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28th out of 465 books
—
717 voters
So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading
by
Sara Nelson
Sometimes subtle, sometimes striking, the interplay between our lives and our books is the subject of this unique memoir by well-known publishing correspondent and self-described "readaholic" Sara Nelson. From Solzhenitsyn to Laura Zigman, Catherine M. to Captain Underpants, the result is a personal chronicle of insight, wit, and enough infectious enthusiasm to make a pass...more
Paperback, 242 pages
Published
October 5th 2004
by Berkley Trade
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Jan 26, 2009
Stacie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People with a deep and abiding love for books
Shelves:
i-own
There were moments in this book where I was convinced she was writing about me...the way her husband doesn't read, yet she tries to get him to read; how some of her friends simply don't understand her adoring love for all things bookish...those are just a few. However, there were moments when I rolled my eyes and got a bit annoyed because she would ruin books for me that I have yet to read. The ruining wasn't just that she said it wasn't "that good" but she actually gave away the ending of a boo...more
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I'm really not sure what I thought about this. I enjoyed reading it, but Sara Nelson is such a horrendous book snob! I'm sorry, but I don't really care what people think about what I read - I don't have one book for home reading and one that is ok to be seen in public with, and I don't agree that you can't be friends with someone if you recommend them a book and they hate it. The debate is half the fun! Because of this, every time I found myself mentally adding a book she liked to my TBR I had t...more
After about 50 pages into it, I decided to put it down. For someone who is an editor and columnist, the grammar is just awful. I realize my own writing style would probably make Henry Fowler cringe; but for someone who writes for a living? It seemed as if she had no idea of how to construct a meaningful sentence. I enjoy stream of consciousness when it’s done right, but this drivel…
And her constantly reminding me that she was in an interracial marriage, or that her husband worked for SNL, was ge...more
And her constantly reminding me that she was in an interracial marriage, or that her husband worked for SNL, was ge...more
recommended to me
I liked the premise--reading a book every week for a year and chronicling the experience--but as the author and I have very different tastes (she hates 'historicals,' rarely reads anything written before the 1950's, and avoids nonfiction history accounts like the plague), I didn't feel any sense of shared experience.
also, while I didn't expect each chapter to be a book report, more often than not her reading list just served as a pretext to talk about her marriage or family or...more
I liked the premise--reading a book every week for a year and chronicling the experience--but as the author and I have very different tastes (she hates 'historicals,' rarely reads anything written before the 1950's, and avoids nonfiction history accounts like the plague), I didn't feel any sense of shared experience.
also, while I didn't expect each chapter to be a book report, more often than not her reading list just served as a pretext to talk about her marriage or family or...more
I really liked this book. I just love reading about other people reading "addictions", how they select their books and where their "love of reading" takes them. I might not agree with all of her opinions in this book, but I loved and agreed with her when she said that you can't totally pre-plan your reading. I've found that out this year with all my "challenges" that I have on here. You can never know what books speak to you and call you to them and when. The journey is fun though, wherever it t...more
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Sara, obviously we need to meet, talk about our favorite books, go out to lunch, continue talking about books, and end the day by walking over to our favorite bookstore or library. Sara, is a "readaholic". Boy, can I relate--books have completely taken over my house. They spill out of the bookcases, they are piled under tables, they sit on top of the tables, they are stored in bags, they are everywhere. Sara decided to tackle this obsession with reading head on and one year her New Year's plan w...more
How luxurious and indulgent...to set yourself the challenge of reading 52 books a year and then write about it. What makes the journey? The selection and reading of the books; the challenges along the way that either slow down or prevent progress; or the writing about it all; or even what to do once the year is complete? Here we have a woman who could be described as dangerously obsessive and quite simply mad about reading. I have no idea at all how someone like this woman who, at the time of he...more
I'm glad I stuck with this book. For the first couple of chapters I had trouble with it because the author seems to take her reading too seriously. She seems to want every book experience to a magical and eye opening experience and gets frustrated when she doesn't experience it or when her kith or kin don't see books or reading the same way.
