What I Read in 2014

Okay, I know it's taken me a little bit longer, but I've finally put together my list of books that I read in 2014! This is becoming somewhat of an annual tradition for me, and I really enjoy the opportunity to look back and reflect on what I've read over the last year.

Some of these are going to look a bit familiar to you. After all, I wrote about 6 of them for my Librarian's Corner series, they're highlighted so that you can find them, and if you click on the (**) symbol next to them, it'll take you straight to the post!

I kind of wanted to do a big break-down of what I read, like I did last year, but it seems a bit too overwhelming with this many books, plus, I kind of want to move on with my life. So instead, let me take just 1 minute (ok, maybe 2) to tell you about some of my favorites this year.

Favorite GN (graphic novel) series I finished this year: Preacher by Garth Ennis, and you can read all about why I loved it in my Librarian's Corner post about it.

Favorite "new" series I started this year: The Temperance Brennan novels by Kathy Reichs. You probably know Dr. Brennan from the TV show Bones, but this Tempe is a completly different woman, and the series has almost nothing to do with the show. Very enjoyable though. I'm on book 9 right now, and I can't put it down long enough to write...

Favorite book by new author: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (and other lessons from the crematory) by Caitlin Doughty, AKA Ask a Mortician on YouTube. Her channel is awesome, and not for the faint-of-heart, or those not into talking about dead bodies. Her book was everything I had hoped it was going to be, filled with gory details and touching stories. Just like the show.

Favorite book that made me cry: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. There's so much I could write about this book, that I'm not even going to try. Just go read it, seriously (if you haven't already), and bring a tissue, or 20. And then see the movie, trust me.

Okay, you're bored. On with the list:

1. The Walking Dead: This Sorrowful Life by Robert Kirkman
2. The Walking Dead: The Calm Before by Robert Kirkman
3. Faked to Death by Dean James
4. No Time to Lose by Peter Piot
5. The Walking Dead: Made to Suffer by Robert Kirkman
6. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
7. Decorated to Death by Dean James
8. Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy Frost & Gail Steketee
9. A Curious Man by Neal Thompson
10. Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum
11. The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum
12. Rise of the Governor by Robert Kirkman
13. The Walking Dead: Here We Remain by Robert Kirkman
14. Baked to Death by Dean James
15. Cut Me Loose: Sin and Salvation After My Ultra-Orthodox Girlhood by Leah Vincent
16. My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places by Mary Roach
17. Redefining Girly: How Parents Can Fight the Stereotyping and Sexualizing of Girlhood, from Birth to Tween by Melissa Atkins Wardy
18. Round Ireland With a Fridge by Tony Hawks
19. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
20. Consider the Fork by Bee Wilson
21. Ruby's Diary: Reflections on All I've Lost and Gained by Ruby Gettinger
22. Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth
23. Operation Beautiful: Transforming the Way You See Yourself One Post-it Note at a Time by Caitlin Boyle
24. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything by Chris Hadfield
25. Paper Towns by John Green
26. A Long Day at the End of the World by Brent Hendricks
27. The Fault in Our Stars
28. Bound by Donna Jo Napoli
29. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
30. Call the Midwife
31. Breath by Donna Jo Naopli
32. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
33. The Walking Dead: What We Become by Robert Kirkman
34. This Bloody Mary is the Last Thing I Own: A Journey to the End of Boxing by Jonathan Rendall
35. Looking for Alaska by John Green
36. Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt (**)
37. The Walking Dead: Fear the Hunters by Robert Kirkman
38. Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs
39. The Walking Dead: Life Among Them by Robert Kirkman
40. Preacher: Dixie Fried by Garth Ennis
41. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum
42. Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
43. Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs
44. Preacher: War in the Sun by Garth Ennis
45. The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad
46. The Sleepwalkers by J. Gabriel Gates
47. Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs
48. Xenocide by Orson Scott Card (**)
49. Yes Means Yes by Jaclyn Friedman & Jessica Valenti
50. Mommy Man: How I Went from Mind-Mannered Geek to Gay Superdad by Jerry Mahoney
51. Children of the Mind by Orson Scott Card
52. Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs
53. Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt
54. Unmarketable: Brandalism, Copyfighting, Mocketing, and the Erosion of Integrity by Anne Elizabeth Moore (**)
55. The Big Tiny: A Built-It-Myself Memoir by Dee William
56. Grave Secrets by Kathy Reichs
57. Like No Other by Una LaMarche (**)
58. Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs
59. First Impressions: A Novel of Old Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane Austen by Charlie Lovett
60. The Snarkout Boys and The Avocado of Death by Daniel Pinkwater (**)
61. Feminism Encounters Traditional Judaism by Tova Hartman
62. Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation by Kate Bornstein & S. Bear Bergman
63. Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs
64. Victoria: A Life by A. N. Wilson
65. The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman by Ben H. Winters
66. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
67. The Mathematician's Shiva by Stuart Rojstaczer
68. Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days by Brian K. Vaughan
69. Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudson
70. Ex Machina: Tag by Brian K. Vaughan
71. Preacher: Salvation by Garth Ennis
72. Preacher: All Hell's A-Coming by Garth Ennis
73. Ex Machina: Fact v. Fiction by Brian K. Vaughan
74. Preacher: Alamo by Garth Ennis
75. Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull
76. Ex Machina: Smoke, Smoke by Brian K. Vaughan
77. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes; And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty
78. Ex Machina: Power Down by Brian K. Vaughan
79. Never Turn Your Back on an Angus Cow: My Life as a Country Vet by Dr. Jan Pol
80. Ex Machina: Ex Cathedra by Brain K. Vaughan
81. Gaga Feminism: Sex, Gender, and the End of Normal by J. Jack Halberstam
82. Ex Machina: Ring Out the Old by Brian K. Vaughan
83. Ex Machina: Term Limits by Brian K. Vaughan
84. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
85. Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi
86. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
87. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
88. The Princess Problem: Guiding Our Girls through the Princess-Obsessed Years by Rebecca Hains
89. Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado
90. I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg & Hannah Green
91. Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams
92. Ex Machina: Dirty Tricks by Brian K. Vaughan
93. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
94. Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner by Judy Melinek & T. J. Mitchell

