The 65 Books I Read in 2011
65 books this year! Holy crap! Here's my list, with my ratings and thoughts on each.
1. Left for Dead by Beck Weathers -- 3 stars. I really got into Everest books this year (I read an article about dead bodies on Everest, then my interest was piqued and I read and watched all the Everest stuff I could get my hands on. Fortunately my dad loves adventure books so I could borrow a bunch from him), and this one was pretty decent. Interesting take on the 1996 Everest disaster from the POV of a guy who was left near the summit to die, then somehow willed himself to walk down to safety.
2. Oliver Twist -- 3 stars. Not my favorite Dickens. I found it kind of dry, which surprised me.
3. Catering to Nobody by Dianne Mott Davidson-- 1 star. Oh my god, awful. I read this for bookretorts, and it was a total waste of time.
4. Rose Madder by Stephen King-- 4 stars. This is my friend's favorite King novel, and she's been trying to get me to read it for years, so I finally did. It was great! The fantasy stuff got a bit much, but I loved the overall story.
5. Into Thin Air by John Krakauer-- 5 stars. This is the definitive book (IMO) on the 1996 Everest disaster. Well written, enthralling, terrifying. This book gave me nightmares. I still can't think about the events of this book without shuddering.
6. Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie-- 2 stars. Another one for bookretorts. It was okay, not really my genre.
7. The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah-- 4 stars. Loved this one! I got so enthralled in the story.
8. The Red Tree by Caitlin R. Kiernan-- I gave this one 4 stars when I read it, but I barely remember it so I might tick it down to 3. It was creepy, though.
9. The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins-- 5 stars! Everyone should read this one. I don't usually read YA but holy crap is this worth the read.
10. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult-- 3 stars. I'm not the biggest fan of Jodi Picoult but I read a lot of her books so my mom has someone to discuss them with (lol). I can't remember why I gave this one three stars-- I did enjoy the read. Probably it had a typical Picoult ending that pissed me off.
11. Catching Fire by Susanne Collins-- 5 stars. Second in the Hunger Games series, and just as good as the first one, maybe better. I think I actually liked it better. This series is amazing.
12. High Exposure by David Breashears-- 3 stars. Another Everest-related book, but this one was too much autobiography for my taste. It was neat to read about the challenges of shooting an IMAX film on Everest, though.
13. The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor-- 5 stars. Another excellent book that everyone should read.
14. Tales by H. P. Lovecraft-- 5 stars. This was a compilation of a bunch of his stories, and they were all awesome. My favorite was At the Mountains of Madness. <3 Lovecraft
15. Mockingjay by Susanne Collins-- 4 stars. Last in the Hunger Games series. I actually didn't like this one as well as the first two, but I think it ended fine.
16. Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth-- 3 stars. The guy at the bookstore told me I should read this one, and I started it having no idea what I was getting into. I remember thinking "Holy crap, what am I reading?!" But it was hilarious.
17. Coraline by Neil Gaiman-- 3 stars. Cute.
18. White Teeth by Zadie Smith-- 5 stars. Excellent book.
19. Precious and Fragile Things by Megan Hart-- 2 stars. My sister had me read this one; it was weird and I didn't like it much.
20. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy-- 3 stars, which surprised me a lot. I love me some Hardy, but this one was kind of meh.
21. Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat-- 4 stars. I really enjoyed this classic about a naturalist's encounters with wolves, but I can't figure out if it's fictionalized. If so, it kind of ruins it for me.
22. The Stories of Eva Luna by Isabel Allende-- 4 stars. If you haven't read Allende yet, you should. These short stories were lovely-- especially the last one, inspired by the iconic photo of Omaira Sanchez (I recommend googling her-- her story is really horrifying).
23. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck-- 3 stars. I love Steinbeck, but ick. This one was boring.
24. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte-- 4 stars. The forgotten Bronte! This book was amazing, and deserves just as much recognition as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights get.
25. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler-- 1 star. Ick. Boring, stupid, annoying.
26. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess-- 4 stars. I was afraid to read this one for the longest (I found the movie very disturbing), but it was fascinating. Totally worth the read.
27. Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez-- 3 stars. Starting to feel like I read a lot of "off" books by my favorite authors this year. I don't even remember the plot of this one, so that says a lot.
