Annual Books I've Read List

Dear Readers,

For the past two years at the end of the year I've included a list of all the books I've read in those past 12 months.  With only six and a half hours left in 2012, I thought it was safe to assume I wouldn't be finishing my novel this year, so I'm including my list now.

Also, starting in 2013, I'm considering doing the same thing for movies that I watched that year, or at least a recap of what I thought the best were.

So, without further ado, here is my list of my 51 books, with comments where I felt moved to write something about that book.  (CZ) means I read it while in the Czech Republic, and and as usual, books with a * symbol indicate books that were above average:

1.  20 Something Manifesto, The:  Quarter-Lifers Speak Out About Who They Are, What They Want, and How to Get It by Christine Hassler  (CZ)* -(I'd recommend this book to anyone who is in their twenties or just about to enter them.  For people just trying to get on their feet, this book might just have something to offer.)
2. Alien by Alan Dean Foster (based on screenplay by Dan O’Bannon)
3. Atlantis Code by Charles Brokaw (CZ)
4. Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet (CZ) *
5. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
6. Case of Need, A by Michael Crichton (writing as Jeffery Hudson)
7. Catching Fire (The Hunger Games Book II) by Suzanne Collins *
8. Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King - (I actually first read this book back when I was just in grade school or middle school, but it was so long ago that I felt like I needed to re-read it before I set out to read the series.)
9. Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three Stephen King
10. Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands by Stephen King
11. Do It NOW! by J. Donald Walters
12. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (first in 2005?), November 2012* (I first read this as a freshman in college, but I've come to start re-reading books I've enjoyed in the past, so I wanted to put this towards to front of my to-re-read list.  An amazing sci-fi novel, even for those who don't like sci-fi.)
13. Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James (I was in Prague when this came out, and when I got back everyone seemed to be talking about it, so I read it to see what the big deal was.  It's not as good as everyone says, and it's not as bad as everyone says.  I won't bother with the sequels, though.)
14. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The by Stieg Larsson (CZ)*
15. Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, The by Stieg Larsson (CZ)*
16. Girl Who Played with Fire, The by Stieg Larsson (CZ)*
17. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (CZ)
18. Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker (CZ)
19. Hunger Games, The (Book I) by Suzanne Collins*
20. Langoliers, The (Novella in “Four Past Midnight) by Stephen King
21. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Book III) Suzanne Collins*
22. Mysticism: Christian and Buddhist by D.T. Suzuki (CZ)
23. No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen with Kevin Mauer*
24. One Essence by Sailor Bob (CZ)*
25. Patriot Games by Tom Clancy (CZ)
26. Resonance in the Heart by Gilbert Schultz (2x) (CZ, USA)*
27. Rogue Warrior: Red Cell by Richard Marcinko (CZ)
28. Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damndest Thing by Jed McKenna (CZ)* (This book is almost worthless for those seeking spiritual fulfillment, but I gave it an excellent rating because it actually is very entertaining.  I listened to the audio-version, which was excellently produced.)
29. Teach Yourself Czech by David Short February 2012 (CZ)
30. Thinner by Stephen King (CZ)*
31. Ultimate Twist, The by Suzanne Foxton
32. Walking Dead, The: Survivor’s Guide by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
33. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
34. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
35. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
36. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 4: The Heart’s Desire by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
37. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 5: The Best Defense by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
38. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 6: This Sorrowful Life by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
39. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 7: The Calm by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
40. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 8: Made to Suffer by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
41. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 9: Here We Remain by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
42. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 10: What We Become by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
43. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 11: Fear the Hunters by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
44. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 12: Life Among Them by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
45. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 13: Too Far Gone by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
46. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 14: No Way Out by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
47. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 15: We Find Ourselves by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
48. Walking Dead, The: Vol. 16: A Larger by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Cliff Rathburn and Tony Moore*
49. Why Men Don’t Have a Clue and Women Always Need More Shoes by Allen and Barbara Pease (CZ)
50. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
51. You Are No Thing by Randall Friend* (The book of the year on my list.  By far one of the most sublime books I've read, and also one of the shortest.  This obscure little title will be read by few, but for those who find their way to it, it might change their life completely.)