Book list for January 2011

These are the books I finished reading in January.  Just finishing the titles probably really took it out of me.

The Eco-nomical Baby Guide: Down-to-Earth Ways for Parents to Save Money and the Planet.  Joy Hatch and Rebecca Kelley.

I liked this for the 'hey, pick and choose the parts of this book you like' attitude of the authors.  And for the buying guides and lists of websites.  Speaking of which, these authors have a website!  (Just in case you're interested.) I initially checked this out from the library, but wound up buying it after renewing about 4 times and nearly finishing the book, only to have Cody flip through a couple of sections (especially on making your own baby food) and say "We should buy this."  So I did, and now I'm glad we have this on hand for various baby stages.

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary.  Simon Winchester.*

I'd read The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, also by Simon Winchester, before (I think I own it) and liked that story and Laine had told me I needed to read this book.  So I did.  The story of the OED is fascinating, okay?  Fascinating.

The Book List for 2010

These are the books I finished in 2010!

I think I only read one book in December (but it was really long!  Even if it was just the Harry Potter book.  Still!), so I'll skip doing that post and go ahead and list everything I read in 2010. 

Asterisks mark library books.

Adams, Douglas. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.

--. The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.*

Brown, Larissa Golden and Martin John Brown, Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together.*

Browne, Jill Connor.  The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love. 

Byatt, A. S. Possession: A Romance.

Chappell, Fred. Castle Tzingal.*

--. I Am One of You Forever. 

Danielewski, Mark. House of Leaves.

Douglas, Susan. Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message that Feminism's Work is Done.*

Drabble, Margaret. The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws.*
 

Faludi, Susan. Backlash: The Undeclared War on American Women.

Farrell, Chris. The New Frugality: How to Consume Less, Save More, and Live Better.*
 

Grisham, John. The Firm.*

Hall, Donald. Without.*

Hatcher, Michael. Keeping Chickens.*

Jackson, Shirley. Life Among the Savages.*
 

King, Stephen. The Gunslinger: The Dark Tower I.
 

--. The Drawing of the Three: The Dark Tower II.
 

Kostova, Elizabeth. The Historian. 

LeCarre. John. The Constant Gardener.

Leonard, Annie. The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession With Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health--And A Vision for Change.

Lessing, Doris. Ben, in the World: The Sequel to The Fifth Child.*
 

--. The Fifth Child.

Maisto, Michelle. The Gastronomy of Marriage: A Memoir of Food and Love.*
 

Nichols, Sharon Eliza. I Judge You When You Use Poor Grammar: A Collection of Egregious 

Errors, Disconcerting Bloopers, and Other Linguistic Slip-Ups.
 

Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar.*

Potter, Andrew. The Authenticity Hoax: How We Get Lost Finding Ourselves.*
 

Reed, Stanley. Oriental Rugs and Carpets.

Rice, Anne. Taltos: The Lives of the Mayfair Witches.*  

Rich, Adrienne. An Atlas of the Difficult World, Poems 1988-1991.*

--. A Change of World.*
 

--. Diving Into the Wreck: Poems 1971-1972.

--. The Dream of a Common Language: Poems 1974-1977.* 

--. A Wild Patience Has Taken Me This Far: Poems 1978-1981.*

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Seals-Alders, Kimberly. The Mocha Manual to a Fabulous Pregnancy.*  

Sedaris, David. When You Are Engulfed in Flames.*
 

Shell, Ellen Ruppel. Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture.* 

Smith, Alexander McCall. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.*
 

--. The Kalahari Typing School for Men. *
 

--. Morality for Beautiful Girls.*
 

--. Tears of the Giraffe.*

--. The Full Cupboard of Life.*

--. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies.*

Stewart, Martha. The Martha Rules: 10 Essentials for Achieving Success as You Start, Grow, 

or Manage a Business.

Trooper, Jonathan. This is Where I Leave You.*
 

Valenti, Jessica. The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity is Hurting Young Women.* 

Woolf, Virginia.  Orlando.

November's book list

Hatcher, Michael. Keeping Chickens. New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2010.*

Rich, Adrienne. A Change of World. New Haven: Yale UP, 1951.*

Well.  That's that.

Pictures of morning glories

Just because I felt like sharing.

October book list

These are the books I finished reading in October.  I loved them all!

Brown, Larissa Golden and Martin John Brown, Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together.

Oh my heart, the pictures.  So pretty!  I love doing crafts with other people, and just glancing at this book on the coffee table made me want to sit with 5 or 6 people and drink coffee and do crafty things even if I can't follow a single pattern in this book.  It had pretty pictures and a message I liked hearing.  All I need.

Browne, Jill Connor.  The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love. 

The last time Jarrett was at my house, I somehow discovered he didn't know what Sweet Potato Queens were--even though we'd just sampled the cheese dip from the central Arkansas branch, Hogs and Kisses, at the cheese dip championship.  So I pulled out my books and we as a group of friends banded together to impart this important knowledge of fabulous Southern ladies to this poor half-Canadian.  Then I wound up reading the book.  These ladies know a lot about love.  They seem to think it's important.  I'd have to agree.

Farrell, Chris. The New Frugality: How to Consume Less, Save More, and Live Better.

Some of this I already knew, some of this I didn't need to know (investments are confusing), and some of this I didn't want to hear (what do you mean I need to stay away from Target and Old Navy?!).  But a lot of it was incredibly valuable--especially the parts about paying off debts early, and the difference a little extra money each month can make when you contribute toward your retirement.  You should read this.

Smith, Alexander McCall.  In the Company of Cheerful Ladies.

I love when detectives solve crimes.  And I love when the tone of a detective novel is light-hearted and charming and fun to read while I'm falling asleep.

Woolf, Virginia.  Orlando.

Swoon.  This is her most fun novel that I've read.  She's not just wry here--she gets flat-out mischievously funny.  But it's still so good and full of standard Virginia Woolf-like complicated and deep thoughts about the sense of self and gender implications and travel and heritage and time and what it means to be an artist.  Sigh.  I love her.