Reading Roundup: November 2012
All I Want For Christmas?
Am I allowed to do a round up post when I’ve obtained and read zero books this month? I do need a way to publish my Christmas wish list for certain secret Santas, so I’m going to say, “yes!”
Books Obtained and Read
- None. That was easy.
- Okay, I did read like 350 or 400 pages of Infinite Jest over November. That’s pretty much a book.
Books I Want to Read
Here are the top ten books I’d like to own in the near future, i.e. Christmas!*
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – I want this to be my next read, so it’s first on my list. Have I mentioned that I have a fangirlish crush on this guy? I mean watch this. Or this. Love him.
- 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2012 Edition) – I own the original, but I’d love to have the updated version. These are beautiful books with lots of colour pictures. Great gift idea for anyone bookish!
- Strange Heaven by Lynn Coady – my local author pick, and sounds right up my alley in terms of troubled kids, family dysfunction and the East Coast setting.
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck – I don’t own this book, which is ridiculous considering it’s my favourite read of like the past two years (pending completion of IJ).
- Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards – I gave my copy away at a book swap. I need to own this book.
- Dear Life by Alice Munro – After a year of long reads, I think I’ll be in the mood for some short stories. Nobody does it better than Alice Munro… unless…
- Astray by Emma Donoghue – I’m a huge fan of Emma Donoghue and she released a short story collection this year.
- The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir – Because: feminism.
- North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell – I’m going to read more classics written by female authors next year. I loved the mini-series, so this seems like a good place to start.
- When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman – Something about this book keeps nagging at me. Strange title.
*I’ve been joking that reading Sleeping Beauty made me want to read 50 Shades. If someone buys it for me, I will read it. But I reserve the right to make snarky blog posts/live-tweet my disgust/roll my eyes with abandon!
The Month Ahead
- Finish Infinite Jest. There will be much rejoicing.
- Submit a story to The 40 Below Project. This is a stretch goal for me and my first time submitting anything! Check out the website and wish me luck! I’m (trying) to write about what it’s like to experience a sudden 20 degree drop in temperature. Also about teenage drama (what else?)
- Get through the week-long extravaganza that is Benjamin’s 3rd birthday and Christmas.
Search Terms
Just for fun, here are some interesting search terms that have landed on the blog.
- “erotic exerpts from the claiming of sleeping beauty anne rice” – yeah… getting a lot of these since my review went up…
- “adult words with friends” – um, do I want to know?
- “i enjoyed reading heart of darkness” – well, that makes two of us!
- “runny romantic letters for him” – it is the season for runny letters!
- “how you know you are a book snob” – if you have to ask….
- “invisible woman sex fanfic” – sorry to disappoint you.
Reading in Bed 
“The Fault in Our Stars” was my favourite book in 2012. I can’t wait to hear your review.
Coming in second and third was:
“The NIght Circus” by Erin Morgenstern
“Her Fearful Symmetry” by Audrey Niffenegger (same author who wrote “Time Traveller’s Wife”)
I hope I am not repeating myself if you have already done them but I highly recommend all three.
I’ve heard great things about those too. I will definitely get to The Night Circus one of these days!
I also absolutely adored The Fault In Our Stars. It made me bawl – but in that cathartic, Steel Magnolias-way that leaves a settled sense of peace when it’s over.
Oh my, I’m a crier… this could get messy…
I need to read The Fault In Our Stars. The 40 below project sounds very cool. I’m thinking of submitting something as well.
Excellent! Let me know if you do. I just hope I can carve out the time to actually write.
Haha, this is why I don’t do monthly recaps either! I don’t read enough books in one month, although I sure bought enough this past month! I still enjoyed this post though…I like to hear about your monthly recap even if it doesn’t include a ton of book reading 🙂
I really think you’ll love The Fault in Our Stars. It was the first YA I talked about on my blog. I’m definitely anxious to read your thoughts on it!
I gotta be careful not to build it up too much. I get let down when I think a book is going to OMG THE BEST.
The monthly post just helps me make sure I post at least once a month 🙂
Great list, Laura! 😀 I have the Fault is in Our Stars, but still haven’t read it…I’ve been slowly going thru John Green’s books! He’s fantastic!!! 😀 So far I’ve read Looking for Alaska, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and I read his graphic novel, Teen Boat. They were all fantastic…especially Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which he cowrote with David Levithan, and it was truly amazing!
I’m really looking forward to what we all end up getting and our Secret Santa meetup/Potluck…it’s gonna be good! 😀
Yes, it’ll just be hard to hold off buying any of my wishlist books till Jan 15 🙂
I love David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary. A short read but such a cool concept and well executed.
haha I know. 😛 Gotta resist getting them!
I haven’t read that one, but I do remember hearing really good things when it first came out. 😀
I love John Green, too! In fact, I’m reading him RIGHT NOW!
I hope you get some of the books in your wishlist! And maybe finish your book in December. 🙂
Haha, he’s everywhere! I’m seeing him show up in a lot of “Best of 2012” lists. Guess I’m late to this particular bandwagon 🙂