100 Things I Must-Should-Ought-Want to Do (11-20 March 2014)

(symptom: checking and re-checking several to hundreds of times a day, such as self-evaluation)

1. Dishes [x21, #2 x2, #4 x3]
2. Laundry [x4]
3. Wipe down the kitchen counters [x10]
4. Clean the sinks [x10]
5. Sweep the kitchen floor [x9]
6. Clean the toilet [x7]
7. Plan and prepare dinner [x4, DH x2, take-away x2]
8. Pick up or drop off #4 [x14, DH x5, #2 x1]
9. Take rubbish and recycling to the transfer center [x1]
10. Pay bills due in the next 10 days (11th)
11. Doctor appointment in Whangarei (11th)
12. #4 doctor appointment (12th)
13. Plant rhizomes currently stored in fridge (12th)
14. Prepare for and live through a visit from ex-tropical cyclone Lusi + 2 more teen-aged boys (14th-17th)
15. Migraine (16th)
16. Doctor appointment in Kaitaia (17th)
17. Purchase gravel, pohutakawa red test pot (13th)
18. Pick up books at the library (20th)
19. Make appointment for silver car repairs (20th)
20. Gather additional tax info
21. Remove grass from kill zones (85 mins)
22. 27-pick-up in the front porch garden (20th)
23. 27-pick-up in the kitchen (18th)
24. Mop the kitchen floor (12th)
25. Sweep and mop laundry room floor (12th)
26. Knock down cobwebs in freezer room, office, back porch (12th)
27. Sweep and tidy the back porch (12th)
28. Dust the office (12th)
29. Vacuum office (12th)
30. 27-pick-up in the office (17th)
31. 15 minutes of filing (17th)
32. 27-pick-up in the back porch garden (24)
33. Knock down cobwebs in dining room and lounge (13th)
34. Dust curtains in the lounge (13th)
35. Clean light fixtures and lamps in the lounge (13th)
36. Clean switch plates, door frames, and walls in the lounge (13th)
37. Clean windows and window sill in the lounge (13th)
38. Straighten and dust lounge bookcases (13th)
39. Clean under couch cushions in the lounge
40. Clean baseboards in the lounge (15th)
41. 27-pick-up in the dining room (18th)
42. 27-pick-up in the lounge (18th)
43. Polish furniture in the lounge
44. Dust dining room (18th)
45. Vacuum dining room and lounge (18th)
46. Knock down cobwebs in entry, kitchen, front porch (13th)
47. Sweep off front porch furniture (13th)
48. Wipe down tables, banisters, and light fixtures on the front porch (18th)
49. Sweep the front porch (18th)
50. Clean light fixture in entry (15th)
51. Clean windows, window sill, and door in entry (15th)
52. Clean switch plates, door frames, and walls in the entry (18th)
53. Vacuum entry
54. Clean light fixtures in the kitchen (18th)
55. Empty fridge and thoroughly clean in the inside (19th)
56. Detailed clean stove and oven (19th)
57. Wash canisters and knick-knacks in the kitchen (19th)
58. Clean switch plates, door frames, and walls in the kitchen (19th)
59. Clean windows and window sill in the kitchen (20th)
60. Clean microwave, upright freezer, other appliances (20th)
61. Clean kitchen cabinet fronts (19th)
62. Straighten and wipe down one shelf or cabinet interior in the kitchen (20th)
63. Make a grocery list (13th)
64. Grocery shopping (13th)
65. Knock down cobwebs in the toilet, bathroom, hallway, bedroom
66. Vacuum hallway
67. 27-pick-up in the bedroom
68. Change sheets
69. Dust bedroom
70. Vacuum bedroom
71. Clean the tub (20th)
72. Mop bathroom and toilet room (20th)
73. Empty rubbish bags in toilet and bathroom (20th)
74. Knock down cobwebs in laundry room, garage (20th)
75. Wipe down top of washer/dryer (20th)
76. Wipe down laundry counter (20th)
77. Clean inner washer lid (20th)
78. Clean washer lint filter (20th)
79. 27-pick-up in the laundry room (4)
80. 27-pick-up in the storage room (20th)
81. Code business bank accounts (20th)
82. 27-pick-up in the building site (20th)
83. Put up new fence around grey water runoff
84. Buy more fencing wire?
85. Install dog wire along front porch garden
86. Get weaners tagged
87. Buy more retaining wall blocks
88. Finish lower driveway retaining wall (40 mins)
89. Warrant on truck
90. Warrant on trailer
91. Reinforce southern boundary fence
92. Relocate fennel (20th)
93. Replant front porch garden
94. Source and order bamboo
95. Relocate lime begonia
96. Relocate lemon grass
97. Measure back door, door into garage, for weatherstripping
98. Buy weatherstripping
99. Install weatherstripping for back door, door into garage
100. Update calendars and to-do lists (20th)

And also, I must watch TV with DH.  Here's what we watched together:

• The Big Bang Theory
• The Blacklist
• Bones (x2)
• Castle
• The Colbert Report (x4)
• Cosmos (x2)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (x5)
• Elementary
• The Good Wife (x2)
• Hannibal
• Justified (x2)
• The Mentalist (x2)
• Modern Family
• Real Time with Bill Maher
• Scandal

