Reading List

Because... you know... books are awesome!

I like to read books. A lot of books. I also like to keep track of what I have read… partially so that I can refer to them later and partially because I will forget that I have read something before. All of the books that I have read (since 2010, at least) are listed here. Any book with a star (*) after it is one that I absolutely loved.

Books Read in 2017

  1. Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman*
    (Read August 2017) Another book I read forever ago. It was definitely time for a re-read since I am seeing a theater production of it in a month.
  2. American Gods – Neil Gaiman*
    (Read July 2017) I originally read this book forever ago, but I figured it was time for a re-read. Love. This. Book.
  3. The City of Towers (Eberron: The Dreaming Dark Book 1) – Keith Baker
    (Read July 2017) I started playing D&D again after a very (very!) long time and this book was suggested to me. No regrets.
  4. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair – Joel Dicker *
    (Read June 2017) Another book club book! I normally do not read mysteries, but once I got into this one, I literally could not put the book down.
  5. Dead Trees Give No Shelter – Wil Wheaton *
    (Read May 2017) Quick read. Mildly freaky read. So good.
  6. Animal Farm – George Orwell *
    (Read May 2017) Re-read this book for my book club. Very interesting reading it after 1984. There are some interesting parallels between the two books.
  7. The Kassa Gambit – M.C. Planck
    (Read May 2017) Another sci-fi book! The sci-fi and political aspects of the book were great; the romance parts were less great. There’s a reason I don’t read romance novels.
  8. A Darkling Sea – James L. Cambias
    (Read April 2017) It was nice to stretch my sci-fi reading muscles with this one! Great book about alien life, conflict, and research. Loved the fact that the alien life was not humanoid, for a change. 
  9. The Blind Contessa’s New Machine – Carey Wallace
    (Read April 2017) I keep reading books about relationships. Very quick read. Good story. I plead the fifth on my feelings about the ending.
  10. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood *
    (Read March 2017) This month’s book club book! I was angry the entire time I was reading it. Very much worth the read, but I am ready for a less dystopian book now.
  11. The Signature of All Things – Elizabeth Gilbert
    (Read March 2017) And the staying single theme continues! Very compelling book, despite all the biology.  (Not my favorite science.) Both Henry’s and Alma’s lives were fascinating to the point where I did not want to put this book down.
  12. Spinster: Making a Life of One’s Own – Kate Bolick
    (Read March 2017) Interesting take on staying single… or rather women staying true to their personal ideals. I wish I was more familiar with the poets she references in the book. 
  13. Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell
    (Read February 2017) Rereading this book.  Not just because of the current state of affairs and certainly not because everyone else is… but because my bookclub is.  Scary, but worth it.
  14. How To Make Sense Of Any Mess – Abby Covert
    (Read February 2017) Very basic book on information architecture. Great for beginners.
  15. The Gemini Effect – Chuck Grossart
    (Read January 2017) Creepy, messed up, and really compelling.

Books Read in 2016

  1. Pathfinder – Orson Scott Card *
    (Read November 2016) Possibly more compelling – and definitely more confusing – than Ender’s Game. Didn’t realize it was a series at first. 
  2. Miramont’s Ghost – Elizabeth Hall
    (Read November 2016) Very quick and compelling read, but this book made me really angry. Undecided if that is a good or bad thing. 
  3. A Walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson
    (Read October 2016) A book about the author and his friend hiking the Appalachian Trail. Fun, but opinionated read. While Wild made me want to start hiking, this book kind of makes me want to stop. Not sure what that says about the book or me. 
  4. The Last Woman Standing – Thelma Adams
    (Read October 2016) Very engaging story about the life of Josephine Marcus, the woman who married Wyatt Earp.
  5. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan – Lisa See *
    (Read October 2016) Beautiful story, but hard to read at times.  I actually almost put this book down early on because of one particular chapter (reading about foot binding is clearly not for me), but really glad I finished this one.
  6. The Wise Man’s Fear – Patrick Rothfuss *
    (Read September 2016) Finally finished book 2! Arguably better than book 1. Really, really (really) can’t wait until book 3.
  7. You Don’t Know JS: Scope & Closures – Kyle Simpson *
    (Read September 2016) I finally understand closures!  You have no idea what a big deal this is to me (unless you are also a JS developer).
  8. Bossypants – Tina Fey
    (Read August 2016) Another book from my bookclub. Seriously funny and talks about just about everything.
  9. Ready Player One – Ernest Cline *
    (Read August 2016) Literally the best geeky, gamer, 1980s-nostalgia book I have read.  Ever.
  10. Scalable and Modular Architecture for CSS – Jonathan Snook
    (Read August 2016) Reading this for work, actually.  The specifics in the book are quite dated, but the overall theory is really great.
  11. Modern Romance – Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg *
    (Read June 2016) Book from my book club.  Great insight into how dating has changed over the past few generations.  I am not sure if I perfer the old or the new paradigm.
  12. Kitchen Confidential – Anthony Bourdain
    (Read May 2016) Finally got back into reading after a very chaotic few months.  Interesting (and very opinionated) read about the restaurant business and food in general.
  13. The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss *
    (Read January 2016) My friends have been trying to get me into Patrick Rothfuss for years now.  They finally succeeded.  So good. Starting the next book in 3… 2… 1….

