the Undergraduate Science Librarian

I read 31 books in 2010, just one more than last year.  As usual, the list is a mix of lighthearted fiction and some (slightly) more serious non-fiction.  I tend to prefer humorous books of all sorts, and the lovely combination of science, technology, personality and humor made Mary Roach’s Packing for Mars : the curious science of life in the void my favorite book this year.

The year started out rather juvenile with a quick read of the popular Twilight series.  I was feeding my daughter in a chair in my 12 year old niece’s room, and the only books within reach were Junie B Jones, Kindergartner, or Twilight.  I’m not convinced I made the right choice.  However, my knowledge of the books has allowed me to engage in some interesting conversations with my niece, which have been fun.

My final book of the year was the new ‘biography’ of cancer Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee.  The book was very engaging and thought provoking.  As a book that discusses some history of science, I appreciated the focus on scientific methodologies and the important role personality plays in scientific discovery.

As usual, I wish some of my favorite authors could write more – I eagerly await the next books by Christopher Moore, Jasper Fforde and Bill Bryson.

Here is the list.  Items marked by an asterisk (*) were read on the Kindle app for iPhone.

• Allen, S. A. (2010). The girl who chased the moon: A novel. New York: Bantam Books.*
• Belmond, C. A. (2010). A rather charming invitation. New York: New American Library.
• Black, H., & Castellucci, C. (2009). Geektastic: Stories from the nerd herd. New York: Little, Brown and Co.
• Bryson, B. (2010). At home: A short history of private life. New York: Doubleday.
• Collins, G. (2009). When everything changed: The amazing journey of American women from 1960 to the present. New York: Little, Brown and Co.
• Fforde, J. (2009). Shades of grey: The road to High Saffron. New York: Viking.
• Hibbert, C. (2000). Queen Victoria: A personal history. New York: Basic Books.
• Kessler, D. A. (2009). The end of overeating: Taking control of the insatiable American appetite. Emmaus, Pa: Rodale.
• Keyes, R. (2009). I love it when you talk retro: Hoochie coochie, double whammy, drop a dime, and the forgotten origins of American speech. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
• Lamb, C. (2009). Henry’s sisters. New York: Kensington Books.*
• Lamb, C. (2008). The last time I was me. New York: Kensington Books.*
• Lamb, C. (2010). Such a pretty face. New York: Kensington Books.
• Larsen, R. (2009). The selected works of T. S. Spivet. New York: Penguin Press.
• Mansell, J. (2008). An offer you can’t refuse. Naperville, Ill: Sourcebooks Casablanca.*
• Mansell, J. (2010). Rumor has it. Naperville, Ill: Sourcebooks Landmark.*
• McCall, S. A., & McIntosh, I. (2005). 44 Scotland Street. New York: Anchor Books.*
• Meyer, S. (2005). Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Co.
• Meyer, S. (2007). Eclipse. New York: Little, Brown.*
• Meyer, S. (2006). New moon. New York: Little, Brown and Co.*
• Monroe, M. A. (2004). The four seasons. Waterville, ME: Thorndike Press.*
• Moore, C. (2009). Fool. New York: William Morrow.
• Moore, C. (2010). Bite me: A love story. New York: William Morrow.
• Mukherjee, S. (2010). The emperor of all maladies: A biography of cancer. New York: Scribner.
• Rich, S. (2007). Ant farm: And other desperate situations. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks.
• Roach, M. (2010). Packing for Mars: The curious science of life in the void. New York: W.W. Norton.
• Smith, B. (1947). A tree grows in Brooklyn: A novel. New York: Harper.
• Snow, C. (2010). Just like me, only better. New York, N.Y: Berkley Books.*
• Thayer, N. (2009). Summer house: A novel. New York: Ballantine Books.*
• Van, O. K. (2010). Just let me lie down: Necessary terms for the half-insane working mom. New York: Little, Brown.
• White, K. (2009). The lost hours. New York, N.Y: NAL Accent.*
• White, K. (2007). Learning to breathe. New York: NAL Accent.*