Here's what I'm reading:

• Amagansett (2004), by Mark Mills
• MaddAddam (2013), by Margaret Atwood
• Red Country (2012), by Joe Abercrombie
• Small Vices (1997), by Robert B. Parker
• Swimming Home (2011), by Deborah Levy
• Thomas the Rhymer (1990), by Ellen Kushner
• The Widening Gyre (1983), by Robert B. Parker

100 Things I Must-Should-Ought-Want to Do (1-10 March 2014)

(symptom: checking and re-checking several to hundreds of times a day, such as self-evaluation)

1. Laundry [x4]
2. Dishes [x17, #2 x2]
3. Wipe down the kitchen counters [x7]
4. Clean the sinks [x7]
5. Sweep the kitchen floor [x7]
6. Clean the toilet [x7]
7. Plan and prepare dinner [Me x2, DH x4, #2 x1, scrounge x1, take-out x1]
8. Pick up or drop off #4 [x10]
9. Take rubbish and recycling to the transfer center (preferably twice) 
10. Pay bills due in the next 10 days (1st)
11. Weed established garden beds (40 mins)
12. File annual company returns (1st)
13. Birthday present for Mom (1st)
14. Call accountant
15. Repairs on #3's car to finish warrant (3rd)
16. Pick up library books (4th)
17. Go to BNZ (4th)
18. Warrant on silver car (6th)
19. Continue gathering tax info (2 hrs)
20. Straighten and wipe down one shelf or cabinet interior in the kitchen (1st)
21. Put on new toilet seat (8th)
22. Mop bathroom and toilet room (8th)
23. Change sheets (6th)
24. Vacuum bedroom (2nd)
25. 27-pick-up in the storage room (1st)
26. Code business bank accounts (3rd, 20 mins)
27. 27-pick-up in the building site (2nd)
28. Knock down cobwebs in freezer room, office, back porch (2nd)
29. Clean windows, window sills, and doors in the freezer room (2nd)
30. Clean switch plates and walls in the freezer room (2nd)
31. Clean light fixture in the freezer room (2nd)
32. Set up tables for seed trays (2nd)
33. Buy clear vinyl, seedling markers, and more potting soil (6th)
34. Plant current month seed trays (direct sow where required) [2nd, all day on a Sunday--awesome!)
35. Order seeds for next month's planting
36. Clean back porch furniture (3rd)
37. Sweep and tidy the back porch (3rd)
38. Dust curtains in the office (4th)
39. Straighten and dust office bookcases (3rd)
40. Clean switch plates, door frames and walls in the office (3rd)
41. Clean windows, window sills, and French doors in the office (3rd)
42. Clean monitor in the office (3rd)
43. Clean light fixtures in the office (3rd)
44. Vacuum office (4th)
45. Clean baseboards in the office (4th)
46. 27-pick-up in the office (3rd)
47. 15 minutes of filing (4th)
48. 27-pick-up in the back porch garden, freezer room (8th)
49. Knock down cobwebs in dining room and lounge (4th)
50. Dust curtains in the dining room (4th)
51. Clean light fixture in the dining room (4th)
52. Clean switch plates, door frames, and walls in the dining room (4th)
53. Clean windows and window sill in the dining room (4th)
54. Polish dining room table (8th)
55. Straighten and dust dining room bookcases (4th)
56. Dust lounge (5th)
57. Clean ceiling fan blades in the lounge (5th)
58. Vacuum dining room and lounge (8th)
59. Clean baseboards in the dining room (4th)
60. 27-pick-up in the dining room (9th)
61. 27-pick-up in the lounge (9th)
62. Knock down cobwebs in entry, kitchen, front porch (5th)
63. Sweep the front porch (5th)
64. 27-pick-up in the front porch garden (21)
65. 27-pick-up in the kitchen
66. Vacuum entry (8th)
67. Clean fridge, microwave, upright freezer, other appliances (5th)
68. Clean kitchen cabinet fronts (5th)
69. Mop the kitchen floor
70. Make a grocery list (4th)
71. Grocery shopping (4th)
72. Knock down cobwebs in the toilet, bathroom, hallway, bedroom (5th)
73. 27-pick-up in the bedroom (5th)
74. Clean the tub (5th)
75. Dust bedroom (5th)
76. Vacuum hallway (8th)
77. Knock down cobwebs in laundry room, garage (5th)
78. Wipe down top of washer/dryer (5th)
79. Wipe down laundry counter (5th)
80. Clean inner washer lid (5th)
81. Clean washer lint filter (5th)
82. 27-pick-up in the laundry room (9th)
83. Sweep and mop laundry room floor
84. Kill thistle and gorse in the paddocks
85. Dig trench for pump house garden edging and install (8th)
86. Put up new fence around grey water runoff
87. Buy more fencing wire?
88. Install dog wire along front porch garden
89. Get weaners tagged
90. Finish lower driveway retaining wall (80 mins)
91. Warrant on truck
92. Warrant on trailer
93. Reinforce southern boundary fence
94. Relocate fennel
95. Replant front porch garden
96. Source and order bamboo
97. Relocate lime begonia
98. Relocate lemon grass
99. Update CV (7th)
100. Update calendars and to-do lists (10th)

