Here’s a list of the books I read in 2011. I do a similar post every year.
My reading is very important to me, because I love to learn. The difference this past year was that I got a Kindle in late 2010, so I was able to read big, thick books on my long work commute, and I was able to sample books I might not have tried in the past — hence, more fiction and self-help than usual.
That said, I’ve decided to make some of my reading from the past year private. I have tended not to disclose as much of my personal life on my blog as I used to, and some of the books I read this year were self-help books that I’d rather keep to myself. So… in chronological order, here are most of the books I read in 2011:
[private]
[private]
Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace (started in late 2010, finished in 2011)
The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787, Gordon S. Wood
The Tragedy of Arthur, Arthur Phillips
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: A Practitioner’s Guide, Nancy McWilliams
The Story of Britain: From the Romans to the Present: A Narrative History, Rebecca Fraser
Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947, Christopher Clark
The Help, Kathryn Stockett
[private]
The Walls of Jericho: Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Russell, and the Struggle for Civil Rights, Robert Mann
Watching TV: Six Decades of American Television, Harry Castleman and Walter J. Podrazik
If the Buddha Got Stuck: A Handbook for Change on a Spiritual Path, Charlotte Kasl
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, Pema Chödrön
Thoughts Without a Thinker: Psychotherapy From A Buddhist Perspective, Mark Epstein
11/22/63, Stephen King
Turning the Mind Into an Ally, Sakyong Mipham
[private]
The Sense of an Ending, Julian Barnes
The Stranger’s Child, Alan Hollinghurst
A World on Fire: Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War, Amanda Foreman (started a couple of weeks ago)
Happy New Year.
Hey Jeff,
Happy New Year!
I’ve been thinking about getting the cheapest Kindle. I drive to work so I don’t need it for the commute. Browsing/buying books is one of my joys in life and I just like having an actual physical product in my hands.
But I also loved writing on a typewriter and never thought I’d be comfortable working on a computer, so I guess I’d adapt. I tend to read a lot of contemporary fiction these days and they’re not the kinds of books I care about keeping around.
When I moved out of my apartment in January I had to get rid of almost all of my books, so that’s another selling point for an e-reader.
Anyway, a very eclectic list! I’ve always been interested in the history of the 1960s and the civil rights movement, so The Walls of Jericho sounds good.