Completed Library Books
This post will be updated as I finish reading books from the Library. I’ll also link to the posts in which I review the titles, for easy reference. You can also keep track on the Goodreads shelf I’ve made for the project!
Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson. Finished May 8, 2022, mere hours after posting the first Sunday Missive.
Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde. Finished May 19, 2022, while sprawled on my couch and craving cheese and crackers.
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld. Finished May 23, 2022, after reading most of the book during a heat wave and trying to explain what it was about to a friend while tipsy.
Unnatural Causes by PD James. Finished May 27, 2022, on a flight from New York to Seattle.
Memoirs of an Ex-Prom Queen by Alix Kates Shulman. Finished June 5, 2022, maybe technically still June 4 Pacific time, while slightly loopy on a redeye flight from San Francisco back to New York.
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell. Finished June 10, 2022, at the beach. Our first nonfiction book!
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Finished June 13, 2022, on my couch.
The Girls Who Went Away by Ann Fessler. Finished July 8, 2022, instead of finishing the last half hour of The Staircase (the fictional one).
Devil House by John Darnielle. Finished July 9, 2022, on the train home after seeing Come From Away on Broadway for the third time. (I had four pages left.)
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson. Finished July 14, 2022, while eating spoonfuls of chocolate frosting directly out of the container.
Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews. Finished July 20, 2022, probably in between Tumblr scrolls.
Unmask Alice by Rick Emerson. Finished July 23, 2022, in a frenzy to finish so I wouldn’t have to lug a hardcover to the beach the next day.
The Likeness by Tana French. Finished August 13, 2022, sprawled on my bed before seeing Hadestown.
Secret Identity by Alex Segura. Finished August 27, 2022, at Jacob Riis.
Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen. Finished August 29, 2022, curled up on my couch and just enjoying the reading moment.
Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley. Finished September 1, 2022, in a mad dash before bed, to avoid bringing both a book with only 40 pages left and a brand-new book to DC with me for the National Book Festival.
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson. Finished September 6, 2022, sitting at my desk in my bedroom after work.
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow. Finished September 15, 2022, sitting on my couch after devouring two Marino’s watermelon Italian ices.
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell. Finished October 4, 2022, probably in bed, hoping I could finish it before going to sleep.
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Finished October 25, 2022, and to be completely honest, I don’t remember where I was. Maybe on a subway?
It Came from the Closet, edited by Joe Vallese. Finished November 15, 2022, likely at home, wondering if it was too late in the year to still watch horror movies.
Shroud for a Nightingale by P. D. James. Finished December 30, 2022, in a mad morning dash before heading out to see 1776, because I didn’t want to carry two books with me on the train.
Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin. Finished January 3, 2023, I believe on the train home from my first full working day back in the office since early 2020.
The Honeys by Ryan La Sala. Finished January 12, 2023, reading feverishly on my couch before a late-evening work meeting.
God Shot by Chelsea Bieker. Finished January 17, 2023, on the Long Island Rail Road.
Nerd by Maya Phillips. “Finished” January 27, 2023, when I simply decided to . . . give up on it.
Severance by Ling Ma. Finished January 28, 2023, sprawled on my couch with my cat after a walk in the park.
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix. Finished February 2, 2023, crying on my couch.
Swing Time by Zadie Smith. Finished February 17, 2023, on a flight to San Francisco International Airport, just before playing two hours of Roller Coaster Tycoon.
The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn. Finished February 22, 2023, eating lunch at the desk in my bedroom in between catching up on a post-trip backlog of emails.
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott. Finished March 8, 2023, possibly on the Long Island Rail Road? (I keep forgetting to make note of where I am when I finish one of these things.)
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez. Finished April 1, 2023, and that’s no April Fool——though the weather certainly was that day.
Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle. Finished April 14, 2023, I think on the train.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Finished April 22, 2023, possibly also on the train? (I’ll take better notes about where I am when I finish the books in the future, I promise.)
Heiresses: The Lives of the Million Dollar Babies by Laura Thompson. Finished April 30, 2023, sprawled on my couch, battling what I hoped was just allergies or a head cold and not COVID.
Matrix by Lauren Groff. Finished May 9, 2023, in bed before 9:30pm as I recovered from what ended up being not COVID, but was potentially strep?
