japaul22's 2011 challenge

Hi everyone! Last year was a slow year for me with 30 books, but I also had a baby on 12/31/09, so that was actually more reading than I thought I'd get to! This year I'm also doing the 11 in 2011 challenge and I'm hoping to read at least 44 books.

To give you an idea of the kind of books I enjoy, here are my favorites of 2010. I'll also try to keep a list in this message of all of the books I read in 2011. Didn't keep up with that last year, but I'll give it a try.

Favorite books in 2010:
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
In the Woods by Tana French
Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

2011 Reading:
1. Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer
3. Pink Brain, Blue Brain by Lise Eliot
4. The Likeness by Tana French
5. Paris Stories by Mavis Gallant
6. Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
7. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
9. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
10. Wedlock: The True Story of the Disastrous Marriage and Remarkable Divorce of Mary Eleanor Bowes, Countess of Strathmore by Wendy Moore
11. Falls the Shadow by Sharon Kay Penman
12. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
13. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
14. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
15. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristoff
16. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
17. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
18. The Civilized World by Suzi Wyss
19. The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman
20. The Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp
21. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
22. Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge's View by Stephen Breyer
23. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
24. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
25. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
26. The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
27. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
28. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
29. Romancing Miss Bronte: A Novel by Juliet Gael
30. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
31. The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope
32. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
33. The Clocks by Agatha Christie
34. 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 by Thomas Phelan
35. Charles Jessold: Considered as a Murderer by Wesley Stace
36. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
37. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
38. The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo
39. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
40. The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell
41. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
42. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
43. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
44. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
45. Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
46. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling
47. The Trouble with Boys by Peg Tyre
48. A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
49. Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
50. Across Many Mountains by Yangzom Brauen
51. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
52. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
53. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
54. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
55. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
56. A Voyage Long and Strange by Tony Horwitz
57. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
58. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
59. Beloved by Toni Morrison
60. Elizabeth I: A Novel by Margaret George
61. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
62. Summer Light: a Walk Across Norway by Andrew Stevenson
63. Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
64. The Winds of War by Herman Wouk
65. Detective Inspector Huss by Helene Tursten
66. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
67. Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
68. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
69. Room by Emma Donoghue
70. Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand Celine
71. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
72. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
73. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
74. Home: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson
75. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
76. Sandition, The Watsons, Lady Susan, Love and Friendship by Jane Austen
77. Great Harry by Carolly Erickson
78. House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
79. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Thanks for checking out my thread!

Hi and Happy New Year! I'm getting caught up here on LT, and trying to find everyone's new threads. I've now got you starred! You had a great reading year in 2010!

Thanks Louanne! I found your thread too - looking forward to following your reading!

So I haven't completed a book yet in 2010 because for some reason I chose to start the year with Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum. :-) If you've read Eco before, you know that his work is very dense and takes a while to get through. You have to really like reading words, words, words to enjoy it! So I promise I am reading, but it might be another week before I have a book to post.

#1 Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
Well, I finished my first book, and it was a challenging one that I really enjoyed. I tried reading this about 12 years ago and didn't get through all of it. But somehow it didn't seem quite as daunting this time, I guess because I just have a broader knowledge now than I did then.

This book is hard to describe because it works on so many levels. Like all of Eco’s work, at it’s most basic level it’s a study of words, philosophy, and history. At it’s most commercial level it’s a thriller/suspense novel (if you can stay on track with that story through all of the diversions!). Basically, the owners of a publishing company become involved in the world of a network of conspiracy theorists whose focus is the Templars, Rosicrucians, Occult sciences, etc. The publishers create a fictional but elaborate story from a partially finished document that is supposed to be the “answer” to everything these conspiracy theorists have been searching for. This fictional “Plan” ends up being taken quite seriously with disastrous results. As the publishers find, if you write something enough times it becomes true!

Eco isn't always easy to read, but his insights are really interesting and amusing. If you like language, words, philosophical humor, etc., I'd recommend it. Otherwise, you'll probably be really, really annoyed!

#2 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
This was a surprise. I've been putting off reading it - honestly because some of the reviews it got (like People magazine recommending it - yikes) made me think it wouldn't be my kind of book. I'm so glad I finally read it because it made me laugh and cry and I really loved the characters.

It's set on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel just after WWII. The island was occupied by the Germans during the war and the book explores the lives of the islanders during and after the occupation through letters. The use of letters really made the book. At first I thought it would be annoying to get only half the story with each letter and for the voice to change too often, but it ended up creating great anticipation and really helped you know each character quickly. This is a quick read and is worth the time.

Glad to hear that you enjoyed Guernsey Literary! I first read it in 2009 before joining LT, then re-read it last year with my book club. It will always be a fave of mine! I agree - the use of letters was an interesting way to get to know each character.

Hi japaul, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was one of my favourites of the last couple of years - I liked the cheery ending. I'll be looking forward to seeing what else you'll be reading for 2011.

Louanne and Bookbugg, glad to hear others like "Guernsey Literary" as much as I did!

#3 Pink Brain, Blue Brain by Lise Eliot
This was a very interesting and well-written book. The author (who is a neuroscientist and also a mother of 2 boys and 1 girl) goes through the current scientific studies about the differences between the brains and hormones of girls and boys from inside the womb through the teenage years. As the mother of a one year old boy, I found it beneficial to separate the hype from the actual science. She points out that many of the studies that some psychologists and authors use to "prove" that boys and girls are innately different are based on very small differentials and not backed up by later studies. Certainly boys and girls are different in many ways, but they don't have to be quite as different as they sometimes end up. At the end of each chapter she lists practical ways to help counteract some of the tendencies of each sex that may be troublesome (such as slower grasp of language in boys, shying away from competitiveness in girls, etc.), in an effort to not let "small differences grow into troublesome gaps".

Hi, japaul, l've got you starred, looks like you've got some great reading ahead this year, based on past selections!

Thanks karspeak - I found your thread too. :-)

#4 The Likeness by Tana French
I loved this book! This is another mystery/police book by Tana French. I loved In the Woods last year and this was as good or better. I won't go into the plot, but as in In the Woods, French uses a really strong narrator to tell the story which makes everything very vivid but also very one-sided. Sometimes as I was reading I wondered what the events would look like if I could take a step back from the narrator's point of view. I think it's a very effective technique, though. I also love the way she writes characters. They became so real to me that I actually thought about them even when I wasn't reading. Fun read - highly recommended!

BTW, japaul, my second son was born 12/11/09. I just finished The Trouble with Boys and strongly recommend it!

karspeak - Thanks for the recommendation. It's on my TBR list and I'm hoping to get to it this year. Our sons are very close in age - mine was born 12/31/09.

#5 Paris Stories by Mavis Gallant
I am attempting some short stories this year, a genre that has never been a favorite of mine. I enjoyed some of these stories a lot, and others I just couldn't get into. Some favorites were "The Ice Wagon Going down the Street", "The Latehomecomer", and "Speck's Idea". Gallant has a beautiful way with words and can capture a character very quickly with just a sentence. My main issue with some of the stories I believe to be MY issue with short stories in general. I just have a hard time focusing so intensely for such a short amount of time. I feel like the stories either need to be REALLY short, like 4-5 pages, or just be a novel! I have a hard time with 30-40 page short stories, which is funny because I LOVE a long, drawn out novel (like Middlemarch, Anna Karenina, heck, I even liked Moby Dick!). Anyway, if you like short stories you'd probably love these because they are beautifully written.

#6 Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
This was not a typical book for me, but a friend loaned it and I thought I'd give it a try. I actually thought it was really funny. It's just a short book of anecdotes about the author's relationship with his father that create a loose memoir. The guy's dad is really funny and I was laughing out loud through a lot of the book. The dad is a smart guy (in nuclear medicine, whatever that is) but uses HORRIBLE language. I thought it was pretty funny though, and you could tell that even with the bad language and really blunt way of speaking he really loves his kids.

But probably the best thing about it was that I'm reading Lolita right now too, and I really needed something light to counteract that book! This fit the bill.

