The Year So Far…

It’s not long until I have my latest bloggerversary (five long years…), but that joyous occasion is usually ignored, coming as it does at the turn of the year.  I thought then that it might be nice to slow down and reflect now, at a time when I’m feeling less rushed than I have been of late.  And, of course, having recently passed a milestone also makes this a good time for a round-up…

Last week I brought up the century, 100 books down for the year, just half-way through October.  That’s not too shabby and is comparable to the pace set over the last couple of years.  The big change though has been in the percentage of translated fiction read and reviewed on the blog.  You see, of those 100 books, only eight were originally written in English…

It’s not a statistic that should really come as a surprise (to me or my readers).  The last two years have seen an increased, wider focus on literature in translation on Tony’s Reading List, starting with my participation in the IFFP Shadow Panel last year.  Where previously I had only really read a lot of German- and Japanese-language novels, 2012 and 2013 have seen a much more varied diet of literature in translation.

Recently, however, I’ve decided that it’s just a bit too much (8%?  I could start a new backlash blog…).  In fact, at times, it seems that I’ve actively been avoiding Anglophone writers and picking up anything with an exotic feel.  Next year, I’m pretty sure I’ll be picking up a few more English-language books – it’s definitely time to catch up with some neglected writers…

Another change this year was in the number of review copies falling into my letter box.  In previous years, I’ve had the odd whinge about not getting freebies, but while I’m still ignored a bit (especially by bigger publishers), I’ve received many more review copies this year.  In particular, some of the newer, smaller publishers of translated literature have approached me to review books – obviously my fame has spread 😉  Still, at around 50% of my total this year, review copies have taken up far too much of my reading time.  It’s time to cut down on ARCs and try more of what I really want to read, regardless of when it was published.

So, what do I want?  Well, don’t expect major changes…  As mentioned, I’m hoping to try more English-language writers (Tóibín, Banville, Hollinghurst), and I suspect that the library will be getting more of a workout next year.  Here in Melbourne, we have an excellent library service, and I really should use it more (it came in very useful both during the IFFP reading and my period of Spanish-language literature education earlier this year).

An area that has really suffered over the past few years is rereading, and I’m constantly telling myself to rectify this – why have a big personal library of books if you’re not going to reread them?  I’ve recently reread several books, and I’m really enjoying rediscovering the works on my shelves.  Also, if they’ve already appeared on the blog, it means I don’t have to write another review 😉

As for the blog itself, I doubt there’ll be too many changes.  Next year, once again, I’ll be trying to restrict myself to two posts a week to protect my health and my sanity, and I’m sure I’ll be taking part in the usual challenges (Shadow IFFP, Japanese Literature Challenge, German Literature Month).  Will I be holding my own challenge, January in Japan, again?  Quite possibly – we’ll have to see…

This New Year’s Eve then, the blog will be five years old, and that seems like a very long time.  I  have to admit that I’ve often thought of giving it all up this year, especially with five being such a nice round number.  In all probability though I’ll carry on – it’s become a big part of my life, and it’s nice to be part of a like-minded online community who have a passion for something I enjoy.  There’s a fair chance that I’ll be reviewing translated literature for many years to come 🙂