This year, I joined
AudrieAnne at
Who’s Your Editor for a Bookmark
Break Challenge. She challenged everyone to get out those old books and read
them, to free the bookmarks! The challenge was that if you read more books than
she did this year, you would win a trip to Aruba. Just kidding. No Aruba, but
bragging rights and a spot on her page. So, thanks to her, I read a lot of
books this year. So far, as of today, I have read 63 books in 2011.
I admit, not all of them have been very good. I was on the road for
about half of this year, and sometimes the selection in English was nil. Thank
goodness for the Kindle Reader that I downloaded on my iPhone! Yes, I read many
a book on that tiny screen. But many were good. Luckily later this year, I
actually put on my big girl pants and got a library card of my very own. And
then there was no stopping me! Below is a list of a few of them that I really
liked.
The Help - Kathryn Stockett:
I know it’s a book that everyone liked, so it’s not news to anyone, but there
is a reason it was popular. It was easy to read and speaks of a time and place
that were controversial and fascinating. I can’t imagine what it would have
been like to be a black person in the south in the 60s. Or ever really. This
book tells a very difficult but heartwarming story.
My Korean Deli - Ben Ryder Howe:
A white man and his Korean wife, who are currently living with her family in
New York, decide to all pool their money together to buy and run a deli in
Brooklyn. It is a fun story about the trials and tribulations of dealing with
his mother in law (and other in-laws), dealing with his wife, living with her
family and attempting to run a convenience store in New York. (review HERE)
Shantaram - Gregory David
Roberts: Although I actually thought the author was a bit of a blowhard, I
liked this book. It tells of an Australian escaped convict who goes to India
and lives in the slums of Bombay and becomes a drug dealer, mafia member and eventually
a Mujaheddin
guerrilla. Some of it seems a little far-fetched and you are always
wondering what is real, but it’s full of adventure and an inside look into
India that I sure as heck didn’t see when I was there! It gets points on
interestingness.
The Guernsey Literary Potato
Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: Try saying that one
five times fast! Set in World War II, this book talks about life on Guernsey
Island, which is one of the Channel Islands between England and France. It
tells of a small village who survives Nazi occupation by starting a book club,
named the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society (interesting fact: they did
not have flour so they had to make pie crusts from potato peels).
The Postmistress - Sarah Blake:
Also set in WWII, this book is told from the view point of several people. One
is a radio broadcaster who is living in England during the war and broadcasting
from the front. She sees a lot of things that most people would not be able to
handle and then tells the story over the radio (with Edward Murrow). One of the
other players is a postmistress in Cape Cod who decides to withhold someone’s
mail from them for their own safety and peace of mind. It is an interesting
story and you really get a good feel of what it was like, especially from the radio
broadcaster’s story.
The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak:
I guess I am on a WWII kick, because this one is also set in WWII in Germany.
It is told about a little girl who goes to live with a family during the war.
She loves to read and she uses books to get through a very terrible time. At
first I didn’t like the storyteller; it is told from the voice of Death, but I
warmed up to it a little ways into the book. It’s a sad book; it may make you
cry, but it’s a very good story.
Surviving the Extremes – Dr. Kenneth
Kamler: This book was very informative. Dr. Kamler talks about what happens
to your body when you go into extreme conditions, such as high altitude,
underwater diving, and extreme cold and extreme heat. I found it very
interesting. Not only does he tell a little story, but he puts things in
layman’s terms so everyone can understand them. It made me really appreciate my
body and everything working together to help keep me alive. I also have a
better understanding of why I always have to pee so much when I get into high
altitudes!
The Paris Wife - Paula McClain:
I am not a fan of Hemingway, but this story, told from the viewpoint of his
first wife, was interesting and illuminating. I am still not really a fan of
him; he seems like a self-absorbed drunk to me, but I am probably going to read
A Moveable Feast now, just so I can see what the same time period in his life
was like.
Here are a “few” more that I think are worth recommending:
Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Islands - LM
Montgomery (classic)
With No One as a Witness - Elizabeth George (mystery)
The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest -
Steig Larsson
Sea of Glory - Nathaniel Philbrick (historical, but not boring)
Forrest Gump - Winston Groom (Different than the movie! Still good
though!)
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (a classic!)
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (fun,
quick read!)
Room - Emma Donoghue (about a boy stuck in a room with his mother all
his life)
The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein (told from the POV of a
dog)
So, what’s the plan for 2012!? I think that I will try to read at
least a book a week, which would be a goal of 52 books. I also have a lot of
books on my shelf that I need to read before buying any new ones. So, it’s a
two-fold goal
à a
book a week and at least one a month has to be one from my dusty shelf (the
others will most likely be from the library). So it’s a 52 and 12 in 2012, to
go along with my
12 in 2012 Fitness Goal (get ready, there will be more 12
themed goals later!)
What was your favorite book
that you read this year? Even though my shelf is full, I am always looking for
recommendations! Do you have any goals for 2012? Are you going to join in on
any 12 in 2012 goal lists?