#7 Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov
Though I enjoyed the writing style of the book (I thought it was interesting that this is one of the first novels Nabokov wrote in English), I really couldn't get past the idea of following the mind of a pedophile. I just couldn't stop trying to figure out what Nabokov's intentions were. Humbert is totally depraved - not only a pedophile, but also a narcissist, and totally nuts. I didn't want to get inside his mind, but the book is his story, so I was stuck! So for anyone who liked this book, what did I miss?

#8 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
This is about the 100th time I've read this book and I LOVE it. But this time I was reading a beautiful Easton Press edition that I bought off of Ebay. It's gorgeous - red leather, colored illustrations, nice foreward. It was so amazing to read this favorite of mine in a beautiful edition.

So, I've never read any of those imagined follow-up books to Pride and Prejudice b/c I'm afraid they'll be written badly and ruin the book for me. Did anyone who really loves the original enjoy any of those new follow-up books? I'm curious!

That must have been great to read P&P in that nice edition! :-)
I read one sequel, but just out of curiosity. Nothing can be compared to JA's style in my eyes.

Eudoxie - I think you're right about the P&P sequels. I'll most likely avoid them.

#9 The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
This is a family epic set in the Congo in Africa. It weaves a history of the Congo and a story of it's people with the lives of an America family whose missionary father brings them there. The four daughters in the family tell the story, each with their own voice. I found many of the mother's musings (found at the beginning of each section) very poignant and loved the way each sister was developed and characterized by Kingsolver. I even liked Rachel, the oldest sister who is most closed to the possibilities of growth through her experiences and stays very much like the American teenager she was at the beginning all the way into old age. I won't get into details about the plot, but I will say that you would kind of expect the lesson to be that in trying circumstances a family can grow together, rely on each other, and through this shared experience be tightly bonded to each other. Instead each member of the family experiences Africa in wildly different ways. They grow apart and come to very different lives after this experience. I found the whole book to be beautifully written and captivating to read. Highly recommended!

#10 Wedlock: The True Story of the Disastrous Marriage and Remarkable Divorce of Mary Eleanor Bowes, Countess of Strathmore by Wendy Moore

Wow. This is a horrifying tale set in the late 1700s of a wealthy, intelligent heiress tricked into marriage with one of the worst human beings who ever lived. "Wedlock" is truly the correct title for this book as it envokes the image of being chained, locked, stuck in marriage. Mary Eleanor has a loveless first marriage, but her marriage to Andrew Stoney (he takes her last name as stipulated in her very smart father's will) is truly horrific. Stoney physically and mentally abuses Mary: punching, kicking, burning, starving, isolating, etc. It's truly sickening. And then there's the fact that a woman had no legal protection from this sort of behavior. It was a husband's right to treat his wife as he chose. "Luckily" Stoney's behavior is so egregious that finally, after a decade of abuse, Mary Eleanor finds a friend in some servants who help her escape. Lengthy legal battles over the divorce, Mary's estate, and the children ensue over decades.

This is a fascinating look at the horrific lack of legal rights that women had in the 1700s. It's very well written and in places reads like a novel. It will turn your stomach to read about this woman's life, but I am glad I read this book. Can't say I enjoyed it because of the subject, but it's worth reading. It will make you very grateful to live when and where we do!

Wedlock was one of my favourites from last year. I tend not to read non-fiction so when my mother bought me this book for my birthday I was a bit dubious. But I found it absolutely fascinating.

I also loved The Poisonwood Bible - I read it years ago when I was a teenager but keep meaning to go back and give it a re-read.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you read next.

THanks Bookbugg! Right now I'm reading historical fiction - the Welsh trilogy by Sharon Kay Penman. I'm also thinking about starting Stephen Breyer's book about the Supreme Court. Thanks for checking in!

#11 Falls the Shadow by Sharon Kay Penman
This is the second of the historical fiction series focusing on the 13th century in Wales and England. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first in the series, but it was still good. Penman seems to do a good job of staying historically accurate (not that I'd really know!) but also creating good character interactions, dialogue, and flow. I'm looking forward to the last book in the series since it will return the focus to the Welsh princes and I found them much more interesting than the main character, Simon de Montfort, in this book.

#12 Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
This book got tons of press and was much discussed in terms of the "mommy wars" and I'm a bit confused why. Yes, this book is written by a mother who describes her views on parenting, pitting the "chinese way" versus the "western way". Now, I am never going to make my son practice the violin for 6 hours a day, even on vacation, or refuse to let him go to sleepovers or playdates, but I didn't feel like I was being lectured about how to parent while reading this book. That was what I was expecting, but actually, even Chua finds that her idea of parenting, though working brilliantly for her oldest daughter, does not work for her youngest. I saw this more as a memoir/autobiography book than the parenting advice book I was expecting. Actually, even though I don't subscribe to her parenting tactics, I thought the book was pretty funny. She doesn't really end it very well (and admits it) - after all, her kids are only teenagers still, so she can't say "you should do what I did, my kids turned out great" because we don't really know that yet. Anyway, I enjoyed reading it. It's short and funny as long as you don't take it too seriously.

#13 Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

This is a collection of 4 stories, the first two being long stories (100+) pages and the second two being short stories. This was very first time reading Stephen King and I will be reading more. I don't know if "enjoyed" is the right word for my experience reading these stories, but they are well-written and there's something captivating about them. As King says in his afterword, these are stories about "ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances". I love how you'll be reading along about a perfectly normal person or situation and all of a sudden King will throw in a line that foreshadows something evil and totally throws you off. I can't comment on how these stories compare to King's other works, but I'm glad I read them and am going to read more by him in the future.

#14 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
I've joined the 21st century and finally read a Harry Potter book. And I enjoyed it too! It's definitely a kid's book, but I found it fun anyway. The characters are great, the plot is fun, and the writing is good - what's not to like? Looking forward to reading the rest of them.

#15 Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristoff.

Rape, maternal mortality, sex trafficking, genital cutting, honor killings . . . this is not an easy book to read. The authors open the reader's eyes to the abysmal treatment of women in countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia through personal stories of women who've been horribly abused but manage to come through it all and help others in the process. Even though many of the stories are uplifting, I still was really down the whole time I was reading this. It just all seems so hopeless in a lot of ways. The authors spend a lot of time analyzing what kind of charities are actually working and what aren't (a lot of them aren't!) and they end the book by giving you concrete ideas to help.

I think their most important idea is that to make a difference you have to be there. They are big proponents of traveling abroad to aid charities, especially during college which I agree is a fantastic idea. Also, the charities that seem to make the most difference are those started and run by local women with financing help from westerners.

This is a very hard book to read, but I think it's an important one.

Hi, japaul22, glad you found Half the Sky worth reading. The subject matter is very difficult, I should have warned you about that! One thing I plan to do in response to the book is start a Dining For Women chapter (diningforwomen.org). I've been enjoying your posts, you read a great variety of books!

#16 Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

Wow. This book has gotten a lot of hype and it is well-deserved. This is the amazing story of the life of Louie Zamperini who experienced everything from running in the olympics, to being stranded at sea for 47 days, to surviving cruel, inhumane treatment in Japanese POW camps. It's a truly amazing life and Hillenbrand is a fantastic writer. Her book is obviously meticulously researched but never loses the thread of the story. This book reads like a novel except that she keeps you all too aware that these things really happened to an actual person. I'd highly recommend it and gave it 5 stars.

Sounds great! I've added it to my virtual pile!

#17 The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
This book was a gift and not one that I probably would have picked up. It's been on bestseller lists for a long time, and yes, it's engaging and quick to read but I didn't think it was really all that good. It is the memoir of a successful journalist who grew up virtually homeless with an alcoholic father and mother who must have some mental health issues. Though the author never says that, the behavior of her mother doesn’t lead to many other conclusions. If she’s not mentally ill, there is absolutely no excuse for her neglect of her children. Anyway, the 4 children in this family end up doing well for themselves, leaving home as soon as possible and fleeing to New York City where they get jobs and create lives for themselves. Their parents follow their children their and end up living homeless on the streets of New York.

