I didn’t read as many books this year as I did in 2011, but
my toddlers are getting older and crazier and some nights, it’s hard to find
the time. This year’s reads were
inspiring in some ways and rather disappointing in others. Let’s just get down to it, shall we? The books were, in no particular order.
Wicked by Gregory Maguire—perhaps the biggest
disappointment, given the wildly popular musical and the fact that my friend
met the author and said he is one of the humblest people she’s ever met. I just couldn’t get into the weirdness of it
all. Of course, I never really liked the
Oz books as a kid, either, and the monkeys in the movie…well, let’s just say,
perhaps it wasn’t meant for me to like this book.
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver—liking it
better than La Lacuna, but not as much as Prodigal Summer. I don’t know if she’ll ever top The
Poisonwood Bible. Or Pigs in
Heaven.
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris—fables in
which the animals mimic human foibles.
Mildly entertaining, but this is not the Sedaris we all fell in love
with.
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. YA novel which came highly recommended. It was weird and the plot was a little bit
difficult to understand. Like 12
Monkeys, only not as good, and for kids, and without Bruce Willis and what
will perhaps be Brad Pitt’s greatest roll, ever. The book did allude to A Wrinkle in Time,
which is another book I could never get into, which is why I might not have
been that thrilled with it. L’Engle fans
may understand it more.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis—because
I hadn’t read it for a while and this summer I found myself thinking about the
part where Aslan breaks the stone table with the magic that existed before all
magic. I was not disappointed. At all.
Ron Rash
The World Made Straight
The Cove
Saints at the River
I guess this was my author study for the year. I love this man’s writing. Rash is an Appalachian writer who has
inspired Silas House and is lauded by Lee Smith. Saints at the River was my least
favorite because the voice seemed the least authentic, but Rash still creates
characters I think I know. The World
Made Straight was my favorite because it’s contemporary, and the characters
are people I definitely know. For
example, a high school boy thinks he is going to be smart and steal a drug
dealers marijuana plants. Nothing good
can come of that, can it? The Cove is
his newest work. It told a great,
little-known historical story and connected families and place from The
World Made Straight, much in the manner of Wendell Berry. I still need to read another book by Rash, Serena,
which was his best-seller.
The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco—hated the main character the
entire 100 first pages. Put it
down. Would much rather spend time on Foucault’s
Pendulum again (so I can mock Dan Brown’s feeble, yet financially
successful, attempt to be the next Eco).
50 Shades of Gray by E.L. James—50 shades of self-loathing for
having wasted the money and the time.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green—beautiful, beautiful,
beautiful. I think I blogged about this
one. If I didn’t, it’s because I was too
moved by the book to be able to write about it.
What happens when critically ill teenagers fall in love? It sounds maudlin, but that’s part of the
beauty of the book—it’s not.
A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris—very eloquent
storytelling of the highest caliber. The
kind of book that separates the real novels from pulp fiction. This was recommended by a friend, and I thoroughly
enjoyed the book and then being amazed by the tragic story of Dorris, Louise Erdrich
and their children.
Wonder by P.J. Palacio—another beautiful YA story. It was nice to take a break from all the Hunger
Games, Divergent, post-apocalyptic teen stuff and read a nice story about a
nice boy who wanted to be normal.
Other Stuff a Bit Less Memorable:
One for the Murphys
Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger, short stories by Lee
Smith
Hitler Youth
A biography of Eminem
A biography of Adele
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Happy Accidents by Jane Lynch
Matched by Ally Condie
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Healing Waters by Joyce Hostetter
White Sands, Red Menace
Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
More than 20 books, not that great, for a librarian. But, I guess it’s quality, not quantity, that
counts, and I’m happy with the books I really liked.
What’s up for 2013? First I have
to finish this Kingsolver book, and then I believe there’s some new Lee
Smith. I also need to re-visit Margaret
Atwood. I can’t believe the year went by
without reading something she wrote.
Suggestions, anyone?
Oh, and Happy New Year!
