Well, it's over. It was a banner year for me. I read more this year than I have in any other year, I do believe. 209 books. And they weren't all fluff, either.
There are a few reasons that I read so much. The reading list, as it evolves, focuses my reading, and constantly provides a nourishing buffet (for my brain). I'm never without a book; when I didn't have the list, I sometimes went weeks without finding anything really interesting to sink into. I like it better this way. I sometimes feel hurried, but then I remember that these books exist forevermore, and if I return them to the library without having read them, they're still on my list and I can check them out another day. Also, I don't do crosswords very much anymore. I don't know why. Maybe I killed them by doing too many a day, but now I rarely pull out my book and go to town. That, in turn, gives me more time to read.
And then, if I simply compare this year to last, well, there are other reasons I've read so much. We didn't buy a house and move, for instance. That episode took a toll on my reading, for sure, last year. I didn't spend 10 days in Champaign killing myself for school (and the weeks before that reading thousands of pages for class didn't help my leisure reading any, either.). I actually did most of my reading for class last year, too, which is markedly different from this year. So it's to be expected that the list is bigger.
And man, did I read some good books this year. Just in the first ten is a book I liked so much that I bought it later in the year and READ IT AGAIN. (World War Z.) Anyway, without further ado, here it is:
Love Will Tear Us Apart Rainone
Idiot America Pierce
Born Round Bruni
World War Z Brooks
This is where I leave you Tropper
Manhood for Amateurs Chabon
Goddess of the Hunt Dare
Zeitoun Eggers
Seduction of a Siren Dare
Persuasion of a Lady Dare
Everything They Had Halberstam
When the Game Was Ours Bird/Johnson
Road to Woodstock Lang
Vision in White Roberts
Pops Treachout
Frostbitten Armstrong
American Chinatown Tsui
Under the Dome King
Mysterious Benedict Society Stewart
Book of Basketball Simmons
Big Burn Egan
Shades of Grey Fforde
Cast Member Confidential Mitchell
Perfect Life Shattuck
What Happens in London Quinn
Our Noise Cook
Her Fearful Symmetry Niffenegger
When Everything Changed Collins
Too Big Too Fail Ross
Committed Gilbert
Ladies of the Lake Smith
Last Harvest Rybzyncski
Endless Forest Donati
Into the Wilderness Donati
Dawn on a Distant Shore Donati
Lake in the Clouds Donati
Fire Along the Sky Donati
Soul of a Dog Katz
Slanted and Enchanted Oakes
La's Orchestra Saves the World McCall-Smith
Sword of the Lady Stirling
Perfection Metz
Rainwater Brown
Inside of a Dog Horowitz
SuperFreakonomics Dubner/Leavitt
What the Dog Saw Gladwell
Betrayal of the Blood Lily Willig
Lost Paradise Marks
Blackout Willis
Bed of Roses Roberts
Swan Thieves Kostova
As It Was Written Hampton
Man Who Loved Books Too Much Bartlett
Full Dark House Fowler
Big Short Lewis
Cleaving Powell
Spellmans Strike Again Lutz
Bloodroot Greene
Brava, Valentine Trigiani
Checklist Manifesto Gawande
Season of 2nd Chances Meier
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt Hoffman
The Water Room Fowler
Postmistress Blake
Girl Who Chased the Moon Allen
Keeping the Feast Butturini
Viola in Reel Life Trigiani
Black Magic Sanction Harrison
Game Change Heilemann, Halperin
Lucia, Lucia Trigiani
Hunger Games Collins
When Autumn Leaves Foster
Catching Fire Collins
House Rules Picoult
More Than a Game Billick
Winter Garden Hannah
