Monday Reading Report and 2025 Wrap-Up

I haven’t published much on the blog this year. Almost nothing, actually. I’ve had some personal challenges this year that took up time and energy I might otherwise have devoted to reviewing and book discussions. But even though I haven’t posted much, I’ve still been reading and taking note of what others are reading. So instead of talking about what I'm reading here at year's end, I thought I’d do a little wrap-up report on what I read during the year, and look at a few stats. 

I've listed the books alphabetically, with their ratings. The star ratings are those I use for rating books at LibraryThing. Here’s the system I use over there:

✭✭✭✭✭ = All-time favorites and new discoveries that I loved - not many get this rating
✭✭✭✭ = Really liked it - an author I might consider reading again
✭✭✭ = An enjoyable read, but nothing extraordinary; most books will fall into this category
✭✭ = It was OK, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to others
✭ = Mediocre; disappointing; had trouble finishing
DNF (Did Not Finish) = Books I started reading and then put aside. This doesn't necessarily mean I didn't like a book, just that I wasn't able to finish it or didn't feel like continuing with it. Might or might not finish it later.

Excluding Dr Seuss and a couple of other children's books that were re-reads of childhood favorites, I didn't discover any 5-star reads this year. However, there were a few that came very close. For top three I'd choose Huxley's Crome Yellow, Zorrie by Laird Hunt, and Ready for My Close-Up by David M. Lubin. Surprisingly, none of those were mysteries or thrillers. 

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First, some stats. Lists of books read will follow. 

• Total number of books read = 49 (almost made it to the 50-book goal)
• Number of DNF books (not included in the list) = 7 (I think)
• Number of fiction books = 44 
• Number of nonfiction books = 5 
• Total number of pages read = I have no idea, but I intentionally avoided chunksters this year
• Number of books published in 2025 = 7
• Number of books published before the year 2000 = 27
• Number of non-crime related fiction books  = 12 (ignoring the kiddie lit, which – thankfully – did not have anything to do with crime)
• Print books vs Electronic books = 18 print / 31 ebooks
• Number of audio books = 0 (I don't like them much)
• Number of library books = 0 (shame on me) 
• Best book to read aloud = Fox in Socks, by Dr Seuss 
• Best book to read if you want a good laugh = Anguished English, by Richard Lederer

Adult Titles Read in 2025: 

1. Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language, by Richard Lederer; illus. by Bill Thompson (1987) ✭✭✭✭
2. The Book of Illusions, by Paul Auster (2002) ✭✭✭✭
3. The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason #2), by Erle Stanley Gardner (1933) ✭✭✭✭
4. Crome Yellow, by Aldous Huxley (1921) ✭✭✭✭½
5. Easeful Death (DCI Bill Slider #25), by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2025)  ✭✭✭✭
6. The Ellsworth Case (Markham Sisters #5), by Diana Xarissa (2016) ✭✭✭✭
7. The Fenton Case (Markham Sisters #6), by Diana Xarissa (2016) ✭✭✭✭
8. The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1), by Robert B. Parker (1973) ✭✭✭✭
9. Hammett Unwritten, by Owen Fitzstephen (Gordon McAlpine) (2013)  ✭✭✭✭
10. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4), by Alan Bradley (2011) ✭✭✭✭
11. The Killing Stones (Jimmy Perez & Willow Reeves #1), by Ann Cleeves (2025)  ✭✭✭
12. Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1), by Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025) ✭✭✭½
13. A Murder of Quality (George Smiley #2), by John le Carré (1962) ✭✭✭✭
14. Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club #4), by Robert Thorogood (2025) ✭✭✭½
15. The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland", by Jenny Woolf (2010) ✭✭✭½
16. Origin (Robert Langdon #5), by Dan Brown (2017) ✭✭✭
17. The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #1), by Stuart Palmer (1931) ✭✭✭½
18. The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher (2016) ✭✭✭½
19. Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #21), by Rex Stout (1952) ✭✭✭✭
20. Ready for My Closeup: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream, by David M. Lubin (2025)  ✭✭✭✭½
21. Shot Through the Book (Lighthouse Library Mystery #12), by Eva Gates (2025)  ✭✭✭
22. Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley Mysteries #1), by Gladys Mitchell (1929) ✭✭✭
23. Strange Houses: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (2021) ✭✭½
24. Strange Pictures: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. by Jim Rion (2022;2025) ✭✭✭
25. The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #11), by Eva Gates (2024) ✭✭✭½
26. Writers and Their Notebooks, by Diana M. Raab (2010) ✭✭✭
27. Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (Wycliffe #01), by W.J. Burley (1968) ✭✭✭
28. Zorrie, by Laird Hunt (2021) ✭✭✭✭½