Besides the fact that the behavior of the parents in this book made me really mad, I really didn’t think the writing was that good. The author begins this book with her earliest memories (from around age 3) and a few chapters in I wondered if she was writing to sound like a child. Unfortunately, the writing didn’t change as she aged in the book, so I guess not! Along with this book, I was also given a fictional biography by the same author. I’m sure I’ll read it, but I can’t say I’m really looking forward to it!

#18 The Civilized World by Susi Wyss
This was an early reviewers book. It is a "novel in stories" predominantly about women living in or from Africa. The format of the book is interesting and I liked the idea of a collection of short stories in which the characters reappear, the focus shifting from one character to another. Unfortunately, I think this format also held the book back. I never felt like any of the characters were really developed as fully as they could have been because the focus kept shifting. And because the characters were referenced again in other stories, you missed the magic of a short story - capturing a moment and leaving the rest to the imagination. I was also hoping for more insight into the African continent considering that the author has lived there for decades, but instead I felt that these stories could have been set anywhere. The book was fine, but seemed to be missing something.

#19 The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman
This is the third book in Penman's historical fiction trilogy about Wales and England in the early 13th century. As always with her books, I felt like it was well-researched and lots of fun to read. I have to say though, that I've liked each of her books a little bit less. In this book, she creates a character who is not true historically and this was definitely the weakest part of the book for me. She is much better when she sticks to recreating true events. I do like how she'll put quotes from contemporary sources at the end of some chapters. It reminds you that what she's writing about really happened, and sometimes that's hard to believe!

I can see myself reading more of her books at some point, but I think I'll try some new historical fiction authors first.

#20 The Happiest Toddler on the Block by Harvey Karp

Eh, this wasn't my favorite. My son, who is 15 months old, is just discovering mini-tantrums and I thought it was time to read a couple of books about parenting a toddler. This book got a lot of good reviews, so I thought I'd give it a try. There were a few ideas that I liked, such as acknowledging your child's feelings before trying to stop or change them and keeping to short words and phrases when he/she is upset instead of suddenly "explaining" why he can't have something in long sentences. These things make sense to me and have seemed to help a little, but a lot of the book I found to be really silly. Maybe it will make more sense when my son is older, but I don't think it will really fit my parenting style. Also, the book has all of these annoying cartoons interspersed throughout the chapters and the anecdotes of real-life situations seem really contrived.

#21 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
Another Harry Potter book complete, the second book in the series. I liked the first book, but now I see what all the fuss was about! This book was really fun to read. Still charmingly childlike, but much more suspenseful and a bit more intricate than the first. Very imaginative!

#22 Making Our Democracy Work: A Judge's View by Stephen Breyer
In this book, Justice Stephen Breyer attempts to explain how the Supreme Court attained it's legitimacy, how it retains it's legitimacy, and how individual justices arrive at decisions. He uses specific cases as examples and doesn't hide his own views or decisions. The writing style is interesting for what could be a fairly dry subject.

I thought that the methods for deciding a case were interesting. Among other things he discusses using legal precedent, historical customs, and original intent. He also discusses that certain courts are expert in certain areas and their decisions should be trusted when possible.

He ends the book by pleading the case for better instruction in civics/government in public schools, stating that our democracy and specifically the court's role in it can only keep it's legitimacy if the public understands the processes it uses and the role it plays.

I'm a pretty big supreme court nerd and follow it's decisions fairly closing. I found it interesting to read one of the justice's descriptions of how he decides cases. He take some very controversial cases (Bush vs. Gore, the Guantanamo cases, etc.) and sounds so dispassionate about them. I found that a little hard to believe, but it was interesting none the less.

#23 Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
I finished this book yesterday and I'm still not sure how I felt about it. It's the story of Emma Bovary who has multiple affairs to escape her boring marriage. I really despised Emma. At first I thought I didn't like Flaubert's writing because she's a very one-dimensional character, but now I think that was maybe his point. She spends her whole life waiting for someone else to make it exciting, instead of finding something worthwhile to be passionate about.

Flaubert's writing style is a bit overdone for my taste - lots of flowery description - but there was also a realism to it that I appreciated.For instance, he describes the gory details of Emma's death - she didn't just fade away looking beautiful. There's also a really funny scene where Emma and her lover spend the afternoon in a hired carriage doing "you know what" ;-) That was pretty amusing for a novel written in the 1850s.

All in all, I think I really liked it. Might be one of those that I need to revisit in a few years.

#24 Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
This is the best work of new fiction that I’ve read in a long time. I absolutely loved it and think everyone should read it!

It’s the story of Larry Ott, a man who was accused of killing a girl when he was a teenager, and how it impacts his life and the lives of several people who connect to him. But mainly it’s about loneliness and friendship and family. Franklin is a master at setting mood and creating characters. I felt like I was reading some strange mix of Faulkner and Marilynne Robinson while I read this. Amazing.

Now I'm going to go find out what else Tom Franklin has written.

#25 Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey by Alison Weir

Somebody stop me if I attempt another book by Alison Weir. I've read 3 of her non-fiction works and not enjoyed them. In all of them, I felt like she was trying so hard to sound scholarly that she just couldn't get inside of a subject - she even managed to make Eleanor of Aquitaine's life boring. So I hoped that in writing historical fiction she would be able to let go of all the research and write an interesting novel with well-researched info. Not so much. Innocent Traitor is the story of the Protestant Lady Jane Grey, a great-neice of Henry VIII who is Queen for 9 days and subsequently beheaded by the Catholic Queen Mary. It should be fascinating, but the writing is stilted. Weir uses the technique of switching characters for each chapter and writing in first person for each character. She also keeps everything in present tense so it kind of feels like a diary entry. But she doesn't manage to capture each character's voice. In fact, I often had to flip back to see which character I was reading instead of just being able to tell by the language, tone, etc. Skip it.

On a lighter note, I'm already half way to my goal of 50 books! I've had a lot more time to read than I expected this year and I've been having so much fun discovering new books.

#26 The Lottery and Other Short Stories by Shirley Jackson
With this collection, I found short stories that I completely enjoyed. This collection is very well thought out. There's a great rhythm and balance to it. The collection is divided into 5 sections and the stories in each section kind of fit together. I really liked every one of these stories, but I particularly liked the ones dealing with children - they were creepy in a subtle way. The stories get progressively darker throughout the book, ending with the famous short story, "The Lottery". One of the things I loved was how great Jackson is at sparking your imagination. Many of her stories are disturbing more for what she leaves to the imagination than for what she writes.

Now I really want to read some of her novels!

#27 The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
In this mystery, Detective Grant is in the hospital and starts sifting through history for a mystery out of boredom. He becomes fascinated by Richard III and the rumor that he killed the two young Princes (King Edward IV's sons and Richard's nephews) to keep them from threatening his right to rule England. Grant investigates whether or not this is true. I loved Tey's writing style, humorous and light, and am definitely going to try some of her other mysteries. I believe this is the only one with the historical slant. I was glad that I'd recently read some other historical fiction about Richard III because otherwise it might have been hard to keep up with all of the royal names and family trees.

#28 Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
I ended up enjoying this book. At first I thought Agnes was pretty annoying - self-righteous and a little full of herself. But two things changed this for me. One was that I embraced the concept that this was sort of a diary-style book and realized that Agnes was being very honest the whole time with her opinions and observations. I thought about how when I kept a diary in high school how awful a lot of the things I wrote were! When you really think no one's reading something like that all sorts of things come out. Second, as Agnes experiences more of the world, she becomes a better person. So that made the book more enjoyable as you get further in.

