Awkwardly Social

I made a more modest goal of reading only 30 books this year because of the upcoming baby of doom which will explode my reading schedule into a million pieces come July. All my star ratings and books I’m currently reading can be found on my Goodreads page.  All links on this page and other reading list pages are Amazon Affiliate links. All other reading lists can be found by clicking this category called “Reading Lists.”

25. Half a Life by Darin Strauss (10/15/12)

24. Rumors by Anna Godberson (10/11/12)

23.  Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin (10/9/12)

22. The Baby Sleep Solution by Suzy Giordano (10/5/12) I don’t think I’m strong enough to do this method.  It seems much easier if you’re exclusively bottle feeding.

21. The Underneath by Kathi Appelt (10/2/12)

20. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (9/28/12) LOVED this.  It took me two tries to get into it and when it was over I was a little annoyed at the to be continued ending, but yeah, I can’t wait to read the sequel.

19. Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Melinda Blau (9/3/12) I totally disagreed with a lot of the advice in this book.  Like A LOT of it.  Just read Happiest Baby and you’ll be fine.

18. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (8/22/12) Well.  It is kind of good?  But totally needed an editor. A professional editor.

17. The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp (8/9/12) Pretty much you should just watch the DVD.  The book is way over written and all you really need are the techniques to calm your baby.  And in truth we really only used them for 2 difficult weeks (4-6) and after that Moses was pretty happy without swaddling or shushing or swinging, etc.

16. You Take if From Here by Pamela Ribon (7/3/12) I basically inhaled this book in one sitting.  Even though the book has an inevitable conclusion, I sobbed.  SOBBED.  So well written and well realized.  LOVED this book.

15. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (6/10/12) I loved when she wrote actual stories about her childhood.  The cow insemination story made me cry I was laughing so hard.  The conversations with Victor?  I just don’t love them and her blog and this book were FULL of them.

14. Hynobirthing: The Mongan Method by Marie Mongan (5/14/12) Ha. NO.  It’s pretty much The Secret for giving birth and yeah, I’m WAY too cynical to believe that if you change your vocab about labor and delivery, you’ll change how you feel the pain.  I’ve had cramps, lady, you can’t visualize that pain away.  BELIEVE ME, I’ve tried.

13. The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain (5/6/12) This reads like the person who wrote it really wants to get into infomercials.  It’s not well written, it’s very rah rah change your diet and your life will be so much better!  I am curious about the science behind it.  He talks about all the research his team has done and then never footnotes the actual studies.  I’m not saying he didn’t do that research, but um, I’d like to see all this “evidence.” All that said, I will probably give this a try because a woman I work with has gone from 29% body fat to 19% with Paleo and Crossfit in 3 months.

12. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (4/15/12) Seth loved this book as a kid.  Loved it so much that he was furious when the movie came out and “ruined” Mary Poppins. I read it and was like, woah.  Mary is kind of mean and weird and vain and the kids are afraid of her, but love her anyway.  I so did not love this book. Give me my Disney Mary any day.

11. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (4/2/12) I found myself really liking this book and learned a lot.  I wrote about it here, here, and here.

10. What to Expect When You’re Expecting by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel (3/25/12) Ugh. This book is maybe good if you have it lying around and no access to the internet and need to look up some random symptom, but other than that, I did not like it. Thankfully, it was a free kindle Amazon loan, so I didn’t pay a dime for not liking it.

9. Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott (3/14/12) I was surprised how it seemed such a 2004 time capsule, I don’t remember her first book on faith to be so “of a time.” But it ended up not bothering me. I really liked it. Even though I have no spirituality or faith, myself, I find it oddly comforting to read about others’ faith and spirituality.

8. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey (3/13/12) I got a creepy Christian vibe from the book, not sure why that stuck with me, but there you have it. (Maybe it was the common thread of first person stories that mentioned church and the women giving up their jobs to stay home with her kids mixed with the random Bible passages throughout? I don’t know.) I sort of knew everything he had to say and he really drags it out. It could basically be written on a pamphlet. Have a budget. Stop using credit. Have an emergency fund that you only use for emergencies. Pay off your debt using the snowball method. Save a bigger emergency fund. Invest 15% of your income towards retirement. There, now you don’t have to read the book.

7.  The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science by Natalie Angier (3/11/12)  So, given the fact that it took me 9 months to finish this book… it’s OK. I love her writing style and think her book Woman: An Intimate Geography should be required reading in high school health class, but this book was a little tough for me to get through. (Ha, obviously.) The book covers everything from Chemistry to Astronomy and covers them all in the way you wanted your high school teacher to teach you, but for some reason I would start reading a new section, be all excited and then sort of blank out until about 2/3’s of the way through the section.  You’ll like it if you were a science nerd in Junior High.

6. Fire by Kristin Cashore (2/29/12) This is not a sequel to Graceling but it is part of the same world, with only a little crossover in terms of locations. I liked it, it has strong female characters and a decent love story, but it’s pretty predictable and sort of draggy in places where you’d expect it not to be draggy.  That said, I will definitely read the next one.

5. Sippy Cups are Not for Chardonnay by Stefanie Wilder-Taylor (2/20/12) My sister’s friend Cassie gave this to me and I really liked it aside from a couple of weird semi-racist moments, which may or may not have been super in your face sarcasm?  (Chinese kids will turn into bad drivers! And be good at math! Busboys were labeled as “Mexican busboys” because then you’d know they work hard and don’t get paid very much? ANYWAY.) It’s a fun and funny read and will come in handy when I’m sobbing at 4am because the baby has decided he’s up for the day.

4. Cruddy by Lynda Barry (2/5/12) This book is relentlessly dark, but I found the main character so likeable and awesomely bad ass that it made it a really griping read.

3. Your Best Birth by Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein (1/28/12) I read this because I’m feeling woefully unprepared for labor and after watching their documentary The Business of Being Born, I thought maybe I’d feel a little better about the whole thing if I did some further reading. But, I feel like even though they claim to want the best for you and your baby, they do a lot of fear and shaming towards women who are interested in epidural and non-midwife births. That said, there is some good information about what to ask for should you want an all natural birth.

2. Crossed by Ally Condie (1/15/12) Eh, it was OK. I kept getting the plot mixed up with Divergent for some reason and could not remember the world established in Matched very well. She didn’t do a great job of re-establishing that world for people like me who forget details the instant the book is returned to the shelf. I guess if I read them back to back that wouldn’t be a problem. 

1. Murder in Italy by Candace Dempsey (1/7/12)  I don’t read a lot of true crime because it always reads like someone’s 6th grade research project, but this case fascinated me. I only knew a little about it, because it broke around the time when I really didn’t watch TV. And I recently watched the Lifetime TV movie about it starring Hayden Panitierre which was laughably bad. The book definitely helped clear up some of the questions I had about their changing stories, the evidence chain, etc. But it’s about 100 pages too long. Also, I checked it out from the library and about a quarter of the way through mysterious blood colored stains started appearing on the pages and that kind of freaked me out.

All past reading lists can be found in this category cleverly called Reading Lists.  Welcome to 2011! (NOTE: All links are Amazon Affiliate links which means if you buy a book after you’ve clicked over from here, I get paid a small percentage for sending you there. If that bums you out, just think, most of the time I use that money to buy books for libraries in need via their Amazon Wishlist.)

45. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (12/28/11) I read this while suffering through pregnancy and jet lag and it was a semi-entertaining way to spend the 3am waking hours, but it didn’t fully pull me into the world.  Something about the main character rubbed me the wrong way and the way the author doled out information made me think I kept missing something. But it might be a good read for you Twilight fans out there.

44. How to Be An American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway (11/12/11) I wanted to like this but I found myself hating every character from the Japanese mother, to her GI husband all the way through her daughter, her son and her granddaughter. I feel like it was a good attempt but everyone rubbed me the wrong way.

43. Matched by Ally Condie (11/07/11) I liked this, I liked the world but I agree with a lot of the reviews I’ve read about it after the fact.  The main characters are really under developed and while the world is interesting it is a little unbelievable.  That said, I read it in one sitting.

42. What is the What by Dave Eggers (11/06/11) I didn’t like this as much as a lot of people did.  By the end I found myself picking up just because I’d invested so much time into it already. It’s definitely a good jumping off point though for further reading about the Sudan and the wars there.

41. Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me: And Other Concerns by Mindy Kaling (11/01/11) I really liked this and several times found my self laughing so hard I was wheezing.

40. Enclave by Ann Aguirre (10/16/11) I read this in one day and I think I need a little break from the dystopic future YA genre, but it still had some good moments. Just a little predictable and not quite as developed as I like.

39. The Luxe by Anna Godberson (10/16/11) This is a total guilty pleasure read, but I really liked it. It’s sort of Downton Abbey meets Gossip Girl.

38. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (10/9/11) This was the first time I’ve read it, and it was so charming. My sister and her best friend Cassie LOVED this book when we were kids, but for some reason I never read it. I’m sorry I didn’t. I loved it.

37. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (10/7/11) I really liked this book. It could have all felt very convenient, but I loved the way she weaved the stories. I think I read Behind the Scenes at the Museum years ago, but I don’t remember, so it’s on my to read list again.

36. The Fertility Diet by Jorge Chavarro (10/3/11) Another in my fertility education stack of books.  It’s a good common sense read based on the Nurses Health Study and it kind of felt like I knew most of what was in the book before hand, but it was nice to hear it again and be backed up by science.

35. Divergent by Veronica Roth (10/1/11) I really liked this YA dystopic future novel, maybe even more than the Hunger Games.  Not sure why, but it probably had to do with the love story and the main character being more tuned to my preferences. Tris is badass, but she’s also freaked out by some of the shit she has to do. I recommend.

34. The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis (9/27/11) This is a good reference book for people interested in using acupuncture to supplement their infertility treatments or in lieu of doing invasive procedures.  Sidestepping Western medicine isn’t an option in our case because of our diagnoses, but I think had our diagnoses been a little different, and had I not had a miscarriage earlier this year, I might try the acupuncture only route.  As it is, I’m going with acupuncture supplemental route and am really happy Naked Jen convinced me to do it. It’s kind of like therapy without all the talking.

33. IVF: A Patient’s Guide by Rebecca Mathews(9/25/11) This should have been the first book I read about IVF.  I know a lot now, and this book would have been a more neutral source for me to read. It marks the final book in my “Strictly about IVF” stack, so that’s a relief.  I still have a few about diet to get through before this is all over.

32. One L by Scott Turow (9/25/11) This was really dated, and was a little sexist and a lot whiny, but I did appreciate the author’s brutal honesty about his experience and how he behaved and reacted to being in the most prestigious law school in the U.S. I preferred Ivy Briefs, though, maybe because it was written in this century and by a woman…

31. The Magicians by Lev Grossman (9/22/11) Harry Potter for adults is being too generous in the overall description. I think Grossman does a good job of world building, but the characters left me cold.  I never felt like I could connect with any of them. It also felt too referential to C.S. Lewis and Harry Potter, it felt like the actual Harry Potter references were way too self conscious.