Children's Middle Grade and Young Adult Titles:

1. The Experiment, by Rebecca Stead (2025)  ✭✭✭✭
2. Little Jeanne of France, by Madeline Brandeis (1929) (this was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭✭
3. Nighty-Nightmare (Bunnicula #4), by James Howe; illus. by Leslie Morrrill (1987) ✭✭✭✭
4. The Velvet Room, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1965) ✭✭✭✭

Children’s Books - Picture Books and Easy Reading: 

1. The Christmas ABC, by Florence Johnson; illus. by Eloise Wilkin (1962) ✭✭✭✭
2. Doctor Dan the Bandage Man, by Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1950) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭½
3. Fox in Socks, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1965) ✭✭✭✭✭
4. The Fuzzy Duckling, by Jane Werner; illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen (1949) ✭✭✭✭
5. If You Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998) ✭✭✭✭
6. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965) ✭✭✭✭
7. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, by Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986) ✭½
8. The Library, by Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1995) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭
9. The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1971) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭
10. The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1949) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭✭
11. Nurse Nancy, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1952) (This was a re-read) ✭✭✭✭½
12. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1960) ✭✭✭✭
13. The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986) ✭✭✭✭
14. Tawny Scrawny Lion, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Gustaf Tenggren (1952) ✭✭✭✭
15. The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Andersen; adapted and illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999; Caldecott Honor Book 2000) ✭✭✭✭
16. XO, OX: A Love Story, by Adam Rex; illus. by Scott Campbell (2017) ✭✭✭✭

Hard to Categorize:

1. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour (Miss Petitfour #2), by Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022)  ✭✭✭½

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. If you want to let the world know what you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs. 

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

...

Books Read in 2014

Cumulative Reading List

Here's where I'll be tracking my reading in 2014.

I've been pursuing the same seemingly unreachable goal for several years now ﹣ to read fifty books in one year.  I'm a very slow reader (very slow), so reading nearly a book a week is probably never going to be something I'll achieve.  But I keep trying.  Gives me something to shoot for.  In 2013 I read 38 books ﹣ a long way from 50, but a few more than I read in 2012.  So I'm getting closer.  Maybe this year....

JANUARY 2014

1. Coup de Grâce. Marguerite Yourcenar (1939; fiction; 151 pages)
2. The Hundred Dresses. Eleanor Estes; illus. by Louis Slobodkin (1944; children's fiction; 81 pages)
3. Fog Magic. Julia L. Sauer (1943; YA fiction; 128 pages) 
4. The Only Problem. Muriel Spark (1984; fiction; 189 pages)
5. The Universe Versus Alex Woods. Gavin Extence (2013; fiction; 407 pages; ARC)
6. Andrew's Brain. E.L. Doctorow (2014; fiction; 200 pages; ARC)
7. The Book Boy. Joanna Trollope (2006; fiction; 94 pages)

FEBRUARY 2014

8. Ten Lords A-Leaping. C.C. Benison (2013; fiction; 490 pages)

MARCH 2014

9. The Innocent Sleep. Karen Perry (2014; fiction; 325 pages; ARC)
10. While Beauty Slept. Elizabeth Blackwell (2014; fiction; 432 pages; ARC)

APRIL 2014

11. The Thief of Always. Clive Barker (1992; fiction; 288 pages)
12. The Litter of the Law. Rita Mae Brown (2013; fiction; 233 pages)

