In recent years, I have neglected my book brain and have failed to read as much as I wanted/needed to. One of my goals for 2010 is to read 100 books. I’m hoping for a mixture of fiction, non-fiction, classics and of course, the chick littiest lit I can get my pretty pink paws on. My pile has been steadily growing and as you can see here, it’s quite large and somehow fits on my nightstand. What’s even more disturbing is that I’m just egging it on by adding thick hardcovered library books. For some people, reading 100 books a year is a breeze. I’m not those people. I’m with the people that collect a pile of books on their nightstands, read a few chapters from each, have no idea what’s going on in any and then succumb to the internet’s stronghold grip and read blogs instead.
I do love a great book though. So, in my quest to get back on track with a hobby that has been gone far too long, I am scripting a list. There are only two more days left in the year, so I think it’s safe to say that I’ll be cheating. I just returned home from a 60 cent trip to the library with a fresh stack of books and I’m thirsty for a great story to sweep me off my feet. I’ve been gifted with some literary friends who know what’s what in the literary world today, thank God, and I’m confident that my list is not going to be a mainstream black and white outline of the New York Times’ Bestsellers List because of this. Also, in this wide world of blogging, there seems to be a few common threads among us.
1) We love coffee, without it our posts are boring or they just plain don’t exist due to that pesky sleep thing getting in the way of true creative genius.
2) We love aprons. (and knitting.) I personally believe my real age to be 87.
3) And we love books!
So, if you have a book recommendation, please feel free to add it to the comments! I love reading books I have never found on my own browsing time and would love to hear what your favorites are. Or maybe you’re even starting your own 2010 book list… feel free to add it here!
In no chronological order, but numbered (and bolded when complete) so I can be sure to meet my goal:
Kallerina’s 2010 Book Extravaganza
(it’s a nickname, thank my sister later.)
1. Heaven in High Gear by Joan Brady
2. Cooking & Screaming by Adrienne Kane
3. The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain
4. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (ditto!!)
5. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller (don’t judge me)
6. Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
7. Marley & Me by John Grogan
8. The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham
9. Sleeping Arrangements by Madelein Wickham
10. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
11. White Teeth by Zadie Smith
12. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
13. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks (HOT!! So hot… a DILF for sure!)
14. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
15. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
16. At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks
17. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
18. The Bobby Gold Stories: A Novel by Anthony Bourdain
19. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
20. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
21. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
22. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (If you are also venturing here, Jasper’s website is chock full of help, including the order of the books… which I have listed chronologically here, for my own mental well-being.)
23. Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
24. The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
25. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde
26. First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde
27. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
28. Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
29. Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning (Need another Twilight-esque series with better writing to suck you in? Here you go. You’re welcome. And, you’ve been warned.)
30. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
31. Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
32. American Girls About Town feat. Jennifer Weiner, among others
33. Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl’s Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? by Jen Lancaster
34. Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office by Jen Lancaster
35. Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist’s Quest To Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, Or Why Pie is Not The Answer by Jen Lancaster
36. Pretty in Plaid: A Life, a Witch, and a Wardrobe, or, the Wonder Years Before the Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart Ass Phase by Jen Lancaster
37. The Idiot Girl’s Action Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro
38. Autobiography of a Fat Bride by Laurie Notaro
39. I Love Everybody (And Other Atrocious Lies) by Laurie Notaro
40. We Thought You Would Be Prettier by Laurie Notaro
41. An Idiot Girl’s Christmas: True Tales From the Top of the Naughty List by Laurie Notaro
42. There’s a (slight) Chance I Might Be Going to Hell by Laurie Notaro
43. The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death
44. Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
45. My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Handler
46. Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler (Hits shelves March, 9, 2009, five days before my birthday!!! God, I love March.)
47. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich (This one may be disqualified because I think I read it already.)
48. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
49. The Accompanist by Nina Berberova
50. The Book of Happiness by Nina Berberova
51. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (This particular little diddy has been on my shelf forever, and I wwwwiiiiillllll read it this year.)
52. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Ditto this dude.)
53. The Tales of Beedle The Bard by J. K. Rowling
54. A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown
55. What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
56. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
57. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
58. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
59. Little Bee by Chris Cleave
60. Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
61. Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs (that’s two magicals for this list)
62. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
63. Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane
64. Forget About It by Caprice Crane
65. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (haven’t read it since high school, it counts)
66. Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (ditto this, but I do remember loving it)
67. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (oh! this one too.)
68. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (and obviously this one… in fact, there may be a few more.)
69. Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Felix Salten
70. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
I’m sorry…but it looks like you haven’t read ANY of the Jen Lancaster books. Really?? You are not allowed to read my blog (or Salt’s) again until you read at least the first one (and Salt, being as cool as she is would undoubtedly back me up on this). Sheesh! Also…read them in order. It’s just better that way. What else? The Lauren Willig Pink Carnation series (lots of sword-fighting hot men and women in dresses with corsets). Little Bee by Chris Cleave (SO amazing). And anything by Augusten Boroughs but start with Running with Scissors (which is 200 times better than the movie). I have so much more…
(hanging head in pure shame, doesn’t want to be in blog jail)
Ok, I’ve totally read *some* of *all* of Jen Lancaster’s books. I should have partially bolded those also. But like I said… out of sight, out of mind. I’m such a bad reader. But yes, fine, I shall read them in order and add these other wonder birds to the list. I also have another to add courtesy of a Facebook friend. More, more! I’m not to 100 hundred yet!
YES YES YES. Jen Lancaster is a MUST. (In order, of course!) I have all her books on my shelf. Apparently she is working on something new that I can’t wait to get my hands on.
Definitely another vote for Burroughs too. He is my other favorite author and I’ve read all of his books aside from A Wolf at the Door (which I will start right after I finish Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.)
Running with Scissors the movie SUCKED. I was so disappointed.
I haven’t seen the movie, but I like reading the books first, so this is probably a good thing.
I am *way* excited about Jen’s new book. I will add it to the list after I read the first of hers.
Sadly, I must read the FOUR library books I checked out today. It was like going to the grocery store hungry. I could have asked for a cart but thought I should take it slow. Thank God for renewals.
OK…Kallay, I just did the math…that’s like 9 books a month. That’s almost 3 books a week. And while I TOTALLY admire your tenacity, perhaps we should aim for…oh, I don’t know…12 per year?
Yeah, it’s one book every 3 days or 100 pages per day. That’s only like 2 hours of reading per day. (Plus, some of the books I have started already and some are really short.)
My mom poo-poo’d my idea.
But I know people who do this. My friend Kerry, for example, the woman is a reading *machine*!
If I don’t make it, it’s ok. At least I will have attempted to read more books in a year than I ever have.
And remember, I’m a Pisces, we’re dreamers. We set unattainable goals. We can’t help it. Haha!
OK. I’ve given this some thought and even though you didn’t invite me, I’m joining you on this crazy journey. 100 pages per day. Here we go!
You can totally do it! And I SO invited you! (The part where I said if you’re doing this, leave your list in the comments section!)
But Yay!! I’m so excited I’m not doing this alone! Can’t wait to see what you’re reading.
I am such a reader. Alwasy have been & hopefully always will be. You should read Jodi Picoult. Love everything she’s ever written. Her books are easy, but not in the cheesy, Danielle Steele kinda way. I couldn’t even think of what real genre she is except fiction. I would start with The Pact or Nineteen Minutes. I think they’re my favorites.
And I love making lists.. Looks like I have another one to go make b/c I totally want to do this.