AquariusNat's 2010 Reading List

Hiya , this is my first list in the Club Read group . I'll be listing all books that I read in 2010 . Most of my fiction choices will be a part of an "Alphabet Challenge" I'm going to take on . This thread will be where I can list my nonfic choices also . I will decide on my first choice after Xmas . Glad to be a member of this group .

I'll be kicking the new year off with Jane Austen . Now to decide on which story , lol !

1. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch - This was a beautiful , funny and heartwrenching memoir .

>3 AquariusNat: If you're a Trekkie, note that Pausch makes a brief (10 seconds brief) appearance in the new movie. He certainly made the most of his remaining time.

2. Hot , Flat And Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman - long and repetitive .

I felt so inspired when I had seen it on Youtube. It really makes you wonder if I want to be a Tigger or an Eeyore in life.

Haven't watched the video yet . but Tigger was always my fav !

3. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck - This was a story about a poor farmer who saw his life change when he became a rich man . I loved the first half , but the second half was a bit of a letdown .

4. Veronika Decides To Die by Paulo Coelho - An interesting story about a suicidal girl that discovers meaning in her life and helps others too .

5. Round Ireland With A Fridge by Tony Hawks - Incredibly funny memoir about a british comedian that travels throughout Ireland hitchhiking with a small fridge in tow .

6. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - This seemed to be a departure for her . I enjoyed the story , but prefer her lighter stories .

7. Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick - This was an ARC I won from another site . Its a great women's fiction novel . All of the characters were well-drawn and the plots were really interesting and thought out to a satisfying conclusion .

8. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - It was fun reading about all the adventures D'artangan and the musketeers had gone on .

9. The Season Of Second Chances by Diane Meier - This was an arc for Early Reviewers . I found it a difficult story to get into . the main character Joy keeps an emotional distance from the people she meets for most of the story . If you like characters that are like that , then you'll enjoy the book . I was frustrated by it .

10. Lost And Found by Jacqueline Sheehan - This was a wonderful story about a woman getting thru the first year after her husband's death . The main character Rocky was easy to relate with . The dog was a great choice as the encourgement for Rocky and the girl Melissa to better their lives . So far its my fav of the year .

11. The Happiness-Project by Gretchen Rubin - Interesting memoir about a journalist spending a year trying to bring more happiness into her and her family's life .

12. Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivel - This was an interesting love story set during the Mexican revolution . Really enjoyed most of the novel , but was confused by the last 50 pages .

13. The School Of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister - Interesting novel about a group of people in a cooking class . The students gain confidence and some change in their personal lives .

14. Getting The Pretty Back by Molly Ringwald - The actress has written a fun light-hearted advice book for women . I enjoyed it as a quick read .

15. Always Looking Up by Michael J. Fox - A wonderful memoir about the time since he left his series Spin City .

16. A Dog Named Slugger by Leigh Brill - This was a sweet uplifting memoir . Its about a service dog that brings positive changes into a young woman's life .

17. Howard's End by E.M. Forster - Always loved the movie and I really enjoyed the book too !

18. Seven Year Bitch by Jennifer Belle - This was an arc I won from the ER program . It has an interesting premise that was badly executed .

19. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons - A fun comedy from the 1930s . the main character Flora decides to live off her distant relatives , but after meeting the Starkadders , she decides to help them change for the better .

I've never read Cold Comfort Farm, but the movie was marvelous, and I recommend it to you.

Robert

I've seen the movie and really enjoyed it ! I found out about Gibbons' novel after the fact .

20. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse - The classic novel about a young man that spends most of his life searching for his spiritual path . Lovely prose .

21. My Jesus Year by Benyamin Cohen - An interesting memoir about a rabbi's son that tries to rediscover his passion for Judaism by exploring Christianity .

22. Any Place I Hang My Hat by Susan Isaacs - Really good women's fiction . A political journalist searches for the mother that abandoned her as a baby .

23. Daisy Miller by Henry James - The classic novella about a young American in Europe .

24. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver - This is a nice , relaxing novel . Its actually 3 stories set in the Appalachia Mountains that slowly intertwine by the end .

25. Cheap Cabernet by Cathie Beck - This memoir details the author's short but strong friendship with a woman that died of MS . Couldn't relate to the women's callous and selfish attitudes towards everyone else they dealt with .

26. The Call Of The Wild by Jack London - The classic story about a dog named Buck .

27. Fool by Christopher Moore - An incredibly funny and bawdy retelling of King Lear .

28. Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble - Fun chicklit about two friends finding love while doing activities based on the alphabet .

29. Fannie's Last Supper by Christopher Kimball - Memoir about the author's attempt at recreating a Victorian dinner party . There's alot of detail on food prep in the Victorian era and about Fannie Farmer .

>36 AquariusNat:, I just read a review of Fannie's Last Supper & it sounds quite curious! I found it most interesting that Kimball discovered that most of Fannie Farmer's recipes were disgusting and un-servable as written. I'm rather tempted by this one.

30. 365 Thank yous by John Kralik - A nice memoir about a man that decides to start writing thank you notes in hopes of becoming a more positive person .

31. Animal Farm by George Orwell - This is the classic story about how power corrupts .

32. The Crying Of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon - Interesting , but confusing story . Not really liking this style of writing .

Well , the year is over . I've read 32 interesting books , some were even classics . only a few were disappointing . So thanks 2010 ! Looking forward to a whole new year of reading !