And also, I must watch TV with DH.  Here's what we watched together:

• The Big Bang Theory
• The Blacklist
• Castle
• The Colbert Report [x5]
• Cosmos
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart [x5]
• Elementary
• Hannibal [x2]
• Justified
• The Mentalist
• Modern Family
• Real Time with Bill Maher
• Scandal [x2]
• True Detective [x2]
• Vikings

Here's what I'm reading:

• The Blind Man's Garden (2013), by Nadeem Aslam
• A Death in Vienna (2005), by Daniel Silva
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (2009), by Alan Bradley

100 Things I Must-Should-Ought-Want to Do (20-28 February 2014)

(symptom: repetitive behaviors one feels driven to perform according to rules that must be rigidly applied, such as routines)

1. A load of laundry [x9]
2. A load of dishes [x17]
3. Wipe down the kitchen counters [x7]
4. Clean the sinks [x7]
5. Sweep the kitchen floor [x6]
6. Clean the toilet [x7]
7. Plan / prepare dinner [Me x4, DH x4, #2x1]
8. Pick up or drop off #4 [x11]
9. Take rubbish and recycling to the transfer center (preferably twice) [x1]
10. Pay bills due in the next 10 days (20th)
11. Weed established garden beds (60 mins)
12. Meet with the accountant (20th)
13. Buy box for #3's care package (20th)
14. Buy more retaining wall blocks (20th)
15. Blood work (28th)
16. Return library books (28th)
17. Doctor appointment (24th)
18. Pick up remainder of #4's prescription (20th)
19. Start gathering tax info (40 mins)
20. Put on new toilet seat
21. Knock down cobwebs in freezer room, office, back porch (20th)
22. Sweep and tidy the back porch (20th)
23. Dust the office (20th)
24. Vacuum office (21st)
25. 27-pick-up in the office (20th)
26. 15 minutes of filing (21st)
27. 27-pick-up in the back porch garden (27th)
28. Knock down cobwebs in dining room and lounge (20th)
29. Dust dining room and lounge (20th)
30. Vacuum dining room and lounge (20th)
31. 27-pick-up in the dining room (23rd)
32. 27-pick-up in the lounge (20th)
33. Knock down cobwebs in entry, kitchen, front porch (21st)
34. Sweep the front porch (26th)
35. 27-pick-up in the front porch garden (21st)
36. 27-pick-up in the kitchen (27th)
37. Vacuum entry (22nd)
38. Clean fridge, microwave, upright freezer, other appliances (21st)
39. Clean kitchen cabinet fronts (21st)
40. Mop the kitchen floor (21st)
41. Make a grocery list (21st)
42. Grocery shopping (22nd)
43. Knock down cobwebs in the toilet, bathroom, hallway, bedroom (22nd)
44. Scrub fixtures in bathtub, bathroom sink, and shower (22nd)
45. Clean the tub (22nd)
46. Clean switch plates, door frames, and walls in the toilet (22nd)
47. Clean switch plates, door frames, and walls in the bathroom (22nd)
48. Straighten bathroom shelves and drawers (23rd)
49. Clean siding in shower and around tub (23rd)
50. Clean light fixtures in the toilet and bathroom (23rd)
51. Clean windows and window sills in bathroom and toilet (23rd)
52. Clean baseboards in the toilet and bathroom
53. Mop bathroom and toilet room
54. Clean light fixtures in the hallway (23rd)
55. Clean switch plates, door frames, and walls in the hallway (75 mins)
56. Clean baseboards in the hallway (30 mins)
57. Vacuum hallway (22nd)
58. 27-pick-up in the bedroom (27th)
59. Change sheets
60. Dust bedroom (27th)
61. Clean ceiling fan blades in the bedroom (27th)
62. Clean windows and window sill in bedroom (27th)
63. Straighten and dust bookcase in bedroom (27th)
64. Clean switch plates, door frames, and walls in the bedroom
65. Tidy one section of bedroom closet
66. Clean baseboards in the bedroom
67. Vacuum bedroom
68. Knock down cobwebs in laundry room, garage (26th)
69. Wipe down top of washer/dryer (26th)
70. Wipe down laundry counter (26th)
71. Clean inner washer lid (26th)
72. Clean washer lint filter (26th) - required the use of tongs
73. 27-pick-up in the laundry room (26th)
74. Clean switch plates, door frames, and walls in the laundry room (26th)
75. Clean light fixture in the laundry room (26th)
76. Change rubbish bin bag in the laundry room (26th)
77. Sweep and mop laundry room floor (26th)
78. 27-pick-up in the storage room
79. Code business bank accounts
80. Straighten and wipe down one shelf or cabinet interior in the kitchen
81. 27-pick-up in the building site
82. Kill thistle and gorse in the paddocks
83. Build trellis for passionfruit seedling (23rd)
84. Put up new fence around grey water runoff
85. Buy more fencing wire?
86. Install dog wire along front porch garden
87. Get weaners tagged
88. Finish lower driveway retaining wall (90 mins)
89. Knock together edging for pump house garden (23rd, #4 & friend)
90. Warrant on truck
91. Warrant on trailer
92. Reinforce southern boundary fence
93. Relocate fennel
94. Replant front porch garden
95. Source and order bamboo
96. Relocate lime begonia
97. Relocate lemon grass
98. Measure French doors, back door, door into garage, for weatherstripping
99. Send #3's care package (28th)
100. Update calendars and to-do lists

