~~~
Day’?s Verse:
I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:20 – 21
~~~
Yes, what follows is actually a list of all the books I read in the last year. Well… more like 98% of them, anyway. I probably missed a few. Comments are included as reader’s notes.
2006
1. Get Shorty — 5/25 – 5/26
Elmore Leonard [Reader’s note: Huh?]
2. The Dante Club — 5/26 – 5/27
Matthew Pearl
3. The Secret Life of Bees — 5/27 – 5/28
Sue Monk Kidd
4. Our Lady of the Forest — 6/7 – 6/13
David Guterson [Reader’s note: Classic Guterson, an excellent read]
5. Dream Thief — 6/13 – 6/15
Stephen Lawhead [Reader’s note: Why do Christian books always turn out totally horrible?]
6 – 11. Harry Potter Books 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 — 6/18 – 6/27
J.K. Rowling
12. Starship Troopers — 6/27 – 7/1
Robert Heinlein
13. A Thousand Acres — 7/1 – 7/2
Jane Smiley [Reader’s note: King Lear in the midwest]
14. The Bean Tree — 7/2 -7/2
Barbara Kingsolver
15. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil — 7/3 – 7/3
John Berendt
16. The Westing Game — 7/4 – 7/4
Ellen Raskin [Reader’s note: Old favorite]
17. In the Hall of the Dragon King — 7/3 – 7/5
Stephen Lawhead
18. The Warlords of Nin — 7/5 – 7/8
Stephen Lawhead
19. The Sword and the Flame — 7/8 (quit)
Stephen Lawhead
20. The Golden Key and Other Fantasy Stories — 7/9 – 7/9
George Macdonald [Reader’s note: Some of the first sci-fi/fantasy ever written, pioneering the genre as I understand it.]
21. The Gray Wolf, etc. — 7/10 – 7/12
George Macdonald
22. Einstein’s Dreams — 7/11
Allan Lightman
23. The Light Princess — 7/12
George Macdonald
24. The Wise Woman, Etc. — 7/13
George Macdonald
25. Return of Tarzan — 7/14 – 7/15
Edgar Rice Burroughs
26. Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul — 7/15 – (quit)
John & Stasi Eldredge
27. Out of the Silent Planet — 7/17
C. S. Lewis [Reader’s note: If you haven’t read these and you like sci-fi/fantasy, you’ve missed a seminal part of the genre, like failing to read Lord of the Rings.]
28. Perelandra — 7/17 – 7/18
C. S. Lewis
29. That Hideous Strength — 7/19 – 7/21
C.S. Lewis
30. The Kingless Land — 7/22 – 7/24
Ed Greenwood
31. Girl Meets God — 7/24 – 7/26
Laurie F. Winner
32. The Tower of Geburah — 7/25 – 7/28
John White [Reader’s note: More poorly-written Christian fiction… Why must it be this way?]
33. The Iron Sceptre — 7/28 – 7/29
John White
34. The Sword Bearer — 7/29 – 7/30
John White
35. Gall the Conquerer — 7/30 – 7/31
John White [Reader’s note: …and, you may be asking, why did she read all these?]
36. Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th CenturyMisc., anthology
37. Calvin & Hobbes: Revenge of the Baby-Sat — 8/5
Bill Watterson [Reader’s note: Actually read all the Calvin & Hobbes books, but failed to record them.]
