2012 Reading

So here is the list of books I read in 2012. The list actually starts at the bottom. I ended the year with Player One by Douglas Coupland. You can see some definite trends here. I read three books each by Dave Eggers and Douglas Coupland. Both are among my favorite contemporary authors. Coupland's JPOD was actually a signed edition I stumbled upon in Half Price Books that was unmarked as such. I have subsequently found both a signed Eggers and Coupland book at Half Price that were marked up in price. Lots of C.S. Lewis. The reason? I'm reading The Chronicles of Narnia aloud with my son for his bedtime reading. After Narnia we are going to read The Hobbit together (which you can see I read last year in anticipation of the movie release). Then we'll explore reading The Lord of the Rings Trilogy if it isn't too complex for a Kindergartner.   There's only two history books on the list. Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne was this year's selection for the Texas UIL Social Studies Competition. As our school's UIL Social Studies coach I read the book and actually enjoyed it despite not usually being into American history. It was an excellent and riveting book about Texas and the Commanche. The list does not include the hundreds of pages of historical articles, essays, literature reviews and other assignments I read for my graduate classes at SMU. Those readings usually took precedence over my leisure reading.   Nonetheless, sixteen books in one year is not something to be ashamed of. I also read The Believer magazine, a cultural and literature review which is quite lengthy. I need to add some Patrick O'Brian back to the list. His Master and Commander books are fantastic and It's been over a year since I was in the series. I need to start the eighth in the twenty volume series sometime this year. I also plan on checking out Nelson Algren for the first time. I'm sure Coupland will make an appearance and I will probably re-read a David Mitchell book as well.   So anyway, here's the list...I would recommend them all. I was not disappointed with any of these books. Player One by Douglas Coupland A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien A Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis JPOD by Douglas Coupland (signed edition!) Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrboe by C.S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis The Western Intellectual Tradition by Jacob Bronowski and Bruce Mazlish Life After God by Douglas Coupland Empire of the Summer Moon: Rise and Fall of the Comanches by S.C. Gwynne The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers What is the What by Dave Eggers