Reading in 2026

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2026. Once again, I'll be aiming for 50 books. I always hope for 50 books, though I never really expect to make that goal. But in 2025 I read 49 (including children's books), so I have high hopes for 2026.   

JANUARY

1. The Final Problem: A Novel. Arturo Pérez-Reverte; trans. by Frances Riddle (2023/2026; fiction / mystery; 303 pages)
2. More Than Enough: A Novel. Anna Quindlen (2026; fiction; 256 pages) 

FEBRUARY 

3. Cast, In Order of Disappearance (Charles Paris Mystery #1). Simon Brett (1975; fiction / mystery; 203 pages) 
4. The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances: A Novel. Glenn Dixon (2026; fiction; 224 pages)

MARCH

5. The Man Who Died Laughing (Stewart Hoag #1). David Handler (1988; fiction / mystery; 298 pages) 

6. Stonecliff. Robert Nathan (1967; fiction; 100 pages) 

7. Hopjoy Was Here (Flaxborough Chronicles #3). Colin Watson (1962; fiction / mystery; 154 pages) 

APRIL

8. The Aspern Papers. Henry James (1888; fiction; 119 pages) - This was a re-read.
9. Lives of the Saints. Nancy Lemann (1985; fiction; 199 pages) 
10. The Knight at Dawn (Magic Tree House #2). Mary Pope Osborne; illus. by Sal Murdocca (1993; children's fiction / fantasy / middle grade; 66 pages) 
11. The Circular Staircase. Mary Roberts Rinehart (1908; fiction / mystery; 205 pages) 

MAY

12. Dumb Witness (Hercule Poirot #16). Agatha Christie (1937; fiction / mystery; 336 pages) 

JUNE

13. Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon (1997; fiction / historical fiction / mystery; 469 pages)

14. Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist (Agatha Raisin #6). M.C. Beaton (1997; fiction / cozy mystery; 212 pages) 
15. Real Murders (Aurora Teagarden #1). Charlaine Harris (1990; fiction / cozy mystery; 209 pages) 
16. Henrietta Who? (Inspector Sloan #2). Catherine Aird (1968; fiction / mystery; 249 pages) 

JULY

17. God Save the Child (Spenser #2). Robert B. Parker (1974; fiction / mystery; 209 pages)

18. Where the Sidewalk Ends. Shel Silverstein; illus. by author (1974; children's literature / poetry; 175 pages) 
19. Nothing to Report. Carola Oman (1940; fiction; 273 pages)
20. Whose Body in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #13). Eva Gates (2026; fiction / cozy mystery; 298 pages; reading now) 

 

AUGUST

21. The Man in the Queue (Inspector Alan Grant #1). Josephine Tey (1929; fiction / mystery; 281 pages) 

22. Death in a Tenured Position (Kate Fansler #6). Amanda Cross (1981; fiction / mystery; 178 pages)
23. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Samuel Taylor Coleridge; illus. by Gustave Doré (1798; fiction / verse) (This was a re-read.) 

24. The Pale Horse (Ariadne Oliver #5). Agatha Christie (1961; fiction / mystery; 275 pages) 

SEPTEMBER

25. The Honjin Murders (Detective Kosuke Kindaichi #1). Seishi Yokomizo; translated by Louise Heal Kawai (1946; fiction / mystery; 193 pages) 

26. 

OCTOBER

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NOVEMBER

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DECEMBER
 

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Children's Picture Books Read in 2026

1. Bea and Mr. Jones. Amy Schwartz; illus. by author (1982; 32 pages) 

2. Knight Owl. Christopher Denise; illus. by author (2022; Caldecott Honor book 2023)
3. No Roses for Harry! (Harry the Dog series). Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1958; 32 pages) 
4. The Rock from the Sky. Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2021)
5. This Is Not My Hat (The Hat Trilogy #2). Jon Klassen; illus. by author (2012; Caldecott Medal Winner 2013) 
6. A Tree Is Nice. Janice May Udry; illus. by Marc Simont (1956; Caldecott Medal Winner 1957)

7. The Velveteen Rabbit. Margery Williams Bianco; illus. by William Nicholson (1922)
8. Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin. Lloyd Moss; illus. by Marjorie Priceman (1995; Caldecott Honor book 1996) 
9. The Emperor and the Kite. Jane Yolen; illus. by Ed Young (1967; Caldecott Honor book 1968) 
10. No Cats in the Library. Lauren Emmons; illus. by author (2024) 
11. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. Jon Scieszka; illus. by Lane Smith (1992; Caldecott Honor book 1993) 

12. Unicorn (And Horse). David W. Miles; illus. by Hollie Mengert (2018)

13. Unique Monique. Maria Rousakis; illus. by Polina Papanikolaou (2001, 2008) 
14. Fancy Dogs. Tini Malina; illus. by author; translated by Tammi Reichel (2026) 

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Reading in 2025

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2025. Once again, I'll be aiming for 50 books. And, once again, I don't expect to hit that mark.  

JANUARY

1. Origin (Robert Langdon #5). Dan Brown (2017; fiction / thriller; 482 pages)
2. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4). Alan Bradley (2011; fiction / mystery; 305 pages) 
3. The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland". Jenny Woolf (2010; nonfiction / biography / literary history; 336 pages; reading now)
4. Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1). Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025; fiction / cozy mystery; 336 pages)

FEBRUARY

5. Shot Through the Book (Lighthouse Library Mystery #12). Eva Gates (2025; fiction / cozy mystery; 272 pages) 
6. The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #11). Eva Gates (2024; fiction / cozy mystery; 297 pages) 

MARCH

7. The Ugly Duckling. Hans Christian Andersen; adapted & illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999; Caldecott Honor Book 2000; children's picture book / fable; 40 pages)
8. The Relatives Came. Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986; children's picture book; 32 pages) 

9. Hammett Unwritten. Gordon McAlpine (2013; fiction / mystery; 178 pages) 

APRIL

10. Fox in Socks. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1965; children's picture book / humor; 62 pages) 

11. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet. Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965; children's picture book / humor; 64 pages) 

12. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1960; childlren's picture book / humor; 63 pages) 

13. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub. Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985; children's picture book; Caldecott Honor Book 1986; 32 pages) 
14. XO, OX: A Love Story. Adam Rex; illus. by Scott Campbell (2017; children's picture book / humor; 32 pages) 
15. Easeful Death (DCI Bill Slider #25). Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2025; fiction / mystery; 253 pages)

16. Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language. Richard Lederer (1987; nonfiction / cultural history / language; 157 pages)
17. The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #1). Stuart Palmer (1931; fiction / mystery; 280 pages) 

MAY

18. Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley Mysteries #1). Gladys Mitchell (1929; fiction / mystery; 266 pages) 
19. Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #21). Rex Stout (1952; fiction / mystery; 226 pages) 

20. The Book of Illusions. Paul Auster (2002; fiction; 333 pages)

JUNE

21. A Murder of Quality (George Smiley #2). John le Carré (1962; fiction / mystery; 158 pages) 
22. Writers and Their Notebooks. Diana Raab (2010; nonfiction / essays; 206 pages) 

