(Note: very few of these books may have been published in 2011)
It’s that time of year again! Almost time to knock back a flute or five of champagne, kiss the year goodbye, and hope to Christ that next year is better than this year was. (In case you’re wondering, the actual time for me right now is time to sit in my sweatpants on the couch, swig grape drink, and write this blog post. But champagne time is soon, so soon.)
We did manage to get in some good reading this year, though–although, mysteriously, we didn’t read quite as much this year as the year before. We think it might have something to do with the combination of stifling summer heat and supermassive Twitter addiction. (Seriously–I’m pretty sure when scientists are able to obtain measurable data about what’s at the center of the universe, it will turn out to be the internet.) We have put together our top reads of this year in a handy-dandy list for you, because we love you.
In no particular order:
Aravind Adiga
Reviewed: yes
Favorited by: Susie
Ernest Cline
Reviewed: yes
Favorited by: Amy
Paul Auster
Reviewed: no
Favorited by: Rob
Sam Savage
Reviewed: Not yet (^_^)
Favorited by: Susie
Karen Russell
Reviewed: no
Favorited by: Amy
J.M. Coetzee
Reviewed: no
Favorited by: Rob
Steve Martin
Reviewed: yes
Favorited by: Susie
Haley Tanner
Reviewed: no
Favorited by: Amy
J.M. Coetzee
Reviewed: no
Favorited by: Rob
Erin Morgenstern
Reviewed: no
Favorited by: Amy
What were your favorite reads of the year? Any special plans for next year’s reading? Get any books for Christmas? Want to give us your opinion on our list? Leave it all below in the comments! We’ll have ourselves a bookish lovefest.
Bookmarking this post. I have only read two of the selections. I need to get on my library’s website and reserve some reading material. Thanks for the recommendations!
Oh, the library, it is so dangerous. I have four or five piles of books just waiting for my attention . . .
Reading this list and knowing none of those books made me realize that in my eternal quest to read the ‘classics’ I have somewhat neglected the many good ones that modern authors had to offer. I feel like now, I know where to start. Thanks!
Didn’t mean to take so long to get back to you–blame the DEATH ILLNESS. Let us know if you read any of the books!
My fav book this year was The Hunger Games. I’d been meaning to read it for a few years now, but somehow never did. But now that the movie’s coming out in the spring, I feel like I have a deadline.
Anywhoo, I personally think the book lives up to the hype. It’s a fast read, with very believable characters who I really cared about. And the world Collins created – by the end of the second chapter, I really cared about what would happen not only to Katniss and the other primary characters, but to the whole Panem society.
It’s disturbing (definitely makes me appreciate my own society a bit more – it may have big issues, but it’s not that oppressive!) but not soul-wrenchingly depressing – i.e. there’s a sense of hope.
Oh, and the romance element didn’t feel too token-ey – that was something I’d worried about at first. It did feel a bit inevitable, but it was done in a unique, believable way.
My second fav was Jon Stewart’s Earth: The Book. I was literally laughing out loud every two minutes. It’s. That. Hilarious.
I looove Jon Stewart. I haven’t read Earth yet, but I will get ’round to it eventually :D
I think I will have to break down and read The Hunger Games, probably right around the time that everyone is sick of talking about them and nobody will discuss them with me :D
Don’t worry, I’ll probably still be in the fresh-as-a-daisy phase of reading The Hunger Games books myself, and would be happy to discuss them with you :-D
Swamplandia was one of my favorites this year. Another one y’all might want to check out is “We the Animals,” which is a short read and quite good.
I’ll pass that suggestion along to Amy! (And look into it myself, of course!)
I just sat down and narrowed my list down to 10 (rather 11) books too. I have read only read 1 of the books on this list, although Ready Player One is on my TBR.
My list is very different from yours, but I think it is because it was a stressful year and my book selections were a lot less cerebral this year.
True story: I kind of had to scrape for books that I would consider “favorites. I sort of went on a junk-reading binge, then hit summer and stopped reading at all so that I could spend what little energy I had spritzing myself with cold water to keep from baking to death. So, you’re not the only one who had a less-than-cerebral reading year :D
I did LIKE the books I listed, of course.. they just aren’t as favorite as my favorite favorites.
That looks like an interesting list, I’ll have to check them out.
I find that I have a tendency of going through similar types of books and this year was definitely the year of the memoir for me. Largely thanks to the closing of Borders, I was able to expand my library with books I probably wouldn’t have read. Here are a few:
- Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven and Hypocrite in a Pouffy White dress, Susan Jane Gilman
- A Mighty Long Way, Carlotta Walls LaNier
- Finding Mañana, Mirta Ojito
- In the Shadow of Freedom, Tchicaya Missamou
- Some Girls: My Life in a Harem, Jillian Lauren
I also agree about The Hunger Games, I just finished the first book. I think I finished it in about 3 or 4 days.
I COMPLETELY MISSED the closing of Borders. I scored no cheap books. Sadface. But I’m glad you found some you liked!
i’ve been tempted to read The White Tiger and Moon Palace several times this year but i still feel like the time for these books hasn’t come yet. maybe next year.
my favourites this year must be Of Mice and Men (John Steinbeck), Man In The Dark (Paul Auster) and The World Doesn’t End (Charles Simic) – not necessarily in that order.
next year, i want to finish these: The Origin Of Species, The Shadow Of The Sun, If On A Winter’s Night A Traveler, The Cloven Viscount, On The Road and The Remain Of The Day. i started them but i haven’t finished. i made myself a promise that i won’t buy any new books until i finish these, but we all know it’s not likely gonna happen.
what books did you girls get this Christmas?
I did not personally get any books this Christmas–I doubt Rob did, either, although she may have gotten gift cards to buy books, hehe. I treated myself to a cheap copy of a book called Londonstani while browsing through a used bookstore. Maybe Amy got some books!
I actually only got two books, which is more than I usually get – my family doesn’t believe in giving media gifts, because they think anything media-related (books, DVDs, music) are a waste of money because you’d only read/listen/watch once and then never again. I know. I think I’m probably a supermarket-snatched baby.
I got “11/22/63″, because I asked for it (and wanted to own it, to keep my King collection complete) and a book about the history of bacon in society from my friend with whom I share an obsession with bacon. :)
Mmmm, bacon.
I’ve read the two Coetzees. Definitely not feel-good books but terse-terse writing. I think more Japanese writing – Mishima, Soseki, Endo, etc. – for me in the new year. No book gifts for Christmas, but I bought myself some!
HI RISE! Good to see you! :) What books did you get?
Predictably, I have a couple of Japanese novels: Laughing Wolf by Yuko Tsushima, Nowaki by Natsume Soseki, Mandarins by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, plus some manga.
Pingback: 2011 favorites « Postcards from La-La Land
Pingback: 2011 favorites « Postcards from La-La Land
Pingback: BOOK REVIEW: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline | Adventures in Borkdom