Reading Survey

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

Hi! I want to take moredetails up on the friendly offer to introduce myself as a new member. I've described myself elsewhere as "a teacher with a writing problem."

LJ friends have not been chatting about reading so much lately, so I have happily been lurking and reading posts in here for a week now. :)



1. How many books did you read in 2014? (If you don't keep track, you can give an estimate.)
34 (30 if we are not counting re-reads)

2. Which did you read more: physical books (or on Kindle) or audiobooks?
Physical by far. The only audio books I read were actually bedtime chapters by my sweet husband. :)

3. What were your favorite books from the year?
Tough. I really enjoyed
Cheaper by the Dozen
Classic Spanish Stories and Plays
Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism
and am currently really enjoying
Letters of John Newton

4. Favorite new authors that you hope to continue reading in 2015?
Dean Koontz kinda stole my heart with Odd Thomas, and, once I stock up on the requisite supply of tissues, I intend to read the rest of the series and see what else he has done.

A historical novel by Vicky Alvear Shecter was also impressive enough that I would be interested in reading more of her work.

5. And for fun: do you own an e-reader? If so, what kind?
My MIL got me a no-frills first-gen Kindle for Christmas 2013. Only a small fraction of my reading this year was done on it, but I do like it more than I thought I would when I was a proud paper-only snob.

Comments

[mattiescottage.livejournal.com]

Welcome and thanks for sharing!

Based on some of your classic/traditional favorites, I think I will enjoy reading your posts here.

I need to reread Cheaper by the Dozen again. It has been ages. One of my university professors had been involved--well before my time--in going through a forgotten stash of photographic slides that the Gilbreths made for some of their industry work with the manufacturing process of lace braiding machines. I thought it was amazing that he got to work with their actual slides--but now I've gotten more used to what a small world it is.

I really enjoy books from earlier eras and used to buy them used online, but now find it so convenient and expansive in selection to download whatever I want from Project Gutenberg and Internet Archive. (Also a life-changing bonus is the ability for text-to-speech to read whatever I want to me while I do housework, kitchen work, and other chores.)

Thanks for sharing!

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

I thought it was amazing that he got to work with their actual slides--but now I've gotten more used to what a small world it is.

I haven't. Stuff like this still bowls me over. The Gilbreths seem to be an influential family for sure; I remember reading about some of the children's and grandchildren's careers, and it really brought home to me genealogy in a way nothing had before (my family does not work like that!)

I have never considered text-to-speech. Some of those functions seem painful… but it's been a few years since I tried any!

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

Nice to meet you!

I adore Cheaper by the Dozen. Belles On Their Toes is a great followup, too.

I never have gotten around to reading any more in the series, but I thought Odd Thomas was something really special. :)

[mattiescottage.livejournal.com]

While checking to see if these titles were public domain (nope), I ran across this silent film clip of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth with nine of their children: https://archive.org/details/OriginalFilm?start=119.5 I thought it might be of interest. Lillian has a great smile on her face after a few seconds.

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

VERY neat - thank you!

[jobey-in-error.livejournal.com]

And yourself, cheers!

I read the first two chapters or so of Belles on Their Toes via Googlebooks… I am planning to get my hands on the book through my library sometime this year. :)

Oh, wasn't it? I'm in no hurry to move on in that series… series either get better or worse as they go on, and I don't see a way to improve on that book.

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

Welcome! Thanks for the intro and taking the survey. :)