Books Read in 2015

  1. You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) – Felicia Day *
    (Read December 2015) So, so good.  To be honest, I knew very little about Felicia Day but saw this book in the store and it just spoke to me.  And it’s still talking.
  2. Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro *
    (Read December 2015) Creepy.  Wonderful.  Disturbing.  This is a book about a dystopian alternate reality.  I don’t have a better description than that, but it was a really good read.
  3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon *
    (Read November 2015) Fantastically written story about a teenager who thinks a bit differently.
  4. The Circle – Dave Eggers *
    (Read November 2015) Well… that was creepy.  This book is very well written, engaging, and hits a little too close to home (at least on the social media and life online fronts).  Totally worth the read.
  5. Me Talk Pretty One Day – David Sedaris
    (Read October 2015) Fun read.  Personally, I identified more with the first half of the book but definitely enjoyed the whole book.
  6. Zoe’s Tale – John Scalzi
    (Read October 2015) Really quick, captivating read, set in the Old Man’s War universe.
  7. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao – Junot Diaz
    (Read October 2015) I completely identified with Oscar, or at least him in his youth and the awkward unpopularity of being a teenage geek.  I know that’s not the primary focus of the book, but it kind of is anyway.
  8. Start Something That Matters – Blake Mycoskie *
    (Read September 2015) I love (love!) the idea of combining business and giving.  I already knew that TOMS combines the two as their business model, but reading about the specifics and its impact was huge.  Definitely a must read – if you are an entrepreneur or not.
  9. The Casual Vacancy – J. K. Rowling
    (Read September 2015) I was really undecided this book in the beginning, but the characters really grew on me in the end.  These folks are seriously quirky (and sometimes horrible), but in a fascinating way.
  10. The Devil in the White City – Erik Larson *
    (Read August 2015) This book was fabulous.  The art and construction behind the World’s Fair was interesting enough, but coupling that with such a dark parallel story made this book fascinating.
  11. The Einstein Prophecy – Robert Masello
    (Read July 2015) Interesting fantasy / horror book.
  12. Samarkand – Amin Maalouf
    (Read July 2015) I am usually not one for historical novels, but I was really intrigued by the first part of the book that focused on Omar Khayyam’s life and the Rubaiyat.  I suppose I am staying true to my preferences for books that focus on people, rather than events.
  13. The Woman In Black – Susan Hill
    (Read June 2015) Creepy.  Good, but creepy.  Good quick read if you like ghost stories.
  14. The Mermaid’s Sister – Carrie Anne Noble
    (Read May 2015) Just another story about a girl (who might be a stork), her sister (who is very definitely a mermaid), and a boy (who… it’s complicated).
  15. Wild – Cheryl Strayed *
    (Read May 2015) Love, love, love this book.  I envy her journey, her courage, and her strength.  I picked up this book because I have been craving a change in my life and an idea to figure out what it should be.
  16. Helen of Sparta – Amalia Carosella *
    (Read April 2015) A really intriguing and realistic-feeling book about Helen before she was Helen of Troy.  (It helps that I am fascinated by ancient Greece.)
  17. Rework – Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson *
    (Read March 2015) This book is from 37 Signals. A great source of not-so-traditional, but completely practical business advice. As a newly minted manager, I really appreciated it.
  18. The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman
    (Read March 2015) I don’t know why, but I was not expecting this to be a children’s book. However, it is Neil Gaiman, so it was awesome.
  19. Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street – Michael Davis *
    (Read February 2015) I loved Sesame Street growing up. That show taught me to read. Seriously. Reading about its beginning – the characters, the actors, the CTW – was utterly fascinating. Loved it.
  20. October Sky – Homer H. Hickam *
    (Read January 2015) I watched the movie forever ago, before I knew the book existed. Loved the book – both the historical and scientific parts.
  21. The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells – Andrew Sean Greer *
    (Read January 2015) This one is about exploring yourself and how you would live your life if you had been born in a different era. The geek in me has some issues with the time travel aspects of the book, but overall, this was a fabulous book.
  22. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs *
    (Read January 2015) Someone recommended this book to me a while ago. I can’t believe it took me so long to read it.
  23. The Ocean at the End of the Lane Neil Gaiman
    (Read January 2015) I love Neil Gaiman. This is a great fantasy novel about immortals and other worlds.
  24. Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience Jeff Gothelf
    (Read January 2015) Yes. Yes. Yes. Just yes. If you are in UX, you should read this now.
  25. Someone – Alice McDermott
    (Read January 2015) I love stories about people. This reads like a biography (sort of), but it is fiction. I really enjoyed it.

