2013 Book List

Well, it’s another year in books, folks, and although I’m certain I’ll read a book over the holiday, the time has come once again for my annual book list. Looks like I read 33 books this year, plus the Sunday New York Times (um…it’s really thick) and 3 manuscript critiques. In 2013, I also began using Goodreads, so if you prefer reviews, you can get more details here. Miss last year’s list? Here it is. And if you’re really into shelving and how authors organize their books, check out this guest post I wrote for David Abrams about my Airstream library. Thursday’s post will feature my top 5 from 2013, with written explanations and writerly musings. Meantime: 

1. To Embroider the Ground with Prayer by Teresa J. Scollon
2. Eleven Days by Lea Carpenter
3. The Long Walk by Brian Castner
4. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
5. Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson
6. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Stephen Galloway
7. The Watch by Joydeep Roy Bhattacharya
8. Just Kids by Patti Smith
9. Raven Girl by Audrey Niffenegger
10. The Shambhala Principle by Sakyong Mipham
11. Contents May Have Shifted by Pam Houston
12. Traveling Light: Chasing the Illuminated Life by Deborah Marchant
13. Homebody/Kabul by Tony Kushner
14. Rosey in the Present Tense by Louise Hawes
15. Black Pearls by Louise Hawes
16. Pulling Down the Barn by Anne-Marie Oomen
17. The Places In Between by Rory Stewart
18. Charms Against Lightning by James Arthuer
19. Baghdad Burning by Riverbend
20. In My Father’s Country by Saima Wahab
21. Fobbit by David Abrams
22. American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell
23. Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Kilnkenborg
24. The Owning Stone by Jim Peterson
25. The Wilding by Benjamin Percy
26. Stardog by Jack Driscoll
27. A Hundred and One Days by Asne Seierstad
28. Stickelbacks and Snowglobes by B.A. Goodjohn
29. This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
30. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
31. Flashes of War by…um… (yes, I actually re-read it when it came out, for the first time in over a year and a half–such a strange experience)
32. Kaboom by Matt Gallagher
33. Dogs by Abigail DeWitt