28. Peony in Love by Lisa See-- 4 stars. Loved this one, and it inspired me to read a lot more Lisa See.
29. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair-- 4 stars. This one's been on my to-read list for years; glad I finally read it. Fascinating and horrifying.
30. The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi-- 3 stars. Meh, nothing to write home about here. I love a good clash-of-cultures story, but this one just didn't draw me in.
31. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See-- 4 stars. Another excellent Lisa See read.
32. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume-- 4 stars. I liked this one so well, I had to send it to my BFF.
33. The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum-- 3 stars. Severely creepy and disturbing.
34. Watchmen by Alan Moore-- 4 stars. My first graphic novel, and a GREAT one.
35. A Separate Peace by John Knowles-- 2 stars. I started reading this years ago and stopped-- rereading made me remember why I stopped. I finally got through it, just to get through it.
36. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett-- 3 stars. I must say though, this very long book kept my interest.
37. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson-- 4 stars. Excellent, classic horror, which actually did creep me out.
38. Asleep by Banana Yoshimoto-- 3 stars. Meh. Three samey short stories. This book was okay.
39. Middlemarch by George Eliot-- 4 stars. Holy crap, I thought this book would never end. It was good, but dense as hell. Amazing work of literature-- I'll never read it again.
40. Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison-- 2 stars. Meh.
41. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See-- 4 stars. Another good one by Lisa See. Possibly the most memorable of the bunch.
42. Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker-- 4 stars. Not pleasant subject matter, but worth reading.
43. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol-- 2 stars. Not my favorite Russian novel, but I did find it pretty amusing.
44. The Pearl by John Steinbeck-- 4 stars. Now this is Steinbeck! Excellent little story.
45. Lies my Teacher Told me by James W. Loewen-- 5 stars. Everyone should read this! Totally enlightening.
46. Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson-- 3 stars. Another "meh" book from one of my favorite authors. What the hell?!
47. Looking for Alaska by John Green-- 3 stars. Pretty decent for a coming-of-age novel.
48. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier-- 5 stars. Now this is a book! I never, ever anticipated the twist ending on this one, and I am the queen of calling the twist ending. This book is awesome.
49. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell-- 4 stars. A horrifying look at poverty in early 20th century (iirc?) London and Paris.
50. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin-- 4 stars. Not my genre at all, but if you've read this one, you know it doesn't have to be.
51. Paradise by Toni Morrison-- 3 stars. Yet another not-favorite from a favorite author.
52. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion-- 4 stars. Her memoir was slightly off-putting just because I hate reading about rich people, but it was a touching read.
53. The Miracle of Language by Richard Lederer-- 3 stars. My sister made me read this one, and it was interesting, but felt like a lot of filter.
54. Dracula by Bram Stoker-- 4 stars. I loved the format of this one-- the whole book was letters or diary entries. Very creepy.
55. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien-- 4 stars. Never read this one as a kid, but I wish I had!
56. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin-- 4 stars. Second in the Song of Ice and Fire series-- excellent.
57. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell-- 4 stars. Good solid Brit lit.
58. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham-- 2 stars. Didn't read this one as a kid either, and now I know why.
59. Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall-- 3 stars. Fascinating look at life in a fundamentalist Mormon community, but not particularly well written.
60. Under the Dome by Stephen King-- 3 stars. Not my favorite Stephen King, but it was a very engaging read.
61. No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs-- 3 stars. Sort of autobiographical, but mostly focuses on Viesturs' amazing feat of climbing the 14 tallest mountains in the world. Pretty cool if you're into that sort of thing.
62. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells-- 4 stars. I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, but this one was really engaging and disturbing.
63. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens-- 5 stars. Possibly the best book I read all year-- it was just excellent. One of my favorite Dickens so far!
64. The Pact by Jodi Picoult-- 2 stars. I hated this one; it was awful, even for Jodi Picoult. I didn't like a single one of the characters.
65. Memoirs of Fanny Hill by John Cleland-- 2 stars. It would get only one star, but the euphemisms were too hilarious. About the only enjoyment I got out of this one was how many times testicles were referred to as "nature's treasure sack." lol!
And there we have it. Holy crap, I read a lot this year!
Soon to come: a new "books to read in 2012" post, and maybe an actual 2011 retrospective post. Maybe.