And also, I must watch TV with DH.  Here's what we watched together:

• The Big Bang Theory
• The Blacklist
• Castle
• The Colbert Report [x5]
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart [x5]
• Elementary
• Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond
• Justified (unable to access fxnetwork.com from my location)
• Modern Family
• Real Time with Bill Maher
• That '70s Show [x5]
• True Detective

Here's what I'm reading:

• The Blind Man's Garden (2013), by Nadeem Aslam
• The Finkler Question (2010), by Howard Jacobson
• Hope: A Tragedy (2012), by Shalom Auslander
• The Other Side of Silence (1981), by Ted Allbeury

Books I Read in 2013

(symptom: being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail, such as list-making)

Summary

85 books by 66 different authors (having read 6 by Sue Grafton; 4 by Lawrence Block; 3 each by Stephen King, Charles Todd, and J. D. Robb; and 2 each by Colin Cotterill, Neil Gaiman, Robert B. Parker, Rick Riordan, and Iain M. Banks) from 13 countries (including the Netherlands, Mexico, Pakistan, Spain, Germany, Scotland, New Zealand, and the Dominican Republic).

Genres

Young adult, 2%

Alternate history, 4%

General and literary fiction, 4%

Action & adventure, 5%

Humor, 7%

Nonfiction, 7%

Romance, 8%

Thriller/ suspense, 8%

Horror, 8%
Fantasy, 9%

Scifi, 14%

Historical fiction, 18%

Mystery & detective, 41%

(total greater than 100 due to some books fitting multiple categories)

50 out of the 85 (59%) won a major award or were named to a Best Of list in the year of their publication.

Top 10 Reads of 2013

1. Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson (2013 - recursive lifetimes through both world wars) 
2. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, by Louis de Bernières (1997 - family, friendship, war, and romance on a Greek island)
3. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, by Laura R. King (1994 - Holmes and protege just after WWI)
4. Thirty-Three Teeth, by Colin Cotterill (2005 - Laotian coroner sees dead people, solves crimes)
5. A Case of Exploding Mangoes, by Mohammed Hanif (2008 - satirical send-up of Pakistani military and intelligence bureaucracies)
6. Saturday, by Ian McEwan (2005 - post-9/11 anxieties and the delicate balance of an ordered life)
7. Tinkers, by Paul Harding (2008 - from the mind of a dying man)
8. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman (2013 - the darkest of fairy tales)
9. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman (1999 - a perfect fairy tale) 
10. The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro (1989 - societal change through the eyes of an English butler)

Least Favorite Books of 2013

1. 13 Is the New 18: And Other Things My Children Taught Me--While I Was Having a Nervous Breakdown Being Their Mother, by Beth J. Harpaz (2009 - nonfiction, parenting humor) 
2. Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?: A Rock 'n' Roll Memoir, by Steven Tyler (2011 - nonfiction, narcissistic celebrity memoir)
3. Immortal in Death, by J. D. Robb (1996 - romantic scifi mystery)
4. Vengeance in Death, by J. D. Robb (1997 - romantic scifi mystery)
5. Witness in Death, by J. D. Robb (2000 - romantic scifi mystery)
6. City at the End of Time, by Greg Bear (2008 - time traveling psychedelic scifi) 
7. This Is the Way the World Ends, by James Morrow (1986 - satiric apocalyptic scifi) 
8. Under the Dome, by Stephen King (2009 - horror / scifi)
9. Angelology, by Danielle Trussoni (2010 - fantastical creatures, secret societies)
10. Fire and Ice, by Dana Stabenow (1998 - mystery & race relations in Alaska)

The Chronological List

January

Q Is for Quarry, by Sue Grafton

R Is for Ricochet, by Sue Grafton

S Is for Silence, by Sue Grafton

T Is for Trespass, by Sue Grafton

U Is for Undertow, by Sue Grafton

Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin

The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch

February

V Is for Vengeance, by Sue Grafton

Immortal in Death, by J. D. Robb

Under the Dome, by Stephen King

Vengeance in Death, by J. D. Robb

March

The Brief History of the Dead, by Kevin Brockmeier

This Is the Way the World Ends, by John Frostig

Witness in Death, by J. D. Robb

Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?: A Rock 'n' Roll Memoir, by Steven Tyler

Eating the Dinosaur, by Chuck Klosterman

The Gun Seller, by Hugh Laurie

Stories I Only Tell My Friends: The Autobiography, by Rob Lowe

Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities, by Amy Stewart

April

Starfarers, by Poul Anderson

The Twelve, by Justin Cronin

The Beekeeper's Apprentice, by Laurie R. King

Thirty-Three Teeth, by Colin Cotterill

May

Excession, by Iain M. Banks

The Coroner's Lunch, by Colin Cotterill

13 Is the New 18: And Other Things My Children Taught Me While I Was Having a Nervous Breakdown Being Their Mother, by Beth J. Harpaz

