People are always asking me what I’m reading; as far back as I can remember words have been my favorite pastime. Below is a list of what I’ve got my nose buried in each month. Some months I zip through a bunch of books, other months I take it slow. As you’ll see, it’s an eclectic mix—suggestions are always welcome.

(You might also be interested in what I read in 2010.)

January

The Real Cost of Living: Making the Best Choices for You, Your Life, and Your Money by Carmen Wong Ulrich. Very grounded advice for anyone interested in personal finance. She uses understandable and accessible language to discuss everything from buying a house, having kids, saving money, investing, etc. Great for beginners or for those looking for a refresher.

The Beginner’s Guide to Zen Buddhism by Jean Smith. “Reading a book is not a practice.” Totally down to earth and fun thoughts on Zen.

Inside-Out Simplicity: Life Changing Keys to Your Most Important Relationships by Joshua Becker. Moving beyond “stuff” and applying simplicity to the deeper, inner aspects of life. Check out my review here.

The Calligrapher’s Secret by Rafik Schami, translated by Anthea Bell. A spellbinding novel about love, passion, and the Arabic alphabet. Set in Damascus in the 1950s, Schami’s love for that city is infectious; get me a plane ticket, please!

February

Away From My Desk: A Round-the-World Detour from the Rat Race, the Tech Wreck, and the Traffic Jam of Life in America by Rif K. Haffar. His sometimes bad jokes aside, this chronicle of a year-plus-long trip around the world, much of it on motorcycle, is fascinating, enlightening and hilarious.

The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. My curiosity was piqued when I first heard about this one, and the New York Times article further intrigued me… So now I’ve got a (very heavy) copy in my possession, and it certainly lives up to my expectations. Funny, smart, curious, common-sense and downright crazy, Ferriss has got charisma aplenty and has done his research. I’ve not done a damn thing he suggests, but I feel skinnier, muscle-ier, and superhuman just reading the book.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz. A great read-aloud book, this is clever retelling of Hansel and Gretel (far more fascinating than the version most of us know).

Clean, Lean, and Green: Get Rid of the Toxins that Make You Fat by Dr. Walter Crinnion. I think putting “fat” in the title must have been a marketing decision, because this book is an important read for all of us. Surprise, surprise, toxins are everywhere and they’re making us (not to mention the planet) sick. Clean, Lean, and Green is a good place to start if you’re looking for a doable diet (way of eating) to feel better.

The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs. This is my go-to guide when I need inspiration, ideas, tips, or just plain old good reading. Essential to anyone on the downsizing path (of course, you can, like me, get it out of the library).

March

Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself by Alejandro Junger. I’m planning to do his 3-week cleanse at the end of the month. Very interesting argument for cleaner living, with a huge focus on your body’s innate ability to heal, if just given the chance. Put down the junk food!

The New Normal: An Agenda for Responsible Living by David Wann.

The 100 Thing Challenge: How I Got Rid of Almost Everything, Remade My Life, and Regained My Soul by Dave Bruno.

St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell. Strangely mesmerizing and bizarre short stories from one of the New Yorker‘s “20 Under 40.”

April

Simple Ways to Be More with Less by Courtney Carver.

Palo Alto by James Franco. I just couldn’t resist reading this short story collection. It’s immediacy and sense of place has potential, but all in all, lacks good editing. We can’t all be good at everything!

The Importance of Being Iceland by Eileen Myles. I’m reading with Eileen at Bluestockings in May, so am brushing up beforehand. These essays are delightful, difficult, thought-provoking, and disarmingly well-written.

May

I’ve decided to do something different this month, and rather than reading a bunch of books, I’m going to concentrate on delving deeply into three: Women Who Run with the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estes (for my own personal health, growth, development), Never Forget: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 edited by Mitchell Fink and Lois Mathias (for the novel’s background and character studies), and In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman (for a different way of seeing 9/11).

