reading, writing and arithmetic

I've been laid up and horizontal for much of the last week. It's sucked.

Sick, stuffed, thoroughly overstimulated and a little down, I've entered into this new year. Not ideal. I'm still recovering from December, I guess. Ah, December, I sigh each year at its commencement and conclusion. What else is there to say?

This past week, I didn't do much. I didn't stand much. That can take its toll on anyone, I suppose. This has been an interesting experience for me, particularly at this renewal time of year. With a stuffy head, sore throat, achy body and low-grade blues, I haven't been in the mood -- for family (ehh), friends (huh-uh), cooking (yuck), cleaning (blech) or much of anything else. Honestly, the only thing I've looked forward to and the primary thing that has kept me going this week -- thinking, considering, laughing, crying -- has been books. Flat on my back this week that I accomplished very little, I finished three good books. 

As I've said before and will likely say again before this year is through: God bless the public library!

A few years back, I started recording the titles and authors of the books I read. I've been keeping these lists every year since then, and for me, this has been unspeakably gratifying. Before the weather got above me last week, it was my intention to record my lists from 2012 and 2013 here on my blog. And three books into a new year, it's time (yay!).

But before I do -- well, here's the thing I've been thinking about since I pulled myself out of bed and decided I was going to blog today: I am a writer who has read 75 books since I started keeping track three years ago; I have written ZERO.

Countless people have encourage me to write, and I do -- a little -- in journals, here, on red paper each December... but when I look at the numbers, I can't shake this sinking feeling that this math doesn't work.  

Herein lies a tricky, sticky little *problem.* I can already tell this is going to be a big (BIG) bag for me to unpack in 2014. I've kept it stuffed in my closet for years and years  -- daunted and overwhelmed by the prospect of finally doing something with all of this sh*t. This bag's got cobwebs and dust all over it and... and I hate cobwebs. 

Tonight, I will joyfully type out my lists and celebrate, recall and delight in the works of others once more. And then tomorrow... well... um... 

I'm terrified.


The books I read and finished in 2012...

1. The Magician's Nephew (C.S. Lewis) -- 1/20 
2. Drive (D. Pink) -- 1/29
3. *Poser* (C. Dederer) -- 3/10
4. The Mastery of Love ( D. Ruiz) -- 3/15
5. A Year of Living Biblically ( A.J. Jacobs) -- 4/2
6. What Alice Forgot (L. Moriarty) --4/12
7. Drop Dead Healthy (A.J. Jacobs) -- 4/20
8. The Horse and His Boy (C.S. Lewis) -- 4/27
9. *Bossypants* (T. Fey) -- 5/5
10. Emily Alone ( S. O'Nan) -- 6/1
11. The Complete Master Cleanse (T. Woloshyn) -- 7/4
12. The Master Cleanser (S. Burroughs) -- 7/10
13. Prince Caspian (C.S. Lewis) -- 7/11
14. Enneagram Transformations (D. Riso) -- 7/24
15. *Bastard out of Carolina* (D. Allison) -- 7/25
16. Map of the World (J. Hamilton)-- 8/21
17. The Girl Who Fell from the Sky (H. Durrow) -- 9/5
18. *Gone Girl* (G. Flynn) -- 9/16
19. You Can Heal Your Life (L. Hay) -- 9/21
20. Flow (M Csikszentmihalyi) -- 10/8
21. Lunch In  Paris (E. Bard) -- 10/20 
22. Shelter Me (J. Fey) -- 11/6
23. The Uncoupling (M. Wolitzer) -- 11/9
24. Joy for Beginners ( E. Bauermeister) --11/20 
25. *The Joy Luck Club* ( A. Tan) -- 12/1
26. *The Artist's Way* (J. Cameron) -- 12/27
27. *Simplicity Parenting* (K.J. Payne) -- 12/28

And the books I read and finished in 2013...

1. The Happiness Project (G. Rubin) -- 1/15
2. Friendkeeping (J. Klam) -- 1/21
3. Happier at Home (G. Rubin) -- 2/9
4. Saving Ruth ( Z. Fishman) -- 2/27
5. Personality ( D. Nettle) -- 3/16
6. *Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake* -- (A. Quindlen) -- 4/4
7. *Where We Belong* ( E. Giffin) --4/11
8. Where'd You Go, Bernadette (M Semple) -- 5/4
9. *The Perks of Being a Wallflower* (S. Chbosky) -- 5/6
10. Gift From the Sea (A.M. Lindbergh) -- 5/7
11. *Proof of Heaven (E. Alexander) -- 5/27
12. Why "A" Students Work for "C" Students (R. Kiyosaki) -- 6/3
13. (ugh) We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves (K. Fowler) -- 6/19
14. *A Million Miles in a Thousand Years* (D. Miller) -- 7/1
15. *The Fault In Our Stars* (J. Green) -- 7/9
16. (ehh) Left Neglected (L. Genova) -- 7/22
17. *The Interestings* (M. Wolitzer) -- 8/1
18. Many Lives, Many Masters (B. Weiss) -- 8/10
19. The Ten-Year Nap (M. Wolitzer) -- 9/3
20. Danny, Champion of the World (R. Dahl) 
21. An Abundance of Katherines (J. Green) -- 9/16
22. Friends Like Us (L. Fox) -- 10/20 
23. *Americanah* (C. Adichie) --11/22
24. The Casual Vacancy (J.K. Rowling) -- 11/27
25. (blech)The Swiss Family Robinson (J.D. Wyss) -- 12/8
26. Mercy (J. Picoult) -- 12/20

The books I started but couldn't get through in 2013...

1. (pfltt!!) The Jane Austen Book Club (K. Fowler) 
2. (ehhh) The Glass Castle (J. Walls) 

and finally (!!!)...

My 2012 Book Of The Year...

And My 2013 Book of the Year...

Until tomorrow...