JULY

23. The Lorax. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1971; children's picture book; 72 pages; this was a re-read)
24. If You Give a Pig a Pancake. Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998; children's picture book; 32 pages) 
25. The Library. Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1995; children's picture book; 40 pages; this was a re-read) 

26. Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (Wycliffe #1). W.J. Burley (1968; fiction / mystery; 224 pages) 

AUGUST

27. Ready for My Closeup: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream. David M. Lubin (2025; nonfiction / cultural history / film; 301 pages) 

28. The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason #2). Erle Stanley Gardner (1933; fiction / mystery; 264 pages) 
29. Nighty-Nightmare (Bunnicula #4). James Howe; illus. by Leslie Morrill (1987; children's fiction / mystery; 144 pages) 

SEPTEMBER

30. Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club #4). Robert Thorogood (2025; fiction / mystery; 251 pages)
31. The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1). Robert B. Parker (1973; fiction / mystery; 210 pages) 
32. The Killing Stones (Jimmy Perez & Willow Reeves #1). Ann Cleeves (2025; fiction / mystery; 384 pages) 

OCTOBER

33. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour (Miss Petitfour #2). Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022; children's literature / fantasy; 159 pages)
34. Strange Houses: A Novel. Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (2021; fiction / mystery / horror / weird fiction; 203 pages)
35. The Princess Diarist. Carrie Fisher (2016; nonfiction / memoir; 272 pages)  

NOVEMBER

36. Strange Pictures. Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (2022; fiction / mystery / horror; 240 pages) 
37. Crome Yellow. Aldous Huxley (1921; fiction / satire; 223 pages)
38. The Ellsworth Case (Markham Sisters #5). Diana Xarissa (2016; fiction / mystery / cozy mystery; 112 pages) 

39. Doctor Dan the Bandage Man. Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1950; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) (This was a re-read)

40. Nurse Nancy. Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1952; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) (This was a re-read) 

41. Tawny Scrawny Lion. Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Gustaf Tenggren (1952; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) 

42. The Fuzzy Duckling. Jane Werner; illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen (1949; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) 

DECEMBER
 

43. The Night Before Christmas. Clement C. Moore; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1949; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) (This was a re-read)

44. The Christmas ABC. Florence Johnson; illus. by Eloise Wilkin (1962; children's picture book; Little Golden Book; 24 pages) 
45. The Experiment. Rebecca Stead (2025; children's literature / science fiction; 268 pages) 

46. The Velvet Room. Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1965; fiction / children's literature; 228 pages)
47. Zorrie. Laird Hunt (2021; fiction; 176 pages) 
48. The Fenton Case (Markham Sisters #6). Diana Xarissa (2016; fiction / mystery / cozy mystery; 108 pages) 

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Books Read in 2024

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2024. I used to aim for 50 books a year, but for 2024 I'm just hoping to do better than the dozen books I read last year. 

JANUARY

1. City of Glass (New York Trilogy, Book 1). Paul Auster (1985; fiction / mystery; 203 pages) 
2. Ghosts (New York Trilogy, Book 2). Paul Auster (1986; fiction / mystery; 100 pages) 
3. The Locked Room (New York Trilogy, Book 3). Paul Auster (1986; fiction / mystery; 179 pages) 
4. Heads You Lose (Inspector Cockrill #1). Christianna Brand (1941; fiction / mystery; 196 pages) 

FEBRUARY

5. Peril at End House (Hercule Poirot #8). Agatha Christie (1932; fiction / mystery; 288 pages) 
6. World's Fair. E.L. Doctorow (1985; fiction / historical fiction; 304 pages) 
7. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Chris Grabenstein (2013; fiction / children's literature; 293 pages)

MARCH

8.  The Road to Lichfield. Penelope Lively (1977; fiction; 224 pages) 
9.  Experimental Film. Gemma Files (2015; fiction; 314 pages) 
10. Last House. Jessica Shattuck (2024; fiction / historical fiction; 304 pages) 

APRIL

11. After Annie. Anna Quindlen (2024; fiction; 273 pages) 
12. Hamnet. Maggie O'Farrell (2020; fiction / historical fiction; 321 pages) 
13. Unexpected Night (Henry Gamadge Mysteries #1). Elizabeth Daly (1940; fiction / mystery; 221 pages)

MAY

14. The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church. Sarah McCammon (2024; nonfiction / memoir / culture; 288 pages) 
15. Oracle Night. Paul Auster (2003; fiction; 260 pages) 
16. Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey. Karen Wilkin (2009; nonfiction / art / art history; 123 pages) 
17. Power and Glory: Elizabeth II and the Rebirth of Royalty. Alexander Larman (2024; nonfiction / history; 525 pages)
18. Toyland: Classic Illustrations of Children and Their Toys. Pamela Prince; designed by Barry Zaid (1990; art / art history / children's books; 44 pages)

JUNE

19. Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontë (1847; fiction; 465 pages) 

JULY

20. If Death Ever Slept (Nero Wolfe #29). Rex Stout (1957; fiction / mystery; 208 pages) 

21. Death and the Dancing Footman (Roderick Alleyn #11). Ngaio Marsh (1941; fiction / mystery; 356 pages) 

AUGUST

22. A Grave Mistake (Roderick Alleyn #30). Ngaio Marsh (1978; fiction / mystery; 260 pages)
23. Death in a White Tie (Roderick Alleyn #7). Ngaio Marsh (1938; fiction / mystery; 329 pages) 

SEPTEMBER

24. Final Curtain (Roderick Alleyn #14). Ngaio Marsh (1947; fiction / mystery; 301 pages) 
25. The House Takes a Vacation. Jacqueline Davies; illus. by Lee White (2007; children's picture book; 32 pages)

OCTOBER

26. Du Iz Tak? Carson Ellis; illus. by author (2016; children's picture book; 2017 Caldecott Honor Book; 48 pages) 
27. White Snow, Bright Snow. Alvin Tresselt; illus. by Roger Duvoisin (1947; children's picture book; 1948 Caldecott Medal Winner; 32 pages) 
28. Have You Seen My Duckling? Nancy Tafuri; illus. by author (1984; children's picture book; 1985 Caldecott Honor Book; 32 pages) 
29. The Dweller on the Threshold. Robert Smythe Hichens (1911; fiction; 292 pages)

30. The Celery Stalks at Midnight (Bunnicula #3). James Howe; illus. by Leslie H. Morrill (1983; children's literature / horror / humor; 81 pages) 
31. Welcome to Dead House (Goosebumps #1). R.L. Stine (1992; children's literature / horror; 108 pages) 
32. Three Days in June. Anne Tyler (2025; fiction; 176 pages) 

NOVEMBER

33. We'll Prescribe You a Cat. Syou Ishida; trans. by E. Madison Shimoda (2023/ 2024; fiction; 301 pages) 
34. Let Me Tell You What I Mean. Joan Didion (2021; nonfiction / essays; 194 pages) 

