The one constant for a writer, besides actually, you know, writing stuff, is reading stuff. This is the running list of books that have been run through during the year, as well as years past. Here’s how it works: The books currently under the microscope are at the top of the page, and as they are completed, they drop under the year completed. If it’s a book I have read before, it will be marked as “reread.” This also assumes I’m reading a “dead-tree edition” unless there is an “(E)” next to it, for an ebook edition.
May 2015, Edit to Add: As crazy as schedules have gotten, I have added Audiobooks to the mix of how I’m consuming stories. Those titles are designated with an (A) in the list below, and will be included in the “New” vs “Reread” count as appropriate.
In Progress (Active):
Ray Bradbury: The Illustrated Man (E)
Iain M. Banks: Consider Phlebas (E)
In Progress, but on Hiatus:
Frank Herbert: Dune (1/4 E & 3/4 Print)
Edward James & Farah Mendlesohn (ed.): The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction
Joseph Lowman: Mastering the Techniques of Teaching (2nd Edition)
Brad Hudson and Matt Fitzgerald: Run Faster
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: The Complete Sherlock Holmes, vol. 1 (E)
Daniel Halpern (ed.): The Art of the Story
The Brothers Grimm: Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales
2016: 30 (22 Audiobook)
| James Goss: Doctor Who: Dead Air (A) | Mary Robinette Kowal: Of Noble Family (A) |
| Kevin J Anderson: Death Warmed Over (E) | Kevin Hearne: Hexed (A) |
| Carrie Vaughn: Kitty and the Midnight Hour (A) | John Scalzi: The Dispatcher (A) |
| Jim Butcher: Grave Peril (A) | Ray Bradbury: The Halloween Tree (A) |
| Steven Gould: Jumper (E) | Alfred Lansing: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage (A) |
| John Scalzi: The Ghost Brigades | Steven Pressfield: Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t (E) |
| Blake Snyder: Save the Cat Strikes Back (A) | Alice Clayton: Wallbanger (E) |
| Shannon Page (ed.): The Usual Path to Publication (E) | Robert Harris: The Ghost (Writer) (A)** |
| John McWhorter: Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue (A) | Brandon Sanderson: Mitosis (A) |
| John Scalzi: The Android’s Dream (A) | Mary Robinette Kowal: Valour and Vanity (A) |
| Kevin Hearne: Hounded (A) | Jim Butcher: Fool Moon (A) |
| Scott Lynch: The Lies of Locke Lamora (A) | Jennifer Worth: Call the Midwife (A) |
| Syd Field: Screenplay | Daniel Coyle: The Little Book of Talent (A) |
| Elizabeth Gilbert: Big Magic (A) | Cherie Priest: Boneshaker (A) |
| Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography | Patrick Rothfuss: The Name of the Wind (A)* |
*Started in 2015, finished in 2016
** Originally published as The Ghost, the Audiobook featured the Movie Tie-in cover as The Ghost Writer.
2015: 25 (with 0 Rereads; 13 Audiobooks)
| Diana Gabaldon: Outlander (E/A)*** | |
| Suzanne Collins: Mockingjay (E)** | Elaine Cunningham: Shadows in the Starlight |
| Charles Stross: The Trade of Queens | Patrick Rothfuss: The Slow Regard for Silent Things |
| Chuck Wendig: The Kick-Ass Writer | John Scalzi: Agent to the Stars (A) |
| Steve Windsor: 9 Day Novel: Outlining the Basics (E) | Chris Fox: 5,000 Words per Hour (E) |
| Mary Robinette Kowal: Without a Summer (A) | Earnest Cline: Armada (A) |
| Christopher Simons Haviland (ed.): The Synopsis Treasury (E) | Andy Weir: The Martian (A) |
| John Scalzi: Lock In (A) | Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett: Good Omens (E) (A)* |
| RA Salvatore: The Legend of Drizzt: The Collected Stories (A) | Andrew J Mellen: Unstuff Your Life (A) |
| Stewart Copeland: Strange Things Happen (A) | Mary Robinette Kowal: Glamour in Glass (A) |
| Neil Gaiman: Trigger Warning (A) | Kevin J Anderson: Clockwork Angels (A) |
| Libbie Hawker: Take Off Your Pants! (Outlining for Faster, Better Writing) (E) |
Damon Knight: Creating Short Fiction |
| Steve Windsor: 9 Day Novel Writing Faster! (E) | Albert Zuckerman: Writing the Blockbuster Novel (E) |
*Good Omens: Listened to the BBC Radio adaptation, but have not finished the physical reading of the text. I’m considering it “read” since I have (generally) experienced the story arc. I do intend, at some point, to return to the text to look at the actual execution of the story.
