Word to your mother, here are the books I read this year:
**1/2 The Moment It Clicks by Joe McNally, a nice book about photography - but doesn't really offer any technical help, just casual suggestions. The pictures are cool though!
*1/2 Graceling by Kristin Cashore, a YA fantasy novel that had a really nice thing going for itself and then it just crashed and burned - like the Hindenburg.
**** Olive Kittridge by Elizabeth Strout, the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner. The writing was really, really good - but in a haunting way. I think this is the first book that I read that I enjoyed the writing more than the story. Is that possible?
*****Island by Alistair Macleod. A collection of short stories. If I were the kind of girl to get tattoos, I would tattoo quotes from this book all over my body - that is how much I love this book. It is achingly beautiful. *Caution for those who would like to read it, not every story in the collection is rated with 5 stars. I can tell you which ones to skip if you want.
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, not even worth half a star. I can barely remember what the book is about, but I can vividly remember how painfully boring it was to read. I'm kind of surprised and disappointed I took the time to finish it.
****The Man Who Made Lists by Joshua Kendall, a biography about Peter M. Roget (of Roget Thesaurus fame). I loved this book so much that I even used it in a Relief Society lesson. This man had a fascinating life/family full of mental diseases, tragedy, depression, etc., and the thing that saved him was making lists. Proving to me that I've been right all my life in thinking that finding the right word has a preternatural power (and yes, I did just use the thesaurus to find the word preternatural, thank you Peter).
***Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, this was my introduction to Brandon Sanderson and the beginning of my status as a BranSanFan. It was a little slow getting into it - but still a very awesome book. Saying that makes me feel like a boy, but it is what it is.
****Elantris by Brandon Sanderson (I told you I was a BranSanFan - had I not started reading him at the end of the year, I would probably have 5 more of his books up here). NERD ALERT: Yes I do find myself comparing my everyday life to the attitudes, powers, and circumstances of Elantrians, Duladens, and Aons.
1/2 star The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, winner of the 2008 Pulitzer. In trying to read all past pulitzers, I stumbled my way through this one. I would ask you to tell me how this won the prize, but that would mean you would have to read it - and I don't want to make anyone do that. It gets half a star for somehow managing to trick people into giving it the prize.
*****Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett. She only uses four words the entire book. She's a genius.
******The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Six stars is not a typo. This book sparkles.
*Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. The one star is in honor of the first two books that preceded this one. I read this book months ago and I still have nightmares about it. In my opinion, it goes against everything I believe about literature. I wrote a dramatic blog post about it right after I read it but never posted it. Maybe I will soon.
**************************************************These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner. I think the stars speak for themselves.
Books on 2011's list: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond, Tinkers by Paul Harding, Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, The Help by Katheryn Stockett, the entire Fancy Nancy series, and the collected works of Brandon Sanderson.
Any suggestions?
6 comments:
First of all I want to be like you. Maybe I'll keep a book journal this year, because I can't even remember all the books I read this year, let alone rate them (by the way, all my life I thought the phrase was "little lone"). I can't believe you like "These is my words" that much. I hated the ending. I started Guns, Germs and Steel and it was really interesting, but I never got around to finishing it. Can't wait to see your reviews for next year. Love ya!
Definitely read Fancy Nancy. Add the complete Elephant and Piggie Series. It's genius. I can't wait to read Orange Pear Apple Bear. I also agree with the Brandon Sanderson recommendation. I love the Alcatraz series, but the intrusive narrator isn't for everyone. I'm also impressed with your goal to read pulitzers. Maybe I'll do something like that with the newberry. You might enjoy the Wings series by Aprilynne Pike. I've only read the first one so far, but it was a fun, quick read. Have you read The Hiding Place? That's a must.--Kim
I have read the Hiding Place - great book! I will add Wings to my list, thanks!
And I know what you mean about Alcatraz, I've been trying to read it off and on since I bought it at our writers' conference - but that narrator really gets to me sometimes.
And Alison, little lone Alison, I don't understand how you could hate the ending of These Is My Words. It was beautiful and poignant. I probably think about that book once a day and how beautiful it is.
LOVED "The Help" and "Wives and Daughters" (obviously, since I gave you that recommendation). LOVED "The Guernsey . . . ", my book group also read "Same Kind of Different as Me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore this year - I think you'd enjoy that one. Have you read "A Tale of Two Cities"? One of my all-time and forever favorites.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. You have to read The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls. And everything by Malcolm Gladwell.
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