Overall, this book was not earth-shattering, but it was enjoyable and I will definitely try The Tenant of Wildfell Hall soon since I've heard it's the better book of Anne Bronte's.
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#29 Romancing Miss Bronte: A Novel by Juliet Gael
I picked this book up at the library because I thought it might be fun since I just read Agnes Grey. I ended up really enjoying this book about Charlotte Bronte. I knew little bits about the Bronte sisters' lives, but I've never read any of the biographies of them. This book convincingly portrayed the dynamic in the family and later between Charlotte and her husband Arthur. I'm now dying to read all of the Bronte books again! I was especially fascinated by Emily Bronte, even though she was a relatively small part of the book. In some ways it's hard to connect her novel, Wuthering Heights to her life experience, but Gael does a good job portraying her though she's so different from her other sisters. Charlotte's writings seem much more autobiographical, at least Gael uses them that way. In addition to wanting to re-read the novels, I'm also curious about some of the biographies. Anyone have a favorite to recommend?

#30 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Another LT recommendation that was right on! This is a really fun book to read. I won't say much about it, since I'm pretty sure most everyone on LT has already read it, but I loved it. It's definitely YA lit and sometimes I wished it could have been a little more developed, flushed-out, i.e. adult, but then again I think that the subject matter really lends itself best to YA lit.

I recently read Shirley Jackson's, The Lottery and I kept thinking about it during the beginning of the book. Can't wait for the next two - I reserved both of them at the library today.

#31 The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope
This book should count for two since it's so long! This is the last book in the Barsetshire series by Trollope and I'm kind of sad to be done reading it. In reading all 6 books, I've really gotten to know the characters and I'm going to miss reading about them - they feel like old friends at this point. My only complaint is that I wish some of the characters had made another appearance in this final book - especially the Greshams. I think I liked their book, Dr. Thorne, the best of all of them.

#32 The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe
This was a book that I picked up on a whim at the library. It's about a woman who is looking for a dissertation topic and ends up researching her family history, starting with Deliverance Dane who was hung as a witch in the Salem witch trials. It was a good summer read, but nothing earth-shattering. I thought the story and history part were interesting, but the present-day characters were not done very well. In particular, the main character, Connie, really annoyed me. She is presented as a very intelligent Harvard doctoral candidate and yet the most obvious things take her pages and pages to figure out. For instance, she's reading a woman's diary from the 1700s and reads multiple fragments like "Visit Hannah Glover. She is deliverd of a girl. Rec'd 3 lbs. coffee". Obviously this woman was a midwife. Well, 3 pages later the doctoral candidate says, "Of course! Prudence was a midwife!". Um, duh. Things like that happen way too often in this book.

Overall, I'd say if you expect nothing but a diversion, you'll be satisfied

#33 The Clocks by Agatha Christie
If you like good, old-fashioned mysteries this is a good one to pick up. I'm at my parents' house right now and my mom has tons of Agatha Christie paperbacks. I read this one in a couple of evenings. Good characters, interesting plot. It's a Hercule Poirot mystery, but it's towards the end of his career, so others do the leg work. Fun!

#34 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 by Thomas W. Phelan
I just finished the highly recommended 1-2-3 Magic. This is a book about discipline for children ages 2-12. The techniques are still a little too old for my little guy, but I thought there were some great ideas in here that I would actually feel natural using. Let's just say, this is the first parenting/discipline book that I've read that I'm going to buy. Oh, and my husband liked it too!

That is on my TBR list, I will definitely give it a read after your review, thanks!

#35 Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer by Wesley Stace
I finished this book last night and I'm not sure yet how I felt about it. It definitely needs a little description first. The book is set in the classical musical world in England in the early 1900s. The main characters are Charles Jessold, a young composer, and Leslie Shepard, a music critic. These two are closely entwined, I'm not sure friends is the right word, though. The book is told completely from Shepard's point of view and he is not a reliable narrator, at least in the first half. He's also very pretentious and annoying and I basically hated the first half of the book. What happens is (and you find this out presented as a newspaper article on the first pages, so it isn't really a spoiler) Jessold murders his wife and her lover and then kills himself. The first half of the book is Shepard's telling of the events leading up to this for the police. The second half of the book is another retelling of the events written at the end of Shepard's life, but this time you find out that most of the first half of the book was lies.

I realized while reading the second half why I hated the narrator and book so much at the beginning - because he's lying and leaving out info to lead the police astray. But it's kind of hard to like a book when a whole half of it is so obnoxious. It's definitely growing on me the farther away from it I get, but I'm not sure I'd put it high on a recommendation list. One thing that I appreciated was that the writing about music and description of professional musicians was right on. I am a professional musician and I usually stay away from fictional books with musicians as character because I find them so far off from accurate. So that was definitely good.

#36 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Loved it and flew through it! Luckily I got the third book in the series from the library at the same time so I can start right in on that one. My only qualm about the book was wondering what age it's really intended for. Some of the violence and themes are pretty intense. They'd make great movies though, wouldn't they? Anyone know if there are plans for any?

#37 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Ugh - disappointed. After really enjoying the first two books in this series, I found this one pretty disappointing. This book focused too much on the the love triangle of three teenagers, which was the weakest part of the first two books. I know it's a teen book, but it just didn't seem very well written or imagined, unlike the first two. I also really didn't like that the people you were supposed to be rooting for were playing the game the same way as the villians. Maybe that was supposed to be some "deep" theme or something. Whatever - I'll try to just remember the first books and block out the last one.

My opinion exactly. It was a big letdown - and poor Cinna! I think my problem with Mockingjay was that (despite the creepiness) I really liked the whole buildup to the Games, and then the Games themselves, and the world-building that went with it, and Cinna and Katniss's outfits. The third book had none of that, and I don't like Gale much, and overall just much less good.

Oh God, the movie! I've been following the casting like it was my job. Jennifer Lawrence looks like she'll be a good Katniss. They cast Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, which is not what I pictured but it may work. They'll have to cover up the tattoos. I have a lot of thoughts about this, but I won't clog up your thread with them.

Glad I wasn't the only one not thrilled with the last book. I just kept picturing how they are probably going to play up all the Gale vs. Peeta stuff in ALL the movies and that it could be super annoying. We'll have to just hope they stick to the action and avoid too much dialogue, which is kind of sad to say.

Hi, I 100% agree with you about Mockingjay - It was a huge huge letdown after the first two books which were so fast paced and compulsive. I could hardly bring myself to finish Mockingjay to be honest.

Bookbugg - I know! I read to the end because I wanted to know what happened and I kept hoping she'd turn it around, but it just didn't work as well as the first two.

#38 The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo
The Devil's Star is another Scandanavian (Norwegian) mystery/thriller. There are so many of these lately! I'm not sure how I heard about this one, but I'm sure it was reviewed as compared to the Steig Larsson books. I liked it better in most ways. Nesbo's writing is much more to my taste than Larsson's is. (not so many needless lists!!) The pace is great, the story is inventive, and the characters are good. I will say that I would give the edge to Larsson for memorable characters, but Nesbo's writing stays much more on track and has a more literary feel to me.

Anyway, this is a fairly standard serial killer type mystery with lots of conspiracy and a likeable and smart, though rather messed up personally, lead detective named Harry Hole (awful name!!!). Apparently there is a whole series of these books, 8 or so, and I could see myself reading more though I'm not running out to buy them immediately or anything.

#39 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
This is one of my all time favorites. I'm not sure there's a more perfectly crafted book out there. I love that it's told in Scout's voice. Some of my favorite lines are when she describes what the adults say from her 9 year old point of view. Added bonus is that I bought a folio society edition of this book and this was my first time reading this edition. It was very nicely done.

#40 The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell
This is a biography of Charlotte Bronte by her friend and contemporary author, Elizabeth Gaskell. I found the beginning of this book pretty hard to get through, i.e. boring ;-) , but it gets better as you read on. Charlotte Bronte had such a sad, lonely, secluded life. I felt bad for her, but also wished she could have just snapped out of it at a certain point. I know that sounds mean to say, but she sounds like a hypochondriac in this book - always having headaches and pains in her side. To be fair, she probably suffered from pretty severe depression and there was no way to treat that back then. Anyway, Gaskell sticks to Bronte's own voice by copying many of her letters. Those were neat to read. Gaskell also was writing close after Bronte's death, so she's careful not to judge anything or anyone too harshly and also tries to be as discreet as possible. Overall, I thought it was interesting to read a contemporary portrayal of Bronte written by a friend, but it wasn't thrilling to read. It's a good supplement to other biographies, but I wouldn't read it first.

