all the books I’ve known (in 2014)

There are a few books missing from this list (a few review books that fell through the cracks, and a bunch of books I read on usability that I breezed through), but below is a nearly complete listing of the books I read, loved, and/or gave up on in 2014.

My original goal was to get through 30 of the books on the TBR shelf. I failed, but I made a good effort and weeded a large portion of those that I realized I would never get around to reading (whether because my reading tastes have changed, or they were bought on a whim in a moment of what-was-I-thinking impulsiveness). Working in a library, I have access to new books all the time. I also started reviewing for a trade journal this year and have received some excellent selections; this means that there will always be more books than I will ever be able to get through, so when I decide not to finish a book, it is with the understanding that there are other books to be had and I no longer have to read a book just because a) someone recommended it, b) everyone else is reading it, or c) it will make me look more well-rounded as a reader.

Key:

• Books highlighted in bold are my best of 2014
• ^ = library book
• * = personal collection (ie. The TBR mountain)

Currently Reading

• Gwendolen by Diana Souhami
• 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know about People by Susan M. Weinschenk^

 Manga and Graphic Novels

• Ranma 1/2 (2-in-1 Edition), Vol. 1-3 by Rumiko Takahashi^
• Sailor Moon Box Set 2 (Vol. 7-12) by Naoko Takeuchi*
• Sakura Hime: The Legend of Princess Sakura series by Arina Tanemura^
• Saga, Volume 2 (Saga #7-12) by Brian K. Vaughan^
• Chi’s Sweet Home series (1-11)  by Kanata Konami^

 Fiction

• The Betrayal of the Blood Lily (Pink Carnation, #6) by Lauren Willig *
• Clariel (Abhorsen, #4) by Garth Nix^
• The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation, #4) by Lauren Willig*
• The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope^
• Long Live the Queen (The Immortal Empire, #3) by Kate Locke*
• The Finishing Touches by Hester Browne*
• Welcome to Rosie Hopkins’ Sweet Shop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan*
• City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments, #6) by Cassandra Clare*
• Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School, #2) by Gail Carriger^
• The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) by Lev Grossman^
• Death of a Schoolgirl (The Jane Eyre Chronicles, #1) by Joanna Campbell Slan*
• Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl^
• Into the Wilderness (Wilderness, #1) by Sara Donati*
• The Queen Is Dead (The Immortal Empire, #2) by Kate Locke*
• The Cuckoo’s Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1) by Robert Galbraith^
• A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, #5) by George R.R. Martin*
• Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles, #4) by Margaret Stohl & Kami Garcia^

Nonfiction and Essays

• Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay^
• Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris*
• Her Brilliant Career: Ten Extraordinary Women of the Fifties by Rachel Cooke*
• Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper Than Swords by Henry Jacoby^
• VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good by Mark Bittman^
• Mistakes I Made at Work: 25 Influential Women Reflect on What They Got Out of Getting It Wrong by Jessica Bacal*
• Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling^

Highly anticipated but disappointing

• Written in My Own Heart’s Blood (Outlander, #8) by Diana Gabaldon*
• Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly, #1) by Susan Dennard^
• Midnight Never Come (Onyx Court, #1) by Marie Brennan*

Books I couldn’t finish

• Lost Voices (Lost Voices, #1) by Sarah Porter*
• Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin^
• The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy, #3) by Deborah Harkness*
• The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs and Me, Ruby Oliver (Ruby Oliver, #1) by E. Lockhart^
• The Queen of the Tearling (The Queen of the Tearling, #1) by Erika Johansen*
• Tanamera by Noel Barber^
• Beautiful Ruins  by Jess Walter^
• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins^
• Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie*

 Read for work

• Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems by Steve Krug^
• The User Experience Team of One: A Research and Design Survival Guide by Leah Buley^
• Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug^
• Usability Testing Essentials: Ready, Set …Test! by Carol Barnum^
• A Project Guide to UX Design: For user experience designers in the field or in the making by Russ Unger^

On writing

• Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story by K.M. Weiland*
• Revision and Self Editing for Publication: Techniques for Transforming Your First Draft into a Novel That Sells by James Scott Bell*
• How to Write by Alastair Fowler^
• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King^

The plan for 2015 is to keep reading my way through the shelves and finish getting through all those lonely, untouched books that have been waiting for years.