MAY 2014

13. The Bookman's Tale. Charlie Lovett (2013; fiction; 368 pages)

JUNE 2014

14. Love Story, with Murders. Harry Bingham (2013; fiction; 388 pages)

JULY 2014

15. Midnight in Europe. Alan Furst (2014; fiction; 272 pages; ARC)
16. The Antiquarian. Gustavo Faveron Patriau (2014; fiction; 240 pages; ARC)
17. The Lady in the Lake. Raymond Chandler (1943; fiction; 243 pages)
18. The High Window. Raymond Chandler (1942; fiction; 272 pages)
19. The Quilter's Apprentice. Jennifer Chiaverini (1999; fiction; 272 pages) 
20. The Collector of Dying Breaths. M.J. Rose (2014; fiction; 384 pages; ARC)

AUGUST 2014

21. The Good Suicides. Antonio Hill (2012, 2014; fiction; 352 pages; ARC)
22. Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster. Terrance Dicks (1976; fiction; 192 pages)
23. The Colors of Space. Marion Zimmer Bradley (1963; fiction; 114 pages)
24. The Weight of Blood. Laura McHugh (2014; fiction; 320 pages) 
25. The Transcriptionist. Amy Rowland (2014; fiction; 246 pages; ARC)

SEPTEMBER 2014

26. Peter Pan Must Die (Dave Gurney series #4). John Verdon (2014; fiction; 441 pages; ARC)
27. Island Girls. Nancy Thayer (2013; fiction; 302 pages)
28. The Mist in the Mirror. Susan Hill (1992/2014; fiction; 288 pages)

OCTOBER 2014

29. The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt (2013; fiction; 272 pages)
30. The Celtic Dagger (Alistair Fitzjohn #1). Jill Paterson (2010; fiction; 221 pages)
31. Children of the Revolution (Inspector Banks series #21). Peter Robinson (2013; fiction; 389 pages)
32. The Dirty Book Murder (Antiquarian Book Mystery #1). Thomas Shawver (2014; fiction; 220 pages)

NOVEMBER 2014

33. Murder at the Painted Lady. Barbara Warren (2011; fiction; 186 pages)
34. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches (Flavia de Luce #6). Alan Bradley (2014; fiction; 368 pages)
35. Bliss House. Laura Benedict (2014; fiction; 400 pages)
36. The Days of Anna Madrigal. Armistead Maupin (2014; fiction; 270 pages)

DECEMBER 2014

37. The Family Under the Bridge. Natalie Savage Carlson (1958; fiction; 123 pages)
38. James Garner's Motoring Life. Matt Stone (2014; nonfiction; 160 pages)
39. The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1925; fiction; about 300 pages)
40. My Father's Dragon. Ruth Stiles Gannett; illus. by Ruth Chrisman Gannett (1948; fantasy; 96 pages)
41. The Light Princess. George MacDonald (1864; fantasy; about 100 pages)
42. Missing May. Cynthia Rylant (1992; fiction; 100 pages)
43. The Cat Who Went to Heaven. Elizabeth Coatsworth (1930; fiction; 96 pages)
44. The Reluctant Dragon. Kenneth Grahame (first published 1898; fantasy; about 60 pages)
45. Chess Story. Stefan Zweig (first published 1941; fiction; 104 pages)
46. With Folded Hands. Jack Williamson (first published 1947; sci-fi; 53 page "novelette")
47.
48.
49.
50.

Books Read in 2013

Cumulative Reading List

Here I go again.  Trying to get to that elusive 50-book-per-year goal.  In 2012 I didn't even make it to 40!  Hoping to do much better THIS year.

Haven't I heard that before?

Anyway, this is my page for keeping track of the books as I read them.

