Books I’ve read this year and some thoughts on the reading process and categorization of books Updated on November 29, 2020
Books I’ve read this year and some thoughts on the reading process and categorization of books
Books Read in 2020:
1. Swann’s Way — Marcel Proust. Started in Washington, DC. Finished Saturday January 11, 2019 at 5:19AM in Washington, DC.
2. ΄΄Ημερολόγια Αιγαίου΄΄ Διηγήματα του Δημήτρη Μανίνη — Hmerologia Aigaiou — Dimitris Maninis — Ξεκίνησα αυτό το βιβλίοστις 1 January 2020 Wednesday γύρω στις 12:30 μ.μ. I started this book on September 2, 2018 around 12:30 PM. Τελειώσααυτό το βιβλίο την Wednesday 1 January 2020. Finished Wednesday January 1, 2020. Started in Texas at 11:18AM and finished in Austin, Texas Wednesday January 1, 2020 in the evening.
3. Quicksilver — Neal Stephenson. Started. Finished Tuesday January 21, 2020 at 7:51AM in the Washington, DC area.
4. The 4-Hour Workweek — Timothy Ferriss. Started Sunday January 1 at 8:56AM at Austin Airport. Finished Wednesday January 22, 2020 at 2:31PM in the Washington, DC area.
5. The Cave and the Light: Plato Versus Aristotle and the Struggles for the Soul of Western Civilization — Arthur Herman. Started Wednesday January 22, 2020 at 2:32PM in the Washington, DC area. Finished Thursday January 30, 2020 at 6:56PM on the train.
6. How to Read Literature Like a Professor — Thomas C. Foster. Started on Saturday February 1, 2020 around 9:30AM. Finished Wednesday February 6, 2020 at 9:03AM.
7. Caffeine — Michael Pollan. Started Wednesday February 6, 2020 at 9:06AM. Finished Wednesday February 6, 2020 at 6:30PM.
8. The Taming of the Shrew — William Shakespeare. Started Thursday February 6, 2020 at 8:57AM Finished Friday February 7, 2020 at 10:51AM.
9. Othello — William Shakespeare. Started Friday February 7, 2020 at 3:56PM. Finished Tuesday February 11, 2020 at 8:29 AM.
10. Henry IV Part Two — William Shakespeare. Started Tuesday February 11, 2020 at 8:33AM. Finished Wednesday February 12, 2020 at 6:43PM.
11. King Lear — William Shakespeare. Started Wednesday February 12, 2020 at 6:44PM. Finished Friday, Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2020 at 11:04AM.
12. Macbeth — William Shakespeare. Started Friday, Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2020 at 11:06AM. Finished Tuesday February 18, 2020 at 9:34AM.
13. Julius Caesar — William Shakespeare. Started Tuesday February 18, 2020 at 9:34AM. Finished Monday February 24, 2020 at 8:34AM.
14. The Art of Seduction — Robert Greene. Started Monday February 24, 2020 at 8:34AM. Finished Monday March 2, 2020 at 6:56AM.
15. Star Wars: Darth Plagueis — James Luceno. Started Thursday February 27, 2020 at 7:32PM. Finished at 11:05AM on Friday March 6, 2020 — Alamo Day.
16. The Scribbly Man — Terry Goodkind. Started Friday March 6, 2020 at 11:14AM. Finished Monday March 9, 2020 at 7:52AM.
17. 1776 — David McCullough. Started Monday March 9, 2020 at 7:53AM. Finished Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 10:29AM in Washington, DC at home.
18. As You Wish — Carey Elwes. Started Friday March 20, 2020. Finished Wednesday March 25, 2020 at 3:48PM.
19. Princess Bride — William Goldman. Started Wednesday March 25, 2020 at 3:51PM. Finished Thursday March 26, 2020 in Washington, DC at home.
20. The Name of the Wind — Patrick Rothfuss. Started Friday March 27, 2020 at 10:52PM. Finished Tuesday April 14, 2020 at 11:08.
21. Firefly — Big Damn Hero — James Lovegrove, Nancy Holder. Started Thursday April 16, 2020 at 8:12AM. Finished Sunday April 19, 2020 at 10:13PM.
22. The Alchemist — Paul Coelho. Started at 4:13PM and finished at 7:51PM on April 27, 2020 flying from Washington, IAD, Dulles Airport to Austin, Texas. Started on the plane from IAD to DFW and finished on flight from DFW to Austin.