I'm also glad that I had to wait longer than expected to read this book because it gave me more time to read from the list of books she refers to in her essa...more
I'm also glad that I had to wait longer than expected to read this book because it gave me more time to read from the list of books she refers to in her essa...more
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Once I started reading this book I just couldn't put it down and finished it in litlle more than a day:) I loved out it made me reflect on my own "bookaholism" and on how reading habits depend on times and circumstances. I wrote down so many quotes from the book I almost started a book of my own, but here are some of my favorite ones:
"Part time machine, part Concorde, part ejector seat, books are our salvation."
"I don't always choose the books. Sometimes the books choose me."
"It's always dangero...more
"Part time machine, part Concorde, part ejector seat, books are our salvation."
"I don't always choose the books. Sometimes the books choose me."
"It's always dangero...more
Amazon recommended "So Many Books, So Little Time" to me based I am sure on my book-buying history - they must know a bibliophile when they see one. Sara Nelson has a magazine job where she gets paid to read and review books, but for one year, Nelson makes a deal with herself to read one book a week. She finds, as we all do, that the books we pick up have more to do with what is going on in our lives than what we write down on a list. Despite my immediate job envy, I fell for this book and fell...more
This is one of my favorite quotes, so how could I pass this book up? The author chose 52 books to read in a year and then wrote about how well she stuck with her list. I really enjoyed this book. The author has the same obsessive thoughts about books and reading that I do so I could relate to much of what she was saying. Try as I might, like the author, I can't keep from "double-booking." I'm always thinking I'm going to concentrate on just one book but then I get so excited I can't wait to star...more
Back in 2006, this book sent me on my first year of actually documenting what I read. It's been a great thing for me to do, and I'm still doing it, and it's all because of Sara Nelson.
I also added some great books to my to-read list because of this book.
It was fun to read her reminiscing about good books she'd read, bad books she'd read, what reading was like for her, and how the books she read for that year stacked up. (Heh.)
One thing I loved reading in Nelson’s journal was how she’d take on on...more
I also added some great books to my to-read list because of this book.
It was fun to read her reminiscing about good books she'd read, bad books she'd read, what reading was like for her, and how the books she read for that year stacked up. (Heh.)
One thing I loved reading in Nelson’s journal was how she’d take on on...more
A fun, cute little book about one reader's goal to read a book a week. The writing was light and fun even when dealing with more serious subjects. I just sailed through this, and, like the book nerd I am, saw myself in this book more times than I care to count.
Towards the beginning of the book, there is a part where the author is having a really hard time figuring out what book to take on vacation and I had to laugh out loud and read this to my husband. My decision on what book to read next/what...more
Towards the beginning of the book, there is a part where the author is having a really hard time figuring out what book to take on vacation and I had to laugh out loud and read this to my husband. My decision on what book to read next/what...more
It's always interesting, whenever I read a Book-Book, to compare myself to the author. Obviously we have a love of reading in common, but it can be so interesting to see what else we have in common and different:
IN Common:
We both love books
We both view reading a book almost like falling in love and can become, um, a little disassociated with the rest of the world when in "book love"
We both have a hard time getting our husbands to read the same books we read
We both think that timing and chance an...more
IN Common:
We both love books
We both view reading a book almost like falling in love and can become, um, a little disassociated with the rest of the world when in "book love"
We both have a hard time getting our husbands to read the same books we read
We both think that timing and chance an...more
Recently I was watching CSPAN's Book TV (yes, apparently I'm a nerd). I was watching a program with women authors and one of the author's statements (Sara Nelson) really hit home with me about the way I feel about reading and my books. Naturally, I had to procure this particular one as I felt a definite and immediate kinship with Sara.