#41 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling
Just finished Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Awesome! These books get better and better. I especially liked all the back story of Harry's parents. I like how Rowling is filling in the holes gradually from book to book. It makes you think about each of the previous books and really makes them all tie together.

#42 Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
I'm going to go ahead and just say I don't like Thomas Hardy's books. Just as I found with Tess of the D'Urbervilles, I just don't like the characters he writes. He also writes with this sense of fatalism where everything that could possibly go wrong does go wrong and it's just too depressing. Though I do appreciate his style of writing, flow, etc, it will be a long time before I'm tempted to try any of his novels again.

#43 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling
I just tore through this book. This was a huge jump in sophistication from the previous three books. I like that as the kids get older, the stories get darker and more complex. It makes me wonder what age child they are best suited to, though. Anyway, I loved it and I put the next one on hold at the library. Though I'm sure I'll buy them all at some point!

Hey, japaul22, I skipped Mockingjay at your recommendation, reading the Wikipedia summary instead:). I have 1-2-3 Magic lined up to read next, glad to hear that you liked it.

Wow, I'm impressed that you skipped Mockingjay. I think it was the right decision, but there's so much momentum going after Catching Fire that it would have been hard for me to skip altogether. How old are your kid(s)? I can't remember. My son is still not quite old enough for 1-2-3 Magic (he's 19 months) but I can see it working soon.

#44 The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
This is one of those books that I feel like I should give a rave review, but I just can't. The characters are interesting, the setting is amazing, the writing is beautifully crafted, but I just never connected to the story and characters. I think I just must have not been in the right mood for it and I think I'll take the blame for not liking this one instead of blaming the book. One thing I did like was the little girl, Bunny. Maybe this will get a re-read sometime in the future to give it (or me) another chance.

#45 Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
This is a fantastic book that I highly recommend. Demick is a journalist, I think currently for the LA Times, who wrote a series of articles based on interviews with North Korean defectors currently residing in South Korea. From these interviews she created this book, looking at the lives of 6 North Koreans. This is such a fascinating and horrifying book. We've all heard a lot about the famine, sanctions, and antics of Kim Jong-il, but this puts a human face on all of the rhetoric. She manages to stay away from too much discussion of politics and focuses on the lives of average North Koreans. The lives of these six people and the things they've seen are horrifying. I've read books about other dictatorships, famines, wars, etc. but this is happening NOW. Pretty much the only way to have any inkling of what the average North Korean is going through right now is from these people who've gotten away, since no one else, not even aid workers, are allowed into the country with any amount of freedom. Demick does a great job of humanizing the issues but she doesn't try to say that everything is easy for these defectors after they make it to South Korea. There they face challenges of trying to get used to modern life and deal with the guilt of being somewhere safe with food to eat when they all left children (yes, their own children, some still young), parents, or siblings behind.

I lived in S Korea 10 years ago, and at that time the US Army supposedly expected the N Korean soldiers to only last 3 days in combat before collapsing from starvation, if they ever did invade S Korea. It is a very sad situation.

My boys are 20 months and almost 5 years, and I am finding 1-2-3 Magic very useful for my 4 year old. I was already doing consistent time-outs, praising, etc, but their method works even better!!

#46 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling
Another really fun read. I was thinking about how different the experience of reading this series would have been if I'd read them as they were released. I am impatiently waiting for the last two books to show up at my library (I have them reserved) and I can't imagine having to wait a year instead of the week or so that I'm going to have to wait!

#47 The Trouble with Boys by Peg Tyre
From the beginning, I was really annoyed by the tone of Tyre's writing. It seemed like she was really talking down to her readers, saying things like "stay with me while I give you some important facts", etc. as if I couldn't pay attention through anything remotely scientific. But I did think some of her info was pretty interesting. This book draws attention to the ways that current education trends are failing boys. I have a very young son (19 months) and I felt that it was good to have some of these thoughts on the radar. The statistics are really shocking - even middle class, white boys are far behind the girls in their classes and standardized tests in EVERY subject, even science and math, traditionally thought to be "boy" subjects. This starts in pre-school where boys are expelled (you can be expelled from preschool?!!!!) at 4 times the rate of girls and continues through college where now males only make up about 40% of students, even with some "affirmative action" in favor of boys.

This was an interesting, if poorly written book.

Sorry you found the tone so annoying, but I'm glad you liked the content! I bought 3 copies, and they were passed around my sons' daycare/preschool, among some of the parents and staff. Can't hurt to make people more aware of these issues.

That's great! It's definitely a book I'll go back to as my son gets older if I see him having problems, OR if I just generally think his schools aren't helping boys succeed. I live in a super-competitive parent area (Washington DC) and I've heard about these "academic" preschools that Tyre writes about. We're staying far away from that!!

#48 A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

This is an amazing book that I highly recommend. It's non-fiction based on a diary written by a midwife living in Maine at the end of the 18th century. Thatcher starts each chapter with 2-4 weeks of diary entries. These are generally 1-4 sentences describing the weather, how she felt, what she did (spun wool, planted beans, etc.), and if she delivered any babies she'd account for how she got there, how the mother and child did, and when she got paid. It is 27 years of a daily account of her life which can sound rather mundane, but Thatcher pulls an amazing amount of information out of this diary. She covers everything: midwife practices, the shift from midwives to doctors, a history of the settlement of Maine, a local murder, a local rape and the court proceedings that followed, debtors prisons, family relations, and the role of women in the local economy. As a midwife, Martha Ballard presided over more than 800 deliveries, only losing one mother. While Thatcher explores all of these topics through Martha's words, she never loses Martha's voice. This is so worth reading!

#49 Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
This is another of those now popular Swedish mysteries. This book was written in the early 90s, but wasn't published in English until fairly recently. I guess now you always have to compare any Swedish mystery author to Steig Larsson. I would say that this book was better written, but less exciting. I think it was a more realistic look at police work and I liked the main detective, Kurt Wallender. It didn't blow me away though. I will most likely read any others in the series that my mom lends me (she gave me this one), but I wouldn't necessarily seek them out. A nice diversion though. Also, I think there might be PBS mystery movies based on these books, and if so, those I would like to see.

#50 Across Many Mountains by Yangzom Brauen
I received this book as an early reviewers book. This is a biography of three generations of Tibetan women. The book begins with the life of the author's grandmother, Kunsang, as a child in Tibet before the Chinese invade. She becomes a Buddhist nun. This part of the book is a very interesting look at Buddhism and life in Tibet. Kunsang and her daughter, Sonam, escape Tibet and go to India. They survive there, barely, and end up in Switzerland. Sonam's daughter, Yangzom, is the author of this book. I enjoyed the information presented in this book and especially, the life of Kunsang is very interesting. I felt like the translation might not be the best, as the flow of the writing felt a bit choppy. For anyone interested in Tibet and Buddhism, though, this is an interesting book to read.

I got to my goal of 50 books! Since I started tracking my reading in 2007, I've never read more than 52 books in a year (that was in 2009). I think I'll have no problem breaking that record this year. Maybe I'll do the 75 book challenge next year!

1) Congratulations on getting to 50!
2) I really liked Faceless Killers. Eventually I am going to read them all. Wallander himself cracks me up - such a miserable, pathetic, sad sad man. It probably makes me a bad person, for laughing at a character like that, but especially as compared to Sex God Blomkvist he's hilarious. The digestive issues... I did not need to know that, but so funny.
3) Yes! Watch the PBS series! Kenneth Branagh (sp? something like that) is Wallander and it's super super good. Better than the books, maybe.

