2010 in Review
I took this meme from Marie of Boston Bibliophile. I have taken the liberty to add some of the questions myself
How many books read in 2010?
Twenty-nine (29), two more than last year. Except that this includes two single stories. Plays (2); Memoir/(Auto)Biography (1); Single Stories (2); Anthologies (short stories) (4); Novels (20).
Total pages read was 7,799 (7,541 last year) and the average number of books per month is 2.42 (2.25 last year).
How many did you review?
Twenty-two (22). The remaining 7 were non-African novels.
How many of the books read were on the Top 100?
Only six. (hmm!)
How man fiction and non-fiction?
Only 1 non-fiction: You Must Set Forth at Dawn by Wole Soyinka
Male-Female Ratio
8 Female, 18 Male and 3 indeterminate (?), I mean anthologies from various writers.
Favourite book of 2010
African book: The Beautyful Ones are not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah
Non-African book: Between Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake and William Golding's Lord of the Flies. In fact, there is also Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon.
Least favourite
There was not a single book I didn't enjoy something about. I didn't totally abandoned any book this year, nor have I before.
Any that you simply couldn't finish and why?
No there was no book I didn't finish. I suspended Byatt's Possession for sometime but I picked it again. I did that when it became academic. But I enjoyed the diary entries. The ending was too suspicious and I think it ended too quickly. The kind where everything just fit into the puzzle.
Oldest Novel
The Castle by Franz Kafka, first published in 1926. However, the Anglo-Fanti Short Story of the twin book: The Blinkards and the Anglo-Fanti Short Story by Kobina Sakyi, was first published in 1918.
Newest Novel
I read four books that were published in 2010 (A Heart to Mend by Myne Whitman; African Roar, edited by Ivor Hartman and Emmanuel Sigauke; Powder Necklace by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond and The Hairdresser of Harare) however if I consider when the month and when promotion actually started I think the newest book would be Tendai Huchu's The Hairdresser of Harare.
Longest and shortest title?
Longest: The Blinkards: A Comedy and The Anglo-Fanti Short Story
Shortest: in terms of the number of characters forming the word, the shortest title is Changes by Ama Ata Aidoo and AmaZulu by Walton Golightly.
Longest and shortest books?
Longest: AmaZulu by Walton Golightly with 634 pages
Excluding the single short stories, The Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka with 64 pages.
Most read author of the year and how many books by the read was read?
Andre Brink (2); Wole Soyinka (2) and Ayi Kwei Armah (2)
Any re-reads?
No
Favourite character of the year?
Lejoka-Brown in Ola Rotimi's Our Husband has gone mad again
Which countries did you go to through the pages in your reading?
Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Trinidad and Tobago, Zulu nation, US, England, Benin, Rwanda, Kenya, Jerusalem and others unnamed. Soyinka in his memoir took me to so many countries I cannot name.
Which book wouldn't you have read without someone's recommendation?
None.
Which author was new to you in 2010 that you now want to read the entire works of?
All the authors I met in 2010 and would love to read again only have a single book: Tendai Huchu, Myne Whitman, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond.
Which books are you annoyed you didn't read?
A lot. I want to read more books on my Top 100 but accessibility is the problem. However, I would make sure I do that next year. I wanted to read Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous Conditions but by the time I had a copy, it was late for 2010 reading.
Did you read any book you have always been meaning to read?
Yes, Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
2010 Top Ten Book events?
A few, not up to ten.
- Carlos Moore's book reading at Nubuke Foundation, organised by Kinna of Kinna Reads
- Nana Awere Damoah's book reading at Goethe Institute organised by the Writers Project of Ghana
- Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond's book reading at the Nubuke Foundation, organised by the Writers Project of Ghana
- Martin Egblewogbe's Book reading at Niagara Plus Hotel
- Creative Non-fiction workshop, organised by Mbaasem Foundation
- Poetry Marathon at the Legon Reading Room, organised by Writers Project of Ghana
- Fiction Workshop at the Legon Reading Room, organised by Writers Project of Ghana
- Mariska Taylor's book reading at the Goethe Institute organised by the Writers Project of Ghana
Great survey! You read some really fantastic books this year. And so many bookish events, I'm a little big jealous :)
ReplyDelete29 books read is pretty imppressive. Most will be glad to just get through a quarter of that :)Glad you chose an old classic as your favourite. Haven't read it myself, but i'm sure its as good as they say it is
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas Nana, you've certainly had an interesting year with respect to books.
ReplyDeleteThe Carlos Moore event was fun, glad it's top of your event list. Wonderful survey. I'm looking forward to your reading in 2011.
ReplyDeleteOh! I love that your favorite character was from OUR HUSBAND HAS GONE MAD AGAIN because I got that book for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI love reading this kind of post--it was a good year in books. I loved Oryx and Crake, and Song of Solomon (which I should really reread). But the really impressive list is the book-related events--I'm very jealous! Happy New Year, and I hope you will have a great reading year in 2011
ReplyDelete@Amy thanks. But not as much as you do. lol. Give thanks to Kinna for the Carlos Moore's program. It was my event of the year.
ReplyDelete@Nii that book is still relevant. What it says still prevails.
ReplyDelete@Myne... Same to you. I hope I double it this year
ReplyDelete@Kinna... all thanks to you. Had it not been you, how could I have been there?
ReplyDelete@Marie I hope you would love it. That character was fun. Anything he did to please worsens...
ReplyDelete@bibliophiliac... thanks. I only wish to double it this year. Oryx and Crake is a good book and so is Song of Solomon. In fact I enjoyed most of the non-African authored books I read last year.
ReplyDelete