My 2012 Reading List

One of my goals for 2012 was to read 36 books (three a month). As of today, I’ve read 29 and am working through three others. As with 2011, I received courtesy copies in exchange for “honest reviews” for many of them. I’ve noted those accordingly.

My favorites (in no particular order):

• Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. (Kindle). It took me four months but was definitely worth the time. The recently released film is also worth the time.
• The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy. (Kindle). Excellent journalistic analysis of Billy Graham’s interactions and influence with U.S. Presidents over seven decades.
• The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. (Kindle). Classic.
•  The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1 by Trenton Lee Stewart. (Kindle, public library e-loan).
• The Fear Index by Robert Harris. (Kindle, public library e-loan).
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. (Kindle, public library e-loan).
• Breakfast with Bonhoeffer by Jon Walker. (Print. Review posted here).
• The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. (Kindle, public library e-loan).

Those I’m reading now:

• The Glimpse by Grant Carroll. (For review).
• Dangerous Surrender by Kay Warren.
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. (Kindle, public library e-loan).

Others I read and liked:

• The Last Days by Joel Rosenberg. (Print).
•  The Resignation of Eve, Jim Henderson. (Kindle. Review posted here).
•  The Final Assault, by Steven Smith. (Kindle. Review posted here). The author has removed the book from circulation as he makes updates.
• Candide, by Voltaire. (Kindle).
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. (Kindle).
• An Introduction to the Old Testament Template by Landa Cope. (Kindle).
• Dead Heat by Joel Rosenberg. (Print).
• The Breakthrough by Jerry Jenkins (Print. Review posted here).
• The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury. (Print. Review posted here).
• Be-Tween You and God by Sandra Byrd. (Print. Review posted here).
• A Thousand Pardons by Jonathan Dee. (Kindle. Review posted here).

 Others I read and liked not quite so much:

• Beyond the Sun by J.D. Inman. (Kindle. Read for review, but I did not write a review. The story concept is good but needs work, and the number of typographical and grammatical errors frustrated me. I recommended the author correct these errors before circulating further.)
• Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu. (Kindle).
• The Azalea Assault by Alyse Carlson. (Print).
•  The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn. (Print. Review posted here).
• Toxic Charity by D. Lupton. (Kindle).
• Virals by Kathy Reichs. (Kindle, public library e-loan).
• Chasing Paris by Jen Carter. (Kindle).
• Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. (Kindle).

Those I didn't finish:

• Kenilworth by Sir Walter Scott. (Kindle). Nothing wrong with it. It was just soooooo long. I imagine it was a great fireside family read in the days before television.
• The Unlikely Spy by Daniel Silva. (Kindle, public library e-loan). Unnecessary graphic descriptions of immoral sexual behavior that didn’t seem to further the story. More than I could stomach.

As always, I welcome recommendations to add to the 2013 list. 

Travel light ... and read well.

Ann