1. Left for Dead by Beck Weathers -- 3 stars. I really got into Everest books this year (I read an article about dead bodies on Everest, then my interest was piqued and I read and watched all the Everest stuff I could get my hands on. Fortunately my dad loves adventure books so I could borrow a bunch from him), and this one was pretty decent. Interesting take on the 1996 Everest disaster from the POV of a guy who was left near the summit to die, then somehow willed himself to walk down to safety.
2. Oliver Twist -- 3 stars. Not my favorite Dickens. I found it kind of dry, which surprised me.
3. Catering to Nobody by Dianne Mott Davidson-- 1 star. Oh my god, awful. I read this for bookretorts, and it was a total waste of time.
4. Rose Madder by Stephen King-- 4 stars. This is my friend's favorite King novel, and she's been trying to get me to read it for years, so I finally did. It was great! The fantasy stuff got a bit much, but I loved the overall story.
5. Into Thin Air by John Krakauer-- 5 stars. This is the definitive book (IMO) on the 1996 Everest disaster. Well written, enthralling, terrifying. This book gave me nightmares. I still can't think about the events of this book without shuddering.
6. Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie-- 2 stars. Another one for bookretorts. It was okay, not really my genre.
7. The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah-- 4 stars. Loved this one! I got so enthralled in the story.
8. The Red Tree by Caitlin R. Kiernan-- I gave this one 4 stars when I read it, but I barely remember it so I might tick it down to 3. It was creepy, though.
9. The Hunger Games by Susanne Collins-- 5 stars! Everyone should read this one. I don't usually read YA but holy crap is this worth the read.
10. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult-- 3 stars. I'm not the biggest fan of Jodi Picoult but I read a lot of her books so my mom has someone to discuss them with (lol). I can't remember why I gave this one three stars-- I did enjoy the read. Probably it had a typical Picoult ending that pissed me off.
11. Catching Fire by Susanne Collins-- 5 stars. Second in the Hunger Games series, and just as good as the first one, maybe better. I think I actually liked it better. This series is amazing.
12. High Exposure by David Breashears-- 3 stars. Another Everest-related book, but this one was too much autobiography for my taste. It was neat to read about the challenges of shooting an IMAX film on Everest, though.
13. The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor-- 5 stars. Another excellent book that everyone should read.
14. Tales by H. P. Lovecraft-- 5 stars. This was a compilation of a bunch of his stories, and they were all awesome. My favorite was At the Mountains of Madness. <3 Lovecraft
15. Mockingjay by Susanne Collins-- 4 stars. Last in the Hunger Games series. I actually didn't like this one as well as the first two, but I think it ended fine.
16. Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth-- 3 stars. The guy at the bookstore told me I should read this one, and I started it having no idea what I was getting into. I remember thinking "Holy crap, what am I reading?!" But it was hilarious.
17. Coraline by Neil Gaiman-- 3 stars. Cute.
18. White Teeth by Zadie Smith-- 5 stars. Excellent book.
19. Precious and Fragile Things by Megan Hart-- 2 stars. My sister had me read this one; it was weird and I didn't like it much.
20. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy-- 3 stars, which surprised me a lot. I love me some Hardy, but this one was kind of meh.
21. Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat-- 4 stars. I really enjoyed this classic about a naturalist's encounters with wolves, but I can't figure out if it's fictionalized. If so, it kind of ruins it for me.
22. The Stories of Eva Luna by Isabel Allende-- 4 stars. If you haven't read Allende yet, you should. These short stories were lovely-- especially the last one, inspired by the iconic photo of Omaira Sanchez (I recommend googling her-- her story is really horrifying).
23. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck-- 3 stars. I love Steinbeck, but ick. This one was boring.
24. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte-- 4 stars. The forgotten Bronte! This book was amazing, and deserves just as much recognition as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights get.
25. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler-- 1 star. Ick. Boring, stupid, annoying.
26. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess-- 4 stars. I was afraid to read this one for the longest (I found the movie very disturbing), but it was fascinating. Totally worth the read.
27. Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez-- 3 stars. Starting to feel like I read a lot of "off" books by my favorite authors this year. I don't even remember the plot of this one, so that says a lot.
