I say this every year - 2012 was a great year for reading!
You may notice that it is already February 2013 and I'm just now getting around to summarizing the books that took me to remote destinations and showed me world after world filled with fascinating stories in 2012.
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| Kim Harrison, Ever After |
Why is this reading blog so late? I've already started down a fascinating reading path in 2013. I've already read the new Kim Harrison novel,
Ever After, and 9 other books! That's the way a book worm starts off a New Year!
Instead of ranking my favorite reads this year, I'm taking you on a little road trip. Hopefully, you'll find a few hitchhikers in this list to take with you on your 2013 reading journey:
Highlights of 2012:
January 2012
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| Patrick Rothfuss, Wise Man's Fear |
Patrick Rothfuss',
Wise Man's Fear:
Lyrical, magical, musical are all terms over-used in describing books, but in this case, the words describe the universe in which Rothfuss writes.
off the year and my reading journey with Wise Man's Fear tipped me off that 2012 was going to be a great year for books!
Like a fine wine, a series such as the The Kingkiller Chronicle only gets better with time.
February 2012
After keeping the holiday spirit alive reading 8 Christmas books, I packed up my book bag with some hot reads in February:
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| Darcie Chan, The Mill River Recluse |
- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - one of the scariest books I've ever read! The train really frightens me! Click here to see movie trailer
- Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich - I just can't say no to a Stephanie Plum adventure.Click to learn about Janet Evanovich
- The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan - I have a soft spot on my heart for this book. Endearing, a little scary and incredibly lonely. You'll experience what it means to live a solitary life in this book. Cuddle up with your Valentine after you read this one! Click to learn about Darcie Chan
March 2012
In March, I went off the beaten path and spent a lot of time with indie writers. First, let me say that I love indie books flaws, bad editing and all. What's great about indie books is that you get to read "raw" art. Just like the new fad of eating raw food, reading indie books is also good for you. You may have to chew a little harder sometimes to swallow the story, but the payoff in a really great reading experience. Check out indie authors by downloading and reading their publications on Amazon, BN.com, Apple store and Smashwords. Check out my reviews on goodreads.com to see indie writers I'm reading. I try to read at least two books a month by indie writers.
Click to go to my Facebook author page and meet indie writers
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| Erin Morgenstern, The Night Circus |
April 2012
Who doesn't love a creepy book?
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern must be experienced. Don't read reviews about it and don't try to make sense of it. Read it like poetry. Feel the surreal. Listen to your heart pound as you read. Let it freak you out a little.
Click to learn about Erin Morgenstern
May 2012
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| Helen Smith, Being Light |
Being Light by Helen Smith. If you haven't read any books by Helen Smith, add that to your to-do list in 2013. I plan to read everything she writes! There are very few authors whose plots, story lines and dialog I cannot "predict." I'm sure a lot of you book worms and writers are like that, too, and know how hard it is to find a writer like Helen Smith who is completely unpredictable and original (really!!!) - in a fantastically great way!
Click to learn about Helen Smith
June 2012
The
Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins! Love this series. I am 30 years too old to really appreciate the point of view of a child put through brutality, but as a mother, these books broke my heart. We are the guardians of our freedom and if we forget it for a second, we will lose our liberty, democracy and rights. Don't forget that for a second.
Click here to learn about Suzanne Collins
July 2012
Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle. I went on a bender and read 10 books! I tend to prefer the historical romances, especially the Arcane series, but her modern-day romances are great, too. Quick's "go-to" heroine is frumpy on the outside, brilliant and loving. Her "go-to" hero is a dedicated bachelor due to his usually obsessive devotion to a study or occupation, but he is always smart enough to recognize a great woman. Lots of adventure, plot twists and intellectual banter and of course, romance. I love them all! My library had the books for Kindle loans, so I really OD'd on some of the early books. Series to look for: Eclipse Bay, Arcane Society and Whispering Springs. Looking forward to reading the Jayne Castle books, too!
Click here to learn more about Quick Krentz and Castle
August 2012
Look, August wasn't all bad. My heart really wasn't into reading. I was a beach bum and if I did any beach reading, it was for recipes to make when I got home that didn't require turning the oven on. Nora Robert's Bride Quartet series was a lot of fun, I took the plunge and read
Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L James (not for me). Honorable mentions:
The Baker Street Letters by Michael Robertson and
The Secret in their Eyes by Eduardo Sacheri (the movie was pretty good, but the book was better.)
September 2012
The Help by Kathryn Stockett! Loved it! Haven't seen the movie yet. Is it about race? Yes. Discrimination? Yes. Poverty? Yes. What is it REALLY about? Love.
Love has no skin color, no money in its pocket and doesn't care how long your family has been in this country or how they got here.
Click here to see the movie trailer
October 2012
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| Defending Jacob, William Landay |
Defending Jacob by William Landay was the turnaround book of the year for me. I listened to the audiobook in the car. One night as I was heading out to teach a class for the Newton Community Education program, I drove past the sign for Cold Creek Park and I literally got the shivers. I had a few doubts halfway through the year about whether my reading journey was going to be a bit of a disappointment or if I was on the trip of a lifetime, but
Defending Jacob woke me up and put a little zip back into my reading time. Three other highlights in October:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer by Seth Grahame-Smith,
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and
True Colors by Kristin Hannah
November 2012
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| Iced, Karen Marie Moning |
A quick audio book listen:
The Now Habit: A Strategic Program to Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play by Neil A. Fiore gave me a quick kick to the rear to make the best use of my time as the year started to come to an end.
Terrific reads in November included:
- South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami- how do you know what you want in life? Who do you want in your life?
- The Paris Wife by Paula McLain - Who DON'T you want in your life?
- Iced, by Karen Marie Moning (#6 in the Fever series). Ever wish you could just stay in a place after you've vacationed there?
December 2012
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| Ape House, Sara Gruen |
Wrapping up the year, I read 5 holiday themed books and then turned to
The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz to get organized for the New Year. I want to leave you with a few thoughts on one of my favorite books of the year,
Ape House by Sara Gruen, completed my reading journey.
Water for Elephants had fascinated me in January 2012 and I have yet to see the movie. My library had
Ape House as a Kindle loan, so I read it with a growing sense of horror and anger at how humans mistreat each other and the animal world, which we are a part of. Like Sara Gruen points out, no one mentions that the apes have learned to communicate in our language, but we have not learned their language. Animal testing is wrong. Playing mind games on humans is wrong. Let's make humanity a word to be proud of by making ourselves into better humans!
Thank you for taking the time to share my reading journey. Let me know which literary worlds you traveled to in 2012 and where you are heading in 2013. Hope our reading paths continue to cross.
