Sunday, December 30, 2012

Sunday Salon - 10 Favourite books of 2012

Can't believe the end of 2012 is already here and somehow we survived December 21, despite what some people believed.  As most people are doing here today, I giving you a rundown of my ten  favourite reads for this year.  And to say the least, its a bit of everything.


In no particular order here they are:

The Help  by Kathryn Stockett - this was greatly aided by the fact that the movie was out, but gotta say, I will never look at a piece of chocolate cream pie in the same way.

11/22/63 by Stephen King - I had heard a lot of press about the book when it came out and had wanted it for Christmas, but instead got it from the library and still really enjoyed it.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh - Like the Stephen King book, I had heard about the book back in 2011 and when I read it this past spring, I couldn't ignore the amazing reviews that it had gotten the previous year.  

Quiet by Susan Cain - I gave this book to my mom for Christmas and fortunately she didn't pick it up at the store, even though she was tempted to do so.  As an introvert myself, I really did identify myself with the various types of people that the author introduces us to.  Excellent read.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - I had had this book on my TBR pile for a number of years and had been wanting to read it for quite sometime and I wasn't disappointed.  It wasn't my typical read, in that it only took me a few days to complete it and everytime I was reading it, I enjoyed it and wasn't tapping my fingers on my copy wondering when it would end.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Yes I read it because the movie came out and I di dn't want to be left out in the cold.  And I wasn't really disappointed in the book; I loved the descriptions of District 12 and the game itself.

The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes - I am a huge Downton Abbey fan and am eagerly anticipating the new season that is about to start in the United States and Canada (most Canadians get a PBS station or two that allows them to watch Masterpiece Theatre and other PBS productions) and loved the insight that the book provided into the show and into Gosford Park, of which I am also a fan of.

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol - I really liked it and thought it was an excellent read from some very dense reads to some more dense reads and would like to read some more graphic novels in the coming year.  I think a read of the Bone series may happen in 2013.

The Sister Queens by Sophie Perinot - Was recommended this book through a fellow blogger and I wasn't disappointed with the book and actually took the time to read more about the two queens that were the primary characters in the book and am so glad that I was able to read it.  It was probably one of the best historical fiction books that I have this year.

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo - It was one of those books that had been on my TBR list for a number years (actually for almost 20 years) and I am so glad that I was able to read it from cover to cover.  There were times that I was very frustrated with the course of the book and the number of details that Hugo puts into the book (he spends a portion of Volume 5 discussing the sewer system of Paris that existed during the 1830s and a good portion of Volume 2 talking about Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo), but as I reflect on it about a week after completing the book, I realize that those details were important to the overall story.  It will be a book that I will revisit sometime in the future.

For the second time I got over 50 books and for the first time got over 60; 75 might be a goal in the near future.

Hope you all have a relaxing rest of the week with family and friends.

Reviews:
1) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (review)
2) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (review)

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