We’ve reached the end of another year. How was 2011 for you in terms of reading? As for me, it was a more productive year compared to 2010. I managed to finish just below my annual target of 1 book a week. 51 books in total, with another 3-4 in progress. No trees were harmed in my book reading this year – it was all ebooks and audio books.

I also spent a lot less money this year. The secret weapon : National Library Board of Singapore. They have a public lending library (powered by Overdrive) which offers a decent selection of ebooks and audio books. You can get Overdrive apps for both iOS and Android.

Here’s the list of 51 books (with the usual Twitter reviews). If you click on the Amazon links, that will help me buy and read more books next year.

1. Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden. Young adult survival story – what happens when Australia is invaded by an (unnamed) Asian country? (audio)

2. Catching Fire (Hunger Games Trilogy Book 2) by Suzanne Collins. Young adult survival story. (ebook)

3. The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss. Lose weight, gain muscles, interesting experiments in bodyhacking. (ebook)

4. Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh. True story Indian sociologist befriends a black Chicago gang boss. (ebook)

5. Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins. Drama overload. (ebook)

6. SS-GB by Len Deighton. A fast paced whodunit set in 1941 Nazi-occupied Britain 1941. (ebook)

7. Dreadnought by Cherie Priest. A rollicking steampunk adventure set in the US Civil War. Plus, zombies. (audio)

8. Ill Wind (Weather Warden, Book 1) by Rachel Caine. A fun lightweight paranormal story. (ebook)

9. The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch (ebook)

10. Clementine by Cherie Priest. Steampunk + civil war spies + airship battles (audio)

11. The Simple Dollar by Trent Hamm. Practical advice on spending less and living more. (ebook)

12. The Gun by CJ Chivers. The history of the AK47. (ebook)

13. Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts. Inspirational reading for all travelers (ebook)

14. I am Number 4 by Pittacus Lore. If you can get through the teenage melodrama, there’s an actual adventure in there. (audio)

15. Cryoburn (The Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold. Good fun revisiting an older Miles Vorkosigan. (ebook)

16. On Writing by Stephen King. Inspiring, insightful & still (mostly) relevant practical advice. (audiobook)

17. Poke The Box by Seth Godin. Short summary for a short book: go and do something. Now. (ebook)

18. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey. Fast paced, action packed tale of revenge and Hell. Tastes good, less filling. (ebook)

19. Chinatown Beat by Henry Chang. (ebook)

20. A World I Never Made by James Lepore. (ebook)

21. Do The Work by Stephen Pressfield. Makes you want to create something now. A short version of The War of Art. (ebook)

22. Kill The Dead by Richard Kadrey. Continuing adventures of Sandman Slim. (ebook)

23. Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card. Time travel that hurts your brain. And he’s just getting started (ebook).

24. Pandora’s Star by Peter F Hamilton. Long epic SF, watch out for the cliffhanger. (audiobook)

25. Hounded by Kevin Hearne. Like Dresden Files, only with a centuries-old Druid instead of a Wizard. (ebook)

26. The Playbook by Barney Stinson. If you’re a fan of HIMYM, you’ll love it. (ebook)

27. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. A book that inspires action is rare, one that inspires me to run, is one in a million. (ebook)

28. Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook by Matt Dunn. Chick lit for guys. Who’d da thought? (ebook)

29. Judas Unchained by Peter F Hamilton. Conclusion to the long sprawling SF epic. (audiobook)

30. The Friend Request by Alex Ford. Facebook isn’t just for fun anymore. (ebook)

31. Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton. Love reading secret origins of chefs. (ebook)

32. A Clash of Kings by George R R Martin. 2nd book in A Song of Ice and Fire. Long, epic, makes me want more. (audiobook)

33. Deadworld by J N Duncan. Lightweight, forgettable urban fantasy with a western twist. (ebook)

34. Linchpin by Seth Godin. Inspiration for leaders. (ebook)

35. How to survive the end of the world as we know it by James Weasley Rawles. Teotawki, wtshtf and other good survival info. Not very deep though.(ebook)

36. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. Dresden lives, sort of. (ebook)

37. Naked Heat by Richard Castle. If you like the TV series Castle, you’ll like this one. (ebook)

38. Tribes: We need you to lead us by Seth Godin. Typical Godin: manifesto-esque, inspirational, not a lot of practical advice. (ebook)

39. 100 Thing Challenge by Dave Bruno. Makes you think about priorities and dependency on stuff. Dry, but useful. (ebook)

40. When All Hell Breaks Loose by Cody Lundin. Urban survival manual written with the layman in mind. (ebook)

41. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Inspiration for all artists, struggling and aspiring. (ebook)

42.Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt. Finally a straightforward discussion on strategy that will not make you fall asleep. (ebook)

43. The Art of Non-conformity by Chris Guillebeau. Yet another guide to rethinking your life. (ebook).

44. Wired by Douglas E Richards. Starts out as a very strong thriller, fizzles out quickly. (ebook)

45. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. Lots of little stories, inspirations, design tips, and crying. (ebook)

46. Ready Player One by Earnest Cline. A fun adventure story, chockful of 80’s pop culture references. (ebook)

47. The Night Eternal by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan. Fast paced, ultimately unsatisfying conclusion to the cinematic vampire horror Trilogy. (ebook)

48. Switch by Dan Heath and Chip Heath. Presenting a decent framework for effecting change in an organization. (ebook)

49. Make It Stick by Dan Heath and Chip Heath. Formula-based approach on getting your ideas out. (ebook)

50. Sex on The Moon by Ben Mezrich. Based on the true story of NASA moon rock heist. Overly dramatized, but compelling. (audiobook)

51. One Click by Richard L Brandt. The rise of Amazon. Geeks will cringe at some of the technical mistakes made by the author, but it’s a good story. (ebook)

Filed under: eBooks

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