Paul McCartney: A Life Carlin
Tale of Halcyon Crane Webb
The Second City Unscripted Thomas
Red Thread Hood
Every Day in Tuscany Mayes
Other Family Trollope
Nothing to Envy Demick
Tales of the Otherworld Armstrong
Lost City of Z Gramm
Knit the Season Jacobs
Knives at Dawn Friedman
Anthill Wilson
Save the Deli Sax
Six Rules of Maybe Caletti
Savor the Moment Roberts
Dangerously Funny Bianculli
Will Grayson, Will Grayson Levithan, Green
His Majesty's Dragon Novik
Throne of Jade Novik
Wild Ride Crusie, Mayer
Black Powder War Novik
Empire of Ivory Novik
Once Dead, Twice Shy Harrison
House of Mondavi Siler
Dead in the Family Harris
House on Tradd Street White
Victory of Eagles Novik
Politician Young
Private Life Smiley
MMQB King
Shiver Stiefvater
Love is a Mix Tape Sheffield
Secret Keepers Friddle
Audacity to Win Plouffe
Are We Winning? Leitch
Embers Bass
Immortal Life of H Lacks Skloot
Girl Next Door Noble
Last Stand Philbrick
Three Weissmanns of Westport Schine
Happiness Project Rubin
Boys and Girls Like You and Me Kyle
Baseball Codes Turbow and Duca
Mine Till Midnight Kleypas
Male Brain Brizendine
Role Models Waters
Seduce Me At Sunrise Kleypas
Wedding Season Fforde
Quiverfull Joyce
Tempt Me At Twilight Kleypas
This Book Is Overdue Johnson
This is Not the Story You Think It IS Munson
Welcome to Utopia Valby
Love in the Afternoon Kleypas
Visit from the Goon Squad Egan
Secrets of the Grown Up Brain Strauch
Beachcombers Thayer
Moment of Glory Feinstein
Lonely Polygamist Udall
One-Week Job Project Aiken
Vintage Affair Wolffe
Broke USA Rivkin
My Name is Mary Sutter Oliveira
Talking to Girls About Duran Duran Sheffield
Tongues of Serpents Novik
Facebook Effect Kirkpatrick
Every Last One Quindlen
Uncharted TerriTori Spelling
Other Wes Moore Moore
Countdown Wiles
Freedom Summer Watson
On Folly Beach White
Dreaming in Hindi Rich
Notes from a Small Island Bryson
Irresistible Henry House Grunwald
Nobodies Album Parkhurst
Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Larsson
Dragon Keeper Hobb
My Name is Memory Brasheres
Poisoner's Handbook Blum
Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno Bryson
Bursts Barabasi
This is Where We Live Brown
Love at Goon Park Blum
News Where You Are O'Flynn
Play Their Hearts Out Dohrmann
House on Oyster Creek Schmidt
God is Not One Prothero
Dragon Haven Hobb
Marcus of Umbria
Sizzling Sixteen Evanovich
Bigger Than the Game Weinreb
Mockingjay Collins
Twilight at the World of Tomorrow Mauro
Stuff Frost
Nothing but Trouble Gibson
Ten Things I Love About You Quinn
World War Z Brooks
All I Ever Wanted Higgins
Gang Leader for a Day Venkatesh
Fierce Radiance Belfer
Hole We're In Zevin
Fifth Avenue, 5 AM Wasson
Hundred Foot Journey Morais
Bad Sports Zirin
Island Hilderbrand
No Mercy Kenyon
Mike and Mike's Rules for Sports and Life Greenburg/Golic
Heart of the Matter Giffin
Feed Me! Brown
Medium Raw Bourdain
True Love and Other Disasters Gibson
Waking the Witch Armstrong
Bullpen Gospels Hayhurst
Cookbook Collector Goodman
Summer We Read Gatsby Ganek
Passage Cronin
Thin Rich Pretty Harbison
Being Wrong Schulz
Widower's Tale Glass
High King of Montival Stirling
My Teenage Werewolf Kessler
The Search Roberts
Forbidden Rose Bourne
You Never Give Me Your Money Doggett
Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake Bender
97 Orchard Ziegelman
This Must Be the Place Racculia
Art of Choosing Iyengar
Disappearing Spoon Kean
Outer Banks House Ducharme
Zombies Vs. Unicorns Larbelestier/Black
Four Fish Greenberg
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