rachel’s blog

On December 27, 2005, I sat down with my journal and a pen to develop some New Year’s Resolutions for 2006. One of the resolutions I listed was to “read one book a month.” I knew it was a very reasonable goal, but since I hadn’t been reading much more than the newspaper (and a random book now and then), I knew it would take persistent effort to develop this as a regular practice in my life.

Unlike the other resolutions I made for 2006, I actually achieved my goal of reading one book a month… and then some. By the end of the year, I had read a total of twenty-five books. I discovered half of those simply by browsing at the public library, and in fact, I borrowed 23 of the 25 from the library. (The other two I bought at a thrift store!) I selected two books from the New York Times’ “Best Books of 2005″ list, and I also sought out two books by Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri. The remainder I learned about in a variety of ways.

I would recommend almost all of the books I read last year, but if I had to choose my favorite, it would definitely be “The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade” by Ann Fessler. The title is quite self-explanatory, and the book is both well-written and incredibly fascinating!

Occasionally I have asked people what books they would recommend, and invariably their initial response is, “Well, what kind of books do you like to read?” Silly people. I want to know what books THEY like to read! Besides, I don’t limit myself to one genre, so I’m never sure how to answer the question. I know I often enjoy biographies, but if you look at my list and can help me find an answer for the “what do you like to read” question, let me know!