January 1, 2012
Of course I did not read all I wanted to read in 2011, but in reviewing my year’s reading I see that I did read quite a few books, and I think I am a better person for having read them. Reading is nourishment to the mind and the benefits build rather than go away. I listed the books roughly in the order I read them because I thought it might help me track the progress my mind’s crazy winding journey over the past year. I believe that books come along at certain times for a reason. (See my post Books: My breadcrumbs through the forest.)
The year went by so fast and so much happened and my mood and state of mind swung dramatically throughout. Looking back I am rather shocked at the difference between my state of mind last January and this January – from absolutely driven to almost mellow. My new resolution for 2011 was to “Fight evil and injustice with the fiery sword of truth.” My resolution for 2012 is shaping up to be something along the lines of “Set realistic goals and stick to a schedule for writing and artwork.” I think this year’s resolution is going to be a true challenge, but I am determined to try to conquer my organizational deficiency.
Books read January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2011
I reviewed some of these and wrote essays about others. I include links to my posts….
The Holy Bible, New King James Version (ongoing project)
The City of God by St. Augustine (ongoing project – about three quarters complete)
Hard Times by Charles Dickens
Pensees by Blaise Pascal (Wrote series of nine posts called Sundays with Pascal)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose
The Weight of Glory and other Essays by C.S. Lewis
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (for the tenth time)
Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
One True Thing by Anna Quindlen
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Lit by Mary Karr
A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, Volume I
Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku (half of it but intend to finish shortly)
The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton (for the second time)
The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis (for the second time)
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton (for the sixth time)
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer by C.S. Lewis
The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich A. Hayek
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (The Inferno and Purgatorio; have not yet been able to get through Paradisio….)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition by Neil Gaiman
The Secret Knowledge by David Mamet
Thomas Paine: Enlightenment, Revolution, and the Birth of Modern Nations by Craig Nelson
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Such Such were the Joys by George Orwell (collection of essays)
Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson
Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis (for the second time; featured this book in an essay about October and longing)
Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (Not quite finished. Feel guilty for not liking, but didn’t really like…)
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis (for the second time)
Perelandra by C.S. Lewis (for the second time)
The Golden Key by George MacDonald (a short story)
The Christmas Stories by Charles Dickens
One Day by David Nicholls (finished December 31!)
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Great list and happy to see a couple I have on my TBR list including Lit. There are some impressive classics on your list too, well done in persevering.
Good luck with this year's resolution, it sounds like a very good one.
Sounds like a great year of reading, Carol! And I LOVE your picture! Your dog makes me smile.
Looks like a great list! Some of them are on my TBR list, can't wait to read them.
A fun mixture of contemporary and classics! I loved Julia Cameron’s book, and I have James Joyce’s PORTRAIT on my to-read list. Think I’m going to add AMERICAN GODS to my list, too.
Thank you Claudine for stopping by. By the way, I got the ideafpr this post from your blog! I am getting reading to make a reading plan for this year and plan to include more children's and YA books.
Great list. Thanks for posting. Now i know where to go when I need ideas.