Sunday Salon is below. 

51 comments:

  1. WOW - 500 books in one year? I set my Goodreads goal at 150 and I'm over 200 which I've only done a couple of times in my 13 years of blogging. I attribute that to more children's books -- at least this year as well as more audio listens. I'd like to recommend a book that comes out in January that surprised me - very good story: The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain...so good.

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    1. A lot---probably a majority---of the books I read in 2021 were children's books.

      Thank you for the recommendation, Diane.

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  2. I'm so glad you saw the heron. One of my favorites -- maybe it was Harry! I'm impressed with the books. I'm not sure I'll hit my goal of 60!

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    1. Such a beautiful bird. It could be Harry. I wonder if he will be there at the park when we do the bird count next month.

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  3. Reading considerably more than one book per day sounds like a gigantic goal! The book I read this week was over 700 pages long, and now I’m reading another one that’s the same length but not so many blank pages: more than a day to read such a book David Copperfield (which you just finished) is similar length — as are many 19th century novels.. I can’t see how you do it!

    best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    Replies
    1. There's no way I could do it if all my books were like David Copperfield.

      Delete
  4. 500 hundred books? I am in awe. I might get to 100.

    I have monarch caterpillars in my garden for the first time this year. They left it a bit late but they seem to be doing well.

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    Replies
    1. We were delighted to see the monarch caterpillar at the park. We also saw a monarch butterfly.

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  5. Congratulations! 500 is quite impressive. I have impressed myself by going over 150 this year, I might reach 160. Usually I read around 115.
    So glad you saw a Great Blue Heron. I'm fortunate that they are very common in Illinois. They are funny/weird in rookeries, when you see this tall massive bird in trees!

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  6. 500 books is astounding. I met my goal of 120.

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  7. I first tried calligraphy in 7th grade with proper pens with nibs and an ink jar. I learned it again more recently with felt pens of varying styles. Both times it was tons of fun, and both times I wasn't very good at it.

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    1. I've always had good handwriting, and it's always been something I've enjoyed. I think I might like the felt pens better than the nibs. I don't like the feel of the nib on the paper.

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  8. That Great Blue Heron is amazing! So is reading close to 500 books.

    My mom used to do calligraphy when I was young with pens with nibs and an ink jar. I learned to do it then too. It was fun and it caused me to change the way I made some of my letters. I still write some that way.

    Have a good weekend!

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    Replies
    1. This calligraph teacher encourages us to use our regular handwriting as a starting point, as a default, and to develop our own style and preferences.

      Delete
  9. Wow 500 books? That's amazing. I'm celebrating being close to my 100 book goal :) Have a great week!

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  10. Congrats on finishing David Copperfield. I haven't read that one, but I do like Dickens. And a bigger congratulations on the amount of books you've read this year. Amazing!

    I love that photo of the heron. They are such beautiful birds.

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    Replies
    1. I've never read David Copperfield until now. It's such a good story. I loved the characters.

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  11. That was quite a commitment to David Copperfield. Congrats on completing it! And 500 books in a year (which I'm sure you'll make) is simply amazing!

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    1. I read it with the Chapter-a-Day group. That group helped me read War and Peace. It took a complete year. Next year the group is reading The Three Musketeers series and I think I'll skip that and create my own Chapter-a-Day list.

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  12. Oooo!! I am so excited about your monarch caterpillar!!! I am looking forward to next summer and the return of the monarchs!

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    1. I think there might be some monarchs who overwinter here along the Gulf Coast of Texas. We have mild winters.

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  13. Congratulations on finishing David Copperfield. I've tried reading Dickens but get frustrated by trying to decipher the language used - I need to find a modern retelling.

    I adore The Chronicles of Narnia so I hope you enjoy The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. It makes me want to re-read these childhood favourites.

    Have a good week.

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    Replies
    1. When I'm reading something like David Copperfield, I use all the helps I can find...children's versions, study guides, reference books.

      Delete
  14. You read so much more than I did this year, only the second time I didn't reach my goal :(

    Such a beautiful Great Blue Heron!

