My Up and Coming Book List

>> Saturday, January 3, 2009


So I've been reading through all those lists people put together of the books they have to read before they die. Yes, some of the classics should be read (Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye) and yes Oprah has picked some alright books but I always feel in those lists they always leave out a ton of great ones. They leave out new authors, unknowns, and books that are just plain enjoyable. Yes, Chelsea Handler probably won't change my life but it will give me a few laughs and in the end, that's actually worth alot.
So here is a list of 40 books I hope to finish this year, not necessarily in order- thoughts? reviews? Read on...

Breaking Dawn – Stephenie Meyer
My Horizontal Life – Chelsea Handley
Keeping Faith – Jodi Picoult
What Was Lost – Catherine O’Flynn
The Pact: A Love Story – Jodi Picoult
I Love You, Beth Cooper – Larry Doyle
Marley & Me – John Grogan
Suite Francaise – Irene Nemirovsky
Buddha: A Story of Enlightment – Deepak Chopra
The Dive from Clausen’s Pier – Ann Packer
Kafka on the Shore – Haruki Murakami
The Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd
Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen
Motherless Daughters- A Legacy of Loss – Hope Edelman
Open House – Elizabeth Berg
Drowing Ruth – Christina Schwarz
The Liar’s Club: A Memoir – Mary Karr
The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay – Michael Chabon
The Friday Knight Knitting Club – Kate Jacobs
Then She Found Me – Elinor Lipman
The Life Before Her Eyes – Laura Kasischke
Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime – Mark Haddon
The Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfield
Go Ask Alice – anonymous
Smile While You’re Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer – Chuck Thompson
Life is a Mixtape: Life and Loss, One song at a time – Rob Sheffield
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress – Sijie Dai
Kitchen Confidential – Anthony Bourdain
Life is So Good – George Dawson
Forever – Pete Hamill
The God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy
Flower Children – Maxine Swann
Elsewhere – Gabrielle Zevin
Harvesting the Heart – Jodi Picoult
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell – Tucker Max
The Bright Forever – Lee Martin
The Secret History – Donna TarttBorn Standing Up: A Comic’s Life – Steve Martin



16 comments:

Addi January 4, 2009 at 12:34 AM  

Nice. Some personal, from the gut reactions...

I started to read "I hope they serve beer in hell" because it was recommended to me by a friend that also liked Dave Eggers, but i could not get into it. Tucker Max, although is funny, tried too hard. I don't know, maybe i was not in the right mood to start it.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" is strange but good. Quick easy read too, maybe next time you fly cross country...

"Middlesex" is not as good as Virgin Suicides, but i think i have personal bias on it. but it is very much well worth your time.

"I Love You, Beth Cooper" is the best, funniest book i have read in years. I am about to start it again, I figure laughing is a good way to start the year.

"The secret life of bees" is on my list for this year too.

one you should add, not that you don't have enough is Lord Vishnu's Love Handles: A Spy Novel (Sort Of)" by Will Clarke. He is one of my favorite new authors (his novel "The Worthy" is very good as well) but this one will give you a good laugh with a dash of enlightenment.

Awesome list.

RLF January 4, 2009 at 1:03 PM  

Hi Stephanie...just came across this from Facebook. It made me think of Mr. Dudas's list from sophomore year of " Dudas Before you Die." I wonder if he did have an actual list. I do remember a book list he put together though.

Anyway, I appreciate the book suggestions; always looking for new stuff.

Hope this finds you well!
-Rachel LovellFord

Stevie January 10, 2009 at 4:37 PM  

Book update: Read- Breaking Dawn
Currently Reading: My Horizontal Life
Book 1 of 2009 is done!

Stevie February 20, 2009 at 10:25 AM  

Book update 2/20
Read: My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler, What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn, and Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
Currently Reading: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Stevie April 8, 2009 at 5:45 PM  

Book update 4/8
Read: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett and I Love You Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle

Currently Reading: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max

Stevie April 18, 2009 at 10:50 PM  

Book update 4/19
Read: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max

Currently Reading: The Secret Life of Bees (still) and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

Stevie May 11, 2009 at 1:51 PM  

Book update 5/11
Read: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (wonderful)
Continuing to read: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (this will be a long one)

Stevie May 25, 2009 at 3:28 PM  

Book update 5/25
Read: The Pact- A Love Story by Jodi Picoult
Currently Reading: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
and
Smile While You're Lying

Stevie June 22, 2009 at 5:27 PM  

Not too shabby, I've read 9 of the 40 books I posted so far. I'm diverging from the original list for a short while to read some "light" girlie books that I never read so you may seem some new titles.
Read: Smile While You're Lying (great)
On Hold: Kavalier and Clay
Next up: [one of these beach worthy books]- Bergdorf Blondes, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Queen of Babble in the City

but also,
Water for Elephants and Suite Francaise.

Stevie July 6, 2009 at 10:03 PM  

Read: Bergdorf Blondes (don't judge me, it was just as terrible as it sounds)
Water for Elephants (top 5 fave books of all time)
Now Reading: Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

I'm giving up the girl book thing I think. We'll see.

Stevie July 22, 2009 at 1:34 PM  

Read: Prodigal Summer
Now Reading: Suite Francaise

Stevie August 15, 2009 at 7:25 AM  

Read: Suite Francaise & Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult (those Picoult books are always so quick for me!)

Now Reading: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
On Deck: The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao

Stevie October 11, 2009 at 4:24 PM  

Read: The History of Love, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Now Reading: If I Stay by Gayle Forman & Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult
(Yea I think Picoult books are like trading cards to me, I'm trying to collect them all).

Stevie October 24, 2009 at 9:36 AM  

Read: Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

Now Reading: Middlesex, Change of Heart (another Jodi Picoult book) and If I Stay.

Stevie November 27, 2009 at 7:55 PM  

Read: Change of Heart

Now Reading: Elsewhere (and Middlesex and If I Stay)

Stevie March 13, 2010 at 7:37 PM  

Wow I've read a lot since I last updated. I read Elsewhere and If I Stay and Handle with Care and Drowning Ruth. Can't remember if I read anything in between there.
I read half of Then She Found Me but hate it so I'm considering abandoning it. I've also started The Friday Night Knitting Club but think it's going to be too chic-lit-y for me. I'm finally giving Middlesex the attention it deserves.
Next up is House Rules (the latest Jodi Picoult) and then This is Your Brain on Music (non-fiction). So did I make my goal to read all those books in a year? No I read about 20 books that I documented which isn't bad considering I read non-adult books all day for a living! Now on to updating my new list...

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