So way back on Day 1
of this blog, I wrote a long explanation of why I read so obsessively. I won’t
rehash all of that again but feel free to check it out if you missed it.
Instead of doing one big one at the end of the year, I thought I’d split it up
a bit…so this is part one of my Reading Extravaganza of 2012!
* indicates a favorite
** indicates a super favorite
1.
Once Upon
a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell Fiction—Coming of Age
I was intrigued about this book because it is
set around the Kalamazoo River which is where my parents live. I thought it might be like the female version
of Huckleberry Finn—how cool would that be? There were parts of this book that
I liked but overall it was pretty dark throughout with a too cheery ending for
my taste.
2.
**The
Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan Fiction/Poetry
Oh I loved this clever little
read! Each chapter begins with a word and then what follows is an expert of a
love story that gives that word meaning. While the story is particular to one
couple, it somehow delves into the universality of love. I would definitely recommend this read but
my one advice is to have a dictionary nearby!
3. Wildwood by Colin Meloy Young Adult/Fantasy
This book had every single
element that should make for a great adventure story but it just felt like it
was trying too hard. It was still a good read but I did feel disappointed a bit
by it. The illustrations by Carson Ellis were amazing, though.
4.
The Little
Bride by Anna Solomon Historical Fiction
I really liked the historical
significance that this book portrayed—about a young Jewish girl traveling to
the West as a mail order bride. But her selfishness made it tough to like
her. Even more so, I found myself getting so
frustrated with how she acted. It just felt like this book had a bad mood
surrounding it.
5. Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy
Chevalier Historical Fiction
This is a story that I’ve been
hovering around for several years and finally got around to reading. I was very
intrigued by this book as it is a fictional story based around the real Dutch
painter, Johannes Vermeer and his famous painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring. It was quite simple in its prose but I
was immediately drawn into the story, the household, and the painting.
6. **The Fault In Our Stars by John Green Young Adult
This book had me on such a
rollercoaster of emotions—either I was bawling or I was laughing. Green has
taken two very real kids who are living with the dark cloud of cancer looming
above them—and shown a story of love, humor, and grace. Heart wrenching? Yes.
But the questions about life, death, and love are so beautiful that it makes up
for any smeared mascara.
7. It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini Young
Adult
This was an interesting book to
read right after The Fault in Our Stars as it dealt with another smart kid who
grapples with the bigger questions in life. He is a bit unlikable in his
teenage self but at the same time, his struggles with the pressures of life
make him very relatable and easy to be sympathetic towards. A very good read
about mental illness in ourselves and loved ones.
8. All is Forgotten, Nothing is Lost by Lan
Samantha Chang Fiction
I was quite intrigued by this
story while reading it. It drew me in—but quietly. It was one of those books
that I finished but kept thinking about for weeks after. I can’t say it is my
favorite, but it definitely is worth reading for any writer/artist/poet.
9. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by
Mindy Kaling Nonfiction/Humor
I think I was on the library’s
hold list for this book for roughly….7 months. I was sooo looking forward to
this book and for the most part, I was satisfied. The beginning of the book was
really good—especially her stories about growing up—but the funnies did start
to drift off towards the end. Still gave
me plenty of chuckles, though.
10. The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean Historical Fiction
This book took me a long time to
get into it because it bounces back and forth between the present day story and
the story set in Leningrad in ’41. The story of Leningrad during the war is so
interesting that I kept getting frustrated when we’d leave the story to go into
the present day lives of the characters.
Towards the end of the book, I began to appreciate the jumps a bit more
and could see the importance of seeing the present day story, as well as the
old. Overall, it is a good read about a story you don’t always hear about.
11. Hitler’s Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti Historical Nonfiction
I grew up reading a lot of books
about World War II and the Holocaust so I was a little suspicious that I had
already read all that would be in this book…but I was wrong. This is a really
good look at how Hitler understood the power of young people and how he went
about manipulating them. A very important read!
12. Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela Fiction
This story took me a while to
get into and I often thought about putting it down and moving on to something
else. But I’m glad I stuck with it! As I got more comfortable with her writing
rhythm, I started getting to know the characters, their motives, and their
culture.
13.
Feeling
for Bones by Bethany Pierce Young Adult Fiction
A thoughtful look about a
teenage girl suffering with anorexia as her family crumbles around her. A good subject but…I wanted more from the
book. The writing somehow kept me at a distance the whole time I was reading so
it was hard to really connect with it.
14. Hector and the Secrets of Love by Francois
Lelord Fiction/Philosophy
This was a very fun, light
read—all while asking some big questions about the nature of love. Lelord has a
very interesting writing style—almost like a children’s story—which makes it
seem like a lighter book than it is. My hubby gave me this book for Valentine’s
Day—and it proved to be a good find!
15. Player One by Douglas Coupland Fiction/Apocalyptic
Douglas Coupland doing what he
does best—asking big questions and examining our society as if through a
microscope. He addresses a lot of the same issues that concerns him in his
previous books but it still was very thought provoking. The book is set
immediately after the price of oil sky rockets so the world is amidst chaos. As
a big fan of Coupland, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you haven’t ever read
any of his books…don’t start with this one.
16. *Jim the Boy by Tony Earley Historical/Young
Adult Fiction
I have to admit…I thought that
Jim the Boy was a pretty lame title. And then the cover….woof. But I am so glad
that I picked this book up. It is such a beautiful, simple story of a boy
growing up in a small town. Quiet scenes fill the book with a strong presence
and feel. One of the most surprising reads so far. I liked it so much I bought
three copies and gave two away!
17. The Blind Contessa’s New Machine by Carey
Wallace Historical
Fiction
This is based on the true story
about the invention of the typewriter.
This book almost feels magical to me—as the main character is a free
spirited child who loves the natural world, her freedom, and imagination. As
she begins to lose her eyesight, she learns to love and experience the world
differently. There are some bothersome qualities of the book but after meeting
Carey Wallace and thoroughly enjoying who she is…I can easily overlook them!
18. Great House by Nicole Krauss Fiction/Short
Stories
This book intrigued me because
it all revolves around one desk. Each short story mentions/focuses on the same
desk and ultimately all of the stories do intersect at the end. I really wanted to love this book because I
loved The History of Love so much. But…it was a bit too disengaged for me. It
wasn’t quite a collection of short stories and it wasn’t quite a novel.
19. *The Truth About Celia by Kevin Brockmeier Fiction/Fantasy
This is such a clever book as it
is set up as a book inside of a book. There are two cover pages—the real one
and then the fake one introducing the book that the fictional Christopher wrote
after his daughter disappeared. This story delves into fantasy in such an easy
and believable way. It is about Christopher dealing with his daughter’s
disappearance, trying to explain why she left, reliving her last known moments,
and coping with life afterwards. This is such a smart, quick read.
20. **Here if You Need Me: A True Story by Kate
Braestrup Memoir
Oh I loved this story. Kate
Braestrup is funny, charming, honest, and a great story teller. This is the
story about her husband suddenly dying in a car crash and her taking over his
dream of being a chaplain for the game wardens in Maine. It is a mix of stories
about grief, love, chaplain hood, and the Maine game wardens. Ugh, so good!! Read it!
21. *Blankets by Craig Thompson Graphic
Novel/Semi-Autobiographical
So this book is massive. Really
massive. I picked it up from the library and wasn’t quite sure that I’d be able
to read the whole thing…but then I sat down and read the entire book in one
sitting. The book is set in Wisconsin and deals with a young man growing up and
dealing with new love, faith, loneliness, identity, and all the joys of
adulthood. Oh and did I mention that his drawings are terrific?!
22. *Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork Young Adult
This book is about 17 year old
Marcelo who has an autism-like condition. His father pushes him into dealing
with the real world and what follows is an addicting story about experiencing
the joys and pains of living. Marcelo is a unique character who should not be
missed…so go read it!
