I am staring at a vast pile of books that I've read these past two months. Truly insane quantities.

The Possessed: Adventures With Russian Books and the People Who Read Them by Elif Batuman
Many of these essays are truly delightful, funny and bright. A couple, however, were clearly sort of phoned in.

Border Crossing by Pat Barker
I could read nothing but Pat Barker to the end of my days. I mean, not really. But you know what I mean.

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
A wonderful memoir about women saving each other's sanity and helping each other survive.

The Regeneration Trilogy by Pat Barker
The best. Ever.

Another World by Pat Barker
Not my favorite of her books, but still pretty awesome.

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
This is a huge book and I read it in a single day. So that tells you how great I thought it was.

Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby
Delightful.

In the White Hotel by D.M. Thomas
The Babi Yar scene puts today's callow young Holocaust novelists to shame.

The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman
She's funny. But what works on stage works less well on the page.

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
I bought this for a plane ride and ended up crying like a freak.

Happy Now by Katherine Shonk
Quiet but moving.

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
OK, am I the only person in the universe who has noticed that the writing in this book is appalling? I mean, truly truly appalling. And it's all creepy S&M shit.

The Husbands and Wives by Laurie Abraham
Other people's bad marriages are like car accidents. You can't help but stare but it makes you feel bad.

Good God, it's been so long. I feel TERRIBLE. What has my problem been? I've been reading, but I haven't been logging. Probably because we've been traveling all over the place. We've been traveling so much, in fact, that I've left books all over the place. I fear I won't be able to log everything.

Three Junes by Julia Glass This was a reread, because I'm trying to figure out what makes really good three-part novels tick. It's a terrific novel. You should read it if you hadn't.

The County of Birches by Judith Kalman This is a short story by a Canadian-Hungarian writer. If you're Canadian or Hungarian, or if you're writing a novel like mine, by all means read it.

The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam A perfect specimen of one of my favorite genres of English novels.

The Hours by Michael Cunningham Again, another three-part novel. Equally marvelous.

Kingdom of Shadows by Alan Furst I love a good spy novel, and this one is about a Hungarian.

In Other Rooms Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin This is a marvelous first story collection.

Too Much Happiness by Alice MunroI love Alice Munro. She's so quiet, and so incisive.

One Must Also Be Hungarian by Adam Biro
This book is sort of impossible to understand. I feel like I have to reread.

Morning, Noon & Night by Spalding Gray
There's something just a little bit depressing about how privileged he is and how unhappy.

The Innocent by Ian McEwan
Oh LORD this book is KILLER.

Nazi Women by Cate Haste
As bad as the men.

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
This is really the most perfect novel ever.

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
Very silly but fun.

Of the Farm by John UpdikeA fine little novel. Maybe my favorite of his.

Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson
A pure delight.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Oh lord was this ever FUN.