My 2012 Reading List - better late than never?

I never got this one done earlier this month. I fully intended to, but I had my middle son home from college until January 4th and I didn't want to let him go. We were having too much fun going to movies and staying up late talking and playing games and eating out and sleeping in . . . er, yes. 

And then I was gone January 5-9th for my brother's interment and after I returned, it was a case of yikes, I gotta get back to real life, take down all the Christmas decorations and, um, there was this little thing called a new novel I had to finish writing! And which I am STILL working on. And which I need to turn in to my Scholastic editor this week.

My goal is Thursday afternoon. Well, probably Friday afternoon. And yes, it is still quite a mess, and here I am reading the whole thing for the very first time. I finished the First Draft's on December 29th - talk about cutting it close. Well, I got to the middle the other day and there are SO many notes to myself about new scenes still to write and a whole slew of scenes to re-order that my head started spinning - I kid you not - swiveling like Pinky Whitehead from Harriet the Spy.

Without further ado, here is the list of books I read during 2013. Children's/YA titles are mixed up, but marked. They are listed in order of being read. Then comes nonfiction, for pleasure and for research. Last of all, adult titles. GRAND TOTAL: 101 books! 

I'm kind of proud of myself. 

And this year I also kept a list of movies I watched. Many are ones my hubby wanted to see. There are several I still want to see, like Lincoln and Skyfall.

I also critiqued 17 manuscripts for various friends and crit partners. Whew!

Children’s/YA Books Read:

Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood MG

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin YA

Trapped by Michael Northrop YA

May B by Caroline Starr Rose MG

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness MG

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi YA

The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar MG

Eight Keys by Suzanne LeFleur MG

Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming MG nonfiction

10. Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes by Auxier MG

The Trouble with May Amelia by Jennifer Holm MG

The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell MG

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr YA

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George MG

15. Variant by Robison Wells YA

The Everneath by Brodi Ashton YA

Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs MG

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes MG

Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams YA

20. Girls Don’t Fly  Kristin Chandler YA

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter MG

Starters by Lissa Price YA

With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo MG

Sean Grisham’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt YA

25. Slayers by C. J. (Janette Rallison) YA

Shifting by Bethany Wiggins YA

Legend by Marie Lu YA

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs YA

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate MG

30. Wonder by R. J. Palacio MG

Bigger Than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder MG

Where Things Come Back, John Corey Whaley YA

What Happened on Fox Street? Tricia Springstubb MG

Tighter by Adele Griffin YA

35. Chime by Franny Billinsgly YA

Shine by Lauren Myracle YA

Grave Mercy by R.L. LeFevers YA

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen MG

The Wild Queen Carolyn Meyer YA

40. Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindle YA

Desert Angel by Charlie Price YA

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor YA

Leisl and Po by Lauren Oliver MG

Across the Universe by Beth Revis YA

45. Summer of the Gypsy Moths by Sara Pennypacker MG

46. Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin MG

47. Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone MG

48. Iva Honeysuckle by Candice Ransom MG

49. Cleopatra’s Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter YA

50. Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage MG

51. Small Damages by Beth Kephart YA

52. The Secret Tree by Natalie Standiford MG

53. Don’t Look Behind You by Michelle Gagnon YA

54. Skylark by Meagan Spooner YA

55. Small Medium at Large by Joanne Levy MG

56. The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech MG

57 Throne of Glass  by Sarah Maas YA

58. Crewel  by Gennifer Albin YA

59. The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron YA

60. Liar Society, Book #2 by Lisa and Laura Roecker YA

61. What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang YA

62. Every Day by David Levithan YA

63. Vixen by Jillian YA

64. Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale MG

65. On the Road to Mr. Mineo’s by Barbara O’Connor MG

66. Hit the Road by Caroline Cooney YA

67. Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead MG

68. Z is for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brian MG

69. Toby Gold by Craig R. Everett  MG

Non-Fiction Books:

7 Miracles that Saved America by Todd Stewart

7 Miracles that Saved the World by

America’s Hope by Douglas Brinley

Growing up Amish by Ira Wagler

Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo

The Writer’s Book of Hope by Ralph Keys

The Bedouin by Jamail Jabbar

Bedouins of the Desert

Belly Dance by Wendy Bonaventura

Lehi’s Journey

History of the Middle East

Jordan, Past and Present

Arabian Travels by Wilford Thesiger

Travels in Arabia Deserta by Charles Doughty

Abraham Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly

The Shallows: How the Internet is Transforming our Brains

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

Life as a Victorian Lady by Pamela Horn

Second Sight  by Cheryl Klein

The Victorian Home

Victorian Dress

The War of Art  by Steve Pressfield

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by Countess Carnarvon

What Austen Saw and Dickens Knew

25. Daily Life in Victorian England

Adult Novels:

1. Rebecca’s Tale by Sally Beauman

2. The Dressmakers Daughter by Kate Alcott

3. Sister by Rosamund Lipton

4. The Beginner’s Goodbye by Anne Tyler

5. State of Wonder by Anne Patchett

6. The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge

7. Opal by Katherine Beck (partial)

Movies Watched (there may actually be more, I didn't start keeping the list until part way into the year:

I Capture the Castle

Possession

Downton Abbey (10 hours)

Cranford, BBC production (4 hours)

The Pianist

Persuasion

The Illusionist

Cranford Returns

The Help

Jane Eyre, 1944 version

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Mansion Houses of England

Mansfield Park

Ondine (surprisingly fantastic. If you haven't seen this, you must. Beautiful and haunting.)

Secret of Moonacre

Elizabeth

Jane Eyre, 2007 Masterpiece Theatre version

War Horse

Battleship

John Carter 3D

The Westing Game

Anonymous

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Somewhere in Time

The Bourne Legacy

Man From Snowy River

17 Miracles

Men in Black 3

The Dark Knight

The Avengers

The Recruit

Twilight, Breaking Dawn

Red Dawn

Jack Reacher

Casino Royale

Quantam of Solace

Birdsong, Masterpiece Theatre

Les Miserables

Television: 

Once Upon a Time, 10 episodes

My Guilty Pleasure: Southern, Funny, and Sexy: Hart of Dixie, 32 episodes - I had to watch all of Season One on Netflix and catch up!