#51 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cannot believe this is the first time I'm reading these books. I loved every second of this book. I won't give away the big ending in case there's anyone out there like me who hasn't read these yet. But I loved seeing the relationship between Harry and Dumbledore develop and loved getting to know Dumbledore a little bit more - his strengths and weaknesses. I almost don't want to read the next one - I can't imagine liking it after the things that happen in this one. But of course I will read it, in fact I might go start it right now . . .

#52 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
Awesome! Now I want to start at back at the beginning and read them all again. I read them so fast that I barely gave myself time to think about what was happening! I will say that this last book was not my favorite. I mean, I love what happened and the end and I devoured the book, but I loved in the other books how these big, dangerous events were inter-mingled with normal kid angst. This book didn't have as much of that since they were all "adults" and there was just so much going on. But I'm so glad I finally decided to read all of these. Guess I'll have to watch the movies now, too!

#53 The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
This book has been sitting on my shelf staring at me since junior year in high school. I tried to read it for my English class then and only made it through about 150 pages. I just didn't like it and I have to say that it did not improve with age. This is the story of the Joad family, a poor family trying to survive the great depression. They leave their home state of Oklahoma for California where they hope to find work, but instead find no work and horrible living conditions. Steinbeck alternates the Joad's story with chapters that are general in nature and show that the Joads are just one family among thousands who experienced this. These parts in particular really annoyed me. I thought the personal story of the Joad's was much more effective and the general parts just felt like political rhetoric to me. Man vs. tractor, big mean corporations vs. the little guy, etc. It was a really depressing book and I also didn't like the ending. You never really find out what happens to the Joads although you can assume it won't be good! If I hadn't read East of Eden, which I really enjoyed, I'd be tempted never to read any Steinbeck again.

Agreed. I didn't like it either. And that thing that happened, at the end, that was gross. I'm sure it is hugely symbolic (and I'm pretty sure whoever had that book for their panel project taught us all about it) but I've blocked all the deeper meaning because, really, eww.

East of Eden was super great, though.

#54 Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
This is going to be a difficult book to review. It's an epic novel (700 pages) that covers the life of a twin growing up in Ethiopia who becomes a surgeon. You find out in great detail about the life of his biological parents, his adoptive parents, several other adults in his life, his brother, his love, life in Ethiopia, life as an immigrant to America, and detailed medical procedures both in Ethiopia and in urban America. Just to name a few things. ;-)

I felt like the book could have been better if it was edited a bit, but that being said, I did enjoy it. The writing is beautiful and the subject matter is fascinating. Just know that you'll need a bit of patience and time if you decide to read it.

#55 The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I feel like I'm the last person I know to read this book. Most of you probably know the basic plot. Set in Jackson, Mississippi, a young, white woman works together with the black maids of Jackson to write an anonymous book about the relationships between white women and their black maids. I enjoyed this book and understand why it's a best seller. It is easy to read and deep enough to make you think, but not so deep as to alienate the average reader. The subject is obviously not light, but the writing style is. It was a welcome diversion from slogging through The Autobiography of Mark Twain, vol. 1, which I think I may never finish!

#56 A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World by Tony Horwitz
This is a really fun and informative book. Horwitz realizes on a chance trip to Plymouth rock that he knows next to nothing about the many people who visited and settled in America before the Pilgrims. To remedy this, he goes on a journey around the Americas, retracing the steps of the first European explorers to the Americas. The reader hears about the Vikings, Columbus, conquistadors like Coronado and De Soto, the Roanoke settlers, and information on the Native Americans they displaced. Horwitz includes lots of interviews with current historians and avid amateur "historians", many of whom are just plain crazy. This is a fun mix of history, travel memoir, and people who are way too into their ancestry. Fun read and you'll probably learn something new too.

#57 Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
This is a book I heard about on LT and I'm sure I would not have read it if it hadn't gotten such good reviews here. This book is about Major Pettigrew, who is a retired Major from the British Army, and the small English town that he resides in. The book delves into his love life and his relationship with his adult son. I have to admit that I usually steer clear of books/movies about older people. It sounds terrible, but I usually get pretty turned off by the themes of death, nostalgia, loneliness, that often go along with the topic. But Simonson does a great job of creating this character and dealing with topics that go along with aging without getting overly sentimental or dark. I LOVE Major Pettigrew. He has a fantastic sarcasm and I loved reading his thoughts. My favorite relationship in the book was between Major Pettigrew and his adult son, Roger. It was so amusing to read about the relationship of father and son after they are both adults from the parent's perspective. I also thought alot about how this female author was able to create such an in-depth older male character. I wonder if there was a specific person that she based him on. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

#58 The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
I found this book highly entertaining. It's one of the first mysteries ever written and is a real page turner. It's mainly plot driven, but there are some interesting characters - my favorite being Count Fosco. It's easy to feel like some aspects are kind of predictable, but I kept reminding myself that if it felt predictable it was because others had copied it - it's the prototype. However, the book also reminded me of the one gothic novel I attempted, Mysteries of Udolpho. It has a lot of the drama and flowery language that you read there.

If you like mysteries, you should definitely give this early attempt a chance.

#59 Beloved by Toni Morrison
SPOILER ALERT, I really can't give my thoughts on this book without giving away some of the plot.

How do I describe this book? For those who don't know, the book explores the lives of slaves, both during captivity and after they escape to freedom. In particular, it tells the life of Sethe and her family, including the slaves she worked with. After Sethe escapes to free Ohio, her former owner catches up with her to bring her and her children back to Kentucky. Instead of allowing this to happen, Sethe tries to kill her children and herself, succeeding in killing one daughter, Beloved. Beloved comes back as a ghost, first haunting the house as in a typical ghost story and then coming back in bodily form. There are many different options that Morrison offers for understanding the ghost, from believing it really is the dead child to assuming the woman is escaped from a cabin where a man had been holding her captive for years.

I attempted to read this book for the first time about 12 years ago while in college, and I just couldn't commit to it. I gave up after about 50 pages. I couldn't believe in the ghost and fighting against the thought really consumed my reading. This time though, it just made sense. I was able to just accept the story and appreciate the telling. In fact, I didn't want to believe the common sense version that this ghost was actually a real woman who escaped a horrible life. Morrison's writing is genius. I don't think there is anyone else out there who has her gift for words and imagery. This is the kind of book where you want to highlight every single sentence. I love her pacing, as well. The story unfolds so beautifully, giving you bits of the story as you go. The subject matter is so painful that I don't think a reader could handle it any other way.

I look forward to reading this book again 12 years from now. I think it will mean something different to me every time I read it.

#60 Elizabeth I: A Novel by Margaret George
I've had the historical fiction of Margaret George on my TBR pile for quite a while now. I was not disappointed by this book, though I was not blown away either. This book focuses on the end of Elizabeth I's reign. It roughly starts with the 1588 Spanish Armada victory and goes through the end of her reign. There is a lot of death in this book, as Queen Elizabeth's trusted advisers pass away from old age and she lives on. This was an interesting view and one that I haven't often seen explored in her reign. The book was obviously well-researched and the writing was good, though it didn't grab me the same way that Sharon Kay Penman's books do. One thing that I found lacking was that there were no maps or family trees. I usually find those helpful in books involving royalty.

Overall, I would give her books another chance (I'm particularly interested in Helen of Troy), but I won't be running to check it out from the library.

#61 Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
This was yet another LT recommendation that I very much enjoyed. I recently participated in the 11 in 11 group read of The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, and Fingersmith was recommend as a modern version of a victorian novel. Waters definitely takes some ideas from The Woman in White, including certain plot twists (I won't give any surprises away) and the shifting first person narrators. The plot in this book has many victorian elements: mistaken identities, hidden wills, the creepy old uncle, and plot twists galore. To me, the plot got a bit convoluted though, and made me like the book a little less. But Part 1 of this book, narrated by Susan Trinder is genius. I absolutely loved this character - brilliantly written.

I had a similar reaction to Fingersmith, in that I really liked Part 1 and then was less happy about the rest of the book (although unlike you, I disliked parts 2 & 3 enough to kind of ruin the book for me. I wished she had stopped at part 1 and left it there).

