Dorothy R. (obsidianfire) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 133 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 11
Amazing, funny book that everyone who reads should read. How can any reader not love a book about reading and books! I was going to keep it and try to tackle all the books she reads in her year of writing this, but to be honest, while I love her writing, her reading tastes bore me. There was only one she read that I have already read and loved which was "Kitchen Confidential". The only other book she mentioned that I have read, she didn't read. Which is "Confederacy of Dunces". So while I'm not keen on her tastes in reading material, her writing about them and her experiences along the way is out of this world good!
Natasha F. (Vasilly) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 12 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 10
This is such a great book! People either love it or hate it. Here's the thing: if you're looking for just a list of good books to read and nothing more, put this book down and pick up Nancy Pearl's Book Lust. If you don't mind something more, then you've found the right book. Sara Nelson decided that she was going to spend one year reading a book a week from a list that she made. Instead she learned that you can't pick your books, books pick you. So instead of reading the books that she was "suppose" to, she feel in and out of love with books that fit her mood. She shows how for alot of readers (including myself,) that you read what fits your mood. Sara Nelson shows a very honest portrayal of her reading habits, such as: loving a writer's first novel and hating the next, not reading classics, refusing to read anything on any bestseller's list or reading anything that is overhyped, being careful what you recommend to someone to read, and also learning how to put a book down if it doesn't speak to you instead of trudging through it. "So many books, so little time" is a great book and highly recommended. You'll walk around everywhere with it until you're finished.
Bren (Breninithaca) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 377 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 8
I had a hard time getting through this. I could only read one or two chapters at a time and then needed to take a break. I think the book was way overhyped...the author's goal was to journal her reading experiences for a year, but it ended up being a pretentious name-dropping fest "oh i know this author" or "oh i know the actor who was in the movie made from this book" yada yada yada. I did find a few good books to read among her choices, though.
Julie K. (julie) -
Helpful Score: 7
I think this is one of those books that you either like it or you don't. I happened to love it. She was insightful as to how readers often act and feel toward their books. I love how she called her books " my books are my secret lovers, the friends I run to to get away from the daily drudgeries of life, to try out something new and yes, to get away, for a few hours, from him (her husband). He doesn't need to know that my books are the affairs I do not have." I don't know about other readers, but I found this to be sooooo true in my life. LOL
R B. reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 203 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
The author comes across as hypocritical and whiny in my opinion. She is constantly contradicting her choice of weekly read and the way she chooses it. She also really gives me too much information into her bi-ethnic jewish-japanese household and its problems. I really am not interested in her life, I just wanted to know what she was reading.... and I'm not really interested in that anymore either.
Kerry K. (mistysmere) -
Helpful Score: 5
This book is not about the books the author read in 1 year, it's about the process of choosing a book and the emotions you associate with a book and the way you life influences a book. Overall, I thought it pretensious and filled with name and book dropping. I was actually annoyed that this woman never provides you with an actual list of what she read during that year. She is just the type of person who would use the phrase "unwashed masses" on a regular basis. I will say that there are 2 entries in the entire book that make it worth paying for. I'm only taking the time to add one book to my TBR pile from this book.
Cassandra T. (dreamweaver2040) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 28 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I think the author's definition of what qualifies as a good book didn't jibe with mine, but in any case I really didn't like this book! I stopped halfway through, which I almost never do. Ironically, it was one of the tenets of the author that prompted me to do it: she says that a sign of maturity and freedom is to be able to set a book down that you don't like, no matter how much or little time you have invested in it. So I got some good advice after all!
ShawnMarie M. (ShawnMarie) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 78 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I found this book to be very dry reading, not at all what I was expecting. Very disappointing.
Savi -
Helpful Score: 3
Sara Nelson is a delight. Great book detailing her "Book a week" project. Very interesting & inspiring.
Dannielle I. (dani) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 52 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This is the best book about books that I've read. She really gets what it's like to be a book lover!
Susan M. reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 5 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
The author of this book decided she would read one book a week for the next year. However, this book is not so much about what she read during that time as much as what she learned about herself through her choices.
Kathleen A. reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 41 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I enjoyed this book. It was highly relatable to anyone who enjoys reading. The book was more about the process of picking out books and how people treat reading than the actual books. There were a few times when she completely gave away the ending to some books which led me to scratch them off my list of books to read.
