Books of 2011

Hello, 2012! Once again, it's time for the yearly roundups. It's been a fantastic year for reading, although it looks like my taste is becoming more pigeonholed. And I only read 7 off my 100 item reading list. It's harder to stick to the list when some of the books on it lead me to so many wonderful tangents! But back to the favorite 10. I recommend these first 7 unreservedly.

1. Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy (1870s) - One of the most astounding works of literature I've read, but it's length is not for the faint of heart. Based on this novel alone, I'm with Virginia Woolf--Tolstoy may be the greatest of all novelists.

2. Fire and Hemlock, by Diana Wynne Jones (1985) - Possibly one of my favorite fantasy novels, but I'll have to read it again to be sure. It has also been named by other reviewers to be Diana Wynne Jones' most complex and philosophical work, and all in the guise of a retelling of the old Scottish ballad, "Tam Lin".

3. Coronets and Steel and Blood Spirits, by Sherwood Smith (2010/2011) - A 23-year-old graduate student finds herself in the midst of a generations-old power dispute in a tiny central European country surrounded by myths and magic. I want another sequel!

4. The Queen’s Thief series [The Thief, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, A Conspiracy of Kings], by Megan Whalen Turner (1996-2010) - I read somewhere that Turner is planning two more books in the series. Thank goodness, because this is one series that deserves it!

5. To Say Nothing of the Dog, by Connie Willis (1997) -This comedy of errors encompassing time travel and Victorian society is delightful, and requires a particular sense of humor.

6. The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman (2008) - This Newbery Winner is inspired by and structured after Kipling's Jungle Books, but instead of a child raised by wolves in the Indian jungle, this child is raised by ghosts in a graveyard. Like Diana Wynne Jones (who he was friends with), Gaiman never writes the same book twice, but all share his inventive, slightly dark humor. Gaiman is a master of atmosphere and is becoming one of my favorite fantastical wordsmiths.

7. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett (2009) - Occasionally there's a good reason for mega-bestsellers to exist. This one is nothing deep, but it's an enjoyable and rewarding read.

8. The Man of Property, by John Galsworthy (1906) - This is an elegantly constructed study of the upper middle class in England during the early 1900s, but I only recommend it for readers who've read most of the Victorian canon of social satire and crave more.

9. His Majesty's Dragon, by Naomi Novik (2006) - Finished this one in the nick of time to put it on the list! As much of a fantasy lover as I am, I've read surprisingly few dragon books. I've seen this one called a combination of Anne McCaffrey (the Dragons of Pern series) and Patrick O'Brian (Master & Commander), and that combination intrigued me. Laurence is captain of an English naval ship during the Napoleonic Wars until he captures a French frigate carrying an unhatched dragon egg. The hatching brings a whirlwind of change as the dragon, Temeraire, chooses Laurence as his handler and Laurence is hastily reassigned to a socially outcast branch of the military, the aviator corps of dragon riders. But Laurence realizes his newfound friendship with Temeraire is worth all the sacrifice. The early part of the novel suffers somewhat from the lack of major conflict, but Novik sets a quick pace and renders vibrant scenes of both action and interaction. In the end, it's the relationships between men and dragons that makes this read rewarding.

10. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck (1939) - It's on here because it's a masterpiece, but reading such a depressing book is not something I can bring myself to do more than once a year. I doubt if I will ever reread this.

Honorable Mention:
The Alloy of Law, by Brandon Sanderson (2011) - Read it if you crave more exciting plot and the creatively utilized powers of Mistborn, but don't expect much substance or character development.
The Hunger Games, by Susanne Collins (2008) - Finally got around to it! Without a doubt the most riveting book I've read and a novel premise, but some things about the characterization and worldbuilding (or lack-of) bugged me. Reading synopses satisfied my curiosity about the sequels.
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, by Stephen King (1982) - This novella, the first I've read of King's, is as good as the movie but to be perfectly honest, I'd rather just watch the movie. Some things are simply more powerful cinematically.

Best rereads: The Story Girl, The Golden Road, and Jane Eyre were the only books I reread this year. Of course they're all worth reading.

I also read several nonfiction books for either curiosity or research. If that continues maybe I'll do some kind of review next year, but reading solely to learn about something means I don't have any kind of informed opinion of the subject matter. I can rate on little more than enjoyability.