June

Quicksilver, by Neal Stephenson

City at the End of Time, by Greg Bear

July

The Drop, by Michael Connelly

Helliconia Winter, by Brian W. Aldiss

Search the Dark, by Charles Todd

A Dance at the Slaughterhouse, by Lawrence Block

Out on the Cutting Edge, by Lawrence Block

When the Sacred Ginmill Closes, by Lawrence Block

Fire and Ice, by Dana Stabenow

The First Rule, by Robert Crais

The Robots of Dawn, by Isaac Asimov

Wings of Fire, by Charles Todd

August

Angelology, by Danielle Trussoni

Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding

The Enemy, by Lee Child

The Little Country, by Charles De Lint

One for the Money, by Janet Evanovich

A Scanner Darkly, by Philip K. Dick

The Stone Monkey, by Jeffrey Deaver

The Vampire Tapestry, by Suzy McKee Charnas

Big Red Tequila, by Rick Riordan

Eight Million Ways to Die, by Lawrence Block

Captain Corelli's Mandolin, by Louis de Bernières 

Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn

September

Legacy of the Dead, by Charles Todd

The Hangman's Daughter, by Oliver Pötzsch

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, by Karl Malantes

Inversions, by Iain M. Banks

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz

Count Zero, by William Gibson

The Nautical Chart, by Arturo Pérez-Reverte

The Zebra-Striped Hearse, by Ross Macdonald

October

In the Shadow of Gotham, Stefanie Pintoff

Stardust, by Neil Gaiman

Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah

Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison

The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Devil Went Down to Austin, by Rick Riordan

Promised Land, by Robert B. Parker

Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Equivel

Pyramids, by Terry Pratchett

Audrey's Door, by Sarah Langan

A Case of Exploding Mangoes, by Mohammed Hanif

Ceremony, by Robert B. Parker

November

Queen of Sorcery, by David Eddings

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, by Christopher Moore

Tinkers, by Paul Harding

11/22/63, by Stephen King

December 6, by Martin Cruz Smith

Saturday, by Ian McEwan

The Children of Hurin, by J. R. R. Tolkien

A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole

December

Spirit of Steamboat, by Craig Johnson

The Luminaries, by Eleanor Catton

Lexicon, by Max Berry

The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman

Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson

Doctor Sleep, by Stephen King

Books I Read in 2012

(symptom: being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail, such as list-making)

Summary

82 books by 55 different authors [having read 12 by Darren Shan (groan, but I was trying to appease my teenaged son); 5 by George R. R. Martin; 4 by Terry Pratchett; 3 each by Stieg Larrson, Lawrence Block, and Sue Grafton; and 2 each by Brian W. Aldiss and Robert A. Heinlein] from 9 countries (including India, Wales, South Africa, Jamaica, and Ireland).

Genres

Alternate history, 1%

Romance, 2%

Historical fiction, 5%

General and literary fiction, 6%

Humor, 6%

Action & adventure, 10%

Thriller/ suspense, 11%

Horror, 15%

Nonfiction, 16%

Scifi, 17%

Mystery & detective, 21%

Young adult, 21% (still groaning)

Fantasy, 30%

(total greater than 100 due to some books fitting multiple categories)

36 out of the 82 (44%, an all-time low) won a major award or were named to a Best Of list in the year of their publication.

Top 10 Reads of 2012

Very difficult this year.  I did not keep ratings for the entire year.  Whether this was due to waning obsessive/ compulsive symptoms or despair at reading too many popular yet not-very-good books written for young adults, I'm not sure.  But now I am sad because I didn't rate nearly half of the books I read.  I have no empirical data for this list, just memory and my gut.

1. A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin (1997 - fantasy with palace intrigue)
2. A Feast for Crows, by George R. R. Martin (2005 - fantasy with palace intrigue)
3. Drift: The Unmooring of American Political Power, by Rachel Maddow (2012 - nonfiction, politics and the use of US military power)
4. Brainworks: The Mind-bending Science of How You See, What You Think, and Who You Are, by Michael S. Sweeney (2011 - nonfiction, brain science)
5. The Smart Study Guide: Psychological Techniques for Student Success, by Louise Tamblin (2006 - nonfiction self-help for learning)
6. A Clash of Kings, by George R. R. Martin (1998 - fantasy with palace intrigue)
7. The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory, by David Plouffe (2009 - nonfiction, politics)
8. Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett (2002 - literary fiction with opera)
9. The Black Prince, by Iris Murdoch (1973 - literary fiction with murder)
10. Waiting for the Barbarians, by J. M. Coetzee (1980 - literary fiction)

Least Favorite Books of 2012

1. The Saga of Darren Shan, by Darren Shan (all 12 of them, young adult horror)
2. Room, by Emma Donoghue (2010, literary fiction)
3. To Your Scattered Bodies Go, by Philip José Farmer (1971 - scifi)
4. I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak (2002 - young adult mystery)
5. Bone Crossed, by Patricia Biggs (2009 - romantic fantasy)
6. Glory Road, by Robert A. Heinlein (1963 - scifi)
7. Get Organized, by Ron Fry (2011 - self-help time management)
8. Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey (1984 - fantasy scifi)
9. Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris (2001 - fantasy)
10. Brown Girl in the Ring, by Nalo Hopkinson (1998 - fantasy with voodoo)