35. Every Time We Say Goodbye (Jane Austen Society #3). Natalie Jenner (2024; historical fiction; 336 pages) 

36. The Little Island. Margaret Wise Brown; illus. by Leonard Weisgard (1946; children's picture book; 1947 Caldecott Medal Winner; 48 pages) 

37. They Were Strong and Good. Robert Lawson; illus. by author (1940; children's picture book; 1941 Caldecott Medal Winner; 72 pages) 

38. The Queen of Poisons (Marlow Murder Club #3). Robert Thorogood (2024; fiction / mystery; 272 pages) 

DECEMBER

39. The X-Files: Ground Zero (X-Files #3). Kevin J. Anderson (1995; fiction / science fiction / sci-fi fantasy; 340 pages) 
40. The Donaldson Case (Markham Sisters #4). Diana Xarissa (2016; fiction / mystery; 105 pages) 
41. James. Percival Everett (2024; historical fiction; 307 pages) 

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Books Read in 2023

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2023. I'm getting a late start with the list, and didn't manage to do any reading in January or February. But my goal for 2023 is a lot lower than most years. If I read a book or two a month during the rest of this year, I'll be satisfied. 

MARCH

1. High Rising (Barsetshire #1). Angela Thirkell (1933; fiction)

APRIL

2. Wild Strawberries (Barsetshire #2). Angela Thirkell (1934; fiction) 
3. Bramton Wick. Elizabeth Fair (1952; fiction) 

MAY

4. The Windsors at War: The King, His Brother, and a Family Divided. Alexander Larman (2023; nonfiction / history)

JUNE

5. Landscape in Sunlight. Elizabeth Fair (1953; fiction) 

JULY

6. Death Comes to Marlow (Marlow Murder Club #2). Robert Thorogood (2023; fiction / mystery)

AUGUST

7. Looking Glass Sound. Catriona Ward (2023; fiction / horror) 

SEPTEMBER

8. The Heiress. Rachel Hawkins (2024; fiction / thriller) 

OCTOBER

9. The Messy Lives of Book People. Phaedra Patrick (2022; fiction / women's fiction / adult fantasy) 
10. The Love Story of Missy Carmichael. Beth Morrey (2020; fiction / women's fiction)

NOVEMBER

11. I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died (Emily Dickinson Mystery #2). Amanda Flower (2023; fiction / mystery / historical fiction) 

DECEMBER

12. When You Are Engulfed in Flames. David Sedaris (2008; nonfiction / humor / essays) 

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Books Read in 2022

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2022.

I generally think of 50 books as my annual goal, but I'm always really happy if I make it to 40. In 2021 I actually managed to read 52 books. I'd love to do that well again in 2022, but the way this year is starting out, I don't have high hopes. We'll see what develops.

JANUARY

1. Homicide Trinity (Nero Wolfe #36). Rex Stout (1962; fiction / mystery; 220 pages) 
2. The Stately Home Murder (Inspector Sloan #3). Catherine Aird (1969; fiction / mystery; 160 pages) 

FEBRUARY

3. The Hidden. Melanie Golding (2021; fiction / mystery; 304 pages)
4. Bright April. Marguerite de Angeli (1946; children's fiction / middle grade fiction; 88 pages) 
5. The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night. Peter Spier; illus. by author (1961; children's fiction / picture book; 48 pages; Caldecott Honor Book, 1962)
6. Blueberries for Sal. Robert McCloskey; illus. by author (1948; children's fiction / picture book; 64 pages; Caldecott Honor Book, 1949) 
7. Skippyjon Jones. Judy Schachner; illus. by author (2003; children's fiction / picture book; 32 pages)
8. The Barnabus Project. Eric, Terry, and Devin Fan; illus. by authors (2020; children's fiction / picture book; 72 pages) 
9. The Night Gardener. Terry and Eric Fan; illus. by authors (2016; children's fiction / picture book; 48 pages) 
10. How to Live with a Calculating Cat. Eric Gurney, illus; William Nettleton, text (1962; humor; 128 pages) 

MARCH

11. The Christie Affair. Nina de Gramont (2022; historical fiction; 320 pages) 
12. The Case of the Silent Partner (Perry Mason #17). Erle Stanley Gardner (1940; fiction / mystery; 215 pages) 

APRIL

13. City of the Dead (Alex Delaware #37). Jonathan Kellerman (2022; fiction / mystery; 336 pages) 
14. Amelia Bedelia. Peggy Parish; illus. by Fritz Siebel (1963; children's literature / picture book; 40 pages) 
15. The Children on the Hill. Jennifer McMahon (2022; fiction / horror; 352 pages)
16. Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. Lewis Carroll (1871; children's literature / fantasy; 166 pages; this was a re-read) 
17. The Moving Target (Lew Archer #1). Ross Macdonald (1949; fiction / mystery; 256 pages)

MAY

18. The Fashion Orphans. Randy Susan Meyers & M.J. Rose (2022; fiction / chick lit; 304 pages) 
19. Black Orchids (Nero Wolfe #9). Rex Stout (1942; fiction / mystery; 209 pages) 
20. The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws. Margaret Drabble (2009; nonfiction / autobiography / cultural history; 368 pages) 

JUNE

21. The Marlow Murder Club (Marlow Murder Club #1). Robert Thorogood (2021/2022; fiction / mystery; 352 pages)  

JULY

22. Mrs Armitage on Wheels. Quentin Blake; illus. by author (1987; children's literature / picture book; 32 pages) 
23. Death by Beach Read (Lighthouse Library Mystery #9). Eva Gates (2022; fiction / mystery; 288 pages) 
24. Chrysalis (Jeremy Logan #6). Lincoln Child (2022; fiction / thriller; 304 pages)  

AUGUST

25. Afternoon of the Elves. Janet Taylor Lisle (1989; children's literature / middle grade; 128 pages) 
26. Many Moons. James Thurber; illus. by Louis Slobodkin (1943; children's literature; 45 pages) 
27. J.R. Silver Writes Her World. Melissa Dassori; illus. by Chelen Aecija (2022; children's literature / middle grade fiction; 272 pages)
28. Howliday Inn (Bunnicula Series #2). James Howe; illus. by Lynn Munsinger (1982; children's literature / fantasy; 195 pages) 
29. Small Angels. Lauren Owen (2022; fiction; 400 pages) 
30. The Omega Factor. Steve Berry (2022; fiction / thriller; 464 pages)

SEPTEMBER

31. Stay Awake. Megan Goldin (2022; fiction / thriller; 352 pages) 
32. Back to the Garden. Laurie R. King (2022; fiction / mystery; 352 pages) 
33. Late Harvest Havoc (Winemaker Detective #10). Jean-Pierre Alaux and Noël Balen; trans. by Sally Pane (2015; fiction / mystery; 167 pages) 

OCTOBER

34. The Final Equinox (Theo Cray & Jessica Blackwood #2). Andrew Mayne (2022; fiction / thriller; 336 pages) 
35. Night at the Vulcan (Inspector Roderick Alleyn #16). Ngaio Marsh (1951; fiction / mystery; 236 pages) 
36. James and the Giant Peach. Roald Dahl; illus. by Quentin Blake (1961; children's literature; 151 pages) 

NOVEMBER 

37. The Shadow Over Innsmouth. H.P. Lovecraft (1936; fiction / horror; 110 pages)
38. The Wanderer in Unknown Realms. John Connolly (2013; historical fiction / horror; 128 pages) 
39. Gambit (Nero Wolfe #37). Rex Stout (1962; mystery; 208 pages)
40. The Cabinet of Dr. Leng (Aloysius Pendergast #21). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (Jan 2023; fiction / thriller; 368 pages) 

DECEMBER

41. Terminal Freeze (Jeremy Logan #2). Lincoln Child (2008; fiction / sci-fi thriller; 450 pages) 
42. The Chalmers Case (Markham Sisters #3). Diana Xarissa (2015; fiction / mystery; 106 pages) 
43. The Headless Cupid (Stanley Family #1). Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1971; mystery / children's literature / middle grade fiction; 228 pages) 

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Books Read in 2021

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2021.

