Your Favorite Books of 2011!
Decatur Metro | November 28, 2011 | 2:00 pm
I really enjoyed the conversation we had early in 2011 about your favorite books from the previous year. I believe I read at least two Bill Bryson books because of that convo. Offhand, I can’t recall what else.
This year, I decided it might be a bit smarter to have this conversation prior to the holidays, so that it could also potentially help with your holiday shopping. The New York Times even has its list of 100 “notable” books of 2011up on its website now if you need a refresher.
But don’t forget, this conversation isn’t constrained to books that were published in 2011, just books that you have enjoyed over the past year. Fiction, non-fiction, children’s books. They’re all fair game!
To the right: One of my favs from the past year.
“At Home”. Bryson continues to dominate!
I keep meaning to read that one! Thanks for the reminder
Already on my list!
For fans of Sherlock Holmes: House of Silk. I enjoyed it, but it was also fun to compare it to the Arthur Conan Doyle canon.
Thanks for the recommendation – I will take you up on it.
I like Heart of the Sea as well.
A couple I read/re-read this year that I always enjoy — Empire Falls by Russo, Unbroken by Hillenbrand, Drifters by Michener
I need to reread Empire Falls.
I meant to reread Empire Falls this year. Such a great book!
I also loved In the Heart of the Sea. I read it while on a business trip and I drank so much water on that trip!
I also enjoyed Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, Thunderstruck by Erik Larsen (love him), The Passage by Justin Cronin, and the Hunger Games trilogy among many others.
I loved Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer, and (yes) the entire Hunger Games trilogy.
The Atlantic by Simon Winchester was one of my highlights.
I’m enjoying this, as well.
Winchester wrote the forward to Cascadia’s Fault, by Jerry Thompson, another current interest.
I just finished The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst. His historical fictions are among my favorites and I have his latest, The Spies of the Balkans, queued up on the Kindle, along with the Larson and the Hillenbrand. Other terrific reads included The Women, T. C. Boyle’s novel about Frank Lloyd Wright, local scribe Melissa Fay Greene’s No Biking in the House without a Helmet, and Patti Smith’s wonderful memoir Just Kids.
Agree that No Biking in the House Without a Helmet is fun and that family is great in reality too. Just Kids by Patti Smith was certainly interesting but reminds me of how weird the counterculture movement really was. Makes the Occupy movement look mainstream.
The best book I read in 2011 was The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. I was a few years late in discovering it, but it really blew me away.
Picture book: Me … Jane by Patrick McDonnell. Not just the best one of the year, but one of the best ever. Of the titles out this season, it’s Stuck by Oliver Jeffers.
Kids’ book: Bigger Than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder. Local author’s fourth novel is strikingly excellent. (Great for adults as well.)
Adult: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. Balanced book about a guy who became a genius at running a company that created products that connect with humans, but who tended to fail at making personal connections with those around him. For 2012, I’ve read an advance copy of The Starboard Sea by Agnes Scott professor Amber Dermont. Though I know nothing of the central themes of sailing or prep school, I thought it was an amazingly well written book.
Dave
Little Shop
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes (published in 2010) was an astonishing read.
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Read the entire Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. This is now one of my all time favorite series, and I can’t get enough of the WWI era. It is such an interesting period that I’d completely overlooked.
Read the first 3 Game of Thrones books, which I did enjoy, but I had to take a break over the summer.
Louise Penny’s latest Inspector Gamache novel, Trick of Light, was one of my favorites in that series.
I also had a blast reading A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz to my fifth grade students. They were spellbound by the blood, gore, and humor, a really fun book. Thanks to Little Shop and Decatur Book Festival for introducing that author to us!
CFS- check out Charles Todd’s books. Both series are excellent, one has a nurse as the protagonist and the other features Inspector Ian Rutledge who is haunted by his war experience. They are outstanding.
That’s funny. I am just beginning the first Ian Rutledge book. I have high hopes! Thanks!
We also loved A Tale Dark and Grimm!
My recent favorite is The Submission. I finished it three weeks ago and I’m still thinking about it.
Couldn’t put down or stop thinking about the book “immortal life of henrietta lacks”. From past year’s reads two of my favorites are “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” and “A Year in Provence”. I have a tendency to read the Provence book in May right around my birthday when I am wishing I was in France.
Course any Agatha Christie book usually is a darn good read.
well, new to me as i picked it up at Second Life in Avondale, but published in 03
“Crush Depth” by Joe Buff
It seems its a series, and even though I aparently started on book 3, i’m ordering the others now.
just finished it and it is GREATTTTTTTTTT!
A couple of our favorites:
Under Heaven, by Guy Gavriel Kay, released in 2010. Interesting fictional characters in Tang Dynasty China.
I Don’t Want to Talk About It: Overcoming the Secret Legacy of Male Depression, by Terrence Real, released in 1998. Really thought-provoking and inspiring.
I would also like to thank all of the endless stuff I have read in order to learn blogging software, Photoshop, and camera operation.
