Goal: Last year I wanted to read 52 GOOD books. For me, reading a good book is the same as Daniel and Travis playing the guitar. It's Jimmy going to the gym. It's my mom creating something on the potter's
wheel. I just feel "right" and soothed when reading a good book.
I decided to list the full list of books I read last year, and I "**starred**" the ones that I LOVED. Most of these books I liked. Some I hated and read only 30 to 100 pages and then left behind (they aren't on the list).
The ones I loved, were books that I thought about during the day; books that made me want to do another 20 minutes on the
stair master just so I could read more; books worthy of sleep deprivation that were usually finished within a few days.
Many of the recommendations came from you--and most of you got my genre right on. Please don't be offended if I didn't star your book. I liked it, but I just didn't LOVE it.
Here is my list:Time Traveler’s Wife, Jodi
Picoult, 1/4
Safron Kitchen, Yasmin
Crowther, 1/7
The Lucky One, Nicholas Sparks, 1/12
Picture Perfect, Jodi
Picoult 1/16
**19 Minutes, “ “ 1 /20
*The Guardian, Nicholas Sparks 1/24
Vanishing Acts, Jodi
Picoult 2/2
The 10
th Circle, “ “ 2/5
A Change of Heart, “ “ 2/10
The Shack, WM Paul Young, 2/12
The
Gurnsey Literary Potato Peel Society, Mary Ann Shaffer, 2/19
Princess Academy, Shanon Hall, 2/24
**Sarah’s Key, Tatiana
de Rosnay, 2/28
The Ladies
Auxillary, Tove
Mirvis, 3/2
The Wednesday Letters, Jason Wright 3/3
Worst Case, James Patterson, 3/3
**
Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card, 3/11
The 5 People You meet in Heaven, Mitch
Albom, 3/11
The Summons, John
Grisham 3/19
The Brethren, “ “ 3/22
The Undaunted, Gerald
Lund, 3/27
Train To
Potevka, ?? 4/5
The Client, John
Grisham, 4/19
**The Firm, “ “ 4/26
The Partner, “ “ 4/27
Second Glance, Jodi
Picoult, 5/2
At 1st Sight, Nicholas Sparks, 5/4
*The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Kim Edwards, 5/11
**Till The Boys Come Home, Jerry
Borrowman, 5/14
Two From Galilee, Marjorie Holmes, 5/20
3 Cups of Tea, Greg
Mortenson, 6/9
The Wedding, Nicholas Sparks, 6/15
Blue Smoke, Nora Roberts, 6/21
Pretend You Don’t See Her, Mary Higgins Clark, 6/26
Inner Harbor, Nora Roberts, 7/5
**The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom, 7/9
The Conspiracy Club, Jonathon
Kellerman, 7/6
Summer Harbor, Susan Wilson, 7/13
The Innocent Man, John
Grisham, 7/15
The Sight of the Stars, Belva Plain, 7/25
Fieldwork, Mischa
Berlinski, 7/21
Bodies Left Behind, Jeffrey
Deaver, 7/30
*Man’s Search For Meaning,
Viktor Frankl, 7/26
Black Notice, Patricia
Cornwell, 8/10
*Shadow Dance, Julie Garwood, 8/15
*The Sleeping Doll, Jeffrey
Deaver, 8/20
*On the street where you live, Mary Higgins Clark, 8/25
Summer Light,
Luanne Rice, 8/26
Echo Burning, Lee Child, 8/27
Enchantment, Orson Scott Card, 8/27
*The Two Minute Rule, Robert
Crais, 8/31
*Coast Road, Barbara
Delinsky, 9/13
The eleventh commandment, Jeffrey archer, 9/17
One Soldier’s Story, Bob Dole, 9/8
**Sunday at Tiffany’s, James Patterson 9/20
Lady Killer, Lisa
Scottoline, 9/15
The Christmas Promise, Donna Van
Liere, 9/21
*
Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins, 10/20
Water for Elephants, Sara
Gruen, 11/2
The
Poisonwood Bible, 11/15
Cyanide Wells, 11/5
All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque, 11/29
**
Charloette Gray, Sebastian
Faulks, 12/10
Handle With Care, Jodi
Picoult, 12/15
The Book Thief, Markus
Zusak, 12/30
You'll notice that I read a lot of
Grisham books. I've never read any of his books and they probably all deserve stars. I love this author. I love Jodi
Picoult too. Thank you whoever recommended her. She writes about difficult and controversial-
ish topics like a high school shooting, date rape, suing for malpractice, etc and makes you think about both sides. I love a good mystery/thriller which is why I read James Patterson, Jeffrey
Deaver, and Mary Higgins Clark. And of course, I love world war 2 historical fiction. Oh, and a good love triangle always gets me hooked so thank you Nicolas Sparks.
Did anyone read "The Shack"? I'm VERY interested what you thought about it! Or how about book 3 from the Hunger Games series (one of the best series I've ever read)
Mockingjay? What were your thoughts? I was sorely dissatisfied with the laziness of the author after reading her first 2 detail-
licious books.
Anyway, I don't actually know how many books I read last year. It looks like more than 52. I just kept checking out books from the library that you all recommended, and so here again, is my plea.
What were your favorite books of 2010, or ever, for that matter? I need some suggestions for 2011.
Here is the view from UOP's roof. I don't know why Jim always closes his eyes--the sun was barely out! The other dental students told us their wives will meet up with them once a week for lunch and sometimes eat up there with that quiet view. LOVE IT!
This is the view from one of the places we'd possibly live. It's where all the other mormon students live at. And yes--check out the doggie purse! 
Me, Jimmy, and our girl Nikki also went to a MMA fight. You ever been to one? INTENSE! Luckily Nikki and Jimmy explained to me how the scoring worked.
You can almost hear the music and smell the pot from this picture!
Oh and of course we had to go to the beach. We met up with a friend from CT--Natalie Larsen Kershaw and her little pup Jack. 
Roxy LOVED being chased by Jack as you can see.
She did not, however, like getting too close to the water.