JANUARY 2013
1. The Lost Symbol. Dan Brown (2009; 509 pages; fiction)
2. Cat on the Scent. Rita Mae Brown (1999; 319 pages; fiction)
3. Darwin's Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution. Rebecca Stott (2012; 397 pages; non-fiction)

FEBRUARY 2013
4. The Heat of the Sun. David Rain (2012; 286 pages ARC; fiction)

MARCH 2013
5. Farewell, Dorothy Parker. Ellen Meister (2013; 308 pages; fiction)
6. Guilt. Jonathan Kellerman (2013; 400 pages; fiction)
7. Cold Remains. Sally Spedding (2012; fiction)
8. The Happy Hollisters. Jerry West (1953; 184 pages; fiction)
9. Half Magic. Edward Eager (1954; 192 pages; fiction)

APRIL 2013
10. The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club. Duncan Whitehead (2012; 196 pages; fiction)
11. Clea. Lawrence Durrell (1960; 288 pages; fiction)

MAY 2013
12. Seduction. M.J. Rose (2013; 370 pages ARC; fiction)
13. Fer-de-Lance. Rex Stout (1934; 291 pages; fiction)
14. The Flamethrowers. Rachel Kushner (2013; 400 pages ARC; fiction)
15. & Sons: A Novel. David Gilbert (2013; 458 pages ARC; fiction)

JUNE 2013
16. A Fearful Madness. Julius Falconer (2013; 192 pages; fiction)
17. Inferno. Dan Brown (2013; 465 pages; fiction)
18. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum (1899; fiction)
19. Death By A HoneyBee. Abigail Keam (2010; 236 pages; fiction)

JULY 2013
20. Is This Tomorrow. Caroline Leavitt (2013; 352 pages; fiction)
21. A Fatal Likeness. Lyn Shepherd (2013; 384 pages; fiction)
22. Pretty Polly Flinders. Mary Frances Blaisdell (1914; 188 pages; fiction)

AUGUST 2013
23. The Good Luck of Right Now. Matthew Quick (2014; ARC; fiction)
24. The Buddhist Catechism. Henry Steel Olcott (1881; 64 pages; religion)

SEPTEMBER 2013
25. Bunnicula. James Howe & Deborah Howe (1979; 128 pages; fiction)
26. The Book of Secrets. Elizabeth Joy Arnold (2013; ARC 435 pages; fiction)

OCTOBER 2013
27. Night Film. Marisha Pessl (2013; 602 pages; fiction)
28. The Small Hand & Dolly. Susan Hill (2013; 288 pages; fiction)
29. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. H.P. Lovecraft (1927; 128 pages; fiction)

NOVEMBER 2013
30. Ignorance. Milan Kundera (2000; 195 pages; fiction)
31. The Shooting Party. Isabel Colegate (1980; 190 pages; fiction)
32. Time Will Tell. Donald Greig (2012; 204 pages; fiction)
33. Heroic Measures. Jill Ciment (2009; 193 pages; fiction)

DECEMBER 2013
34. Invisible Cities. Italo Calvino (1972; 165 pages; fiction)
35. Double Indemnity. James M. Cain (1936; 115 pages; fiction)
36. Evil Under the Sun. Agatha Christie (1941; 200 pages; fiction)
37. The 13 Clocks. James Thurber (1950; 124 pages; fiction)
38. Chéri. Colette (1920; 136 pages; fiction)

Books Read in 2012

Cumulative Reading List for 2012.

I'm setting a reading goal of 50 books for 2012. That was my goal for 2011 too, but I failed dismally. Only made it to 42, and several of those were children's books. Hoping to do much better in 2012. This will be my page for keeping track of the books as I read them.


JANUARY 2012
1. Spiderweb. Penelope Lively (1998; 218 pages; fiction)
2. The Players Come Again. Amanda Cross (1990; 229 pages; fiction)
3. The Inn at Lake Devine. Elinor Lipman (1998; 255 pages; fiction)
4. The Night Strangers. Chris Bohjalian (2011; 375 pages; fiction)
5. The Shakespeare Thefts: In Search of the First Folios. Eric Rasmussen (2011; 212 pages; nonfiction)
6. Liberty. Garrison Keillor (2008; 267 pages; fiction)

FEBRUARY 2012
7. A Fall of Moondust. Arthur C. Clarke (1961; 206 pages; fiction)
8. Murder in Mount Holly. Paul Theroux (1969; 148 pages; fiction)
9. A Month in the Country. J.L. Carr (1980; 135 pages; fiction)
10. The Horned Man. James Lasdun (2002; 193 pages; fiction)

