I really slipped on my reading in 2011. I mean, in my defense, my pal Mark Twain took up most of the year, but still, I like to play the field, as it were. I can’t have all of my time dominated by one (super awesome) deceased dude.
I have crowdsourced some of these ideas from friends in Twitter-World and Facebook-Land. These goals are rather much on the aggressive side, but hey, that’s what this time of year is for, right? Setting yourself up for blasphemous amounts of disappointment in the coming year!
I’m organizing by month, so if you want to read along with me, hey – awesome!
January
Social Media ROI – Olivier Blanchard
OK, look, I’ve been meaning to read this book for, oh, a year? Yeah…a year. But I had to deal with Lincoln and Twain. They’re needy chaps.
Nerd Do Well – Simon Pegg
My brother got me this for my birthday, which is now 3 months past. Gotta get on that too. See above re: needy deceased dudes.
Google Plus for Business – Chris Brogan
There’s been a lot of buzz about this book, some positive, some negative. I want to read it myself and formulate my own opinions!
February
Likeable Media – Dave Kerpen
Just got this for Christmas, so I’ll only be a month behind. Anyways, I’ve heard a ton of good stuff about this book!
Bonus Book! Social Media Strategist – Christopher Barger
The March – E. L. Doctorow
I’ve had this on my shelf for maybe 3 years. Tres ridiculo.
How Remarkable Women Lead – Joanna Barsh and Susan Cranston
Let’s face it – February is a dreary month in Northeast Ohio. I’ll need something to light a fire under me bum!
March
No BS Social Media – Jason Falls and Erik Deckers
This book is getting a lot of good buzz from a lot of people I respect. I’ll be woefully behind unless I read ahead. Huh?
Dharma Bums – Jack Kerouac
I read On the Road quite a few year ago and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to my next adventure with good ole Jack.
Killer Angels – Michael Shaara
According to Brian Rice, I’ll love this book!
April
Mark Schaefer’s brand new bright and shiny book – name yet to be released!
Lincoln on Leadership – Donald T. Phillips
Lisa Petrilli mentioned this book in a blog some time ago. Reading a Lincoln book in April seems 100% fitting!
Things the Grandchildren Should Know – Mark Oliver Everett (“E”)
Autobiography of the lead singer of the Eels. My family has pretty much spoiled it for me, but what the hay!
May
Marketing in the Round – Geoff Livingston & Gini Dietrich
I don’t wanna freak these 2 out too much, but I’m really looking forward to this 🙂
Brand Against the Machine – John Morgan
Hearing really good things about this book, so…yeah!
Born Standing Up – Steve Martin
I adore Steve Martin. As they say on Twitter…#thatisall
June
The Place of the Lion – PG Wodehouse
This is a recommendation from Ken Mueller. I like Ken. My enjoyment is in his hands for this one!
How to be a Finance Rockstar – Nicole Fende
This’ll be out by then, right Nicole?
The Jews of Odessa – Steven Zipperstein
I have no idea how my family ended up in Cleveland, Ohio when they started in Odessa, Russia. Hopefully this book will help me out.
July
The Lady In The Tower: The fall of Anne Boleyn – Allison Weird
Since Queen Elizabeth I is one of my most favorite historical figures, learning about her mother intrigues me. So there you go.
Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand
Somehow I never had to read this in college. The time has come.
Point Omega – Don DelLillo
I’ve read a few DelLillo books, namely Libra and White Noise, and loved them. I have high expectations for this one!
August
The Silmarillion – JRR Tolkien
At this point, my waiting for The Hobbit will be getting to an unbearable state.
Folktales of the Native American – Dee Brown
I read this a long time ago, but it’s time to revisit it.
September
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trilogy – Stieg Larsson
Well, of course I’ll be super duper late to this party, but ciest la vie.
October
The Hobbit – JRR Tokien
Feverish desire for movie will now be setting in.
Switch – Chip Heath & Dan Heath
Yes, woefully late on this one too. I know, I know.
November
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy – JRR Tolkien
December
What did I miss?
Phew. That’s a lot of reading. I’d best get started.
How is your list looking for next year?
Image Credit:Â http://www.flickr.com/photos/jennerally/10215167 via Creative Commons
Wow pretty impressive reading list Margie. If you haven’t read Brene Brown’s The imperfect gifts I would highly recommend it. I’ll be reading Maximizing Linked In by Neal Schaffer, also Measure what Matters by Katie Delahaye Oh and Leading with Questions by Michael Marqukardt – finally Howard Schultz – Onward
Love to compare notes on a few of the others on your list.
Be well Margie, Happy New Year.
@SMSJOE Thanks, Joe. We’ll see what happens. It was really easy to type this out…the reading part will be a bit more challenging 🙂
Happy New Year to you as well!
Hi Margie! My grandma’s family was from Odessa, Russia too and they ended up in Minneapolis, MN. My grandparents went back in 1987 and met a cousin who was the director at a music conservatory. I’ll have to check out The Jews of Odessa.
