I Read 107 Books When I Was 10, And Some Of Them Surprise Me

When I was ten years old I decided to keep a reading log. I wish I had kept one all growing up, but at least I have a little window into the past. I rediscovered the notebook the other day while unpacking after moving.

Highlights

When I was 10, I read Pride and Prejudice for the first time. I actually read it twice: in the Spring/Summer, and also later that Fall.

Never one to let labels of age-appropriate reading deter me, I read not only The Hobbit but the entire Lord of the Rings series, and a few other J. R. R. Tolkien novels. Lest you think I only read novels generally considered “great works,” I also read books such as There’s a Snake at Girl’s Camp. I don’t remember it, but surely it was pivotal in my personal literary formation.

The View from Saturday may have been my favorite book–it is the only book on the list that has a star and a “very good” next to it, and I also read it a second time.

I read 5 novels from the Wizard of Oz series, Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series, and all eight novels from the Anne of Green Gables series. Even then, I liked to binge on my favorite authors. And like now, I read all genres, though I had a soft spot for fantasy. Unfortunately, it’s been a while since I had time to read 107 novels in a year, though I still tend to read at least 60.

Perhaps someone’s reading habits at the age of ten can tell you everything you need to know about her. If so, feel free to browse through the entire list.

The Reading Log

Other Reading Log Glimpses

When I was ten, I also wrote a list called “Books read in Past.” I suspect these were books I read at the age of 8 or 9, which I wanted to remember having read. I also attempted to keep a reading log at the age of 11, but suffered from inconsistency, and only wrote down 10 books that year (though I likely read around the same number as at age 10).