For the last couple of years I've had 40 books as my goal, and in 2020 I actually did a little better than that — managed to read 46 books. I'd love to do that well again in 2021, but I'll keep 40 books as my official goal, just to stay realistic.

JANUARY

1. Nemesis (Miss Marple #11). Agatha Christie (1971; fiction / mystery; 282 pages)
2. 1066 And All That: A Memorable History of England. W.C. Sellar & R.J. Yeatman, illus. by John Reynolds (1930; humor; 115 pages) 
3. Jerusalem Inn (Richard Jury #5). Martha Grimes (1984; fiction; 300 pages)
4. Suspicious Death (Inspector Thanet #8). Dorothy Simpson (1988; fiction / mystery; 256 pages) 

FEBRUARY

5. Bryant & May: Oranges and Lemons (Peculiar Crimes Unit #17). Christopher Fowler (2021; fiction / mystery; about 400 pages, ARC)

MARCH

6. The Clue of the Tapping Heels (Nancy Drew #16). Carolyn Keene (1939; fiction / mystery; abt 200 pages) 
7. Planting a Rainbow. Lois Ehler (1988; children's picture book; 32 pages)
8. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. William Steig (1969; children's literature / fantasy; 32 pages)
9. Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House #1). Mary Pope Osborne; illus. by Sal Murdocca (1992; children's literature / sci-fi fantasy; 68 pages)
10. A Guilty Thing Surprised (Inspector Wexford #5). Ruth Rendell (1970; fiction / mystery; 209 pages)
11. Faithful Unto Death (Chief Inspector Barnaby #5). Caroline Graham (1996; fiction / mystery; 387 pages)

APRIL

12. My San Antonio Childhood: A Memoir. Michael L. Hall (2021; nonfiction / memoir; 196 pages) 
13. The Clue in the Crumbling Wall (Nancy Drew #22). Carolyn Keene (1945 (original text); fiction / mystery; 217 pages) 
14. The Postscript Murders (Harbinder Kaur #2). Elly Griffiths (2021; fiction / mystery; 335 pages, ARC)
15.  An Extravagant Death (Charles Lenox #14). Charles Finch (2021; fiction / mystery; 304 pages, ARC) 
16. The Dark Side of Alice in Wonderland. Angela Youngman (2021; nonfiction / literary history; 193 pages)

MAY

17. A Body at the Tea Rooms (Kate Palmer #3). Dee MacDonald (2021; fiction / cozy mystery; 246 pages, ARC)
18. Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1958; children's literature; 80 pages)
19. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1938; children's literature; 56 pages)
20. A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers. Nancy Willard; illus. by Alice & Martin Provensen (1981; children's literature; 48 pages)
21. The Lost Village. Camilla Sten (2019/2021; fiction / horror; 336 pages, ARC) 
22. Life in Miniature: A History of Dolls' Houses. Nicola Lisle (2020; nonfiction / history; 190 pages, ARC) 

JUNE

23. Dead Dead Girls. Nekesa Afia (2021; fiction; 320 pages, ARC) 
24. In the Night Kitchen. Maurice Sendak; illus. by author (1970; children's literature; 40 pages)
25. Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot #17). Agatha Christie (1929; fiction / mystery; 320 pages)
26. Castle Shade (Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes #17). Laurie R. King (2021; fiction / mystery; 384 pages, ARC) 
27. Murder, She Wrote: Killing in a Koi Pond (Murder, She Wrote #53). "Jessica Fletcher" and Terrie Farley Moran (2021; fiction / mystery; 288 pages, ARC) 
28. Smilla's Sense of Snow. Peter Høeg (1992; fiction / mystery; 482 pages)

JULY

29. Franklin Endicott and the Third Key (Tales from Deckawoo Drive #6). Kate DiCamillo; illus. by Chris Van Dusen (2021; children's literature / middle grade; 112 pages)
30. The Religious Body (Inspector Sloan #1). Catherine Aird (1966; fiction / mystery; 158 pages)
31. Summer. Edith Wharton (1917; fiction; 143 pages)
32. Outside Over There. Maurice Sendak; illus. by author (1981; children's literature; 40 pages)
33. The Funny Little Woman. Retold by Arlene Mosel; illus. by Blair Lent (1972; children's literature; 40 pages) 
34. The Hollywood Spy (Maggie Hope #10). Susan Elia MacNeal (2021; fiction / mystery; 368 pages)

AUGUST

35. Wolf Lake (Dave Gurney #5). John Verdon (2016; fiction / mystery / thriller; 386 pages) 
36. Jumanji. Chris Van Allsburg; illus. by author (1981; children's literature; 32 pages) 
37. The Victim in Victoria Station (Dorothy Martin #5). Jeanne M. Dams (1999; fiction / mystery; 178 pages)  

SEPTEMBER

38. The Return of the Pharaoh: From the Reminiscences of John H. Watson, M.D. (Holmes Pastiche #5). Nicholas Meyer (2021; fiction / mystery / adventure; 272 pages) 
39. Palm Springs Noir (Akashic Noir Series). Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, ed. (2021; fiction / mystery / short stories; 304 pages, reading now)
40. Five Little Pigs (Hercule Poirot #25). Agatha Christie (1942; fiction / mystery; 288 pages) 
41. Tom Swift and the Visitor from Planet X (Tom Swift Jr #17). Victor Appleton II (1961; fiction / sci-fi / young adult; audiobook, about 150 pages) 
42. The Giving Tree. Shel Silverstein; illus. by author (1964; children's literature; 64 pages)
43. John Prine Beyond Words. John Prine (2017; nonfiction / biography / music / photos; 179 pages)

OCTOBER

44. Our Lady of Darkness. Fritz Leiber (1977; fiction / horror-fantasy; 221 pages)
45. Oh William! Elizabeth Strout (2021; fiction; 256 pages) 
46. The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories. Algernon Blackwood (1906; fiction / horror / short stories; 166 pages)

NOVEMBER 

47. Bloodless (Pendergast #20). Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (2021; mystery / thriller; 368 pages)
48. Zathura. Chris Van Allsburg; illus. by author (2002; children's literature / sci-fi fantasy; 32 pages) 
49. Plot It Yourself (Nero Wolfe #32). Rex Stout (1959; fiction; 208 pages) 

DECEMBER

50. Queen of the Falls. Chris Van Allsburg; illus. by author (2011; children's literature / nonfiction: history; 38 pages)
51. Capote's Women. Laurence Leamer (2021; nonfiction / biography; 368 pages)
52. The Golden Spiders (Nero Wolfe #22). Rex Stout (1953; fiction / mystery; 22 pages) 

📚📚📚📚📚

Books Read in 2020

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2020.

