2011 - Not a Stellar Year, Actually

Last night I sat down to do my annual year-end review of my reading accomplishments, and the first thing that popped into my head was, "Wow, this was kind of a 'blah' year." I didn't read as much as I did the year before, for one thing, and for another, much of what I read didn't really give me much satisfaction. Having made that cheery assessment, here are my picks for my selected categories.

Best Discoveries - In some ways, this was a non-fiction year for me. I read three non-fiction books (well, ok, I'm not finished with one yet), which is more than usual. Two of those nonfiction books - actually, the first book I read during the year and this last one - are what I am considering to be the best books I just "happened onto" this year: The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs , and The Battle for Christmas by Stephen Nissenbaum.

Saddest Disappointment - The Serpent Never Sleeps by Scott O'Dell. I had such high hopes this was going to be great historical fiction, but honestly, it just felt flat to me.

Favorite Classic - One of the high points of my reading year was going back and re-reading The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. For years, I've been telling myself it's one of my absolute favorites, but I had a sneaking suspicion that maybe I was falling prey to "books were better in the good ol' days when I was a teen" thinking - but, nope. It really is one of my absolute favorites.

Favorite Love Story - That would have to be The Witch of Blackbird Pond, too. I read a couple of other romantic novels (The Chataine's Guardian by Robin Hardy, and Harper's Bride by Alexis Harrington), but neither one really made my heart go flutter.

Favorite Historical Fiction - Same song, third verse. The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Although...the real winner of this category is actually Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. It's the only book I read all year that I couldn't put down.

Greatest Reading Accomplishment - I finally read The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnon Rawlings! I don't know why I got so bogged down in it. I also feel that making it all the way through Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott was a real show of perseverance (or stubbornness....).

Biggest Failure - Blood Reaction by D.L. Atha. I'm just a scaredy-cat.

Favorite Re-Read - I bet you're thinking The Witch.... nope, this one was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. I kind of skipped around in it some, but I eventually pieced it all together, so I'm counting it.

Once Is Enough (Books I Probably Won't Ever Read Again) - That could be several on this year's list, but the one that would top the list, I guess, is Page from a Tennessee Journal by Francine Thomas Howard.

Books I Thought Would Be Amazing But Were Just So-So - I really enjoyed The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner, so I expected the sequel, The Silver Blade, would also be a good read. It was all right, but just all right.

Books I Thought Wouldn't Be Much But Were Actually Good Stuff - I was pleasantly surprised by two books this year. First, The Year of Living Biblically had more depth than I had expected (I thought it would be a collection of cheap jokes about religion), and secondly, I actually enjoyed The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (although I had to take a HUGE dose of suspension of disbelief with it).

Books I Plan to Read - I didn't read ANY of the books I planned to read in 2011. Total failure. I'm not even making a list this year. I have a box of books I gave myself for Christmas (ha) that I hope I will get to read in the coming year, but who knows? I just hope to have a better year with my reading, both in terms of doing more of it, and in terms of reading more books that will excite and inspire me. I need it.

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

I've been meaning to write this post for a couple of days now, but we've not had internet access for two days; apparently I'm going to have to get a new wireless router.

That's only the latest excuse, though. I've had at least two other ideas for posts in mind after reading Speak, but never had (or never took) the time to sit down and write. Now the time for those posts is past; I can't even remember what it was I wanted to say, and it will never be said.

Since this is the time for resolutions, here's one: I don't want to let that happen again. This year, when I get an idea for a post, I intend to sit down THAT day - not "tomorrow" - and get it written. That's why I'm here right now instead of finishing washing the dishes (that big pot needs to soak a few minutes, anyway, ha ha).

I failed to get all the way through my A to Z reading challenge this year, but I'm pretty happy anyway. I read 24 books this year (and part of two others). I know that's not so much when I look at how many other people read. But it's more than I've done for a long time, so I feel good about it. I'm going to post a list in a sidebar, if anyone is interested in what the 24 were.

In the interest of creating a tradition, I'm going to go through the same review that I did last year at this time.

Best Discoveries
The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins - These were the only books this year that had me neglecting my family so I could finish.

Saddest Disppointment
Mockingjay from Collins' series - It was so bleak.

Favorite Classic
Hamlet by William Shakespeare! I really got into reading it, more so than when it was required in college.

Favorite Love Story
Looking at my list, I really didn't read that many "love stories" this year. Ann Turnbull's Alice in Love and War was the best of the few I did read. I also enjoyed Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix (if it counts as a love story).

