It’s time for my Books read post!! It seems like no matter what I do, I always fluctuate around 50 books, give or take a book or two.
I’d say it’s been a good year. There were only one or two books that I didn’t really care for. How about you, how was your bookish year?
1. Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach. 4.5/5
2. Alice I Have Been: A Novel (Random House Reader's Circle) by Melanie Benjamin. ⅘
3. Still Alice by Lisa Genova. 5/5
4. These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf. 5/5
5. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Motherby Amy Chua. ⅘
6. The Emperor's Body: A Novel by Peter Brooks. ⅘
7. Under the Mercy Trees: A Novel by Heather Newton. 5/5
8. A Red Herring Without Mustard: A Flavia de Luce Novelby Alan Bradley. ⅘
9. The Paris Wife: A Novelby Paula Mclain. 4.5/5
10. Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modernby Joshua Zeitz. ⅘
11. The House at Riverton: A Novelby Kate Morton. 3.5/5
12. The Weird Sistersby Eleanor Brown 5/5.
13. Gone with a Handsomer Manby Michael Lee West. 4.5/5
14. Chapters From My Autobiographyby Mark Twain. (Audio) 5/5
15. The Peach Keeper: A Novelby Sarah Allen Addison. ⅗
16. Still Missingby Chevy Stevens. 4.5/5
17. Unfamiliar Fishesby Sarah Vowell. 3.5/5
18. The Stuff That Never Happened: A Novelby Maddie Dawson. 4.5/5
19. Horns: A Novelby Joe Hill. 5/5
20. Touch: A Novelby Alexi Zentner. 5/5
21. A Little Death In Dixieby Lisa Turner. 3.5/5
22. Bossypants by Tina Fey. 5/5
23. Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me 5/5
24. The Elegance of the Hedgehogby Muriel Barbery. 5/5
25. You Can't Drink All Day If You Don't Start in the Morningby Celia Rivenbark. 4.5/5
26. Losing it in France by Sally Asher. ⅘
27. In Her Wake: A Child Psychiatrist Explores the Mystery of Her Mother's Suicide by Nancy Rappaport. ⅘
28. The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy. 5/5.
29. Wendy and the Lost Boys: The Uncommon Life of Wendy Wasserstein by Julie Salamon. 4.5/5
30. You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl: Observations on Life from the Shallow End of the Poolby Celia Rivenbark. 5/5
31. I'm Not High: (But I've Got a Lot of Crazy Stories about Life as a Goat Boy, a Dad, and a Spiritual Warrior)by Jim Breuer. 3.5/5.
32. Life From Scratchby Melissa Ford 4.5/5.
33. Two for Sorrow: A New Mystery Featuring Josephine Tey (Josephine Tey Mysteries)by Nicola Upson. ⅘.
34. The Devil All the Timeby Donald Ray Pollock. ⅘
35. My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Standsby Chelsea Handler. 3.5/5
36. The Effect of Living Backwardsby Heidi Julavits. ⅗
37. Falling for Me: How I Hung Curtains, Learned to Cook, Traveled to Seville, and Fell in Love by Anna David. ⅘
38. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. 5/5
39. A Watershed Year: A Novelby Susan Schoenberger. 4.5/5
40. My Korean Deli: Risking It All for a Convenience Storeby Ben Ryder Howe. 4.5/5
41. Harlot's Sauce: A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss, and Greeceby Patricia Volonakis Davis. ⅖
42. The Betsy-Tacy Treasury: The First Four Betsy-Tacy Books (P.S.)by Maude Hart Lovelace. 5/5
43. Sh*t My Dad Saysby Justin Halpern. ⅘
44. The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb: A Novelby Melanie Benjamin. 4.5/5
45. Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shotsby Nicole S. Young. 4.5/5
46.Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: A Novel by Susanna Clarke. 5/5
47.The Wonder of Ordinary Magic by Lilli Jolgren Day. 4.5/5
48.Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan. 4.5/5
49. Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better Worldby Joel Salatin. 4.5/5
thegrasshopper says
i CANNOT believe you read 50 books last year alone!! you're my hero!! I try to read at least 2 books a month and have managed to do so since 2yrs ago (when I started it) so i've only had 48 between 2010 and 2011! How do you do it?
Les says
I didn't read nearly as much in 2011 as I have in years past, but I'm off to a good start this year.
I, too, loved Still Alice, Sill Missing, The Weird Sisters, Horns (for the most part) and The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I've added The Paris Wife, The Soldier's Wife and Little Princes to my 2012 TBR list. Thanks for the recs.
Off to work on my year-end list. It's still January, so I figure I'm not too late. 😉
Lee says
For some reason, this has been a lackluster reading year for me. Just didn't have the usual zest for reading.
CC11 says
I gave myself the goal of 100 books in 2011 (as I knew once baby came I probably wouldn't get to read as much as I want to) and I actually ended up reading about 113, but unlike you more than half I didn't enjoy, it seems my book choosing was a little off. This year has been better though so far, goodreads recommendations seem to decent.
Love reading your reviews 🙂
Kitchen Ninja says
You and I read lots of similar things, so I always look to your list when I need a recommendation. Thanks!!
Marjie says
I don't keep track of what I read. There's just too much else to do. But your list is impressive. I believe I've read 6 books since Christmas, 2 real and 4 on the Kindle. By the end of January, I will have lost count.
Barbara says
I'm copying this list, Pam, and will check it later to see what I haven't read. Great idea to make a list. I used to try to keep one on my blog, but it always got away from me!
Happy New Year, good friend!
Judi says
Great list! I see that you liked the majority of them; I find it hard to finish a book I don't particularly like. I find my Kindle app has increased my reading. I'm off to a good start, trying the 52-book/year challenge. Good reading!
katiez says
I read the Elegance of the Hedgehog (loved it) and now I have a new list for this year... Thanks!
La Table De Nana says
Thanks for this list:) I will come back..I did send a friend thing w/ my Goodreads but don't know if you got it?
once in a blue moon says
nice to see your reacap i read about 10 of yours too, i am saving your list to scout out for more and more new books!
we are restarting food for thought this year, except now its any visual book review, i hope you can try and play, we know you love to take pics 🙂 email if you want the book list, 22 books over the year, easy breezy 🙂
SusanD says
Seriously? Please explain to me how you find the time to read this much. In addition to: blogging, starting a photog business, learning Photoshop, cooking, and oh yeah...working full-time! I must piddle too much. Must work on that. You are my hero. You rock! Blessings, SusanD
Joanne says
Sigh. My bookish year was AWFUL! I'm looking to read more in 2012. I love it so much but never seem to make time for it the way I want to!
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen says
You are definitely an avid reader Pam. I see The Paris Wife among your reads. I read it recently and am now re-reading A Movable Feast. Would be interested in what you thought of The Paris Wife.
Sam
June says
Love your list. I was moaning to the Big Guy the other day that I couldn't find anything good at the library and here you are - now I'll be heading there with your list! Thanks Pam.
Amy says
As usual, you impress me. And remind me I don't read nearly enough. Hey, at least I'm finally past the parenting manual stage!
Joy says
Always impressed by your book lists. I just saw a biography show on Chelsea Handler last night (had no idea who she was) and this morning I see her books on your list. I don't know how you find time to read with everything else you do.