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Reading List 2017

A look back at what I read in 2017, broken into the top fiction and non-fiction books, see previous years 2015, and 2016. You can see my Goodreads Year in Books 2017 for the complete list. I set out with the goal to read 25 books in the year and ended up one book short reading 24.

Fiction

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - The classic novel by John Steinbeck still holds up amazingly well and great to read in 2017, a year which has many similar themes within the novel, see my full review post I wrote when I finished it.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - A fun magical tale which the equally wonderful movie by Hayao Miyazaki was based off. I didn't realize the movie was based off the novel, nor that there were subsequent stories. I look forward to reading more of the fantasy world created by the author.

Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones - In preparation for a trip, I read several books about Spain and Barcelona, this was my favorite. An enjoyable book about Barcelona during the middle ages, a wonderful story and historically accurate giving lots of information what the life and times must of been like in the 1300's

Non-Fiction

On Writing by Stephen King - A behind the scenes look at what it takes to create best sellers; hint: it involves good habits and putting in the work. Even if writing is not yuor thing, the book is worth reading for anyone in any creative endeavor.

Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull - an excellent book for both the history of Pixar, and the business lessons managing creative teams and people. You can read my full review post.

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell - The eyewitness account of the failed Navy SEAL Operation Redwing in Afghanistan which lead to the largest loss of life in SEAL history. The story is amazing what these men went through both to become a SEAL and then the mission and battle that ensued. The writing is just ok and is repetitive especially during training, and a bit too gung-ho but still a good read.

My 2018 To Read List

I'm including two books left over from last years to read list, and dropping two that I didn't get to. Below are just a few highlights of books I'm interested in. You can see my full To-Read list on Goodreads. I've been reading a few books on California so those top my list.