MARCH 2012
11. Republic of Words: The Atlantic Monthly and Its Writers, 1857-1925. Susan Goodman (2011; 330 pages; nonfiction)
12. The Solitary House. Lynn Shepherd (2012; 340 pages ARC; fiction)
13. The Other Side of the Fire. Alice Thomas Ellis (1984; 156 pages; fiction)
14. Seven-Day Magic. Edward Eager (1962; 190 pages; fiction)
15. The Dovekeepers. Alice Hoffman (2011; 500 pages; fiction)

APRIL 2012
16. Tyrannosaur Canyon. Douglas Preston (2005; 398 pages; fiction)
17. A Man Lay Dead (An Inspector Alleyn Mystery). Ngaio Marsh (1934; 224 pages; fiction)
18. The Mysterious Key and What It Opened. Louisa May Alcott (1867; 109 pages; fiction)
19. Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale. Lynda Rutledge (2012; 292 pages ARC; fiction)

MAY 2012
Didn't read anything in May! That was "moving month" around here.

JUNE 2012
20. Artists in Crime (An Inspector Alleyn Mystery). Ngaio Marsh (1938; 288 pages; fiction)
21. Night Watch. Linda Fairstein (2012; 404 pages ARC; fiction)
22. The Key (A Miss Silver Mystery). Patricia Wentworth (1944; e-book; fiction)

JULY 2012
23. The Warden. Anthony Trollope (1855; e-book; fiction)
24. Right Ho, Jeeves. P.G. Wodehouse (1934; 228 pages, e-book; fiction)
25. Dead Man's Folly. Agatha Christie (1956; e-book; fiction)
26. Skios. Michael Frayn (2012; 257 pages ARC; fiction)

AUGUST 2012
27. The House at Riverton. Kate Morton (2006; 472 pages; fiction)
28. Elephants Can Remember. Agatha Christie (1972; 224 pages, e-book; fiction)
29. My Man Jeeves. P.G. Wodehouse (1919; 185 pages, e-book; fiction)

SEPTEMBER 2012
30. The Little Stranger. Sarah Waters (2009; 463 pages, e-book; fiction)
31. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Stieg Larsson (2005; 465 pages, e-book; fiction)
32. Mrs. Malory and No Cure for Death. Hazel Holt (2005; 256 pages; fiction)

OCTOBER 2012
33. Lost Boy Lost Girl. Peter Straub (2003; e-book; fiction)

NOVEMBER 2012
34. The Bartender's Tale. Ivan Doig (2012; 400 pages; fiction)
35. The Nursing Home Murder (An Inspector Alleyn mystery). Ngaio Marsh (1935; Kindle edition; fiction)

DECEMBER 2012
Another month with no books finished. Tsk, tsk.


"ON HOLD" (started but not finished in 2012):
The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt
Buddenbrooks. Thomas Mann
If on a winter's night a traveler. Italo Calvino

Books Read in 2011

Cumulative Reading List for 2011.

JANUARY 2011
1. The Anatomy of Ghosts. Andrew Taylor (2011; 472 pages ARC; fiction)
2. Smart Dog. Vivian Vande Velde (1998; 146 pages; fiction)
3. Homer Price. Robert McCloskey (1943; 150 pages; fiction)
4. Knight's Castle. Edward Eager (1956; 198 pages; fiction)
5. The Time Garden. Edward Eager (1958; 193 pages; fiction)

FEBRUARY 2011
6. Bad Boy. Peter Robinson (2010; 341 pages ARC; fiction)

MARCH 2011
7. Henrietta Sees It Through. Joyce Dennys (1986/2010; 183 pages; fiction)

APRIL 2011
8. The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead. Paul Elwork (2011; 308 pages ARC; fiction)
9. The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady. Elizabeth Stuckey-French (2011; 334 pages ARC; fiction)
10. Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket. Mary Cunningham (2005; 151 pages; fiction)