My reading goal for last year was 40 books, and I very nearly made it. I'd love to up the number to 50, but guess I really should try to be realistic; so I'm sticking with 40 again for this year.

JANUARY

1. Bitter End (The First Nero Wolfe Novella). Rex Stout (1940; fiction / mystery; 90 pages; e-book)
2. In the Last Analysis (Kate Fansler #1). Amanda Cross (1964; fiction / mystery; 217 pages)
3. The Circus. Jonas Karlsson (2020; fiction; ARC; 192 pages)
4. Unexplained Laughter. Alice Thomas Ellis (1985; fiction; 202 pages)

FEBRUARY

5. Ramona and Her Father (Ramona Quimby #4). Beverly Cleary; illus. by Jacqueline Rogers (1977; children's fiction; 192 pages)
6. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Judith Viorst; illus. by Ray Cruz (1972; children's fiction / children's picture book; 32 pages)
7. The Light After the War. Anita Abriel (2020; historical fiction; ARC; 320 pages )
8. Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs. John Bloom, Jim Atkinson (1984; nonfiction / true crime; 330 pages)
9. The Illness Lesson. Clare Beams (2020; historical fiction; 288 pages)
10. You're Only Old Once! A Book for Obsolete Children. Dr. Seuss (1986; fiction / picture book for adults; 42 pages)

MARCH

11. Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars (Miss Pickerell #1). Ellen MacGregor; illus. by Paul Galdone (1951; children's fiction / sci-fi fantasy; 94 pages)
12. The Silent Speaker (Nero Wolfe #11). Rex Stout (1946; fiction / mystery; 289 pages)
13.  Big Summer. Jennifer Weiner (2020; women's fiction / mystery; 352 pages)
14. A Fragment of Fear. John Bingham (1965; fiction / mystery-suspense; 176 pages)
15. The Collected Works of Gretchen Oyster. Cary Fagan (2019; children's fiction / young adult; 188 pages)
16. The Haunted Lady (A Hilda Adams/"Miss Pinkerton" Mystery). Mary Roberts Rinehart (1942; fiction / mystery; 241 pages)

APRIL

17. Where There's a Will (Nero Wolfe #8). Rex Stout (1940; fiction / mystery; 255 pages) 

18. And Be a Villain (Nero Wolfe #13). Rex Stout (1948; fiction / mystery; 256 pages) 

MAY

19. Murder, She Wrote: Gin & Daggers (Murder, She Wrote #01). "Jessica Fletcher" and Donald Bain (1989; fiction / mystery; 276 pages)
20. Goops and How to Be Them. Gelett Burgess (1900; children's lit; 96 pages)
21. Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #1). Louise Penny (2005; fiction / mystery; 321 pages)

JUNE

22. Access Point. Tom Gabbay (2020; fiction / sci-fi / mystery; 207 pages)
23. The List of Things That Will Not Change. Rebecca Stead (2020; children's fiction / middle grade; 224 pages)
24. Kill Your Darlings (Mallory #3). Max Allan Collins (1984; fiction / mystery; 209 pages)

JULY

25. The King's Justice (Maggie Hope #9). Susan Elia MacNeal (2020; historical fiction / mystery; 339 pages)
26. Beezus and Ramona (Ramona Quimby #1). Beverly Cleary (1955; children's fiction / middle grade; 117 pages)
27. Knot of This World (Quilting Mystery #8). Mary Marks (2020; fiction / cozy mystery; 288 pages, ARC)

AUGUST

28. A Death Long Overdue (Lighthouse Library Mystery #7). Eva Gates (2020; fiction / cozy mystery; 372 pages, ARC)
29. Little Red Riding Hood. Retold and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (1983; children's picture book / fairy tale, folk tale; 32 pages)
30. The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip (Happy Hollisters #2). Jerry West; illus. by Helen S. Hamilton (1953; children's fiction / middle grade; 190 pages)
31. A Few Figs from Thistles. Edna St. Vincent Millay (1920; poetry)

SEPTEMBER

32. The Virgin Suicides. Jeffrey Eugenides (1993; fiction; 260 pages)
33. The Suicide House. Charlie Donlea (2020; fiction / horror; ARC from NetGalley; 304 pages) 
34. Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (Agatha Raisin #5). M.C. Beaton (1996; fiction / cozy mystery; 196 pages) 

35. The Talented Miss Farwell. Emily Gray Tedrowe (2020; fiction; ARC from Library Thing; 350 pages) 

OCTOBER

36. Snow (St. John Strafford #1). John Banville (2020; fiction / mystery; ARC from NetGalley; 304 pages) 

37. Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book. Diane Muldrow (2013; fiction; 96 pages)

38. Dear Mr. Henshaw. Beverly Cleary (1983; children's fiction; Newbery Medal 1984; 160 pages)

39. The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1). Agatha Christie (1930; fiction / mystery; 307 pages) 

NOVEMBER

40. Amok. Stefan Zweig (1922; fiction / novella; about 70 pages) 

41. The Queen of the Tambourine. Jane Gardam (1991; fiction; 226 pages) 

DECEMBER

42. An Artist of the Floating World. Kazuo Ishiguro (1986; fiction; 212 pages)

43. Sarah, Plain and Tall. Patricia MacLachlan (1985; children's fiction; Newbery Medal 1986; 76 pages) 

44. Take a Look at the Five and Ten. Connie Willis (2020; fiction / sci-fi; ARC from NetGalley; 120 pages)

45. The Bennett Case (Markham Sisters #2). Diana Xarissa (2015; fiction; 108 pages) 

46. Eloise. Kay Thompson; illus. by Hilary Knight (1955; children's fiction; 65 pages)

.....

Books Read in 2019

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2019.

I usually have 50 books as my annual goal, but in recent years I've rarely achieved it. So this year I'm being a little more realistic and cutting that number down to 40 books. That's just a little more than a three-book average per month, and sounds fairly doable. So, here we go again....