Favorite Historical Fiction
Alice in Love and War tops this category, too, although The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent was also a favorite.

Greatest Reading Accomplishment
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende - I had tried reading it before, but couldn't get past the first chapter. This time I made it all the way through.

Biggest Failure
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart - I know it's popular, but it never caught me. Maybe some other year....

Favorite Re-read
Hamlet

Once Is Enough - Books I Probably Won't Ever Read Again
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
Jellicoe Road by Mellina Marcheta
The Lace Dowry by Andrea Chang
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly (I was really disappointed by this one)

Books I Thought Would Be Amazing But Were Just So-So
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
Pioneer Breed by Glenn Vernam

Books I Thought Wouldn't Be Much But Were Actually Good Stuff
Just Ella - Honestly, I thought it would be pretty shallow
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - It's not my type of book, but I bought another of Anderson's "teen issue/problem" books the other day. I guess that says something.

5 Books I Plan to Read in 2011
I liked the A to Z challenge; it seemed to give me a focus and to keep me on track. I might do it again and see if I can get further this year. Also, last night I was talking to someone at a party and sort of realized there are a lot of books people would expect a former English major to have read that I haven't read. I guess it's time to catch up. Therefore, in 2011 I plan to read
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (I'll admit, this one scares me - it's so long - I may spend most of my year chipping away at it!)
Beloved by Toni Morrison

We'll see how it goes - I hope to report in more often this year!

2009 in Review

Noel DeVries at Never Jam Today had a year-end reading review that I thought was cool - so I decided to steal the idea! Here's my review of my reading for 2009, with a few changes from Noel's original:

5 Books I had planned to read in 2009
My Brother Sam is Dead - James Lincoln Collier/Christopher Collier (check - finally!)
Red Moon at Sharpsburg - Rosemary Wells (check)
The Tall Woman - Wilma Dykeman (check)
The Other Boleyn Girl - Phillipa Gregory (nope)
The Falconer's Knot - Mary Hoffman (check)

Best Discoveries
The Perilous Gard - Elizabeth Marie Pope (So, so glad I found this at that used bookstore!)
Alex and the Ironic Gentleman - Adrienne Kress (This was really funny.)

Favorite Classic
Johnny Tremain - Esther Forbes (It seems reading "classics" is a weakness for me....)

Favorite Love Story
The Perilous Gard - Elizabeth Marie Pope

Favorite Historical Fiction
A Difference of Opinion - Nancy Dane (I learned a lot about the Civil War in the local area from this book.)
The Big Knives - Bruce Lancaster (I wasn't all that crazy about the book itself, but I had no idea George Rogers Clark was such an American hero.)

Greatest Reading Accomplishment
The Health of the Country - Conevery Bolton Valencius

Biggest Failure to Complete
Undaunted Courage - Stephen Ambrose. Again - sigh.

Favorite Re-Read
Johnny Tremain - Esther Forbes (It was still as good as I remembered.)

Books I Won't Be Reading Again, Ever
The Circle of Friends: Sarah - Diane Wolfe
Peter and the Starcatchers - Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson (I listened to this one rather than reading it - I doubt I would have finished if I'd been reading.)

Books I Thought Would Be Amazing but Weren't That Great
Catherine, Called Birdy - Karen Cushman
Red Moon at Sharpsburg - Rosemary Wells (This was my biggest disappointment of the year.)
The Tall Woman - Wilma Dykeman
The Falconer's Knot - Mary Hoffman

Books I Thought Wouldn't Be Much but Were Actually Good Stuff
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman (I'm not much for vampires and such, but I liked this book.)
The Princess Academy - Shannon Hale (I thought it would be silly fluff, but it had real substance.)
The Sideyard Superhero - Rick Niece (I was pleasantly surprised.)

5 Books I Plan to Read in 2010
Alice in Love and War - Ann Turnbull (highly anticipating this one!)
The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne (Yes, I was an English major in college and somehow never read this.)
The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart (for a review site)
Rifles for Watie - Harold Keith (it's been a long time since I've read it - I remember it being good.)
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate - Jacqueline Kelly (I see a lot of Newberry buzz about this, so I'm curious.)

I'll probably take another stab at Undaunted Courage - it's a good book, I just can't seem to make much progress in it. Oh, and I will definitely be reading Web Design for Dummies - my sabbatical starts in earnest on Monday!