Book a Week in 2013 - week fifty two wrap up

[Shawneinfl]

Just finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn which may well be my favorite book of the year. It had been in my Audible library for months as part of a bogo sale. Outstanding.

 

I will post my list later. Are we starting the new week tomorrow or on Wed.?

[Robin M]

Just finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn which may well be my favorite book of the year. It had been in my Audible library for months as part of a bogo sale. Outstanding.

 

I will post my list later. Are we starting the new week tomorrow or on Wed.?

 

We'll start on Wednesday.

 

[bobbeym]

Woodland Mist Academy asked the same question last week in post #39.  A number of people responded on how time is found.  You'll see that some years are better than others but the ultimate point is not the quantity but just reading!

 

Well, I can certainly say that I dusted off my library card and broke in my kindle app this year.  My biggest goal was to be more intentional about my reading, which I succeeded at doing.  I didn't reach any of the other goals but I'm not chuffed over that. 

 

Now I just need to decide what next year's goals will be.  I am doing Jon Acuff's Empty Shelf Challenge over on Pinterest, but there isn't a goal to that.

[ladydusk]

If it is going to br April for SWB history books I can join in too. :)

 

Although, um, you made that a plural, didn't you ...

[MelAR05]

Well, I have loosely followed this thread since September but have not had time to post reviews or responses. I got so busy with the change in my husband's new job and teaching a coop class that reading was moved to the bottom of the to-do list. This book challenge stretched me more than I could have ever imagined, from reading classics like Don Quixote, that I had always wanted to read, to reading books like 1Q84, that I would never pick on my own. So I look forward to participating in 2014. My responses are below. For some reason, I am not able to change my responses to a different color.

 

1. How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? My goal was 52 and I only got to 45. 
2. What are your top 5 (or more) favorite stories? Don Quixote, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Winds of War, Dearie, East of Eden and Unbroken  Top 5 least favorites? Death Comes to Pemberley, Dracula, How to Win Friends and Influence People, The Racketeer
3. One book you thought you would never read and was pleasantly surprised you liked it? Don Quixote, Why I Left Goldman Sachs
4. Most thrilling unputdownable book?  Gone Girl
5. Did you come across a story that you enjoyed it so much, you turned around and read it again or plan on  rereading it again in 2014? To Kill a Mockingbird and maybe Don Quixote
6. One book you thought you would love, but didn't? Death Comes to Pemberley
7. Which book or books had the greatest impact on you this year? To Kill a Mockingbird, Dearie, Unbroken, 1984
8. Do you have a favorite cover or quote from a story you'd like to share?  "There is no book so bad...that it does not have something good in it." Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote  "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. - Atticus Finch, Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird
9. What book would you recommend everyone read?  To Kill a Mockingbird
10. What was your most favorite part of the challenge? Finally reading some of the classics I had always wanted to read.  Did you do any of the mini challenges?  Since it was my first year, I decided to just do the 52 challenge.

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

My husband started A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1) by George R. R. Martin.

 

I have this on my Kindle and started it several times. I think I might like it, but it seems I try to read it at the wrong time. I'll try again a few times next year, and if I still can't get into it I suppose I'll give up. I got it because dh said he wants to read it, but he hasn't started it yet either.

 

With only three days left in 2013, I've started another book:  Howard's End Is On the Landing: A Year of Reading From Home by Susan Hill, author of the Simon Seralllier series and The Woman In Black.  I am pretty sure I heard about this memoir here at WTM but it might have been on any of the book blogs I follow.  The premise is that while searching her shelves for a particular volume, Hill found lots of books that she owned that had never been read, some that had been forgotten about, and some that had been read-then-forgotten-about.  (Any of us with overflowing bookshelves can relate, I'm sure.  I know I can!)   She made the decision to spend an entire year reading only from her own shelves and writing about what she found there.

 

I tried and failed miserably at a similar Read Your Own Books challenge in early 2013 but something about staying close to home is very appealing right now.   :)

 

I forgot about The Woman in Black. I downloaded the sample to my Kindle over a year ago, added the book to my wish list, then completely forgot about it. Dh and I watched the movie and thought it was weird. 

 

I'm not sure how I'd do reading only from my shelves. If I did that this year I would have missed out on The Flamethrowers and The Goldfinch, two books I really loved. I tried doing the dusty books challenge at the beginning of 2013, and didn't even make it to March.

 

I can't believe how many books some of y'all have read!  Where in the world do you find the time to read that much?

 

I have one child, 16 years old, so I have much more time to myself than people with young children and/or more than one. However, I always carve out some reading time. I'm not a big tv watcher, so I read instead. I also read a bit before bed nearly every night. My Kindle goes everywhere with me (before I had it, I took a book everywhere), so if I find myself waiting somewhere, I pull it out and read.

 

 

Now I just need to decide what next year's goals will be.  I am doing Jon Acuff's Empty Shelf Challenge over on Pinterest, but there isn't a goal to that.

 

The Pinterest challenge looks doable.

 

This book challenge stretched me more than I could have ever imagined, from reading classics like Don Quixote, that I had always wanted to read, to reading books like 1Q84, that I would never pick on my own.

Yes, I love how this group (and to a lesser degree the challenges) pull me out of my reading comfort zone. I've found many wonderful books that I know I wouldn't have discovered on my own.

[melmichigan]

I just spent hours starting lists for the dewey decimal challenge.  Fingers crossed I will finish this challenge in 2014!

 

Hey, you have to find something to do while waiting to start the 2014 challenge, right? ;)

[mumto2]

Although, um, you made that a plural, didn't you ...

:lol: To be honest I thought someone here was talking about doing all three. Considering that I have only made it a third of the way through Ancients on my own I will admit one would be a huge improvement! :)

[zillymom]

I haven't been checking in since hitting 52 books, but I started out 2013 hoping to read a book a week, and I'm now a few pages away from finishing my 100th book of the year. I can't believe it. Thanks so much to this group and the weekly threads!

