I did it! (or a book list)

So, when Happy accomplishes something, he joyfully screams, “I did it!” which I just find adorable.  He takes off his coat, he screams, “I did it.”  He closes the door, he says, “I did it.”  He gets the Weeble down the slide and, sure enough, you hear, “I did it.”  I did it is a really popular phrase around here and now it is my turn.  I did it.  What did I do?  Well, I listened to and read 36 books this year.  I know people who read over 80 books a year and the way I love books, I wish I was one of them.  But I am not.  I only have time to read before bed, at the beach, and in the car, and I am usually too tired to reach much before I asleep, too busy chasing a toddler to read my one book a day beach quota, and don’t drive enough to hear more than one book a month.  And, so, with those limitations, it is very rare that I reach my annual reading goal which is to read/ listen to as many books as I am old for that year.  In fact, I can’t remember a time that I’ve done it since my mid-twenties.  And, yet, this year, I did it!  Said with Happy’s enthusiasm.  Here’s the list of books I tackled this year– most of which I would really, really recommend (because the other thing I did this year- which might be part of the reason why I read more- is that I allowed myself to just stop any book I wasn’t enjoying.  In the past, I’ve been a girl who had to clean her own proverbial book plate.  Not this year.  This year, I figured time waas short so I would only finish the ones that compelled me to finish.  So these all did.  How about you?  What did you read this year that compelled you to finish it?  I need to read 37 books this coming year and so I need all the suggestions I can get!   

1.  Hungry by Crystal Renn on November 20, 2009

2.  Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult  on December 15, 2009   

3.  The Ghost at the Table by Suzanne Berne on January 3, 2010

4.  Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls on January 20, 2010

5.  The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben on February 18, 2010

6.  Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin on February 27, 2010

7.  Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby on March 5, 2010

8.  House Rules by Jodi Picoult on March 15, 2010

9.  Lift by Kelly Corrigan on March 15, 2010

10.  Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert on March 21, 2010  

11.  The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose on April 9,2010

12.  Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger on April 13, 2010

13. Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian on April 20, 2010  

14.  Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman on May 7, 2010

15.  Picking Cotton by Ron Cotton and Jennifer Thompson on May 9, 2010

16.  Rough Justice by Peter Elkind on May 27, 2010

17.  Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt on May 29, 2010

18.  The Patient’s Guide to PCOS on June 5, 2010

19.  Women Food and God by Geneen Roth on June 20, 2010

20.  The Power of Half by Kevin Salwen on June 21, 2010

21.  Staying True by Jenny Sanford on June 30, 2010  

22.  Columbine by Dave Cullen on July 7, 2010

23.  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larson on July 19, 2010

24.  The One that I Want by Allison Winn Scotch on July 20, 2010  

25.  Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman on July 22, 2010

26.  I Do Not Come to You By Chance by Adaobi Nwaubani on August 15, 2010

27.  The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum on July 25, 2010

28.  Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner on August 17, 2010

29.  This is What I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper on August 29,2010

30.  After You by Julie Buxbaum on September 8, 2010

31.  Portrait of the Addict as a Young Man by Bill Clegg on September 11, 2010

32.  Men and Dogs by Katie Crouch on September 30, 2010

33.  The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein on October 2, 2010  

34.  Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger on October 7, 2010

35.  I’d Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman on October 25, 2010  

36.  The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg on November 13, 2010