38. Anne of Green Gables — 8/5 – 8/7
L. M. Montgomery
39. Anne of Avonlea — 8/7 – 8/9
L. M. Montgomery
40. House of Sand and Fog — 8/7 – 8/11
Andre Dubus III
41. Anne of Avolea — 8/9 – 8/10
L. M. Montgomery
42. Anne of the Island — 8/10 – 8/11
L. M. Montgomery
43. Anne of Windy Poplars — 8/13 – 8/16
L. M. Montgomery
44. Anne’s House of Dreams — 8/16 – (quit)
L. M. Montgomery [Reader’s note: There’s only so much Anne you can take. Trust me.]
45. Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work — 8/16 – 8/30
John Gottman
46. The Eye of the World — 8/19 – 8/26
Robert Jordan
47. The Great Hunt — 8/26 – 9/1
Robert Jordan
48. The Dragon Reborn — 9/1 – 9/3
Robert Jordan
49. The Shadow Rising — 9/4 – 9/10
Robert Jordan
50. The Fires of Heaven — 9/11 – 9/17
Robert Jordan
51. The Lord of Chaos — 9/17 – 9/30
Robert Jordan [Reader’s note: At this point, you wish the series would end. Oh, please, please end!]
52. Miss Misery — 9/21 – 9/23
Andy Greenwald [Reader’s note: Everybody needs a break from the Wheel of Time series some time to preserve a modicum of sanity.]
53. A Crown of Swords — 9/30 – 10/4
Robert Jordan [Reader’s note: Back in the saddle…]
54. Path of Daggers — 10/4 – 10/7
Robert Jordan
55. Winter’s Heart — 10/7 – 10/14
Robert Jordan
56. Crossroads at Twilight — 10/14 – 10/29
Robert Jordan
57. The Language of God — 10/16 – 10/24
Francis Collins
**58. Time Traveler’s Wife — 10/20 – 10/22
Audrey Niffenegger [Reader’s note: Best read of the year]
59. Neverwhere — 10/24 – 10/26
Neil Gaiman
60. Ladies of Mandrigyn — 10/26 – 10/29
Barbara Hambly
61. The Time of the Dark — 10/29 – 10/31
Barbara Hambly
62. The Walls of Air — 11/1 – 11/4
Barbara Hambly
63. The Armies of Daylight — 11/5 – 11/5
Barbara Hambly
64. Icefalcon’s Quest — 11/5 – 11/11
Barbara Hambly
*65. State of Fear — 11/11 – 11/12
Michael Crichton [Reader’s note: Most enraging read of the year]
66. Deepness in the Sky — 11/23
Vernor Vinge
67. Lavondyss — 11/24 ~ 11/27 (est.)
Robert Holdstock [Reader’s note: Most puzzling read of the year]
68. Foucalt’s Pendulum — 11/26 – (quit)
Umberto Eco
69. Temple of the Winds — 11/27 – 12/3
Terry Goodkind [Reader’s note: This series just wants to be the Wheel of Time]
70. The Prophet — 12/3 – 12/6
Frank E. Peretti
71. Justice Hall — 12/9 – 12/10
Laure R. King
72. O Jerusalem — 12/? – 12/16
Laure R. King
73. The Game — 12/16 – 12/17
Laure R. King
74. River of Gods — 12/17 – 12/26
Ian McDonald
75. X-Men (Ultimate) 1-4, 6 — 12/28
Misc.
76. Odd Girl Out — 12/26 – (getting there)
Rachel Simmons
2007
77. Thunderstruck — 1/3 – 1/7
Erik Larson [Reader’s note: More murder, less Marconi]
78. Willa Cather Collected Stories — 12/30 – 1/2
Willa Cather
79. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid — 1/7 – 10/10
Bill Bryson
80. Seed to Seed — 1/11 – (quit)
Author not recorded
81. Night Probe! — 1/19 – 1/19
Clive Cussler [Reader’s note: It’s good to read Clive occasionally to remember how bad bad writing really can be.]