30. IVF: The Wayward Stork by Sarah Tursi and Lea McCarthy (9/20/11)  Another entry in my “educate myself on this complicated medical procedure” reading list. This was recommended on some site as a good guide for women going through IVF, and I’d have to say those people have zero patience or low threshold for reading things, because while it does spell it out, it is very brief. Very brief. Please don’t tell me I’m going to have to write my own book on this.

29. The Passage by Justin Cronin (9/15/11) My chief complaint is length related. It’s good long in some parts, I really liked learning about Carter’s back story (I thought he could have gotten to the point about 50 pages earlier) but then why did we then spend another million pages with Babcock being the guy destroying everyone. Seriously, if there is a sequel, I’ll probably read it, but come on Justin, if I’m seeing a gun in the first act, it better go off in the 3rd. And if you use a damned crossbow instead, I will throw that book at your head. Consider yourself warned.

28. The Couple’s Guide to In Vitro Fertilization by Liza Charlsworth (9/14/11) I’ve been feeling really uneducated about IVF so I purchased about 8 books to help me understand the process and what I should be doing to maximize my chances of getting pregnant through this very expensive and very emotionally taxing process.  This book has a few good chapters, and does a pretty good job of explaining all the steps, but there is a weird tone throughout about how women should treat their partners, reminding us (scolding us?) that they are having a tough time too. And we should make sure they pamper us, but don’t forget to pamper them.  It felt like I was getting advice from some 1950s time capsule and it made me want to throw the book across the room a few times.  That said, there are a few chapters I want to make Seth read, so he understands the process, because I don’t think he gets it yet.

27. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld (9/5/11) So good and fun.  Great exploration of the vampire trope.  Highly recommend for a guilty pleasure read.

26. 10,000 Steps A Day to your Optimal Weight by Greg Isaacs (9/2/11) This book should be about one page long and read, go outside and walk more you lazy slob.  Seriously not worth the paper it’s printed on.

25. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (8/27/11) Super nerds, you guys are going to dig the shit out of this book.  I really liked it.  And I hope they make a kick-ass movie out of it.

24. Fledgling by Octavia Bulter (8/27/11) Uh.  Hmm.  Well.  This book is a pedophile/polygamists paradise.  I got the distinct impression Octavia was somehow defending the polygamist FLDS sects through her vampire novel and it creeped me the fuck out. The heroine is a 53 year old vampire but her physical body is about that of an 11 year old, and I feel like we’re expected to identify with the dude she mesmerizes and bonds to herself and fucks - even though he’s 23 and thinks she’s about 11. WTF? So weird. Also, I found it weird that there’s graphic hetero sex, but same sex sex is sort of a fade to white situation.  So basically, Octavia, may she rest in peace, is cool with a dude getting down with an 11 year old, but if she gets down with a woman, fade to white.  I don’t know, man, it’s a weird book. To top it off the edition I read has some serious typos. Just as some icing on the cake.

23. Bossypants by Tina Fey (8/25/11) I pretty much loved this. I think the only thing it was lacking was more of it.  I wanted more. Also, I wanted her to talk shit about the hosts on SNL she hated having to work with.

22. Permanent Midnight by Jerry Stahl (8/23/11) At first I really liked it and Jerry, then I really despised both the book and Jerry, and by the end I was just exhausted.

21.  The Help by Katherine Stockett (8/21/11) Ok.  So I read this knowing that a couple of people I consider friends in real life LOVED it.  And that pretty much every other review I’ve read of it called it racist and reductionist.  So… yeah.  It was a lot of things.  To me, it was suspenseful, it had some laugh out loud funny moments and the characters were about what you’d expect.  I found the concept of a white woman writing the stories of black (and white) women from an era she was on the outside edge of, pretty naive.  But, I also think if you want to write something, you want to tell a story from YOUR perspective, please, by all means, do so, but then don’t also write in the voice of the women you think you know.  Am I sad that there aren’t more novels written by black women that explore this complicated worker/employer relationship? Absolutely.  Am I glad Katherine Stockett wrote THIS book, actually, yes, because maybe it will encourage women of all backgrounds to explore their stories and write them down.

20. The Coffin Dancer by Jeffrey Deaver (8/14/11) My sister gave this to me as a good guilty pleasure mystery, and it totally delivers.  All of the characters are well drawn, the mystery has enough twists to keep you really surprised but not so surprised that you’re like, come on now… I recommend if you’re into this sort of book.

19. House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski (8/11/11) This was a re-read, and I have to say, the first time I enjoyed it way more.  This time I felt myself sighing and groaning at some of the ridiculous footnotes and asides.  Also, I’m concurrently reading Permanent Midnight and I found the Johnny Truant character sounding WAY too much like Jerry Stahl in some passages and I would get irritated that it was a complete ripoff.  But all of the stuff in the actual house, when they’re actually exploring is still so riveting, and when I got up after I was done to put the book back in the library, I got freaked out walking down the hall.  So, I won’t heartily recommend this book anymore, but I haven’t completely written it off.

18. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (8/5/11) This is a great YA novel sort of in the vein of the Hunger Games, but more towards Game of Thrones in the world it takes place in.  Really liked the protagonist.

17. Charm City by Laura Lippman (7/31/11) I liked this one better than the first one in the series, it’s a slightly predictable mystery, but still a fun read.

16. Game of Thrones by George Martin (7/29/11) I tried to read this before the series finished, but life got in the way.  I really liked it.

15. And Here’s the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers on their Craft by Mike Sacks (6/22/11) I’m not normally labeled “comedy writer” but I do write for a comedic reality show, so I consider myself one.  And this book has some great information in it, kernels of wisdom from people I absolutely adore (Jack Handey and Larry Gelbart (RIP), I’m looking at you!).  If you write comedy, or you love comedy or you just like reading interviews, this is definitely something you should pick up.

14. Spoiled by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks (6/6/11) This would have been like crack for me in about 7th grade.  Very frothy and fun.

13. Taking Charge of Your Fertility Toni Weschler (6/5/11) Well, I am now reeeeally familiar with cervical fluid and temperature tracking.  Also, properly timed intercourse.  If I don’t get pregnant this cycle, I’m going to start tracking.

12. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet (6/2/11) I have no idea why people are calling this book a masterpiece and Oprah is recommending it other than it is really, really long.  It is also really, really trashy.  Like Valley of the Horses trashy.  And rape-y.  I liked a lot of it though, and until the end thought it was decently written, but when he starts doing flash-backs to stuff, he does it really terribly and hackily.  All that said, if you have a big beachy vacation coming up or a really long boring train ride to fill, it could be the perfect read.  But get it on your kindle, because this book is effing HEAVY.  979 pages heavy.

11. Confections of a Closet Master Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado (5/23/11) This was a welcome relief to read after all the stuff I’ve been reading about lean protein and whole grains.  Nothing like an injection of butter, white flour and pure sugar to cleanse your palate.  The parts I think a lot of people will enjoy - her dishing about Hollywood and how much she hated every single thing about it (besides all of her insane perks) - are the parts I thought sounded like the lady doth protest to much-ing.  But whatever, it’s a cute little memoir.

10. 8 Weeks to Optimum Health by Andrew Weil (5/22/11) I’m doing some of the things he suggests in this book, bringing fresh flowers home, eating more fruits and vegetables, and it’s inspired me to try to make time for cooking and taking a walk at lunch instead of just sitting at my desk all day.

9. The Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto (5/20/11) I randomly found this when I was searching for information on metabolism and how to keep your body from slowing your metabolism down.  It’s basically an embarrassing self help diet book, but ummm, I really liked it.  It sort of took a lot of my fear about always being just a little unhappy with my weight and made me realize that yeah, if I want to look a certain way, I’m going to have to change what I’m eating.  Paired with the Kessler book below, some good progress on my mental front has been made.

8. The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler (5/15/11) I think Linda recommended this and since I’ve been struggling with the office kitchen, the office cupcake and cake issue and the office food truck situation I decided  read it.  It goes on a bit too long about the food industry and the “solutions” section is a bit short, but it’s a good first look at what we’ve done to our appetites and therefore our bodies by eating processed food.

7. Dirty Secret: A Daughter Comes Clean About Her Mother’s Compulsive Hoarding by Jessie Sholl (2/9/11) This was recommended by Finslippy, and I really liked it.  It was equal parts fascinating seeing the world of a hoarder through a daughter’s eyes, and also seeing the daughter’s own dysfunction through her own eyes.  I recommend it.

6. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (The Underland Chronicles, Book 2) by Suzanne Collins (2/6/2011) I didn’t like this one as much as the first one.  I thought some of the suspense and the misdirection was too obvious how it would all turn out, but I am not exactly the intended age group/audience… so there you go.  This does not mean I won’t be finishing the series.  Once I start something I finish it.  Except for you Wheel of Time saga, except for you…

5. Gregor The Overlander (Underland Chronicles, Book 1) by Suzanne Collins (2/5/2011)  My sister gave this to me for my birthday (another kindle edition) and I loved it.  My 9 year old niece is really into the series and I can totally see why, it’s a mix of Alice in Wonderland, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM, Chronicles of Narnia, and maybe a little Harry Potter.  Highly recommend for kids.

4. Baltimore Blues (Tess Monaghan Mysteries) by Laura Lippman (1/27/2011) My sister gave this to me for my birthday (kindle edition) and it’s pretty entertaining.  I was expecting it to move a little faster, but maybe that’s because it was my first time reading on the kindle?  I don’t know.  It’s definitely pulpy guilty pleasure material.

3. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (1/21/2011) I adore this book.  It’s very much Jane Austen with a more modern feel.  I highly recommend it.

2. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami (1/3/2011) There is some fascinating insight into the mind of a runner and a writer.  I learned a lot about his process and saw a lot of myself in him as a runner.  Recommended for runners and people who live with runners.

1. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall (1/1/2011) I really enjoyed this.  It’s entertaining, informative and made me want to get my ass out there and start running again.  Recommended for runners.

Here we are again.  Last year was a reading bust. Let’s just move on, and imagine this will be the year I get back in the groove, shall we?  All reading lists can be found here. (All links are Amazon Affiliate links unless I made a mistake and forgot to use the right link.)

38. Unchartered TerriTori by Tory Spelling (11/28/10) I love Tori, and this is a really honest look at her marriage and her work ethic.  I totally related.  Which is weird because she is so different, but yeah, lots of good stuff in here.

37. Half Baked by Alexa Stevenson (11/26/10) The internet went nuts over this book this summer.  Most of the blogs I read know the other either in real life or through her blog, and I wasn’t familiar with her story or her blog, but I’m glad I read this.  She’s a great writer and it translates well into book form, I’m looking forward to more of her writing.

36. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (11/23/10) I liked this least of the three Hunger Games books.  I think there were too many easy outs, and the closer didn’t work for me, but other than that, this is a fun trilogy.

35. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (11/20/10) I liked this one (second in the Hunger Games trilogy) enough, but it didn’t have quite the power of the first book. I got ahead of the character too many times, and I really hate when signs are planted too obviously.  I’d rather things slip by a little more easily like they do in real life.