The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis. Finished July 12, 2023, in my bedroom, in my favorite chair, convinced I was going to be murdered by a serial killer (thanks for nothing, book).
The It Girl by Ruth Ware. Finished July 21, 2023, at the bar at Torch and Crown Brewing in Union Square.
Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott. Finished July 25, 2023, furiously skimming and rolling my eyes on my couch.
Raw Dog by Jamie Loftus. Finished July 31, 2023, on my couch.
The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders. Finished August 9, 2023, reading in bed and desperate to finish this book before I went to DC that weekend.
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder. Finished August 12, 2023, on my hotel bed in Washington, DC.
Pageboy by Elliot Page. Finished August 13, 2023, back in my own bed, after reading in assorted DC coffee shops all day and on the train home.
All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby. Finished August 24, 2023, in my bed. (I didn’t leave the house a lot that week.)
My Murder by Katie Williams. Finished August 27, 2023, in my bed.
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley. Finished September 1, 2023, on my couch. (I’ve been blessed enough not to finish a book at an inopportune moment recently.)
Hazardous Spirits by Anbara Salam. Finished September 4, 2023——and I genuinely do not remember where I was. Maybe on the LIRR?
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Finished September 22, 2023, on my couch again, because even though this book was for school, I simply cannot comfortably read a novel at a desk or table.
How to Survive a Horror Movie by Seth Grahame-Smith. Finished October 21, 2023, read in one sitting while cuddled under a blanket on my couch on a chilly evening.
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing. Finished October 25, 2023, probably on my couch? Maybe I should stop tracking that.
Penny by Karl Stevens. Finished October 29, 2023, having a lazy day on——you guessed it——my couch.
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. Finished November 27, 2023, sitting on my couch while waiting for the results of a COVID test. (It was positive.)
The Black Tower by P. D. James. Finished December 10, 2023, at breakfast at my lovely Cold Spring B&B.
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll. Finished December 14, 2023, after seeing I had 50-60 pages left, and deciding to push through because I couldn’t bear not to finish the book and find out what happened.
A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand. Finished December 30, 2023, admittedly skimming a bit on the LIRR.
Mrs. S. by K. Patrick. Finished January 3, 2024, reading at my work desk while taking a break.
The Road Through the Wall by Shirley Jackson. Finished January 8, 2024, I think on my couch?
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides. Finished January 14, 2024, at Someday, which is a far better bar than this was a book.
Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. Finished January 15, 2024, on my couch, about 24 hours after starting it.
Radiant Heat by Sarah-Jane Collins. Finished January 24, 2024, in a chair in my living room, one day before the book launch.
Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu. Finished January 27, 2024, I think in my bed? (I read this one before bed a lot, because I just always wanted to be reading it in any and all free time.)
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher. Finished January 29, 2024, maybe on the LIRR. (Or I might be confusing finishing this book with starting it? Because I definitely started/read a good amount of it on a train.)
Rouge by Mona Awad. Finished February 5, 2024, honestly skimming on my couch because I didn’t want to bring this with me to New Orleans.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Finished February 16, 2024, on the flight home from New Orleans.
1000 Words by Jami Attenberg. Finished (finally) February 18, 2024, on my couch.
Ducks by Kate Beaton. Finished February 28, 2024, on my couch, wrapped in a blanket, feeling raw.
The Fraud by Zadie Smith. Finished March 2, 2024, on my couch before bed.
That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming. Finished March 3, 2024, literally in the same position on my couch after I woke up.
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff. Finished March 5, 2024, on my couch.
Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis. Finished March 7, 2024, yep, on my couch again.
Mister Magic by Kiersten White. Finished March 10, 2024, sitting at a Starbucks on Madison Avenue.
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. Finished March 16, 2024, I think on my couch?
Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen. Finished March 20, 2024, in my bed.
Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy. Finished March 25, 2024, also in my bed.
The Hunter by Tana French. Finished April 7, 2024, probably also in my bed.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood. Finished April 11, 2024, in my room at the Mill House Inn for Hamptons Whodunit.
Young Rich Widows by Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan, and Vanessa Lillie. Finished April 12, 2024, also in my room at the Mill House Inn.
