2012 bookwormery tally

photo from gettyimages

I think I said in an earlier post that I aimed to read at least 40 titles in 2012.  Did I say 50 titles? Well, maybe I did; I don't really remember how many exactly, and I'm too lazy busy to search through my old blog posts.

So how did I do?  Lemme make a list of the past year's books.

A.  Fiction

I often play safe by selecting something from the bestseller list, or those with good recommendations from reliable sources.  But of course, finding a good book is hit-and-miss. The underlined titles are the ones I took the most pleasure in, i.e., highly recommended by yours truly.  The ones in grey font are i.m.h.o. awful, i.e., don't even bother.

My fave novel
this year.

(1) Classics and Bestsellers

1. Love in the Time of Cholera [GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ]
2. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo [STEIG LARSSON]
3. One Day [DAVID NICHOLS]
4. Summer Sisters  [JUDY BLUME] *second re-read
5. Atonement [IAN MC EWAN]
6. The Lovely Bones [ALICE SEBOLD]
7. Dracula [BRAM STOKER]
8. Memoirs of a Geisha [ARTHUR GOLDEN] *second re-read
9. Bridget Jones' Diary [HELEN FIELDING]
10. The House of the Spirits [ISABEL ALLENDE]
11. Life of Pi [YANN MARTEL]
12. The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, the Good Parts Version [WILLIAM GOLDMAN]

(An observation:  Books #1-11 have all been made into movies, some of them very recently)

(2) Lesser-known Titles

1. Choke [CHUCK PALAHNIUK]
2. Four Play [FIONA WALKER]
3. Angelology [DANIELLE TRUSSONI]
4. The Family Tree [CAROLE CALLAWADR]
5. Picture Perfect [JODI PICOULT]
6. Joshua [FR. JOSEPH GIRZONE]

(3) Story Collections

1. Shame in the Blood [MIURA TETSUO]
2. After the Quake [HARUKI MURAKAMI]

(4) Easy Reading and Children's Books

1. Hope for the Flowers [TRINA PAULUS] *hundred-umpteenth re-read
2. The BFG [ROALD DAHL]
3. 100 Cupboards, Book 1/3 [N.D. WILSON]

B. Nonfiction

This year's fave
non-fiction read.

I endeavor to read as much non-fic as fiction.  It helps provide a balanced literary diet, me thinks.

(1) Histories and Biographies

1. Band of Brothers [STEPHEN AMBROSE]  *third re-read
2. Conversations With Michelangelo [JAMES HALL]

(2) Self- Help

1. Wide Awake [ERWIN MC MANUS]
2. How to Walk In High Heels:  The Girl's Guide to Everything [CAMILLA MORTON]
3. The Pocket Muse 2:  Endless Inspiration for Writers [MONICA WOOD]
4. Home Spa [CHRISSIE PAINELL-MALKIN]

(3) Treatises and Research-paper types

1. The Prince [NICOLLO MACHIAVELLI] *first re-read, not counting required reading for school
2. Origin of the Bible [Multiple Authors]
3. The Manhattan Project: Big Sciene and the Atom Bomb [JAMES HUGHES]
4. The Case for Christ [LEE STROBEL]
5. Leading With a Limp:  Turning Your Struggles Into Strengths [DAN B. ALLENDER] *first re-read
6. Rx:  Coconuts (The Perfect Health Nut) [VERMEN M. VERALLO-ROWELL, M.D.]

(4) Coffee Table Books and Others

1. 1000 Jewelry Inspirations [SANDRA SALAMONY] *umpteenth re-read
2. Dear Mom
3. Great Mysteries of the Past [READER'S DIGEST] *umpteenth re-read
4. Mysteries of the Unexplained [READER'S DIGEST] *umpteenth re-read
5. Seeing Salvation:  Images of Christ in Art [NEIL MACGREGOR]

My 2012 total:   40 books (not including the Bible, which I read every year anyway, at least in part).

I've reached my goal of reading 40 titles, but if my goal was actually 50 - aw, shucks - I'm  a mere ten books shy.  Now I kinda feel bad for taking a break from reading last October/November.  :/   Oh well, Even 20 titles ain't so bad, especially since I had a lot of fun and I learned stuff.  Going for better in 2013.  ^_^
.