92 Books and 2 Resolutions

Last year one of my New Year’s resolutions was to record every book I read. In my family we’re BIG on resolutions. We’ve been celebrating New Year’s with the same good friends for the past 12 years, and every year we go around the room, kids included now that they’re older, and share them with each other. The most organized among us, cheerful Deb, writes everything down and then holds us to our promises the next year. The secret of success, I’ve learned, is to keep the resolutions measurable and not too lofty. One year, for example, I resolved to wash my face every night. In fairness I was a young harried mom at the time and that lame goal actually seemed like a stretch. (For the record, I did it.)

This year I have two resolutions. Deb has recorded them, of course, but I’d like my faithful blog readers to hold me to them as well.

1. No more blathery (whiney) talk about book deals (My husband’s suggestion after reading this, and this, and this. Enough, he said. Write about other stuff.) Okay. Okay. I promise. Unless I actually get a book deal. And then all bets are off, sweetie.

2. Earn money. (Also my husband’s suggestion.) The trouble is I’m not qualified for many jobs, unless you count waiting tables or teaching high school English (which, interestingly enough, are suspiciously similar jobs). For the moment I’m holding out for the kind of job where you don’t have to run around like a maniac, catering cheerfully to needy customers/students. Or leave your house. Or change out of your bathrobe before 3 pm. Anyone who has a position that fits this bill, please let me know.

Anyway, last year I dutifully recorded every book I read (not including the books I started and did not finish). I’ll list them mainly for my own amusement, in the order that I read them, with a note on genre and links for those I reviewed in case you’re looking for a good read for you (or for a teen in your life).

1. The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst, adult fiction

2. Waves by Susan Casey, adult nonfiction

3. New Boy by Julian Houston, YA historical fiction

4. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine, middle grade fiction (won the 2010 National Book Award and deservedly so)

5. Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart, adult memoir

6. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner (also deservedly so)

7. What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell, YA historical fiction

8. If I Stay by Gayle Forman, YA fiction

9. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, YA paranormal romance

10. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, YA fiction

11. Across the Universe by Beth Revis, YA Sci-Fi

12. Vampire Academy 2—Frostbite by Richelle Mead, YA paranormal

13. War of Art by Steven Pressfield, non-fiction inspirational writing how-to

14. Vampire Academy 3—Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead, YA paranormal

15. Vampire Academy 4—Blood Promise (yes. I was hooked on these)

16. Vampire Academy 5—Spirit Bound (ditto)

17. Vampire Academy 6—Last Sacrifice (sigh)

18. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, YA fiction

19. The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer, adult historical fiction

20. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, YA fiction

21. Unless It Moves the Human Heart by Roger Rosenblatt, inspirational non-fiction about writing and teaching

22. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, adult fiction

23. Bruiser by Neil Shusterman, YA fiction

24. The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Wells, YA paranormal romance

25. Where She Went, by Gayle Forman, YA fiction (sequel to If I Stay)

26. The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett, adult fiction

27. Faithful by Janet Fox, YA romance

28. Impossible by Nancy Werlin, YA fiction

29. Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Sarah Cohen and David Leviathan, YA fiction

30. Stay by Deb Caletti, YA fiction

31. Everlost by Neil Shusterman, YA fiction

32. Delirium by Lauren Oliver, YA dystopian

33. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, adult historical fiction

34. Lark by Tracey Porter, YA fiction

35. Forgotten by Cat Patrick, YA paranormal

36. On Beauty by Zadie Smith, adult fiction

37. The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt, middle grade fiction

38. Shine by Lauren Myracle, YA fiction

39. Let’s Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell, adult memoir

40. Evidence of Things Unseen by Marianne Wiggins, adult fiction

41. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, YA fiction

42. Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck, YA paranormal romance

43. The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle, YA fiction

44. Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts, YA dystopian

45. Possessed by Gretchen McNeil, YA paranormal

46. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen, adult memoir

47. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, YA fiction

48. Fury by Elizabeth Miles, YA paranormal

49. This Is Not the Story You Think It Is by Laura Munson, adult memoir

50. Ashfall by Mike Mullin, YA dystopian

51. We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han, YA fiction

52. Crossed by Ally Condie, YA dystopian

53. How To Save a Life by Sara Zarr, YA fiction

54. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory, adult historical fiction

55. Perfect by Ellen Hopkins, YA fiction

56. The Space Between the Trees by Katie Williams, YA fiction

57. My Teenage Beating Heart by CK Kelly Martin, YA paranormal

58. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, adult fiction

59. Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, YA paranormal

60. Brooklyn Burning by Steve Brezenoff, YA fiction

61. Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay, YA paranormal

62. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, YA paranormal

63. All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin, YA fiction

64. Bluefish by Pat Schmatz, middle grade fiction

65. Dark Souls by Paula Morris, YA paranormal

66. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, adult historical fiction

67. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks by E. Lockhart, YA fiction

68. Ashes by Ilsa Bick, YA dystopian

69. Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt, YA romance

70. Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, adult biography

71. The Help by Kathryn Stockett, adult historical fiction

72. Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez, YA fiction

73. Reasons To Be Happy by Katrina Kittle, YA fiction

74. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, YA fiction

75. The Shack by William P. Young, adult fiction

76. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, middle grade fiction

77. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows, YA fiction

78. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard, YA fiction

79. After the Snow by SD Crockett, YA dystopian

80. Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale, YA fiction

81. The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman, YA paranormal

82. Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley, YA fiction

83. Fracture by Megan Miranda, YA paranormal

84. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, adult non-fiction

85. Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf, YA fiction

86. The Night She Disappeared by April Henry, YA fiction

87. The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth, YA fiction

88. Cinder by Marissa Meyer, YA sci fi

89. The Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett, YA fiction

90. The Writing Life by Annie Dillard, adult writing how-to

91. Zero by Tom Leveen, YA fiction

92. The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua, adult memoir