What Should I Read in 2014?

What I read in 2013.

What I read in 2013.

Before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, I will have finished reading a total of 29 books in 2013. That’s pretty good for me. I have friends that read a book each week, but with work, and writing and acting, I’m just not going to get there.

The question now is, what do I read in 2014?

I have a few ideas.

First, let’s list what remains from the 2013 list, as well as a couple of carry overs from 2012.

In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir
Richard B. Cheney
I still want to hear things from Dick Cheney’s perspective. Love him or hate him (and I love him) he’s a fascinating individual.

The Dynamic Dominion: Realignment and the Rise of Two-Party Competition in Virginia, 1945-1980
Frank B. Atkinson
I’ve been meaning to read Frank’s book on Virginia politics for some time now. This year, I’ll really will get to it. (of course I said that last year)

The Last Dark: The climax of the entire Thomas Covenant Chronicles (Last Chronicles of Thomas Cove)
I’ve been reading the series. This is the last (at least I hope so). I loved the initial books when I read them some 30 years ago. But this version seems to drag on. Almost like someone tried to make three movies out of a book like The Hobbit. (oops, was that my outloud writing voice?)

The Casual Vacancy
I want to see how she does writing for adults, not children.

The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics
Because everybody needs to read a little bit of Lewis every year. I did manage to read Mere Christianity in 2013. I’ll read more Lewis in 2014.

Letters From Father Christmas
by J. R. R. Tolkien
This was on my Amazon Wish List. My wish didn’t come true (yet).

Some thoughts for 2014

More C.S. Lewis.

Works and sermons by John Wesley.

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
by Malcolm Gladwell.

Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

Works by George MacDonald (any suggestion where to start?)

Works by G.K. Chesterton (again, any suggestion where to start?)

More things from my Amazon Wish List.

The Man Who Killed Kennedy: The Case Against LBJ
by Roger Stone, Mike Colapietro

All His Jazz: The Life And Death Of Bob Fosse
by Martin Gottfried

The Fall of Arthur
by J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien

Ernest Hemingway on Writing
by Larry W. Phillips (Paperback)

The Band that Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic
by Steve Turner

Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You
by Ray Bradbury

The Next Queen of Heaven: A Novel
by Gregory Maguire (Paperback)

So, what do you think? What else should be on the list for 2014?

1 comment

    • Anonymous on December 30, 2013 at 10:48 am

    Michael, I am so impressed that you finished 29 books in ’13 — how did you do it? In other words, do you have a set time of day that you crack open the book and just dial in? And for how long a sitting? Do you read daily? (assuming yes) Fascinated to hear! You’re my hero, Mike.

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