Books Read in 2014

  1. The Awkward Human Survival Guide – Adam Dachis & Erica Elson
    (Read December 2014) I got this book somewhat randomly and decided to finally read it because I really am the definition of awkward.
  2. Dragonfly in Amber – Diana Gabaldon
    (Read December 2014) It’s about time I read another book, right? I started this one in October, but I have been busy and it was long. Like, seriously long. Good book, but I enjoyed book 1 more.
  3. Once A Runner – John L. Parker, Jr.
    (Read September 2014) I have been doing quite a bit more running lately, so I decided to read a book about competitive running. Holy. Cow. Runners are crazy.
  4. Blue Willow – Doris Gates
    (Read September 2014) Yes, this is a kid’s chapter book. I read it in about an hour. Another story about family and home. Very different from the last book I read.
  5. Take This Man – Brando Skyhorse
    (Read September 2014) This book is a great memoir about the author’s search for family, in a very philosophical sense. There is a large cast of characters here, which at times was a little confusing, but worth the read if you can keep everyone straight.
  6. Learning Responsive Web Design – Clarissa Peterson
    (Read September 2014) I know quite a bit about responsive design already, so most of this book was a review. However, there were some key points that I did learn more about. Great book for a beginner to RWD.
  7. Life of Pi – Yann Martel *
    (Read August 2014) I do not mean to be cliche, but this one is definitely a modern classic. Slow start, but loved it once I was hooked. The end left me with lots of thoughts….
  8. The Book Thief – Markus Zusak *
    (Read August 2014) Oh my goodness! This book was so good. But so sad. But so good. I just finished it and I have no words. But I want all the words. Just read this.
  9. The Long Earth – Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter *
    (Read August 2014) Parallel worlds, a soul transplanted in a machine, alternate societies. What’s not to like. Nothing! Except the ending. The ending made me angry. But this book is still totally worth reading.
  10. Stardust – Neil Gaiman
    (Read July 2014) I am clearly on a Neil Gaiman kick. This is a fantasy and a love story. And I don’t mean in the 50 Shades way. This is so much better.
  11. Smoke and Mirrors – Neil Gaiman
    (Read July 2014) Well that was different. I very rarely read short stories, but I do love Neil Gaiman.
  12. Team Geek – Brian W. Fitzpatrick, Ben Collins-Sussman
    (Read July 2014) Good book about working as a team in a software development environment, how to deal with other people, and how to lead other people. Also applies to non-geek jobs, but definitely more geared towards geeks like me.
  13. Outlander – Diana Gabaldon *
    (Read June 2014) Several friends recommended this series and I finally got around to reading the first book. Oh my goodness. So much love for this book. I need book 2 now. Like, immediately.
  14. The Light Between Oceans – M. L. Stedman *
    (Read May 2014) A book has not captivated me like this in a really long time. I love and kind of hate the story – or at least what happened to some of the characters. That’s all I’m saying. Definitely a must-read.
  15. Javascript: The Good Parts – Douglas Crockford
    (Read May 2014) I work with Javascript every day, so I pretty much just skimmed this book. Really good review of lots of JS concepts. Most was review. Parts were new… which was awesome. This would be really useful for beginners.
  16. The Astronaut Wives Club – Lily Koppel
    (Read April 2014) Life sort of got in the way reading this book, but it really is a good one. Great look at the lives of the wives of the astronauts through the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions.
  17. 100 Diagrams That Changed The World – Scott Christianson
    (Read February 2014) Really fantastic overview of major diagrams, drawings, and inventions from cave paintings to the iPod. I skimmed through some parts and was fascinated by others.
  18. Smashing Book #3 1/3: Redesign the Web, The Extension
    (Read February 2014) A series of essays about website redesigns. I found the essays about information architecture and the Smashing redesign (to a responsive site) the most interesting.
  19. 11/22/63 – Stephen King
    (Read January 2014) I vowed a long time ago to not read Stephen King again because his books kind of creep me out. This one is completely different. Yes, it is 800 pages long, but it is completely captivating. Though perhaps a little frustrating too, depending on your views on time travel.
  20. Old Man’s War – John Scalzi *
    (Read January 2014) Classic sci-fi novel that was recommended to me by way too many friends. Totally worth it. This book is a fascinating story about second chances.
  21. Aria – Nassim Assefi *
    (Read January 2014) This book broke my heart. That is all.