28. Peony in Love by Lisa See-- 4 stars. Loved this one, and it inspired me to read a lot more Lisa See.
29. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair-- 4 stars. This one's been on my to-read list for years; glad I finally read it. Fascinating and horrifying.
30. The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi-- 3 stars. Meh, nothing to write home about here. I love a good clash-of-cultures story, but this one just didn't draw me in.
31. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See-- 4 stars. Another excellent Lisa See read.
32. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume-- 4 stars. I liked this one so well, I had to send it to my BFF.
33. The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum-- 3 stars. Severely creepy and disturbing.
34. Watchmen by Alan Moore-- 4 stars. My first graphic novel, and a GREAT one.
35. A Separate Peace by John Knowles-- 2 stars. I started reading this years ago and stopped-- rereading made me remember why I stopped. I finally got through it, just to get through it.
36. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett-- 3 stars. I must say though, this very long book kept my interest.
37. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson-- 4 stars. Excellent, classic horror, which actually did creep me out.
38. Asleep by Banana Yoshimoto-- 3 stars. Meh. Three samey short stories. This book was okay.
39. Middlemarch by George Eliot-- 4 stars. Holy crap, I thought this book would never end. It was good, but dense as hell. Amazing work of literature-- I'll never read it again.
40. Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison-- 2 stars. Meh.
41. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See-- 4 stars. Another good one by Lisa See. Possibly the most memorable of the bunch.
42. Possessing the Secret of Joy by Alice Walker-- 4 stars. Not pleasant subject matter, but worth reading.
43. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol-- 2 stars. Not my favorite Russian novel, but I did find it pretty amusing.
44. The Pearl by John Steinbeck-- 4 stars. Now this is Steinbeck! Excellent little story.
45. Lies my Teacher Told me by James W. Loewen-- 5 stars. Everyone should read this! Totally enlightening.
46. Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson-- 3 stars. Another "meh" book from one of my favorite authors. What the hell?!
47. Looking for Alaska by John Green-- 3 stars. Pretty decent for a coming-of-age novel.
48. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier-- 5 stars. Now this is a book! I never, ever anticipated the twist ending on this one, and I am the queen of calling the twist ending. This book is awesome.
49. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell-- 4 stars. A horrifying look at poverty in early 20th century (iirc?) London and Paris.
50. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin-- 4 stars. Not my genre at all, but if you've read this one, you know it doesn't have to be.
51. Paradise by Toni Morrison-- 3 stars. Yet another not-favorite from a favorite author.
52. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion-- 4 stars. Her memoir was slightly off-putting just because I hate reading about rich people, but it was a touching read.
53. The Miracle of Language by Richard Lederer-- 3 stars. My sister made me read this one, and it was interesting, but felt like a lot of filter.
54. Dracula by Bram Stoker-- 4 stars. I loved the format of this one-- the whole book was letters or diary entries. Very creepy.
55. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien-- 4 stars. Never read this one as a kid, but I wish I had!
56. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin-- 4 stars. Second in the Song of Ice and Fire series-- excellent.
57. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell-- 4 stars. Good solid Brit lit.
58. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham-- 2 stars. Didn't read this one as a kid either, and now I know why.
59. Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall-- 3 stars. Fascinating look at life in a fundamentalist Mormon community, but not particularly well written.
60. Under the Dome by Stephen King-- 3 stars. Not my favorite Stephen King, but it was a very engaging read.
61. No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs-- 3 stars. Sort of autobiographical, but mostly focuses on Viesturs' amazing feat of climbing the 14 tallest mountains in the world. Pretty cool if you're into that sort of thing.
62. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells-- 4 stars. I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, but this one was really engaging and disturbing.
63. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens-- 5 stars. Possibly the best book I read all year-- it was just excellent. One of my favorite Dickens so far!
64. The Pact by Jodi Picoult-- 2 stars. I hated this one; it was awful, even for Jodi Picoult. I didn't like a single one of the characters.
65. Memoirs of Fanny Hill by John Cleland-- 2 stars. It would get only one star, but the euphemisms were too hilarious. About the only enjoyment I got out of this one was how many times testicles were referred to as "nature's treasure sack." lol!
And there we have it. Holy crap, I read a lot this year!
Soon to come: a new "books to read in 2012" post, and maybe an actual 2011 retrospective post. Maybe.