** Part of an Omnibus Edition
*** I read maybe 2-3% of the book before switching to Audio.
2014: 19 (with 0 rereads)
| Hannah Dennison: Murder at Honeychurch Hall (E) | |
| Jonathan Santlofer (ed.): LA Noir: The Collected Stories (E) | Larry Brooks: When Every Month is NaNoWriMo (E) |
| Sarah Domet: 90 Days to Your Novel | Suzy Giordano: Twelve Hours’ Sleep by Twelve Weeks Old |
| D. B. Jackson: Thieftaker | David Farland: Million Dollar Outlines (E) |
| Kevin J. Anderson: Million Dollar Productivity (E) | Lucy A. Snyder: Shooting Yourself in the Head for Fun and Profit: A Writer’s Survival Guide (E) |
| Cassie Alexander: Nightshifted (E) | Lawrence Block: Spider, Spin Me a Web (E) |
| Jim Butcher: Storm Front (E) | Suzanne Collins: Catching Fire (E)** |
| John Scalzi: Old Man’s War (E) | Joe Hill: NOS4A2 (E)* |
| Donald Maass: The Fire in Fiction | Jincy Willett: The Writing Class |
| Neil Gaiman: The Ocean at the End of the Lane | Alan Ziegler: The Writing Workshop Notebook |
* – Started in 2013, finished 2014
** – Part of an Omnibus Edition
2013: 21 + 3 Reread
| John Grisham: The Firm | Ursula K. LeGuin: The Left Hand of Darkness |
| Philip K. Dick: Ubik | James Scott Bell: Revision & Self-Editing, 2nd Ed. (E) |
| Robert A. Heinlein: Starship Troopers (reread) | Steven Pressfield: The Authentic Swing (E) |
| Alfred Bester: The Stars My Destination (E) | Ray Bradbury: Farenheit 451 (reread) |
| Michael Knost (ed.): Writer’s Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy (E) | Sue Grafton: P is for Peril |
| Amy Deardon: The Story Template | Lawrence Block: The Liar’s Bible (E) |
| Donald Maass: Writing 21st Century Fiction | Mary Robinette Kowal: Shades of Milk and Honey (E) |
| Ernest Cline: Ready Player One | Emma Bull: War for the Oaks |
| James Scott Bell: Conflict and Suspense | Patricia McKillip: Riddle-Master of Hed |
| Roger Zelazney: Nine Princes in Amber** | Farah Mendlesohn & Edward James: A Short History of Fantasy |
| J.R.R. Tolkein: The Hobbit (reread) | Ursela K. LeGuin: A Wizard of Earthsea |
| Stephen King: Danse Macabre* | Alyson Noël: Fated* |
* Read mostly in 2012, finished early January 2013.