[Jane in NC]

My final list for 2013:

 

Rating system: 5 = Love; 4 = Pretty awesome; 3 = Decently good; 2 = Ok; Not bothering with 1's...
Chunksters (500+ pages) in purple.

Personal challenges: Old Friends, Dusty Books, Sustainability, Dorothy Dunnett, the Continental Challenge

 

) Gillespie and I (Jane Harris) 3.5 stars
2) The Feast Nearby (Robin Mather) 3 stars--Sustainability (1)
3) The View from Castle Rock (Alice Munro) 4 stars--Dusty Book (1), Canadian author in the Continental Challenge
4) The Good Food Revolution (Will Allen with Charles Wilson) 2.5 stars--Sustainability (2)
5) Red Brick, Black Mountain, White Clay (Chris Benfey) 4 stars
6) Tom Jones (Henry Fielding) 5 stars--Old Friend (1), Dusty Book (2)**This remains one of my favorite novels of all time!**
7) Uneasy Money (P.G. Wodehouse, audio book) 3 stars
8) Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel)--4 stars
9) A High Wind in Jamaica (Richard Hughes)--3.5 stars
10) Too Many Cooks (Rex Stout, audio book) 3.5 stars
11) Excellent Women (Barbara Pym) 4.5 stars--Old Friend (2)
12) An Awakening Heart (Barbara Dowd Wright) 3 stars--Dusty Book (3)
13) The Swerve (Stephen Greenblatt) 3.5 stars
14) Das Kapital: A Novel of Love and Money Markets (Viken Berberian) 4 stars
15) Aleph (Paulo Coelho) 1.5 stars Brazilian author in the Continental Challenge
16) Niccolo Rising (Dorothy Dunnett) 5 stars--Dorothy Dunnett personal challenge (1); Old Friend (3)
17) The Devil on Lammas Night (Susan Howatch) 3.5 stars--Dusty Book (4)
18) Nature Wars (Jim Sterba) 5 stars
19) Blood of the Wicked (Leighton Gage) Continental Challenge (Brazil) 3.5 stars
20) A Ghost in the Machine (Catherine Graham) 3.5 stars --Dusty Book (5)
21) All Natural (Nathanael Johnson) 5 stars-- Sustainability (3)
22) Madame Bovary (Gustave Flaubert) 4 stars
23) The Bucolic Plague (Josh Kilmer-Purcell) 2.5 stars
24) Cop to Corpse (Peter Lovesey) 3 stars
25) Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (Dai Sijie) 4 stars
26) Vendenta (Michael Dibdin) 3.5 stars
27) Elelgance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barbery) 4 stars
28) Population: 485 (Michael Perry) 4.5 stars
29) Stagestruck (Peter Lovesey) 4 stars
30) Gourmet Rhapsody (Muriel Barbery) 3 stars
31) Cabal (Michael Dibdin) 3.5 stars
32) Cooked (Michael Pollan) 4.5 stars
33) Oishinko: Ramen & Gyoza (Kariya/Hanasaki) Food manga! 4 stars
34) Paris France (Gertrude Stein) 4.5 stars--Old Friends (3)
35) Oishinko: Fish, Sushi, and Sushimi (Kariya/Hanasaki) More food manga! 4 stars
36) Beware This Boy (Maureen Jennings) 3 stars
37) The Spring of the Ram (Dorothy Dunnett) 5 stars --Dorothy Dunnett (2), Dusty Book (6)
38) Richard III (Shakespeare) 5 stars--Old Friends (4)

39) A Taste for Death (PD James) 4 stars

40) Henry IV Part I (Shakespeare) 5 stars

41) Race of Scorpions (Dorothy Dunnett) 4 stars--Dorothy Dunnett Challenge (3), Dusty Book (7)

42) Old Filth (Jane Gardam) 5 stars

43) Cradle to Cradle (Braungart and McDonough) 4 stars--Sustainability (4)

44) The Man in the Wooden Hat (Jane Gardam) 5 stars

45) The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (Edgar Allen Poe) 3.5 stars

46) Old Friends (Jane Gardam) 5 stars

47) Pym (Mat Johnson) 3.5 stars

48) A Good Death (Elizabeth Ironside) 3 stars

49) The Curtain (Milan Kundera) 5 stars

50) Baker Street Translation (Michael Robertson) 2.5 stars

51) Waiting for Dark (Peter Robinson) 3.5 stars

52) The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson) 4 stars

53) Shooting at Loons (Margaret Maron) 2.5 stars

54) Hidden Kitchens (Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson)  4 stars, Dusty Book (8)

55) Letters to a Young Scientist (E.O. Wilson) 4 stars

56) The Spellman Files (Lisa Lotz) 2.5 stars

57) A Train in Winter (Caroline Moorehead) 4 stars

58) Stone Upon Stone (Wiesław Myśliwski) 5 stars

59) A Bespoke Murder (Edward Marston) 2.5 stars

60) Gulp (Mary Roach) 4 stars

61) The Observations (Jane Harris) 4 stars

62) Cinnamon and Gunpowder (Eli Brown) 3.5 stars

63) No Holly for MIss Quinn (Miss Read) 3.5 stars--Old Friends (4)

64) Diary of a Provincial Lady (E.M. Delafield) 5 stars--Old Friends(5)

[Kim in Appalachia]

I finished Goldfinch. It was an amazing book.  It had everything; complex writing, intricate plot, and well drawn characters.  I could not get that book out of my head.  I dreamed about it a couple of times.  Just weird, becuase I don't normally do that.  And by the end I was thinking about getting some vodka to drink as I read it.  :lol:  (I don't drink vodka, in fact more than just a little of it makes me feel sick, but I found myself wanting to have a drink.)

 

Since I finished it this year, I have to say it goes in my top five.  Not only that, but maybe in my top 10 overall.  I'm glad I bought it, because I may reread it.  Next year I may buy her past books (I think there are 2?  I'll check on that).  

