to read, to celebrate

*still time to send me a christmas photo

here’s a short list of some of the best books i read this past year. this is not a list of favourite sober books (Jason Vale!). this list is regular reading, non-fiction and fiction, though does show my personal bias to food and mysteries… this not my favourite list of ALL TIME (different post?) these are just best books read in 2013 from my growing list of 46 completed books (new personal sober record!).  but this list could also be called “books to buy yourself on amazon (used) because you deserve a treat.”

  • steve jobs biography (walter isaacson)
  • michael ruhlman’s chef books, 3 parts, i particularly liked the first one when he’s a student at the CIA, and The Soul of a Chef
  • the wake of forgiveness (bruce machart), set in 1895 texas. i know, but really, it’s a great great book. drama. young love. and a bunch of violence.
  • girl with the pearl earring (i reread this every couple of years)
  • the first victim (ridley pearson), set in seattle, uncover journalist + cop + stuff = pretty great story…
  • death at la fenice (donna leon), mystery series set in venice, this is book #1, i think i ready 10 of them this year, but this first one was the best.
  • blood, bones, and butter (hamilton), chef memoir that describes the compulsive life required to be high level chef. including dramatic and unusual personal life, and highly successful restaurant …
  • wild (cheryl strayed), non-fiction account of walking in the woods.  ok, not quite, but it’s a hiking, survival, adventure, holy shit did that just happen, kind of book.
  • above suspicion (laplante), british mystery, written by the same chick who wrote the bbc show Prime Suspect. this is book #1 in a series… and holy it’s super great, and grisly and very well written
  • and finally, the interestings (wolitzer), just finished yesterday, sad it’s over

~

Team 100 update: 488 members as of this morning, welcome to new joiners: En44 (8), Truly Trying (7), Joy (7), Lirpa (8), Alie (7), Jeannie Yogini (53), Macaroon (7), Tennismumsie (6), Lo (7), FM (5), KateF (9), Hollm (4), Kristen (3), Drusty (63), Yellow Bird (4), StevieM (4), MW (6), Dukes (1), Joanna (3).

since i’ve been sick this week, i’ve missed posting a few congratulations:

Happy day 500 to Katherine!

Happy day 200 to Designer Rachel!

Happy day 180 to CHow!

Happy day 180 to Ingrid!

Happy day 180 to Sarita!

Happy day 180 to KC!

Happy day 150 to LD!

Happy day 100 Carolyne!

Happy day 100 MarthaC!

Happy day 50 Debs!

Happy day 50 James!

Happy day 50 Sign_Gurl!

Happy day 50 Challenges!