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Once again, I give you this year's mini book reports, all in 30 words or less! My Top Five Favorites are indicated in curly brackets, if you're interested in that sort of thing...
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.
Oh-so-charming. Like a modern day Jane Austen with a dude protagonist. My favorite of the year. {#1}
Oh-so-charming. Like a modern day Jane Austen with a dude protagonist. My favorite of the year. {#1}
Cooking for Mr. Latte.
I hold foodie memoirs to a pretty high standard {ie: RUTH REICHL}, and this one was enjoyable. And I have many of the recipes bookmarked.
I hold foodie memoirs to a pretty high standard {ie: RUTH REICHL}, and this one was enjoyable. And I have many of the recipes bookmarked.
The Marriage Plot.
Whyyyyy couldn't it have been half as good as Middlesex?
Whyyyyy couldn't it have been half as good as Middlesex?
The Art of Fielding.
Loved everything about it. Book Club Worthy. {#3}
Loved everything about it. Book Club Worthy. {#3}
Birds of a Lesser Paradise: Stories.
Mayhew Bergman's grasp of lyrical prose is insane. And I'm not just saying that because I remember her as a badass senior to my scared-shitless freshman pledge. {Honorable Mention}
Mayhew Bergman's grasp of lyrical prose is insane. And I'm not just saying that because I remember her as a badass senior to my scared-shitless freshman pledge. {Honorable Mention}
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?
Hysterical. I need more Mindy in my life. {#5}
Hysterical. I need more Mindy in my life. {#5}
Bringing Up Bébé.
The sociologist in my loved this even more than my newly minted mama-self. {#4}
The sociologist in my loved this even more than my newly minted mama-self. {#4}
Freakonomics.
Very interesting... which the rest of America figured out 7 years ago.
Very interesting... which the rest of America figured out 7 years ago.
Gone Girl.
Couldn't put it down. Most entertaining thriller I've read in forever. I'm probably one of the only people who dug the ending. {#2}
Couldn't put it down. Most entertaining thriller I've read in forever. I'm probably one of the only people who dug the ending. {#2}
Dark Places.
The shits I gave about each character in this novel number zero. I hated every last one of 'em.
The shits I gave about each character in this novel number zero. I hated every last one of 'em.
Apron Anxiety.
Yawn / Snooze / I think Alyssa Shelasky believes she's pretty hot shit / I tend to disagree.
Yawn / Snooze / I think Alyssa Shelasky believes she's pretty hot shit / I tend to disagree.
Fifty Shades of Grey.
I'm positive American women everywhere are selling themselves way short in the erotica department.
I'm positive American women everywhere are selling themselves way short in the erotica department.
The Fault in Our Stars.
Ug, Y.A., why do I continue to read you? Very good... for it's intended audience.
Ug, Y.A., why do I continue to read you? Very good... for it's intended audience.
Divergent.
Hunger Games but maybe better?
Hunger Games but maybe better?
Insurgent.
Meh. Definitely followed the Hunger Games Trilogy Trend of being a "filler" second book.
Meh. Definitely followed the Hunger Games Trilogy Trend of being a "filler" second book.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.
I should've just reread {the truly wonderful} Like Water For Chocolate and not wanted to kill myself throughout.
I should've just reread {the truly wonderful} Like Water For Chocolate and not wanted to kill myself throughout.
The Passage.
I'm cheating here, as I'm actually right smack in the middle of this, but I love it. A LOT. It's probably all the Walking Dead I've been enjoying.
I'm cheating here, as I'm actually right smack in the middle of this, but I love it. A LOT. It's probably all the Walking Dead I've been enjoying.
Baby Books
I've sung the praises of Baby 411 many times before, and y'all know I'm a big fan of BLW. I would also recommend all of the sleep books... In a fit of desperation, I read them all and took different things from each of them. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say we're a Ferber Family, but I think there is good wisdom to be found in all three.
On deck for 2013...
