Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Classy Bookshelf: 2011 in Review

Last year, in 2010, I read 65 books.  I don't remember all of them, but I do remember the fact that I spent much of the year with a book in my hand.

This year, I was rolling right along with books and then... Mr. RH came along.  It's weird - because he loves books and loves to read - but our relationship caused my book reading to take a SERIOUS nosedive.  In the past, I'd spend 2 hours in bed reading every night.  Now... I stay up way past my bedtime to sneak in some quality time with him while our lives are still crazy and hectic.

I'm not sad about it - because the books will be around long after Mr. RH and I are old and gray - but I definitely need to put a little priority back on reading this year.  My grand total of books for this year?  39.

Out of my goal of 70.  Whoops.

So, without further ado, my book list.  I was going to add pictures and captions for all of them... but then it would be February and I would have carpel tunnel from this dang computer.

For reference, I am color coding all the books.  So you know which ones were the best:

MUST READS (Bold and green!)
Excellent Reads (Blue!)
Hated the Plot Reads (Red)
And the ones in black...meh.  Clearly they didn't make an impact.

  1. The Other Mothers' Club, Samantha Baker
  2. Big Stone Gap, Adriana Trigiani
  3. Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani
  4. Milk Glass Moon, Adriana Trigiani
  5. Home to Big Stone Gap, Adriana Trigiani
  6. If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now, Claire LaZebnik
  7. Remember Me?, Sophie Kinsella
  8. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Gregory Maguire
  9. Very Valentine, Adriana Trigiani
  10. Brava, Valentine, Adriana Trigiani
  11. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
  12. Pretty in Plaid, Jen Lancaster
  13. Home, Marilynne Robinson
  14. The Host, Stephanie Meyer
  15. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon 
  16. Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2), Diana Gabaldon 
  17. Voyager (Outlander #3), Diana Gabaldon 
  18. Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4), Diana Gabaldon 
  19. The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5), Diana Gabaldon 
  20. A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6), Diana Gabaldon
  21. An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7), Diana Gabaldon 
  22. Bumped, Megan McCafferty
  23. The Girls from Ames, Jeffery Zaslow
  24. Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me, Chelsea Handler
  25. The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Club, Laurie Notaro
  26. Autobiography of a Fat Bride, Laurie Notaro
  27. Divergent, Veronica Roth
  28. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, Rhoda Janzen
  29. Then Came You, Jennifer Weiner
  30. I Love Everybody, Laurie Notaro
  31. Matched (Matched #1), Ally Condie
  32. There's a Slight Chance I Might be Going to Hell, Laurie Notaro
  33. Heart of the Matter, Emily Giffin
  34. Hush Hush (Hush Hush #1), Becca Fitzpatrick
  35. Crescendo (Hush Hush #2), Becca Fitzpatrick
  36. The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death, Laurie Notaro
  37. Summer at Tiffany, Marjorie Hart
  38. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Alan Bradley
  39. Crossed (Matched #2), Ally Condie
  40. One Fifth Avenue, Candace Bushnell
Despite the fact that I didn't finish many books this year, I still feel like I read a decent amount.  The Outlander series (books 15-21) were a massive undertaking.  I would say most of the books in the series were 800 pages long.

Last year, I read 24,447 pages - this year, 17,651.  A difference of 6,796.  Ooops.

If you need recommendations, definitely start with the ones I posted in green above.  I think they are all page-turners and I think I would read them all again.  If I didn't have a million other books that I want to get to soon!

Actually, I'm not sure I have that many that I want to read... but I'm sure after you all tell me what you read this year I'll have plenty to add to my list.  RIGHT?

Soo... what did you read in 2011??  Please please post the link if you posted a yearly book roundup - I'd love to read them and link them all up!

Here's to hoping I get a little more on-track in 2012.... or not.

(Also, you should totally be my friend on Goodreads.)

12 Classy Comments:

Dree said...

Thanks for the book recommendations (and the heads up on ones to avoid)! I'm the same - I planned to read all summer, and then my relationship got in the way. Typical! I think my hands down favorite this year was Tina Fey's Bossypants. She's... brilliant.

http://bethesong.blogspot.com

Cheerful Homemaker said...

I liked the story in Wicked, but ohmyword it was a tough read. Definitely not a style I enjoy reading. I read Son of a Witch a few years ago and it's just as tough.

I posted my reading list!

http://www.cheerfulhomemaker.com/2011/12/reading-list-2011.html

Anonymous said...

I actually just finished Summer at Tiffany and loved it as well! Easy read but you really get a feel of the NYC of a different era. I plan to add some of your recommendations to my 2012 list!

Whitney said...

I love a good book, so thank you for all these recs. You also gave me the idea to write down all the books I've read and do something similiar to this at the end of the year. Double thank you!

California Wife said...

Yay, I always love reading book lists! I have always wanted to read the Adriana Trigiani series, and now it looks like I definitely should. I just finished Then Came You yesterday, and just started Divergent and am already almost finished! Both great books!

Amber @ A Little Pink in the Cornfields said...

You still read quite a bit in 2011 for starting a new relationship!!!

My favorites this year were: Sarah's Key, The Help, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and One Day!

Sweet Simplicity said...

I love the yearly book recaps. I just finished Saving CeeCee Honeycutt this morning and loved it!

krystal said...

Laurie Notaro has some fun, light reads. She's one of my favorites. :)

stephanie said...

Your book lists are always my favorites! I posted my book list here- http://therigdons.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-2011-book-list.html

Day Old News said...

I was JUST about to tweet you for some new book recos and then realized you might have posted about this. :) Psyched for some new ideas, thanks!

Britt said...

Thank you for this list! One of my goals for the year is to read more. I can't wait to check out some of the books on your list:)

Italia said...

Outlander and Dragonfly in Amber were wonderful books; Voyager was excellent up until about the middle; then the series began to decline for me. So many useless details that contribute nothing!

Fiery Cross was the last blow though; diapers, leaky breasts, forever and ever. The writing has definitely lost its wit too--which was a large part of the joy of these books.

Post a Comment

 
Blog Design by Sweet Simplicity