2011: The Year in Books

2011--It certainly was a year, wasn't it? Here's an annotated list of what I read:

Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior: Medium interesting
Outliers: The Story of Success: Very interesting. You should read it.
The Glass Castle: A Memoir: You should read it.
Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting: Wonderful. I loved it
The Water Seeker: Good YA book. Lady dies in childbirth though.
The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession: Pretty interesting. It made me want to visit Ken Sanders Rare Books in SLC which I still have not done. Shoot.
Gifted: Good story Karey White!
The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs: Oh. I just love dogs.
Other People's Rejection Letters: Relationship Enders, Career Killers, and 150 Other Letters You'll Be Glad You Didn't Receive: Pretty interesting.
I Was Told There'd Be Cake: Essays: This is really good and I'm jealous of Sloane Crosley.
The Passage: A Novel:Love!
Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style (Tim Gunn's Guide to Style): I'll be so sad when Tim Gunn dies. He's a class act.
How Did You Get This Number: Another one by Sloane Crosley. I think the other one is better--but both are funny!
I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman (Vintage): I'm also jealous of Nora Ephron. She's funny.
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary: David Sedaris, you magnificent weirdo.
Stuff White People Like: A Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions: It's funny because it's true.
The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child: Helping Your Child Thrive in an Extroverted World: So validating.
Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too: Yeah right.
As I Have Loved You: I forgot about this book. It's good. Very life-affirming.
A Discovery of Witches: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy): Oh how I hated this book. But it could have been so good! If only the vampire and the witch didn't fall in love doing earnest sexy yoga together.
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel: A prequel to The Glass Castle--also super interesting, weird, and good.
A Secret Kept: Not great. Spoiler: THEY'RE LESBIANS.
I Am the Messenger: Kind of cool. Nothing is as good as The Book Thief though. That must be hard to live with. And wonderful to live with.
Real Simple: Cleaning: Meh. I like the pictures. I also like my maid.
The Children You Want With the Kids You Have: My kids were so offended when I read this. HAHAHA.
What Would Jackie Do?: An Inspired Guide to Distinctive Living: Fun.
Lists to Live By for Every Caring Family: For Everything That Really Matters: Nice and good.
Notes from the Underwire: Adventures from My Awkward and Lovely Life: This is the book I would write if I were a former child star. Too bad I'm nothing.
Little House in the Big Woods - Teacher Guide by Novel Units, Inc. (Little House-the Laura Years): Love!
Little House on the Prairie 75th Anniversary Edition: Love!
Farmer Boy (Little House): Love!
On the Banks of Plum Creek (Little House, Book 4): Love!
By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House): Love!
In Zanesville: A Novel: Really good and reminiscent of my 70s childhood.
:The Likeness: A Novel: This is a pretty good murder mystery.
Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops?: The Lost Toys, Tastes, and Trends of the 70s and 80s: This is really fun.
Jane Eyre: What a great book. Glad I read it for pleasure now instead of not reading it for a class in college.
Peace Like a River: If this book were my life's work I'd be pretty pleased. You should read it.
Bossypants: Oh Tina, YOU'RE SO GREAT!
The Busy Mom's Guide to a Happy, Organized Home: Fast Solutions to Hundreds of Everyday Dilemmas: Kathy Peel puts me in my place whenever I read her books. She's kind of a domestic guru.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel:Such a lovely book. It's worth reading.
Escaping the Endless Adolescence: How We Can Help Our Teenagers Grow Up Before They Grow Old:This is one of my top 5 recommended parenting books. You should read it if you're going to have a tween soon.
And the Pursuit of Happiness: Really cool. I wish I were in illustrator. Or had some kind of talent.
Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life: I totally related to this book until she started playing the fiddle to her chickens. I'm not that down home. But I like the idea of being that down home.
Junk Foodie: 51 Delicious Recipes for the Lowbrow Gourmand: A fun book about making gourmet things with junk food.
Horoscopes for the Dead: Poems: If I ever meet Billy Collins I will embarrass myself so bad.
Her Fearful Symmetry: Pretty good little creepy book.
Little Town on the Prairie (Little House): Love!
Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother: Veeeerrrry interesting. She's psycho but she knows what she's doing. I respect her.
A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter: I don't really even remember this, but I like the sound of it.
Silver Sparrow: Very good fiction.
This Life Is in Your Hands: One Dream, Sixty Acres, and a Family Undone: Very good non-fiction. I liked this a lot.
Growing Up: Gospel Answers About Maturation and Sex: Very informative. Get this if you're going to have a tween soon.
Mr. Chartwell: A Novel: I really liked this. There's no other book like it.
Among Others: Really good--even if I didn't get half the sci-fi/fantasy references.
The Weird Sisters: Oh yeah. This book was not half bad.
Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography: Rob Lowe's book is great and surprisingly interesting. You should read it--it will make you wish President Bartlett were up for re-election this November.
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook from Scratch -- Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods: Such a great idea for a cookbook.
A Visit from the Goon Squad: What a cool, amazing book. Read it if your read rated Rs.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: I liked this a lot and thought the real photos were neat.
State of Wonder: A really great and thought-provoking book.
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle's Time Quintet): Read.
Corn Flakes with John Lennon: And Other Tales from a Rock 'n' Roll Life:One of my favorites that I read this year.
 The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making: Fun YA book.

And in December I read...


The Apothecary by Maile Meloy. It's my favorite YA from 2011. It should be a fun series.
And...


Room by Emma Donoghue. What a psycho story. It's compelling but I had to skip long bits of narration from the narrator, Caillou. Bleh. But also intriguing.

Happy New Year!