My husband and I are both doing a reading challenge for 2015,  so expect to see a post about that at some point in the near future. And of course, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled Librarian's Corner on the 21st of Jan, see you then!

2014 Wrap-Up

Okay here it is, my year-in-review post for 2014. Just a few days late, no biggie. I had a lot of fun sitting down last year (err, 2 years ago? err, Dec 2013) and thinking about all of the wonderful things that had happened to me, and that I had done over the year. I got married in 2013, so I figured that was going to be the highlight of my year, but when I sat down, I got a chance to review all of the other amazing things about the year.

So of course, I couldn't wait to do it again for 2014. I didn't get married this year, but it was still pretty damned fun. Let me tell you all about it.

In January, my husband and I got to go to Washington D.C. for a conference. We turned the whole thing into a mini-vacation that we both badly needed. We got to see the National Zoo, and more Smithsonians than you can shake a stick at. (Seriously, all of the Smithsonian museums have free admission, you're welcome). We also got to spend time with my aunt & uncle who the train up from Baltimore to spend an afternoon with us at the National Air & Space Museum.

The National Air & Space Museum, and yes, it was free!

In March I celebrated my 26th birthday (and my 1st as a married lady), and got my brand new Asus laptop (it has a touch-screen & a back-lit keyboard), that I love so so so much!

In May we went to New York to dance at my niece's wedding! It was so much fun, and so beautiful, and it was a wonderful chance to get to celebrate a happy occasion with my husband's side of the family. I also got to meet my sister-in-law (who lives in Israel) for the first time. It was a wonderful time, and I know that the "new" couple is happy because.... baby is on the way! She's due this March, and I've already got plans for a baby-blanket for her!

Of course we visited the New York Public Library!

May was also the month that I started graduate school. I'm working towards getting my Master's in Library and Information Science (yes, I want to be a librarian... shocking). This is by far the single biggest thing that happened to me in 2014. Graduate school was a big decision for me (historically, school and I have not gotten along all that well), and it took the rest of the year for me to figure out whether or not it was the right decision.
Even though it's still sucking up all of my free time, I'm 4 classes in (1/3 of the way through), and I finally know that I made the right choice. (Remind me of that in about 3.5 months when finals roll around again, will ya?)