The main reason I liked this book is that now I don't feel so wierd because apparently there are other people out there similar to myself. I have this odd hangup...more
The main reason I liked this book is that now I don't feel so wierd because apparently there are other people out there similar to myself. I have this odd hangup...more
I liked the title of Sara Nelson's book “So Many Books, So Little Time.” The author likes books; she set out to read a book a week and intertwine them with her life. So the book turns out to be more of a memoir than a incentive to read the books she chose or did not choose. She tells the reader why she chooses certain books, and why she rejects others. Same reason most readers do. She tells us what she thinks of the people who suggest a book she doesn't like and how she goes about choosing her f...more
Fun book about Nelson's reading habits for a year. Her and I couldn't have more divergent tastes for books but it was still good to read about another read-aholic. Despite sounding slightly neurotic, she did a lovely job of explaining how books and life can get all intermingled. She writes a very honest, touching and heartfelt book.
She touched upon a few things that I want to talk about. The first was about sports. She has an 8 year old son who is just getting into sports like baseball and asks...more
She touched upon a few things that I want to talk about. The first was about sports. She has an 8 year old son who is just getting into sports like baseball and asks...more
I wanted this book from the moment I heard about it, and it was on my wishlist until it came out in paperback. Good thing, because I would really be upset if I'd paid hardcover prices for it. The title describes my feelings, I'm like a kid in a candystore when I'm in a bookstore or on Amazon. I figured I'd get lots of ideas from the author on great books to add to my ever-growing list of must-reads. Instead I found this book to be dull and self-involved. I'm really not interested in the author's...more
Picked this up at the library after reading the inside jacket cover:
A quick and interesting read. My favorite chapter is called "Afterlife with Father". Her reading of Den of Thieves by James B. Stewart brought back poignant memories of the discussions she and her deceased father had about the stock market. Her feelings while reading:
"But what it made me feel was nostalgic and wistful and sentimental. It reminded me yet again that what's in a book is only part of what matters; in the right circu...more
A quick and interesting read. My favorite chapter is called "Afterlife with Father". Her reading of Den of Thieves by James B. Stewart brought back poignant memories of the discussions she and her deceased father had about the stock market. Her feelings while reading:
"But what it made me feel was nostalgic and wistful and sentimental. It reminded me yet again that what's in a book is only part of what matters; in the right circu...more
I looked forward to reading this book with some eagerness as I imagined it would be in-depth ruminations about the books Nelson was reading, just the sort of mental dialogue with another reader that I enjoy. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Nelson focuses primarily on herself, her marriage to a Japanese-American (he’s a set designer on Saturday Night Live! she mentions again and again), her child, her parents, her friends, her career, none of this interesting. She treats the books she is re...more
Mar 31, 2010
Sam
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
bored people on public transport
Recommended to Sam by:
won it in a competition
I actually started this book years ago but didn't finish it. Looking for something not very demanding to read on public transport, I picked this up again. Then I remembered why I put it down.
1. The author and I don't really have similar tastes in books.
2. If I'm reading about books, I don't need to read and reread bits about family, friends, family, friends blah blah blah
3. If you need to justify something, don't write a book about it.
The premise- read one book a week for a year is good (hey, I...more
1. The author and I don't really have similar tastes in books.
2. If I'm reading about books, I don't need to read and reread bits about family, friends, family, friends blah blah blah
3. If you need to justify something, don't write a book about it.
The premise- read one book a week for a year is good (hey, I...more
I thought I would like this book more than I did. It appears that I bought it shortly after its paperback release, but only recently found it on one of my shelves (one thing I have in common with the author). The idea was that Nelson would try to read a book a week, fitting that in around the demands of living in New York with a husband, son, and job as a magazine editor. She rarely has to go out and buy a book for this purpose as she has shelves full at home, previously purchased or acquired as...more
I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read. Funny enough, I came across it randomly at the library while I was looking for another book and decided to pick it up. (I only checked out 3 books from the library that time, which I believe is a record for me - of least checked out books ever!)