The Chronological List

January

Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein

A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan

The Big Black Mark, by A. Bertram Chandler

How to Ditch Your Fairy, by Justine Larbalestier

A Stab in the Dark, by Lawrence Block

Waiting for the Barbarians, by J. M. Coetzee

The Last Spymaster, by Gayle Lynds

February

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick

Moreta:  Dragonlady of Pern, by Anne McCaffrey

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin

Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larrson
A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin

March

Allies of the Night, by Darren Shan

Cirque du Freak, by Darren Shan

Killers of the Dawn, by Darren Shan

The Vampire's Assistant, by Darren Shan

Hunters of the Dusk, by Darren Shan

The Lake of Souls, by Darren Shan

Lord of the Shadows, by Darren Shan

Vampire Mountain, by Darren Shan

Trials of Death, by Darren Shan

Tunnels of Blood, by Darren Shan

The Vampire Prince, by Darren Shan

April

The Confessor, by Daniel Silva

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

A Clash of Kings, by George R. R. Martin

The Recruit, by Robert Muchamore

Sons of Destiny, by Darren Shan

May

Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel

Inside of a Dog:  What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, by Alexandra Horowitz

The Psychopath Test:  A Journey Through the Madness Industry, by Jon Ronson

A Storm of Swords, by George R. R. Martin

The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi

June

A Feast for Crows, by George R. R. Martin

Started Early, Took My Dog, by Kate Atkinson

18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction and Get the Right Things Done, by Peter Bregman

Brainworks: The Mind-Bending Science of How You See, What You Think, and Who You Are, by Michael S. Sweeney

The Smart Study Guide:  Psychological Techniques for Student Success, by Louise Tamblin

Study Smarter, Not Harder, by Kevin Paul

July

Stupid White Men ... and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!, by Michael Moore

The Calcutta Chromosome, by Amitav Ghosh

Mort, by Terry Pratchett

A Dance with Dragons, by George R. R. Martin

Helliconia Spring, by Brian W. Aldiss

August

Proven Guilty, by Jim Butcher

The Brass Verdict, by Michael Connelly

Pebble in the Sky, by Isaac Asimov

Bone Crossed, by Patricia Briggs

Glory Road, by Robert A. Heinlein

The High Crusade, by Poul Anderson

N Is for Noose, by Sue Grafton

The Lincoln Lawyer, by Michael Connelly

Night Watch, by Terry Pratchett

September

I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak

The Girl Who Played with Fire, by Stieg Larrson
O Is for Outlaw, by Sue Grafton
P Is for Peril, by Sue Grafton
Bossypants, by Tina Fey
Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett
Drift:  The Unmooring of American Military Power, by Rachel Maddow
Helliconia Summer, by Brian W. Aldiss

October

Everybody Dies, by Lawrence Block
A Ticket to the Boneyard, by Lawrence Block
Brown Girl in the Ring, by Nalo Hopkinson
Babel-17, by Samuel R. Delany
Child 44, by Tom Rob Smith
Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larrson
To Your Scattered Bodies Go, by Philip Jose Farmer

November

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer, by Seth Grahame-Smith

61 Hours, by Lee Child

The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama

Room, by Emma Donoghue

December

Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett

Making Money, by Terry Pratchett
The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory, by David Plouffe
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
Body of Lies, by David Ignatius
The Black Prince, by Iris Murdoch

Books I Read in 2011

(symptom: being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail, such as list-making)

Summary

88 books by 82 different authors (having read 2 each by Martin Amis, Sebastian Barry, Robert A. Heinlein, Chuck Palahniuk, William Trevor, and Fred Vargas) from 9 different countries (including Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, Grenada, and Itay)

Genres

Westerns, 1%
Alternate history, 1%
Nonfiction, 2%
Romance, 2%
Short stories, 2%
Horror, 8%
Action & adventure, 8%
General & literary fiction, 13%
Fantasy, 14%
SciFi, 15%
Thriller/suspense, 17%
Historical, 20%
Mystery & detective, 32%
(total greater than 100 due to some books fitting multiple categories)

50 of the 88 (57%) won a major award or were named to a Best Of list in their year of publication

My Ratings (out of 10)
9 or 10, 16%
7 or 8, 48%
5 or 6, 24%
4 or less, 9%
(total less than 100 due to rounding)

Top 10 Reads of 2011

1. City of Thieves, by David Benioff (2008 - historical fiction)
2. The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry (2008 - fictional autobiography)
3. Cities of the Plain, by Cormac McCarthy (1999 - western)
4. Away, by Amy Bloom (2007 - historical fiction)
5. Beloved, by Toni Morrison (1988 - historical fiction)
6. Jack of Shadows, by Roger Zelazny (1975 - fantasy)
7. Sharp Teeth, by Toby Barlow (2008 - fantasy/ horror/ mystery/ verse mashup)
8. Ravelstein, by Saul Bellow (2000- fictional biography)
9. The Blue, by Mary McCallum (2007 - adventure/ romance)
10. Fieldwork, by Mischa Berlinski (2007 - mystery/ anthropology)

