Books...
I have been reading a lot of amazing books lately. This page is a fairly complete list of all of the books I have read over the past couple of years (i.e. since I started keeping track). Most of these books are adult books, but some are children's books (geared towards 8-10 year olds) for the In2Books program.
All of the books listed here are pretty great, but my favorites are starred. Enjoy!
Book List 2012
- Comfort Food - Kate Jacobs (Read January 2012) A good read, but kind of predictable. I liked Friday Night Knitting Club better.
- The Paris Wife - Paula McLain (Read January 2012) Hemmingway got around... I had no idea. This is fiction, but based on fact and a great read.
Book List 2011
- The Tortilla Curtain - T. C. Boyle * (Read December 2011) So heartbreaking. It's sad that the way the characters think about immigration is very real.
- Who Was Daniel Boone? - Sydelle Kramer (Read December 2011) An In2Books penpal book for the biography unit.
- Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin * (Read December 2011) I had heard about the CAI before, but reading about it in biography form is just inspiring.
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Great House - Nicole Krauss
(Read December 2011) Great 4-part book about the history of a desk. Still trying to put the pieces together. -
What did The Ancient Egyptians Do For Me? - Patrick Catel
(Read November 2011) An In2Books penpal book for the history unit. -
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins *
(Read November 2011) This is a must-read for all geeks; it is so captivating. Must read the others now! -
The Help - Kathryn Stockett
(Read November 2011) Such a great story, and very well written! -
The Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs *
(Read November 2011) This book is marginally about knitting; it is more about family and support.... Great book! -
My Life with Charlie Brown - Charles M. Shultz *
(Read October 2011) I love Peanuts!. Reading Shultz's articles so much insight into his philosophy and work ethic. -
Planting Dandelions - Kyran Pittman
(Read October 2011) Great book about the author's emigration to the US and her adventures in family life. -
First Year Letters - Julie Danneberg
(Read October 2011) An In2Books penpal book for the fiction unit. -
How I Killed Pluto And Why It Had It Coming - Mike Brown
(Read September 2011) Yes, Pluto did need to go down. Intriguing book around the drama of astronomy research. -
My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult *
(Read September 2011) This book broke my heard so many times, but totally worth the read. -
Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs - Chuck Klosterman
(Read August 2011) This is probably one of the most sarcastic books I have ever read. -
Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog - John Grogan *
(Read August 2011) This book was incredible and heart-breaking. Almost makes me want a dog. Almost. -
Writing Out The Notes: Life in Great Big Sea - Bob Hallett
(Read July 2011) Interesting insight into the music world (not just GBS), but so many references I just did not get. -
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War - Max Brooks
(Read July 2011) This was pretty intense - a "real" account of the next world war... against zombies. -
Diary of a Mad Fat Girl - Stephanie McAfee
(Read June 2011) Another super quick read. And yes, quite mad. -
Declaring Spinsterhood - Jamie Lynn Braziel
(Read June 2011) Super quick read. Declaring spinsterhood almost sounds like a fabulous idea. -
Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen *
(Read June 2011) Gorgeous love story. I have not seen the movie yet; hoping it is as good as the book! -
The Zombies of Lake Woebegotton - Harrison Geillor *
(Read May 2011) This may be my favorite zombie novel (so far, at least). -
The Wizard of Menlo Park - Randall Stross
(Read May 2011) Great bio of Thomas Edison, including some very interesting (and amusing) stories here. -
It Could Be Worse. You Could Be Me. - Ariel Leve
(Read April 2011) This is one of the more depressing books I have read this year. Wow. -
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson
(Read April 2011) Book #3 is the weakest book of the trilogy, but I needed to see how the story ends. Great ending! -
The Girl Who Fell From The Sky - Heidi W. Durrow
(Read March 2011) Fantastic story about a girl who survives a horrible family tragedy... based on a true story. -
What Will the Weather Be? - Lynda DeWitt
(Read March 2011) An In2Books penpal book for the science unit. -
The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson
(Read March 2011) Holy cow. I'm in love with this series. Another amazing mystery that made me literally scream. -
Committed - Elizabeth Gilbert
(Read February 2011) This book reviews so many philosophies on marriage. This book was very eye opening. -
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti - Gerald McDermott
(Read February 2011) An In2Books penpal book for the social studies unit. -
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
(Read February 2011) A great mystery... and I normally don't like mysteries. -
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith
(Read January 2011) I did not care for the original, but really enjoyed this version. Zombies make the story better. -
Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - Doreen Rappaport
(Read January 2011) An In2Books penpal book for the biography unit.
Book List 2010
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The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
(Read December 2010) I'm not sure if I believe this is what heaven is really like, but I like the idea of it. -
Mummies - Joyce Milton
(Read December 2010) An In2Books penpal book for the history unit. -
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
(Read November 2010) I tried to read this book when I was much younger and just could not get into it then. Glad I finally read it now. -
A Short History of Women - Kate Walbert
(Read November 2010) Fantastic book that follows a family of women through different stages of their lives. -
Donovan's Word Jar - Monalisa DeGross
(Read October 2010) An In2Books penpal book for the fiction unit. -
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
(Read September 2010) I've loved every Neil Gaiman book I've read so far. It definitely reads like a movie (and I believe it is one). -
Foundation and Empire - Isaac Asimov
(Read September 2010) Book 2 of the Foundation series. Not bad, but not as good as book 1. -
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - Seth Grahame-Smith *
(Read August 2010) My favorite president and my favorite fictional subject matter. It doesn't get better than this. -
Designing the Moment: Web Interface Design Concepts in Action - Robert Hoekman Jr. *
(Read August 2010) This was a fabulous, and very obvious, book on website user experience. -
Stern Men - Elizabeth Gilbert
(Read August 2010) I may be Ruth... at least partially. -
Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
(Read July 2010) Books by both of these authors have a knack for making me literally laugh out loud. -
Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light - Mort Rosenblum
(Read June 2010) This book makes me want to eat better chocolate (despite the fact that I grew up on Hershey's). -
Foundation - Isaac Asimov *
(Read May 2010) I finally made it through this book (after a couple of tries). Muse read the rest of the series. -
Rain - Karen Duve
(Read April 2010) Kind of depressing. It probably didn't help that I read this during the great Boston flood of 2010. -
The Tao of Pooh - Benjamin Hoff
(Read March 2010) I'd read this book before (in college), but re-reading it was an experience. -
The Design of Everyday Things - Donald A. Norman
(Read March 2010) This book really changed the way I think about design, and it's not even about websites. -
Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella - Susan Lowell
(Read March 2010) An In2Books penpal book for the fiction unit. -
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman - Kathleen Krull
(Read February 2010) An In2Books penpal book for the biography unit. -
Animal Farm - George Orwell *
(Read February 2010) I'm finally starting to catch up on the classics I somehow missed as a kid. -
The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri
(Read February 2010) The book is a little predictable. So many similarities between their family and mine. -
The Accidental Tourist - Anne Tyler
(Read January 2010) This is a quirky, funny, and sad book; the main character reminds me of me in a way. -
Revolutionary Road - Richard Yates *
(Read January 2010) Very captivating and beautiful story; Loved it as a book, but not sure if I'll see the movie. -
Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery - Deborah Howe
(Read January 2010) A cute kids' book about a vampire bunny.
Currently Reading...
Steve Jobs
Walter Isaacson
