Books I Read in 2012

This is probably an incomplete list. Because that’s how I roll But since all the cool kids are posting their books lists, I thought I would too. Keep in mind, I’ve been reading mostly non-fiction because of the program I’m in. So here is the (in)complete list, and a few favorites (and not-so-favorites) at the bottom.

1. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir–Jenny Larson
2. Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son’s First Son–Anne Lamott
3. House of Prayer No. 2: A Writer’s Journey Home–Mark Richard
4. Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight–Alexandra Fuller
5. The Best American Essays of the Century
6. Just Kids–Patty Smith
7. Pulphead–John Jeremiah Sullivan
8. Zeitoun–Dave Eggers
9. Truth and Beauty–Ann Patchett
10. State of Wonder–Ann Patchett
11. The Middle Place–Kelly Corrigan
12. Portrait of Hemingway–Lillian Ross
13. Hiroshima–John Hersey
14. Wild–Cheryl Strayed
15. The Patron Saint of Dreams–Gerard Philip
16. Fun Home–Alison Bechdel
17. A Homemade Life–Molly Wizenberg
18. It Sucked and Then I Cried–Heather B. Armstrong
19. Is Everyone Hanging out Without Me?–Mindy Kaling
20. The Lifespan of a Fact–John D’Agata
21. Bossypants–Tina Fey
22. The Lonely Other–Diana Hume George
23. Girl in Translation–Jean Kwok
24. The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics–Dennis O’Neil
25. Cutting for Stone–Abraham Verghese
26. Room–Emma Donoghue
27. Little Bee–Chris Cleave
28. Telling Secrets–Frederick Buechner
29. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake–Aimee Bender
30. Five Quarters of the Orange–Joanne Harris
31. The Devil in Pew Number 7–Rebecca Nichols Alonzo
32. A Visit from the Goon Squad–Jennifer Egan
33. Persepolis–Marjane Satrapi
34. The Devil in the White City–Erik Larson
35. Fiction Ruined My Family–Jeanne Darst
36. Zoo Story–Tom French
37. Cherry–Mary Karr
38. The Liars’ Club–Mary Karr
39. Tiny Beautiful Things–Cheryl Strayed
40. The Language of Flowers–Vanessa Diffenbaugh
41. The Memory Palace–Mira Bartok
42. Beautiful Boy–David Sheff

Favorite book of the year: A Homemade Life. It wasn’t anything earth-shattering, but I read it every night before bed and it made me feel…good, I guess. Lovely, lovely book. (Second place: Tiny Beautiful Things. Also a lovely before bed book.)

Favorite fiction: Five Quarters of the Orange. Love, love, love this book. (Cutting for Stone is a close second)

Favorite non-fiction: Zeitoun. I went into thinking, “Oh, good, another book about Hurricane Katrina.” But it was so much more.

Favorite memoir: Lit. So good. I’ve read all three of Mary Karr’s memoirs, and I believe this one is my favorite. (Tied with Wild. So good too!)

Funniest: Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. I took this to the beach, and kept reading portions out loud to my friend. Hilarious.

Favorite book you haven’t heard of but should: Patron Saint of Dreams. It’s a slim collection of essays, and I loved it.

Probably won’t be recommending: The Lifespan of a Fact. Only my most literature-nerdy friends would like this. And not even sure about them.

 

So what did you read this year?