I’m generally a fast reader, so I’m hoping that slowing down will provide a more nuanced understanding of these books.

June

It seems I’m reading a lot more slowly these days, probably because I’m spending a lot of time writing and when I do read, I want to be enchanted, whisked away, dazzled. (It can tough finding books when you have such high standards!) Luckily, I’ve found a few this month:

The Condition by Jennifer Haigh. Given to me by my mother, this novel chronicles the strained dynamic of an eastern Massachusetts family: each family member’s side in woven into this well-written, moving but not sentimental book. A great summer read.

Inferno: A Poet’s Novel by Eileen Myles. I picked this up at Bluestockings last month after our reading and am finally getting to it. Love it. Love her unusual voice, her spot-on observations, her unfailing desire to be a poet, her gossipy descriptions of those who write, and her palpable love for New York City.

July

The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht. Moving a bit more slowly through this one. Beautiful prose and an intriguing story, if a bit slow moving.

Wild Sister Magazine. By far the coolest women’s magazine I’ve ever read. Crammed with beauty, inspiration, and joy.

Dreams of Molly by Jonathan Baumbach. Check out my review at NewPages here.

The Wide Road by Carla Harryman & Lyn Hejinian. Part travelogue, part poetry, part exploration of the boundaries of body and gender. Reviewed for Lambda Literary here.

August

The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes. Phew! This book knocked my socks off, and I flew through it in two nights. A beautifully written and seductive, smart love story. I highly recommend grabbing a copy and eliminating all distractions while you delve in.

The Book Borrower by Alice Mattison. Two books in one? A seemingly complex, but ultimately very readable exploration of women and their friendships, with a healthy dose of anarchy and revolution mixed in for good measure.

The Dive from Clausen’s Pier by Ann Packer. Picked this one up randomly at the Bookmill this weekend (love the serendipity of a used bookstore impulse buy), and haven’t been able to put it down. So incredibly well-written and nuanced and just amazing. Go read it, right now!

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. A classic I’ve never read until now. Slim, disturbing portrait of California’s post-Depression migrant workers.

September

An Empty Room by Mu Xin. Intriguing collection of linked short stories by a Chinese “artist/intellectual”. Beautifully rendered. Review at NewPages soon.

The Girls Club by Sally Bellerose. Eminently readable. Read my review over at Lambda Literary.

Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living by Rachel Kaplan and K. Ruby Blume. Inspiring, thought-provoking, and a call to action for us city-dwellers looking to garden, reduce our footprint on the earth, and create/share with a community. Beautiful photos and tons of helpful DIY tips to get you (just enough) off the grid.

The Whole-Food Guide to Overcoming Irritable Bowel Syndrome by Laura J. Knoff. Definitely not quite as comprehensive as I might like, but a great place to start if you’ve got tummy trouble. Recipes, supplement suggestions, and elimination diet support included.

Take Your Time: Finding Balance in a Hurried World by Eakneth Easwaran. As timely (or more) now as it was when it was written almost 20 years ago (!), this little manual to slowing down is a worthwhile read. Full of cute anecdotes and wise advice.

The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson. Loving the story and the writing, not so crazy about the narrative structure (but I’ll live). An insightful, funny, and smart look at family and art.

October

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. I’m a big fan of hers, going back to Bel Canto. Despite a narrator that I don’t love, this book is has sucked me in, and like the jungle where much of it takes place, won’t let me go.

The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield. Creative and battling resistance? This book is for you. Both wise, funny, and incredibly spot-on, the short chapters will get you out of your own way, and back to the creative path. Worked for me…

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides. After several months of eager anticipation, I slogged through the first 200 pages. Lo and behold, the second half of the book made it all worth it. You’re probably going to read it anyway, so I won’t say anymore.

November

Small Fires by Julie Marie Wade.

effie by Will Edmiston.

December

The Dubliners by James Joyce.

By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham. Blown away by the gorgeous evocation of New York City. I want to read this book again and again.

❊