2018 Comments About My Recommendations

Jodi: And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your idea (1/1/17)
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El: Btw, this is fun. I'm going to put these books on my list. But I don't read anywhere near as voraciously as you. And, I actually took 2 months off from reading novels this year. First time since I was a child that I didn't have a novel by my bedside. Filled the time with meditation instead.
Me:  I generally alternate between fiction and non-fiction, but took about ten years off reading after I finished with school.
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​Jodi: Yay. It would be really great if you each week reported on this thread what you thought of each book and how your journey is going.
Me:  I was think the same thing. It’s not exactly a book a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. Let’s see if I can do it.
Jodi: One of the things I do is run a book club on memoirs and we just read a book called Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch in which she read a book a day for a year and blogged about it on a website called readallday.org . My suggestion to you, is don't worry so much about the timeline, just focus on your quest to read 50 books by 50 friends in whatever time line it takes you and just a simple response back to each person who sent you a title that we can all see on the link so others that suggested a book to you can be inspired to read the book that you just read.
Me: I’m definitely not a consistent reader. I’ll read a ton one week & none the next, but have averaged about 50 a year the last few years (probably more like 65 last year). So, 50 books recommended by 50 friends seems like a fun goal.​​ 
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Natalie: Are you going to come back and tell us what you think of our suggestions?
​Me: I'm going to try.
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Andy: You got 269 comments for a reading list! There is a story to go along with this my friend​.
Me: Tells you something about my friend circle, doesn’t it?
Jacqueline: It’s awesome! Totally stealing this idea!
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Kim: Lorena, can you provide a tabulation the 50 books that made your 2018 list?
Me: Scroll up for the list. I included it in an edited post towards the top of the list.
Shasta: I would love to see a new post with the list, and then a short book report on each one as you read it. What a cool record that would be!  
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​Tiffany: Thanks for posting your reviews. A service to us all 
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Julie:  I am keeping track of this list, as well as trying to find a book to recommend to you next year. It's kind of stressing me out 
Me: It is supposed to be fun, not stressful!!
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Suz: When the heck are you going to write a book?
Me: What would I even write about?
​Suz: Hmmm, that sounds like a good title (and subject) if a book ...
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​A short detour next for the monthly Soroptimist book club book. This month it is Miss Spitfire. I’m thinking Ancillary Justice is up after that.

I wasn’t convinced I was going to make it through the list this year, but I seem to be back on track. If I just didn’t get distracted by ones not on the list, I’d be sure to get them all done.
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Ann:I would be interested in knowing what your top reads of the year are. So when I have time to read for pleasure after I defend 
Me: The recommended ones have a star next to them. But if you give me three books you loved that are similar to what you'd like to read next, I will give you three personalized recommendations.
Me: 21/44 recommendations is way higher than my normal rate, so I think this book list method has been a success. Even if the last 6 don't make the list, I would still be at 42%, which is much higher than my normal rate of 1/3.
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