82. Mother of Winter — 1/20 – 1/21
Barbara Hambly
**83. Cryptonomicon — 1/21 – 2/11
Neal Stephenson [Reader’s note: Recommended author]
84. Clear and Present Danger — 1/22 – (quit)
Tom Clancy
85. Rogue’s Bride — 2/4 – 2/9
Leslie LaFoy [Reader’s note: After reading this, we started describing raising an eyebrow as LaFoying]
86. Blue Like Jazz — 2/11 – 2/17
Donald Miller
87. Daughter of the Empire — 2/17 – 2/23
Raymond Feist & Janny Wurts
88. Servant of the Empire — 2/23 – 3/3
Raymond Feist & Janny Wurts
89. Mistress of the Empire — 3/3 – 3/11
Raymond Feist & Janny Wurts
**90. Life of the Beloved — 2/23 – 3/15
Henri Nouwen [Reader’s note: Best theology]
91. Magician: Apprentice — 3/12 – 3/16
Raymond E. Feist
92. Alias Grace — 3/17 – 3/17
Margaret Atwood
93. On a Pale Horse — 3/18 – 3/19
Piers Anthony
94. For Love of Evil — 3/20 – 3/23
Piers Anthony
95. First Book of Swords — 3/24 – 3/25
Fred Saberhagen
96. Second Book of Swords — 3/25 – 3/29
Fred Saberhagen
97. Third Book of Swords — 3/29 – 3/31
Fred Saberhagen
98. Phantom Tollbooth — 3/31 – 4/4
Norton Juster [Reader’s note: Best children’s book ever]
99. Five Little Pigs — 4/5 – 4/7
Agatha Christie
100. A Treasury of Great Mysteries vol. 1 — 4/7 – 4/15
Misc., anthology
101. A Treasury of Great Mysteries vol. 2 — 4/15 – (quit)
Misc., anthology
102. The Red Tent — 4/16 – 4/21
Anita Diamant
103. My Sister’s Keeper — 4/21 – 4/22
Jodi Picoult
104. Magician: Master — 4/27 – 4/29
Raymond E. Feist
105. Silverthorn — 4/29 – 4/3
Raymond E. Feist
106. The Highest Tide — 5/3 – 5/5
Jim Lynch
107. The Hobbit — 5/6 – 5/10
J.R.R. Tolkien [Reader’s note: Revisiting an old friend.]
108. Snow Falling on Cedars — 5/13 – 5/14
David Guterson
109. Dune — 5/16 – 5/19
Frank Herbert
110. Jurassic Park — 5/20 – 5/23
Michael Crichton
111. A Walk in the Woods — 5/24 – 5/27
Bill Bryson [Reader’s note: Funny enough that you don’t want to read it in public for fear of embarrassing yourself.]
112. In a Sunburned Country — 5/27 – 5/31
Bill Bryson
113. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister — 5/31 – 6/1
Gregory Maguire [Reader’s note: Meh.]
114. Ender’s Game — 6/2 – 6/3
Orson Scott Card
115. Ender’s Shadow — 6/3 – 6/6
Orson Scott Card
116. Around the World i Eighty Days — 6/6 – 6/8
Jules Verne
117. And Eternity — 6/9
Piers Anthony
118. Soul of Fire — 6/9 – 6/11
Terry Goodkind [Reader’s note: More faux-Wheel of Time; as I read this, I grimace in distaste, yet I continue.]
i need to get a library card. i keep rereading books i find around my house. although i am reading 1984 right now, which i have never read.
Heard somewhere that a huge percentage (I want to say it was at least 80) of Americans over 18 had not bought or read one book in 2006. Thanks for doing your part to counter that statistic.
And thanks for helping my head return to proper size – I was starting to feel a little too proud of my tackling Ms. Rowling’s books in a few weeks’ time.
Dear little Katie, I remember when you were 2 years old and would snuggle for hours on the couch beside your dad or me as we read aloud to you. I remember when you “read” more than 500 picture books over a 5 month period during kindergarten… you certainly caught the reading bug early and have been infected ever since. Keep up the countercultural activities!
Mom
(Hey, my computer finally works!)
Well, you certainly put me to shame. I’ve been nibbling away at Justin’s Apologies, but other than that, I’ve been getting behind on reading.
Hmm, maybe I’ll try keeping track this year, to guilt myself back in gear.