The theme of 2011 was Paris. I think I was in withdrawal.
The theme of 2012 was 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 rich people in time periods long since passed.
The theme of 2014 is also undecided, just random award winning books.
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: 22
2014 book count: 26 (the new subway ride helps the reading significantly)
2015 book count: 7
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: 22
2014 book count: 26 (the new subway ride helps the reading significantly)
2015 book count: 7
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
2013:
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.
46. The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton.
47. The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling. I thought it was great.
48. The American Heiress, by Daisy Goodwin. Historical fiction based (loosely) on the life of Consuelo Vanderbilt.
49. Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Mother and Daughter in the Gilded Age. Why not read the real thing?
50. The Glitter and the Gold, by Consuelo Vanderbilt.
51. Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times, by Jennifer Worth. Watched the series... couldn't resist.
52. Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse, by Jennifer Worth.
53. Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End, by Jennifer Worth.
54. The Sweet Life: The Serial, by Francine Pascal. The WORST, and yet somehow, the best.
55. Mao's Last Dance, by Li Cunxin. It's ballet season. I've seen a ballet a week and watched every ballet movie and documentary ever made in the past month, including the move version of this book. Both excellent.
56. The Tao of Martha, by Jen Lancaster. Cost of book + cost of Martha Stewart Living subscription. Mrs. Lancaster should receive a commission.
57. A Room with a View, by E.M. Forster.
58. I Wear the Black Hat, by Chuck Klosterman. Because I read things he writes.
59. Let's Explore Owls with Diabetes, by David Sedaris. Because Greenport is far away and Amazon recommended it to me. Of course 90% of my recommendations from Amazon are for Sweet Valley High Books, but whatever.
60. The Cuckoo's Calling, by J.K. Rowling (using pseudonym). I do not always read whodunit books, but when I do.. just kidding, but this one was a page turner and I really enjoyed it. Cannot wait for the next installment in the adventures of Comororan Strike.
61. Orange is the New Black, by Piper Kerman. I binged watched the show on Netflix, and wanted to read the book. Was very good. Want the second season to start immediately.
62. Austenland, by Shannon Hale. This was terrible, as I pretty much expected, but I did finish it. I wished I had not wasted my time.
63. The Family Corleone, by NOT Mario Puzo. I have a feeling I cam going to feel the same way about this one as above. Apparently, the estate of Mario Puzo is attempting to stop Paramount from making a movie about this book. I applaud those efforts.
2014:
64. Snobs, by Julian Fellowes. Yea, I miss Downton Abbey.
65. Beyond the Beautiful Forevers, by Katherine Boo. Ok, so I started reading this because it won the National Book Award, and I figure books that win awards will be good. After getting halfway through it, I went to its Wikipedia page to discover that it won the prize for NON-fiction. I didn't think it could be any sadder. I was wrong. It was still a lovely book, and she brought out the humanity of the inhabitants of the slum in an incredibly beautiful way.
66. Gone Girl: A Novel, by Gillian Flynn. Quite entertaining. Excited about the movie.
67. Truth in Advertising: A Novel, by John Kenney.
68. We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver. Maybe I don't want kids.....
69., 70. and 71. The Divergent Series, by Veronica Roth. Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad reading. Couldn't finish the second book. Switched to Wikipedia page. Still terrible and horrible.
72. League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth, by Mark Fainaru-Wada.
73. A House in the Sky: A Memoir, by Amanda Lindhout. She shouldn't have gone to Somalia. That doesn't mean she deserved the horror she was put through.
74. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), by Mindy Kaling. She's a treasure. I needed this after #73.
75. The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge, by David McCollugh.
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
2013:
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.
46. The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton.
47. The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling. I thought it was great.
48. The American Heiress, by Daisy Goodwin. Historical fiction based (loosely) on the life of Consuelo Vanderbilt.
49. Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Mother and Daughter in the Gilded Age. Why not read the real thing?
50. The Glitter and the Gold, by Consuelo Vanderbilt.
51. Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times, by Jennifer Worth. Watched the series... couldn't resist.
52. Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse, by Jennifer Worth.
53. Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End, by Jennifer Worth.
54. The Sweet Life: The Serial, by Francine Pascal. The WORST, and yet somehow, the best.
55. Mao's Last Dance, by Li Cunxin. It's ballet season. I've seen a ballet a week and watched every ballet movie and documentary ever made in the past month, including the move version of this book. Both excellent.
56. The Tao of Martha, by Jen Lancaster. Cost of book + cost of Martha Stewart Living subscription. Mrs. Lancaster should receive a commission.
57. A Room with a View, by E.M. Forster.
58. I Wear the Black Hat, by Chuck Klosterman. Because I read things he writes.
59. Let's Explore Owls with Diabetes, by David Sedaris. Because Greenport is far away and Amazon recommended it to me. Of course 90% of my recommendations from Amazon are for Sweet Valley High Books, but whatever.
60. The Cuckoo's Calling, by J.K. Rowling (using pseudonym). I do not always read whodunit books, but when I do.. just kidding, but this one was a page turner and I really enjoyed it. Cannot wait for the next installment in the adventures of Comororan Strike.
61. Orange is the New Black, by Piper Kerman. I binged watched the show on Netflix, and wanted to read the book. Was very good. Want the second season to start immediately.
62. Austenland, by Shannon Hale. This was terrible, as I pretty much expected, but I did finish it. I wished I had not wasted my time.
63. The Family Corleone, by NOT Mario Puzo. I have a feeling I cam going to feel the same way about this one as above. Apparently, the estate of Mario Puzo is attempting to stop Paramount from making a movie about this book. I applaud those efforts.
2014:
64. Snobs, by Julian Fellowes. Yea, I miss Downton Abbey.
65. Beyond the Beautiful Forevers, by Katherine Boo. Ok, so I started reading this because it won the National Book Award, and I figure books that win awards will be good. After getting halfway through it, I went to its Wikipedia page to discover that it won the prize for NON-fiction. I didn't think it could be any sadder. I was wrong. It was still a lovely book, and she brought out the humanity of the inhabitants of the slum in an incredibly beautiful way.
66. Gone Girl: A Novel, by Gillian Flynn. Quite entertaining. Excited about the movie.
67. Truth in Advertising: A Novel, by John Kenney.
68. We Need to Talk About Kevin, by Lionel Shriver. Maybe I don't want kids.....
69., 70. and 71. The Divergent Series, by Veronica Roth. Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad reading. Couldn't finish the second book. Switched to Wikipedia page. Still terrible and horrible.
72. League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth, by Mark Fainaru-Wada.
73. A House in the Sky: A Memoir, by Amanda Lindhout. She shouldn't have gone to Somalia. That doesn't mean she deserved the horror she was put through.
74. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), by Mindy Kaling. She's a treasure. I needed this after #73.
75. The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge, by David McCollugh.
