2011 reading recap

Cover via Amazon

In 2011, I read 70 books. My goal was 75. Yes, I fell short. I put the blame squarely on the shoulders of George R. R. Martin. I waded into A Song of Ice and Fire books, reading the first two: A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings.

Those are some long books, y’all. I’m not sure if I’ll tackle the next in the series in 2012 or not. Long, epic fantasy is a mood read for me. So, if I’m in the mood, I’ll search out the next in the series. If not … I’ll read something else.

But it wasn’t just a year for quantity. A large majority of those 70 books were four and five star reads for me. A few of the best:

Writing book:

The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, John Truby

Debut:

Rival, Sara Bennett Wealer
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern

YA

Please Ignore Vera Dietz, A.S. King
Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly

Middle Grade

Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo
The Magician’s Elephant, Kate DiCamillo

Adult

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand: A Novel, Helen Simonson
A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan

War Through the Generations challenge books (Civil War)

Two Girls of Gettysburg, Lisa Klein
Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War, Tony Horwitz
And the War Came: The Six Months That Tore America Apart, Jamie Malanowski

Last book read

A Monster Calls: Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, Patrick Ness (a five-star read–bring tissues)

But really, if the book is on my list, I more than likely enjoyed it. I’m putting my 2011 list below the cut (70 books makes for a very long blog post). If you’re interested in my take on any of them, let me know. I love to talk books!

My 2011 books, alphabetical by title:

1. Across the Universe, Beth Revis
2. The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, John Truby
3. And the War Came: The Six Months That Tore America Apart, Jamie Malanowski
4. The Anti-Prom, Abby McDonald
5. Beauty Queens, Libba Bray
6. Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo
7. Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver
8. Betsy-Tacy (Betsy-Tacy Books), Maud Hart Lovelace
9. Boeing-Boeing: A Farce in Two Acts, Beverley Cross
10. Bossypants, Tina Fey
11. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, John Medina
12. A Brief History of Montmaray (The Montmaray Journals), Michelle Cooper
13. Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith, Deborah Heiligman
14. A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2), George R.R. Martin
15. The Company We Keep: A Husband-and-Wife True-Life Spy Story, Robert Baer
16. Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor
17. Deep Down Popular, Phoebe Stone
18. Delirium, Lauren Oliver
19. Do the Work, Steven Pressfield
20. The Driving Force, Michel Tremblay
21. Fall for Anything, Courtney Summers
22. The First Time, Edited by Jessica Verday and Rhonda Stapleton
23. Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes
24. A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One, George R.R. Martin
25. The Genius in All of Us: New Insights into Genetics, Talent, and IQ, David Shenk
26. The Getaway Car: A Practical Memoir About Writing and Life (Kindle Single), Ann Patchett
27. The Girl Is Murder, Kathryn Miller Haines
28. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, Stieg Larsson
29. The Girl Who Played with Fire (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard), Stieg Larsson
30. Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker, Book 1), Jenna Black
31. The Haunted (The Hollow, Book 2), Jessica Verday
32. Heist Society, Ally Carter
33. The Hollow (The Hollow Trilogy), Jessica Verday
34. Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal, Alexandra Johnson
35. Lips Touch: Three Times, Laini Taylor
36. The Magician’s Elephant, Kate DiCamillo
37. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand: A Novel, Helen Simonson
38. Matched, Ally Condie
39. Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War, Tony Horwitz
40. The Midwife’s Apprentice, Karen Cushman
41. The Mistress of Nothing: A Novel, Kate Pullinger
42. A Monster Calls: Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, Patrick Ness
43. The Mother-Daughter Book Club, Heather Vogel Frederick
44. The Name of the Star (Shades of London), Maureen Johnson
45. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
46. Paradise General: Riding the Surge at a Combat Hospital in Iraq, Dr. Dave Hnida
47. Please Ignore Vera Dietz, A.S. King
48. Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, plural. If my life weren’t complicated, I wouldn’t be Ruby Oliver (Ruby Oliver Quartet), E. Lockhart
49. Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly
50. Rita Book #1
51. Rita Book #2
52. Rita Book #3
53. Rival, Sara Bennett Wealer
54. Rose Sees Red, Cecil Castellucci
55. Rules for Virgins (Kindle Single), Amy Tan
56. The Science of Vampires, Katherine Ramsland
57. The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater
58. Second Sight: An Editor’s Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults, Cheryl B. Klein
59. Ship Breaker, Paolo Bacigalupi
60. Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel, Kurt Vonnegut
61. Strings Attached, Judy Blundell
62. The Summer I Learned to Fly, Dana Reinhardt
63. Tell Me Something True, Leila Cobo
64. The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet, Erin Dionne
65. Two Girls of Gettysburg, Lisa Klein
66. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, Laura Hillenbrand
67. The Vespertine, Saundra Mitchell
68. A Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan
69. Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue, Kathryn J. Atwood
70. You Know When the Men Are Gone, Siobhan Fallon