JANUARY

1. The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin #1). M.C. Beaton (1992; fiction; 196 pages, Kindle edition)

2. The Janus Stone (Ruth Galloway #2). Elly Griffiths (2010; fiction; 337 pages, Kindle edition)
3. Educated: A Memoir. Tara Westover (2018; nonfiction/autobiography; 339 pages, Kindle edition; ARC)
4. The Water Tower Club. B.K. Mayo (January 2019; fiction; 274 pages) 

FEBRUARY

5. O Pioneers! Willa Cather (1913; fiction; 154 pages)
6. Murder Theory (The Naturalist #3). Andrew Mayne (February 2019; fiction; 296 pages, ARC; e-book)

MARCH

7. The Stranger Diaries. Elly Griffiths (November 2018 / March 2019; fiction; 352 pages, ARC; e-book)
8. Run Away. Harlan Coben (March 2019; fiction; 385 pages; e-book)
9. The Uninvited. Dorothy Macardle (1942; fiction; 256 pages; e-book)

APRIL

10. The Appleton Case (Markham Sisters #1). Diana Xarissa (2015; fiction; 105 pages; e-book)
11. The Light at Tern Rock. Julia L. Sauer (1951; children's fiction; 64 pages)
12. Flat Stanley. Jeff Brown (1964; children's picture book; 48 pages)
13. The Magic Bedknob. Mary Norton (1943; fantasy; 113 pages)

MAY

14. The Invited. Jennifer McMahon (2019; fiction; 368 pages, ARC; e-book)
15. Light from Other Stars. Erika Swyler (2019; fiction/sci-fi; 320 pages, ARC; e-book)
16. Little Darlings. Melanie Golding (2019; fiction/thriller; 315 pages, ARC; e-book)
17. The Vicious Vet (Agatha Raisin #2). M.C. Beaton (1993; fiction/mystery; 224 pages; e-book)

JUNE

18. The Last Romantics. Tara Conklin (2019; fiction; 368 pages, ARC)
19. Mrs. Everything. Jennifer Weiner (2019; fiction; 480 pages, ARC; e-book)
20. Good Rosie! Kate DiCamillo; illus. by Harry Bliss (2018; children's fiction; 32 pages)

JULY

21. Recursion. Blake Crouch (2019; fiction/sci-fi thriller; 336 pages, ARC; e-book)
22. Lady in the Lake. Laura Lippman (2019; historical fiction/mystery; 352 pages, ARC; e-book)
23. The Potted Gardener (Agatha Raisin #3). M.C. Beaton (1994; fiction/cozy mystery; 256 pages; e-book)

AUGUST

24. The Patience of a Dead Man. Michael Clark (2019; fiction/ghost story; 374 pages, ARC; e-book)
25. Be Brave, Little Noddy. Enid Blyton (1956; children's picture book; 62 pages)
26. The Whispering Rabbit and Other Stories. Margaret Wise Brown; illus. by Garth Williams and Lillian Obligado (1965; children's picture book; 63 pages)

SEPTEMBER

27. The Man in the White Linen Suit (Stewart Hoag #11). David Handler (2019; fiction/mystery; 272 pages, ARC; e-book)
28. Fake Like Me. Barbara Bourland (2019; fiction/suspense; 368 pages, ARC; e-book)

OCTOBER

29. Who Goes There? John W. Campbell (1938; fiction/sci-fi thriller; about 100 pages; e-book)
30. The Shape of Night. Tess Gerritsen (2019; fiction/romantic suspense/ghost story; 288 pages, ARC; e-book)
31. We Were Killers Once (Brigid Quinn #4). Becky Masterman (2019; fiction; 320 pages, ARC; e-book)
32. The Body in the Wake (Faith Fairchild #25). Katherine Hall Page (2019; fiction/cozy mystery; 240 pages)

NOVEMBER

33. Sorry for the Dead (Josephine Tey #8). Nicola Upson (2019; historical fiction/mystery; 320 pages; e-book)

DECEMBER

34. The Walkers of Dembley (Agatha Raisin #4). M.C. Beaton (1995; fiction/cozy mystery; 240 pages)

Books Read in 2018

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2018.

My goal for the year, as usual, is 50 books. In 2017 I just barely made it to 30, so I'm hoping for a much better showing in 2018.

JANUARY

1. Balthus: Cats and Girls. Sabine Rewald (2013; nonfiction/art history; 176 pages)
2. Intruder in the Dark (Chief Inspector Littlejohn #43). George Bellairs (1966; fiction; 196 pages)
3. A Murder Is Announced (Miss Marple #5). Agatha Christie (1950; fiction; 298 pages, e-book)
4. Vintage Murder (Roderick Alleyn #5). Ngaio Marsh (1937; fiction; 278 pages, e-book)
5. If Morning Ever Comes. Anne Tyler (1964; fiction; 210 pages, e-book)

FEBRUARY

6. How to Be Human. Paula Cocozza (2017; fiction; 288 pages)
7. My Sister's Bones. Nualla Ellwood (2017; fiction; 385 pages)
8. Miss Zukas and the Library Murders (Miss Zukas #1). Jo Dereske (1994; fiction; 227 pages, e-book)
9. Just Kids. Patti Smith (2010; memoir; 304 pages)

MARCH

10. Coffin, Scarcely Used (Flaxborough Chronicles #1). Colin Watson (1958; fiction; e-book)
11. Holmes Entangled. Gordon McAlpine (2018; fiction; 215 pages; e-book; ARC)
12. Five Children and It. E. Nesbit (1902; children's fiction; 109 pages, e-book)
13. Give the Boys a Great Big Hand (87th Precinct #11). Ed McBain (1960; fiction; 204 pages, e-book)
14. The Rabbit and the Shadow. Mélanie Rutten (2013; US edition 2018; children's fiction/picture book; 51 pages)

APRIL

15. Murder in the Meadow (DI Hillary Greene #7). Faith Martin (first published 2008 as Beside a Narrow Stream; fiction; 239 pages, e-book; NetGalley ARC, 2018)
16. The Cottingley Secret. Hazel Gaynor (2017; fiction; 383 pages; ARC)
17. Time Out of Joint. Philip K. Dick (1959; fiction: sci-fi; 240 pages, Kindle edition)

MAY

18. The Quiet American. Graham Greene (1955; fiction; 232 pages, Kindle edition)
19. Pale Horse, Pale Rider: Three Short Novels. Katherine Anne Porter (1939; fiction; about 150 pages, e-book)
20. At the Mountains of Madness. H.P. Lovecraft (1931; first published 1936; fantasy/sci-fi; about 200 pages, e-book)

JUNE

21. When You Reach Me. Rebecca Stead (2009; fiction; 210 pages, Kindle edition)
22. Golem. David Wisniewski; illus. by author (1996; fiction: children's lit; 32 pages)
23. The Gardener. Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1996; fiction: children's lit; 40 pages)
24. The Adventures of Miss Petitfour. Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2015/2018; fiction; children's lit; 144 pages)

JULY

25. Tailspin. Sandra Brown (2018; fiction; 300 pages, Kindle edition)
26. The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot #6). Agatha Christie (1928; fiction; 304 pages, Kindle edition)

AUGUST

27. The Dead House. Billy O'Callaghan (2017/2018; fiction; 224 pages, Kindle edition)
28. A Long Time Coming. Aaron Elkins (2018; fiction; 268 pages, Kindle edition)
29. Last Song Sung (Cullen & Cobb #3). David A. Poulsen (2018; fiction; 352 pages, Kindle)

