2010 reading list

- The book thief - Zuzak
- Choke - Palanhuik
- Shadow of the wind - Zafon
- Dead as a doornail - Harris
- Definately dead - Harris
- All together dead - Harris
- Kissing Kate - Myracle
- Glass - Hopkins
- Dead to worse - Harris
- Punk like me - Glass
- Punk and zen - Glass
- Twelve - McDonnell
- Rush of wings - Phoenix
- Animal farm - Orwell
- Red light - Glass
- American goth - Glass
- Sickened - Gregory
- We need to talk about Kevin - Shriver
- Dead and gone - Harris
- The man who mistook his wife for a hat - Sacks
- I play drums in a band called OKAY - Litt
- Tipping the velvet - Waters
- Today I'm Alice - Jamieson
- Bait - Sanchez
- I am not a serial killer - Wells
- Burned - Hopkins
- Disgrace - Coetzee
- Affinity - Waters
- Living Dead Girl - Scott
- Possible side effects - Burroughs
- Nineteen minutes - Picoult
- Keeping you a secret - Peters
- Candy - Davies
- The Pact - Picoult
- F2M - Edwards + Kennedy
- The Messenger - Zuzak
- Fight Club - Palahnuik
- Written on the Body - Wintersun
- Naked - Sedaris
- The tenth circle - Picoult
and to bring in the New year...
- High Fidelity - Hornby


As someone who worked in a bookstore and mocked the women who read Picoult, I have recently had to eat my words. I first picked up Nineteen Minutes at a Target store as it was ten dollars. I was intrigued about the topic - a school shooting - and decided to swallow my pride and buy it. I was entranced. Loved it. The same situation occured when I found The Pact. Then, when I got The Tenth Circle for christmas, I was a little wary, thinking surely I have used up my Picoult-luck, but no, this book was also very enjoyable. I think, though, that this is the end of my Picoult-streak. I believe alot of my enjoyment of these books has had to do with the topics. School shooting, suicide pact, rape and murder. I doubt I would have the same enthusiasm over some of her other books.

The man who mistook his wife for a hat by Oliver Sacks. Amazing. As a psychology degree dropout, I admit, the brain and the mind fascinate me no end. People are amazing creatures. Do not confuse this as admiration, I thoroughly dislike most humans, HOWEVER, I do love watching them. I would love nothing more than to run experiments like they did before ethics committees existed. This book blew my mind. I cannot even describe how much so. If studying psychology were anywhere near as interesting as this book, I would already have my Doctorate.

As a strong recommendation by many friends, I located a copy of High Fidelity. I am yet to finish, I keep falling asleep lately. I am enjoying it thoroughly. It hits a little too close to home though. There are too many sentiments in there that are too similar to me. I don't like it, it makes me think about how pathetic I am. Even more so than Rob, the narrator, as he at least has a record store and semi-regular sex.

This year, 2011, I plan to start afresh. I will read plenty, rather than sitting here on the computer. I will nourish my mind, rather than watching the pretty lights on the screen kills my brain cells.

books.

My book collection. Note the double layering of some shelves.

I love books. I adore them. I get so absorbed in a book that I forget to eat. I am too impressionable. I always want to experience what I read, even the bad things.

The other day I found the original charactered Enid Blyton 'Wishing Chair' and 'Faraway Tree's. They were $5 each. I had to, even jobless.

I collect kids books. Classics from childhood, beautiful stories, beautiful illustrations. My favourite childrens picture book author is Colin Thompson. He is amazing.

I love biographies, hard luck stories, abuse, mental illness, interesting people...their lives are more interesting than mine, and I love reading about them.

Reference books too. Vocabulary builders, writing guides, obscure word books, dictionaries, psychology reference...things that make me think. Non-fiction is beautiful. My favourites are Foyles Philavery and 120 Banned Books.

Photography, art etc. Amazing. I love having a lovely coffee table book on my lap full of beautiful pictures. Post secret, Dita Von Teese, Nude Bible, Banksy, Monroe, Elephants, Cats...they all make me smile.

I collect 'pretty' books too. Nice vintage (and vintage-looking) hardbacks. Shiny text on the spine. Fabric covering. Wordswroth put out a collection of them, I found them for so cheap. At a market I found a handful of classics for $3. Second hand bookstores are heaven. I have my grandmas copy of a first edition Black Beauty. It's falling apart, but smells divine.

I love books. From young adult trash, smutty lesbian fiction, literary classics, humorous novels to a random novel on the shelf that everybody else overlooks. Just try and stop me from entering a second hand bookstore. The smell entrances me. The words scream at me from the pages. I can lose hours browsing.

My dream is to own my own library. I want to dedicate a whole room to wall-to-wall books.