I can see your point. I was really frustrated at the end of Part 2 when Mrs. Sucksby was explaining the whole plot. I tried to tell my husband the plot and I could barely describe it, it was so convoluted. I still don't really get why it was so complicated, except that it was supposed to be Victorian. I think having just read The Woman in White helped me stick with it through the end. And I just loved Part 1 so much!

#62 Summer Light: A Walk Across Norway by Andrew Stevenson
This is a travel book about the author's trip hiking across the mountains, fjords, and valleys of Norway. He walks (mainly) from Oslo to Bergen with his girlfriend. Interspersed with vivid descriptions of the scenery are details of Norway's history, culture, and politics. This was a pretty book to read, but would be prettier as a documentary. I wanted so badly to actually see the scenery he was depicting. I read this book because my mom lent it to me. Her grandfather and grandmother emigrated to America from Norway and we still have family there that we keep in touch with. I also got to go there with my family when I was 18 - still my favorite trip. Can't wait to take my own family there one day.

#63 Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
This is an exhaustive biography of George Washington, covering EVERYTHING from his birth to his death. Chernow obviously is a thorough researcher and is able to keep a focus on Washington while also describing the times and people that inevitably influence his life. Washington is a difficult person to read about because he was so adept at constructing a public image. He was able to internalize his public persona to the point where it really became him on a personal level as well. There are very few examples of Washington showing his true emotion or losing his temper, focus, etc. Because of this, it was a little difficult to relate to him and some of the book read very slowly for me.

Chernow did his job as I walked away from this book feeling that I know Washington as well as possible, but this wasn't always the most enjoyable book to read.

#64 The Winds of War by Herman Wouk
This is the first book of two detailing WWII through the lives of a military family, the Henrys. The book is supposedly very thoroughly researched and historically accurate and details the build up of the war through Pearl Harbor. I wanted to read this book for two reasons: I plan to read the follow up book, War and Remembrance, next year as part of my 12 in 12 category of books published in 1978, and because there are a couple of non-fiction books that I'd like to read about WWII and I find that sometimes reading historical fiction first helps me.

This is a long book, almost 900 pages, but is very readable. Unlike most wartime historical fiction I've read, I enjoyed the parts about the war more than the characters in the book. I think the fictional writing definitely took a backseat to the war history and the characters aren't particularly deep or captivating. They also ended up conveniently placed to witness all of the major events of the war. But the situations they are in, though crafted to highlight the war events, are definitely gripping. Wouk's writing style of short, terse sentences and fairly lame female characters annoyed me at first but I think that the writing style ended up fitting the subject matter fairly well. I never did connect to any of the female characters, except maybe Natalie, a Jewish American stuck in Italy.

Long story short, I enjoyed this despite some reservations and will look forward to reading the follow up book next year.

#65 Detective Inspector Huss by Helene Tursten
This is another of those Swedish mystery series that have become so popular. I really liked this one. The main character is Irene Huss and she has a supportive husband, teenage twins, and a much more balanced life than most of the detectives in this kind of series (thinking of Wallender or Harry Hole). She gets into some life-threatening situations and actually takes the time afterward to work through it. She also doesn't totally ignore her family for her job and is still a dedicated detective. It was really refreshing. The plot was fast-paced and interesting. All around I really liked it and would like to read more from the series. My only reservation was that I didn't particularly like the translation. I looked up the later books, though, and there is a new translator for subsequent books. I was happy to see that and will be reading them as well.

Side note: What's with all of these swedish books and drinking "light beer" or "strong beer"? They seem to imply different alcohol content. In the US, light beer is fewer calories, but not less alcoholic. I'm confused.

#66 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
I've been feeling lately like re-reading some of my childhood favorites and this was always one of them. I enjoyed it as much as an adult as I did as a child. I was surprised at how deep some of the themes are in the book. This book is 50 years old in 2012, and the sci-fi aspect has held up pretty well. Lots of fun to re-visit.

I loved that book!

#67 Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
This is a mystery told through Jane Austen's diary and letters. Basically, she goes to a recently married friend's house, new husband is murdered, friend is suspected, Jane saves the day. It was kind of cute because there are lots of little references worked in to characters or situations that Jane will supposedly create later in her books. Overall though, not much positive to say except it was a good diversion. I wouldn't seek it out and most likely won't read any of the rest of the series.

#68 A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Huh???!!!! My background in science ended in my undergrad with a course in physics. This was easy physics though and most of what I remember was the study of acoustics (probably since I'm a musician). Currently most of my scientific knowledge comes from Science Friday on NPR. So this was a stretch for me. But, this book was fascinating. I can't pretend I understood most of it, but it really is very readable and well-explained with nice pictures and graphs and amusing anecdotes. I recently heard an interview on NPR with a nobel prize winning scientist who talked about how you have to enjoy having your mind boggled to enjoy physics and mathematics today. I tried to keep that in mind while reading this!

One side note. I have a good friend who lives in NYC and is friends with some very smart people - mathematicians, physicists, etc. You know what they are doing now? Working on Wall Street making lots of money figuring out complex ways to make money off the stock market. That's sad. I hope they make their money and then turn to studying the universe so that we continue to learn about it. I think it's fascinating, but don't have the brain power to do it myself.

#69 Room by Emma Donaghue
***spoiler alert - can't discuss without giving a few things away***

Wow. I was completely blown away by this book. This is a story of 5 year old Jack and his Mom told through Jack's voice. His Mom was abducted at 19 and kept in an 11 by 11 foot room where she gave birth to Jack. I found the whole thing fascinating - seeing how she structures their lives in the Room and tries to make things the best they can be for Jack. And then seeing them try to adapt to the Outside in the second half of the book was so interesting too. I think I really identified with it because I also have a son. This is definitely a book that meant something different to me as a mother than it would have 5 years ago. I thought that using Jack's perspective was very effective and kept the book tightly focused. This was probably the most unforgettable book I've read all year.

So I wanted to post some non-book comments about the Harry Potter movies. I read the whole Harry Potter series this year for the first time, and I also watched the movies. I have to say I wasn't that impressed with the movies. I know the books are all too long to get everything into the movies, but I didn't feel like the movies really captured the essence of most of the characters, especially Dumbledore and Ron. I also didn't think they really got Harry and his feelings towards his parents or towards Sirius.

I guess what I really wanted was one of those PBS miniseries that follows the books almost exactly, like they've done with some of the Jane Austen books. Now that would be awesome.

#70 Journey to the End of the Night by Celine
This novel was written in 1932 and was very popular with the French public and also the critics. It is the story of Bardamu and is told kind of like an autobiography. Bardamu is a soldier in WWI when he is 20 and his experience there shapes his life dramatically. He struggles with mental problems from the war and travels from place to place (West Africa, New York, Detroit, Paris, Southern France, etc.) without making any real connections to anyone. The writing in this novel is really interesting and kind of saved this book for me. Bardamu is dark - he's pessimistic and makes horrible decisions. There are no characters in this book that really have any redeeming qualities, but Celine's writing is so stark and there's something so electric about it that the novel still works.

The biggest defeat in every department of life is to forget, especially the things that have done you in, and to die without realizing how far people can go in the way of crumminess. When the grave lies open before us, let's not try to be witty, but on the other hand, let's not forget, but make it our business to record the worst of the human viciousness we've seen without changing one word. When that's done, we can curl up our toes and sink into the pit. That's work enough for a lifetime.

You'd think a passage like that would come at the end of the book. Nope - page 18. Maybe describing Bardamu as pessimistic is an understatement!

#71 Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Well now I want to read this entire series again. I know these are intended for children in that the language is simple and they are told from a child's point of view, but this book holds up well for an adult too. I found the descriptions of life on the prairie to be very interesting and the interactions of the settlers and the Indians to be handled with much more compassion than I expected considering the time period. (though I still didn't agree with the settlers' take on it) I see myself reading the whole series over the next year. I picked this up on a whim at the library, forgetting that Little House in the Big Woods is actually the first in the series. Guess I'll go back before going on. I loved these books so much as a child and I'm happy to find that I also love them as an adult.

