I ended the year reading Melody Carlson's The Christmas Dog, which I initially thought was going to be The Christmas Bus because that is what the dust jacket told me I was reading. I was so confused, and then I thought it was hilarious.
My standout favorites this year - which were not many - were:
I also love the movie just as much as I love the book, despite their differences.
You know how there are aproximately a zillion Pride and Prejudice or Jane Austen spin-off books out there? I read quite a few of them this year. This one was probably my favorite.
I try to read a certain amount of classics a year, and really I blame the Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde with all their classic literature characters and inside jokes. This year I didn't get to very many because the ones I seemed to choose were monsters or the kind you have to kind of slog through. This book was both - yet it was amazing!
I wasn't sure what to expect from this next book but it. was. hilarious. Over-the-top, but hilarious and I really enjoyed it. The rest of the series was a complete disappointment.
This book was a bit of a slog because of all the history that seemed slightly unrelated, but actually wasn't. Still, it totally made me want to become a mystery writer.
Some of the books I finally got around to reading off my shelves this year were 3 books by Molly Gloss. Loved them. However, there were seriously awkward and horrible intimate encounters in the first two. So awkward I almost wondered if she was trying to make the reader uncomfortable? Other than those brief and completely random scenes her books are awesome. The Hearts of Horses didn't have a scene like that but this book was awesome for many other reasons.
Last but not least of my favorites was Ultraviolet by R. J. Anderson. I've read two of her Faery Rebels series and finally got my hands on a copy of this book. It was totally not what I was expecting and it was amazing.
I have a TON of books on my list to read for this year and am looking forward to getting to them. Did you read anything I should add to this year's list?
Books Read in 2011
- The Christmas Dog - Melody Carlson
- The Inheritence - Louisa May Alcott
- The Skin Map - Stephen R. Lawhead
- Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
- The Mark of the Golden Dragon - L.A. Meyer
- Holmes on the Range - Steve Hockensmith
- Ultraviolet - R.J. Anderson
- The Christmas Bride - Grace Livingston Hill
- The Hearts of Horses - Molly Gloss
- Letters From Yellowstone - Diane Smith
- Dark Canyon - Louis L'Amour
- Pirate King - Laurie R. King
- The Cherokee Trail - Louis L'Amour
- Mansfield Park
- Jane Austen
- Wild Life - Molly Gloss
- The Jump-Off Creek - Molly Gloss
- Pattern of Wounds - J. Mark Bertrand (review)
- The Day the Falls Stood Still
- Cathy Marie Buchanan
- Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew & The Women Who Created Her
- Melanie Rehak
- Blameless
- Gail Carriger
- Changeless
- Gail Carriger
- Mr. Darcy's Secret
- Jane Odiwe
- Soulless
- Gail Carriger
- Charlotte Collins
- Jennifer Becton
- Serendipity
- Cathy Marie Hake
- Louis L'Amour His Life and Trails
- Robert Phillips
- Something Like Regret
- Kara Louise
- The Courteous Cad
- Catherine Palmer
- The Sweetest Thing
- Elizabeth Musser (review)
- Kingscote
- Linda Chaikin
- Under Eastern Stars
- Linda Chaikin
- Silk
- Linda Chaikin
- The Peach Keeper
- Sarah Addison Allen
- The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
- Edgar Allan Poe
- Divine by Mistake
- P.C. Cast
- The Knight and the Dove
- Lori Wick
- Who Brings Forth the Wind
- Lori Wick
- Middlemarch
- George Eliot
- The Girl in the GateHouse
- Julie Klassen (review)
- Promises to Keep
- Ann Tatlock (review)
- The Pirates! In An Adventure with Ahab
- Gideon Defoe
- The Pirates! In An Adventure with Scientists
- Gideon Defoe
- Confessions of a Shopaholic
- Sophie Kinsella
- Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day
- Winifred Watson (review)
- Sahara
- Clive Cussler
- The Wake of the Lorelei Lee
- L.A. Meyer
- Assumed Obligation
- Kara Louise
- Forevermore
- Cathy Marie Hake
- A Darcy Christmas
- Amanda Grange, Sharon Lathan, Carolyn Eberhart
5 comments:
Sent samples of your standouts to my kindle so I won't forget to check them out :). I think I'll do goodreads this year too. I did a terrible job keeping track of what books I read last year, and I do enjoy making a list.
Wow, Molly. That is a lot of reading! I am challenging myself to 50 books this year. We'll see how that goes. I've joined several reading challenges on Goodbooks and reading blogs, so I am hoping that will keep me on track. I am definitely going to add the Nancy Drew book to my list. Sounds like a fun read. :)
I am very sad that you didn't like the other books in the Parasol Protectorate series. :( I continue to enjoy them.
Wasn't Ultraviolet cool? Was so not expecting that ending. Dude.
I wasn't going to do the GR challenge again, but the widget was such a pretty colour! I am a sucker for presentation, I tell you.
I love your book list...see some of my favs here, too! I read The Hearts of Horses first...and then looked for every book this author wrote! I love the strong women characters! I'll write a few of these down on my 'to read' list! Happy new year! ♥
I just read a Pride & Prejudice type book. The story and settings reminded me of Austen's book.
Although full of similarities it stands as its own story.
"The Twelfth Enchantment" by David Liss
My winter reading usually revolves around one author - where I read everything that author wrote chronologically. Since Anne McCaffery just passed away - I think I will start with her and reread all of those books. Her son writes too.
I admire you for keeping track. My only way of keeping tabs is how many library fines I accumulate.
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