In July we went to the 43rd Pennsic War, my second one ever. We had a blast, and got to spend time with some friends who I hadn't seen in over 5 years. I'm already making lots of plans for next Pennsic, and we'll have a lot of SCA-related projects coming up over the next few months, so keep an eye out for those.

The field battle

In August we celebrated our first anniversary. It was a very special day, and of course, we spent it at the zoo.

October brought a promotion at work. I went from being a page to being a Library Assistant. I'm working in the same department, with the same people, but more hours, more money and benefits! It's an amazing job, and I love it every single day. Even when I'm dealing with "Problem Patrons".

In November my mother and I made our own Thanksgiving for the second time ever! It was a little stressful since my in-laws were coming over, but it was a lot of fun and everything came out delicious, if I do say so myself.

These are just the leftovers!

And I think that's about for big events this year. I did a lot of crafting this year, and of course, made a lot of delicious food (I'm looking at you turkey), played some amazing video games, and over-all had a blast. I don't want to talk about every single awesome thing, 'cause that's what the last year of blogging was for! Go browse, take a look. I'll wait.

In the mean time, I'm going to go ahead and get started on making 2015 just as amazing (if not more so) than 2014 was! Bye!

What I Read in 2013

         Ever since I signed up for a Shelfari account in 2010, I've had a 50 book a year reading goal. I didn't come close that first year, but I only started counting in August. I came a little closer every year, and last year I managed to read 37 books.
         This year however, I started a new job, at a library. Do you see where I'm going with this? With unprecedented access to books, I've blown past my reading goal for this year. I finished my 50th book on August 3rd! And just kept going.


         Like I did last year, I want to post the completed list of everything that I read over the course of 2013. I have eclectic tastes, and they're reflected well here. I've put * next to books that I particularly enjoyed. You'll see a lot of *.

FICTION   NON-FICTION   CHILDREN'S   GRAPHIC NOVEL

1. Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses and Other Journeys to the Edge of Science by Richard Preston
2. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot*
3. The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How it Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World*
4. Bad Brains by Kathe Koja
5. All There Is... Love Stories from StoryCorps by Dave Isay
6. My Life in France by Julia Child
7. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln*
8. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
9. The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History by John M. Barry
10. Fire in the Blood by P. N. Elrod*
11. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini*
12. Fantastic Voyage: An Amazing Journey Through the Human Blood Stream by Issac Asimov
13. Parenting: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures by Amber Dusick*
14. Next by Micheal Crichton
15. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
16. Push by Sapphire*
17. Bag of Bones by Stephen King*
18. 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
19. Raising the Dead: Organ Transplants, Ethics and Society by Ronald Munson
20. My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf
21. 50 Shades of Grey by E. L. James
22. Every Second Counts: The Race to Transplant the First Human Heart by Donald McRae*
23. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
24. Coraline by Neil Gaiman*
25. Hide and Seek: Jewish Women and Hair Covering by Lynne Schreiber
26. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs *
27. Aaron and Ahmed by Jay Cantor
28. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch
29. Straight: The Surprisingly Short History of Heterosexuality by Hanne Blank
30. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman*
31. Herevill: How Mirka Met a Meteorite by Barry Deutsch
32. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver*
33. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
34. M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman
35. Vampire Loves by Joann Sfar*
36. The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill
37. Fat Vampire: A Never Coming of Age Story by Adam Rex
38. Ink: The Not-Just-Skin-Deep Guide to Getting a Tattoo by Terisa Green
39. Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach*
40. Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth*
41. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
42. Collecting Cooper by Paul Cleave
43. It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini*
44. Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks
45. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
46. Joyland by Stephen King*
47. The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth
48. The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan
49. Chew: Taster's Choice by John Layman
50. Virgin: The Untouched History by Hanne Blank*

And those were my first 50 books of 2013. Everything I read between January 1st 2013 through August 3rd 2013. 50 books in 7 months. :o) Not too shabby, huh? But that was just the beginning. I kept reading (since I'm still working at the library, I'm still reading like a fiend), and here are the rest of the books I read last year:

1. Red, White and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth
2. The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognanni
3. Lizard Music by Daniel Pinkwater*
4. Fat Men from Space by Daniel Pinkwater
5. Moby Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them by Donovan Hohn*
6. The Walking Dead: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman*
7. The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Pinkwater*
8. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
9. Orange is the New Black: One Year in a Women's Prison by Piper Kerman*
10. Looking for Bobowicz: A Hoboken Chicken Story by Daniel Pinkwater
11. Veiled Courage: Inside the Afghan Women's Resistance by Cheryl Benard
12. The Feminist Porn Book: The Politics of Producing Pleasure by Tristan Taormino
13. Sleeping Naked is Green: How an Ecy-Cynic Unplugged Her Fridge, Sold Her Car, and Found Love in 366 Days by Vanessa Farquharson
14. Big Brother by Lionel Shriver*
15. The Blue Moose by Daniel Pinkwater
16. Moosepire by Daniel Pinkwater
17. Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession by Julie Powell*
18. The Walking Dead: Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman
19. Son of Holmes by John Lescroart*
20. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
21. Preacher: Gone to Texas by Garth Ennis*
22. The Walking Dead: Safety Behind Bars by Robert Kirkman
23. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King*
24. Preacher: Until the End of the World by Garth Ennis
25. The Walking Dead: The Heart's Desire by Robert Kirkman
26. Rasputin's Revenge by John Lescroart
27. The Walking Dead: The Best Defense by Robert Kirkman
28. The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth*
29. Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith
30. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern*
31. Preacher: Proud Americans by Garth Ennis
32. Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham*
33. Fables: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham
34. The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman 
35. Feed by Mira Grant 
36. Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman
37. Spook by Mary Roach
38. Posted to Death by Dean James
39. Preacher: Ancient History by Garth Ennis

2013 Wrap-Up

I've been thinking about doing one of these end-of-year posts for a while now, and I've decided that if I'm ever going to do one, 2013 is the year to reminisce about. In more ways than one, this has been the best year of my life.

I know that I haven't blogged much this year. If anyone out there still follows this blog, you were probably surprised to see me again, I know I'm sort of surprised to be here. But blogging has had to take a back-seat to all of the other amazing things that have been going on over the last 12 months.
Let's recap, shall we?

Last December I quit a job that I hated, and that was sucking all of the life out of me. Immediately afterward, I felt liberated and free. I called my mother as I was driving home that day, and I was giggling when I told her: "Well, I quit my job!" It was such a difficult decision to make at the time, and then afterwards I was literally asking myself what took me so long?

In March, I started working at the local library. This has been my dream job since I was a wee little thing. I started out as a page (shelving books all day!) and have since gotten a job working for the circulation department. The pay's not great, but like I said, this is my dream job. I love what I do, I love the place that I work at, and I love the people I work with. That's more than most people can say. This job has also prompted me to make a very big decision.
Are you ready?
I'm going back to school! I'm going to be applying for graduate school to get my Master's in Library Science and hopefully become a librarian one day!

In August I got married to the love of my life. It was easily the most wonderful day ever. We got married outside in front of all of our friends and family. We had beautiful weather, and wonderful guests and even got to dance to some Beatles. What more could anyone want? This has easily been the high-light of my year, and of my life. My husband (and I really love saying that) and I recently celebrated 6 years of being together. I can't wait for the next 6 years, and the 6 years after that, and then the 6 years after that. I love you Puppy. :o)

I've also been a lot craftier in the last few months. I've gotten back into my crochet and my knitting (though not always successfully). I've even posted a pattern of my very own creation. I've been putting my ravelry account to good use, and actually finishing projects that I've started. I've been making lots of scarves for my friends, I've been knitting dish-cloths for our kitchen and I've even made my very own knitting needles! It's been a crafty year, and I know that we're going to keep it up in 2014. Right now my husband and I are working on an awesome and amazingly cool project that I can't wait to share with you all. More to come!

There's also been a lot of delicious home-made food and treats that I've experimented with this year (like Chinese food for Christmas), but I haven't really been blogging about it, or keeping tabs on it at all. Hopefully that'll change next year!

And last but not least, I've been reading ALL THE BOOKS! There will be a post on this topic shortly after the new year, so I won't waste too much of your time on it now. But let's just say that working at a library has put me back in touch with my ravenous appetite for books. I've read more this year than in the last two combined. And I have the numbers to back that up.


So I think that just about wraps up 2013. What a year. It's easily been the best year of my life, and I can't wait to see what 2014 will bring!


See you all next year!