As a side note, this was a really nice 75th anniversary edition (turned 75 in 2010) with very nice illustrations by Garth Williams. It would be a nice book to own.

#72 Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
This book has been so highly recommended on LT that I think I had expectations that were a little too high. It's a pleasant, amusing, well-written parody of authors such as Thomas Hardy and D.H. Lawrence. Maybe I haven't read enough of Hardy and Lawrence to get all of the little jokes. It was fun to read, but not earth-shattering.

#73 Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
Meh. I didn't like Glass Castle and I didn't like this book either. This is a "true life novel", based on the life of Lily Casey Smith, Walls's grandmother. She rode horses, taught in one-roomed schoolhouses, lived on ranches, etc. This book just didn't grip me, though you'd think it would be exciting from the description. For some reason, it was on the NY Times best 10 books of 2009, but if you want my opinion, I'd say skip it.

Sorry Cold Comfort Farm didn't do it for you! I have several books I "picked up" from your thread that I still need to get to.
I'm glad I skipped Half Broke Horses:).

#74 Home: A Novel by Marilynne Robinson
I think I waited too long after reading Gilead to read this companion novel. Gilead sucked me in from the moment I picked it up. The writing felt so new and so old at the same time. Home took me longer to give in to. Part of it may have been the closed circle of characters and the sadness, regret, and misunderstanding that permeates the entire novel. This novel views most of the same events as in Gilead, but from the Boughton's perspective, specifically Glory, Jack (the prodigal son), and their father. I found Jack just so sad and it made me so mad that he was so polite and passive and always apologizing and laughing nervously when I felt that though he had failed his family, they had failed him as well. The vision of him as a little boy, sitting up in the tree or out in the barn, listening to his family living their lives inside, and knowing that they were thinking he was off causing serious trouble somewhere - it's heartbreaking.

Again, I love Robinson's writing, it's just beautiful and really sucks you in. And she's amazing at developing characters without letting you know she's doing it. Things like, regarding Jack, And his head fell, and it was real regret. He was so tired of himself. Overall, I loved this book though not quite as deeply as I loved Gilead. Some day I'll read them again back to back to see if I feel differently.

Have you read Housekeeping yet?

I haven't - another book to add to the TBR pile.

She only has three books! It shouldn't be allowed.

#75 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
This must be Anne Bronte year for me. I read both of her books (she only has two, right?) this year for the first time. I have mixed feelings about this book. It's the story of Helen Huntingdon, who is married to a complete jerk. He's an alcoholic who has numerous affairs under her roof and tries to corrupt their young son to his lifestyle. The corruption of her son is the deal breaker for her so she escapes and of course meets a new love interest, Gilbert Markham. I like Gilbert a lot. He makes mistakes (like when he unknowingly beats up her brother) and acts childish a lot of the time, but he has good intentions and seems to have a good heart. I liked that Helen is the one that takes things by the hand and basically proposes to Gilbert in the end and also that she has all the money and will be providing for the couple. Pretty much the opposite of most books of this era, where the impoverished heroine has to snag a rich husband who she hopefully (sometimes too conveniently) loves.

What I didn't like about this book was the pacing. It dragged on a bit for me and the story lent itself to being much more exciting than it ended up being. I think having it told through letters and journals kind of hindered the book. I can imagine it being a deeper, more complex novel if it had not been in first person. On the other hand, Agnes Grey, told through the title character's journal, worked really well for that story, and overall, though I think I'm in the minority on this one, I liked it better.

#76 Love and Friendship, Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sanditon by Jane Austen
Finally read these works from Austen's early and childhood writing (Love and Friendship and Lady Susan) and her unfinished works (The Watsons and Sanditon). I read them in the order listed and enjoyed each a little less. Maybe the novelty wore off as I went. Love and Friendship was fun - lots of fainting and ridiculous situations. Lady Susan was pretty scandalous by Austen standards. I liked the characters in The Watsons and could see some potential there (maybe because I think she incorporated some of the most basic ideas into P&P), but Sanditon I was just reading to make it through - not very into the characters or situation there. Of course, it's totally unfair to judge something that is unfinished. Glad I finally read these, but not something I'll probably ever reread.

#77 Great Harry by Carolly Erickson
This is a very readable biography of Henry VIII. It is basically an overview of his entire life and would be a very good first look at Henry VIII for anyone interested. I enjoyed Erickson's writing style. She really tries to create a balanced picture of Henry and sticks closely to the study of her subject. She rarely goes off on tangents which makes for a very focused book, but left me wanting to know a bit more about the men and women around Henry. She gets a little bit into his relationships as a husband, friend, and father, but I would have liked a little more information on that end. What she does very well is describe daily life at court, from what they ate to the activities they engaged in. Staying true to keeping her focus on Henry, when he dies the book ends. There is no discussion of the political aftermath of his death or details on what happens to the people important in his life after his death.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and am interested in reading her other biographies. I liked the tight focus for an introductory biography, but will chose something more in-depth if I read another book about Henry VIII.

#78 House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
This is the beautifully written story of Lily Bart, a beautiful woman living in the high society of New York without the personal means to afford it. She struggles throughout the book to balance her desire for money, i.e. marrying a wealthy man, with her need to both be true to herself and find true love. This book has some amazing female characters: Lily herself, her cousin Gerty Farish - a young woman living and working on her own, and Carry Fisher - a divorcee moving in the same social circle as Lily. It's exciting to read well-written women in a book from this era. I really loved the themes and characters that Wharton explores in the book. This was a five star read for me until I got to the end. I won't spoil the ending for everyone else, but I was disappointed in the ending. I think it made it a 4.5 star read instead. But even with the ending not turning out the way I hoped, I still loved the book and want to read lots more Edith Wharton now.

#79 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
I've gotten in the habit of reading an Agatha Christie novel when I go home to visit my parents since my mom has tons of them. I picked this one because it's on the 1001 books list and I couldn't remember if I'd read it. It is a good one. A Poirot novel with a pretty good twist at the end. I liked the narrator of the book, Dr. Sheppard, and is busybody sister. They had a pretty good banter. An enjoyable read!

OK, I don't think I'll finish another book this year and I'm getting antsy to post my end of the year wrap-up. If I finish one last book it would be Outlander by Diana Gabaldon which I've been less than impressed with.

So here are the (probably) final stats:

Favorite Books of 2011
Fiction:
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope
Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Room by Emma Donoghue
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (reread of one of my favorites)
House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Non-fiction:
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
A Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Wedlock The True Story of the Disastrous Marriage and Remarkable Divorce of Mary Eleanor Bowes, Countess of Strathmore by Wendy Moore
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick

Least favorite Books of 2011:
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Let’s break it down!

Fiction: 62
Nonfiction: 17
Female Authors: 55
Male Authors: 24
New to me authors: 44

Favorite fiction: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Favorite non-fiction: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Most fun reading: Harry Potter series

Proud of myself for getting through and actually enjoying: Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco

Most disturbing: Room by Emma Donoghue

Can’t believe I waited so long to read: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Felt like the longest book I read: Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

Over-rated: Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck

Surprised I liked: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer

Immediately forgotten: The Civilized World by Susi Wyss

Couldn’t put down: The Hunger Games

Most depressing: Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

Opinion improved upon further thought: Madame Bovary, Journey to the end of the Night

Hated: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

So sad it’s over: Last Chronicle of Barset by Trollope

Really wanted to like but didn’t: Lolita, The Shipping News

Funniest book: Sh*t my Dad Says by Justin Halpern

I loved the Barset books so much. I cried like a baby at the end of Last Chronicle when you-know-who died.

And hey, where are you going to be putting your thread next year?

Oh yeah, I should mention that! I've decided to move the the Club Read group next year. My thread is here http://www.librarything.com/topic/129369 for anyone interested! I'll also be in the 12 in 12 challenge at http://www.librarything.com/topic/125040.