34. The Hunger Games: Book 1 by Suzanne Collins (11/17/10)  This is a fast fun read that totally hooks you right from the very first page.  It is a total rip-off of the general idea behind The Lottery, but despite that it’s well written, engaging and has great characters.  If you’re one of the three people in the universe who hasn’t read it, I totally recommend.

33. The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy by Mark Sisson (11/16/10)  I don’t fully subscribe to the idea that wheat is the reason for the downfall of human kind, but he does raise some good points.  I like the idea of eating only meat and fruits and vegetables, cutting out bread and pasta and potatoes, but it definitely causes me a little anxiety thinking about never eating a warm piece of bread with cold butter on it.  Which I think he understands, because he talks about the 80% rule.  Eat primal 80% of the time, and the rest will sort itself out.  After my cleanse, I’m thinking of trying it.

32.  An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: A Memoir by Elizabeth McCracken (11/14/10) I read this in a morning and cried a lot.  It’s excellent, harrowing, heartbreaking and hopeful.  I highly recommend it.

31.  Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain by Portia de Rossi (11/13/10) I loved this book.  It’s a painfully honest look at anorexia and one woman’s relationship to her body that will probably ring true to the experience of pretty much any woman who has ever considered herself less than for being more than a certain number on a scale or the tag of a piece of clothing.  It doesn’t touch much on the story of her recovery, which I think is something still so personal to her she can’t put words down about it, while the disease now feels distant and controlled.  I wanted to know more about how she maintains her life without the constant battle inside about her weight, but she doesn’t go there except to say she’s better now.  After her wife, Ellen, read the book she said, “You were crazy.  Make sure you tell them you’re better now.” Which, to me sounds hurtful and dangerous, but to her sounded sane and normal.  I think maybe she is better now.

30. Mommywood by Tori Spelling (11/13/10) I liked this almost as much as I liked sTORI Telling, but I think a person who already has kids and is trying to raise them in Los Angeles whether or not they’re famous would love it.

29. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (11/12/10) The first two books made me uncomfortable when the religious aspect was touched on, and this one really gets weird when the kids start to fall in love.  It felt child-porn adjacent to read about a 12 and 13 year old falling in love and kissing passionately down by the river.  So, yeah, I think the series is entertaining, the characters are fun and well written, but the religious overtones and the coming of age story line didn’t work for me.

28. Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself by Alejandro Junger (11/2/10) I read this for the cleanse I’m on, and recommend it if you’re interested in refreshing your intestines.  It’s got some good information, and is kind of inspiring, and I’m sort of a member of the Clean cult now.

27.  The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (10/31/10) This seems to deal with such grown up themes that I worry about the kids reading it.  I guess it’s no more children gone wild than Lord of the Flies, but wow, there were some violent scenes.  Which is to say, if I were reading this when I was 9, I would have loved it.  I loved it as a 34 year old, but as a 9 year old, it would have blown my mind.  The religious stuff is still kind of hokey for some reason, can’t put my finger on why I feel that way, just always feels like it’s being brought up as a Lesson.  Whatevs, totally loved this sequel.

26. sTORI Telling by Tori Spelling (10/29/10) I read this in one evening, I couldn’t put it down. She is funny and charming and smart in person, and she has managed to translate that to the page, which I don’t think people can fully understand how hard that is if they haven’t themselves tried capturing their own personality in the written word.  It’s poignant, funny, and she doesn’t hold back with the hard stuff - her failed first marriage and her relationship with her mother.  Highly recommend.

25. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (10/28/10) I needed some easy YA fiction to cuddle up to on my day off, and this did the trick.  Well written, great action, good characters, if a bit weird on the religious aspect.  I’d recommend it for a rainy day.

24. Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman (10/2/10) I bought this book about 10 years ago.  It was recommended by someone in film school, a professor?  A student?  10 years ago is a long time.  I finally got around to reading it, and occasionally Seth would read a page here and there while in the bathroom.  He and I both found it highly entertaining, inspiring and a great gossipy read about Hollywood, writing and the business.  Goldman wrote one of my favorite movies (The Princess Bride), and this book is now one of my favorite books about show biz.  Highly recommend if you want to know what we go through in this terrible company town.

23. ROOM: A Novel by Emma Donoghue (9/26/2010) Jennifer Weiner posted an interview with the author on her blog, and I was definitely interested.  I had to go to the bookstore (a place I try to avoid because I’m always bringing home stray books…) to buy a baby shower gift and when I got to the counter I asked if they had it.  Since it was an indie bookstore, I wasn’t sure if it would be available, but the helpful shopkeeper knew it and I bought it.  In hardcover.  And devoured it.  It’s the story of a boy who has been raised in captivity by his mother (the victim of kidnapping and rape) in a secret room, like the Fritzl case in Europe.  It’s told from the 5 year old’s perspective and it’s really captivating (oof, tough one…).  Pick it up, you won’t put it down.

22. A Journey to the End of the Russian Empire by Anton Chekov (8/10/2010) Is it too obvious to say that Chekov is a master?  I haven’t actually read much of his work, but this little tome of letters and non-fiction describing a journey to a prison island and the adventures along the way, is excellent.  Highly recommend.

21. The Business: A Novel by Iain Banks (7/24/2010) I’m not sure what to say about this.  It’s a fun read, but there is one personality/lifestyle flaw in the lead character that left me a little cold and made me dislike her as a whole, even though she was smart and kick ass.  Then to top things off, I felt like the final twist wasn’t explained well enough.  I didn’t get the connection with her lifestyle flaw and the twist, so it made me feel like and idiot. I don’t like feeling like an idiot.

20. Scoop by Evelyn Waugh (7/15/2010) This is on the Modern Library 100 Best Novels, and I had been wanting to read it for a while, because I loved A Handful of Dust.  This is such a smart, timeless, clever novel.  The characters, situations, and places all still ring true.  His wit is unmatched for me, and his razor focus on the absurdity of the human condition is next to perfect.  I struggled a bit in the middle section, partly because of what I’d just said.  I wanted to feel a little heart and I felt mostly like he was making fun of everything - something I think we can agree is also hard to find in today’s smart and witty novels - and then there he goes and puts the heart in, when Boot falls in love.  He happens to fall in love with a German con-artist who is completely using him, but he falls in love nonetheless, for the first time in his life.  It’s such a charming moment.  I highly recommend Waugh.  If you’ve never read his work, you must put one on your list.

19. Walking on Alligators: A Book of Meditations for Writers by Susan Shaunghnessy (7/5/2010) It’s filed under embarrassing self help in my goodreads library, but I will say, it has helped.  I’ve started journalling again, I started writing paragraphs of what might be a short story, it might be a novel, it might just be something to help me get something else going.  The truth is it’s pretty inspiring in a very simple way.  I recommend it if you’re struggling with getting to the place when you can just sit down and write.

18. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (7/4/2010) I’ve seen the movie about 10 times, but never read the book. It’s fantastic.  Totally lives up to the hype.

17. Victoria by Knut Hamsun (5/30/2010) I really liked this.  I like the way he describes the male/female relationships and the way we hurt each other intentionally.  One downside, I read the short biographical blurb about Hamsun after finishing the book and saw that he was a German sympathizer (they don’t say Nazi, but… it’s hard to disengage the two) during World War II, and that in his autobiography he talks about his trial for being a traitor.  I’ll be putting that on my to read pile, post haste.

16. Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl (5/30/2010)  I loved this book.  It’s an excellent read, and she’s a great writer.  I loved reading the reviews, hearing about her disguises and how she went to extensive lengths to go unnoticed.  I can’t wait to try the recipes from the book, and to read more from her.

15. Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis (5/27/2010) Like #13, I’m trying to read more sci-fi and Seth recommended this to me.  I kind of hated it at first, too British, too Victoria-dude-esque, and was going to abandon it, but Seth convinced me to keep reading.  Lewis certainly believes in God, but it wasn’t a preachy book about how humans are doing it wrong.  I really enjoyed it and now the rest of the trilogy is on my too read pile (which if it was an actual pile, would fill a room).

14. Going in Circles by Pamela Ribon (5/21/2010)  So this is weird.  I donated a few books during the latest Dewey Book Drive and Pamie e-mailed me and said I won a signed copy of her book, and I was so excited, but it never came.  And I was too, what? embarrassed?  shy?  socially awkward? retarded? to e-mail her and tell her I didn’t get it because I don’t want her to go to any trouble to get me a copy.  So on Wednesday while I was waiting for my friend to meet me for a movie I bought it.  And I raced through it.  I can’t believe I’ve been reading pamie for 6 years.  Hers was the first personal blog I read.  I loved the book.  I thought the characters felt full and realized and identifiable without being chick-lit charicaturey.  And there was so much I could identify with, when she’s going through her split and everyone around is trying to make sure she’s ok, and she has to try to be ok, when really she’s anything but ok.  It’s pitch perfect.  Good work, Pamie!!

13.  Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke (5/20/2010)  I love science fiction, but recently realized I actually don’t read that much.  And the stuff I do read is generally just re-reads of stuff I read before.  Seth recommended this one to me.  There were some weird details (Fey, the dog; George’s affair that’s mentioned only once, etc.) that were thrown in there without much reason, that kind of irritated me, but over-all I really liked it.

12. Tapping the Source by Kem Nunn (5/10/2010)  It’s a good read.  Good LA novel.  But it has its problems.  There is a plot twist (mystery revealed?) that feels a little lame and it kind of made me not like the end.  Read it if you like Point Break and surfing and books about LA.

11. The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories (Scribner Classics) by Ernest Hemingway (5/4/2010) The title story, “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” and “A Days Wait” were my favorite of these collected stories.  A few of the stories I didn’t connect with, but overall, I liked this collection.  The edition I read, however, felt like it was self-published, the font was weird and the spacing was claustrophobic.  I am itching for a Kindle.

10. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (4/17/10) I LOVED this collection.  Highly recommend.

9. Dreamers by Knut Hamsun (4/11/10) Excellent.  Fun characters, quick but satisfying read.

8. Sandman Slim: A Novel by Richard Kadrey (3/15/10)  This is a fun read.  Great characters, decent plot and just a good overall feel.  I recommend if you like the “LA is an undead haven” genre.   Think Buffy meets Christopher Moore.

7. Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves by Crystal Renn (3/9/10) She’s got an interesting story, going from unhappy straight sized model with anorexia to happy plus sized model with a better career.  I think because she’s so young, the book reads a little blowing smoke up our collective fat asses with all of the “love yourself at the size you are” rhetoric.  Call me cynical, I just found her story to be a little fresh to completely give her the credit for kicking her anorexia and being happy.  It was a lot of ado for not much actual growth.  She changes agencies and gains weight and now she’s fine?  I think this isn’t the last we’re going to hear from this girl, this story is not over.

6. The Virgin Suicides: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides (3/7/10)  This book is excellent.  I think he got a little bogged down  at one point without advancing story, but because the rest was so compelling I totally forgive it.  I highly recommend.

5. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (2/14/09) I got hooked immediately, and then things went downhill.  I felt like the female characters - Snowman’s mother, stepmother and Oryx - were all so simplistically drawn that I almost didn’t finish the book.  It has a really unsatisfying end, and the stakes never get to a point where you actually worry about Snowman.  You kind of want the pigoons to get him.  It’s got problems, this book, skip it.

