Craig's Reading Record

2010 Update:
Suzanne and I are hosting a reading blog called Cold Read. You should check out our reviews.

Each year link brings you to a page where I list all the books I read in that year. There are photos and links to Amazon if you are interested in learning more about the book. Before 1985 the information on each year is spotty so I grouped all the books I could remember into two groups 1980-1984, and pre-1980.
I also wrote a little piece about learning to read called "Between The Sheets". I also have a pdf graph graphing pages read vs. years.
Suzanne asked me to name my favorite books so I created this Top 100 page. I did it pretty quick so it's probably not a definative guide. Two reasons the grades may be low: I wanted a few books in each topic, and I'm a tough grader.

If you'd like to see Suzanne's book lists: (2004-2009)

2010 Books
The internet was important this year. I put Kindle software on my Laptop computer and read some eBooks from Gutenberg.org. I read some books using Audible.com- it comes in handy when you're bored. I also assembled a Science Fiction book list. I didn't get very far, but I did finish re-reading the Delany books I wanted. Suzanne wanted to start a reading blog. I set that up. Cold Read is the name of our book review blog. It is more timely than this once-a-year record I suggest you check it out.

Authors I read more than once: Jane Austen (2), Edgar Rice Burroughs (3), Lee Child (11), Samuel R. Delany (2), Arthur Conan Doyle (3), Neil Gaiman (2), Stephen King (2), Jeff Shaara (3).

63 Books / 20,229 Total Pages

2009 Books
This year I started slow, I though I would cut way back on the reading. This year is also notable for the number of book I abandoned. I don't have the patience I once had. I also took advantage of Audible.com. Half-way through the year I made of list of books I wanted to read or at least look at. I read a surprising number of these books. The list was made up of recommendations from Entertainment Weekly. Authors I read more than once: Lee Child (3), Arthur C. Clarke (2), C.S. Forester (10), Malcolm Gladwell (3), John Grisham (2), and Allen Steele (2)
62 Books / 18,767 Total Pages

2008 Books
The main Fargo Library has been knocked down and they've run out of money to finish the new library. I rely on Suzanne to supply me with books, but at some point I tire of 'Oprah' books. The O'Brian books come highly recommended and the entire series is on the shelf at the satellite branch library. I've always wanted to read at least one. I found they grow on you. I finished all 21 volumes plus a couple O'Brian side novels before the year was up. Throw in some John Grisham, some science fiction and a couple computer manuals, and you have my year in books. Authors I read more than once: Arthur C. Clarke (2), John Grisham (2), Patrick O'Brian (22)
42 Books / 14,297 Total Pages

2007 Books
Another light reading year for me. Fargo decided they needed a new library; so they knocked down the one they had, and moved into a shoebook sized hole in the wall downtown. I started hitting Suzanne up for books to read. She has plenty but they're usually books I won't read myself. I also renewed my account at the University library. The theme this year was 'A look back'. I'm either reading books about History, or books/authors I've read before. Authors I read more than once: Richard Brautigan (4), Bill Bryson (2), Peter Carey (2), PG Wodehouse (2)
40 Books / 13,110 Total Pages

2006 Books
This was a very light year for me- the lowest since 1996. This may be the first year Suzanne out-read me, what with her Bookclub and free time. The theme this year seems to be Sci-Fi, Computer books, and Indians. Authors I read more than once: Stephen E. Ambrose (2), Brian Herbert (2).
36 Books / 12,864 Total Pages

2005 Books
I lost my hard drive on May 26, I had to recover my reading list and I also had to recover the code, which generates these 'reading' web pages. It turned out to be an easier task rewriting the code than remembering all the books I've read so far this year. Due to the Crash all my earlier comments are lost so the links to Amazon are even more important. Authors I read more than once: Stephen Baxter (4), Bill Bryson (2), Newt Gingrich (3).
61 Books / 21,000 Total Pages

