The Foggy Day Library

I have to say, this was not My Year when it came to reading. I still attended my book club's meetings every month, I still kept a running tally of every new recommendation I received, and I still browsed Amazon, aimlessly adding books to my Wish List with no real deadline to purchase.

(Alright, maybe I treated myself to one or two around the holidays. Or three.)

But, alas, alack, I did not reach my Goodreads Reading Challenge (hell yeah, I still sign up for that thing every year) of reading 50 books in 2015. C'est la vie.

That doesn't mean the year was without literature! Here are a few of the books I really enjoyed, and a few that I can't wait to get my little hands (eyes?) on.

Books I Loved in 2015

• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: This one was recommended several times by a friend before I took her seriously, and I am so annoyed I waited so long. Set in an alternate world where virtual reality has taken over, but everything is based around the 80's, this one is spunky and engaging. I can't wait for the inevitable movie.

• Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear: Think 1900s British Nancy Drew.

• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr: This book blew me away. Set in the midst of World War II, it explores the parallel paths of a French girl and a German boy. You. Must. Read.

• Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari: Self-explanatory. Especially for anyone who has tried online dating. Or regular dating.

• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness: I picked this 600+ page book up early in the year with my newfound library obsession, and finished it in about a day. Then I finished the other two books in the series in about as much time.

• Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff: This was a book club pick and I'm so glad it was! I never would have picked it up by the name, but this book is epic. The writing style is crisp and image-laden, and the characters are equally believable and detestable.

• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: I read this in one flight from SF to DC and passed it along to my dad, who finished it on the return flight. Addicting.

• And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: This book made it hard to sleep at night.

• Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner: Another book revolving around European life in World War II, it picks up with two sisters sent to live outside London during the war. Completely captivating, if not a tiny bit predictable.

• My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante: Alright, I haven't entirely finished this one yet... but I can't wait to! Beginning in the 1940s, it tells the progressive story of a female friendship amidst the backdrop of southern Italy. Also, there are two more books, and you know I love a series.

On My List in 2016

• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert: Anything that discusses the creative process is good in my book. Har har.

• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami: This book my dad and I bought each other (without knowing) for Christmas a few years ago and I still haven't touched it. It's a really, really long book.

• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King: Encouragement! Advice! Yes please.

• I Suck at Relationships So You Don't Have To by Bethenny Frankel: I'll read anything she writes.

• The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild: Another gifted book.

• Moloka'i by Alan Brennert: Val recommended this book to me years and years ago, I bought a copy, and still have yet to crack it open.

• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: I have bought this for several people as gifts after reading good reviews of it, but haven't yet read it myself. For shame!

• The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell: Same with this one.

• The Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts: I read Shantaram, the book preceding this one by the same author, and loved it. What a completely spellbinding look at Indian culture.

• Light is the New Black by Rebecca Campbell: Who doesn't need a bit of self-help in her life?

These are only ten selections, and I set my goal at an auspicious 50 again, so hopefully I will have more books to add to this list over the next twelve months.

How about you? What have you been reading lately?