The Twelve (Book Two of The Passage Trilogy)
On deck for 2013...
The Twelve (Book Two of The Passage Trilogy)
I LOVED Major Pettigrew's Lst Stand and Divergent, but can't get through Insurgent- woof. I'm reading Clara and Mr. Tiffany right now and liking it!
ReplyDeleteThis might be a bit cheating but with running time and lots of desk time I started using Audible this past year and loved it. 11/22/63 and Unbroken were both books that I listened to and I loved them. In fact I've considered listening to both of them again this year just to see if I catch anything I might have missed the second time around.
ReplyDeleteUp next on my list is Gone Girl but I really want to read the book so I've been hesitant to download. We'll see what wins out in the end.
Please make Unbroken your #1 book priority this year. The experience of reading it is indescribable.
ReplyDeleteMajor Pettigrew's Last Stand is on my list for this year. I loved the first 1/3 of Gone Girl and then I thought the last 2/3 got a little Lifetime movie, but that didn't stop me from finishing it! And my thoughts exactly on Divergent and Insurgent.
Cheers to good reading in 2013!
I really enjoyed Gone Girl. Have you read any of Flynn's other books? Sharp Objects is excellent--disturbing, but impossible to put down once you start. Thanks for sharing your list. Off to the library I go!
ReplyDeleteDark Places is her other one - I disliked it so much that I haven't tried Sharp Objects, but you're the third person who has enjoyed it so I might have to give it a go!
DeleteI love when people do their yearly book recaps. I've added several of these to my list. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHave you read any of Kate Morton's books? I really enjoy them. I didn't mind Gone Girl's ending either, but as we have previously discussed, I am worried her others are too scary/gory for this hormonal addled gal.
ReplyDeleteUnbroken was amazing! Some parts were really tough to get through (as in, made you want to break down in tears) but it was so good. I got 6 new books for Christmas and will have to check out some of your picks after I finish those!
ReplyDeleteI have the worst habit of downloading really good, want to lend to everyone books on my nook. Prime example being Mindy's fine work. I ended up buying it for almost all my girlfriends as their birthday gifts this year. Glad to hear Lemon Cake is dull, as my cousin gifted it to me and I didn't feel like reading it. Now I have an excuse! Such a good year to read 11/22/63, I need to join the effort. Not that I am a cliche JFK obsessed Dallasite or the like. Maybe you can take L to meet some of my favorite people in Dallas, the conspiracy theorists aka truth whisperers on the grassy knoll! I'm sure she'd clap for conspiracy just like Santa.
ReplyDelete1 - THAT MAKES TWO OF US THAT APPRECIATED THE ENDING OF GG! Totally extended the psychological game for me as now I figure these total crazies exist in real life all over the place....we just don't know it! (Could just be me though.....I mean, ever since I started watching Homeland I am totally convinced every third person on the street is a terrorist.)
ReplyDelete2 - Unbroken - you will be floored.
3 - I must recommend John Irving's "In One Person" (my personal favorite of 2012), especially if you loved Middlesex....be warned that it gets off to a bit of a slow start, but all of the sudden you will turn the page and realize you are 110% wrapped up in this incredibly odd/heartbreaking/beautiful memoir.
Happy New Year! Cheers! xx
I've read 5 of the same books this year, so I'm going to take you up on some of your other recommendations as it seems we have similar taste in books! I've heard good things about Matched, so I'm going to give that one a try. I just finished Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelson and really enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteThe Marriage Plot was so boring! I literally stopped paying attention by page 20.
ReplyDeleteThe Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake was no Como agua para chocolate. I still don't get the whole turning into furniture thing.
Re: 50 shades- you're so right!! I (secretly) love me some trashy romance novels but 50 shades was so horribly written I had to stop after the first couple chapters.
ReplyDeleteI loved, loved the Gone Girl ending. I downloaded Dark Places and hoping it's as good. Also: I downloaded The Art of Fielding and am excited to jump in!