Books Read in 2013

  1. The Design of Everyday Things – Donald A. Norman
    (Read December 2013) Yes, again. I re-read this book for book club.
  2. And The Mountains Echoed – Khaled Hosseini *
    (Read November 2013) This book tells an incredible story about a family. The story itself jumps around enough that I think I need to reread it – mostly because I kept picking up and putting down the book over the course of this month. But definitely worth the read. I cried. In a good way (if that’s a thing).
  3. How to Be an Adult – Nerissa Nields
    (Read October 2013) I am a Nields fan, which is how I heard about this book. I am not exactly her target audience (i.e. my 20s were a while ago), but I did gain a lot of insights from this book. Definitely a good read for this not-quite-20-something who doesn’t always feel like an adult.
  4. The Other Typist – Suzanne Rindell
    (Read October 2013) This was a very fun book, for varying definitions of the word “fun”. I will not give anything away, but I definitely had different impressions of the book between the first chapter and the last. Very good read. It helps that the 1920s completely fascinate me.
  5. A Game of Thrones – George R. R. Martin *
    (Read September 2013) The first book is almost word for word season one of the show, which was amazing. I usually read books before seeing their TV / movie counterpart, but this was an exception. Love both the show and book.
  6. Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights – Steve Portigal
    (Read August 2013) This is a very insightful book filled with advice on conducting any sort of user or consumer interview. This is something that I feel I should be doing at work, but am often too knee-deep in code. Looking forward to trying out his advice!
  7. No Frills Magento Layout – Alan Storm
    (Read July 2013) Yes, I know. Another tech book. I have been reading (and re-reading) this book to prepare for the Magento Front-End Developer Certification exam at the end of the month. Incredibly helpful book. Wish me luck!
  8. JSTL in Action – Shawn Bayern
    (Read July 2013) I have been using JSTL for a while now at work. This book offers a really great summary of the most commonly used tags and includes practical examples. Much of this book was a review, but I still learned quite a number of useful tips and tricks.
  9. The Woman Upstairs – Claire Messud
    (Read June 2013) A much lighter read after that last book, but not exactly a “light” read. I totally get Nora.
  10. Team of Rivals – Doris Kearns Goodwin *
    (Read May-June 2013) Yes, it took me two months to read this book. This book is incredibly dense, but it is an amazing and well-written chronicle of Lincoln’s political career. I have been a life-long Lincoln fan (really!); this was well worth the read.
  11. The Calligrapher’s Daughter – Eugenia Kim *
    (Read April 2013) This book was fascinating and frustrating all at the same time – fascinating because Korea is very much in the news now; frustrating because I was hoping for so much more for the main character.
  12. The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln – Stephen L. Carter
    (Read March 2013) This was a really interesting “what-if” book about how Lincoln would have fared if he had survived the assassination attempt. A bit law-ish for me, but completely fascinating.
  13. Granny Torrelli Makes Soup – Sharon Creech
    (Read March 2013) An In2Books pen-pal book and my first for this school year. (Our schedule is a little off.) Great story about friendship.
  14. The Phantom Tollbooth – Norton Juster
    (Read February 2013) Really cute, pun-filled children’s novel that was recommended to me by a friend.
  15. Developing Backbone.js Applications – Addy Osmani
    (Read February 2013) Great introductory reference for Backbone.js. I am still a newbie to it. It is a difficult read as a book, but has lots of great examples. Definitely need to re-read this one, preferably while developing something.
  16. 1984 – George Orwell
    (Read February 2013) Another book in my quest to read the classics I missed. Not how I expected that to turn out.
  17. The Sandalwood Tree – Elle Newmark *
    (Read January 2013) Beautiful story about 2 families in India – one in the mid-19th century and one in the mid-20th.
  18. Holidays on Ice – David Sedaris
    (Read January 2013) Yes, I read a holiday book after the holidays. That is weird. The book was weird. But good weird.
  19. Learning Javascript Design Patterns – Addy Osmani
    (Read January 2013) After a 1 month + reading hiatus, I started off the new year with a tech book. Why not? This book was hard to read as a narrative, but will be a fantastic resource.