SEPTEMBER

30. Call for the Dead (George Smiley #1). John le Carré (1961; fiction; 171 pages, Kindle)
31. A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael #1). Ellis Peters (1977; fiction; 213 pages, Kindle)

OCTOBER

32. The Night She Died (Inspector Thanet #1). Dorothy Simpson (1980; fiction; 220 pages, Kindle)
33. A Shadow on the Wall. Jonathan Aycliffe (2000; fiction; 200 pages, Kindle)
34. The Man Who Couldn't Miss (Stewart Hoag #10). David Handler (2018; fiction; 272 pages, Kindle)
35. Last Bus to Woodstock (Inspector Morse #1). Colin Dexter (1975; fiction; 324 pages, Kindle)
36. Last Seen Wearing (Inspector Morse #2). Colin Dexter (1976; fiction; 376 pages, Kindle)

NOVEMBER

37. Broomsticks Over Flaxborough (Flaxborough Chronicles #7). Colin Watson (1972; fiction; 192 pages, Kindle)

DECEMBER

38. The Red Book of Primrose House (Potting Shed Mystery #2). Marty Wingate (2014; fiction; 274 pages, Kindle)

Books Read in 2017

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2017.

My goal for this year, as usual, is 50 books. In 2016 I didn't even make it to 40, but I'm hoping for a much better showing in 2017.

JANUARY

1. Faithful. Alice Hoffman (2016; fiction; 272 pages, e-book)
2. Smooth Talker: Trail of Death. Steve Jackson (2016; true crime; 190 pages, e-book)
3. As Good As Gone. Larry Watson (2016; fiction; 341 pages)
4. The Ballad of Peckham Rye. Muriel Spark (1960; fiction; 138 pages)
5. The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. Chris Van Allsburg (1979; children's fiction; 32 pages)

FEBRUARY

6. Devil Sent the Rain (Detective Billy Able #3). Lisa Turner (2016; fiction; 352 pages, ARC)
7. The Roanoke Girls. Amy Engel (2017; fiction; 288 pages, ARC)
8. Time of Wonder. Robert McCloskey (1957; children's fiction; 64 pages)
9. Millions of Cats. Wanda Gág (1928; children's fiction; 32 pages)

MARCH

10. Rosemary's Baby. Ira Levin (1967; fiction; 218 pages) (re-read)
11. Magic by the Lake (Tales of Magic #3). Edward Eager (1957; children's fiction; 190 pages)
12. The Blazing World. Siri Hustvedt (2014; fiction; 320 pages, e-book)

APRIL

13. Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot #10). Agatha Christie (1934; fiction; 256 pages, e-book)
14. The Secret Room (Zoe Goldman #3). Sandra Block (2017; fiction; 368 pages ARC, e-book)
15. The Fix (Amos Decker #3). David Baldacci (2017; fiction; 432 pages ARC, e-book)
16. Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night. Joyce Sidman; illus. by Rick Allen (2010; poetry and nonfiction for children; 32 pages)

MAY

17. The Fifth Petal. Brunonia Barry (2017; fiction; 432 pages ARC)

JUNE

18. Adventures of Frog and Toad. Arnold Lobel (2013; children's fiction; 192 pages)
19. The Arnold Lobel Treasury. Arnold Lobel (2014; children's fiction; 144 pages)

JULY

20. Our Spoons Came from Woolworths. Barbara Comyns (1950; fiction; 224 pages, e-book)

AUGUST

Nada.

SEPTEMBER

21. An Echo of Murder (William Monk #23). Anne Perry (2017; fiction; 320 pages, ARC)
22. Tell Me How This Ends Well. David Samuel Levinson (2017; fiction; 416 pages, ARC)

OCTOBER

23. The Body in the Library (Miss Marple #3). Agatha Christie (1942; fiction; 224 pages)
24. The Graveyard Apartment. Mariko Koike, trans. by Deborah Boliver Boehm (2016/1988; fiction; 325 pages, e-book)
25. See What I Have Done. Sarah Schmidt (2017; fiction; 324 pages, ARC)
26. Anything Is Possible. Elizabeth Strout (2017; fiction; 254 pages, ARC)

NOVEMBER

27. Over My Dead Body (Nero Wolfe #7). Rex Stout (1940; fiction; 271 pages, e-book)

DECEMBER

28. The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes (Stewart Hoag #9). David Handler (2017; fiction; 291 pages, e-book)
29. The Rules of Magic. Alice Hoffman (reading now)

Books Read in 2016

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2016.

Last year, for the first time in several years, I reached my annual reading goal of 50 books. (Actually, I read 51 books!) This year, I'm hoping to do a little better than that -- but officially, I'll still aim for 50.

JANUARY

1. Mrs. Malory and the Lilies That Fester (#11 in series). Hazel Holt (2000; fiction; 243 pages)
2. The Last September. Nina de Gramont (2015; fiction; 320 pages)

FEBRUARY

3. The Children's Home. Charles Lambert (2016; fiction; 224 pages, ARC)
4. The People in the Photo. Hélène Gestern; translated by Emily Boyce and Ros Schwartz (2011; fiction; 273 pages)
5. Dreaming Spies (Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes #13). Laurie R. King (2015; fiction; 368 pages)

MARCH

6. My Name Is Lucy Barton. Elizabeth Strout (2016; fiction; 208 pages, ARC)
7. A Christmas Escape. Anne Perry (2015; fiction; 160 pages)
8. Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. Kate DiCamillo; illus. by K.G. Campbell (2013; fiction; 233 pages)
9. Beanie and Tough Enough. Ruth and Latrobe Carroll (2015; fiction; 192 pages)

APRIL

10. Daisy Miller. Henry James (1878; fiction; 118 pages)
11. Far From True (Promise Falls Trilogy, #2). Linwood Barclay (2016; fiction; 464 pages, ARC)
12. Miller's Valley. Anna Quindlen (2016; fiction; 273 pages, ARC)

MAY

13. Picture Miss Seeton (Miss Seeton #1). Heron Carvic (1968; fiction; 176 pages)
14. Villa Triste. Patrick Modiano (1975; fiction; 176 pages)
15. The Disappearance of Signora Giulia. Piero Chiara; trans. by Jill Foulston (1970; fiction; 128 pages)
16. A Fine Imitation. Amber Brock (2016; fiction; 304 pages ARC)

JUNE

17. This Too Shall Pass. Milena Busquets; trans. by Valerie Miles (2015; fiction; 169 pages)
18. Lovely In Her Bones. Sharyn McCrumb (1985; fiction; 221 pages)
19. To Have and Have Not. Ernest Hemingway (1937; fiction; 272 pages)
20. Inkheart. Cornelia Funke (2003; fiction; 563 pages)
21. The Swimmer: Poems. John Koethe (2016; poetry; 96 pages)

JULY

22. Walter the Lazy Mouse. Marjorie Flack (1937; children's fiction; 96 pages)
23. I Am No One. Patrick Flanery (2016; fiction; 343 pages, ARC)