This thread reminds me that it is time to sit down to my (more or less) annual Christmas reading list. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens (far funnier in print than any of the movie versions,) A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote (makes me weep every time,) and then, when I’ve had it up to here, Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris (great antidote.)
In fact, here’s my Christmas gift to all of you DM readers and DM himself. It will take you about ten minutes. You won’t regret the ten minutes, I promise.
http://members.multimania.co.uk/shortstories/capotechristmas.html
Oh, Parker– you must be my literary soul sister! I’ve loved this story ever since I read it as a 10-yr-old. It left an inelible mark on my heart, for sure…IMHO, it’s one of Capote’s best.
I think it is the most perfect thing I’ve ever read. I hope someone clicks on it who has never read it before. I’m glad you enjoyed seeing it again.
My mother gave me a hand-typed copy of this story many years ago. She received the pages from a school-boy who volunteered in her library every day after his classes were over. (While he waited for his own mom, another teacher, to finish her day’s work before bringing him home.) I remember she was very touched by the gift.
Parker,
I clicked on it, read it, and agree that it’s perfect. Thank you for sharing it!
-Jess
Tom Key brings this story to life in performance at Theatrical Outfit.
Should have said last year…
Written by Truman Capote; Adapted by Tom Key
Directed by Tom Key
Theatrical Outfit will feature Executive Artistic Director, Tom Key, on stage for his one-man show adaptation of Truman Capote’s cherished story, A Christmas Memory. The performance will consist of two acts—the first act of holiday music by The Georgia Potlickers will complement the second act’s theatrical reading by Key. An Alabama native himself, Key narrates the semi-autobiographical tale of seven-year-old Alabama boy, Buddy, and his unique friendship with his elderly eccentric cousin, like “a lost pair of kites hurrying towards heaven.”
Dang it. I can’t get the page to load!
Neither can I
Well, that’s disappointing. The page loads for me and I thought you all would enjoy it. This is like giving a toy with no batteries.
Thank you Parker. What a beautiful early present for me.
Beautiful, thank you so much for sharing!!
Definitely Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot–I’m still haunted by that book. Also enjoyed Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin, Bent Road by Lori Roy and Left Neglected by Lisa Genova (probably because it gave a name to my mother’s post-stroke affliction and helped me understand what she had to deal with on a daily basis).
And may I add how much I LOVE our DeKalb Library System?
+1 to Henrietta Lacks. I’ve never been gripped from the first paragraph by a n-f book before!
FYI, I loved this book too but I don’t think it’s strictly non-fiction. Even the author admits that somewhere, maybe in the forward.
Really enjoyed reading Keith Richards’ autobiography, “Life”– surprisingly funny & touching overall. I’m frankly astonished that he’s still alive & generally cogent (and so is he)! Next up: finishing the “Game of Thrones” series…man, am I ever behind on my pleasure reading. My ultimate fantasy is to be able to take a sabbatical for about 6 months, and read all of the books I’ve been eyeing for the past year!
I’m working my way through Game of Thrones too!
Room by Emma Donoghue
I agree that the Immortal Cells of Henrietta Lacks is fascinating. I thought we mentioned it last year but I guess there’s no reason it cannot be mentioned annually.
The Paris Wife- by Paula McClain. Hemingway and his first wife Hadley Richardson, and their interesting/sad life together. I can’t officially call it my favorite because only just picked it up from the library about 3 days ago, but I’m flying through it. I can’t believe the 186 people that read it ahead of me haven’t commented on it!
I read several Louise Penny books this year but my favorite is, A Fatal Grace. (this one is set in a small, snowy, prettied up for Christmas town). Murder mysteries, but actually quite amusing. She writes with a sarcasm, that’s just naturally funny.
I’m going to completely dork out here for a minute, but I randomly came across My Year of Living Biblically, by AJ Jacobs in the library. Learned much about some very strange things in the Bible, and he does it in a respectful manner. I realize something in this genre doesn’t sound amusing, but it’s completely hysterical from start to finish.
Ah, Paris in the 1920′s. I will be there all day today. Thank you.
Also finished “The Paris Wife,” (wonderful novel) “Cutting for Stone,” (learned alot about Ethiopia, but it gets a little muddled in the middle) and “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” — a really inspiring true tale of a poor Malawi kid who builds a windmill to bring electricity to his home (and we’re talking around 2008 here …a kid’s version is coming out in January and LSOS is going to carry it!) Loved ” Unbroken,” and have recommended to several friends who like WWII history. Can’t wait to read some of these other suggestions. Books are the best gift!. I do own a Nook but still prefer the paper version. Love the feel of a book in my hands ….
Cutting for Stone is beautiful and so instructive about the modern history of Ethiopia.
I think I read this early this year, although it came out in 2010.
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. Even my book club loved it–the first time in our history we had universal approbation.
It’s short, it’s fiction, it’s about a newspaper, it’s set in Rome. What’s not to like?
Here’s Christopher Buckley’s review if you are interested. http://bit.ly/trtj5P
And I liked Djibouti by Elmore Leonard, but I like every book by Elmore Leonard.
Stieg Larsson’s trilogy. Their Swedish films with English subtitles or English dubbing are fantastic too.