Books I Read in 2011

I’ve decided one of my goals of 2012 is to join a book club. I have several goals for the year which are vaguely floating around in my head and I do intend to write down at some point. Possibly February.

Goal #1: Write down goal #1. Proceed with goal #2, #3, etc.

Anyway, I’m going to my first book club meeting with the Windsor Book Club tonight at The Green Bean to see what this book club business is all about. The book of discussion for the month is Night by Elie Wiesel.

It’s a horrifying account of the author’s experience travelling to and living in Birkenau concentration camp. Reading about the things that he saw, the atrocities that he experienced, and his struggles to survive even as he lost his faith in God and his will to live was so moving. I almost cried more than once (and I’ve never cried at a book or movie before, so that’s saying something about how powerful this book is).

If you haven’t read it before, you should. I think it should be required reading.

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I started thinking about all the books that I read in 2011. All 16 of them. Some were great and some were okay. Here’s my recaps of them in 140 characters or less:

Samantha’s 2011 Reads

(In order of favourite to least favourite)

Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
Find someone who’s read this book and didn’t like it, then we’ll talk. It’s riveting.

My Horizontal Life – Chelsea Handler
It’s the most hilarious thing I’ve ever read. It made me laugh to tears.

The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern
2 magicians and lovers must fight in a game of anchantment to the death in a circus venue that only magic can build. Fascinating Premise.

Room – Emma Donoghue
I might have put this book at the top if more of the story were about escaping than about life after the escape.

The Game of Thrones – George R R Martin
It’s almost unbearably long, practically everyone dies, and it leaves you needing to read the next book. But it was so goddamn captivating!

Freedom – Jonathon Franzen
Intense family drama full of emotion. Not much of a page turner but the characters are very believable.

Superfreakonomics – Steven Levitt
Lots more fun and random connections between things you never thought could be associated.

Catching Fire – Suzanne Collins
Part 2 of the Hunger Games Series almost feels like a repeat of part 1. It’s not as creative but it’s still quite exciting.

Sleepwalking in Daylight – Elizabeth Flock
Another family drama exploring the relationship between a distant mother and rebellious daughter. Powerful and emotional.

How to Be and American Housewife – Margaret Dilloway
The story spans the entire lifetime of a Japanese woman who married a US Soldier after WWII. Well developed characters make this a good read.

Mockingjay – Suzanne Collins
Part 3 of the Hunger Games Series is worth the read if you’ve read 1 and 2 but it’s my least favourite of the bunch.

Are you there vodka? It’s me Chelsea – Chelsea Handler
Chelsea is still funny, but her random anecdotes aren’t the comedic gold that her one night stands are.

Bossy Pants – Tina Fey
Maybe I need to hear Tina Fey to find her funny. I chuckled a few times, but I wasn’t wetting myself with laughter.

Industrial Magic – Kelley Armstrong
Witchcraft meets mafia in this book that had a few great high points but mostly lows.

Deception Point – Dan Brown
You can write a mathematical formula for all of Dan Brown’s book. This was just another typical Dan Brown fiction.

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang – Chelsea Handler
Chelsea, you are getting progressively less funny as you write more books. You can stop now.

Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me – Chelsea Handler
Wait Chels, did you just get your friends to write a book for you? Good attempt to get fresh material but Bad idea. Very bad.

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