MAY 2011
11. A Shilling for Candles. Josephine Tey (1936; 238 pages; fiction)
12. Art and Madness. Anne Roiphe (2011; 220 pages; nonfiction)
13. A Visit from the Goon Squad. Jennifer Egan (2010; 274 pages; fiction)
14. Tassy Morgan's Bluff. Jim Stinson (2011; 225 pages ARC; fiction)

JUNE 2011
15. Picnic at Hanging Rock. Joan Lindsay (1967; 212 pages; fiction)
16. Mr. Chartwell. Rebecca Hunt (2011; 242 pages ARC; fiction)

JULY 2011
17. Shut Your Eyes Tight. John Verdon (2011; 549 pages ARC; fiction)
18. Whisker of Evil. Rita Mae Brown (2004; 346 pages; fiction)
19. Nat Tate. William Boyd
20. The Brothers of Baker Street. Michael Robertson (2011; 274 pages; fiction)

AUGUST 2011
21. Along Came a Spider. James Patterson (1992; 502 pages paperback; fiction)
22. Malice in Miniature. Jeanne M. Dams (1998; 228 pages; fiction)
23. The Fatal Touch. Conor Fitzgerald (2011; 372 pages; fiction)
24. Mrs. Malory and the Fatal Legacy. Hazel Holt (1999; 246 pages; fiction)

SEPTEMBER 2011
25. The Winter Ghosts. Kate Mosse (2011; 253 pages; fiction)
26. Quiet As a Nun. Antonia Fraser (1977; 176 pages; fiction)

OCTOBER 2011
27. Mrs. Malory and a Time to Die. Hazel Holt (2008; 246 pages; fiction)
28. The Man in Lower Ten. Mary Roberts Rinehart (1906; e-book; fiction)
29. Episode of the Wandering Knife. Mary Roberts Rinehart (1943; 114 pages; fiction)
30. The Killings at Badger's Drift. Caroline Graham (1987; 252 pages; fiction)
31. Third Girl. Agatha Christie (1966; 248 pages; fiction)

32. Hallowe'en Party. Agatha Christie (1969; e-book; fiction)

NOVEMBER 2011
33. Mrs. McGinty's Dead. Agatha Christie (1952; e-book; fiction)
34. Literary Brooklyn: The Writers of Brooklyn and the Story of American City Life. Evan Hughes (2011; 325 pages ARC; nonfiction)
35. The Seance. John Harwood (2008; 328 pages; fiction)

DECEMBER 2011
36. My Brilliant Career. Miles Franklin (1901; e-book; fiction)
37. Born in Africa: The Quest for the Origins of Human Life. Martin Meredith (2011; 288 pages; nonfiction)
38. The Sense of an Ending. Julian Barnes (2011; 167 pages; fiction)

39. Bid Time Return (aka: Somewhere in Time). Richard Matheson (1974; e-book; fiction)
40. Staying On. Paul Scott (1977; 216 pages; fiction)
41. Alice I Have Been. Melanie Benjamin (2009; 345 pages; fiction)
42. Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II. Philip Eade (ARC; nonfiction)

********************

Click here to see my list of interesting books scheduled to be published in 2011.

Books Read in 2010

Cumulative Reading List for 2010.

JANUARY 2010
1. The Griffin and Sabine Trilogy. Nick Bantock:

• Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence. (1991; 48 pages; fiction)
• Sabine's Notebook: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin and Sabine Continues. (1992; 48 pages; fiction)
• The Golden Mean: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin and Sabine Concludes. (1993; 48 pages; fiction)

2. The Anthologist. Nicholson Baker (2009; 243 pages; fiction)
3. The Raphael Affair. Iain Pears (1990; 191 pages; fiction)
4. Venom. Joan Brady (2010; 470 pages; fiction)
5. The Island of Dr. Moreau. H.G. Wells (1895; 245 pages; fiction)

FEBRUARY 2010
6. Quattrocento. James McKean (2002; 307 pages; fiction)
7. People of the Book. Geraldine Brooks (2008; 372 pages; fiction)
8. Contact. Carl Sagan (1985; 432 pages; science fiction)

