I’ve always been a little bit of a book worm. In fourth grade, I was the nerdy girl who asked to stay inside for recess so I could read a few more chapters in my Babysitters Club books. In high school, I would sit in the hallway before homeroom with my nose in a book. Through college, I read mostly textbooks, but after graduating, I started a book club in Pittsburgh focusing on social issues, which spurred some fantastic discussions with girlfriends.
But somehow I’ve never kept a list of books I’ve read in one year. Since I’ve been on my own a lot this year, I thought 2011 would be the perfect time to keep a list of books I’ve read to share with friends and remind myself of the wonderful, sad, thoughtful stories I’ve read this year. Now that it’s almost Christmas, I thought it might be time to share my list in case any of my three readers are looking for book recommendations. And let’s be honest, M isn’t looking to read anything that I’ve read this year.
So here it is:
Lia’s 2011 Book List:
- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
- Middlesex by Jeffrey Euginedes
- Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
- Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
- Little Bee by Chris Cleave
- Signs of Life by Natalie Taylor
- The Island by Elin Hildebrandt
- Silver Girl by Elin Hildebrandt
- The Castaways by Elin Hildebrandt
- Moneyball by Michael Lewis
- Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
- Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner
- I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson
- Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
- Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann
- The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian
- Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls
As you can see, this list is a wide variety of authors and genres. Sometimes I get in a little rut (like the Elin Hildebrandt books that dominated my August and September). Some of these books will be added to my favorite books of all time (this sounds like a separate post) and some I didn’t enjoy quite as much. Some I’ll read again and again, some I’ve shared with friends and many were recommended to me by other readers.
Of these 17 books, I’ve picked out a few favorites that I’m recommending to anyone looking for a good read.
Mudbound is a beautiful story about a southern family and their black sharecroppers during WW2 in backwoods Mississippi. The unlikely friendships that develop are just as potent as the racial struggles these families face. I cried and laughed and literally gasped with surprise while reading this book. Metro riders probably think I’m crazy.
Middlesex is such a tale of human struggle. It was so popular about ten years ago, but somehow I missed this little treasure until it was recommended to me be a colleague. This book broke my heart as I grew with Caliope. It’s not an easy book to get into, but once I was wrapped up in the story, I couldn’t put it down. Gender has never been so intriguing.
Half Broke Horses is such a personal tale. Written by the same author as The Glass Castle which was so popular a few years ago, this page-turner is an honest story that took place generations ago, but drew so many parallels to my life that I couldn’t put it down.
Signs of Life is a memoir that I stumbled over while browsing at Barnes & Noble. I think memoirs are my favorite kind of story. I’m always impressed with an author’s ability to craft a somewhat objective plot while telling a personal story. I can only describe this book as raw, emotional, heart-wrenching and hopeful. Natalie lost her husband at 24, shortly after their marriage began while she was pregnant with their first baby. Maybe it was Natalie’s age or her open emotion that made me immediately relate to her and her loss devastated me as a reader. Natalie’s story of her recovery from losing her husband, best friend and father of her unborn baby had me crying (and sometimes laughing) the whole way through. This book taught me strength in ways I didn’t know how to look for.
So this was my reading list for 2011. What did you all read this year? What are you planning to read in 2012?
To happy reading,
Lia
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