2011 was not too shabby - in reading and in life. Dennis and I are in the same (stable) jobs, which is wonderful. I started my Master's degree at Boston University. My mom was diagnosed with endometrial cancer this past summer, which seems like it would be a bad thing - however it got her to take her health seriously. She had surgery and has a clean bill of health. Dennis and I are happy and healthy and excited for what 2012 has to offer.
So let's talk books - that's what we do here, right?!
Favorite book of 2011:
Jane Eyre
I had never read this classic, and I can't believe it took me so long! I thought the writing was really personable and accessible. The story is very real and interesting. Since it was written so long ago I was expecting language far more dense than it was in actuality. I didn't expect to like it so much!
Least favorite book of 2011:
Like Water for Chocolate
It wasn't bad necessarily. I just wasn't really that into it.
Biggest "guilty pleasure" book of 2011:
Love the One You're With
I didn't even "read" this one... it was an audiobook! I don't typically read the "chick lit" genre, but I wanted something fun to listen to on my drives to work and this really hit the spot. It was fluffy. It was predictable. It was fun.
Fastest read of 2011:
The First Four Years
The Laura Ingalls Wilder books went by pretty fast in general. The award for fastest goes to The First Four Years because I read it in a day during hurricane Irene. No power. Not really much of a hurricane. I just hung on the couch all day. Perfect!
Slooooowest read of 2011:
Tie between War and Peace and The Poisonwood Bible and The Virgin Blue
Okay - it's not really fair to call War and Peace a slow read because I intended for it to take a year. Technically though, it took the longest. After that we have The Poisonwod Bible and The Virgin Blue, both of which took me a month. Once again, to be fair, I was in the middle of an insane concert season and barely had time to sleep. I really liked The Poisonwood Bible, and it wasn't a short book. The Virgin Blue was a short read that took forever. I didn't really care for it. So it was the fewest number of pages over the longest period of time. I'm completely talking in circles, aren't I?
Biggest letdown of 2011:
The Virgin Blue
I expected to really love it because I enjoyed Girl with the Pearl Earring so much. Unfair? Yes. Still... the bar was high and The Virgin Blue just didn't get there.
Hidden jewel of 2011:
Cat's Eye
I didn't expect to like this very much at all. I got it a couple of years ago from a friend who offered to let me pick through a box of books she was getting rid of. I grabbed it. It sat on the shelf forever. I'd read the back and be like, "eh..." and go for something else. I was pleasantly surprised!
2011 Stats:
1. January, 2011 - Exit the Actress by Priya Parmar
2. January, 2011 - Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin
3. January, 2011 - Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
4. February, 2011 - The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
5. February, 2011 - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
6. February, 2011 - Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
7. March, 2011 - The Christmas Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
8. March, 2011 - A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
9. April, 2011 - The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
10. April, 2011 - The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee
11. May, 2011 - The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
12. June, 2011 - The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier
13. July, 2011 - Emma by Jane Austen
14. July, 2011 - Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
15. July, 2011 - Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
16. August, 2011 - Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
17. August, 2011 - On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
18. August, 2011 - The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky
19. August, 2011 - By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
20. August, 2011 - The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
21. August, 2011 - Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
22. August, 2011 - These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
23. August, 2011 - The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
24. September, 2011 - The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure
25. September, 2011 - The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory
26. October, 2011 - Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman
27. October, 2011 - To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
28. November, 2011 - Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan / Cacilda Jetha
29. November, 2011 - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
30. December, 2011 - Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
31. December, 2011 - Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel
So let's talk books - that's what we do here, right?!
Favorite book of 2011:
Jane Eyre
I had never read this classic, and I can't believe it took me so long! I thought the writing was really personable and accessible. The story is very real and interesting. Since it was written so long ago I was expecting language far more dense than it was in actuality. I didn't expect to like it so much!
Least favorite book of 2011:
Like Water for Chocolate
It wasn't bad necessarily. I just wasn't really that into it.
Biggest "guilty pleasure" book of 2011:
Love the One You're With
I didn't even "read" this one... it was an audiobook! I don't typically read the "chick lit" genre, but I wanted something fun to listen to on my drives to work and this really hit the spot. It was fluffy. It was predictable. It was fun.
Fastest read of 2011:
The First Four Years
The Laura Ingalls Wilder books went by pretty fast in general. The award for fastest goes to The First Four Years because I read it in a day during hurricane Irene. No power. Not really much of a hurricane. I just hung on the couch all day. Perfect!
Slooooowest read of 2011:
Tie between War and Peace and The Poisonwood Bible and The Virgin Blue
Okay - it's not really fair to call War and Peace a slow read because I intended for it to take a year. Technically though, it took the longest. After that we have The Poisonwod Bible and The Virgin Blue, both of which took me a month. Once again, to be fair, I was in the middle of an insane concert season and barely had time to sleep. I really liked The Poisonwood Bible, and it wasn't a short book. The Virgin Blue was a short read that took forever. I didn't really care for it. So it was the fewest number of pages over the longest period of time. I'm completely talking in circles, aren't I?
Biggest letdown of 2011:
The Virgin Blue
I expected to really love it because I enjoyed Girl with the Pearl Earring so much. Unfair? Yes. Still... the bar was high and The Virgin Blue just didn't get there.
Hidden jewel of 2011:
Cat's Eye
I didn't expect to like this very much at all. I got it a couple of years ago from a friend who offered to let me pick through a box of books she was getting rid of. I grabbed it. It sat on the shelf forever. I'd read the back and be like, "eh..." and go for something else. I was pleasantly surprised!
2011 Stats:
- 31 books (Pretty good considering I was dealing with a new job January-June and started grad school in July!)
- 12,045 pages read!
- 3 of the 31 were ARCs.
- 3 of the 31 were audiobooks.
- 18 of the 31 were from my bookshelf.
- 6 of the 31 I purchased.
- 1 of the 31 was from the library.
- 5 of the 31 were ebooks.
- I read the least in May and June (concert season!).
- I read the most in August (on my Laura Ingalls Wilder kick - kind of easy reads).
Challenges:
Ugh. I've made peace with the fact that my challenges will not finish on time.
- War and Peace Challenge. Done!
- TBR Challenge. 7/14 completed (12 books + 2 alternates = 14). Halfway!
- Back to the Classics Challenge. 3/8 completed. Not quite halfway. I'll get there though.
Here's where I've had my bookmark in 2011!
1. January, 2011 - Exit the Actress by Priya Parmar2. January, 2011 - Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin3. January, 2011 - Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood4. February, 2011 - The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom5. February, 2011 - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 6. February, 2011 - Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann7. March, 2011 - The Christmas Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini8. March, 2011 - A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess9. April, 2011 - The History of Love by Nicole Krauss10. April, 2011 - The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee11. May, 2011 - The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver12. June, 2011 - The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier13. July, 2011 - Emma by Jane Austen14. July, 2011 - Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder15. July, 2011 - Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder16. August, 2011 - Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder17. August, 2011 - On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder18. August, 2011 - The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinsky19. August, 2011 - By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder20. August, 2011 - The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder21. August, 2011 - Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder22. August, 2011 - These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder23. August, 2011 - The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder24. September, 2011 - The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure25. September, 2011 - The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory26. October, 2011 - Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman27. October, 2011 - To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee28. November, 2011 - Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan / Cacilda Jetha29. November, 2011 - War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy30. December, 2011 - Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin31. December, 2011 - Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel
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