The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor. Finished April 24, 2024, just after attending a launch event for Amor Towles’ Table for Two at Barnes & Noble Union Square.
Table for Two by Amor Towles. Finished May 2, 2024, after therapy and just in time to not have to bring a hardcover along on a weekend away.
Long Island by Colm Tóibín. Finished May 9, 2024, on my couch.
Endless Night by Agatha Christie. Finished May 13, 2024, on my couch.
My Darkest Prayer by S. A. Cosby. Finished May 15, 2024, also on my couch?
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo. Finished May 27, 2024, either on my couch or in my bed.
Lucky Dogs by Helen Schulman. Finished June 1, 2024, in my B&B bed in Cold Spring, NY.
The Editor: How Publishing Legend Judith Jones Shaped Culture in America by Sara B. Franklin. Finished June 6, 2024, on my couch (sorry).
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz. Finished June 10, 2024, I think in my bed?
Everybody in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. Finished June 16, 2024, in my parents’ backyard on Father’s Day.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. Finished June 20, 2024, sobbing on my couch.
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. Finished June 24, 2024, in my bed (while trying to get back into a reading-before-bed era).
California Bear by Duane Swierczynski. Finished June 26, 2024, also before bed.
Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls. Finished July 7, 2024, also in my bed.
The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas. Finished July 18, 2024, maybe on the train?
Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter. Finished July 23, 2024, probably on my couch or in my bed——I can’t lie, I’m updating this list way after the fact and I don’t remember.
Death Valley by Melissa Broder. Finished July 31, 2024, definitely not at the hair salon, but that’s the most interesting place I remember reading this, so let’s just say that and move on.
Maeve Fly by C. J. Leede. Finished August 14, 2024, in the chair in my room.
Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three by Clive Barker. Finished August 23, 2024, in my hotel room in Washington, DC, for the National Book Festival.
Time’s Mouth by Edan Lepucki. Finished August 29, 2024, in my bed.
We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets. Finished September 1, 2024, on the LIRR from Atlantic Terminal to Jamaica.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. Finished September 3, 2024, on the LIRR from Grand Central.
Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash. Finished September 11, 2024 (yikes), on my couch. (It’s been a weird day.)
Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. Finished September 15, 2024, at home after my parents had visited for the afternoon.
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner. Finished September 29, 2024, on the LIRR, after basically reading for two straight hours on the Metro-North train home from Poughkeepsie.
The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker. Finished October 3, 2024, right before going to bed, which was kind of a mistake, but I only had eight pages left and wanted to know what happened.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. Finished October 6, 2024, I think . . . on my couch?
Taking Shape by Dustin McNeil and Travis Mullins. Finished October 7, 2024, in bed.
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers. Finished October 15, 2024, within the first hour of a flight from LAX to JFK.
The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry. Also finished October 15, 2024, before the final hour of that flight from LAX to JFK.
You’d Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace. Finished October 20, 2024, in bed. (I’m trying again to build a habit of reading before bed, with varying success.)
A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson. Finished October 23, 2024, also in bed.
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. Finished November 2, 2024, in bed again.
How Civil Wars Start by Barbara F. Walter. Finished November 10, 2024, sick (it’s not COVID, thankfully) on my couch.
James by Percival Everett. Finished November 13, 2024, on the LIRR.
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone. Finished November 17, 2024 (at approximately 12:40am), in bed.
Never Say You Can’t Survive by Charlie Jane Anders. Finished November 30, 2024, in my childhood bed, while home for Thanksgiving.
A Magical Girl Retires by Seolyeon Park. Finished December 3, 2024, on my couch before bed.
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver. Finished December 6, 2024, also on my couch, not long after waking up.
Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima. Finished December 8, 2024, again, on my couch, late in the evening.
Extracting the Stone of Madness: Poems 1962–1972 by Alejandra Pizarnak. Finished December 19, 2024, before going to bed.
Death of an Expert Witness by P. D. James. Finished December 20, 2024, on my couch, after polishing off a truly obscene amount of Indian food to celebrate finishing the first draft of my novel.
Starter Villain by John Scalzi. Finished December 26, 2024, in my childhood bed while home for Christmas.