Books Read in 2012

  1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – Rebecca Skloot *
    (Read November 2012) The story of Henrietta Lacks and her cells is incredible and unbelievable. Just read this.
  2. The Marriage Plot – Jeffrey Eugenides
    (Read November 2012) This was a cute story and a fun read, but nothing special.
  3. The Happiness Project – Gretchen Rubin
    (Read November 2012) This book is about how one relatively happy woman spent one year trying to become happier using a very systematic, organized approach. An approach I can relate to. Some great ideas in here.
  4. Smashing Book #3: Redesign the Web *
    (Read November 2012) This book is a must-read if you are a web developer… or if you work with web developers. Eleven articles by eleven authors covering all aspects of a modern redesign, with lots of great tips!
  5. The Sandcastle Girls – Chris Bohjalian *
    (Read October 2012) This is an incredible historical love story about a world I really know nothing about. It is beautiful and a little heart-breaking.
  6. How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe – Charles Yu
    (Read October 2012) This book was a riot. Part philosophical; part funny; part sad. Fairly plausible science fiction physics.
  7. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
    (Read October 2012) Yes, I just read this book; somehow I missed reading this in school. Fantastic and fascinating book, but it really freaked me out.
  8. Mobile First – Luke Wroblewski
    (Read October 2012) Read this for our UX book club at work. This book has a lot of good ideas about designing for mobile devices and sparked some great discussions in our group.
  9. Coraline – Neil Gaiman and Dave Mckean
    (Read September 2012) OK, I know this is supposed to be a children’s book, but it was so creepy! Really good story, though. Still love Neil Gaiman.
  10. Responsive Web Design – Ethan Marcotte
    (Read September 2012) Read this for our UX book club at work. A great starter book for developers starting to work with responsive websites. Not a complete how-to, but has some great advice.
  11. Sarah’s Key – Tatiana de Rosnay *
    (Read August 2012) This book was just heart-breaking. I could not put it down, actually. Just read it.
  12. Just a Geek – Wil Wheaton
    (Read July 2012) I liked Wil Wheaton before reading this, but I like him more now. A great look into his life after (and during, in a way) Star Trek. Would love to read a follow-up.
  13. The Long Run – Mishka Shubaly
    (Read July 2012) It amazes me how someone can go from being so messed up to fit enough for ultrarunning. What a journey.
  14. 2084: An Oral History of the Great Warming – James Powell
    (Read June 2012) Global warming is real, people. I do not think this because of this book, but I think this book illustrates a very real possibility for our future. Very scary.
  15. The Passage – Justin Cronin
    (Read June 2012) This book was amazing. Long, but amazing. It is a combination of a sci-fi, vampire, and post-apocalyptic genre; it is nothing like I have ever read before.
  16. Shift – Tim Kring & Dale Peck
    (Read May 2012) This book reminds me of Heroes (go figure).  I do love those kinds of TV shows, but I’m not loving that genre as a book.
  17. InterWorld – Neil Gaiman
    (Read April 2012) While I do love Neil Gaiman, this one was not quite my favorite. Still really good, though. I mean, what’s not to like about traveling across multiple parallel universes?
  18. Shatnerquake – Jeff Burk
    (Read April 2012) I do not usually read fan fiction, but I heard about this book and I do love William Shatner. That being said… very strange. Entertaining, but strange
  19. Plants Bite Back! – Richard Platt
    (Read March 2012) An In2Books pen-pal book for the fables unit.
  20. Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins *
    (Read March 2012) Book 3. Better than book 2. Not as great as book 1, but really good. I want to say something about the end here, but I wont.
  21. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – Philip K. Dick
    (Read February 2012) It’s Bladerunner, at least in voice and premise, but not quite. Crazy futuristic world; worth the read.
  22. Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson *
    (Read February 2012) A very honest book about a fascinating man. A must-read for Apple fans (and non-fans for that matter).
  23. Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins *
    (Read February 2012) Book 2… almost as good as book 1. So many twists and turns… I need book 3 to come in now!
  24. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs – Jon Scieszka
    (Read February 2012) An In2Books  pen-pal book for the fables unit.
  25. Comfort Food – Kate Jacobs
    (Read January 2012) A good read, but kind of predictable. I liked Friday Night Knitting Club better.
  26. The Paris Wife – Paula McLain
    (Read January 2012) Hemingway got around… I had no idea. This is fiction, but based on fact and a great read.

