Classics, F*ck Yeah! 33%
Books for Which I Was Late to the Party That I Loved- 27%
Mysteries With Death and the Killing and the Hey Hey- 11%
Books for Which I Was Late to the Party That I Hated With the Passion of a Thousand Fiery Suns- 10%
What the Cool Kids Were Reading (new releases)- 10%
Memoirs/Biographies of People With Lady Parts- 9 percent.
Does that add up to 100%? I hope so because I'm not going back to check.
My Super-Faves of 2011: A Visit From the Goon Squad, The Giver, One Hundred Years of Solitude and Anna Karenina. Three of them were re-reads (everything but the Egan). This is a bit sad-making. I've started to wonder if I go into reading with a kind of "I know already that this isn't as awesome as Anna Karenina, therefore I know already that it won't be getting five stars from me." I must watch out for this. STOP BEING SUCH A SNOB, AMANDA.
Books I Wanted to Commit Violence After Reading Because They Were So Very, Very Bad: Tess of the I CAN'T EVEN FINISH THE NAME WITHOUT GETTING SCREAMY, The Friday Night Knitting Club (that'll teach me to take book recs from family members), Uglies (God, what was I thinking), The Other Boleyn Girl, and Doctor Zhivago. Most of these bad things happened when I ventured outside of my literary comfort zone and into genres I KNOW I don't enjoy because of hype. Hype machine, you are a lying liar.
Books I Didn't Finish: The Thirteenth Tale, Mr. Peanut, and The Egg and Other Stories. Not for me, not for me, very very very bad.
Other Things of Note: I had twins. That's probably worth noting. INSERT BABY PICTURES
Rhett will cut you.
Atticus will also cut you.
WHAT else. I became a weekly contributor to BookRiot, which features bookish commentary that's actually funny and interesting (most of which is written by other bloggers I love, so.). I started working part-time at Fountain Bookstore, a great indie in Richmond COME SEE ME KTHANKS. This is so I can get out of the house and away from those babies (I mean, I heart their squishy faces and toes, but I would like to talk to adults). So yeah. It's been a ka-rayzee anum. A sincere thank you to everyone who has accompanied me by reading this bliggidy-blog.
What was your reading year like? If you've done your own year in review post, put the link in the comments- I'd love to check it out.
Your boys are adorable.
ReplyDeleteI haven't done a year in review post yet but plan on writing one soon -- I'll be putting A Visit from the Goon Squad in the "meh" category though.
I'll have to look for your review of Doctor Zhivago, because I plan on reading it next year.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.
Two things I didn't realize about you: that you'd had twins (I thought you'd had a onesie) and that you work part time at Fountain, which is a store I visited only once but loved. Yay, you on both counts.
ReplyDeleteHaven't done my top ten list yet this year. been thinking on it long and hard, though, 'cause it was a great reading year for me. i loved so many things. (Goon Squad wasn't one of 'em, though, so I salute your enthusiam)
Oh, but I have heard good things about The Thirteenth Tale....?
ReplyDeleteAnd I know it's trash, but I loved The Other Boleyn Girl!
I am a later joiner, so my top ten is coming on Thursday, but I'll come back and share. My list does not include the heavy hitters yours does nor does it include COMPLETELY ADORABLE TWINS I AM SO JEALOUS. Ahem.
ReplyDeleteDid you review Tess? I need to see why you hated it, because I read Far From the Madding Crowd and loved it with my whole body!
I hardcore loved Tess of the D'urberwhatsits! I haven't read it for a long time though. Maybe I shouldn't reread it...ever.
ReplyDeleteHOW CAN YOU LOVE TESS OF THE D'URBERWHATSITS?
ReplyDelete*ahem*
That being said, I was a big fan of The Thirteenth Tale and its generally pastiche nature (I think I decided Jane Eyre + Turn of the Screw + Wuthering Heights?).
Also your babies are SO CUTE OMG.
...oh, obvs the first part of that was directed at Megs.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne- Thank you! I'm finding that a lot of people "mehd" Goon Squad. Don't know what my deal is. Probably that Powerpoint chapter.