MARCH 2010
9. Mrs. Malory and Any Man's Death. Hazel Holt (2009; 247 pages; fiction)
10. The Brontes Went to Woolworths. Rachel Ferguson (1931, 2009; 188 pages; fiction)
11. Heresy. S.J. Parris (2009; 355 pages ARC; fiction)
12. A Stitch in Time. Monica Ferris (2000; 247 pages; fiction)
13. A Fair Maiden. Joyce Carol Oates (2010; 165 pages; fiction)
14. Before the Throne. Naguib Mahfouz (2009; 130 pages; fiction)

APRIL 2010
15. The Swimming Pool. Holly LeCraw (2010; 307 pages ARC; fiction)
16. An American Type. Henry Roth (2010; 278 pages ARC; fiction) [Review to come in May]
17. A River in the Sky. Elizabeth Peters (2010; 307 pages ARC; fiction)
18. Live To Tell. Lisa Gardner (2010; 390 pages ARC; fiction)

MAY 2010
19. The Map of True Places. Brunonia Barry (2010; 403 pages ARC; fiction)
20. Tinkers. Paul Harding (2009; 191 pages; fiction)
21. The Last Child. John Hart (2009; 373 pages; fiction)
22. Innocent. Scott Turow (2010; 406 pages; fiction)
23. The Hypnotist. M.J. Rose (2010; 405 pages; fiction)

JUNE 2010
24. The Forgotten Garden. Kate Morton (2008; 549 pages; fiction)
25. The Magicians. Lev Grossman (2009; 402 pages; fiction)
26. The Spider Bites. Medora Sale (2010; 131 pages; fiction)
27. The Three Weissmanns of Westport. Cathleen Schine (2010; 445 pages, large print edition; fiction)

JULY 2010
28. Noah's Compass. Anne Tyler (2009; 277 pages; fiction)
29. The Good Psychologist. Noam Shpancer (2010; 238 page; fiction)
30. Damaged. Alex Kava (2010; 255 pages ARC; fiction)
31. The Egypt Game. Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1967; 215 pages; fiction)
32. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Alan Bradley (2009; 374 pages; fiction)

AUGUST 2010
33. Think of a Number. John Verdon (2010; 418 pages ARC; fiction)
34. All Is Forgotten, Nothing Is Lost. Lan Samantha Chang (2010; 205 pages ARC; fiction)

SEPTEMBER 2010
35. The Inheritance. Simon Tolkien (2010; 325 pages; fiction)
36. The Convent. Panos Karnezis (2010; 214 pages ARC; fiction)
37. The House Next Door. Anne Rivers Siddons (1978; 356 pages; fiction)
38. Cards on the Table. Agatha Christie (1936; 197 pages; fiction)

OCTOBER 2010
39. Animal Farm. George Orwell (1945; Kindle edition; fiction)
40. Book of Shadows. Alexandra Sokoloff (2010; 312 pages; fiction)
41. After Claude. Iris Owens (1973/2010; 206 pages ARC; fiction)
42. The Dark Half. Stephen King (1989; 467 pages; fiction)
43. We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Shirley Jackson (1962; 140 pages; fiction)

NOVEMBER 2010
44. The Vanishing of Katharina Linden. Helen Grant (2009; 285 pages ARC; fiction)
45. The Distant Hours. Kate Morton (2010; 672 pages ARC; fiction)

DECEMBER 2010
46. Juliet. Anne Fortier (2010; 447 pages ARC; fiction)
47. The Weird Sisters. Eleanor Brown (2011; 318 pages ARC; fiction)
48. The Thirty-Nine Steps. John Buchan (1915; fiction)
49. Operation Terror. Murray Leinster (1962; fiction)

Books Read in 2009

Cumulative Reading List for 2009.