2004 Books
A lot of computer technology books. I like learning new things, and there is no better way for me to learn new computer technologies than to curl up with a good 'Hacks' book. Authors I read more than once: John Grisham (2), Frank Herbert (3), Eric A. Meyer (3).
61 Books / 17,159 Total Pages

2003 Books
I start a Civil War reading kick. Authors I read more than once: Issac Asimov (2), Dan Brown (4), Brian Herbert (2), Frank Herbert (2), Owen Parry (3), James Patterson (3), Ralph Peters (2), Jeff Shaara (3), Bob Woodward (2).
66 Books / 24,167 Total Pages

2002 Books
Liberal to Conservative and everything in between. Authors I read more than once: Thomas Berger (2), Caleb Carr (2), Robert Cowley (2), John Grisham (2), Edward Rutherfurd (2).
65 Books / 17,560 Total Pages

2001 Books
This was the year Suzanne started a book club at the League of Women Voters. I was reading along. I also started rereading my Delany books. There are so many books to read, that I'm not one to reread books, but I really wanted to relive these books. Authors I read more than once: Stephen E. Ambrose (2), David Baldacci (6), Orson Scott Card (3), Samuel R. Delany (7), Brian Herbert (2), Mark Twain (2).
61 Books / 22,022 Total Pages Total Pages

2000 Books
Authors I read more than once: Gregory Benford (2), Ben Bova (2), Caleb Carr (2), Tom Clancy (2), Joseph Heller (2), Elmore Leonard (2).
60 Books / 19,855 Total Pages

1999 Books
Authors I read more than once: Winston S. Churchill (7).
66 Books / 22,118 Total Pages

1998 Books
"Complexity" was one of the most influencial books I've ever read, but I didn't quite understand it until weeks after I read it, hence the low grade. Every where I looked I started to see what they were talking about. I was reading a lot of Winston Churchill's books- I guess I love history. Authors I read more than once: Gregory Benford (2), Winston S. Churchill (5).
35 Books / 13,460 Total Pages

1997 Books
Authors I read more than once: Dave Barry (2), Orson Scott Card (5), Tom Clancy (2).
47 Books / 15,541 Total Pages

1996 Books
I'm starting to read more and more computer books. Authors I read more than once: Christopher Buckley (2), Tom Clancy (2), Peter Maas (2).
40 Books / 11,287 Total Pages

1995 Books
Authors I read more than once: Issac Asimov (3), Jack Higgins (5), Paul Johnson (3), John Le Carré (3), Anne Rice (2).
45 Books / 15,677 Total Pages

1994 Books
I didn't read much this year. I must have been busy. Authors I read more than once: Ben Bova (2), Tom Clancy (2), Arthur C. Clarke (2), Vladimir Nabokov (2), Anne Rice (3).
35 Books / 13,482 Total Pages

1993 Books
Leading off with Rush Limbaugh you can see a definate rightward slant to my reading this year. Authors I read more than once: Stephen E. Ambrose (2), Tom Clancy (5), Allen Ginsberg (2), G. Gordon Liddy (3).
67 Books / 24,654 Total Pages

1992 Books
Suzanne and I were sharing our reading lists. I was taking more input from my sister. She turned me on to Anne Rice and John Fowles. I talked her into reading Dickens. Authors I read more than once: David Feldman (2), John Fowles (3), John Grisham (3), Jack Kerouac (6), Vladimir Nabokov (3), P. J. O'Rourke (2), Anne Rice (5), Philip Roth (3).
71 Books / 23,485 Total Pages

1991 Books
Authors I read more than once: Richard Brautigan (3), Louis-Ferdinand Celine (2), Arthur C. Clarke (2), James Edward Corbett (2), Vladimir Nabokov (18), Philip Roth (2), John Updike (4).
67 Books / 19,420 Total Pages