 

Next up, Winter's Tale.  My library had an e-book copy.  They didn't 2 months ago.  I decided to recheck, since I knew the movie was coming out I thought they might make it more easily available.  I have it for 21 days, so I'll have to read quickly, or turn off my wifi.  It will be my first read of the new year, and perfect for winter. 

 

 

[ladydusk]

:lol: To be honest I thought someone here was talking about doing all three. Considering that I have only made it a third of the way through Ancients on my own I will admit one would be a huge improvement! :)

I do *want* to read all three ... But maybe not in April. :D

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

 

[LostSurprise]

I was really excited last year and overly-challenged myself, so this year I think I'll focus on dusty books (things I've had on-shelf) and finally finished books (books I've started but have put down for one reason or another). Dusty books will probably lean toward some authors I have on my life list ( ) and my over-burdened history shelf. I'm not allowed to buy any new histories or memoirs until it's no longer triple shelved. 

 

Life list stuff:

something by Don DeLillo (Underworld or Libra)

something by Thomas Pynchon (Vinland)

something by Jim Harrison (True North)

the works of Charles Portis (I got Gringos for Christmas)

the works of Walter Tevis (picked up The Color of Money)

something by Jose Saramago (Blindness, Baltasar and Blimunda)

the works of Cormac McCarthy (not sure yet)

 

Okay, that looks crazy. I'll try some of these this year, and try to finish others (The French Lieutenant's Woman, Marilynne Robinson's essays, Cloudsplitter, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee). 

 

 

Odd Question Alert: What kind of calender do you get? I was at Half Priced Books this week and I picked up an Arts & Crafts Movement calender with bird designs. Ever since I went through and A&C reading phase 2 years ago I just love to page through Victorian A&C design. It's so rich. My other favorite calender was also inspired by my reading. I went through a Touring the Continent phase so dh picked up a calender of windows in Venice. (I kept the photos from that one because I love the architecture and the flowers.)

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

 

 

Odd Question Alert: What kind of calender do you get? I was at Half Priced Books this week and I picked up an Arts & Crafts Movement calender with bird designs. Ever since I went through and A&C reading phase 2 years ago I just love to page through Victorian A&C design. It's so rich. My other favorite calender was also inspired by my reading. I went through a Touring the Continent phase so dh picked up a calender of windows in Venice. (I kept the photos from that one because I love the architecture and the flowers.)

 

 

That looks nice. We've gone digital for the most part, but still like a calendar hanging in the kitchen that any of us can quickly write on. We usually get cats, kittens, puppies and kittens, or a Shetland Sheepdog calendar. 

[Stacia]

.

[Tress]

1. How many books did you read and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? 

I joined this thread in week 37 with the intention to read 15 books in 15 weeks. That sounded a bit less intimidating than 52 books in 52 weeks :D. I read 23 books , so way more than I expected!

1. What are your top 5 (or more) favorite stories?  Top 5 least favorites? 

Favorite fiction: Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula le Guin

Favorite non-fiction: The Monsters, Mary Shelley & the Curse of Frankenstein - D. & T. Hoobler.  

1. One book you thought you would never read and was pleasantly surprised you liked it? 

Dracula.

1. Most thrilling unputdownable book? 

The Monsters, Mary Shelley & the Curse of Frankenstein - D. & T. Hoobler.  Not thrilling, but fascinating and unputdownable!

1. Did you come across a story that you enjoyed it so much, you turned around and read it again or plan on  rereading it again in 2014? 

No, but I’m tempted by Left Hand of Darkness.

1. One book you thought you would love, but didn't? 

Insurgent. I liked the first book, Divergent, but this was very disappointing. I was also surprised that I didn't like the stories by H.G. Wells and Ray Bradbury I read for the Coursera course.

1. Which book or books had the greatest impact on you this year? 

No book, but this BaW-thread has had a great impact on me. I had been reading mostly homeschool-related (boring) things for ages and this thread helped me reconnect with what I wanted to read, for *my* pleasure.

1. Do you have a favorite cover or quote from a story you'd like to share? 
2. What book would you recommend everyone read?  The Monsters, Mary Shelley & the Curse of Frankenstein - D. & T. Hoobler.
3. What was your most favorite part of the challenge? Did you do any of the mini challenges? 

I did not do any of the mini challenges, but I really like reading a book a week. I love ‘reporting’ what I have read during the week and it helped me make time to read. I also loooooooove reading other people’s reviews, my wishlist is crazy now :D.

 

I'm reading Goldfinch right now, but I don't think 'm going to finish it before the end of the year. Despite all the enthousiastic reactions here, I'm finding it a slog. I'm at 550+ pages and I'm still waiting for it to really grab me. I do think I want to finish it, otherwise I think I will get the feeling of an unfinished story in my head :laugh: , but it might take a while.

 

 

23. Little Brother - Cory Doctorow

22. Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula le Guin

21. The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury

20. The Monsters, Mary Shelley & the Curse of Frankenstein - D. & T. Hoobler

19. Herland – Charlotte Perkins Gilman

18. A Princess of Mars – Edgar Rice Burroughs

17. Digital Dementia – Manfred Spitzer

16. The Island of Doctor Moreau - H.G.Wells

15. Selected stories and poems - Poe

14. Vlucht uit het land van de vrijheid - Anna Meijerink

13. Insurgent - Veronica Roth

12. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

11. The Smartest Kids in the World - Amanda Ripley

10. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

9. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll

8. Dracula - Bram Stoker

7. Balzac and the little Chinese Seamstress - Daj Sijie

6. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

5. Shards of a Broken Crown (Serpentwar Saga book 4) - Raymond E. Feist

4. Divergent - Veronica Roth

3. The Pleasure of Reading in the Age of Distraction - Alan Jacobs  (reread)

2. Dream of Joy - Lisa See

1. The Shallows - Nicholas Carr

[Tress]

I have been making plans for the new year, I love making lists :D.

