Books Read in 2014

  The past few months I've enjoyed reading friends' and internet acquaintances' "Year in Books" posts, and I want to start posting one each year to encourage me to up the ante--both in quantity and quality--of the books in my life. The following titles are the baker's dozen of books that I can remember reading this past year. Now that I am graduated and (supposedly) have more time on my hands, I'd like to really dig my teeth into some hefty, emotional, delightful, and/or enlightening texts.

  That means, to all reading this post, I need some help, so please send me some suggestions. I love fluff (if you could see my 2015 book list, mostly rebound from grad school, it already includes stories like The Princess Academy, Dealing With Dragons, The Scorpio Races) to fill the in-between moments, but I am craving some good non-fiction books that will actually expand my mind. I'm also looking to dedicate some effort in electronic books (mostly accomplished while holding sleeping children with phone in hand), free ebook suggestions are welcome as well. I feel exceptionally inadequate when to comes to finding contemporary publications, though, so leaving recently published suggestions and favorites would be exceptionally wonderful.

  Reading has such a power--it opens intellectual avenues my mind does't naturally tend towards as I trudge my rote paths. I've been doing a lot lately to try and develop myself as a person--I'd really like help to make reading a large part of that.

2014 books

Little Dorrit--Charles Dickens
   Suuuuuuperrrrrr loooooooong. Whew. My only real exposure to Dickens has been The Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities, and some mini-series of works like Bleak House. Really fun to dive into one of his longer texts, and the characters were sweet even if the story and characterization were a little blase.

Thirty-Nine Steps--John Buchan
    Forerunner to James Bond and other such stories. Not what I was expecting, and definitely a fun surprise.

Wonderful Stories for Children--Hans Christian Anderson
    A collection of some of his lesser known tales, many of which deserve to be lesser known

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone--J.K. Rowling
    Gotta love these books. This read-through was out loud with the husband. Might be an old-fashioned hobby, but reading books aloud to each other has been a favorite pastime since our marriage began.

The Book of Mormon--Scripture
    I think I've successfully gotten through this book at least once a year since I became a teenager, but I'd have to do research to confirm that statement during the early years.

Dubliners--James Joyce
    Compilation of short stories all about individuals living in Dublin. I read it for one of my grad classes and really enjoyed discussing the ideas and papers which emerged from this text.

Murphy--Samuel Beckett
     Definitely stranger than Dubliners, but sparked some interesting conversations. Really difficult to connect with the characters, but admirable for other qualities.

"Waiting for Godot"--Samuel Beckett
     I liked it much better this, my second time, through. I sure wish I could see this play's production with Ian McKellan and Patrick Stewart as the main characters!

Lilith--George MacDonald
     I CERTAINLY need to recommend this one, as I wrote my master's thesis on it, but the recommendation must come with a caveat: it isn't easy or necessarily accessible when it comes to understanding and enjoying. Of the three professors who sat on my thesis committee, none of them could make it through the book. It is more like reading a dream than anything else. That being said, I learned a lot about myself and the process of gaining knowledge, truth, and identity while studying this work of MacDonald, the author who instigated C.S. Lewis' path towards Christianity.

"The Tempest"--William Shakespeare
    I can't believe I hadn't read this play until I was 27. It's a classic, and definitely not one that should be left to the Wishbone TV series' version.

Gilead--Marilynne Robinson
     Rarely has a book touched me as this book did. Rarely do we see an intelligent and convincing author seriously confront and explore religion without cynicism or condemnation. Rarely does a book instigate conversation between the mind, soul, and imagination--especially one set in a small nineteenth century American town. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!

The Book of Three--Lloyd Alexander
      A childhood favorite (the whole series is smashing) and another from my husband's and my read-aloud repertoire.

The Help--Kathryn Stockett
      This has been a long-time occupant of my reading list and definitely worth the wait--what an enjoyable way to spend a couple afternoons over the Christmas break.


  Okay, help me branch out. What else is out there?