#12–Read 41 books

On last year’s list I set the goal to read as many books as the years I’ve been alive.  So I did that again this year.  And I’m finished early.  I listened to and read so, so many good books this year.  I kind of hate driving in my car these days if I’m not being told a story…so if I give you a ride, please be prepared to tell me a good one. 

My top picks:

Memoir: Not That Kind of Girl – Lena Dunham.  She is a funny, sweet, anxious and irreverent writer.  I loved her book.

Young Adult/fantast:  The Coldest Girl in Coldtown – Holly Black.  Another teenage vampire love story. And a good one.

Short stories: One More Thing: Stories and Other stories – BJ Novak. Strange and inventive stories.  Like none I’ve read.

Mystery: Dark Places – Gillian Flynn. Flynn is the author of Gone Girl.  I liked this mystery a bit better, kept me guessing

Fiction: This is Where I leave you – Jonathan Topper. Topper does an amazing job of showing all the complicated layers of a family by having them stuck in a house sitting shiva.  It’s funny and sad and real.

Non-Fiction: Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood & The Prison of Belief – Lawrence Wright. Scientology is fascinating! seriously. 

 

Here is the list in it’s entirety:

Books I read:

1. Allegiant - Veronica Roth (January)
2. The Interestings - Meg Wolitzer (January)
3. The True Secret of Writing - Natalie Goldberg (January)
4. Finding Ultra - Rich Roll (April)
5. The Raising - Laura Kasishke (April)
6. Agorafabulous - Sara Benincasa (April)
7. Diet Cults - Michael Fitzgerald (June)
8. One More thing: Stories and Other Stories - BJ Novak (June)
9. Fault in Our Stars  - John Green (June)
10. Still Missing - Chevy Stevens (July)
11. Mind Over Medicine - Lissa Rankin (July)
12. Bark - Lorrie Moore (July)
13. The Widows Guide to Sex and Dating - Carole Radziwill (August)
14. This is Where I Leave You - Jonathan Tropper (August)
15. Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood & The Prison of Belief- Lawrence Wright (September)
16. Swamplandia! - Karen Russell (September)
17. Department of Speculation - Jenny Offill (October)
18. Not That Kind of Girl - Lena Dunham (October)
19. We Were Liars - E. Lockhart (October)
20. Remember Me Like This - Bret Anthony Johnston (November)
21. The Magician's Land - Lev Grossman (November)
22. Yes Please - Amy Poehler (November)

Books I listened to:

1. Blackout - Lisa Unger (January)
2. Nine Inches - Tom Perrota (January)
3. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown - Holly Black (February)
4. Dark Places - Gillian Flynn (March)
5. The Silver Star - Jeannette Walls (March)
6. Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn (April)
7. In the Blood - Lisa Unger (April)
8. Both Ways is the Only Way I want it - Maile Melloy (May)
9. Ruby - Cynthia Bond (July)
10. Kill You Twice - Chelsea Cain (July)
11. Midnight in Austenland - Shannon Hale (August)
12. The Vacationers - Emma Staub (August)
13. The Longings of Wayward Girls - Karen Brown (September)
14. California - Edan Lepucki (September)
15. Tenth of December - George Saunders (October)
16. Lucky Us - Amy Bloom (October)
17. Heartbroken - Lisa Unger (November)
18. Where She Went - Gayle Forman (November)
19. Room - Emma Donoghue (November)