I’ve always been curious about the books people read. It fascinates me because, I suppose, what draws the undivided attention of the human mind fascinates me, and because I’ve carried on a love affair with books for as long as I have memory. What people read tends to draw my undivided attention. I even joined a delightful website called Goodreads where book lovers share their reading journeys. Some years ago I took to the habit of keep lists of the books I read, memorializing their completion by noting the day I finished them.

I enjoyed all these books. Long ago I learned from my father that if, after some pages, the book didn’t interest me, put it down and move on. 

Desiderius Erasmus, a Dutch humanist and theologian, said, “When I have money, I buy books. If any money is left over, I buy food and clothes.” I’m with you all the way, sir.

Here are the books I read in 2010 and 2011.

2011

1) “Intruder in the Dust” by William Faulkner 1-5-11

2) “The Children” by Edith Wharton 1-11-11

3) “House of Mirth” by Edith Wharton 1-31-11

4) “The Ghost Writer” by Philip Roth 2-10-11

5) “Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Restless Genius” by Leo Damrosch 2-22-11

6) “The Alice Behind Wonderland” by Simon Winchester 3-13-11

7) “The Tenants” by Bernard Malamud 3-25-11

8) “The Assistant” by Bernard Malamud 4-10-11

9) “The Natural” by Bernard Malamud 4-19-11

10) “The Fixer” by Bernard Malamud 4-28-11

11) “Dubin’s Lives” by Bernard Malamud 5-14-11

12) “A New Life” by Bernard Malamud 5-28-11

13) “Angle of Repose” by Wallace Stegner 6-24-11

14) “The Spectator Bird” by Wallace Stegner 6-28-11

15) “All the Little Live Things” by Wallace Stegner 7-3-11

16) “Crossing to Safety” by Wallace Stegner 7-10-11

17) “Shroud” by John Banville 7-23-11

18) “Mark Twain: A Life” by Ron Powers 7-29-11

19) “Troubles” by J.G. Farrell 8-5-11

20) “God’s Grace” by Bernard Malamud 8-8-11

21) “The Siege of Krishnapur” by J.G. Farrell 8-19-11

22) “The Singapore Grip” by J.G. Farrell 8-31-11

23) “The Trees” by Conrad Richter 9-7-11

24) “Girl in the head” by J.G. Farrell 10-4-11

25) “The Rebel Angels” by Robertson Davies 10-17-11

26) “Robert Louis Stevenson” by Frank McLynn 11-12-11

27) “The Edge of Sadness” by Edwin O’Connor 11-13-11

28) “The River King” by Alice Hoffman 11-16-11

29) “Time Will Darken it” by William Maxwell 12-15-11

30) “So Long, See You Tomorrow” by William Maxwell 12-18-11

31) “The Invention of Solitude” by Paul Auster 12-21-11

32) “They Came Like Swallows” by William Maxwell 12-26-11

33) “Washington Square” by Henry James 12-30-11

2010

1)  "Arrowsmith" by Sinclair Lewis 1-4-10

2) "It Can’t Happen Here" by Sinclair Lewis  1-18-10

3) "Dodsworth" by Sinclair Lewis 1-31-10

4) "Kingsblood Royal" by Sinclair Lewis 2-10-20

5) "Cass Timberlane" by Sinclair Lewis 2-19-10

6) "Elmer Gantry" by Sinclair Lewis  3-4-10

7) "Winesburg, Ohio" by Sherwood Anderson 3-15-10

8) "True North" by Jim Harrison 3-27-10

9) "The English Major" by Jim Harrison 4-5-10

10) "Blood Brothers" by Richard Price 4-7-10

11) "Wild Pitch" by A.B. Guthrie Jr. 4-10-10

12) "Returning to Earth" by Jim Harrison 4-19-10

13) "The Johnstown Flood" by David McCullough 5-3-10

14) "Widows of Eastwick" by John Updike 5-18-10

15) "The Centaur" by John Updike 5-31-10

16) "Three Soldiers" by John Dos Passos 6-27-10

17) "The 42nd Parallel" by John Dos Passos 7-?-10

18) "Child of God" by Cormac McCarthy 8-23-10

19) "Crack In the Edge of the World," by Simon Winchester 8-29-10

20) "1919" by John Dos Passos 9-6-10

21) "An Irish Country Village" by Patrick Taylor 9-16-10

22) "Big Money" by John Dos Passos 10-4-10

23) "Manhattan Transfer" by John Dos Passos 10-22-10

24) "Death in the Andes" by Mario Vargas Llosa 10-29-10

25) "Nemesis" by Philip Roth 11-4-10

26) "Exit Ghost" by Philip Roth 12-5-10

27) "The Humbling" by Philip Roth 12-9-10

28) "Everyman" by Philip Roth 12-13-10

29) "Indignation" by Philip Roth 12-19-10

30) "Mistler’s Exit" by Louis Begley 12-25-10

31) "The Reserve" by Russell Banks 12-29-10