6.07.2012

what I'm reading. [52 books update]



In previous posts I've mentioned that my goal for this year is to read 52 books.  Since it's just shy of the halfway point, and I'm actually sitting at a computer (rare - I hate sitting at a computer nowadays), I figured I'd go ahead and post the books I've read so far this year.  It's neat to see everything I've read - I like the idea of keeping a list.  It's also convenient that I keep the list on my phone in a Note, so when I'm out and about and recommending books to people, I just pull out my Books Read note and show them.

Below is the list.  Special notations about the books in parentheses (I wish I could give my thoughts on all the books, but there are too many & this post will be long enough as is... ask me about any of them if you want to know what I thought!).  If I super duper liked the book, I put it in bold.  I've also given a note on favorite fiction, nonfiction, YA, and travel writing.

2012 Books (so far)
  • Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me? And other concerns (Mindy Kaling. duh)
  • Pawnee: the greatest town in America (we keep this, and America... in our bathroom - both fun to reread while you're doin your business ;)
  • Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
  • The Lost Continent: travels in small-town America (favorite Travel Writing book this year)
  • Down and Out in Paris and London
  • Delirium
  • Matched
  • Crossed (2nd book in Matched trilogy)
  • The Fault in our Stars (favorite YA book I've read this year)
  • Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe
  • Variant
  • Where She Went
  • Graveminder
  • A Brief History of Time
  • The Name of the Star
  • Ender's Game (didn't like this as much as everyone else)
  • Pandemonium (2nd book in Delirium trilogy)
  • 1Q84
  • Earth (audiobook)
  • Steve Jobs (audiobook)
  • A Long Way Down
  • Birthday Letters (a book of poetry)
  • America the book
  • Lyra's Oxford
  • The Kind Diet
  • Mother Tongue
  • Book of Mormon (still reading this - it's interesting to say the least)
  • Across the Universe
  • The Happiness Project (favorite non-fiction I've read this year - great life advice!)
  • Divergent (I don't know why this YA series is hyped up... my least favorite of the YA series I've read)
  • The Night Circus (FAVORITE BOOK THIS YEAR. also, obviously, favorite fiction book this year. I was so sad when I ended this book, I wanted to keep reading)
  • A Million Suns (2nd book in Across the Universe trilogy)
  • Insurgent (2nd book in Divergent trilogy)
  • The Paris Wife (this book made me kinda think all the Lost Generation are scummy people that shouldn't be romanticized... but whatever -- their literature is still pretty spectacular, you can't argue with that.)
I'm so sorry I don't have the authors names, I didn't record them after I finished reading them and don't want to go back and look them all up, even though I could probably guess the names of almost all of them.  But if you want to check them out, just google the titles... you know how the internet works, don't you readers?  ;)

These are all just books I've read for the FIRST time.  I made the goal of 52 books so I would expand and not just fall back on comfort books.  Although, I have reread a few comfort books this year... namely Space: a memoir (my most-read book of all time, it's like a security blanket to me) and a few Harry Potters.

Currently, I'm making my way through all the Game of Thrones books.  I was given the books a while ago by a family member and told I must read them and watch the series (I'm probably the last person on Earth to jump on this bandwagon, but I've had a huge stack of library books to get through and we don't have tv, so no HBO).  Martha (the woman that gave me her copies) left her hand-written notes tucked in the book, so it's helpful to have her thoughts on how to keep the characters straight -- especially for someone like me that hasn't seen the tv show.  I'm loving it so far. 

Well, that's that.  Can't wait to see what my list looks like at the end of the year... so far I'm on track for 52 as long as I don't slack off this summer. 

What are you reading?!













4 comments:

  1. I love these entries. I started reading "London" a few days ago. May and June have been big reading months for me. I bought "Miss Peregrine's..." but haven't read it yet. I'm trying to make it a point to read more fiction. As for non-fiction - I read "Stuart: A Life Backwards" by Alexander Masters. It's probably my second favorite book of all time. It was also the first biography I've ever read. Can you believe that? Oh anyway.

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  2. I will definitely check out Stuart! After Martha gave me all her GoT books I feel like I need to get through them first (and I want to- they are pretty great!). So many books, so little time.

    Glad you like these posts - I love hearing what people are reading and their thoughts on the books!

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  3. I feel you on the Enders game... I've never liked this book as much as the rest of the world. What did you think of matched? I only kind of liked it but thought that so many of the ideas seemed unoriginal. We hoping for more from it. I do a few book posts on my blog too if you want to check it out. I always try to read 50 books a year but never quite there. One yoru blog I'm excited to follow along!

    Bonnie
    Bonnielouisa.blogspot.com

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  4. I Just finished to read The Godfather and it is a scene of utter confusion what to read next. I think I should chose the one from your list and it will be The night circus.

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