2005: A Year in Books

January, 2005 I started my participation in the 50 Book Challenge. I made it, and then some. What frightens me is the thought of how many books I may have read if I didn't have school...

The final books of 2005 (assuming I don't start and finish another one today. I'm willing to take that risk.)

66. The Shop on Blossom Street - Debbie Macomber. Yes, it's that knitting book. Cute and it was nice to read someone who actually got the details right.

67. The Google Story - David A. Vise and Mark Malseed. The first half was really interesting, about the people and how they started Google. The second half was all IPOs and stuff like that. I'm not a business person, so that part dragged a bit. I love the Google mission statement: Don't Be Evil.

68. Little Earthquakes - Jennifer Weiner. Author of Good in Bed and In Her Shoes. I liked it a lot. It verges on chick lit, but it's chick lit of the highest quality. It's about 4 pregnant women who become friends and their dealing with birth and husbands and loss and Mothers-in-Law. Very funny.

69. The Manchurian Candidate - Richard Condon. I've never seen the movie, but the premise sounded interesting. Hence, the book. Written in 1959, so some of the more dated items really jumped out at you. And it's written really flowery for a thriller. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did it was entertaining.

70. The Wife: A Novel - Meg Wolitzer. January's book club selection. Also the one I got in Large Print for some reason. I liked it, but I had one major issue. One of the reviews I read while picking the books for club selection gave away a (THE) major plot point. Luckily, it wasn't the review I put on the selection list, so hopefully the other gals weren't spoiled.

71. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro. Not only was this one of my best Christmas presents, Melanie even got me a signed copy. Whee! The perfect, funny way to end the holiday season.

Final totals: 71 for-fun books. 12 for-school books. 6 Harry-Potter-book-rereads. We'll round that off to a nice 83.

Now if I could only get someone to pay me for being such a good reader.

And so ends 2005. Not my worst year ever. Surprising, since I lost my job and have been only marginally employed since last January, started a degree program that stresses me out and am a worrier. My friends, this blog, my family and Lucy kept me going and they are the reasons I survived the year at all. Thank you all.

See you next year.