 

I think I'm going to do four seperate strands:

1) Dutch reading list, I really need to read more Dutch classics as prep for my dds High School literature

2) HarvardX: Greek Hero in 24 Hours Course. Last week I wrote that I wasn't sure I wanted to do this course, it felt really intimidating, but over Christmas I read the selections for Hour 0 and Hour 1 and watched the lectures, and it is FASCINATING! :thumbup:

3) SWB's history books **

4) by whim, just following interesting book suggestions on here, continuing Wheel of Time etc.

 

** I laughed seeing so many here who planned to read SWB's history books :lol: . I see we are going to start in April, but does that mean we are going to read SWB's Ancient History in one month? That would be too fast for me, I read it when it was first published, but because I read it so quickly, I remember so little. This time I would like to read it slowly, say 2 chapters a week, or so.

 

I'm a bit unclear about the other challenges, Dusty book I get ( :blushing:), but when is a book a Chunky book (certain amount of pages?) and what is 5/5/5?

 

I did put WInd Up Bird Chronicle y Murakami on hold to read in January.

[swimmermom3]

I do like Russian novels (somewhere I saw them called BARBs - Big A$$ Russian Books), and I sometimes like Emily Dickenson, but for some reason I've always thought I wouldn't like Virginia Woolf. I should probably at least give her a try so I can determine if I'm right. Who knows, I might be surprised.

 

You might try reading The Death of the Moth. That way you can decide if you are ready for a longer commitment. :D

[LostSurprise]

For the past many years, I've had a Charley Harper wall calender (I use it a lot because I have to track all the meds I have to give to 2 of my cats):

 

 

I like Charley Harper too! My youngest has a thing about birds, so I gave him Charley Harper postcards and a coloring book. 

 

 

[Stacia]

.

[Stacia]

Tress, so glad you loved that bio of Mary Shelley. Sorry to hear you aren't loving The Goldfinch. Kim, I'm still working on The Goldfinch & think I may be like you -- adding it to my 'top of the year' lists. Still totally loving it, even if my reading time is extremely short/scarce these days. Managed a few more pages this morning (& had tears squeezing out of the corners of my eyes again).

 

Interesting discussion about V. Woolf. I've never read her. However, I read Michael Cunningham's The Hours many years ago & HATED it. So, because of that book, it has turned me against any real interest in trying Virginia Woolf. Unfair, I know, but I just don't feel compelled to read her.

 

So, what books &/or bookish things did everyone get during the holiday season? Robin, I saw your photo on your blog -- there were a few there I recognized (though I couldn't see all the titles) -- looks like you got a great haul!

 

I got an amazon gift card (so I need to decide which books I want to buy), plus money for my library membership to the next county over (yay!) & money to do a subscription to either Archipelago or NYRB Classics. I think I'm going to go w/ a subscription to Archipelago. And, I got the Poe (The Raven) infinity scarf I was hoping for! Love it (am wearing it now).

[mumto2]

Tress -- The Harvard course looks interesting. Great find. :)

 

As I understand the 5/5/5 is a challenge where you pick your own topics and read 5 that meet your criteria for each topic. You could do 5 Durch classics for instance. I think you are supposed to do 5 of these when you do the 5/5/5 but just completing one was hard for me! I failed at this one last year. I am hoping that without the pressure to read 5 I will at least read some CS Lewis and Bronte in the coming year.

 

I believe the tentative plan is for two chapters a week the SWB books. Pretty sure that is what someone said. Hopefully you will be able to join in!

 

Don't feel too bad about the Goldfinch. I loved the first 400 or so pages but almost quit after that. It improved vastly for me roughly at the point you are at. I did not list it as a favorite because I did not like the middle at all.

[Tress]

As I understand the 5/5/5 is a challenge where you pick your own topics and read 5 that meet your criteria for each topic. You could do 5 Durch classics for instance. I think you are supposed to do 5 of these when you do the 5/5/5 but just completing one was hard for me! I failed at this one last year. I am hoping that without the pressure to read 5 I will at least read some CS Lewis and Bronte in the coming year.

Okay, so if I choose smart, I can follow my plan *and* do a 5/5/5 challenge :D.

 

I purposefully didn't include amount of books in my plans. I'm going to try to do 52 books in 52 weeks, but I will see how many will be Dutch/Greek Hero/SWB/whim. At first I had written down something like 2 Dutch books a month, finish Greek Hero in 6 months, so 4 Hours a month, all 3 books by SWB, etcetc. But that list became so scary, that I scrapped it :lol:.

 

I believe the tentative plan is for two chapters a week the SWB books. Pretty sure that is what someone said. Hopefully you will be able to join in!

Oh, good! Than I will join in.

 

Don't feel too bad about the Goldfinch. I loved the first 400 or so pages but almost quit after that. It improved vastly for me roughly at the point you are at. I did not list it as a favorite because I did not like the middle at all.

So there is still hope :D. I'm at 638 now, still 300 to go....

[Lady Florida.]

You might try reading The Death of the Moth. That way you can decide if you are ready for a longer commitment. :D

 

Thank you. I might give it a try. The link didn't work, but I easily found it when I did a search.

[Stacia]

BaW friends, eaglei's son needs prayers.

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/498232-urgent-prayer-request-for-ds/

 

(Posting in case others missed her post. I didn't see it until now.).

 

Eaglei, keeping all of you in our thoughts...

[eaglei]

BaW friends, eaglei's son needs prayers.

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/498232-urgent-prayer-request-for-ds/

 

(Posting in case others missed her post. I didn't see it until now.).

 

Eaglei, keeping all of you in our thoughts...

 

Stacia,

Thank you so much for posting this here . . . your thoughtfulness and concern has brought grateful tears to my eyes . . .

[Woodland Mist Academy]

What are your top 5 (or more) favorite stories?

. . .

The Geography of Bliss

. . .

. . .

Did you come across a story that you enjoyed it so much, you turned around and read it again or plan on rereading it again in 2014?

