Pausing to think…and write…about my world.
In 2014 I met my goal of reading 65 books. (I always join the Goodreads Reading Challenge.) Some were really exceptional and some were pretty bad. I also re-read about a dozen books; they are not included on this list.
Favorite Books of 2014
Wild – Cheryl Strayed
Wonder – R.J. Palacio
Golden Boy – Abigail Tarttelin
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry – Rachel Joyce
The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky
This book is the story of the January 12, 1888, blizzard that led to the deaths of hundreds of people—many of them children who had gone off to school for the day and then tried to get home after the storm began. It is harrowing in its deadly detail, but also a fascinating look at the early days of meteorology and the personal stories of immigrants to the Great Plains.
Read moreBooks I Want to Write About: The Children’s Blizzard
I didn’t expect to like Wild, mostly because when I read the description I thought it sounded a bit ridiculous. But one day I had a moment of boredom and decided to check it out. Turns out, it’s really good!
I thought it was going to be a girl version of AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, west coast style. It was, but it wasn’t. On the one hand, it was every way of NOT preparing to hike the Pacific Coast Trail alone, but on the other, it was all about digging in deep and not giving up. That idea really rang true for me, both as a female and as a fledgling ultrarunner.
They say the things you do on January 1 are the things you’ll be doing the rest of the year. So today I will:
I think those are five good things to do more of in 2014.
My overall total number of books read in 2013 was down considerably this year. I spent 2013 reading a lot about technology and web development, most of which didn’t come in between two covers. I managed 38 books this year and it was totally the year of the series. Almost everything I read was part of a series of books, some of which I only read because I felt committed to following through with the storyline. (I should revisit that policy in 2014.) I also re-read some favorites (shout out Harry Potter) and I’m leaving those books off this year’s list. I think this is the first time the Not Best books have outnumbered the Best books. I just wasn’t very impressed this year. As always, my list is completely subjective and in no particular order.