1. Ulyssess by James Joyce (fiction)
Finished March 2014
It only took me three months to read this crazy book. I do think it is the longest book I've read, especially if one counts the cliff notes I had to read ten times to understand what I was reading.
2. The Stranger by Albert Camus (fiction)
Finished March 2014
Camus apparently believed that the world is completely indifferent and trying to find meaning in life is futile and therefore absurd. It is not the most uplifting philosophy. It wasn't very enjoyable reading especially because I was very stressed and kind of depressed while reading it anyways.
3. Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence (fiction)
Finished April 2014
This entire book had the feeling of tension and stress.
4. The Brothers K by David James Duncan (fiction)
Finished April 2014
I almost stopped reading this book because I was bored by the baseball focus and not altogether accurate portrayal of Adventists. In fact, I had started this book before Sons and Lovers and then decided to give it another chance afterwards. I'm glad I did because there was a lot of thought provoking writing, and by the end I was staying up really late to finish it. I wish I had read The Brothers Karamazov more recently (see Books of 2010) so I could catch more of the allusions, but the trend of belief vs. doubt and the focus on family and its relationships was apparent.
5. Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (fiction)
Finished May 2014
A much needed shorter, fluffier book that I found on my Kindle. It made me ponder technology and our acceptance/rejection of it. And it made me consider what we humans want to leave as our legacy.
6. Ender's Game by George Orson Scott (fiction)
Finished May 2014
Too much military focus for my taste, but imaginative.
7. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (fiction)
Finished June 2014
Clever, but confusing at first
8. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (fiction)
Finished July 2014
I am sick of pretentious teen books, but it was good.
9. Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (fiction)
Finished July 2014
Interesting love story set in Seattle mixed with the sadness of Japanese Americans having to live in internment camps during WWII.
10. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (fiction)
Finished July 2014
Interesting perspective of WWII and how it could have affected those in it. Unusually narrated by the personification of Death.
11. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (nonfiction)
Finished August 2014
Interesting story of a family affected by the cells taken from their relative and the story of some of the ways those cells were used for research. Apparently it took Skloot about a decade to write the book. That is dedication.
12. How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway (fiction)
Finished August 2014
The story of a Japanese lady marrying an American soldier during WWII and her daughter
13. The Awakening by Kate Chopin (fiction)
Finished September 2014
I could see how this was revolutionary for women, especially when you compare the narrator's thoughts and actions compared with those from other books before her era.
14. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (fiction)
Finished September 2014
Fun read on our train from Chamonix to Paris
15. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht (fiction)
Finished September 2014
Interestingly I had just read Rick Steve's history of the former Yugoslavia which I think made this book more rich in meaning. However, it was still a little too vague for my liking, but clever with its mixture of myth and material.
16. Where the Peacocks Sing: A Palace, a Prince, and the Search for Home by Allison Singh (nonfiction)
Finished September 2014
True story of an Asian American gal meeting and marrying into an Indian family and the struggles and happiness it creates.
17. The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson (fiction)
Finished October 2014
This was the first book I've ever read about North Korea, and although it was fiction, the author did a lot of research and embedded real stories into his book. I didn't like the book at first, but there is a lot of development and creativity that slowly, but most definitely won me over. After reading the whole book, I understood and found the title clever.
18. A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers (fiction)
Finished October 2014
Depressing fiction about the nonfictional way business is today set in Saudia Arabia from a 54 year-old male perspective. It was clever but sad...like watching an environmental documentary about the poor condition of our planet and just feeling powerless.
19. If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things (fiction)
Finished November 2014
This book was recommended by a friend and was an interesting take of an event from the different view points of an entire neighborhood. It also reminded me of the goodness of noticing the world around us.
20. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (nonfiction)
Finished December 2014
I was preparing to force myself to read some nonfiction, but didn't have to at all. This book is incredibly fascinating. The story is amazing and the writing is impeccable. I almost want to read Laura's other book Seabiscuit because of how great of a writer she is, and I'm not really a horse book type of gal.
21. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (fiction)
Finished December 2014
Although Unbroken was a pleasure to read, I still rewarded myself of my nonfiction reading by delving into this short, but deep work of fiction.
22. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne (fiction audio book)
Finished December 2014
Some friends introduced me to Libravox that has free audiobooks, and I've decided to add these books to my list.
23. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon (nonfiction)
Finished December 2014
How some women found a way to survive and earn a living even while under a very restrictive regime.
Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff (nonfiction)
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (fiction)
Maybe I'll give the Outlander series another chance. And, I have a hard time not finishing something once I've started it.
Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal (fiction)
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcom Gladwell (nonfiction)
A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers (fiction)
A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie (fiction)
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee (nonfiction)
Sufferings in Africa: The Incredible True Story of a Shipwreck, Enslavement, and Survival by Captain James Riley (nonfiction)
Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue by Mitchell Zuckoff (nonfiction)
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (fiction)
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (fiction)
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (fiction)
A Summons to Memphis by Peter Taylor (fiction)
La Comedie humaine by Honore de Balzac
A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Tomorrow will be Better by Zdena Kapral (nonfiction)