The Geography of Bliss

 

. . .

Which book or books had the greatest impact on you this year?

The Geography of Bliss

Geography of Bliss made these on my list as well. The book never quite leaves me.

[Stacia]

Stacia,

Thank you so much for posting this here . . . your thoughtfulness and concern has brought grateful tears to my eyes . . .

I just wish I had seen your post sooner. I know all the BaW crowd will want to keep you & your son in prayers & thoughts. Hugs, my friend.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

 

 

Odd Question Alert: What kind of calender do you get? I was at Half Priced Books this week and I picked up an Arts & Crafts Movement calender with bird designs. Ever since I went through and A&C reading phase 2 years ago I just love to page through Victorian A&C design. It's so rich. My other favorite calender was also inspired by my reading. I went through a Touring the Continent phase so dh picked up a calender of windows in Venice. (I kept the photos from that one because I love the architecture and the flowers.)

 

 

Pretty! We live in an A&C inspired home, so I would be drawn to this one as well!

 

We no longer use a wall calender, but when we did one of my favorites was The Reading Woman.

 

 

[Robin M]

I have been making plans for the new year, I love making lists :D.

 

I think I'm going to do four seperate strands:

1) Dutch reading list, I really need to read more Dutch classics as prep for my dds High School literature

2) HarvardX: Greek Hero in 24 Hours Course. Last week I wrote that I wasn't sure I wanted to do this course, it felt really intimidating, but over Christmas I read the selections for Hour 0 and Hour 1 and watched the lectures, and it is FASCINATING! :thumbup:

3) SWB's history books **

4) by whim, just following interesting book suggestions on here, continuing Wheel of Time etc.

 

** I laughed seeing so many here who planned to read SWB's history books :lol: . I see we are going to start in April, but does that mean we are going to read SWB's Ancient History in one month? That would be too fast for me, I read it when it was first published, but because I read it so quickly, I remember so little. This time I would like to read it slowly, say 2 chapters a week, or so.

 

I'm a bit unclear about the other challenges, Dusty book I get ( :blushing:), but when is a book a Chunky book (certain amount of pages?) and what is 5/5/5?

 

I did put WInd Up Bird Chronicle y Murakami on hold to read in January.

We are going to start in April with History of the Ancient World, probably do a couple chapters per week and will take us the rest of the year most likely.  If someone has already read Ancient World, they can follow along with same chapter numbers in Medieval since both have 85 chapters. A work in progress for the remainder of the year. 

 

Chunky books are those over 500 pages.  5/5/5 is five books in five genres or five areas that you are most interested in.  This year is/was the 5th year anniversary of 52 books which is how that came about and decided to make it easy and continue with it rather than trying to come up with 6/6/6 or 6/6/14 or other weird variations. 

 

I figured out the century challenge (well at least for me since I seem to have enough books on the shelves) and going to start with 12th century (1101-1200) which works out quite well, ending with the present.  So if you guys want to join in on the Century thing, Jan will be 12th, Feb will be 13th and so on.  I just found a great 12th Century Japanese Detective novel - Shinju by Laura Rowland (which honestly is going to be my last purchase of the year) :leaving:

[Woodland Mist Academy]

We are going to start in April with History of the Ancient World, probably do a couple chapters per week and will take us the rest of the year most likely.  If someone has already read Ancient World, they can follow along with same chapter numbers in Medieval since both have 85 chapters. A work in progress for the remainder of the year.

I've been wanting to start Medieval, so this is perfect. Thanks!

[Robin M]

Don't forget to check out Kindle Daily Deals - they have some great mysteries and thrillers on sale for $1.99 right now including NOS4A2 by Joe Hill, Guilermo Del Toro's Strain series and Nesbo's Harry Hole series. 

 

Barnes and Noble has several of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series in ebook for $2.99

 

Plus here's one last list to help fill up your wishlists - The Irish Times 2014 literary Line up

 

 

[mumto2]

Is anyone else here having a problem with picking what to read now, 2013? Most of my kindle books that I feel like reading will count towards a challenge for next year. My geography one specifically. I am afraid to start them in case I get hooked and finish. :lol: This is the oddest situation!

[Rosie_0801]

I'm trying to decide what the first book of the year should be, as though it will somehow affect the whole course of my year. :rolleyes:

[mumto2]

Question to Goodreads users --

 

Other then making lots and lots of shelves, is there anyway to track countries and centuries using my goodreads account?

[Jane in NC]

Is anyone else here having a problem with picking what to read now, 2013? Most of my kindle books that I feel like reading will count towards a challenge for next year. My geography one specifically. I am afraid to start them in case I get hooked and finish. :lol: This is the oddest situation!

Clearly a case where you need to start reading two or three books simultaneously. At least that is my strategy!

[Shawneinfl]

Brain function 'boosted for days after reading a novel'

 

 

 

 

lhttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/brain-function-boosted-for-days-after-reading-a-novel-9028302.html

[Paisley Hedgehog]

. 

 

[LostSurprise]

Since I have books to finish up, library books that I've been waiting for and have a waitlist after me, and books I received for Christmas...my problem is not what to choose to read in the new year but how to limit myself. 

 

 

And Robin, I've been ignoring all of the challenges successfully, but a Century challenge?? That looks like fun.  Is it fiction? Nonfiction? A mix? Set in that century or written in that century? How do you search for fiction covering a particular century? Is that a common tag on Goodreads (because I know its use in my home library system is limited)?

 

I'm going to get suckered in again, I can tell. I do love the promise of a new year. 

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Is anyone else here having a problem with picking what to read now, 2013? Most of my kindle books that I feel like reading will count towards a challenge for next year. My geography one specifically. I am afraid to start them in case I get hooked and finish. :lol: This is the oddest situation!

 

I feel a little guilty when I pick up Bleak House. I feel like I am somehow cheating because it will count as a 2014 book, thereby giving me a head start. I don't think I am going to participate in any challenges, but just discuss books instead. I am way.too.OCD to do the challenges. I started to find myself leaning toward shorter, quicker reads to up the count and other such nonsense.