AUGUST

24. The Port-Wine Stain. Norman Lock (2016; fiction; 224 pages, ARC)
25. The Invoice. Jonas Karlsson (2011/2016; fiction; 208 pages, ARC)

SEPTEMBER

26. Vinegar Girl. Anne Tyler (2016; fiction; 224 pages ARC)
27. Dark Matter. Blake Crouch (2016; fiction; 354 pages ARC)
28. Tainted Tokay (Winemaker Detective #11). Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noël Balen (2006/2016; fiction; 181 pages)

OCTOBER

29. The Book That Matters Most. Ann Hood (2016; fiction; 288 pages ARC)
30. The Girls. Emma Cline (2016; fiction; 368 pages ARC)
31. The Vanishment. Jonathan Aycliffe (1994; fiction; 227 pages) [finished in 2017]

NOVEMBER

32. The Nightwalker. Sebastian Fitzek; trans. by Jamie Lee Searle (2011/2016; fiction; 272 pages)
33. Knots and Crosses (Inspector Rebus #1). Ian Rankin (1987; fiction; 241 pages)
34. The Clocks (Hercule Poirot #34). Agatha Christie (1963; fiction; 272 pages)
35. Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (Hercule Poirot #39). Agatha Christie (1975; fiction; 224 pages)

DECEMBER

To read in December:
...Faithful. Alice Hoffman (2016; fiction)
...Cruel Beautiful World. Caroline Leavitt (2016; fiction)

Books Read in 2015

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2015.

Every year I have the same goal -- to read at least fifty books during the year. And every year, I seem to fall just a bit short. That's OK -- at least it gives me something to shoot for and keeps me reading. But one of these days, I really would love to hit that target. Maybe this year....?

JANUARY 

1. Last Man Standing (formerly: One Lucky Bastard). Roger Moore (2015; memoir; 272 pages)
2. The Red House Mystery. A. A. Milne (1922; fiction; 229 pages)
3. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce #7). Alan Bradley (2015; fiction; 392 pages)
4. The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason #1). Erle Stanley Garner (1933; fiction; 215 pages) 
5. The After House. Michael Phillip Cash (2014; fiction; 154 pages)
6. Mike Mulligan and More: A Virginia Lee Burton Treasury (2002; children's fiction; 202 pages)
7. Against the Fall of Night. Arthur C. Clarke (1948; science fiction; about 200 pages) 

FEBRUARY

8. The Resurrection Maker. Glenn Cooper (2013; fiction; 336 pages)
9. The Room. Jonas Karlsson (2014; fiction; 192 pages)
10. The Third Man. Graham Greene (1948; fiction; about 90 pages)

MARCH

11. Elidor. Alan Garner (1965; fiction; 208 pages)
12. The Book of Speculation. Erika Swyler (2015; fiction; 352 pages)
13. Nightbird. Alice Hoffman (2015; fiction; 210 pages)
14. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ("Sister" Jane #9). Rita Mae Brown (2014; fiction; 304 pages)

APRIL

15. The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose (2015; fiction; 384pages)
16. The Fifth Gospel. Ian Caldwell (2015; fiction; 431pages)
17. A Fine Summer's Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge #17). Charles Todd (2015; fiction; 358pages)
18. Wylding Hall. Elizabeth Hand (2015; fiction; about 100pages)
19. As the Crow Flies (DI Nick Dixon #1). Damien Boyd (2013/2015; fiction; 178pages)
20. Fear the Darkness (Brigid Quinn Thriller #2). Becky Masterman (2015; fiction; 333pages)

MAY

21. Gently Does It (Chief Inspector George Gently #1). Alan Hunter (1955; fiction; 250pages)
22. A Saintly Killing (Faith Morgan Mystery #3). Martha Ockley (2014; fiction; 234pages)
23. Beethoven's Tenth (Frank Ryan #1). Brian Harvey (2015; fiction; 160 pages) 
24. The Ice Twins. S.K. Tremayne (Sean Thomas) (2015; fiction; 373 pages)
25. Jack of Spades: A Tale of Suspense. Joyce Carol Oates (2015; fiction; 208 pages)
26. The Silence of Ghosts. Jonathan Aycliffe (2013/2015; fiction; 192 pages)

JUNE

27. Vertigo. Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac (1954; fiction; 192 pages)
28. Pines (Wayward Pines Series, #1). Blake Crouch (2012; fiction; 315 pages)
29. The Tale of Despereaux. Kate DiCamillo; illus. by Timothy Basil Ering (2003; fiction; 273 pages)

JULY

30. A Head Full of Ghosts. Paul Tremblay (2015; fiction; 304 pages)
31. The Truth and Other Lies. Sascha Arango (2014; fiction; 256 pages)
32. Tail Gait (Mrs. Murphy #23). Rita Mae Brown (2015; fiction; 336 pages)
33. The Angel Court Affair (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt #30). Anne Perry (2014; fiction; 288 pages)
34. The Forgotten Room (Jeremy Logan #4). Lincoln Child (2015; fiction; 304 pages)

AUGUST

35. In the Dark Places (Inspector Banks #22). Peter Robinson (2015; fiction; 368 pages)
36. Goodbye Stranger. Rebecca Stead (2015; fiction; 304 pages)
37. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (Ramona Quimby #6). Beverly Cleary (1981; fiction; 179 pages)
38. Newport. Jill Morrow (2015; fiction; 356 pages)
39. Five picture books:

• Anatole. Eve Titus; illus. by Paul Galdone (1956; 40 pages)
• Corduroy. Don Freeman (1948; 32 pages)
• Harry and the Lady Next Door. Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1960; 64 pages)
• Harry the Dirty Dog. Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1956; 32 pages)
• One Morning in Maine. Robert McCloskey (1952; 62 pages)

SEPTEMBER

40. A Man of Some Repute. Elizabeth Edmondson (2015; fiction; 306 pages)
41. The Quick. Lauren Owen (2014; fiction; 544 pages, Kindle edition)

OCTOBER

42. The Postman Always Rings Twice. James M. Cain (1934; fiction; 127 pages, Kindle edition)
43. Champagne For One (Nero Wolfe #31). Rex Stout (1958; fiction; 225 pages, Kindle edition)
44. Slade House. David Mitchell (2015; fiction; 224 pages)
45. The Maltese Falcon. Dashiell Hammett (1930; fiction; 224 pages, Kindle edition)
46. The Night Sister. Jennifer McMahon (2015; fiction; 336 pages, Kindle edition)
47. The Anger Meridian. Kaylie Jones (2015; fiction; 288 pages)

NOVEMBER

48. Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Potting Shed Mystery #3). Marty Wingate (2015; fiction; 288 pages, Kindle edition)
49. South of the Border, West of the Sun. Haruki Murakami; trans. by Philip Gabriel (1992; fiction; 224 pages, Kindle edition)
50. What We Keep. Elizabeth Berg (1998; fiction; 274 pages, Kindle edition)
51. Backstabbing in Beaujolais. Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen; trans. by Anne Trager (2015; fiction; 122 pages, Kindle edition)

DECEMBER

...