The theme of 2011 has clearly become Paris. I think I am in withdrawal because I am not traveling there again for the foreseeable future.
The theme of 2012 is Paris and baby. Never too early to educate oneself as to how to prepare the body to make a baby.
The theme of 2013 is undecided, but thus far has been books written about time periods long since passed.
2011 book count: 13
2012 book count: 14 (17 if you count the fact that I read the Hunger Games trilogy twice)
2013 book count: 3
1. Super Sad True Love Story, by Gary Shteyngat (LOVE this guy).
2. Blood, Bones and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef, by Gabrielle Hamilton (I am a sucker for food books). I'm two chapters away. I really enjoyed this one. Calling Prune to make reservations today!
3. Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand (see title of blog, can you believe I've never read this? neither can I)
4. A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens (because of Oprah - no, not really)
5. The First Tycoon, by T.J. Stiles (because I like wealth, and capitalism (again, see title of blog) and it won a Pulitzer Prize)
6. John Adams, by David McCullough (because it's been sitting on my shelf for too long, and I wimped out and watched the HBO miniseries instead)
7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (I've read the series forwards, I'm now reading it backwards)
8. Some book I saw in a French bookstore about these American sisters who married into nobility (and then divorced and remarried, etc.) (seems scandalous and trashy, yet historic)
9. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell (again, never read it). I've read it now! Kindle + weekend indoors + jury duty = book done!
10. Sweet Valley Confidential, by Francine Pascal. I read all of the Sweet Valley Twins (middle school books) as a kid. I read very few of the Sweet Valley High books and will admit to having read one or two of the Sweet Valley University books. This book sucked. It was terrible.... not even like guilty pleasure good. It took me about 4 hours to read it. Yikes.
11. Elizabeth Street, by Laurie Fabiano (historical fiction re the lower east side). This was great. Historical fiction was a good thing to read after #10.
12. Rememberance of things Paris, by Ruth Reichl. A collection of 60 years of food and wine writing from Gourmet magazine about Paris. Yes, please!
13. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte (I just couldn't get into British female authors in high school for some reason, so I just read the Cliff Notes to this one) Finished just in time to see the new movie!!! (and hate it because I inevitably like the book more)
14. Emma, by Jane Austen (see comment to #12)
15. Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, by Amanda Foreman.
16. Apollo's Angels, by Jennifer Homans. A history of ballet, need I say more?
17. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Inspired by watching Easy A, which was a cute movie. Another one of those books I had little use for in high school, but I really enjoyed this time around.
18. A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway. Inspired by seeing Midnight in Paris while in Maine visiting the husband's family. This book documents Hemingway's time in Paris during the 20s, which is when the movie is set.
19. The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain. This is historical fiction written from the perspective of Hadley Hemingway, Ernest's first wife, set during the same time period as #18 above.
20. The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, by David McCullough. Variations on a theme, you see. Which theme is that?
2013 book count: 3
1. Super Sad True Love Story, by Gary Shteyngat (LOVE this guy).
2. Blood, Bones and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef, by Gabrielle Hamilton (I am a sucker for food books). I'm two chapters away. I really enjoyed this one. Calling Prune to make reservations today!
3. Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand (see title of blog, can you believe I've never read this? neither can I)
4. A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens (because of Oprah - no, not really)
5. The First Tycoon, by T.J. Stiles (because I like wealth, and capitalism (again, see title of blog) and it won a Pulitzer Prize)
6. John Adams, by David McCullough (because it's been sitting on my shelf for too long, and I wimped out and watched the HBO miniseries instead)
7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (I've read the series forwards, I'm now reading it backwards)
8. Some book I saw in a French bookstore about these American sisters who married into nobility (and then divorced and remarried, etc.) (seems scandalous and trashy, yet historic)
9. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell (again, never read it). I've read it now! Kindle + weekend indoors + jury duty = book done!
10. Sweet Valley Confidential, by Francine Pascal. I read all of the Sweet Valley Twins (middle school books) as a kid. I read very few of the Sweet Valley High books and will admit to having read one or two of the Sweet Valley University books. This book sucked. It was terrible.... not even like guilty pleasure good. It took me about 4 hours to read it. Yikes.
11. Elizabeth Street, by Laurie Fabiano (historical fiction re the lower east side). This was great. Historical fiction was a good thing to read after #10.
12. Rememberance of things Paris, by Ruth Reichl. A collection of 60 years of food and wine writing from Gourmet magazine about Paris. Yes, please!
13. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte (I just couldn't get into British female authors in high school for some reason, so I just read the Cliff Notes to this one) Finished just in time to see the new movie!!! (and hate it because I inevitably like the book more)
14. Emma, by Jane Austen (see comment to #12)
15. Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, by Amanda Foreman.