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  15. At the beginning of the pandemic I did a lot of online classes, I have to get back into that.

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  16. I haven't read 500 books in any year! Probably close to 300 once. In the last few years, I am lucky to hit 100+, but I'm satisfied. I might change my pattern someday, though.

    Enjoy your week and your books. I love your new holiday blog background!

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  17. 500 books... And here I am very happy with my 80 books! LOL!! That is wonderful Debbie. Calligraphy, such a beautiful art. Can't wait to see all your pictures that you are going to share with us.

    I still haven't done my Narnia link-up post, will try to get to it this week. So many things I want to get to this week!!

    Hope you will have a wonderful week and good luck with reaching the 500 goal!

    Lots of love,

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  18. I bow down to you woman, 500 books! That is wonderful!! Have a great week!

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  19. 500 books? Five hundred?! I don’t think I have managed one hundred, but I am very impressed with you! I’m also impressed by all of you nonfiction readers, as I love to lose myself in mystery, thriller, and translated literature. The blue heron is indeed lovely; they are often seen in the river across from which we live. We are blessed, are we not?❤️

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  20. 500 Books? I'm amazed and awed... Maybe I'll get to 100 some day. I just love Great Blue Herons, too... they are just gorgeous birds. My favorite at the moment is the Roseate Spoonbill. David Copperfield will be the next Dickens novel I tackle, but have no idea when that will happen. I will be joining Shelleyrae's Nonfiction Challenge 2022 though. Have a great week, Deb!

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  21. It's always a joy to read your three good things! I did a brushlettering workshop this year, only for two hours, wish it had been longer. Calligraphy must be equally as interesting!

    Have a wonderful week and get to those 500 books!

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  22. I finished The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe this week. This time I read it via audio and absolutely loved the experience! Yes! Five hundred books! You're my hero! ;)

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  23. That's GREAT that you're almost at your 500 book goal!

    Never occurred to me one could do something such as take a calligraphy class online, via the library! Very cool.

    Congrats on finishing David Copperfield! I've yet to read any Dickens. Dunno why.

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  24. Blue herons are fairly common around here so I often don't think of them as being as special as they are. Not far from our home we have a heron rookery. They all make their nests in a grove of trees, hundreds of them. If one drives by in early spring before the trees are leafed out you can see many of the herons sitting on their eggs in the trees very close to other birds doing the same thing. Very cool.
    https://seattleaudubon.org/learn/birds-of-wa/bird-facts/great-blue-heron/

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  25. I messed up my first blog post (#21 on your list up there), so it's dated Saturday. I created another post, put the Sunday Salon information on it, and posted it late on Sunday (#24 on the list above). Whew! I apologize. Feel free to delete the first one.

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  26. 500!! And that monarch butterfly is going to be so cool.. your calligraphy looks so pretty

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  27. omg...500...and reviewed...i have read 427 as of today. i rated them on goodreads, but review them...no way. congrats...i am sure the authors love you!
    sherry @ fundinmental

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  28. You almost read 500 books.. oh my god. That's incredible.

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  29. Congratulations on finishing the Nonfiction Reader Challenge!
    I used to have ‘blackboard’ writing but it’s so rare I write anything by hand these days that it’s a bit of a mess.

    Wishing you a great reading week

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  30. Ooh, a blue heron. I haven't seen one of those in years. My grandparents used to have some living in the canal behind their house in Florida. Congrats on finishing David Copperfield! I haven't been brave enough to read that one yet.

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  31. 500 is a great number of books. I'm hoping to hit 365 which is doable. Congrats on finished David Copperfield. Enjoy this week's reads too. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  32. That is amazing!! 500 books is incredible!

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  33. Oh wow! 500 is amazing1
    I admit I'm finding it much harder to get down and review books than to read them this year
    Caligraphy is lots of fun! I have the gear but keep forgetting to practice

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  34. All your books you are reading look great. Congrats on finishing David Copperfield and the non fiction challenge.

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  35. The heron and the caterpillar are exquisite! Everything is under snow now here .... so I live vicariously ... for greener temps.

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