Books Read in 2011

  1. 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.
  2. Who Was Daniel Boone? – Sydelle Kramer
    (Read December 2011) An In2Books pen-pal book for the biography unit.
  3. Three Cups of Tea – Greg Mortenson &amp; David Oliver Relin *
    (Read December 2011) I had heard about the CAI before, but reading about it in biography form is just inspiring.
  4. Great House – Nicole Krauss
    (Read December 2011) Great 4-part book about the history of a desk. Still trying to put the pieces together.
  5. What did The Ancient Egyptians Do For Me? – Patrick Catel
    (Read November 2011) An In2Books pen-pal book for the history unit.
  6. 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!
  7. The Help – Kathryn Stockett
    (Read November 2011) Such a great story, and very well written!
  8. 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!
  9. 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.
  10. Planting Dandelions – Kyran Pittman
    (Read October 2011) Great book about the author’s emigration to the US and her adventures in family life.
  11. First Year Letters – Julie Danneberg
    (Read October 2011) An In2Books pen-pal book for the fiction unit.
  12. 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.
  13. My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult *
    (Read September 2011) This book broke my heard so many times, but totally worth the read.
  14. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs – Chuck Klosterman
    (Read August 2011) This is probably one of the most sarcastic books I have ever read.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. Declaring Spinsterhood – Jamie Lynn Braziel
    (Read June 2011) Super quick read. Declaring spinsterhood almost sounds like a fabulous idea.
  19. 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!
  20. The Zombies of Lake Woebegotton – Harrison Geillor *
    (Read May 2011) This may be my favorite zombie novel (so far, at least).
  21. The Wizard of Menlo Park – Randall Stross
    (Read May 2011) Great bio of Thomas Edison, including some very interesting (and amusing) stories here.
  22. 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.
  23. 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!
  24. 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.
  25. What Will the Weather Be? – Lynda DeWitt
    (Read March 2011) An In2Books pen-pal book for the science unit.
  26. 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.
  27. Committed – Elizabeth Gilbert
    (Read February 2011) This book reviews so many philosophies on marriage. This book was very eye opening.
  28. Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti – Gerald McDermott
    (Read February 2011) An In2Books pen-pal book for the social studies unit.
  29. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson
    (Read February 2011) A great mystery… and I normally don’t like mysteries.
  30. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Jane Austen &amp; Seth Grahame-Smith
    (Read January 2011) I did not care for the original, but really enjoyed this version. Zombies make the story better.
  31. Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – Doreen Rappaport
    (Read January 2011) An In2Books pen-pal book for the biography unit.

Books Read in 2010

  1. 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.
  2. Mummies – Joyce Milton
    (Read December 2010) An In2Books pen-pal book for the history unit.
  3. 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.
  4. A Short History of Women – Kate Walbert
    (Read November 2010) Fantastic book that follows a family of women through different stages of their lives.
  5. Donovan’s Word Jar – Monalisa DeGross
    (Read October 2010) An In2Books penpal book for the fiction unit.
  6. 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).
  7. Foundation and Empire – Isaac Asimov
    (Read September 2010) Book 2 of the Foundation series. Not bad, but not as good as book 1.
  8. 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.
  9. Designing the Moment – Robert Hoekman Jr. *
    (Read August 2010) This was a fabulous, and very obvious, book on website user experience.
  10. Stern Men – Elizabeth Gilbert
    (Read August 2010) I may be Ruth… at least partially.
  11. 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.
  12. 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).
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. The Tao of Pooh – Benjamin Hoff
    (Read March 2010) I’d read this book before (in college), but re-reading it was an experience.
  16. 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.
  17. Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella – Susan Lowell
    (Read March 2010) An In2Books penpal book for the fiction unit.
  18. Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman – Kathleen Krull
    (Read February 2010) An In2Books penpal book for the biography unit.
  19. Animal Farm – George Orwell *
    (Read February 2010) I’m finally starting to catch up on the classics I somehow missed as a kid.
  20. The Namesake – Jhumpa Lahiri
    (Read February 2010) The book is a little predictable. So many similarities between their family and mine.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.
  23. Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery – Deborah Howe
    (Read January 2010) A cute kids’ book about a vampire bunny.
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