 

So I'll start out 2014 admitting failure in all the challenges. :tongue_smilie:

 

Whew.  Now I can just read and enjoy the great conversations! :cheers2:

[Shawneinfl]

Does anyone know how to use the Kindle lending library? I can find a listing of movies but not books.

[Stacia]

Question to Goodreads users --

 

Other then making lots and lots of shelves, is there anyway to track countries and centuries using my goodreads account?

 

I don't know of any other way than making the various shelves as you already mentioned....

 

As far as countries, perhaps you could set up a shelf for each continent, then use the personal notes box to indicate which particular country. That might help keep the number of shelves lower.

[Stacia]

Well, since it's pretty obvious I won't be finishing any more books this year, here's my final list of what I read in 2013.

 

--------------------------
My Goodreads Page
My PaperbackSwap Page

My rating system:
5 = Love; 4 = Pretty awesome; 3 = Good; 2 = Meh; 1 = Don't bother (I shouldn't have any 1s on my list as I would ditch them before finishing)...

2013 Books Read:
01. Women of the Klondike by Frances Backhouse (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (Canada).
02. Equator by Miguel Sousa Tavares (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Portugal) & Africa (São Tomé and Príncipe).
03. UFOs, JFK, & Elvis by Richard Belzer (2 stars).
04. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (USA).
05. The Twelve Rooms of the Nile by Enid Shomer (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Africa (Egypt).
06. The Hard Way by Lee Child (2 stars). 

07. The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy (3 stars).

08. Daughters of Copper Woman by Anne Cameron (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (Canada). 

09. A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes (3.5 stars).

10. The Djinn in the Nightingale’s Eye by A.S. Byatt (4 stars).

 

11. Our Lady of Alice Bhatti by Mohammed Hanif (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Pakistan).

12. Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr (4 stars).

13. The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Sweden).

14. A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Pakistan).

15. Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (4 stars).

16. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell (2 stars).

17. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (USA).

18. Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (France) & South America (Argentina).

19. The Tenth Circle by Mempo Giardinelli (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Argentina).

20. Nick & Jake by Jonathan Richards and Tad Richards (3.5 stars).

 

21. A Funny Dirty Little War by Osvaldo Soriano (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Argentina).

22. Winter Quarters by Osvaldo Soriano (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Argentina).

23. The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Z. Danielewski (3.5 stars).

24. Wheat Belly by William Davis M.D. (2.5 stars).

25. Secret Societies by Kelly Knauer (2 stars). 

26. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig (2 stars).

27. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Japan).

28. The Iron Will of Shoeshine Cats by Hesh Kestin (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (USA).

29. Sacré Blue by Christopher Moore (3 stars).

30. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Japan) & North America (Canada).

 

31. Phoebe & the Ghost of Chagall by Jill Koenigsdorf (3 stars).

32. I Will Have Vengeance by Maurizio de Giovanni (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Italy).

33. Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost (3 stars).

34. Hammett Unwritten by Owen Fitzstephen (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – North America (USA).

35. All Men Are Liars by Alberto Manguel (5 stars). Challenges: Continental – South America (Argentina) & Europe (Spain); Pick A Book By Its Cover

36. This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong (3 stars).

37. Xala by Ousmane Sembène (3.5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Africa (Senegal).

38. So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Africa (Senegal).

39. Altazor or A Voyage in a Parachute (1919): A Poem in VII Cantos by Vicente Huidobro (5 stars).

40. The Fan-Maker’s Inquisition by Rikki Ducornet (4.5 stars).

 

41. If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino (5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Italy).

42. They Call Me Naughty Lola: Personal Ads from the London Review of Books, edited by David Rose (2.5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (England).

43. The Late Mattia Pascal by Luigi Pirandello (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Italy).

44. Stoker’s Manuscript by Royce Prouty (4 stars).

45. Captain Alatriste by Arturo Pérez-Reverte (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Spain).

46. The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry (4 stars).

47. Second Person Singular by Sayed Kashua (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Israel).

48. The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy (3.5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe/Asia (Russia).

49. The Book of the Unknown: Tales of the Thirty-Six by Jonathon Keats (3 stars).

50. Borges and the Eternal Orangutans by Luis Fernando Verissimo (5 stars). Challenge: Continental – South America (Brazil & Argentina).

 

51. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Antarctica.

52. Pym by Mat Johnson (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Antarctica.

53. Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway (5 stars).

54. The Complete Works of Marvin K. Mooney by Christopher Higgs (5 stars).

55. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (3 stars).

56. The Shaman’s Coat: A Native History of Siberia by Anna Reid (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Asia (Siberia).

57. In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires by Raymond T. McNally & Radu Florescu (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Romania).

58. Remainder by Tom McCarthy (4 stars).

59. At the Mountains of Madness (radio/audio version) by H.P. Lovecraft (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Antarctica.

60. The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner (5 stars).

 

61. Night of My Blood by Kofi Awoonor (3 stars). Challenge: Continental – Africa (Ghana).

62. A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny (3 stars).

63. Le Sphinx de Glaces by Jules Verne (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Antarctica.

64. The Finno-Ugrian Vampire by Noémi Szécsi (3.5 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Hungary).

65. The Ninth Life of Louis Drax by Liz Jensen (3 stars).

66. The Stress of Her Regard by Tim Powers (4 stars).

67. The Dracula Tape by Fred Saberhagen (3 stars).

68. Sweet Dreams by Michael Frayn (4 stars).

69. The Flying Creatures of Fra Angelico by Antonio Tabucchi (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Italy; Portugal).

70. Mosquito: An Omnilingual Nosferatu Pictomunication Novel by Dan James (3 stars).

 

71. Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson (4 stars).

72. Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Spain).

