2011 – Another year bites the dust
It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. I had a terrific year in books, even though the actual number of books I read was down from my 2010 numbers. I’m not sure if it’s because I read longer books or if I just read less. Either way, I read a total of 157 books – that’s about three books a week, which isn’t too bad. I was lucky enough to go to BEA and SIBA again this year and had a blast at both. I attended over twenty author events and loved every one of them.
I read a lot of great books this year, so it was really difficult to come up with a list of favorites. My initial list had twenty four adult books on it and after much agonizing, I narrowed it down to these ten. These are books that I read in 2011 – they weren’t necessarily published this year.
Adult books:
- You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon
- Burning Bright by Ron Rash
- Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen
- The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly
- Praying for Strangers by River Jordan
- The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry
- The End of Everything by Megan Abbott
- The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus by Sonya Sones
- Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
- The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston
Children’s books – including YA and middle grade:
- Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
- Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
- The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante
- Viola in the Spotlight by Adriana Trigiani
- Once was Lost by Sara Zarr
- Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
- Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes
- Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
- Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson
As the year comes to a close, I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to drop by, enter contests, and, most of all, leave comments. It all means more than I can express. Be sure to let me know if you have any suggestions for 2012. Here’s hoping everyone has a wonderful year!
I haven’t read any of your 2011 books, but congrats on your reading and for putting together this list! I don’t know if I’m up to it! Happy New Year!
You read some really wonderful books this year. I loved Ready Player One, and enjoyed Kitchen Daughter. I will have to bump up the other books in my TBR! Hope you have a great 2012!
I’m looking at everyone’s lists and compiling my own of books to read!
Happy New Year.
Great list. Three are on my list: Skipping a Beat; Hunchback; Frankie Pratt. Hoping to read You Know When the Men are Gone; Kitchen Daughter in 2012.
Frankie Pratt made my favorites list too. Have a wonderful year in 2012 and happy reading!
Have a wonderful new year! I agonized too, and several on your list were on my runners-up list. It’s so difficult to pick. I like that idea of a separate YA/MG list.
I also liked The Lincoln Lawyer — thanks for the list.
You read a lot of good books for the year.
Thanks so much for this post. It pushed me over the line to doing my own wrap up post for the year, which I’ve just spent the last hour or so musing over. I’ve so enjoyed participating in Wondrous Word Wednesdays this year. Thanks so much for hosting such a wonderful meme. I learnt so much. I look forward to many more Wondrous Wednesdays next year.
Kathy wishing you a happy New Year and all the best for 2012. Hopefully we will be able to meet up in June in NYC & BEA. You had a great year and 157 books is pretty impressive. We didn’t read much of the same books but I did buy a few because of your reviews.
Terrific list, Kathy! Throughout the year I’ve added soooooo many books to my TBR that it’s now out of control. LOL.
That is a great list! I think I hit somewhere around 150 books this year too, including audios. Hope you have a wonderful new years, and look forward to 2012 including SIBA!
Like Candace, I think it’s a great idea of yours to separate your list – plus it gives one the opportunity to double the number of books! Because it is so hard to pare them down!
So many books I need to read! Great list – happy new year!
i love these lists kathy. You had a good year. I’ve only read Lincoln Lawyer from your list.
Happy New Years to you and yours.
I loved The Kitchen Daughter as well and I am making note of others on your list, as I haven’t read many of them.
Your blog is such a pleasure to visit Kathy and I look forward to reading it in 2012!
Seems like you had a great year in books, with both conferences and many author events
Hope you have a healthy and happy New Years.
Between Shades of Gray will be on my list, when I get around to posting it. Such a powerful book. Happy New Year!
Kathy, I’m amazed at how many books you read, and actually had a life too. I hope you and Carl and Vance have a very happy New Year and that good things await you in 2012.
I haven’t read a lot on your list, but that’s ok, because I can copy the whole thing and make it part of my plan for the new-year! And knowing that you loved them will inspire me to pick them up even sooner! By the way, I have to tell you that I bought Fun and Games after rereading your review. I had some Christmas money to spend, and I couldn’t pass that one up! Great list today!
Happy New Year!
I haven’t read You Know When the Men are Gone, but it is getting alot of buzz as a possible Pulitzer contender. I’m definitely going to have to bump it up to a must read for 2012.
I really tried to narrow my list down, but after 17, I couldn’t do it anymore. This was a great year in reading for me as well.
I hope the new year contines to bring great books into both of our lives.
What a great reading year, indeed! I haven’t read anything on your Top 10 List, so I have to get moving! Thanks for your insights in 2011 — looking forward to more of them in 2012!
You had a great year! Here’s to hoping you have as many wonderful reads in 2012!
