These posts are my informal observations of the books that I've read over the past eight years. Since 2001, I've read 965 books. This blog began in January of 2009 as a way to keep track of and make connections with what I've read. I don't read to kill time or to keep my eyeballs busy. Favorite topics include history, Utopian thought, exploration, literature, Africa, and books that are out print or out of favor. I also make an conscious effort to read books translated from other languages on a regular basis. — Tracy Datlen
Goal. To get all of the books I've read corralled into one place with just enough info to keep each book in mind. If I post one book a day and keep my annual reading to just a couple books a week, I should be able to catch up in five years or so.
Notes & Quotes. These originate from note-taking while reading. After completing a book, I use the notes to compose something brief to help me remember whatever struck me. Usually I've written a one-line synopsis and a couple of comments, other times just a series of notes, and sometimes quotes from the text. I also keep track of where I found the book and why I chose it. What appears in this blog are the summaries that were written within a day of reading the book and cleaned up a bit. If any more recent observation is included, it so is noted.
What This Blog Is Not. This blog is not a series of full-blown reviews, precis, in-depth analysis of plot lines or the psychology or political leanings or sexual orientation of authors. Instead, I take the books as I find them without bringing in back stories or psychoanalysis or outside opinion. Here, the books speak themselves and I speak for myself.
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