Sunday, December 31, 2006
books i read this year
I know, it’s been ages since I posted. Long story about that. Anyway, as I’ve done the past few years, I post a list of the books I read this year. You can see my past lists here [2005] and here [2004].This year, I met my mark of 32 books, which is what I read last year. Pretty impressive considering last year, I had a goal of 20 books, thinking the lack of a subway in Indiana was going to hinder my reading. There were two opposing factors that contributed to my 32 books this year. To my advantage, I read a few kids books for this article for Gelf Magazine. Those kids books are quick and easy to read. To my disadvantage, I learned how to knit this year and got a Tivo so my reading time was spent instead with knitting needles in hand watching all the old episodes of The X-Files and Alias that I Tivoed. It’s sad, I know.
So without further adieu, here’s the list for 2006.
1. Saints and Sinners - Eamon Duffy [yes, this was at the end of my list last year so technically not a new book, but I read it this year too so it counts]
2. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
3. Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling [reread]
4. The Know-It-All - AJ Jacobs
5. The Magician’s Nephew - C.S. Lewis
6. Wife Living Dangerously - Sara Susannah Katz [written by my former boss, good chick lit]
7. Freakonomics - Levitt/Dunbar [good]
8. Plot Against America - Philip Roth [also good]
9. The Last Battle - C.S. Lewis
10. The Secret Man - Bob Woodward
11. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone - J.K. Rowling [reread]
12. Charlie & the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl [great! I’m such a candy freak so this was a great book!]
13. Between You and Me - Mike Wallace
14. King Dork - Frank Portman [highly rec’d, one of my favorite books this year. It’s young adult lit but totally worth it]
15. The Magazine Article - Peter Jacobi [for a class I took, did you know there are other ways to write an article besides inverted pyramid? fascinating]
16. Best American Magazine Writing 2005 - various [also for class]
17. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling [reread]
18. Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder [great, gift from my friend Stacy]
19 Killing Yourself to Live - Chuck Klosterman [good as usual once you get past the whole hipster pretentiousness]
20. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 - Beverly Cleary [reread, first read it when I was, in fact, eight years old]
21. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret - Judy Blume [great book if you’re 12, not so good if you have to relive that part of your life at 29]
22. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safron Foer [good]
23. Holidays on Ice - David Sedaris
24. Prep - Curtis Sittenfeld
25. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde [not as impressed as I thought I would be]
26. Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling [reread]
27. James and the Giant Peach - Roald Dahl [reread, first was when my teacher read it to us in first grade, I drew a picture of the peach squishing James’s aunts for my book report]
28. On Writing - Stephen King [great]
29. Marley and Me - John Grogan
30. Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen [reread, great as always]
31. But Enough About Me - Jancee Dunn [highly rec’d]
32. Killing Bono - Neil McCormick
Wow. Looking at that list, I had quite a few rereads this year. As always, got some new books for Christmas that I now have to read including Ulysses by James Joyce. I plan to get credit for some of my books at the local used book store and use the credit to by a reader’s guide to help me through that one.
So what books did you read this year that were good? Any recommendations for the rest of us?
Welcome back, I too know how it is to miss a couple of weeks of posting. Anywho, that’s an impressive list! I’m hoping to get to that many but, like you, the TV distraction and the calling of real life sometimes interferes! Must stay focused! Anywho, here’s my list of “literary accomplishments”
1. Every issue of Sports Illustrated with particular attention paid to the fantasy sports columns. (re-read)
2. Most of the issues of Newsweek Magazine
3. The St. Louis Cardinals’ Official World Series Champions Program.
4. The Sony-Ericsson Z7500A instruction manual (read and re-read)
5. Angels and Demons, Dan Brown (re-read)
That’s about it hope my list makes you feel better about your list. Happy New YearPosted by Klick on 12/31 at 03:43 PMClose enough, Klick. I do have to say it’s impressive that you read all the Sports Illustrateds. I had to cancel my New Yorker subscription when I couldn’t keep up with it every week in Indiana. It takes me at least 10 days to get through a magazine like that.
Oh, and for fantasy sports, I have to give a plug to whatifsports.com. It’s awesome and I know the guy who started it, which makes me awesome! Or something.
Posted by jenny on 01/01 at 01:29 PMNice list!
I’d heavily recommend both books by Sam Harris - The End of Faith and the brilliant Letter to A Christian Nation.
Posted by kropp on 01/01 at 08:56 PMYou inspired me to set a 20 book new year’s resolution for me last year and I fell way short but in turn read one of the best books I had in awhile...I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe. I also re-read People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn (It will blow your mind as Matt Damon says), read Imperial America by Gore Vidal and The Greatest Story Ever Sold by Frank Rich.
Also, I have a possible project for you and have just been busy and forgot to email you...I promise to tonight!
Posted by Michelle on 01/02 at 02:13 PM