Books read in 2008
Well, my list this year isn’t as long as 2007′s. But considering that I wrote and defended a 120-something-page thesis this year, I guess its still acceptable. I really enjoyed keeping track of my reading last year, and it helped keep me focused on finding good books. I wanted to read more non-fiction this year, and I don’t quite think I did, but I probably didn’t read less, at least. (We read more non-fiction for book club, so that helped) There’s a list of all the books with brief synopses here.
1. Just Imagine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
2. Love over Scotland by Alexander McCall Smith
3. The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
4. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
5. The Summer of my Southern Discomfort by Stephanie Gayle
6. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
7. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
8. Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith
9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
10. History of Love by Nicole Krauss
11. The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud
12. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
13. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
14. Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear
15. The 5th Horseman by James Patterson
16. Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos
17. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
18. The Prestige by Christopher Priest
19. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
20. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
21. The 6th Target by James Patterson
22. The Know-it-all by AJ Jacobs
23. Another Fine Myth by Robert Asprin
24. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
25. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
26. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
27. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
28. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
29. The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta
30. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
31. Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers
32. Have His Carcase by Dorothy Sayers
33. Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers
34. Busman’s Honeymoon by Dorothy Sayers
35. Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
36. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
37. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
38. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
39. The Shack by William Young
40. Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
41. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
42. Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner
43. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt
44. The Other Side of the Sun by Madeleine L’Engle
45. The Finishing School by Gail Godwin
46. When Madeline Was Young by Jane Hamilton
47. A Live Coal in the Sea by Madeleine L’Engle
48. Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
49. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
50. The Right Attitude to Rain by Alexander McCall Smith
51. The Careful Use of Compliments by Alexander McCall Smith
52. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
53. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
54. The World According to Bertie by Alexander McCall Smith
55. The Comforts of a Muddy Sunday by Alexander McCall Smith
56. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
57. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling
58. Paper Towns by John Green
59. The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
60. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
Best Fiction: Prayer for Owen Meany or The Book Thief (there are a couple more)
Best Non-fiction: The Glass Castle (only new-to-me non-fiction I liked, and it generated good discussion)
Best Comfort Reads: The Right Attitude to Rain or Love over Scotland (or any of AMS’s books, really)
Best YA Fiction: Paper Towns
Least Favorite Fiction: A Fine Balance (do.not.want.)
So what did you read this year? What are you looking forward to reading in the new year? Anything you’d recommend?