** Part of an Omnibus edition
2012: 29
| Jay Kristoff: Stormdancer | |
| Terry Pratchett: The Color of Magic | April Smith: North of Montana |
| Stephen King: The Colorado Kid (E) | Tess Gerritsen: Thief of Hearts (E) |
| Walter Mosley: Little Scarlet | Janet Evanovich: One for the Money |
| Franklin W. Dixon: High-Wire Act (Hardy Boys # 123) |
Linda Fairstein: Final Jeopardy (1/2 Print, 1/2 E) |
| Donald Maass: Writing the Breakout Novel | Ed McBain: The Last Dance |
| Seamus Cooper: Mall of Cthulu | James Scott Bell: Plot & Structure |
| Martha Alderson: The Plot Whisperer | Sue Grafton: O is for Outlaw |
| John Scalzi: Redshirts | Ray Bradbury: Zen in the Art of Writing |
| Cory Doctorow: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (E) | Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games (E) |
| Chuck Wendig: Revenge of the Penmonkey (E) | David Hewson: Writing: A User Manual (E) |
| David Hewson: Writing a Novel with Scrivener (E) | K.M. Weiland – Outlining Your Novel (E) |
| Walter Isaacson: Steve Jobs | Simon Pegg: Nerd Do Well |
| Ian McEwen: Atonement | Chuck Wendig: Confessions of a Freelance Penmonkey (E) |
| Cory Doctorow: Context (E) | Joe Ambercrombie: The Blade Itself |
2011: 32
| James D. Barron: She’s Had a Baby – and I’m Having a Meltdown | Alan Watt: The 90-day Novel (E) |
| Roz Morris: Nail Your Novel (E) | David Baboulene: The Story Book (E) |
| Steig Larsen: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (E) | Eric Olsen & Glenn Schaeffer: We Wanted to be Writers (Life, Love, and Literature at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop) |
| Kelly Link: Stranger Things Happen | J.N. Williamson (ed.): How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction |
| Sue Grafton: N is for Noose | Orson Scott Card: Ender’s Game |
| Ed Gorman and Martin H. Greenberg (ed.): Between the Dark and the Daylight (and 27 more) | Ronald B. Tobias: 20 Master Plots and How to Build Them |
| Raymond Obstfeld: Novelist’s Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes | Jeff Vandermeer: Booklife |
| H. Beam Piper: Little Fuzzy (E) | Dashiell Hammett: The Glass Key |
| John Scalzi: Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded | Elaine Cunningham: Shadows in the Darkness |
| Dwight V. Swain: Creating Characters: How to Build Story People | Orson Scott Card: How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy |
| Sue Graftom: M is for Malice | Irene Nemirovsky: Suite Francaise |
| Juliet Marillier: Daughter of the Forest | Nick Mamatas: Starve Better (E) |
| Charles Stross: Glasshouse | Chris Carmichael: The Time Crunched Cyclist |
| Jane Vandenburgh: Architecture of the Novel | Orson Scott Card: Characters & Viewpoint |
| Charles Stross: Wireless (E) | Kate Wilhelm: Storyteller |
| Tim Powers: The Anubis Gates | Sue Grafton (ed.): Writing Mysteries, 2nd Edition |
2010: 35 (34 New + 1 Reread)
| C. S. Forester: Plain Murder | Charles Stross: The Revolution Business |
| John Scalzi: You’re Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop to a Coffee Shop: Scalzi on Writing (E) | Janine Cross: Touched by Venom |
| David D. Busch: Digital SLR Cameras & Photography for Dummies, 2nd ed. | Annie Dillard: The Writing Life (E) |
| Stacey Cochran: Three Stories [Thesis] | William Goldman: The Princess Bride (30th Anniv.) |
| Sue Grafton: L is for Lawless | Roger Zelazny: Lord of Light |
| W. Somerset Maugham: Cakes and Ale | Charles Stross: The Merchants’ War |
| Michael Moorcock: The Jewel in the Skull | Sue Grafton: K is for Killer |
| Robin Cook: The Year of the Intern | Frank McCort: Angela’s Ashes |
| Marianne de Pierres: Nylon Angel | Bonnie Friedman: Writing Past Dark |
| Stephen King: Blockade Billy | Neil Gaiman: Stardust |
| Charles Stross: The Clan Corporate | Chris McDonald: Rush: Rock Music & the Middle Class |
| Sue Grafton: J is for Judgment | Patrick O’Brian: The Rendevous (& Other Stories) |
| Jerome Stern: Making Shapely Fiction (again) | Stephen King: Skeleton Crew |
| Philip Roth: The Human Stain | Spalding Gray: Swimming to Cambodia |
| Robert Olen Butler: A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain | Richard Matheson: Button, Button (& Other Stories) |