K E M. (Rampallion) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 158 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Fun, breezy, chatty book about the surprises and joys of reading.
Andrea R. (catsaresmarter) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 32 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
For those who love to read, this a one reader's experience choosing books to read and how reading adds so much to our life. It was very enjoyable to share the love of reading that we all have!
Joey S. (Joey) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 404 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I adored this book. Fun, easy, and enlightening for all who love to read. Delightful.
Sandra D. reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 14 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
wonderful essays about the joys of reading ... and owning way too many books!!
Jennifer P. (jenners) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 121 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
A fairly interesting book about....reading books. The author has a lot of different approaches to discussing the subject (what you get from acknowledgements, ways of choosing your next book, the dangers of recommending a book to someone, etc) and ways of thinking about books that I enjoyed but I would have liked a little more depth in areas. Also, I hadn't heard of a lot of the books she read so I couldn't tell if we would be "compatible" in our book tastes. Would have been helpful to know. Also, some of the books she described that I would have liked to read, she "gave away" the endings which bothered me. Was a bit thought-provoking though, and I would love to see other authors/readers try this approach!!!
Mandy D. (MLLoudRed) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 33 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author writes openly and humorously about her year of reading. Gave me some good ideas to add to my TBR pile.
Becky M. (BexsBooks) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I am posting the unpopular opinion. I did NOT like this book. I found the author to be pretentious and self-serving with a lot of filler in an attempt to be clever and witty. I stopped reading it when she was ranting on about how she never finishes a book that didn't meet her high and well-educated standards. I took her advice and stopped reading right there...and I am usually one who finishes most books I start just so I can feel I've accomplished something. Nope, not this time, and I don't feel one bit guilty about it either.
Laura B. (Donura) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I didn't think there was another person that had such similar tastes as I did. There are times when friends have liked one or two books that I loved but not consistently like Ms. Nelson. Not only did we like the same books for the same reasons but we also didn't like many of the same books. Amazing.
Most bibliophiles will relate to Sara Nelson's humor. That alone makes this an enjoyable read. The only reason for a three star rating is that all readers' tastes are different and thus her suggestions are hit and miss. Like others, I had intended to hold onto this book, but simply have too many books and too little time.
Janet E. (janete) -
Do not read if you are looking for a read-alike to David Denbys Great Books or Harold Blooms How to Read and Why. Do read if you are a kindred spirit of Sara Nelson, self-described bookaholic, whose memoir details her plan to read a book a week and to write about that experience. These year-long challenges that turn into books seem to be a genre in themselves: think Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle a Year of Food Life. But thats OK, its fun to meet One of Us, even though my reading universe rarely intersects with Saras. But her often funny ruminations as to why she reads for fun, for intellectual stimulation, for emotional intensity, as consolation for lifes disappointments are all spot on. Read this book and then give it to a fellow book freak.
Karen D. (KarenInMaryland) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 28 more book reviews
A must read for anyone that enjoys reading. This is a fascinating look inside the thoughts of a fellow reader.
Callie R. reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 5 more book reviews
I enjoyed this book and found a lot to relate to, since I too am a book crazy wife with a non-reading hubby. I've read a lot of the books she talked about here in her reading year so that also added interest. Basically though this is a collection of essays or journal responses to the books she reads throughout the year. A fun and easy read that expanded my ever-lengthening booklist, I took notes while reading it to remember things she mentioned that I too want to check out. I actually got something recommended to me by this book from the library today!
I had high hopes for this book for I'm a passionate reader. I love books. I know I'm preaching to the choir because why would you be at Paperbackswap if you didn't love books too. I expected more. The best thing I can say is the author has a breezy, easy to read style of writing. The negatives - This book didn't have anything new or interesting. It was a series of essays. I tried to get through it, but I couldn't bring myself to finish this book. It just didn't catch my interest. And as the title says "so many books so little time", I decided to give this away so that I can concentrate on other books.
Kelsey T. reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 16 more book reviews
I muddled through it somehow................
Jean S. (readmore) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 141 more book reviews
A fun read for any bibliophile.
Kathryn (Kmarie) -
great book for a book lover!!
Merisa A. (nvangel) reviewed So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading on + 162 more book reviews
this was a good read