4. The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears in Paris at the World’s Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn (2/7/09)  I was close to hating this.  It felt like it could have been a gossipy juicy memoir of the pain of going through an intense cooking program, but instead it felt like a sanitized news story that you’d see in the back of Parade Magazine. Might be good reading for a long wait at the DMV.

3. Magical Thinking : True Stories by Augusten Burroughs.  (1/30/10)  Loved this.  I liked Dry, but I felt much more connected to the writing in this one.  Just an excellent collection.

2. Just trust me, I read a book here.  I don’t want to give the author’s name or the title because we’re friends in real life and I know he has a google alert for his name, and I don’t want him to read my blog.  I loved his book.  Adored it.  I highly recommend it.  I just don’t want him to read the other dribble I’ve leaked all over the web here, because he’s a real writer, and I find myself slightly shy and embarrassed about the shit I plop on this page. If you want to know the title, I’ll tell you.  Just e-mail me.

1. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.  (1/2010)  I started reading this in 2009 so I’m tempted to put it on last year’s list, but then that would fuck with this year’s total, so, here it is.  First book of 2010.  I loved it.  I think it’s well crafted, well realized and the only part I felt cheated on was Callie’s reveal to her peers that she was now Cal.  But I forgive that.  Highly recommend.

Last year I only read 16 books? I’m trying to do better this year…  UPDATE:  And clearly… I failed.

14. The Crow Road by Iain Banks (12/08/09) Excellent.  The telegraphed ‘twist’ at the end didn’t hurt it at all. I really loved the characters in this book, and it made me want to be part of a sprawling Scottish family full of dysfunctional love. Recommended winter reading.

13. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver (11/27/09)  I mostly liked this book, but I did find a couple of her chapters irritating.  The one I found particularly offensive was about how women who work full time jobs and can’t find time at night to cook for their families are basically lazy and fucked up and fucking up their families by not being able to put a balanced organic meal on the table for them.  To which I say, listen lady, if you’ve ever worked a 12 hour day, had to take an hour bus ride home and hoped your kids made themselves some Top Ramen by themselves then you can talk to me, until then, you can cram your organic garden up your ass.  Other than that, she seemed earnest, etc.  I guess I just find her evangelical protestelitizing of wholesome eating kind of disengenous.  Especially when the picture of her ’svelte’ family on the back cover of the book looked like a bunch of doughy losers who don’t know what the word svelte means, much less working for a living.  Well…. I guess I’m a little more bitter about this book than I originally thought.  Hm…  Guess I won’t be recommending it.

12.  Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille (10/25/09)  There was a time when I probably wouldn’t have written about a book like this for the public eye.  I would have just hidden it in my dirty book drawer and returned to it when I needed a little “inspiration.”  But here’s the thing, this is a fascinating story, not to mention, twisted, dirty and well written.  It’s the best piece of erotica I’ve read, hands down, but it might not be your cup of tea.  There’s some graphic abuse of a priest, and… yeah, probably you might get offended by that.  Not to mention what they do to poor Marcelle.  Anyway,  I loved it.

11.  White Teeth by Zadie Smith (10/ 23/09) It took me almost three months to read this book.  It should have taken about 2 days.  So by the end I had totally forgotten what had happened in the beginning which was sort of important, and I totally don’t get the end now.  Because I drink.  So…  I guess that’s not much of a recommendation, but I really don’t blame the writing, because the snippets I was able to read of it in a single sitting were very entertaining.

10.  Women: A Novel by Charles Bukowski (8/1/09)  Reading this made me realize where Seth gets a lot of his vernacular.  It was disturbing and comforting.  I might go kill myself now.  After I have another drink.

9. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (7/30/09) I think if I had bombed through this faster the Victorian use of coincidence wouldn’t have irritated me as much as it ended up doing.  I really loved the characters, and the story is heart breaking, but god…  If I wanted to read Dickens, I would, you know?

8. A Song of Stone: A Novel by Iain Banks (4/15/09)  This is a really disturbing read.  So, of course, I loved it.  A civil war is raging, an incestuous family is caught in the middle and wow, the ending really brutalizes you.  He’s got a way with torture!

7. Rockabye: From Wild to Child by Rebecca Woolf (4/4/09) This is a nice counter point to the ‘mother-hood-is-beautiful’ and ‘I-love-my-child-full-life’ books and blogs.  She’s a good writer, and I think will continue to grow especially if she listens to some of the critics that accuse her of over-writing.  It’s the sign of someone who’s just figuring everything out and I think she definitely will.

6. Out Stealing Horses: A Novel by Per Peterson (3/30/09)  I love this book.  It’s a gut punch with a satisfying if a bit mystifying end.  Highly recommend.

5. Espedair Street by Iain Banks (3/7/09)  This has a strong start and keeps really good pace almost all the way through, but there’s something lacking for me in the last 3rd of the book.  I still recommend it for a vacation read though, and can totally see this being adapted for the screen.

4. Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch (2/15/09)  So, this is where masochism comes from.  There’s some great stuff in here, entertaining and heart-breaking, and wow, Wanda is quite a character.  Seth encouraged me to read it… Which is kind of hilarious because he’s not a masochist, but thought I would find it entertaining.  Which I did.  Also, kind of depressing.

3. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (2/9/09)  Seth has been talking about this book since we started talking.  I think I’ve seen all the modern film versions of the story, and the most recent live action one was my favorite, probably because it’s the most faithful to the story. There’s such intricate relationships explored and despite the overt anti-feminist slant and the racism, it’s a well told story.  It is great to read aloud, which I did in bed on Sunday while it was raining outside.  God, I love my life.

2. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (2/7/09) I expected this to be a little darker and examine her life as an alcoholic, bi-polar writer effected her relationships, etc. It was light, and didn’t talk very much about either of those things, except in vague relationship to the life she’s lead. I think the one-woman show would be fantastic, though.

1. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel by Haruki Murakami (2/4/09) The violence in this book is pretty graphically rendered, but the book is so good. There were a few times when I had to put it down and try not to think about things like men being skinned alive and baseball bats crushing skulls. Highly, highly recommend. There are a few things not specifically wrapped up, unfortunately, but it still is very satisfying.

16. The Mystified Magistrate: And Other Tales by Marquis de Sade (12/3/08) I’ve never read any of his pornographic novels, and don’t know that much about him except the stuff I can sort of recall from the movie Quill, so I thought all of his stuff was dirty. This is a fun read about a crooked judge who gets his comeuppance and how. The Marquis really hated judges. And he tortures this one good.

15. The Steep Approach to Garbadale by Iain Banks (11/15/08) I didn’t love everything about this, and the ending feels more than a little abrupt, but I do think it’s a good read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like the way he writes women, and I think his family dynamic is spot on.

14. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (9/14/08) My mom and my sister recommended this. It’s a good plane read. I found it a little too pulpy for my taste, but it’s a good replacement for Patricia Cornwell or any other hacky mystery writer who is currently failing you. (I’m not bitter. Not at all!)

13. The Wasp Factory: A Novel by Iain Banks (8/10/08) Loved this. It’s super creepy and has a twist ending that normally would irritate me, but for some reason it just totally works. Highly recommend.

12. 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith (8/9/08) 50 books recommended this, and while I liked the charm and the use of intersecting stories, it just didn’t complete do it for me. I’m sure part of that had to do with me taking over a month to get through it.

11. Geek Love: A Novel by Katherine Dunn (8/1/08) This was a re-read. I had been talking to someone about it, and then as I cruised through the Beverly Hills Public Library I saw a pristine hardcover copy on their book sale rack for one dollar (!) so I bought it. The first 100 pages are so strong that you can almost forgive the last 250, almost. I’d be completely surprised this hasn’t been optioned for screen rights. It’s cinematic and engaging, but needed a stronger editor (in my humblest of opinions).

10. Dry: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs (5/14/08) This is the kinder, gentler (and a little gayer) version of A Million Little Pieces. But I really liked it. He has an excellent and slightly uncanny way of telling a story that feels like he’s just sitting down and talking to you. I liked this.

(I am a little embarrassed about my reading list, thus far. Please forgive me. I gave up television and apparently my brain needed its trash quotient filled some other way.)

9. The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel (5/3/08) I have no idea what possessed me to re-read this. But I did. And I still cried at the same places I cried when I read it as a young lass. It’s not great literature, but for some reason I still really like this story. Sue me.

8. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich (4/20/08) I read a Stephanie Plum Christmas story for book club last year, and kind of hated it, so this one sat languishing of my shelf for quite some time. I started reading Cloud Atlas on the plane, but couldn’t get into it, so I cracked this one open and it was actually super enjoyable. I highly recommend it for travel or a nice vacation read. It’s a little over written in some parts, but it doesn’t feel long or too tedious, I can see why she’s a best seller.

7. A Dirty Job: A Novel by Christopher Moore (4/14/08) This was a book club read from a few months ago and I never had the chance to finish it. It’s actually pretty funny, if a bit predictable. I recommend it for a trip. Easy to read, the themes are easy to follow and the characters are all really fun.

6. The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice-cream God by John R. Powers (4/13/08) This was recommended to me and I thought I would like it, and I did like the first 100 pages or so, but it got a little tedious with the super-sarcastic dialogue and I missed a feeling of sincerity. I think that makes me a sap, but so be it.

5. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (3/23/08) It still made me cry, but the very end left me a little cold. I don’t know, something about it rang a little… trite, maybe? Or open ended in an ‘easy way out’ kind of way. I still really liked it though.

4. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (3/4/08) If you like Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, you really should pick this up. It’s referential to Austen and the Bronte’s but not in the way you find today. She had an ease with the landscape and the time. I adored the main character in a way I find rare in literature today. I highly recommend it.

3. If Loving You is Wrong by Gregg Olsen (2/25/08) I hoped this was going to be a trashy exposé about Mary Kay Letourneau, and it certainly tried, but boy did it fail. Oddly researched and horribly written, I should have given up after the first 100 pages, but by then I had invested so much time in it, that I kept reading. It didn’t get better. I guess that will teach me.

2. Play it As it Lays by Joan Didion (1/31/08) This is some dark shit. Her writing challenges you to step up and feel the pain. There are no halfsies with her, it’s brutal. I loved it. Your mileage may vary.

1. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin (1/26/08) It took me a long time to get through this, I started reading it before the break-up, and after the break-up I had no desire to read, especially since I knew that once I was done, it was one more thing that was finished. And that, my friends, is a lot of baggage to put on a book. I think I liked it. I had trouble with the constantly shifting narrator, mostly because I would put it down and then wouldn’t pick it up again for a while. I’ll probably have to re-read this at some point.

I resolved to read 50 books this year. I guess the list has to start somewhere. As always, recommendations will be in bold.

1. Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich. (1/1/07) What an inauspicious beginning to my reading list. I haven’t read any of her other books, but I thought they were mysteries sort of on par with the Patricia Cornell Kay Scarpetta series. I was wrong. It was a sort of light hearted/magical Christmas story, and since I’m a grinch I totally groaned and rolled my eyes through it. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.
2. Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner. (1/4/07) I’ve been reading so many books that I don’t really want to read but feel obligated to it seems, that when this one came to me from a friend and I ripped through it. I wasn’t entirely sold on “In Her Shoes,” and I liked “Good In Bed,” but felt she could really grow as a writer, and this book made that clear to me. Her style is easy, her characters are familiar and I really enjoyed it.
3. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. (1/7/07) This was the first time I’ve read this book and kind of saw through Charlotte’s ruse. She really isn’t sure she can save Wilbur, and it’s kind of terrifying. She’s hopeful, and she tells him everything will be fine, but you can see how she doesn’t really know for sure. It’s still completely heartbreaking that she dies alone. Such a well-crafted story.
4. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. (2/1/07) She is an incredible writer. I re-read this because I’m currently struggling through The Artist’s Way again and I needed her brand of humor and realism to make me see that writing is noble and worthy. I highly recommend this book.
5. The Book Thief by Mark Zusak. (2/10/07) This was a book club selection and I am wrecked. I was sobbing just a few minutes ago. It reads a bit like, strangely enough, The Little House on the Prairie series. I guess partly because of the rationing, partly because it’s YA and partly because of the way things were meticulously described, and partly because the main character is a bit like Laura (and I mean that in the best way possible, I’m a huge Laura Ingalls Wilder fan). I’m still mulling over the narrator of the book and whether or not I found him/it irritating. I can’t decide. I highly recommend.
6. 4 Months to a 4 Hour Marathon by Dave Kuehls. (2/24/07) I might be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder about my marathon training from a year ago, because reading this book made me want to curl up in a ball and die. I don’t think I’m ready to start training for another one yet.
7. The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer. (3/1/07) There are parts of this book that really make you cringe, the writing is just that awful. But then she can get it so right in a few of the parts, it’s kind of highly readable. I don’t recommend it, but it was the trashy lit fix I needed.
8. Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary. (3/5/07) Yes, this is a YA novel for 9-12 year olds. I absolutely adore the Ramona series, and I must say Beverly Cleary is partially responsible for me turning out the way I did. She is a brilliant YA author, and I owe so much to her for writing these amazing characters that even 20 years later still pop off the page and ring absolutely true. I hope my nieces will read her books when they get a little older and enjoy them as much as I did when I was a kid.
9. John Adams by David McCollough. (3/12/07) It took me forever to read this, but I’m glad I did. His life covers a part of American history that I think gets glossed over and glorified, but isn’t really understood by most Americans. It’s quite a love story, too.
10. The Secret Memoirs of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by Ruth Francisco. (3/14/07) This was a book club selection and a trashy one at that. It was almost not worth reading, but I guess there’s something satisfying about the tabloid nature of it. I will say it definitely made me curious about how Jackie really did put up with Jack’s philandering.
11. Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. (3/17/07) I implore you to read this book if you are a woman who is around 30 years old and not sure if her life is going the way she planned. It spoke volumes to me. Gilbert’s voice is familiar and kind and you want to be her best friend. I loved this book.
12. I am Legend by Richard Matheson. (3/18/07) I so wanted to love this book. It was my pick for April’s book club and while it was mildly scary and mildly entertaining, it suffers from some weird 1950’s male stuff. Like the lead character trying not to rape all the vampire women… I know it’s as weird as it sounds. So, not my favorite vampire book or end of the world book. But interesting look at the male sci-fi author of the 1950s.
13. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. (4/21/07) I’m not sure I loved this book, but it’s helping for sure. I’m glad I’m done with it though, it was embarrassing to have in my book bag.
14. On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt. (4/21/07) This is really more of a bound essay than a book. It’s definitely something for word nerds and people interested in meaning and usage. I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who isn’t one of those.
15. Wigfield by Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello and Stephen Colbert. (4/22/07) This is a fun read, highly amusing and definitely a good book to give to someone who has read everything. I got it for my birthday two years ago and finally got to it, I’m glad I did. Most excellent.
16. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (5/17/07) This is a memoir about a girl coming from an extremely disfunctional, dirt poor family and how she made it out alive. It’s an amazing statement about how kids will really love you no matter how horribly you treat them and how screwed up you are, if you tell them they are a survivor. I recommend it. It’s brutal, and parts are hard to read because of that, but she does an amazing job of giving the story without whining about how hard her life was.
17. The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters. (5/19/07) I like the Amelia Peabody series a lot, but I think I like listening to them as audio books better. I think for the rest of the series I’m just going to get the audio version. If you like fluffy archaeology mysteries, these are the books for you.
18. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. (5/22/07) I raced through this book. It is a must read for writers. It will have a special place on my book shelf.
19. Foreign Affairs by Allison Lurie. (5/27/07) This was a Nancy Pearl recommendation. It wasn’t something I would have picked up on my own, but there are some very subtle and funny moments in it. It was a Pulitzer Prize winner and I tend to think that prestigious award is not necessarily the best reading list. So… I sort of enjoyed it and I pawned it off on my sister.
20. Ivy Briefs by Martha Kimes. (5/28/07) My sister gave me this to read after she finished it, she knows the author from one of her forums. I think she gave me the book to warn me off of my law school dreams (mostly because she told me that I should read it before I go to law school), but it did quite the opposite. It’s a fun read and a great insight into the experience. Now I can’t wait to take the LSAT.
21. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. (6/2/07) This is lauded in some of the top 100 SciFi lists and there was another book by Willis that was recommended to me so I thought while I was waiting fo the other one I picked this up. It’s a great story, and actually less SciFi and more romance, but it never actually gets to the point of being great Fiction. I think the story would be much better if the editor had taken a strong hand and deleted at least half of the repititious description. It reeked of lazy writing, not only was there a shit load of repitition but the repitition was almost word for word identical, as if Connie liberally used the cut and paste feature to beef up her word count. Anyway, that aside, it’s a fascinating look at the past and the future. If you’re looking for something to read on the plane or at the beach, I recommend it.
22. Uglies by Scott Westerfield. (6/4/07) I loved this! It’s a great YA novel, with a great concept. Highly recommend to those of you who like YA.
23. Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson. (6/28/07) This is a fun, racy read that combines the best parts of chick lit, vampire stories and romance novels. There were a few character problems with the main character, Davidson couldn’t seem to remember what she had written about her in the first few chapters so it made the characterization a little uneven. That said, it still is a good summer read.
24. Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen. (6/30/07) This was a good first step into comic books/graphic novels for me. I think my big problem with the medium is my inability to get the pacing right when I’m reading them. It’s hard to change focus between art and words and I think that’s my issue with the medium. It tends to feel ‘off’. That said, the art is amazing in this book and the story is pretty well told. I think it suffers a bit from the three main Guards not seeming distinct enough in voice. I’ll probably read the sequel.
25. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory. (7/26/07) Well, it’s entertaining. And it’s a fine example of how historical fiction can actually make you want to learn what really happened, but the middle is SA-LOW. There is a long 250 pages where absolutely nothing happens and boy does it feel drawn out and repetitious. I think it’s a fun summer read, but I don’t know if I would call it good.
26. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (7/27/07) I hadn’t read this since it came out, and I forgot how scary it was. I’ve seen the movie several times and when it’s on HBO I tune in because I think it’s fun watching the kids sort of figure out how to be actors. As far as the book goes, excellent. No matter what people say about the series and the crazy fans, Rowling is a talented world builder and she deserves her billions.
27. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. (8/2/07) I think it’s about 150 pages too long, maybe 200. That said it does really kick you in the emotional nuts. I’m kind of glad it’s over. I was getting kind of sick of the Harry Potter mania. My biggest complaint about the book is the 19 years later epilogue. It seemed unnecessarily confusing and more poorly written then the rest of the book. So, it gets B-/C+. (I used to hate it when my professors split my grade like that. It made me want to smash things. Which is it, professor? PICK.)
28. French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mirelle Guiliano. (8/5/07) This is a delightful read on top of being a diet book. I think it holds a lot of great information about French culture and how we as Americans have no sense of what pleasure is. I recommend it for pretty much anyone who struggles with weight and diet and even life.
29. Dune by Frank Herbert. (8/19/07) This is another sci-fi book that I can’t believe I haven’t read until now. It took me awhile to get through it but I’ll probably return to it next year for another pass, so much dedicated world and social building that a lot was missed. Excellent.
30. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. (8/30/07) This was a book club selection. I finished it a week late. I liked it, it was a fascinating look at the Mormon religion, but I think it veered too far into the exploration of the Lafferty murders and would have been fine without that framing device. I liked Into Thin Air and Into the Wild much better.
31. The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank. (9/1/07) Melissa Bank is the kind of writer every writer should aspire to be. This book has just the right number of words in just the right places. She knows how to make you laugh, how to spare you, how to cut you with a knife. I loved her first book, and this one I love even more. I read somewhere that it took her eight years (or somewhere around there) to write this book, and she felt really bad about it, but she wasn’t the kind of writer that could just churn something out. It was the perfect amount of time. I’ll wait patiently for the next one, it will be worth it.
32. Timbuktu by Paul Auster. (9/2/07) This was another Nancy Pearl of NPR recommendation. It’s actually a pretty depressing read. Wished it was a touch longer. I don’t know if it’s one I would absolutely recommend, but if you’re a dog lover you might like it.
33. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. (9/4/07) Highly, highly recommend. I’ve been avoiding reading this one because I can be a bit on the squeamish side (one time in health class I almost passed out because we were talking about compound fractures, and when my mom was in the hospital some time ago for a routine procedure I saw her IV and swooned a little, ok, a lot). But I soldiered through it and it is highly entertaining and really not as gross as I expected. I am seriously considering donating my husk when I die.
34. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. (9/5/07) I didn’t love this. It had some really great moments, the lobster bits particularly, and some really unstellar ones. Mostly I think it suffered from trying to incorporate semi-unrelated stories from her life into the whole ‘project.’ I read it for book club which I’m hosting this month. I think it was a solid first effort for a blogger turned author, but I kind of wish it would have risen above that designation and just been a good book.
35. Little Children by Tom Perotta. (9/9/07) Loved this. The movie adaptation was actually really true to the book. It’s a semi-scathing look at marriage and the suburbs and the way we treat each other. I recommend.
36. Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington (9/23/07) I really didn’t enjoy this one. It’s part of the 101 in 1001 to read 20 of the Modern Library’s 100 Greatest Non-Fiction works, and it felt like homework. It’s part of that tradition of Reconstruction/Post Reconstruction African American Literature that I abhorred in college, and continue to loathe now.
37. Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card (9/25/07) I needed a little fiction after the last book, and I hadn’t read Speaker for the Dead in a long time. I love this book, almost as much as I love Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow, not quite as much as I love Pastwatch. If you like science fiction and you haven’t picked up Card because you think he might be too Mormon for your taste, you are missing out. Great novels.
38. The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene (9/30/07) I liked this in the beginning but it definitely just plods along and never gets to the climax you expect or hope for. Interesting read, but not something I’m likely to revisit.
39. Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande (10/2/07) Highly recommend. It’s a great book for struggling writers. There is no coddling, no wishy-washy tactics, just plain wisdom for people who are having trouble. It was written in the 30s so it has a bit of a dated feel when she talks about typewriters, but it is a charming datedness.
40. Water for Elephants by Susan Gruen (10/6/07) I enjoyed this a lot. It’s got some interesting complex characters, but I’m kind of tired of the old person looking back on their past story-telling device. It seems kind of lazy, and it definitely allows you to predict the ending in a lazy way. It’s a cheat, and it’s one for the masses, I wish authors would avoid it.
41. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. (10/7/07) I don’t know how I feel about this book now, it’s only slightly different than I remember it from reading it way back when, but those differences make me almost hate the lead character. Further, I love the movie, how’s that for being annoying.
42. I, Claudius by Robert Graves. (10/27/07) The book doesn’t really start making sense to me until the last 100 pages or so, up until then I struggled to remember who was related to whom, etc. I think anyone reading this book who knows a lot about the history of Rome will enjoy it much more than I did.
43. A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. (10/31/07) I loved this book. I love his writing style. I love that he had a gripping, harrowing story to tell and he told it. I hate Oprah. I hate that she shamed him on national television because she felt like a big ol’ dupe. I recommend this book, even if it isn’t entirely true. The part of the story that suffered the most for me was the love story. It wasn’t that it didn’t feel authentic, it just felt too raw, too close to the surface. That being said, I still think people should read it.
44. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. (11/05/07) I put off reading this because I was so disappointed in The Doomsday Book, also by Willis. But I shouldn’t have. It’s a delightful read, possibly a too little slow in the start, but once it gets cooking it’s a mystery, a time travel book, a comedy of manners, and it’s all so very Victorian and British. Highly recommend, especially if you liked the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde.
45. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. (11/09/07) The first 200 pages are engrossing and just trashy enough. Sort of Bronte meets V.C. Andrews. I liked the next 100 pages well enough but I could tell a twist was coming and I knew I wasn’t going to like it. When the final twist does come, it feels a little cheap, a little un-set up, but I think as a whole this is a great winter by the fire read. I enjoyed it.
46. The Boy Detective Fails by Joe Meno. (11/13/07) This is a great read. It feels like all the things you wish you could write when you think about writing a great quirky, sad novel. One of my favorite parts was when a super-villain is talking about the plan for world domination beginning with the implementation of right angles, and right angles only. It was an exquisite passage. Please read this book.
47. Naked in Baghdad by Anne Garrels. (11/15/07) This has been on my book shelf for about 3 years. Louie read it when I first got it, and I was about to read it about a hundred times. I’m almost glad I put it off for so long because at the time the war was still so fresh and confusing, now with a little perspective it’s amazing to see how the warnings from the Iraqi public fell on completely deaf ears. The power vacuum we created by overthrowing their government and getting rid of all the Baathist’s no matter their true loyalty is why there is a civil war going on there now. I highly recommend this book. The writing is spare and gritty like Garrels is as a reporter and it’s quite a harrowing look at the invasion, the lead up to the invasion and the brief look at the aftermath is so telling.
48. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (11/24/07) It took me a while to get into the rhythm of this, but once I did I really liked it. Definitely an interesting read.
49. Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster (11/27/07) I never would have picked this up if it wasn’t on the Modern Library list. It’s actually a charming read, and it made me ponder taking an English Lit class. It’s instructive and it’s a good resource for writers, too.
50. The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois (11/30/07) An interesting contrast to the Booker T. Washington book. It’s amazing how if you start going down a path of literature and snake back and forth through periods of fiction and non-fiction how they can meld together and feed each other. I found myself very removed from this book until he talks about the death of his first born son. It’s a moving chapter and one that finally touched me and let me in. Reading the early chapters on Reconstruction and our government’s failures to the people of the South, brings a sharp lens to the lessons we should have learned so long ago, but are trying to fumble through again in Iraq. Obviously two very different situations, but still coming to the same mighty end of blood shed and Civil War. If only we had a leader in the White House who knew anything about history, or you know, could read.
51. Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx (12/4/07) I loved most of the stories, but there were a couple that felt a little too unfocused and opaque. That said, it’s an amazing collection and one I’ll probably turn to often for inspiration. Brokeback Mountain is so heartbreakingly spare and slightly underwritten, and it totally made me cry.
52. Triangle by Katharine Weber (12/13/07) I had this at the bottom of the pile to read when I got around to it, thinking the library would let me re-new it indefinitely, because I had never heard of I couldn’t imagine any one else would request it. Then on Monday, I got an e-mail from the library saying I better pony up with the book because someone had requested it. I am so glad they did. I want to gush and go on and on about how this is maybe my favorite of the books I’ve read this year, but I don’t want you to be turned off by it. The premise is simple, the last survivor from the Triangle Shirt Waist Factory Fire of 1911 is on her death bed, and there are some long standing questions about her story and her recollection of the events. The way Weber weaves this story with her two main characters is incredible. The male lead is a composer who writes symphonic music based on genetic code, viruses and other natural occurring phenomena. The female lead is his lover and the granddaughter of the fire survivor. It wasn’t until after I finished it that I realized Weber had written the book the way a composer would write a symphony. There is an amazing use of repetition that at first bothered me, but then I began to see as totally brilliant, and later saw as quite possibly genius. I loved this book, people. I read it in a couple of hours and can’t wait to read it again. Highly, highly recommend.
53. The Autobiography of Mark Twain by Mark Twain (12/23/07) This was an interesting read, charming but a bit unfocused. I liked the way it kind of skipped around but by the end I was a little tired of keeping track of who was who.
    