ReplyDeleteThis year, I loved A Visit From the Goon Squad. Couple of years old, but definitely worth a read if you haven't yet.
For some reason I could not get into Unbroken...I must be the only one!
ReplyDeleteThis year I loved Wild by Cheryl Strayed and the new Barbara Kingsolver book Flight Behavior!
I am looking forward to reading The Art of Fielding; a friend recently lent it to me!
I loved Gone Girl... until the end. I was so disappointed!!
ReplyDeleteI need to add some of these books to my reading list for 2012.
Love the book review post! Adding Bringing Up Bebe, Major Pettigrew and Ferber's book to my to-read list. My favorite books of 2012, all very different: The Round House by Louise Erdrich, Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, Where'd you go, Bernadette by Maria Semple and the Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.
ReplyDeleteOur year end book review mirror each other in many ways - GG ending was perfect, The Marriage Plot was disappointing given how much I loved Middlesex, Insurgent was a snooze, Mindy Kaling is hilarious etc. (Are you watching The Mindy Project? It's great.) My inner tween did however LOVE The Fault in Our Stars. I would caution you against reading Sharp Objects - I loathed it. I wish I could unread it. It's much closer to Dark Places than to Gone Girl.
ReplyDeleteI've added a number of your books to my 2013 list, so muchas gracias!
OH, and not that I would know anything about this but if you're looking for a decent erotica-ish read with a good storyline, try Broken by Megan Hart. So I've heard. Allegedly.
ReplyDeleteI may or may not be 46% through with Broken. I mean, A FRIEND OF MINE MAY BE. (Thank God for Kindle)
Deletethat 1.99 kindle price tag just made me purchase that one too!
DeleteLove the majority of your top 5! (I didn't read Major Pettigrew, so that is the only one on which I have no opinion.) I know Cooking for Mr. Latte is a bit fluffy, but it's always been a favorite of mine, and I'm so glad to see someone else enjoy it. I have made a bunch of recipes from the book and highly recommend her olive oil-based tart (now a staple of mine and so, so easy), the tarragon chicken salad, and the pasta with white bolognese sauce. I have a habit of never making the same recipe twice, but I've made all three of these more times than I can count.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read Gone Girl! Everyone is talking about it and I'm number 611 on my library's hold list ... lol
ReplyDeleteI wrote about my top 5 books here. Glad you also enjoyed Bringing Up Bébé!
I love these posts of yours! I'm putting the Major at the top of my to-read list, and also the unbroken that everyone's talking about.
ReplyDeleteI needed this, been looking for a good book since finishing Gone Girl. I read Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake awhile back, I constantly thought "why am I reading this, WHY?" ...so so bad.
ReplyDeleteI was late to the game and just read Unbroken. Amazing read. fascinating true story. LOVED it.
ReplyDeleteI think I am the only person who enjoyed Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. I loved it. The part with the brother was unnecessary probably. And I will admit it was more of a short story or a novella that she tried to stretch out to a full novel and it hurt. Did you get that the Dad wouldn't go in the hospital because he experienced other people's pain? I have mirror reflex synesthesia so I'm really sensitive to other peoples pain too and physically experience it myself. The idea of being able to taste emotions was fascinating to me both as a foodie and as a person with synesthesia.
ReplyDeleteAlso I still haven't read Freakonomics. Maybe in a year or two so I will be only 10 years behind the rest of the country.
Deletei just started unbroken and am in love so far.
ReplyDeletewill have to check out the others on your top 5 at least soon!
thanks for this post!
Looks Great!!! Happy new year.
ReplyDeleteKids Games
Someone else suggested it, but I also recommend Wild by Cheryl Strayed. The beginning is kind of depressing, but overall the book is great. It was my book club pic for my month and a bunch of people said it was one of their favorite books ever at our discussion :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions! I always love to hear what other people are reading. I shared my 2012 reads on my blog, too, and just read Gone Girl after reading your review. Looking forward to adding some of these to my wish list for 2013!
ReplyDelete