23. *Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool Historical
Young Adult
This is a great read that is
cleverly written. The story is set in two different time periods that are
connected by newspaper clippings. At first I thought this might be too
confusing and wasn’t sure I was ready to remember all the character names, story
lines, etc. But it quickly drew me in and I was right there next to Abilene as
she got in trouble, explored, and tried to figure out the story behind her dad
and the town of Manifest, Kansas. Abilene is a spirited little girl who helps a
small town remember who it is.
24. Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto
Urrea Fiction
I don’t listen to audiobooks
very much but this one I happened to listen to while I was busy sewing one
night. I really enjoyed listening to it because there were a lot of Spanish sayings
and names that were fun to listen to. It wasn’t my favorite story….but it was
fun to listen to.
25. *See Me Naked by Amy Frykhom Nonfiction
This book looks at nine
different stories of how the Christian portrayal of sexuality has affected
their lives. This book definitely added a new and interesting voice to the
discussion of sexuality, religion, and moral living. Fykhom writes a terrific
last chapter that gives a new way to view our sexuality and to help us remember
that embracing our body can actually lead us into a richer relationship with
God. She shows how we can overcome the harmful beliefs that many of us have
from growing up in the church and live a fuller Christian life. While some of
the stories were pretty extreme cases—I really appreciated the conversation
that Frykhom started.
26. **Lovely, Raspberry by Aaron Belz Poetry
This is an awesome little book
of poetry! I must have read at least half of them out loud to my husband (while
he was trying to read his own book—oops!). They are so dry, so unexpected, so
unpretentious. It reminds me of why I like poetry—how fun it can be!
27. House of Prayer No.2 by Mark Richard Memoir
An interesting story about a boy
who is plagued with deformed hips. It is a mix of coming of age, dealing with a
perfectionist father, a race against time (doctors said he’d be lame by age
30), and losing and finding his faith. A very intriguing story…but the second
person writing was way too distracting for my taste.
28. The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier Fiction/Fantasy
I am a fan of Kevin Brockmeier.
I think he is very clever and is willing to push the boundaries in writing
fiction. The Illumination is about a world that is filled with people who glow
from their wounds. If someone has a cut finger, the cut would glow. If someone
has lung cancer, their chest would glow. But throughout the book, a private
journal of one lined love notes gets passed from one person to the next so you
end up seeing how each person deals and struggles in this new world. Some of
the stories were harder for me to connect with than others, but overall I love the
idea of the book and loved many parts of the book—if not in its entirety.
29.
Marriage
and Other Acts of Charity by Kate Braestrup Memoir
This is my second book by Kate
Braestrup and it is my second favorite of hers. This book is about her
experience in her first marriage, her experience as a chaplain dealing with
marriages, counseling and divorce, and then ultimately about her second
marriage after being widowed. She is completely honest about her journey on
figuring out how to love—and it is appreciated! It didn’t have the same depth
as her first book, but it was still a good read about choosing to love every
day…and it is full of nuggets of wisdom for a newbie at marriage!
30.
**Imagine
by Jonah Lehrer Nonfiction
This is a book that makes me
want to talk about it in every conversation that I have. It is so interesting!
Lehrer looks at misconceptions about creativity, how the brain works, what
motivates creativity, and much more! He has lots of stories inside that helped
draw me through as I am not much of a nonfiction reader. A nice, light read
that has definitely affected how I think about creativity!
31. Swamplandia! By Karen Russell Fiction
Hmm…this is a tough book to
summarize what I think about it. For one thing, I loved the title. I wasted no
opportunities at saying Swamplandia! outloud. I also wasted no opportunities at
reading this book. I was drawn in and sucked all the way through the alligator
wrestling, family struggles, and the dark crannies of the swamp. It is a bit gloomy
and disturbing, but so original that I couldn’t help but be intrigued.
Immediately after reading it, I put her book of short stories on hold at the
library…always a good sign about a good book.
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