I have Olivier’s book on the list of ‘To Read’ too. Although, my husband has called dibs on it first.
I agree with @SMSJOE that Brene Brown’s books are worth reading. I’ve read them and they are excellent.
Wishing you a wonderful week!
@saving4someday Heya Sara! Thanks for weighing in. Who knew so many of us trace back to Odessa? Just bizarre 🙂
Margie, since I read almost 4 books a month with the radio show and my guests, reading is naturally on top of my list, so I am not adding to it this year chuckle.
For all women, I would add Julie Steelman “Effortless Yes” to the list. We are booking her sometime for 1st quarter if folks want to listen, tweet, and try to win a copy of her book. I have a notebook devoted to her work and it is making a difference for me
Did you already read Fascinate with Sally Hogshead?
Thx so much @prosperitygal for letting me know about “Effortless Yes.” Look forward to checking it out.
@janetcallaway@prosperitygal I concur. Those suggestions sound awesome!
Awesome list Margie.
It’s often hard to balance between fiction and non-fiction but it looks like you have. As to the time to do all this reading, well…
I couldn’t think about adding because I read a lot of fiction and my non-fiction moves between lots of diverse subjects, but I was fascinated in 2011 by both “The Swerve,” “Absolute Monarchs – A History of the Papacy” and “Justice: What’s the Right Thing To Do?”
Happy New Year
JOSEPH
@jolewitz Whewee those sound interesting. Thanks for the recommendations Joseph!
Ahhh yes, Ayn Rand, maybe the greatest literary mind of the 20th century. She was magical with the pen, that’s for sure.
Loving your list Margie. Like you, I need to step mine up in 2012!
Best,
Marcus
@Marcus_Sheridan Thanks Marcus. We’ll see how it goes 🙂
@margieclayman@Marcus_Sheridan Interesting. I enjoyed some of Rand’s work, but can’t stomach the worldview from which it comes. And as a person, well…I’m glad I never had to meet her!
– My grandparents were also from Odessa. What if our relatives knew each other? They moved to Boston in the early 1900’s. Everybody with the name of Pofcher is related. I will have to read this book.
– PG Wodehouse is great reading. There was a show on TV called “Jeeves and Wooster” with Hugh Laurie (House TV show) and Stephen Frye (lots of stuff – actor, director, author). 23 hour-long adaptations of P.G. Wodehouse’s novels and short stories. Very funny show.
@spofcher How neat! Odessa representing, apparently 🙂
Nice list! You will need all of November and December to read LoR Trilogy! I will have to add some of those listed here to my 2012 list (growing at an alarming rate.
Oops. Maybe I wrote it wrong. The Place of the Lion is by Charles Williams, not Wodehouse. But if you like Tolkien, you will like Williams. They were friends.
@KenMueller Aha. Well, so I encapsulated two of your recommendations in one fell swoop. Yeah. That’s what I meant to do 🙂
Margie thank you for the list! I’ve heard of quite a few but it’s great to have a list to reference when you’re in the bookstore!
@jennimacdonald I know! I always love going to bookstores or libraries, then I get there and have no idea what to get. Everything looks so shiny and new and interesting 🙂
Glad you liked it!
First of all, how on earth are you going to read three books a month?!? Secondly, you haven’t read the Millenium series yet?? W. T. H. You need to move that up. Stat.
And, as I finish the last two chapters of our book, I’m feeling an immense sense of pressure. I blame you.
@ginidietrich Well, I don’t know that I will for sure. One of my plans is to read during my daily biking routine, which is 20 minutes. Read at lunch, read before bed. It adds up. This is more a guiding post though. I’ve been wanting to read a lot of these books for a long time. Also, it’s not my fault everyone I like writes awesome books.
As for your book, there should be no pressure. I can already assure you and Geoff that it will rock this lady’s world. And after all, my opinion matters the most in the world 😀
All I can say is….. WOW!!!
Thanks, Margie. You know, I am a voracious reader, too, about one a week. Though due to book writing and promotion for the past two years, I have not read anywhere nearly as many as I would like. I hope to pick up the pace in 2012, read more and write less. Thanks for sharing what you have on the docket (incuding our book. cc: @ginidietrich ).
Organizing your reads by month… how obsessive compulsively nerdy of you! I love it!
I love to read, but I’m not quite ready for this step. I will, however, take a few recommendations from your list!
Thanks, Margie!
Ambitious and wonderful list, Margie! I admire your range of interests. Several of these are being added to my own reading list for this year, including “Dharma Bums,” “Lincoln on Leadership,” “Brand Against the Machine,” and “Folktales of the Native American.” Thanks for the suggestions & the inspiration!
@margieclayman YES the book will definitely be out by June. The plan is February but I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for including me in such an amazing group of books.
Since you are including some fiction, and you love history, I’ve got to suggest you add 1632 (Ring of Fire) by Eric Flint to your reading list. I think you would really enjoy it.