One of my resolutions this year was to read 50 books. Add to that from my 101 in 1001 list to read 20 books off of the Modern Library’s 100 Greatest Non-Fiction Books List and all of the Modern Library’s 100 Greatest Novels List.… I’ve got a lot of reading to do. Recommendations are in bold.

Currently Reading:
The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams. Just pulled this off the book shelf for my new book to read in bed.

The Brethren by Bob Woodward and Scott Armstrong. I’m loving this so far.

Finished Reading:

1. Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress by Susan Jane Gilman. (1/1/06) Highly recommend this memoir.
2. The Summer I Dared by Barbara Delinsky. (1/12/06) Ok. The only reason I’m not recommending this is because it’s a romance novel and I know most people look down their noses at this genre. But I actually (ssshhhh, don’t tell anyone) liked it, although I couldn’t be more different than the main character. I now want to live in Maine and raise Angora rabbits. Shut up! I do!
3. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray. (1/19/06) I liked this book well enough, but it was just a bit too YA for my taste. It struggled I think by trying to play to an older audience, but writing as though this older audience was stupid. I really liked the premise though and won’t be suprised if this book is optioned and made in the next couple of years.
4. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. (1/22/06) I don’t know if I actually should recommend this book, there must be one on the time period and the situation of women in China that does it better. It felt like a poor man’s Chinese Memoirs of a Geisha. A cheap knock-off. But the description of how women bound their daughter’s feet so fascinated me, it was pretty much all I could talk about all weekend. The rest of the novel falls short of the mark. It felt like it was a short story that got turned into a sloppy novel. The reason I’m recommending it though, is all the ‘lily feet’ descriptions, which is a shame because I think the author really wanted you to be fascinated by the ’secret language’ that women had. Unfortunately she didn’t make the way this language helped these women gripping enough, or important enough to their lives. If you read it, tell me what you think.
5. The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas. (2/1/06) I read this book because it’s on the Non-Fiction List and I highly recommend it. He occasionally bogs down in technical/scientific language, but with the ease and aptitude of a talented writer he manages to bring it back to the average readers level. It’s entertaining and moving, much more than I expected from a book ostensibly about biology. I really can’t say enough about it. Read it.
6. The Reef by Nora Roberts. (2/4/06) I’m embarassed that I actually read this. It’s terrible. The setting was what sucked me in. Caribbean, diving for treasure…. and blech predictable outcome, easy to find plot twists and AWFUL character development. Why do people read Nora Roberts? She’s awful. And a bestseller. I am very worried about the American people.
7. Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. (2/19/06) Yes, this is YA. Yes, I read it in under an hour. I actually got this book from Paperbackswap because I hadn’t read it since I was a kid. If you have a daughter aged 8 to 12 who likes horses, Marguerite Henry in some form should grace their bookshelves, and this is as good a place as any to start.
8. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf. (3/10/06) I picked this one to read because it was short. I have now become one of those annoying people that look at the back of the book, then the spine, to check for plot and ‘thickness.’ This was my introduction to Ms. Woolf, and I have to say I was underwhelmed. She wrote from an interesting place, but basically, reading the introduction by Mary Gordon, I was far more captivated and intrigued. My favorite part of the whole book was in the introduction, where Gordon quotes Woolf’s reasons for writing these essays, “I wanted to encourage the young women-they seem to get fearfully depressed.” ha! It’s funny because Woolf drowned herself… Oh, you get it? Great. I would recommend this to anyone who likes reading about Jane Austen. Fascinating analysis of the conditions under which Austen wrote.
9. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert O’Brien. (3/11/06) I read this when I was a kid and it blew my mind. I’m always a little nervous when I re-read something that I once loved, hoping it still holds up, but dreading the fact that I was young once… and had questionable taste. This did hold up, and it is quite a treat for anyone who likes books with talking animals. I really love that it has complex characters and themes, and I’m always all about science labs gone wrong.
10. The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer by Whitsett, Dolgener and Kole. (3/20/06) If you want to run a marathon and don’t have any idea where to begin, this is the book for you. I highly recommend it. It does exactly what it says it will, train you to finish.
11. Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott. (3/20/06) I cried several times while I was reading this. Louie asked if the baby was dying, and I told him that it was just that she was such a talented writer. It’s so rare that a book can move you purely on the use of the language. Lamott is a gift, and if you know any woman who hasn’t read this book, give it to her immediately.
12. The Wings of the Dove by Henry James. (3/28/06) It took me forever to get through this. The final chapters were quite riveting, but I really had trouble with the rest. I kept forgetting who was who, and I’m still not sure who I’m supposed to care about, because Milly seems so daft and Kate so coniving, and Densher? uch.
13. Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. (4/1/06) I highly recommend this series. The characters jump out at you and demand you love them. The mysteries are light but the setting is always incredible. Sort of The Mummy meets Jane Austen.
14. Marathon The Ultimate Training Guide by Hal Higdon. (4/10/06) I’m really glad I didn’t read this before I ran the marathon. I never would have finished my training. Now that I’m done with the marathon and the training, all his advice and warnings and life lessons are terrifying. He’s like, running is dangerous. It can kill you. But running is awesome, it can save your life. I can’t tell if this guy is trying to save us from running, or trying to make running seem just dangerous enough to be cool like riding a Harley, or something.
15. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. (4/13/06) I highly recommend this book. It’s a fast read that repulses, fascinates, excites and entertains. If you have any interest in what happens behind the scenes at a restaurant, read it. If you’d like it to remain a mystery, put this book down.
16. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. (5/6/06) If you have read any Ian McEwan, you’ll recognize the story line here. This book felt like a clumsy copy of one of McEwan’s works. Hosseini stumbled through the ‘random’ connections of his characters and in one case of point of view change he fell down completely. I don’t recommend it, not because it isn’t a good story, but because McEwan’s Atonement is so much more skillful that I recommend it instead.
17. The Cricket in Times Square, Tucker’s Countryside, and Harry Cat’s Pet Puppy by George Seldon. (5/6/06) I saw these on the shelf and realized I haven’t read them in over 20 years. In an effort to clear some bookshelf space, I thought I’d re-read them and see if I still loved them. Of course, I do. I also realized that they would do some kid who’s never read them far more good than they’ll do sitting un-read and unloved on my shelf. The Cricket in Times Square stays with me, but the other two are going to be donated to the Public Library. All three are great stories for kids about friendship and the unlikely alliances you can make with people who aren’t exactly like you.
18. Mad Cowboy by Howard F. Lyman with Glen Merzer. (5/7/06) A great fast read that will make you want to become a vegetarian. Which, I’m actually considering. Again. I know it’s crazy, but he really illustrated well all the reasons I became a vegetarian all those years ago. It sucks being a vegetarian. I can’t lie about that. But the cattle industry is destroying our environment and our bodies.
19. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen. (5/20/06) I lived with this book for quite some time - leaving it and returning to it. It really begs to be re-read and re-discovered. Aside from the strange racism the author feels for the “Natives” of Africa, there is a real love and care for the place and time. I can’t think of a more powerful book that I’ve read in recent memory. Highly recommend.
20. 1984 by George Orwell (5/25/06) I guess it’s kind of ‘obvious’ to like this book. But I have to say, there were a couple of times where I was genuinely surprised and wowed. Once by a plot twist and many times by the language. I should have read this a long, long time ago. But I’m glad I read it now, while I’m old. And can appreciate it.
21. Psychic Warrior by David Morehouse (5/28/06) This is the ‘true’ story of a military man who was a part of the highly secret government ‘remote viewing’ program. Remote viewing is spying across space and time. The weird thing about the book is not that the ‘remote viewing’ description is hard to swallow (I’ll pretty much believe anything anyone says about that) but that his writing style is… terrible. I’d love to read the book that is alluded to in this book, by the guy that wrote the JFK book that Oliver Stone based his movie on, but it has never been published. If you read it, be warned. The dialogue is stinky.
22. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. (6/3/06) It just so happens that this is on the Modern Library Non-Fiction list, and co-incides nicely with the current research I’m doing. It’s an important book to read, to get the historical significance of the ‘treadmill’ of death we’ve stepped on in regard to pesticides and herbicides. I’d venture to say that in another 50 years if the incidence of cancer, mental illness and other debilitating diseases continues to increase exponentially as it has been, we’ll begin to see more and more research about the unrepairable damage we’ve done to the environment, and the havoc it’s wreaking on our bodies. The book is important and well researched, but at a certain point you get it, and you can’t read anymore. But you do, and you marvel at the ignorance of man. It’s amazing. If you have an interest in the history of the chemical warfare we’ve waged on insects, and therefore ourselves, I highly recommend this book.
23. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. (6/4/06) I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn’t get past the feeling that I’ve read better. I’m struck by the feeling that books like Stranger in a Strange Land and Foundation sort of take the world to a more believable place. It’s a book that has influenced many films, obviously, but it wasn’t really my thing.
24. Big Love by Sarah Dunn. (6/5/06) Excellent. My mom gave this to me, either for Christmas or my birthday and it was a welcome distraction from all the ‘required’ reading I’ve been doing. It’s the kind of book I wish I could write. She’s got a distinctive voice, a great style, and it’s a charming little book, if a bit predictable. I recommend.
25. Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock. (6/17/06) I probably shouldn’t count this in my books read list, but it’s my list so I get to do what I want. I have been seeing previews for The Lake House all week and it reminded me of this book. My sister gave it to me about 10 years ago and I was so taken with it… It’s a simple story told in postcards and letters between two people who are connected in some strange way through Griffin’s art and Sabine’s psychic ability to see it as it’s created. My only criticism of the story is that it leaves you with a ‘to be continued’ ending. Which, fine. But I would have liked a little more skill and finesse in the final letters. I still recommend it.
26. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. (6/17/06) It is an amazing book. Woolf had a gift that I’m not sure I know how to appreciate. I kind of wish I had taken an English Lit class and this was one of the required books, because while I can appreciate the talent and skill of Woolf’s work, I’m not sure I fully understand the meaning and importance of this work. I did like it, but I don’t know that I ‘get it.’
27. Neuromancer by William Gibson. (6/20/06) I don’t know. On one hand I can see how this is the gold standard of ‘cyberpunk,’ and that he basically created a sub-genre of sci-fi that would eventually have tangible echos in the real world, but for some reason I found myself not engaged in the book. By the end I knew what happened, but I dodn’t really ‘get’ it. I’m sure at some point I’ll take another pass at it and probably enjoy it.
28. Black Boy by Richard Wright. (7/2/06) The first part of the book is amazing, when he starts talking about his involvement with the Communist Party, I feel like it gets bogged down in details that don’t really mean much to anyone who wasn’t there. I can see, though, why this is a difinitive work of non-ficiton.
29. The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro. (7/3/06) This is a fun read. It feels a bit unedited, and like a blog. But if you’re looking for a nice summer diversion, Laurie Notaro will deliver.
30. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld. (7/17/2006) I wrote about it here, I’m still a little raw.
31. I Know You, Al by Constance C. Green. (7/23/06) I just got back from Arizona where I spent two hours cleaning out my storage shed and driving past my old house. This was one of the YA books I decided to keep a long time ago, and I can’t ever remember reading it. Though, I’m fairly certain the first book in the series, “A Girl Called Al,” rings a bell. It’s a little dated, but I have to say it’s a nice book for an 11 year old. It’s sad to me that these little gems (this one happens to be from the 70’s) fade away, are put in a box in someone’s garage and kind of forgotten. C’est la vie.
32. Autobiography of a Fat Bride by Laurie Notaro. (8/6/06) Some truly laugh out loud funny moments, and though I might be a little sick of the vignette format of her books, I think she is a delightful read. If you’re looking for something to read while you’re getting a pedicure or lazing around the house in the summer hiding from your parents, this is the book.
33. Why Moms are Weird by Pamela Ribon. (8/7/06) I was nervous to read this because I’m such a huge fan of her website and her first novel that I worried I was putting too much pressure on Pamie to deliver a great read. Funny and sexy mixed with bitter and painful it was like a trip home for me, which… is good and bad, but everything I was looking for in this read. I recommend.
34. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. (8/13/06) I haven’t knowingly read any Joan Didion before, though I’m sure I’ve accidentally read something she wrote for one of the many magazines to which she contributed. This is a relentlessly sad memoir of the year following her husband’s death, but it’s more than that because in that year she is faced with the memory of their life together. It’s quite a beautiful love story and tribute to her husband. I recommend.
35. Lake News by Barbara Delinsky. (9/4/06) I wanted something beachy and smutty for the summer and this turned out to be a little tedious, the smut wasn’t quite smutty enough and the rest was a little too “serious.” I have to remember to stick to the classic smut of Danielle Steel or Jude Deveraux in the future.
36. Bookends by Jane Green. (9/6/06) I had no idea I read this before until a few pages in, and then I felt stupid because I couldn’t remember what happens until I was a few pages away from the end. It’s a good thing I’m writing these things down now, because this book wasn’t that good and I totally should have read something else instead of re-reading this. Although, it technically was for book club.
37. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. (9/25/06) At first I felt like Gaiman’s style was a little insincere or maybe a little too jokey. It’s like after 9/11 everyone was talking about the “death of irony” when really what happened was the death of sincerity. Something replaced the sincerity in writer’s voices, making any almost touching or ‘real’ moment feel like they were overtly aware of the fact that it was touching or ‘real,’ and that they were in on the joke and the idiocy of the moment. But I was only partially right about that in Gaiman’s book. Ostensibly, while I don’t think he would ever admit to it, this is a book for men, and I think men come to these issues of identity and love and family very differently than women do. It’s sociological. I enjoyed the book, but I’m not sure I’ll clamour to read any more of his work.
38. Amy’s Answering Machine by Amy Borkowsky. (9/27/06) I just found this sitting on my bookshelf. I think it was in a pile of books from our group garage sale that didn’t sell and I guess at the time, I thought it looked interesting. I put it up on Paperbackswap and it was immediately requested, so I, of course, had to read it. It’s slightly amusing, but for me, with a mother who doesn’t return my calls, it’s more of an insight into my friend’s lives than my own. I’d imagine her stand-up/show surrounding the tapes would make me laugh more than the book.
39. Predator by Patricia Cornwell. (10/1/06) I got this for Christmas or my birthday either last year or the year before and hadn’t gotten to it. I used to really love the Kay Scarpetta mysteries, but this one felt like lazy story telling. Something about the passive tense Cornwell uses or present tense. I can’t put my finger on it, but it felt like it needed another polish. And Jesus, Cornwell, we get it. You like Hummers. It is gross. Get those ladies driving Priuses. Stat.
40. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. (10/7/06) Oh boy, this reading list is getting stupid. Or, I’m getting stupid. I don’t really know why I thought that this would be a good read, but I think someone recommended it. Obviously it is someone I should no longer take recommendations from. Too bad I can’t remember who it was. Anyway, it’s weirdly written with strange insights from secondary characters. Anyway, I don’t recommend it. I’m mad that I read it and wasted the time.
41. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott. (10/24/06) It took me a while to finally sit down and devour this. I was reading it in scrips and scraps here and there. It’s a testament to her amazing faith and her talent at writing that she can almost get someone like me to believe in God. I recommend it.
42. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. (11/06/06) My sister had this on her list, so I took a gander. I really like the distopic future of LA that she takes but once they get on the road I think the Earthseed stuff gets a little wearing. It’s good, but not my favorite.
43. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. (11/07/06) This was a book club selection and I had heard great things so I was a little nervous that it was too hyped for me. I devoured the book in two days and it had me sobbing a little bit at the end. I think it was a subject that could have so easily veered into “A Very Special Lifetime Movie” territory but it really didn’t for me. I recommend.
44. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein. (11/13/06) I wrote about it here.
45. When Character was King A Story of Ronald Reagan by Peggy Noonan. (11/25/06) Noonan does a good job of putting Reagan in a good light. I think history will generally agree with her. She does however irritate me with the constant jabs at the Clintons, and the Democrats. But, what do you expect from a Republican? I imagine a Democrat would do the same.
46. Animal Inn #5 Adopt-a-Pet by Virginia Vail. (12/09/06) I probably shouldn’t count this as one of my books read, because it took me all of an hour to read it. But it’s my list, my rules. It’s one of the YA books I brought back to LA with me from my childhood home. I remember why I liked it back then, 13 year-old-girl as main character, she loves animals, wants to be a vet, has a horse of her own - all things I totally either related to or wanted as a kid. I’m probably not keeping this in my library, so I wanted to re-read it before it goes.
47. Crazy in Alabama by Mark Childress. (12/29/06) This was another book club selection. I missed the book club meeting for this one, so I’m not sure what the ladies thought of it. Despite the seemingly disjointed story-telling (it bounces between Peejoe’s story in Alabama during the George Wallace/Martin Luther King, Jr. standoff and Lucille trying to make it in Hollywood) I really enjoyed it. If you see it laying around, you should pick it up and give it a try.
48. Night by Elie Wiesel. (12/30/06) I went through a period where all I was reading were memoirs about the Holocaust. After having been to both Auschwitz and Birkenau in the summer of 1994, I thought I had enough, but this book has been talked about a lot recently, probably because of Oprah. I used to wonder why there was no resistance, but now that I’m older, I can kind of understand and it’s horrifying.
49. Winter of the Owl by June Andrea Hanson. (12/31/06) I loved this book as a kid. It’s one of the many horse stories I read, and wished was happening to me.

