Well, here they are: The 106 books I read in 2011.
- Buried Treasures of the Ozarks by W.C. Jameson
- Remembering St. Louis World’s Fair by Margaret Johanson Witherspoon
- Missouri Bandits, Bushwackers, Outlaws by Carole Marsh
- A Political Bestiary by Eugene J. McCarthy and James J. Kilpatrick
- This Is It, Mike Shayne by Brett Halliday
- Battlestar Galactica by Glen A. Larson and Robert Thurston
- Split Image by Robert B. Parker
- The Turqouise Lament by John D. MacDonald
- The Virginian by Owen Wister
- Great Sonnets by Edited by Paul Negri
- Fresh Lies by James Lileks
- Goodbye, Nanny Grey by Susannah Stacey
- Goldfinger by Ian Fleming
- Code of Honor by “Don Pendleton”
- Unsolved Murders & Mysteries edited by John Canning
- The Brookline Shoot-Out by Shirley Walker Garton and Bradley Allen Garton
- The River of Used To Be by Jim Hamilton
- Telefon by Walter Wager
- The Gingerbread Lady by Neil Simon
- Dave Barry Turns 40 by Dave Barry
- Fletch Forever by Gregory McDonald
- California Hit by Don Pendleton
- Boston Blitz by Don Pendleton
- Thunderball by Ian Fleming
- Where There’s Smoke by Ed McBain
- Battlestar Galactica 2: The Cylon Death Machine by Glen A. Larson and Robert Thurston
- Traces of Silver by Artie Ayres
- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Selected Poems by John Donne
- Casual Day Has Gone Too Far by Scott Adams
- Garfield Takes Up Space by Jim Davis
- Washington IOU by Don Pendleton
- Bite Size History by Hugh Westrup
- Triviata compiled by Timothy T. Fullerton
- The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Vintage Reading by Robert Kanigel
- San Diego Siege by Don Pendleton
- The Well-Stocked Bookcase
- Sicilian Slaughter by Jim Peterson
- Jersey Guns by Don Pendleton
- The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Texas Storm by Don Pendleton
- The Best of Clarence Day by Clarence Day
- Can a Lawn Chair Really Fly? by Jess Gibson
- Dune by Frank Herbert
- Dave Barry Does Japan by Dave Barry
- Storm Prey by John Sandford
- The Treasury of Clean Jokes by Tal D. Bonham
- The Seinfeld Universe by Greg Guttoso
- New Orleans Knockout by Don Pendleton
- Firestorm U.S.A. by Jack Hild
- The Bittersweet Ozarks at a Glance by Ellen Gray Massey
- The Kentucky Rifle: A True American Heritage in Pictures by The Kentucky Rifle Association
- No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem by Jeff Foxworthy
- Point Blank by Jack Hild
- Ozark Tales and Superstitions by Phillip W. Steele
- Treasure Hunting for Fun and Profit by Charles Garrett
- Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein
- Atlas of Ancient History: 1700 BC to 565 AD by Michael Grant
- The World’s Great News Photos 1840-1980 by Craig T. Norback and Melvin Gray
- South Park Conservatives by Brian C. Anderson
- Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut
- Hawaiian Hellground by Don Pendleton
- Silent Prey by John Sandford
- Painted Ladies by Robert B. Parker
- Sixkill by Robert B. Parker
- Bad Blood by John Sandford
- Anerica Alone by Mark Steyn
- Incredible Super Trivia by Fred L. Worth
- Run to Daylight by Vince Lombardi
- Paris, Tightwad, and Peculiar by Margot Ford McCullen
- Triumph TRs by Graham Robson
- Missouri Hard to Believe But True by Carole Marsh
- A Bag of Noodles by Wally Armbruster
- Remembering Reagan by Peter Hannaford and Charles D. Hobbs
- One Hour Crafts for Kids by Cindy Groom Harry
- Bruges and Its Beauties
- Gainsborough: A Biography by Elizabeth Ripley
- Ripley’s Believe It or Not Special Edition 2005 by Mary Packard
- Great Quotes, Great Comedians by compiled by Michael Ryan
- Jokes and Anecdotes for All Occasions by Ralph L. Marquard
- Corporate Madness by Mark Lineback
- Orvieto: Art-History-Folklore
- Whiplash: America’s Most Frivolous Lawsuits by James Percelay
- 28 Table Lamp Projects by H.A. Menke
- Three Aces by Rex Stout
- Empire of Lies by Andrew Klavan
- Halo First Strike by Eric Nylund
- Outland by Alan Dean Foster
- I’m Not Anti-Business, I’m Anti-Idiot by Scott Adams
- The Porkchoppers by Ross Thomas
- Ghost Radio by Leopoldo Gout
- The Book of Questions and Answers by Joshua Coltrane
- Canadian Crisis by Don Pendleton
- Daytrip Missouri by Lee N. Godley and Patricia M. O’Rourke
- Home for Christmas by Lloyd C. Douglas
- Wild Horse Mesa by Zane Grey
- Kill Me Tomorrow by Richard S. Prather
- Colorado Kill-Zone by Don Pendleton
- General George Patton: Old Blood and Guts by Alden Hatch
- Love and Marriage by Bill Cosby
- Attila, King of the Huns by Patrick Howarth
- Buried Prey by John Sandford
- Do the Work! by Steven Pressfield
- In Odd We Trust by Dean Koontz and Queenie Chan
- Missouri by Bill Nunn
To sum up:
I read a lot of Don Pendleton’s The Executioner series, as is only fitting because my beautiful wife bought me 47 of them for my birthday in February.
I spent a lot of time this year getting my geek cred back by reading The Lord of the Rings and Dune, and I threw in Time Enough For Love by Heinlein. That’s some 2000 pages of science fiction and fantasy right there.
In the late spring and early summer, I started and even finished a number of compendium books, especially about literature, in advance of my Jeopardy! audition. Since I’ve forgotten most of what I read in them, it’s just as well that I’ve not been summoned to Los Angeles.
I didn’t read too many classics or serious things this year. I got in a couple of bios, especially late, and a number of Robert B. Parker and John Sandford works.
This next year, I expect I’ll read more seriously but will get my fill of pulp and picture books.