16. Apollo's Angels, by Jennifer Homans. A history of ballet, need I say more?
17. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Inspired by watching Easy A, which was a cute movie. Another one of those books I had little use for in high school, but I really enjoyed this time around.
18. A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway. Inspired by seeing Midnight in Paris while in Maine visiting the husband's family. This book documents Hemingway's time in Paris during the 20s, which is when the movie is set.
19. The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain. This is historical fiction written from the perspective of Hadley Hemingway, Ernest's first wife, set during the same time period as #18 above.
20. The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, by David McCullough. Variations on a theme, you see. Which theme is that?
21. Parisians, by Graham Robb. Yup, there's definitely a theme this year. I just so love this city :)
22. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, by John Le Carre. Saw the movie... felt I needed to read the book.
23. A visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer.... It won a Pulitzer. It deserved it. Though perhaps it was not a novel.
24. The Hunger Games Trilogy (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay), by Suzanne Collins. I read them in three days (perhaps 3.5 and have already read them all again.... they are a little addictive).
25. The Fertility Diet, by George E. Chavarro, MD, and Walter C. Willett, MD.
26. What to Expect When You are Expecting.
27. Real Food for Mother and Baby, by Nina Planck.
28. Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. It took a month, but I got through it. This should also count as several books, I think ;)
29. Boomerang, by Michael Lewis.
30. The Visible Man, by Chuck Klostermann.
31. Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin
32. A Clash of Kings, by George R. R. Martin
33. A Storm of Swords, by George R. R. Martin
34. A Feast for Crows, by George R. R. Martin
35. A Dance with Dragons, by George R. R. Martin
36. Where We Belong, by Emily Giffin. Guilty pleasure read in one return flight from Paris. It sorta sucked, but I'm used to it with her.
37. Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child, by Bob Spitz.
38. The Path to Power, by Robert Caro. Have only heard marvelous things about Caro. Perhaps starting with the longest book is not the best move, but I'm diving in. This one is horrible to read on Kindle, because three weeks later, I'm still in the single digit percentage completion.... yikes.
39. Wolf Hall, by Hillary Mantel. I'm not always one for historical fiction, but I love the Tudor period of England, and given that this one the Man Booker Prize, I thought I'd take it for a spin. Instantly hooked.
40. Bringing Up the Bodies, by Hillary Mantel. See above. Can't wait for the third part of the trilogy.
41. The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton. I blame this one on Downton Abbey. Want to see what we Americans were doing while the Dowager Countess inquired about weekends....
42. Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. Because of the movie, obvs.
43. Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, by U.S. Grant. Supposed to be great!
44. The Constant Gardener, by John le Carre.
45. Team of Rivals. Because of the movie.
22. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, by John Le Carre. Saw the movie... felt I needed to read the book.
23. A visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer.... It won a Pulitzer. It deserved it. Though perhaps it was not a novel.
24. The Hunger Games Trilogy (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay), by Suzanne Collins. I read them in three days (perhaps 3.5 and have already read them all again.... they are a little addictive).
25. The Fertility Diet, by George E. Chavarro, MD, and Walter C. Willett, MD.
26. What to Expect When You are Expecting.
27. Real Food for Mother and Baby, by Nina Planck.
28. Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy. It took a month, but I got through it. This should also count as several books, I think ;)
29. Boomerang, by Michael Lewis.
30. The Visible Man, by Chuck Klostermann.
31. Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin
32. A Clash of Kings, by George R. R. Martin
33. A Storm of Swords, by George R. R. Martin
34. A Feast for Crows, by George R. R. Martin
35. A Dance with Dragons, by George R. R. Martin
36. Where We Belong, by Emily Giffin. Guilty pleasure read in one return flight from Paris. It sorta sucked, but I'm used to it with her.
37. Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child, by Bob Spitz.
38. The Path to Power, by Robert Caro. Have only heard marvelous things about Caro. Perhaps starting with the longest book is not the best move, but I'm diving in. This one is horrible to read on Kindle, because three weeks later, I'm still in the single digit percentage completion.... yikes.
39. Wolf Hall, by Hillary Mantel. I'm not always one for historical fiction, but I love the Tudor period of England, and given that this one the Man Booker Prize, I thought I'd take it for a spin. Instantly hooked.
40. Bringing Up the Bodies, by Hillary Mantel. See above. Can't wait for the third part of the trilogy.
41. The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton. I blame this one on Downton Abbey. Want to see what we Americans were doing while the Dowager Countess inquired about weekends....
42. Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. Because of the movie, obvs.
43. Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant, by U.S. Grant. Supposed to be great!
44. The Constant Gardener, by John le Carre.
45. Team of Rivals. Because of the movie.