Least Favorite Books of 2011

1. Emptying the Nest: Launching Your Young Adult toward Success and Self-Reliance, by Brad Sachs (2010 - psychology/ self-help)
2. L'Affaire, by Diane Johnson (2003 - contemporary romance)
3. Cross Bones, by Kathy Reichs (2006 - mystery)
4. Beautiful Dreamer, by Christopher Bigsby (2006 - historical fiction)
5. Hunting the Ghost Dancer, by A. A. Attanasio (1992 - historical fiction/ fantasy)
6. Over Tumbled Graves, by Jess Walter (2002 - mystery)
7. Breaking Faith, by Jo Bannister (2005 - mystery)
8. Last Lessons of Summer, by Margaret Maron (2004 - mystery)
9. Where I'm Calling From, by Raymond Carver (1989 - short stories)
10. The Collectors, by David Baldacci (2006 - thriller)

The Chronological List

January

The Information, by Martin Amis

Hunting the Ghost Dancer, by A. A. Attanasio

A Shadow on the Wall, by Jonathan Aycliffe

Fire Hawk, by Geoffrey Archer

February

Best Served Cold, by Joe Abercrombie

Blacklands, by Belinda Bauer

The Manuel of Detection, by Jedediah Berry

Breaking Faith, by Jo Bannister

House of Meetings, by Martin Amis

March

Matter, by Iain M. Banks

Sharp Teeth, by Toby Barlow

Annie Dunn, by Sebastian Barry

Kissing Christmas Goodbye, by M. C. Beaton

No Time for Goodbye, by Linwood Barclay

The Chemistry of Death, by Simon Beckett

April

The Collectors, by David Baldacci

Darkmans, by Nicola Barker

The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry

Our Horses in Egypt, by Rosalind Belben

City of Thieves, by David Benioff

May

Ravelstein, by Saul Bellow

Billy Boyle, by James R. Benn

Beautiful Dreamer, by C. W. E. Bigsby

Christine Falls, by Benjamin Black

Fieldwork, by Mischa Berlinski

Scaredy Cat, by Mark Billingham

The Charlemagne Pursuit, by Steve Berry

Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill

June

Hit and Run, by Lawrence Block

The Dead, by Ingrid Black

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Final Solution, by Michael Chabon

Flaubert's Parrot, by Julian Barnes

Pygmy, by Chuck Palahniuk

Cross Bones, by Kathy Reichs

Wash This Blood Clean from My Hand, by Fred Vargas

This Night's Foul Work, by Fred Vargas

Away, by Amy Bloom

Bangkok 8, by John Burdett

L'Affaire, by Diane Johnson

July

Reading Turgenev, by William Trevor

My House in Umbria, by William Trevor

The Blue, by Mary McCallum

Last Lessons of Summer, by Margaret Maron

Over Tumbled Graves, by Jess Walter

Where I'm Calling From, by Raymond Carver

The Innkeeper's Son, by Peter S. Beagle

The Last Child, by John Hart

American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfield

In Plain Sight, by C. J. Box

The Potter's Field, by Ellis Peters

August

Jack of Shadows, by Rogert Zelazny

Watership Down, by Richard Adams

Driving Blind, by Ray Bradbury

Rites of Passage, by William Golding

A World Out of Time, by Larry Niven

Cities of the Plain, by Cormac McCarthy

Ragamuffin, by Tobias S. Buckell

Lullaby, by Chuck Palahniuk

The Lighthouse, by P. D. James

Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, by Robert A. Heinlein

The Mote in God's Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

September

Cyteen, by C. J. Cherryh

Foundation and Empire, by Isaac Asimov

The Madonnas of Leningrad, by Debra Dean

Beloved, by Toni Morrison

Ender's Shadow, by Orson Scott Card

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Emptying the Nest: Launching Your Young Adult Toward Success and Self-Reliance

The Long Goodbye, by Raymond Chandler

October

Years of Rice and Salt, by Kim Stanley Robinson

Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout

Nights at the Circus, by Angela Carter

Dress Your Family in Denim and Corduroy, by David Sedaris

The Passage, by Justin Cronin

November

Darkness Peering, by Alice Blanchard

The Patience of the Spider, by Andrea Camilleri

Hotel du Lac, by Anita Brookner

The Voyage of the Narwhal, by Andrea Barrett

Flow by Tears, the Policeman Said, by Philip K. Dick

He Shall Thunder the Sky, by Elizabeth Peters

The Talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith

Do Unto Others, by Jeff Abbott

Damnation Game, by Clive Barker

December

Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein

Dragondrums, by Anne McCaffrey

The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

Sovereign, by C. J. Sansom 

Books I Read in 2010

(symptom: being excessively engaged in tasks that require exquisite attention to detail, such as list-making)

Summary

70 books by 56 authors (having read 3 each by Donna Andrews and Isabel Allende, and 2 each by Ilona Andrews, Margaret Atwood, Nadeem Aslam, Stephen Baxter, Sandi Ault, Kingsley Amis, Robert Littell, Kate Atkinson, and Carol Berg) from 10 different countries (including Chile, Sweden, Portugal, Italy, Pakistan, and Russia).

