2011 Booklist

Good news: I really enjoyed the books I read this year.  Bad news:  I only read 15.  I'm afraid my beloved TiVo has put a crimp in my reading time.  Granted, some of the books were long enough to count for at least  3. . . Gone With the Wind?  Yeah.  I tend to really enjoy long books because there is enough time for great character development, but there are so many books on my "To Read" list that it never seems like I can get through them fast enough!  I had a few books that I started, but were deleted from my Nook before I finished them.  Boo!  Hopefully I'll be able to finish them and add them to next-year's list.  What were your favorite books this year?  As always, if you've got a book to recommend, please let me know.

So here's my list for 2011:

1.  The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton.  I enjoyed this book, but wouldn't necessarily recommend it to everyone.  The 1960s time period was fun, and I really liked the bond of friendship the women created.

2.  The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  This book was in some ways fascinating, but grew tiresome toward the end.  The author creates a year-long challenge to become a happier person. Each month she focuses on a different set of resolutions, and builds upon the previous month.  She tracks her progress daily on a spreadsheet.  She researches statistics and philosophers, and shares ideas about what changes you can make to your life that will really make a difference.  In some ways I could really relate to the author, and yet in other ways she seemed totally out of touch.  I'm not much of a self-help reader, but this one was thought-provoking and fun, and actually made me evaluate my own life, and how I spend my time. 

3.  Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls.  Prequel to The Glass Castle.  This book is about the life of Jeannette's grandmother living in the Southwest during the turn of the century.  Her life experiences are fascinating, and the writing is excellent.  Loved this book.

4.  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.  I really enjoyed this book---enough to want to finish the series.  The characters were great.  It's a funny murder mystery with an 11-year-old girl as the main character.  She is smart, and has quite a vocabulary.  I learned a lot of new words!

5.  Matched by Ally Condie.  This is another future/dystopia novel.  Light, easy reading.  Clean and fun.  I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

6.  Cordelia Underwood by Van Reid.  Fun book.  I enjoyed the characters and the funny situations they found themselves in.  I'd like to read more from this author---although I did find it long and slow at times.

7.  Persuasion by Jane Austen.  Classic!  Glad I finally read it---although it nearly drove me crazy.  Some characters/situations can just be maddening!

8.  Seven Miracles That Saved America by Chris and Ted Stewart.  Snore.  This was a book club choice, and while most of the group enjoyed it, I did not.  While some of the historical content was interesting, I was put off by the writing style at the very beginning.  I agree with one amazon reviewer who said the book was "steeped in an unhealthy mixture of false patriotism and right wing propoganda."  No thanks.

9.  Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.  This book covers a part of WWII history that I did not know much about---the Japanese interment.  While you learn about the war, the story is more about  relationships and how individual lives were affected by the war.  The title of the book really captures the feel of the story.  It really is bitter and sweet.  Not perfectly written, but I did enjoy it.

10.  The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama.  This one was fun.  I loved learning about the Indian culture and the practice of arranged marriages.  It reminded me a lot of Alexander McCall Smith who I love.  I look forward to the next book.

11.  Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.  This book has been on my nightstand for maybe 5 years.  I wanted to read it forever, but the length was daunting.  I feel like I learned a lot about the South during the Civil war.  The characters were fantastic.  Loved it.

12.  The Weed that Strings the Hangman 's Noose by Alan Bradley.  Next in the series.

13.  Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.  I was really excited to read this book.  I read Seabiscuit almost 10 years ago and loved it, so I knew I was in for a treat when this came out.  Fascinating story.  Read this book!

14.  Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.  I've tried to read this book a couple of times before, and it never really clicked for me.  And definitely the first few chapters are hard to get through, but I'm glad I pushed through, because I ended up enjoying it.  It is dark and suspenseful, with good surprises along the way.

15.  A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson.  This was another fun read---once again learning about the culture was enjoyable.  Light and clean.  Easy to recommend.