Shelved:

1. The Artist’s Way I got to week eight about 10 weeks ago and just stopped. It was sort of during the heart of the marathon training and I was exhausted all the time. I decided sleep was more important than writing, which is a stupid thing to decide. There will never be a time in my life that I’ll be able to look back on and think, “I wish I’d slept more.” Oh well. I’ll pick this up again. I know for sure. Just can’t get to it at the moment.
2. Good Growing: Why Organic Farming Works by Leslie A. Duram. I’ll go back to this possibly, but for right now it’s just too much.

The Sum total of books I read (and listened to) in 2005. I wish I had done more.

40.The Shadow of the Wind Waller wanted me to read this so he didn’t have to. It’s a very good read. Great characters and lots of intrigue and twists. I highly recommend.

39. Therapy - Audio BookI’m quickly tiring of bad mysteries. Very quickly. This one was OK in the end, but had some random characters that never paid off, so I’m not recommending this.

38. Persepolis - The Story of a Childhood By Marjane Satrapi. Steph and Beth loaned this graphic novel to me weeks ago, with a very high recommendation. I got through it and promptly told Louie that I didn’t like graphic novels. So, I’m pretty sure I didn’t love it as much as they thought I would. (12/10/05)

37. Samurai Girl - The Book of the Heart by Carrie Asai. This is YA, and not particularly good YA, but I can see why the girls like it. There’s ass kicking, there’s virginity losing, there’s other stuff… Yeah. I don’t really recommend it, except to Waller. I think Waller would like it. (12/5/05)

36. 3rd Degree - Audio Book by James Patterson. The woman who read this book was Dr. Olivet on Law and Order. Her ‘voices’ were TERRIBLE. I really hated her. Also there was music, and I’ve mentioned the explosions, right? All and all, the book is fine, it’s sort of a rushed political mystery that has a weird half-assed romance thrown in and a death… So, I wouldn’t really recommend this book, unless you’re stuck in an airport at Christmas and your only other choice is Dan Brown. Patterson is better than Brown. You heard it here first. (11/18/05)

35. The Devil Wears Prada - Audio Book This book was just what I needed when I’m driving to and from work, dishy, mindless candy. But it also gave me a case of anxiety every once in a while because I would think about my current and past and future situations and want to die. Anyway, it’s kind of poorely written, but it was entertaining. The narrator for the version I had was pretty annoying in an NPR sort of way. Like, I could listen to her give me news or an anecdote, but for a novel, not so much.

34. The Falcon at the Portal - Audio Book This is a great one to get on Audio book, the narrator is amazing. I couldn’t shut up about her to Louie, that is, until he told me he got it. I love her. I want to have ten million of her babies. It ends with a cliff-hanger, the mystery is solved, but a relationship is left in the balance. I want all of her books now. ALL OF THEM!

33. The Moor - Audio Book by Laurie R. King. I am so frustrated! I finished this book, sort of. The last disk was so damaged that I couldn’t hear the last three CD chapters. So I checked it out from the library and read the end. Now I can sleep at night.

32. The Nanny Diaries - Audio Book When I first started listening to this book I wanted to punch the writers in the head, but that might have been more to do with the woman voicing the book. It’s entertaining and eventually I got past the bitchy attitude of Nanny. It was good for to-and-fro to work trashy chick-lit. The time flies by with these things!

31. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant. The introduction is gripping and mysterious, but it is a bit light. I did like the novel, but I felt like it lacked some of the importance or broader message that The Red Tent had. It feels more like a romance novel with better writing. I do recommend it for a wintery day at the cabin.

30. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Such a sweet novel. It’s kind of a girl version of Huck Finn. Very highly recommended.

29. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. As I’m sure you’ve heard, this is an amazing book. I don’t recommend reading it in tandem with the 9/11 transcripts they released last week. Morose only begins to describe my mood on Friday. The characterization of the lead character in the book is amazing and I highly recommend it.

28. The Mole People by Jennifer Toth. I highly recommend this book. It is a fascinating look at the communities of homeless living under New York City in the early 90’s. Louie and I watched a film called Dark Days, last month which is a current look at a specific ‘colony’ that was removed from the tunnels. But this book has a broader scope, and really moved me, scared me, disgusted me, etc. If you live in New York, read it. If you don’t live in New York, read it.

27. Thinking in Pictures by Temple Gradin. I was pretty sure before, but now more than ever, I’m glad I’m not autistic. Although, there are some amazing things autistic people can do. This is a fascinating read.

26. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde. A charming sequel, but left me wanting a little more depth.

25. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Book 6) by JK Rowling. So sad.

24. Behind Everyman by David Israel. This is technically ‘lad lit’ and I hate that I just used that phrase. I can see why it’s labeled as that because while I loved this book, I’m not sure someone in 10 years will quite ‘get it’. There are a lot of references to current pop culture events and the like, so it might be one of those books that we can enjoy now, but later people won’t really read. I enjoyed it, read it on the train to Long Island (or as Israel refers to it in the book “please go no, Long Island”) and on the subway. It’s a very good book to read while you’re in New York and I’m glad I picked it up at The Used Book Cafe.

23. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein. Louie was surprised that I had never read this, and as I made my way through the first 100 pages, I was surprised too. This book has a great 1960’s sci-fi feel to it. The dialogue, the portrayal of women, the commune/free-love/Jesus figure portrayal, and while I liked the first half of the book better, I think it is a great book. I read the “un-cut” version and my loathing for ‘director’s cuts’ aside, (I really hate them) I think the editors cut some of the stuff they did because it needed it. There were some confusing tone shifts, and while I’m sure the perspective shifts were there in the orginal edited version I have a feeling it felt like a more condusive novel. I recommend it if there are any sci-fi fans who actually haven’t read it before (which I think is zero since I’ve now read it).

22. The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson. This is a nice summer read for 11 year olds or anyone looking for something to get them a few days closer to the next Harry Potter tome. Cute characters, sweet story and I recommend it.

21. Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent. This is, in certain circles, known as the grandmommy of chicklit. I enjoyed parts of it but it felt dated in places, and I guess that’s the trouble with some genre’s, they just don’t stay fresh. But if you want to know the genre’s roots you should check it out.

20. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Louie loaned this book to me, and it is so good. If you are a fan of literature, and also a fan of good reading, you should not hesitate to read the book.

19. Why Girls are Weird by Pamela Ribon. I am a huge fan of pamie.com and I read this maybe a year or so ago and really liked it. I thought it was time for a re-read, and it didn’t disappoint. I think I actually liked it better the second time. I recommend.

18. Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. Hilariously enough, Louie’s mom gave this to me for my birthday. I finally finished this book. If I never read anything by D.H. again, I will be A-OK. Jeez, that guy can ramble. I almost gave up reading it several times. Not recommended for anyone with any sense of what BORING is.

17. Kristy’s Great Idea: The Baby-Sitter’s Club #1 by Ann M. Martin. Ok, seriously? I first read this when I was a kid. And I’m telling you, it still holds up. I liked it just as much as the first time, which is not so for the next book on this list.

16. Sleepover Friends: Patti’s Luck by Susan Saunders. This is another YA series of books that I didn’t read when I was a kid, I might be a bit too old to have caught that wave, but it felt a little…I don’t know too young. Granted, I am almost 30 and you know, not the demographic, but it felt too easy. I’m sure you’re all running out to buy it now.

15. Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by Deborah and James Howe. Another YA novel. This one, I loved when I was a kid, and still love now. It takes maybe an hour to read, but it is a fun diversion.

14. I’m not the New Me by Wendy McClure. Great memoir about weight loss and life. Highly recommend.

13. We Thought You Would Be Prettier by Laurie Notaro. A humorous memoir that I highly recommend, especially to the Arizonites who read this here blog. Very entertaining.

12. Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card. This one started out pretty rough, got really great in the middle, and sort of ended all crazy and confusing. I kept forgetting who I was supposed to trust and which countries were attacking for good and which for evil. But it was satisfying enough to keep me up ’til midnight finishing it last night.

11. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Re-read to refresh my memory before the movie comes out. Quite enjoyable. I recommend.

10. Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell. Ooo. I love me some Kay Scarpetta. It’s been a while since I’ve read any of these stories and I forgot how disgusting and scary they can be. Also, I’m thinking I missed a book in between this one and the last one I read. Boy oh boy, did this one end like ol’ Patty was bored and didn’t want to write anymore. She spent a lot of time setting up all these random characters then sort of forgets about them and basically writes, “They all lived happily ever after, except for the ones that died, the end.” Not my favorite.

9. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. Birthday present from Jen! This is a great book in the detective genre. I recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries with unpredictable characters and twists.

8. Starting from Square Two by Caren Lissner. I picked this one up because I’d read Caren’s first novel, Carrie Pilby. I’m not sure how I feel about the book as a whole, but there were some very moving passages that dealt with loss and grief and her memories of her dead husband, I thought, very effectively. The big ‘issue’ I have with the novel is the ‘inside the head’ nature of it. We spend a lot of time inside Gert’s sad and naive head and I tend to like spending time with more cynical and experienced characters.

7. Lemony Snicket’s The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket. I’m a sucker for YA fiction. This feels like it might be for an audience a bit younger than the Harry Potter audience. And since I have no idea how old kids are in relationship to their maturity level, I’m going to leave it at that. It’s a dark book with my favorite topic, orphans in extraordinary circumstances.

6. Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card. The parallel novel to Ender’s Game. The first time I read it I thought I liked it more than Ender’s Game, but now, I’m not so sure. There’s something about the ending that leaves me feeling a little manipulated. All in all, though, a great read.

5. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Re-reading this was such a treat, I caught a lot more stuff than I did the first time I devoured the novel. Highly recommend.

4. A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh. Very gossipy and dishy, just like I like it. It twists, then turns and twists again. If you like the Bronte sisters, Edith Wharton and Jane Austen I definitely recommend this one.

3. Devil in the Details: Scenes from an Obsessive Girlhood by Jennifer Traig: Very good read. I recommend. And it’s a memoir, so I’m counting it as my non-fiction book for January.

2. The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Writings by Charlotte Perkins Gilman: It’s a collection of short stories and an abridged version of a novel and a feminist manifesto of sorts. The thing is, there were only two shorts stories that I really liked in this collection, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and “The Giant Wisteria.” Everything else was kind of…meh.

1. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: I can’t stop raving about this book. Apparently, Brad and Jennifer’s company owns the rights, so we’ll see what happens now that the two are all split up.