23. A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies — Alix E. Harrow. Started and finished on May 11, 2020 in Austin, Texas.
24. Why Read Moby-Dick? — Nathaniel Philbrick. Started Monday May 11, 2020 at 6:42PM in Austin, Texas in the front lawn at home. Finished Wednesday May 14, 2020 at 3:35PM.
25. A Short Account of the History of Mathematics Preface and Chapter 1. — W. Rouse Ball. Started late Friday May 15, 2020. Finished early Saturday May 16, 2020 in Austin, Texas.
26. The Ballad of Black Tom — Victor Lavalle. Started Wednesday May 20, 2020 at 11:20AM at home in Austin, Texas. Finished on Wednesday May 20, 2020 at 9:25PM at home in my room.
27. The City Born Great — N.K. Jemisin. Started and finished on Saturday in Austin, Texas in the PM on May 23, 2020.
28. Howl’s Moving Castle — Dianna Wynne Jones. Started Saturday May 23, 2020 at 7:57PM in Austin, Texas.
29. Micromegas — Voltaire. Started Wednesday May 27, 2020 at 11:17AM. Finished Wednesday May 27, 2020 at 12:27PM in Austin, Texas.
30. The Auroras of Autumn — Wallace Stevens started and finished Monday June 1, 2020.
31. King Henry IV, Part I — William Shakespeare. Started Monday June 8, 2020 at 2:06PM and finished the same day at 7:40PM.
32. So You Want to Talk About Race — Ijeoma Oluo. Started Tuesday June 9, 2020 at 9:00AM and finished the same day 6:20PM.
33. Blood Meridian-Cormac McCarthy. Started Thursday May 28, 2020 at 9:45AM in Austin, Texas. Finished Tuesday June 9, 2020 at 1:47PM.
34. How To Be an Antiracist — Ibram X. Kendi. Started Tuesday June 9, 2020 at 6:21PM. Finished at 7:00PM on Wednesday June 10, 2020.
35. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — F. Scott Fitzgerald. Started and finished June 11, 2020.
36. Race Matters — Cornell West. Started Thursday June 11, 2020 and finished on Friday June 12, 2020.
37. The Wind in the Willows — Kenneth Grahame. Started Tuesday June 9, 2020 at 8:19AM. Finished June 12, 2020.
38. All’s Well that Ends Well — William Shakespeare. Started and finished Saturday June 13, 2020.
39. Looking for Alaska — John Green. Started Saturday June 13, 2020. Finished Sunday June 14, 2020 at 5:51PM.
40. White Fragility — Robin DiAngelo. Started Monday June 15, 2020 at 5:37PM at home in Austin, Texas. Finished Tuesday June 16, 2020 at 8:54PM at home in Austin, Texas.
41. Between the World and Me — Ta-Nehisi Coates. Started and finished on June 18, 2020.
42. The Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain — María Rosa Menocal. Started on June 15, 2020 and finished on June 19, 2020 Friday at 5:18PM
43. The Names — Don DeLillo. Finished Monday June 22, 2020 in Austin, Texas at 2:31PM.
44. Philosophy of Law: A Very Short Introduction — Raymond Wacks. Started Monday June 22, 2020 in Austin, Texas at 4:51PM. Finished Tuesday June 23, 2020 at 5:22PM in Austin, Texas.
45. American Legal History: A Very Short Introduction — G. Edward White. Started Tuesday June 23, 2020 at 7:01PM. Finished at 11:39AM on June 24, 2020 Wednesday in Austin, Texas.
46. Orthodox Christianity: A Very Short Introduction — A. Edward Slecienski. Started Wednesday June 24, 2020 at 11:42AM. Finished Wednesday at 3:05PM in Austin, Texas.
47. Poststructuralism: A Very Short Introduction — Catherine Belsey. Started June 24, 2020 Wednesday 3:09PM. Finished Wednesday June 24, 2020 at 5:54PM in Austin, Texas.
48. Iago: The Strategies of Evil — Harold Bloom. Started Wednesday June 24, 2020 at 5:55PM in Austin, Texas.
49. The Island of the Day Before — Umberto Eco. Started Thursday June 25, 2020 at 1:48PM. Finished Friday June 26, 2020 at 4:47PM in Austin, Texas.
50. A Short History of Nearly Everything — Bill Bryson. Started Monday June 22, 2020 in Austin, Texas at 2:32PM. Finished Tuesday June 30, 2020 at 11:17AM in Austin, Texas.