The author takes the challenge (though it was not much of a challenge for her because she loves to read) of reading a book a week for a year. She talks about some of the books she read during that time, why she ch...more
The author takes the challenge (though it was not much of a challenge for her because she loves to read) of reading a book a week for a year. She talks about some of the books she read during that time, why she ch...more
A good non fiction read about how the author chooses (or rather how books to chose the author) her books. At first I thought it was a bit off or slow, but then I got to page 33 where the author says, "Explaining the moment of connection between a reader and a book to someone who's never experienced it is like trying to describe sex to a virgin." This was a turning point for me. I related so well to the book calling out to you....where you lose sleep and possibly friends because you cannot put it...more
I picked up this book randomly browsing at the library--a book about reading books? Why not! It's an easy, quick read, good for relaxing before going to sleep. I read some of the other Goodreads reviews as I started it and braced myself for some of the things they mentioned -- the most annoying part was that she spoiled the ending of three or so books, one in great detail, another with a brief sentence that was unnecessary and made it sound like she was writing an academic paper when revealing t...more
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I expected this book to read like a book report but it was much more fun than that! It meandered into her memories and emotions that the novels evoked.
I wrote down book titles as she recommended them and I expect I will come to enjoy some of the same titles that she did. I also enjoyed chuckling when I ran across a title she read already. I agreed with her assessment of "Slammerkin" and "Tuesdays with Morrie" to name just two.
The only thing that surprised me was that she didn't read more. I rout...more
I wrote down book titles as she recommended them and I expect I will come to enjoy some of the same titles that she did. I also enjoyed chuckling when I ran across a title she read already. I agreed with her assessment of "Slammerkin" and "Tuesdays with Morrie" to name just two.
The only thing that surprised me was that she didn't read more. I rout...more
Jul 21, 2009
Candace
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
2009-first-time-reads
A book about books. While interesting and informative, I had a hard time really getting into the material. Perhaps it just that I don't really like too many non-fiction books. Apparently my taste in reading differs quite a bit from Ms. Nelson's. Which is fine - to each their own I say. I'd say read it if you want to try branching out from the genres that you normally read.
However, I was intrigued by the idea of reading 52 books in a year (or 1 a week), so it might be something that I try next ye...more
However, I was intrigued by the idea of reading 52 books in a year (or 1 a week), so it might be something that I try next ye...more
I feel like the title of the book; So Many books, So Little Time. I have so many books I would like to read and sometimes wonder if I will ever finish a quarter of them.
Sara Nelson decides to read a book a week for a whole year. Reading 52 books doesn't seem so hard but she runs into a problem of trying to find books each week.
Sara's friends would ask her " How do you choose your books?" She learned in the very beginning that she didn't always choose the books; sometimes the books choose her. I...more
Sara Nelson decides to read a book a week for a whole year. Reading 52 books doesn't seem so hard but she runs into a problem of trying to find books each week.
Sara's friends would ask her " How do you choose your books?" She learned in the very beginning that she didn't always choose the books; sometimes the books choose her. I...more
I think the reason I liked this book so much is simply that I identified with so much of what Nelson had to say. She articulated many of my own musings about reading and "readers"--views on book-lending and book-borrowing (and book-recommending) etiquette, and how a bad recommendation can even stop a new friendship in its tracks.... In her year of reading, she experienced much of the "synchronicity" that I often experience, where I find related threads in seemingly unrelated books. I also have t...more
I thought I might easily love this book; a book about reading being read by a voracious reader - what's not to love? Sadly, I actually found it occasionally bland and largely outside of my frame of reference.
In a way this book, or rather my reaction to it was similar to my reaction to Susan Hill's "Howard's End is on the Landing". I really wanted to love it but the disparity between the author's life and my own made it difficult to connect with the book as a whole.
I'm not sure why this should b...more
In a way this book, or rather my reaction to it was similar to my reaction to Susan Hill's "Howard's End is on the Landing". I really wanted to love it but the disparity between the author's life and my own made it difficult to connect with the book as a whole.
I'm not sure why this should b...more
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“Allowing yourself to stop reading a book - at page 25, 50, or even, less frequently, a few chapters from the end - is a rite of passage in a reader's life, the literary equivalent of a bar mitzvah or a communion, the moment at which you look at yourself and announce: Today I am an adult. I can make my own decisions.”
—
88 people liked it
“Explaining the moment of connection between a reader and book to someone who's never experienced it is like trying to describe sex to a virgin.”
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26 people liked it
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