73. Off-Topic: The Story of an Internet Revolt by G.R. Reader (3 stars/5 stars).

74. Plants Don’t Drink Coffee by Unai Elorriaga (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Europe (Spain/Basque region).

75. The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel (5 stars).  Challenge: Continental – Europe (various).

76. The Fat Man: A Tale of North Pole Noir by Ken Harmon (3 stars).

77. Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff (4 stars).

78. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute (4 stars). Challenge: Continental – Australia.

79. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (2 stars).

80. Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown (3 stars).

[Robin M]

Since I have books to finish up, library books that I've been waiting for and have a waitlist after me, and books I received for Christmas...my problem is not what to choose to read in the new year but how to limit myself. 

 

 

And Robin, I've been ignoring all of the challenges successfully, but a Century challenge?? That looks like fun.  Is it fiction? Nonfiction? A mix? Set in that century or written in that century? How do you search for fiction covering a particular century? Is that a common tag on Goodreads (because I know its use in my home library system is limited)?

 

I'm going to get suckered in again, I can tell. I do love the promise of a new year. 

 

Hi Tam,

 

You can go with fiction or non fiction and make it easy on yourself and go with set in that century.  Goodreads has lots of lists. Do a search for fiction set in 12th century on google, dogpile or your favorite search engine and invariably a Goodreads link will pop up.  Plus lots of other fun links.  Had fun yesterday looking at a bunch.  Check out this link to Medieval Murder mysteries.  I also found a  link to Sword Forum of students discussing novels set in feudal Japan

[Stacia]

And, since everyone's book tastes are different, I'll post the books I abandoned reading this year. (These are ones that I gave a good try/read a decent # of pages, but decided to ditch....) Maybe they will appeal to others....

 

The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Vlad by Carlos Fuentes

The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike

[melmichigan]

Does anyone know how to use the Kindle lending library? I can find a listing of movies but not books.

 

On your kindle, choose to shop in the kindle storefront, then just choose Kindle Owners' Lending Library from the drop down menu.  Choose a book and enjoy!  (This is the process on my new PaperWhite, let me know if I need to check the process on my older version for you.)

[Onceuponatime]

These are some books I didn't complete this year:

 

A Confederacy of Dunces

Will in the World

The Black Count

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler (I may retry this one in 2014)

Galileo's Daughter.

 

I'm currently reading The Winter's Tale by Shakespeare. I'm going to try to find the one by Helprin. I'm also rereading a favorite: Bellwether by Connie Willis. I needed something familiar and fun for when dh is watching football and I'm bored.

 

I've got a January list made up of books that have the words Winter, Ice, or Snow in the title. They look like a good mix. I'll be revealing them as I read. :-) In fact, I'm off to pick up the first two from the library.

[Stacia]

These are some books I didn't complete this year:

 

A Confederacy of Dunces

Will in the World

The Black Count

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler (I may retry this one in 2014)

Galileo's Daughter.

 

I'm currently reading The Winter's Tale by Shakespeare. I'm going to try to find the one by Helprin. I'm also rereading a favorite: Bellwether by Connie Willis. I needed something familiar and fun for when dh is watching football and I'm bored.

 

I've got a January list made up of books that have the words Winter, Ice, or Snow in the title. They look like a good mix. I'll be revealing them as I read. :-) In fact, I'm off to pick up the first two from the library.

 

Ah, glad you posted this. The Black Count is one I wanted to try (& had forgotten about).

 

Looking forward to your winter/ice/snow titles. :thumbup1:

[-M-]

My final 2013 list:

 

