In a previous post, I mentioned that I was working on a time-consuming year end books read project. Well, it took a lazy 3 day weekend of below-freezing temperatures to actually stay in, focus, and finish it. I’m very excited to have finished this before the year 2014, which was looking like a bleak reality.
At the end of last year I was trying to think of a way to creatively present my own “best books of 2007” list. My list wasn’t limited to books published in 2007, just a list of books I loved in 2007. In fact, there aren’t many books published in 2007 on the list. A few of the books are books I re-read this year, rather than read for the first time.
While reading New York magazine I came up with the idea to make a flow chart. (They do a lot of very cool flow charts.) I went through my list of 70 books read in 2007 and highlighted the ones I loved. I then had a list of 33. (It would seem I either love a book too easily or am very good at selecting books I will love. I think it’s both.)
I’ve tried to structure the flow chart so a user can navigate through a few questions to determine which of my favorite books they might enjoy too. This is far from a perfect science, and isn’t trying to be. It’s just for fun. There’s no guarantee that you’ll like the book that you reach at the end of the flow chart, or that you haven’t already read it. You can always start over and pick a different path.
Some of the determining questions are lame and all are oversimplified. As I said, it’s just for fun. Also it’s much better for you than those medical flow charts that lead me and other anxiety-ridden hypochondriacs to think they’re going to die of an aneurysm.
That being said, I hope you find it enjoyable. If you decide to try it, I’d love it if you would drop me a comment and let me know what book the chart said you should read.
The best way to view the flow chart is to follow this link: (make sure you magnify it to the full size if your browser shrinks it to fit in the window)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2302/2211239856_903712e2ae_o.jpg
I’ve also posted it as a picture here, but it will be much too small to read unless you open it up full size.
I just saw your flowchart for 2007, and it is awesome! Hope you are able to make a flowchart for 2009 :) Looking forward to seeing it!