January 2009
1. Drawers & Booths, by Ara 13 (2007; 215 pages; fiction)
2. Cover Her Face, by P.D. James (1962; 250 pages; mystery fiction; series book: Adam Dalgliesh)
3. The Master, by Colm Toibin (2004; 338 pages; fiction)
4. Rest in Pieces, by Rita Mae Brown (1992; 347 pages; mystery fiction; series book: Mrs. Murphy) [Review to come]
5. Hotel Du Lac, by Anita Brookner (1984; 184 pages; fiction)
6. Solaris, by Stanislaw Lem (1961; 204 pages; science fiction)

February 2009
7. Index to Murder, by Jo Dereske (2008; 259 pages; fiction; series book: Miss Zukas mysteries)
8. Land of Marvels, by Barry Unsworth (2009; 287 pages; fiction)
9. The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton (1920; 285 pages; fiction)
10. The Great Victorian Collection, by Brian Moore (1975; 213 pages; fiction)

March 2009
11. Blasphemy, by Douglas Preston (2008; 524 pages; fiction)
12. Angels & Insects: Two Novellas, by A.S. Byatt (1992; 340 pages; fiction)
13. The Private Patient, by P.D. James (2008; 352 pages; fiction; series book: Adam Dalgliesh mysteries)
14. Angels & Demons, by Dan Brown (2000; 572 pages; fiction)

April 2009
15. The Way Through the Woods, by Colin Dexter (1992; 296 pgs; fiction; series book: Inspector Morse mysteries)
16. The Book of God and Physics, by Enrique Joven (2009; 350 pages; fiction)
17. The Old Man and Me, by Elaine Dundy (1963; 231 pages; fiction)

May 2009
18. Brimstone, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (2004; 500 pages; fiction)
19. The Optimist's Daughter, by Eudora Welty (1972; 109 pages; fiction)
20. Ellen Foster, by Kaye Gibbons (1987; 126 pages; fiction)
21. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O'Brien (1971; 233 pages; fiction)
22. To Dance with the White Dog, by Terry Kay (1990; 241 pages; fiction)
23. The Unit, by Ninni Holmqvist (2006/2009; 268 pages; fiction)
24. Moon Tiger, by Penelope Lively (1987; 208 pages; fiction)

June 2009
25. The Longshot, by Katie Kitamura (2009; 191 pages; fiction)
26. The Valley of Fear, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1914; 320 pages; fiction)
27. The Mothman Prophecies, by John A. Keel (1975; 288 pages; nonfiction)

July 2009
28. The Angel's Game, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (2009; 470 pages; fiction)
29. Sacred Hearts, by Sarah Dunant (2009; 402 pages; fiction)
30. The Fire, by Katherine Neville (2008; 445 pages; fiction)

August 2009
31. Grave Goods, by Ariana Franklin (2009; 337 pages; fiction; series book: Mistress of the Art of Death mysteries)
32. Fear the Worst, by Linwood Barclay (2009; 400 pages; fiction)
33. Rabbit Is Rich, by John Updike (1981; 467 pages; fiction)
34. Victory Over Japan, by Ellen Gilchrist (1984; 277 pages; fiction)
35. Dance of Death, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (2005; 560 pages; fiction)

September 2009
36. The Man in the Picture, by Susan Hill (2007; 145 pages; fiction)
37. The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill (1983; 160 pages; fiction)
38. New Year's Eve, by Lisa Grunwald (1997; 366 pages; fiction)
39. From Doon with Death, by Ruth Rendell (1964; 226 pages; fiction; series book: Inspector Wexford mysteries)

October 2009
40. The Friend of Madame Maigret. Georges Simenon (1950; 186 pages; fiction; series book: Inspector Maigret mysteries)
41. The Lair of the White Worm. Bram Stoker (1911; fiction)

November 2009
42. Homer & Langley. E.L. Doctorow (2009; 208 pages; fiction)
43. The Uncommon Reader. Alan Bennett (2007; 120 pages; fiction)
44. The Lover. Marguerite Duras (1984; 117 pages; fiction)
45. The Lesson of the Master. Henry James (1888; approx. 63 pages; fiction)
46. Stardust. Joseph Kanon

December 2009
47. Santa Clawed. Rita Mae Brown (2008; 240 pages; fiction; series book: Mrs. Murphy mysteries)
48. Christmas Card Magic. Margaret Perry (1967; 127 pages; nonfiction)
49. Crewel Yule. Monica Ferris (2004; 245 pages; fiction; series book: Needlework/Betsy Devonshire mysteries)