Books 26-48 of 2013

This year, I decided to write down all of the non-work and non-children's books that I read. I was thinking in the back of my mind that a "stretch goal" would be 20 books. Shockingly, I ended up with 48 books for the year, which is undoubtedly directly related to the fact that our house was a Disaster Zone. I previously wrote about the first 25 books that I read (click here to see the post); here is the rest of the year.

*26. Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson - an absolutely delightful, thought-provoking novel that centers around a girl born in 1910 who relives her life again and again each time that she dies. This calls up visions of Groundhog Day or Sliding Doors, but the book is extremely well crafted, with layers of stories on top of each other, and a great focus on how seemingly small choices can have huge consequences. 

27. Daring Greatly, by Brene Brown - I read this book after reading Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection. The whole premise of this book is on having the courage to be vulnerable (read: whole-hearted, or as I like to call it, "putting it all out there") and how that can influence relationships, parenting, work, etc. 

28. The Conflict: How Modern Motherhood Undermines the Status of Women, by Elisabeth Badinter - there has been a lot of controversy over this book, which was first published in France and asserts that a focus on "natural motherhood" in our society results in impossible levels of stress for mothers. I was fully expecting to get riled up, but despite (or because of?) my low expectations, I thought the book made a lot of great points about how so much of our society's structure (no guaranteed maternity leave, no government support for daycare, workaholics, etc.) is stacked against parents. 

29. Hayseeds, Moralizers, and Methodists, by Robert Smith Bader - a book about Kansas AND Methodists - what's not to love?! This was written in the late 1980s but is just as relevant today, focusing on how Progressivism and Prohibition have shaped images of modern-day Kansas. 

*30. Wild Ones: A Sometimes Dismaying, Weirdly Reassuring Story About Looking at People Looking at Animals in America, by Jon Mooallem - this book on conservation and endangered species is structured around three endangered animals today: the polar bear, a rare species of butterfly, and the whopping crane - but makes a strong point that ecosystems are much more important than individual species. Of all the books I read this year, I think this one is the winner for Most Likely to Relate to a News Story since it seems like every other day I see something that relates to the book. 

*31. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee - one of the best books of all time. If you did not read it in high school (shockingly, Will never did), you should start reading it tonight; it is Harper Lee's only novel that is both a coming-of-age story of a young girl growing up in the Depression-era South, as well as an honest, raw examination of racial inequalities. 

*32. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith - this is my all-time favorite book and one that I insisted that one of my book groups read for our August selection (we then watched the 1945 movie, which I had never seen). I can relate to Francie just as much now as I did when I was 13, in this coming-of-age novel about Francie Nolan, part of a poor Irish family in Brooklyn at the turn of this century. 

*33. The Painted Girls, by Cathy Marie Buchanan - an historical fiction novel that focuses on the ballerinas (or "petit rats") behind the artwork of Edgar Degas in 19th century Paris. I was initially lukewarm on the book but really enjoyed our book group discussion on the book's themes of poverty, art, class, and fate. 

*34. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman - did you know that one of the funniest movies was first written as a NOVEL more than 10 years before the movie, and that the author later penned its screenplay? I did not, and what a treat this book was - even more hilarious than the movie. 

35. Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn (read first half, skimmed second part) - I loved Gone Girl and checked this one out with high hopes. Let me just say that Gillian Flynn is MESSED UP and it go to be where this book was just too morbid for me to handle. ;)

36. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver - I avoided reading this book for a while because I thought it would be depressing, but I instead found it rich, beautiful, and ultimately hopeful. The novel focuses on a misguided missionary's involvement in the Congo and the resulting 30-year consequences for the family. 

*36. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card - we read this in book group since the movie was coming out, although it is one that Will has been bugging me for years to read. I was somewhat annoyed by the plot and characters (6-year old army fighters, anyone??), but the ending more than made up for any earlier grievances. 

*37. Kate Remembered, by A. Scott Berg (read 2/3) - a biography of Kathrine Hepburn, as written by a journalist who had a "special friendship" (no, not that kind) with her during her life. I did not finish the book but I am counting it because I think I am now maxed out on Katherine Hepburn insight. ;)

38. Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage, by Elizabeth Gilbert - this is by the author of Eat, Pray, Love, but is a historical and cultural examination of the institution of marriage. I actually liked this book better than her previous one, perhaps because it was written more at a sociological and less at a personal level. 

39. Maxed Out: American Moms in the Brink, by Katrina Alcorn - a very quick read centered around one working mom's meltdown as a result of trying to balance everything. I enjoyed reading the book, but will admit that when I finished it I started to wonder if I was suffering a nervous breakdown myself... 

*40. Beyond the Pink Moon: A Memoir of Legacy, Loss, and Survival, by Nicki Boscia Durlester - a self-published (on Kindle) memoir written by a breast cancer survivor. This is a very important area and led to some great discussions at book group, but in my opinion, the actual writing in the book definitely could have used more editing. 

*41. Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, by Maria Semple - we read this one in my online book group and it was a fun, fast, quirky read (how many book groups does a girl need?? A lot). The novel is more character than plot-driven, but focuses on an architect-turned-mom who hates Seattle and her own quirky tween daughter. 

*42. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen, by Christopher McDougall - it is kind of surprising that I only now read this book, which is like a Bible for the Running Community. The author's journalistic tendencies often make sections of the book sound sensationalist, but it is a fun, engaging read, even for non-runners. 

43. Scarcity: Why Having So Little Means So Much, by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir - I checked this book out after reading an article by the authors in the NYT about why dieting can make you crazy - because scarcity (insufficient resources) reduces mental bandwidth. The authors are economists and the book touches on all kinds of consequences of scarcity, but especially focuses on long-term consequences of poverty; one of the most meaningful books I read this year. 

*44. Miracle on 34th Street, by Valentine Davies - this short, sweet novella (around 120 pages) was actually written in conjunction with the movie by the same name. I have still not seen the movie, but the book is very cute. 

45. The Husband's Secret, by Liane Moriarty - Liane Moritarty is officially my new favorite author; she is like an Australian version of Emily Giffin who writes "chick lit" that is sharp, funny, and very well-written. This book takes the perspective of three different female protagonist who are all affected by a terrible secret from over 20 years ago. 

46. Twenties Girl, by Sophie Kinsella - a very fun, light, fluffy read about a gal who is "haunted" by her great-aunt's ghost. It is exactly the kind of fun book you would expect from the author of the Shopaholic series. 

47. What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarty - I had to rush out and check out another Liane Moritarty novel ASAP and was not disappointed. This book is like a smarter and more substantial version of Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me, and is about a woman who wakes up at the gym one day suffering from amnesia and no knowledge of the past 10 years.  

48. 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker - I was first introduced to Jen Hatmaker through her hilarious blog entry "Worst End of School Year Mom Ever," which you should all read by clicking here if you haven't yet. Like many bloggers who have written a book, I find that I prefer the blog, but this was still an engaging, thought-provoking read on reducing seven different areas each month (food, clothes, spending, waste, possessions, media, stress) to become closer to God. 

* = Adult Book Club Book

What good (or bad) books did you read this year?