1990 Books
This looks like the year I discovered Ayn Rand, Vladimir Nabokov, and Richard Brautigan- Wow! The reading database is updated each time I head to the library; this is why many books share the same date. Authors I read more than once: Douglas Adams (4), Martin Amis (3), Richard Brautigan (9), Robert A. Heinlein (2), Ernest Hemingway (3), Herman Hesse (2), Jack Kerouac (2), W. Somerset Maugham (2), Vladimir Nabokov (7), Ayn Rand (3), Philip Roth (2).
83 Books / 24,499 Total Pages

1989 Books
Around this time I got a flat file database for my Macintosh call "Record Holder", which was a nice little database but wasn't very powerful. One of the first databases I created was a reading database. I went back to my notebooks and inputed all the books I could find. I hunted down all the books in our house, which I read. A couple years later when I got "Panorama" I transfered the reading database to this more powerful platform. My comments are getting longer, but if you want more information about the book, click the title or the book image for links to Amazon. Authors I read more than once: Joseph Heller (2), Milan Kundera (2), W. Somerset Maugham (2), Kurt Vonnegut (2).
68 Books / 14,167 Total Pages

1988 Books
Each time I head to the library I'm writing down all the books I read in my 1988 journal. This is why many books share the same date. Authors I read more than once: James Joyce (2).
48 Books / 11,922 Total Pages

1987 Books
In 1987 I'm keeping better track of the books I'm reading. Each time I head to the library I'm writing down all the books I read in my journal. This is why they all share the same date. Authors I read more than once: Edgar Rice Burroughs (3), Samuel R. Delany (3), Allen Ginsberg (4), Jack Kerouac (3), W. Somerset Maugham (3), Hunter S. Thompson (2).
67 Books / 14,423 Total Pages

1986 Books
1986 started off strong but it looks like I stopped recording the books in my journal. It's possible, but not very likely that I didn't read much this year. The dates are more circumspect than 1985. Authors I read more than once: Arthur Koestler (2), Mary Steward (4).
30 Books / 9,621 Total Pages

1985 Books
1986 started off strong but it looks like I stopped recording the books in my journal. It's possible, but not very likely that I didn't read much this year. The dates are more circumspect than 1985. Authors I read more than once: Issac Asimov (2), Harry Harrison (2).
30 Books / 9,621 Total Pages

1980-1984 Books
I read a lot of books while I was in college, and not just text books. I did not start recording the books I read until 1985. The dates listed are usually just a guess as to which quarter I might have read the book. Some books were noted in my journal, so have better dates. It appears a lot of the dates were choosen so the books would group by author! Authors I read more than once: Brian Aldiss (2), Issac Asimov (6), Edgar Rice Burroughs (5), Arthur C. Clarke (2), Samuel R. Delany (11), Graham Diamond (3), Philip Jose Farmer (5), Joseph Heller (2), Larry Niven (2), William F. Nolan (2), Andrew Rooney (3), Carl Sagan (3), Alvin Toffler (2), John Varley (2), Kurt Vonnegut (14), Jack Williamson (2), Tom Wolfe (7).
125 Books / 38,222 Total Pages

Pre 1980 Books
These are some of the books I remember reading as a kid. I also had a little blue spiral bound notebook that I keep track of books. I know I transcribed it into this database, but I'm sure there are hundreds of books I read during elementary school, Junior High and even High School, which are not listed. I wrote few comments, so if you want more information about the book, click the title or the book image for links to Amazon. In some cases Amazon does have additional photos of the books, particularly old out of print books, such as these- they have been shared by Amazon's customers. Authors I read more than once: Issac Asimov (7), Jerome Jr Beatty (2), Erik Bergaust (2), James Blish (4), Larry Bortstein (2), Ben Bova (2), Ray Bradbury (2), Edgar Rice Burroughs (31), Arthur C. Clarke (4), Vic Crume (2), Samuel R. Delany (5), Harry Harrison (2), Robert A. Heinlein (7), William Hess (2), Richard Hooker (3), Victor Hugo (2), Edward Jablonski (2), Robert Leomis (2), William F. Nolan (2).
176 Books / 42,265 Total Pages