Wow, needless to say I am running behind on this blog. My life is crazy, and it doesn't seem that it will change anytime soon. Sanity is sooo overrated anyway. At least I hear...from the voices in my head.
So here is my list of books I read in 2010 ...if anyone cares. I just want documentation to prove that I read (and finished) 50 books in 2010. I don't think I will make it my goal again, I saved all my really long books for this year (not cheating...by the way) and will never make it. Instead my goal is to watch 100 movies. I will have to up my Netflix subscription. Oh, and do Lifetime movies count? I love those.
Best Books: READ THEM NOW!
Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson (The Girl Who Played With Fire, etc, etc.) This is an example of why people think Americans are stupid. We write crap books that turn into crap movies..a la Twilight. The Swedes write really provocative, amazing books with interesting characters that turn into great movies-like these books. Then we steal them and turn them into crap movies (or so is my prediction for the American version of these movies).
Starter for 10 by David Nicholls. Seriously, I laughed out loud for this entire book. It is awesome.
One Day, also by David Nicholls. I read this one first, and it isn't as good as Starter for 10, but still amazing.
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving. My favorite writer and this book was right up there.
Little Bee by Chris Cleave. I recommended this book to most of you. I hope you read it.
In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien. This was my second reading of this book after about 8 years. It is so amazingly written and innovative.
Mudbound by Hilary Jordan. I also lent this book out to many people.
Shit My Dad Says by Justin Halpern. Don't watch the crap TV show with William Shatner. It is NOTHING like the book. The book is awesomely awesome. I could write one about shit my dad says. It would be almost as vulgar and probably just as funny.
The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Caelho. He wrote the Alchemist, which I loved. This book is really different, and pretty relevant about celebrities without shoving it down your throat.
Dismantled by Jennifer McMahon. This was one of the most entertaining and easiest to read. It is NOT funny, but very entertaining.
Earth: The Book by my boyfriend, Jon Stewart. I had to include something by him, sorry.
Anthem by Ayn Rand. I have recently become obsessed with her books and philosophy, she really intrigues me, though I don't agree with most of what she says. This book is an easy read (and free on the kindle). I didn't realize how many books have ripped this one off.
The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. Heartbreaking and hilarious. My favorite kind of books.
Worst Books:
For the love, don't waste your precious time that you can never get back on these books:
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. The only reason I finished this damn book was because I paid $12 for it. Let me save you some time: Masons aren't as interesting as Dan Brown wants them to be. And his writing sucks more than you want it to.
Secrets by Robin Jones Gunn. Okay, I just saw this one in a box at my Grandma's apartment, so I wasn't expecting much. It only sucked so much because it actually started out okay and sucked me in. It was all downhill from there.
Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler. I was excited because I am big fan of most of her books. It was like she took a paragraph from each and just mashed a book together. Not really a good way to go, in my opinion.
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia. This is an example of how marketing works. The cover looked intriguing, the synopsis made it sound interesting. It started out okay. Then it became like Twilight mixed with Sabrina the Teenage Witch with some crap and then stir the pot. Just because Vampire and Werewolf books sell, doesn't mean people should keep writing them. And they should warn you that this book is only good if you thought Twilight was the great American novel.
I just want to thank these horrible books for giving me hope that I could write a pretty decent book, and even sell millions of copies, without too much effort.
Okay books.
Books you could read and wouldn't be disappointed
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Cutting For Stone by Abraham Veghese
Chains by Laurie Haise Anderson
The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger (don't get me wrong, this is one amazing book, but I don't ever ENJOY it, as I hate the main character. But I wouldn't hate him if the writing wasn't so great)
Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris
The Girl in the Hyacinth Blue-Susan Vreeland
Hitler's Canary by Sandi Toksvig
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Eh, Books. Probably don't waste your time.
I'd Know you Anywhere by Laura Lippman
The Sugar House by Laura Lippman (I know, I went back for more)
8 of the Southern Vampire Books by Charlayne Harris. If you want to get it on the Vampire thing, read these. They are like junk food for your brain, but at least written better.
Eating The Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman Love him, but his stuff is getting stale.
The Whole World Over by Julia Glass
Charles Darwin-Voyaging. It started out interesting but then after like 500 pages with 600 more to go...interesting only gets you so far.
And here are the rest, lots of non-fiction books that were great, but probably just to me.
The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand
Introduction to Objectivism by Ayn Rand
Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right by Jennifer Burns
Restless Genius: The Story of Virginia Woolf
Tethered by Amy Mackinnon
Prisons We Choose to Live Inside by Doris Lessing
Plague of Doves by Louise Erdirich
Conversations With Myself by Nelson Mandela
Things I've Been silent about by Azar Nafisi
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis (I only put it down here because I have read it like 5 times)
Okay, I think that is technically 52...GO ME! Seriously, this is a big deal. Although I love to read, I'm shocked I didn't sabotage this because I never finish projects that I start. I think I'm good on goals for a few years. And honestly, I am little read-out. I have read a few books this year, but I keep getting them confused with all the other books still in my head.
THE END. If you were still reading you can stop now.