â–  The Execution of Noa P. Singleton (Elizabeth L. Silver; 2013. 320 pages. Fiction.)
â–  With or Without You (Domenica Ruta; 2013. 224 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Death at Sea World (David Kirby; 2012. 480 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde; 1895 / 1990. 64 pages. Drama.)
â–  Early Decision: Based on a True Frenzy (Lacy Crawford; 2013. 304 pages. Fiction.)
■ You’re Next (Gregg Hurwitz; 2011. 560 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Glass Menagerie (Tennessee Williams; 1944 / 1990. 104 pages. Drama.)
â–  Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller; 1949 / 1996. 448 pages. Drama.) *
â–  Troy (Adele Geras; 2001. 352 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Financial Lives of the Poets (Jess Walters; 2009. 320 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Debt-Free U (Zac Bissonnette; 2010. 290 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Colleges That Change Lives (Loren Pope; 2006. 382 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  UnSouled (Neal Shusterman; 2013. 404 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Drama High (Michael Sokolove; 2013. 338 pages. Non-fiction.)
■ An Iliad (Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare; 2013. 55 pages. Drama.)
â–  The Iliad (Homer (translated by Stephen Mitchell); 2011. 466 pages. Poetry.)
â–  The Human Story (James C. Davis; 2004. 466 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Fair Weather (Richard Peck; 2003. 146 pages. Fiction.) *
â–  Divergent (Veronica Roth; 2011. 496 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Why Read Moby Dick? (Nathaniel Philbrick; 2011. 144 pages. Non-fiction.)
■ The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; 1971 ed. 112 pages. Fiction.)
â–  A Year Down Yonder (Richard Peck; 2000. 130 pages. Fiction.) *
â–  Come Closer (Sara Gran; 2003. 168 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Moby Dick; or, The Whale (Herman Melville (1851); Alma Books ed. 2013. 712 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Richard II (William Shakespeare (1595); Folger ed. 2005. 352 pages. Drama.)
â–  Alex (Pierre Lemaitre; 2013. 384 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Cyrano de Bergerac (Edmond Rostand (1898); Bantam ed. 1950. 240 pages. Drama.)
â–  King Lear (William Shakespeare (1605); Folger ed. 2005. 384 pages. Drama.)
â–  The Returned (Jason Mott; 2013. 352. pages. Fiction.)
â–  Lowboy (John Wray; 2009. 272. pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Merry Wives of Windsor (William Shakespeare (1597?); Folger ed. 2004. 320 pages. Drama.)
■ The Gift of an Ordinary Day: A Mother’s Memoir (Katrina Kenison; 2009. 320. pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  The Amateurs (Marcus Sakey; 2009. 400. pages. Fiction.)
â–  Physics for Future Presidents: The Science Behind the Headlines (Richard A. Muller; 2009. 384. pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Letters to a Young Scientist (Edward O. Wilson; 2013. 256 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Evil Eye: Four Novellas of Love Gone Wrong (Joyce Carol Oates; 2013. 224 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Gone with the Wind (Margaret Mitchell (1936); Anniversary ed. 2011. 960 pages. Fiction.) *
â–  A Short History of the United States: From the Arrival of Native American Tribes to the Obama Presidency (Robert V. Remini; 2009. 416 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Othello (William Shakespeare (1603); Folger ed. 2003. 368 pages. Drama.) *
â–  Hamlet (William Shakespeare (1603); Folger ed. 2003. 342 pages. Drama.) *
â–  A Long Way from Chicago (Richard Peck; 1998. 192 pages. Fiction.) *
■ The Husband’s Secret (Liane Moriarty; 2013. 416 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Kiss Me First (Lottie Moggach; 2013. 320 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Silent Wife (A.S.A. Harrison; 2013. 336 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Comedy of Errors (William Shakespeare (1594); Folger ed. 2004. 272. pages. Drama.) *
â–  The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka (1915); Bantam ed. 1972. 201 pages. Fiction.) *
â–  The Storyteller (Jodi Picoult; 2013. 480 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Kill Shakespeare: Volume 2 (Conor McCreery; 2011. 148 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  The Dinner (Herman Koch; 2013. 304 pages. Fiction.)
â–  We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves (Karen Joy Fowler; 2013. 320 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Macbeth (William Shakespeare (1606); Folger ed. 2003. 272 pages. Drama.) *
â–  Run, Brother, Run: A Memoir of a Murder in My Family (David Berg; 2013. 272 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  NOS4A2 (Joe Hill; 2013. 704 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard (Linda Bates; 2013. 304 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Cast of Shadows (Kevin Guilfoile; 2006. 319 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Letters to a Young Poet (Rainer Maria Rilke; ed. 1986. 128 pages. Non-fiction.) *
â–  Much Ado about Nothing (William Shakespeare (1599); Folger ed. 2003. 246 pages. Drama.) *
â–  Animal Man, Vol. 2 (Jeff Lemire; 2012. 176 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  So Much for That (Lionel Shriver; 2011. 480 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Life Itself (Roger Ebert; 2011. 448 pages. Memoir.)
â–  Saga, Vol. 2 (Brian Vaughn; 2013. 144 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  Animal Man, Vol. 1 (Jeff Lemire; 2012. 144 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  Very Good, Jeeves (P.G. Wodehouse; ed. 2006. 304 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The 5th Wave (Rick Yancey; 2013. 480 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Richard III (William Shakespeare (1592); Folger ed. 2005. 352 pages. Drama.) *
â–  Give Me Everything You Have: On Being Stalked (James Lansdun; 2013. 224 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Harvest (A.J. Lieberman; 2013. 128 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  The Guilty One (Lisa Ballantyne; 2013. 480 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You (Joyce Carol Oates; 2013. 288 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Dare Me (Megan Abott; 2012. 304 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life (Robin Stern; 2007. 288 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Henry VIII (William Shakespeare (1613); Folger ed. 2007. 352 pages. Drama.)
â–  The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald; 1925/1980. 182 pages. Fiction.) *
â–  Attachments (Rainbow Rowell; 2011. 336 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Reconstructing Amelia (Kimberly McCreight; 2013. 400 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers (Margaret George; 1998. 960 pages. Fiction.)
■ Picasso and Chicago: 100 Years, 100 Works (Stephanie D’Alessandro; 2013. 112 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Measure for Measure (William Shakespeare (1603); Folger ed. 2005. 288 pages. Drama.)
â–  Wave (Sonali Deraniyagala; 2013. 240 pages. Memoir.)
â–  The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: A Memoir of Life in Death (Jean-Dominique Bauby; 1998. 131 pages. Autobiography.)
â–  The Undead: Organ Harvesting, the Ice-Water Test, Beating-Heart Cadavers (Dick Teresi; 2012. 368 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Human .4 (Mike A. Lancaster; 2011. 240 pages. YA fiction.)
â–  Warm Bodies (Isaac Marion; 2011. 256 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Underwater Welder (Jeff Lemire; 2012. 224 pages. Graphic fiction.)
■ After Visiting Friends: A Son’s Story (Michael Hainey; 2013. 320 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Philip K. Dick; 1968. 256 pages. Fiction.)  *
â–  Accelerated (Bronwen Hruska; 2012. 288 pages. Fiction.)
â–  The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger; 1951. 288 pages. Fiction.) *
â–  Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes; 1966. 324 pages. Fiction.)  *
â–  Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Jamie Ford; 2009. 301 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (Dai Sijie; 2002. 104 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Revival, Vol. 1 (Tim Seeley; 2012. 128 pages. Graphic fiction.)
â–  Saga, Vol. 1 (Brian K. Vaughan; 2012. 160 pages. Graphic fiction.)
■ La Bohème: Black Dog Opera Library (2005. 144 pages. Libretto, history, and commentary.)
â–  The 13 Clocks (James Thurber (1950); 2008. 136 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness (Susannah Cahalan; 2012. 288 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Julius Caesar (William Shakespeare (1599); Folger ed. 2003. 288 pages. Drama.)  *
■ Don’t Turn Around (Michelle Gagnon; 2012. 320 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Fatal Friends, Deadly Neighbors (Ann Rule; 2012. 544 pages. Non-fiction.)
â–  Daddy Love (Joyce Carol Oates; 2013. 240 pages. Fiction.)
â–  Life after Death (Damien Echols; 2012. 416 pages. Non-fiction.)

 

* Denotes a reread