On the (Book) Shelf

Jan 10, 2012 | All About Me, Random

[flickr id=”6030468849″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”true” size=”small” group=”” align=”left”] Back in March or April I decided to challenge myself. I’m attempting to be a published author, but I was reading very few books. It wouldn’t do. So I decided to push myself to read 50 books in 2011. For a while it appeared that I was going to totally leave 50 books in the dust. In October I had hit 45 books. The last 5 were supposed to be a piece of cake.

Turns out I just squeaked it out. I read the last book on December 29th and completed the challenge. I’ve set the same goal for myself in the new year.  Here’s what I read in 2011:

  1. Eat, Pray, Love.
  2. Pale Rose of England ~My review is HERE.
  3. The Nanny Diaries
  4. Awakened
  5. She’s Come Undone ~Being honest…I couldnt finish it. I disliked it that much.
  6. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.
  7. Confessions of a Prairie Bitch ~My favorite autobio of the year. 
  8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower ~Another one I couldn’t finish. Hated the voice.
  9. Wicked ~A repeat read, but it had been YEARS. Glad I re-read.
  10. A Discovery of Witches ~Hands down, favorite book of the year. 
  11. Diary of a Mad Fat Girl
  12. The Help ~Wish I had loved it as much as so many others. Actually preferred the movie.
  13. The Idiot Girls Action Adventure Club ~Blech. Random ramblings. Didn’t care for it.
  14. Speak ~One of quite a few YA I read this year. Took my breath away.
  15. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
  16. Darkfever
  17. What’s a Ghoul to Do?
  18. Entwined
  19. The Eyre Affair
  20. What Alice Forgot ~Recommended read. I really enjoyed it.
  21. Thirteen Reasons Why ~It’s about a teen suicide. I liked it, but it’s a love it or hate it book.
  22. Moon Called (Mercedes Thompson #1) ~Loved this whole series that’s published so far…they’ll all be on this list.
  23. Still Missing ~Another recommended read. Very good.
  24. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming ~Graphic novel, mild cheat. 
  25. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children ~This was so much fun. Definitely recommend.
  26. The Surgeon
  27. Blood Bound (Mercedes Thompson #2)
  28. Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen
  29. Iron Kissed (Mercedes Thompson #3)
  30. My Fair Lazy
  31. When You Dare
  32. These is My Words ~Ugh. Ugh. ICK. Couldn’t finish. In the first 30 pages there is a rape of a young girl while another is held at knifepoint, a child dies, there’s an odd Indian incident followed by a major attack that kills 1/2 the adults, and makes one kid lose his leg, and then…it goes on and on…and that was JUST the first 30 pages! I get life was hard, but holy crap. 
  33. Bone Crossed (Mercedes Thompson #4)
  34. Alpha & Omega (Same author as Mercedes, new series)
  35. Silver Borne (Mercedes Thompson #5)
  36. Dark Lover
  37. Room
  38. The Princess Bride
  39. River Marked (Mercedes Thompson #6)
  40. Arcadia Falls ~Good. Not my favorite of the year, but the mystery holds. 
  41. Freak Magnet
  42. Nightshade
  43. Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega #1)
  44. Trace of Fever
  45. Still Alice ~VERY emotional. DO NOT read if you know someone w/ Alzheimers.
  46. If you Ask Me, And Of Course you won’t ~Love Betty White. Wanted to LOVE this. It was ok.
  47. On Writing ~Not a Stephen King fan in general, but this was great to read as a writer.
  48. Crazy, Sexy Diet
  49. Bossypants ~As I was afraid of…after all the hype I was let down by this. Sure, I LOL’d at a few points, but it wasn’t as hilarious as everyone told me it was.
  50. Wake
Whew…What a list!  Granted there were a few books I couldn’t finish. Honestly up until this year I have never set down a book and walked away. I felt incapable of it.  This year I just had to.  I think the biggest disappointment was “These is my words” because I’d been looking forward to reading it forever…and it was so horrible.  Ah well.
So for this year I need to find new books!!  I just read “Orange is the New Black” and I’m currently in the midst of “The Night Circus”.  What books do you recommend?  I’ll add them to my list!!
(P.S. You can see my full ratings of these books over at my GOODREADS page)
Sarah

1 Comment

  1. Rachael
    Rachael on January 10, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    One of my favorite books from 2011 was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. She wrote Seabiscuit. It’s a non fiction but it reads like a novel, it’s an incredible story and will make you marvel at the capabilities of human beings to survive.

    I also read Delirium, which I loved.

    Reply

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