Books Read in 2011

Here’s a list of the books I read in 2011. I do a similar post every year.

My reading is very important to me, because I love to learn. The difference this past year was that I got a Kindle in late 2010, so I was able to read big, thick books on my long work commute, and I was able to sample books I might not have tried in the past — hence, more fiction and self-help than usual.

That said, I’ve decided to make some of my reading from the past year private. I have tended not to disclose as much of my personal life on my blog as I used to, and some of the books I read this year were self-help books that I’d rather keep to myself. So… in chronological order, here are most of the books I read in 2011:

[private]

[private]

Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace (started in late 2010, finished in 2011)

The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787, Gordon S. Wood

The Tragedy of Arthur, Arthur Phillips

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: A Practitioner’s Guide, Nancy McWilliams

The Story of Britain: From the Romans to the Present: A Narrative History, Rebecca Fraser

Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947, Christopher Clark

The Help, Kathryn Stockett

[private]

The Walls of Jericho: Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Richard Russell, and the Struggle for Civil Rights, Robert Mann

Watching TV: Six Decades of American Television, Harry Castleman and Walter J. Podrazik

If the Buddha Got Stuck: A Handbook for Change on a Spiritual Path, Charlotte Kasl

When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, Pema Chödrön

Thoughts Without a Thinker: Psychotherapy From A Buddhist Perspective, Mark Epstein

11/22/63, Stephen King

Turning the Mind Into an Ally, Sakyong Mipham

[private]

The Sense of an Ending, Julian Barnes

The Stranger’s Child, Alan Hollinghurst

A World on Fire: Britain’s Crucial Role in the American Civil War, Amanda Foreman (started a couple of weeks ago)

Happy New Year.

One thought on “Books Read in 2011

  1. Hey Jeff,

    Happy New Year!

    I’ve been thinking about getting the cheapest Kindle. I drive to work so I don’t need it for the commute. Browsing/buying books is one of my joys in life and I just like having an actual physical product in my hands.

    But I also loved writing on a typewriter and never thought I’d be comfortable working on a computer, so I guess I’d adapt. I tend to read a lot of contemporary fiction these days and they’re not the kinds of books I care about keeping around.

    When I moved out of my apartment in January I had to get rid of almost all of my books, so that’s another selling point for an e-reader.

    Anyway, a very eclectic list! I’ve always been interested in the history of the 1960s and the civil rights movement, so The Walls of Jericho sounds good.

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