| Toni Morrison: Beloved | Joan Didion: Democracy |
| P.D. James: Talking About Detective Fiction | Doug Wright: I Am My Own Wife (play) |
| Michael Crichton: Five Patients |
2009: 44 (43 New & 1 reread)
| James Scott Bell: The Art of War for Writers | Wil Wheaton: The Happiest Days of Our Lives |
| Rita Mae Brown: Santa Clawed | Dashiell Hammett: Woman in the Dark |
| Charles Stross: The Jennifer Morgue | Chris Baty: No Plot, No Problem (again) |
| Sue Grafton: I is for Innocent | Neil Gaiman: Anansi Boys |
| T.C. Boyle: The Inner Circle | Dan Brown: The Lost Symbol |
| Christine Schutt: Florida | Stanley Elkin: The Living End |
| Robert J. Ray & Bret Norris: The Weekend Novelist | Lorrie Moore: Who Will Run The Frog Hospital |
| Daniel Mason: The Piano Tuner | Richard Bausch: Peace |
| Joyce Carol Oates: Black Water | Ian McEwan: The Cement Garden |
| Diane Setterfield: The Thirteenth Tale | Simon Mawer: The Gospel of Judas |
| Kelly L. Stone: Time to Write | Andrew McAleer: 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists |
| Charles Stross: The Hidden Family | A. N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice): Beauty’s Release |
| Ian McEwan: On Chesil Beach | Sue Grafton: H is for Homicide |
| Alan Moore: Watchmen (GN) | Neil Gaiman: American Gods |
| Charles Stross: The Atrocity Archives | Harry Turtledove: Gladiator |
| Stephen King: Everything’s Eventual | A. N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice): Beauty’s Punishment |
| Sue Grafton: G is for Gumshoe | Charles Stross: The Family Trade |
| Margaret Maron: Uncommon Clay | Clyde Edgerton: Redeye |
| Liza Wieland: Bombshell | A. N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice): Claiming of Sleeping Beauty |
| Ian Fleming: Quantum of Solace (The Complete Short Stories) | (Journal): Good Country People |
| William Gibson: Burning Chrome | Marcia Dickson: It’s Not Like That Here |
| J. K. Rowling: Tales of Beedle the Bard | W. Somerset Maugham: The Painted Veil |
2008: 26 (25 New + 1 Reread)
| Neil Gaiman: Fragile Things | Sue Grafton: F is for Fugitive |
| Kate Mosse: Labyrinth | Pete McCarthey: McCarthey’s Bar |
| Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book | T.C. Boyle: Tooth and Claw and other stories |
| J.D. Salinger: Nine Stories | Tobias Wolff: The Night in Question: Stories |
| Clyde Edgerton: Lunch at the Piccadilly | Christopher Paolini: Eldest |
| Michael Crichton: Travels | Steve Martin: Born Standing Up |
| Gregory Maguire: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister | Sue Grafton: E is for Evidence |
| Neil Gaiman: Neverwhere | Kate DiCamillo: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane |
| Kevin Brockmeier: The Brief History of the Dead | Neil Gaiman: Smoke & Mirrors |
| J.D. Salinger: Catcher in the Rye | Sue Grafton: D is for Deadbeat |
| Sheri Holman: The Dress Lodger | John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath |
| Mark Twain: The Adventures of Huck Finn | J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (reread) |
| Imogen Edwards-Jones & Anonymous: Hotel Babylon | Eric Clapton: Clapton: The Autobiography |
2007: 18 Completed
| Just a Geek: Wil Wheaton | Dancing Barefoot: Wil Wheaton |
| Rita Mae Brown: Outfoxed | Steve Martin: The Underpants: A Play by Carl Sternheim |
| Katrina Firlik: Another Day in the Frontal Lobe | JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows |
| Chuck Palahniuk: Fight Club | Frank McCourt: Teacher Man |
| Sue Grafton: C is for Corpse | F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby |
| Joe Hill: Heart Shaped Box | Sue Grafton: B is for Burglar |
| The Lamb’s Supper: Scott Hahn | Chris Baty: No Plot? No Problem! |
| Sue Grafton: A is for Alibi | Dan Brown: Angels and Demons |
| Cesar Millan: Cesar’s Way | Steven Pressfield: The Legend of Bagger Vance |
2006: (These were the last few books finished at the end of the year, before I started keeping the list of titles that were read)
Christopher Paolini: Eragon
Brian McKeown: Enter at A, Laughing
Stephen King: Different Seasons
Neil Peart: Roadshow: Landscape With Drums: A Concert Tour by Motorcycle
Echoes Americana 