Happy New Year! and here’s to many more good books in 2012.
i love seeing all these best of 2011 lists. the only book that i have from your list is the kitchen daughter so i’m going to have to bump that one up to the top of my 2012 lists. have a great new year!
Thanks for all of your great book reviews…they have helped me weed out those I want to read and those I have never heard of before. Happy New Year, and looking forward to even more great book recommendations.
That was a lovely wrap up…I think it’s ok to read a little less every now and then…plus you loved what you read!!!
Happy New Year!!!
I can’t believe Skipping a Beat made your list! I’m so honored… and thrilled that you liked it enough to include it! I’m a fan of several other books you listed, and want to check out a few I haven’t read. Have a wonderful New Year.
Loved Frankie Pratt beautiful origional book.Happy healthy new year to you.
I haven’t read any of these. Looking forward to adding some to my list for 2012. Especially….”Once was Lost” by Sara Zarr. It sounds like my kind of book. Thanks for going through all of these.
A great reading year for you Kathy! I hope to do more books this coming year. I was surprised that some weeks I hardly got a book in… thank goodness for audio!
Thanks for posting your list of favorites Kathy! I haven’t read any of these so now I have more to add to my must read list…
Great list. Two of my favorites were from new authors: The Help and The Arrivals.
Ann
Ahh, Skipping a Beat is one of my faves as well! And I really need to pick up The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt!
Happy New Year, Kathy!
What a fantastic list with so many great books. I’m loving the middle school/YA feature that you do…you’ve added many to my middle school shelves. I have a few that made your best list that I would like to read in 2012.
Here’s a great new year of reading…Happy New Year!
I’ve got several of your “best” on my TBR…will have to bump them up on the list
Happy New Year, Kathy!!
Great year Kathy, Happy New Year – I want to read Lincoln Lawyer
I haven’t put together a post of bests yet, but three of yours will definitely be on my list (Wonderstruck, Ready Player One, & Hunchback of Neiman Marcus).
Great list of books! I’m going to be putting Skipping a Beat, Praying for Strangers, The Kitchen Daughter and The End of Everything on my TBR list.
Lots of books in there I really want to read, especially Once Was Lost and Wonderstruck. Happy New Year, Kathy, and best wishes for 2012!
I enjoy reading these year-end posts … it’s so hard to choose your top ten, isn’t it!?
I’ve read only a few of the titles on your lists, which, of course, has me adding to my wish list for 2012
great list and great year, Kathy! I really liked You Know When the Men are Gone and The Kitchen Daughter too!
Happy 2012!
What a great reading year you had! I am sad to say I haven’t read any of your must read books but I do want to read them next year!
Great selections and a great year in books, too. The two I read, You Know When the Men Are Gone and Ready Player One, also made my best list.
What a great list! The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt, Heart and Soul, and Okay for Now were some great reads.
Woohoo! You know I’m tickled to see You Know When the Men Are Gone!!! I loved it too, and still think I probably should’ve put in on my Best Of list.
“Either way, I read a total of 157 books – that’s about three books a week, which isn’t too bad. ” — Nope .. not bad at all!!
Love your list … especially the Wimpy Kid books! Woo hoo!
Wishing you a wonderful 2012 filled with 5 star reads!
I’ve read two of your 2011 books and have to agree that Siobhan Fallon’s book was great! Wimpy Kid ws good too although I’ve only read the first one. And, I saw the movie Lincoln Lawyer so I’ll count that too – because I am a cheater like that! happy new year!
I also loved Ready Player One this year. And I keep meaning to read Praying for Strangers… Happy New Year, Kathy!
It sounds like you had a great year, Kathy! The Lincoln Lawyer was one of my favorites the year I read it too. I hope you have a wonderful New Year, Kathy!
I’ve only read a total of 5 from your lists, but have 4 waiting for me on my TBR shelves. I’m looking most forward to Burning Bright because I love Ron Rash’s work. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Kathy!!
Great list, Kathy! I’m still thinking about Reader One. Is it really better than Divergent? Hunger Games? Across the Universe?
Here are my Reading Resolutions for 2012.
I’m so glad you made this list. I love seeing everyone’s faves. Unfortunately, I’m not together enough to put a list of my own out there.
I hope you had a great holiday and new year. I hope that 2012 is just as good for you.
What a great reading year, Kathy! I have Frankie Pratt out from the library right now
I like your list Kathy. There’s one there that I loved too – Lincoln Lawyer. Great movie too.
You had a fantastic reading year! Here’s to another one in 2012.
Congrats on a great year. So glad I got to see you this year, and hope I can manage it again next year somehow as well! All the best in 2012.
I love lists! I am particularly interested in reading The End of Everything and The Kitchen Daughter. I’d love to see the B-list (the other books that didn’t make the cut). And we share a fondness for You Know When the Men are Gone.