Science (non) Fiction

Here is the list of books I read this year – not quite as long as last year (amazing since I wrote my entire thesis last year, but oh well). I didn’t put a description with them this time (I didn’t keep very good records of what I read this year), but I will list some of my favorites, etc at the bottom.

1. Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica (aka ‘the Waiter’).
2. Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel.
3. Morality for Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith.
4. Cage of Stars by Jacquelyn Mitchard.
5. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.
6. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski.
7. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
8. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld.
9. Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell.
10. Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie.
11. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie.
12. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.
13. The Reason for God by Tim Keller.
14. The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King.
15. A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King.
16. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult.
17. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
18. A Letter of Mary by Laurie R. King.
19. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.
20. The Moor by Laurie R. King.
21. O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King.
22. Blink: the Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell.
23. Justice Hall by Laurie R. King.
24. The Game by Laurie R. King.
25. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris.
26. The Magician by Michael Scott.
27. The Sorceress by Michael Scott.
28. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
29. Atonement by Ian McEwan.
30. The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner.
31. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.
32. Locked Rooms by Laurie R. King.
33. Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
34. The Savage Garden by Mark Mills.
35. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
36. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Doulas Adams.
37. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
38. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.
39. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn.
40. Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall.
41. Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer.
42. The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir.
43. Real Murders by Charlaine Harris.
44. Escape by Carolyn Jessop.
45. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.
46. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
47. Fledgling by Octavia Butler.
48. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.
49. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.
50. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.
51. Still Alice by Lisa Genova.
52. The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey.
53. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.
54. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan.
55. The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith.
56. The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan.
57. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan.
58. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan.
59. The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith.
60. Portuguese Irregular Verbs by Alexander McCall Smith.
61. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith.
62. Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith.
63. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger.
64. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith.
65. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik.
66. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith.
67. The Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith.
68. The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs by Alexander McCall Smith.

Top books of the year:
A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King (Really, the whole series, but if I had to pick just one, it would be this one or Justice Hall). Wonderful stories about what happens after Sherlock Holmes retires.
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Fantastic Young Adult fiction, very intense.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Embarrassing to say that this is my first time reading this, but it was (of course) wonderful.
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. I don’t know how I missed this novel in my many readings of Austen’s works, but Fanny makes a wonderful protagonist.
The 19th Wife by David Evershoff. For book club, and it was a surprising and interesting look into polygamy both historically and in the present day.
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Again, the whole series really, but this is the first. Another really good YA fiction series that feeds my love of the Greek myths.

Least favorites of the year:
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. For book club, and we had a good discussion from it, but I didn’t care for it at all. (Sorry, Christy)
The Savage Garden by Mark Mills. Just eh. I wanted to like the concept, but it wasn’t well executed.
Real Murders by Charlaine Harris. I didn’t hate this one, I just didn’t relate to any of the characters at all, and it was so short that I didn’t really have time to get to know any of them either.
Fledging by Octavia Butler. Another book club pick, and one that I thought I would like, but I think there were too many issues the author wanted to convey, so everything got very muddled.

I think I did end up reading more non-fiction this yea, which was part of my goal at the end of last year. I would like to get above 75 next year, so feel free to recommend ones you think I should put on that list! Happy New Year!