51. Islamic History: A Very Short Introduction — Adam J. Silverstein. Started Tuesday June 30, 2020 at 11:29Am. Finished Wednesday July 1, 2020 at 9:54AM in Austin, Texas.
52. The Koran: A Very Short Introduction — Michael Cook. Started July 1, 2020 Wednesday 9:55PM. Finished Wednesday July 1, 2020 at 1:54PM in Austin, Texas.
53. How to Read and Why — Harold Bloom. Started Wednesday July 1, 2020 at 11:55PM. Finished July 5, 2020 Sunday at 6:39PM in Austin, Texas.
54. Bird by Bird — Anne Lamott. Started Sunday July 5, 2020 at 6:40PM. Finished Friday July 10, 2020 at 12:29PM in Austin, Texas.
55. Holes — Louis Sachar. Finished Sunday July 12, 2020 at 10:56AM in Austin, Texas.
56. The Crying of Lot 49 — Don De Lillo. Finished Sunday July 19, 2020 at 3:33PM in Austin, Texas.
57. Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul: Mark D. White (Editor/ Contributor), Robert Arp (Editor), James DiGiovanna (Contributor). Finished Saturday August 1, 2020 at 5:56PM in Austin, Texas.
58. The Man Who Would Be King — Rudyard Kipling. Started Monday August 10, 2020 at 6:35PM in Austin, Texas. Finished Monday August 10, 2020 at 7:05PM in Austin, Texas in the same spot.
59. Holidays on Ice — David Sedaris. Started August 10, 2020 before 7:30PM. Finished on August 12, 2020 at 9:23PM.
60. A Macat Analysis of the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism — Max Weber, Sebastian Guzman. Started August 12, 2020 and finished August 16, 2020.
61. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In — Roger Fisher and William L. Ury; and Bruce Patton. Read throughout summer. Finished Friday August 14, 2020 at 7:45PM.
62. A Midsummer Night’s Dream — William Shakespeare. Started Friday August 14, 2020 at 7:46PM. Finished Saturday August 15, 2020 at 8:40PM.
63. How to Write a Thesis — Umberto Eco. Started Wednesday August 26, 2020 at 1:22PM in Austin, Texas. Finished August 29, 2020 Saturday at 6:28PM in Austin, Texas.
64. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World — Cal Newport. Started August 29, 2020 Saturday at 6:28PM in Austin, Texas. Finished Wednesday September 2, 2020 at 8:10 PM in Austin, Texas.
65. This is How You Lose the Time War — Amal El-Mohtar. Started Wednesday September 2, 2020 at 8:11 PM in Austin, Texas. Finished in September.
66. Law and Leviathan: Redeeming the Administrative State. Adrian Vermule & Cass Sunstein. Finished October 17, 2020 Saturday at 5:24PM.
67. Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter. Started Thursday October 29, 2020 at 5:31PM. Finished November 7, 2020 Saturday at 12:29PM.
68. The Glass Castle: A Memoir. Jeannette Walls. Started Sunday November 8, 2020 at 3:00PM. Finished Saturday November 14, 2020 at 12:27PM.
69. Don Quixote — Miguel de Cervantes. Started Sunday July 19, 2020 at 5:22PM. Finished Sunday November 29, 2020 at 1:00PM.
70. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism — Max Weber. Started Saturday June 13, 2020.
71. Underworld — Don De Lillo. Started April 20, 2020 in Washington, D.C. at 12:55PM.
· Einstein quote: reading too many books is not good for a man who does not think. “Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.”
Why do I read?
· Pleasure.
· Personal pleasure.
· Aesthetic experience.
· Personal improvement.
· Thinking is based on memory. What should I remember? In large part, experience, thoughts, and what I read among other things.
· Learning.
· Learning writing styles.
Why do I categorize what I read?
· The book provides me a memory stone about how I felt during that time of the year.
· So I can often look back at these dates and times that I record in the lists of books and remember the feeling of that time of year.
· This is analogous to keeping a journal. It provides an effect similar to smelling a scent — including that of a book — and remembering something from long ago.
· Sometimes seeing a list of books that I have read provides me with ideas for my research. — added Sunday November 29, 2020.
· Reviewing the list of books rejuvenates my memory of the books I read and what I was doing around that time that I was reading the book. In that sense, the book is a marker in time for how I felt and what I was doing. Perhaps analogous to what some call a memory palace. It’s a spatial-temporal marker of memory. — added Sunday November 29, 2020.
© Charles Edward Andrew Lincoln IV
