"Thoughts of Joy..."

This has been such a fun, productive book year for me and I wouldn't be where I am today without all of you! I have read so many books, been introduced to fabulous new-to-me authors, met so many interesting people, learned loads of important (and some not-so-important) stuff and in general, just have had a fabulous time blog-hopping in this blogworld of ours.

The following are a few stats that I gathered for this special occasion:

STATS: July 1, 2006 thru July 16, 2007
My 1st posting date was July 16th, but I included books that I read from July 1st. This post is my 160th.

Total Books: 114

I am elated with this total, yet I will wait for December 31 for my accurate calendar yearly count.

Rating 5 (Absolutely Excellent) ~ 2

I'm really disappointed in this total, but this year has been quite unique due to the fact that I have participated in challenges to stretch my reading habits. Stretching has most definitely been accomplished.

Rating 4 (Very Good) ~ 45

I'm happy with this. I actually think it's very good considering the challenges.

Rating 3 (Just Okay) ~ 43

Books that I rate as 'just okay' are just that ... just okay. They aren't bad, but they aren't good either. I'd really like to see this diminish.

Rating 2 (Not Enjoyable) ~ 17

Blah. Seventeen books that weren't enjoyable.

Rating 1 (Don't Bother) ~ 7

If you have browsed through my blog, I bet you can guess what genre of books fall into this category!

BOiPod (Books on iPod) ~ 38

This has increased dramatically over the last couple of months. School's out and so am I. Walking outdoors as I listen to a book is pure joy!

Book Give-Aways (Actual Books Received) ~ 3
Wonderful blog owners have blessed me with books. What a terrific way to brighten my day! Thanks again!

Challenges ~ 12

This is the major culprit of my stats. Participating in the challenges has been a great way for me to branch out and explore new territories. I found so many great new authors this way and also found my disdain for classics. Hey ... at least I gave it a try and a good try at that! Seriously, I am very pleased with all my choices for all the challenges. I chose them all for specific reasons and I'm good with that. The challenges have been a lot of fun and I'm glad I participated; however, I do not plan on joining anymore for a while. I really want to concentrate on doing some spontaneous reading and boosting my "Absolutely Excellent" ratings.

New-to-Me Authors ~ 90

This is one of the best parts of the year. I loved reading new authors and discovering new styles and techniques of writing. This was the impetus to start the 2nds Challenge.

My thanks go to all of you bloggers out there for contributing to my spectacular blogging year!