ReplyDeleteAs- Well, their identical so I can see how you'd make that mistake. Also, DO YOU LIVE IN RICHMOND?
Sam- I heard good things too but I just couldn't get into it. Too melodramatic.
Audra- I did review it, it's around here somewhere..
Megs- No. Do not reread it. If I could prevent the entire world from reading it, I would. Shudder.
Alice- Shush.
Your twins are freaking adorable! I agree with the books you didn't like for sure!
ReplyDeleteThe horrible thing about taste, and experience, is all these Impressive Classics of Lit-rah-sure tend to suck when you go back and read them when there isn't a term paper due. Which is the whole point of your blog and why I LOVE THE HELL OUT OF IT.
ReplyDeleteSupposed literature that stank up the joint, upon reflection:
THE FOUNTAINHEAD by Ayn Rand (OMGWTFBBQ)
THE CORRECTIONS by Jonathan Franzen (boooring)
AND THEN WE CAME TO THE END by whoever (started out cool, then went weird)
YOU SHALL KNOW OUR VELOCITY by Dave Eggers (great writing, weird story)
Interesting stuff:
DEER HUNTING WITH JESUS by Steve Bageant (guns, God and double-wides)
LORD OF THE FLIES (still good)
THE AX by Donald Westlake (perfect)
THE LONG WALK by Stephen King (which he wrote when he was 12 or whatever, and published as Richard Bachmann)
Accomplishments for 2011 - back-to-back read of The Iliad and Odyssey. Made it through the unabridged Count of Monte Cristo and was amazed at his ability to write cliffhanger scenes. Finally made it all the way through Swann's Way, thanks to the very readable translation by Lydia Davis. Also, introduced myself to Haruki Murakami's work (not 1Q84) and am happy to find out he can really write. I'm usually suspicious of over-hyped writers, so a pleasant surprise.
ReplyDeleteBTW, your boys have got some stone gangster stares goin' on... I kind of feel like I should give them my lunch money...
I'll do a year-end post in January, as I have some time off over the next couple of weeks and plan to read a ton. Some of the best so far will include The Lonely Polygamist, The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine, Breadcrumbs, and Turn of Mind.
ReplyDeleteAHH!! I just finished Dr. Zhivago. During the whole 500 pages I wanted to stab my eyes out with a pencil, but kept going because hey...I'd already invested the time. If I quit now, I'd waste all that effort.
ReplyDeleteFinally finished and wanted to stab myself extra hard for making myself sit through all of that.
I seem to be in denial that the year ends in TWO WEEKS and have not even thought of doing a year end wrap up post yet. I haven't even done a November wrap up yet. Whoops. I guess that's something that's not going to happen.
ReplyDeleteYour little boys are so adorable. I love that Atticus looks totally unimpressed. He's all 'dude, I know I'm cute, but really? another picture?'
A very fun retrospective! Here's my probably not as fun one: http://brianechappell.wordpress.com/
ReplyDeleteThanks for cheering a dreary afternoon in DC!
I love the twinage, those boys are awesome. I honestly don't think I can read Tess now (at least not for years). From everything you said about it, I think I would have the same reaction, not good.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I'm embarrassed to link to my feeble list after that, but you asked...http://tonightsreading.blogspot.com/2011/12/2011-top-reads.html
ReplyDeleteYour twins are adorable.
I also loved the Thirteenth Tale, but certainly respect "not for me."
"100 years" is on my all-time-faves list, and Anna Karenina on my "will tackle as soon as I wade through Les Miserables" list...
I just found your blog this year, but I love it! Sounds like you had quite a year - twins, wow! They are too cute! I have two littles but they were born one at a time, hard to imagine two newborns at once. Bravo to you! I live down here in Charlotte, NC so have never been to Fountain, but if I'm ever up in Richmond I will have to swing by, I've heard lots of good things about it.
ReplyDeleteYour babies are freaking adorable. And I love that they are identical! And you definitely saved me from ever cracking a copy of Tess. Thank you!!!
ReplyDelete