Genres

Short stories, 1%

Nonfiction, 4%

Young adult, 4%

Romance, 4%

Alternate history, 4%

Action & adventure, 6%

Humor, 10%

Scifi, 13%

Fantasy, 13%

General & literary fiction, 16%

Thriller/ suspense, 17%

Historical fiction, 17%

Mystery & detective, 31%

(total greater than 100 due to some books fitting multiple categories)

45 of the 70 (64%) won a major award or were named to a Best Of list in their year of publication

My Ratings (out of 10)

9 or 10, 7%

7 or 8, 35%

5 or 6, 47%

4 or less, 11%

Top 10 Reads of 2010

1. The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus, by Margaret Atwood (2005 - literary mythology)
2. Winterton Blue, by Trezza Azzopardi (2007 - romantic literary fiction)
3. Case Histories, by Kate Atkinson (2004 - literary mystery & detective)
4. The Wasted Vigil, by Nadeem Aslem (2008 - contemporary literary fiction)
5. The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon (2007 - mystery & detective in an alternate history)
6. Zorro, by Isabel Allende (2005 - historical action & adventure)
7. Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA, by Tim Weiner (2007 - nonfiction)
8. The Convalescent, by Jessica Anthony (2009 - contemporary literary fiction)
9. The Algebreist, by Iain M. Banks (2004 - scifi)
10. Little Bee, by Chris Cleave (2008 - contemporary literary fiction)

Least Favorite Books of 2010

1. Wild Inferno, by Sandi Ault (2008 - mystery & detective)
2. On the Edge, by Ilona Andrews (2009 - fantasy)
3. The Seven Sins: The Tyrant Ascending, by Jon Land (2008 - thriller)
4. Wild Indigo, by Sandi Ault (2008 - mystery & detective)
5. Flood, by Stephen Baxter (2009 - scifi)
6. In Cold Pursuit, by Sarah Andrews (2008 - mystery & detective)
7. Bury Me Deep, by Megan Abbott (2009 - historical mystery & detective)
8. Human Capital, by Stephen Amidon (2005 - contemporary fiction)
9. Flesh and Spirit, by Carol Berg (2007 - fantasy)
10. Devil May Care, by Sebastian Faulks (2008 - spy thriller)

The Chronological List

January

The Wasted Vigil, by Nadeem Aslam

Brasyl, by Ian McDonald

Emissaries from the Dead, by Adam-Troy Castro

Flesh and Spirit, by Carol Berg

Breath and Bone, by Carol Berg

China Lake, by Meg Gardiner

Powers, by Ursula K. Le Guin

Too Close to Home, by Linwood Barclay

February

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

The Seven Sins:  The Tyrant Ascending, by Jon Land

Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri

Envy the Night, by Michael Kortya

A Welcome Grave, by Michael Kortya

Case Histories, by Kate Atkinson

When Will There Be Good News?, by Kate Atkinson

March

Milton in America, by Peter Ackroyd

Passage of Arms, by Eric Ambler

House of the Stag, by Kage Baker

April

London Fields, by Martin Amis

Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende

Wild Indigo, by Sandi Ault

The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus, by Margaret Atwood

Wild Inferno, by Sandi Ault

Winterton Blue, by Trezza Azzopardi

Missing, by Karen Alvtegen

End of Story, by Peter Abrahams

The Visiting Professor, by Robert Littell

May

Zorro, by Isabel Allende

Devil May Care, by Sebastian Faulks

Vicious Circle, by Robert Littell

The Ethical Assassin, by David Liss

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

June

Ines of My Soul, by Isabel Allende

Magic Burns, by Ilona Andrews

A Superior Death, by Nevada Barr

The Savage Detectives, by Roberto Bolano

July

A Treasury of Regrets, by Susanne Alleyn

Hide My Eyes, by Margery Allingham

August

The Old Devils, by Kingsley Amis

Human Capital, Stephen Amidon

In Cold Pursuit, by Sarah Andrews

The Alteration, by Kingsley Amis

Murder with Peacocks, by Donna Andrews

You’ve Got Murder, by Donna Andrews

Fearless Fourteen, by Janet Evanovich

Legacy of Ashes:  The History of the CIA, by Tim Weiner

The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman

September

Skylark Farm, by Antonia Arslan

Cowl, by Neal Asher

The Inquisitors’ Manual, by Antonio Lobo Antunes

The Age of Spiritual Machines, by Ray Kurzweil

The Mercy Seat, by Rilla Askew

October

Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon, by Donna Andrews

Maps for Lost Lovers, by Nadeem Aslam

Flood, by Stephen Baxter

Ark, by Stephen Baxter

The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, by Michael Chabon

November

Bury Me Deep, by Megan Abbott

War Dances, by Sherman Alexie

On the Edge, by Ilona Andrews

The Year of the Flood, by  Margaret Atwood

Bitter Angels, by C. L.  Anderson

Devil’s Garden, by Ace Atkins

Death and Restoration, by Iain Pears

December

The Convalescent, by Jessica Anthony

A Loyal Spy, by Simon Conway

Little Bee, by Chris Cleave

Await Your Reply, by Dan Chaon

Agincourt, by Bernard Cornwell

The Algebraist, by Iain M. Banks