Tag: Reading

Saw this at A Room of One’s Own and liked the format so much I just had to steal copy use it, too:

2011 in Review:

How many books read in 2011?

• 109 (up 19 books from 90 in 2010!)

Fiction/Non-Fiction?

• 90/109 – fiction (83%)
• 19/109 – nonfiction (17%)

Male/Female authors?

• 28/109 – male (26%)
• 80/109 – female (73%)
• 1/109 – multiple authors (1%)

This one required a little detective work, since two of the books were under ambiguously-gendered pseudonyms (and both turned out to be male).

Oldest book read?

• Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys by Norton Juster (originally published in 1965)

Newest book read?

• Seriously, I’m Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres (October 1, 2011)
• The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (October 1, 2011)

Longest book read?

• Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick (640 pages)

Shortest book read?

• Pearl Verses the World by Sally Murphy (80 pages)

Any in translation?

• The Spaghetti Detectives by Andreas Steinhöfel was translated from German.

Best book read in 2011?

Most disappointing book in 2011?

• Nerd Girls: The Rise of the Dorkasaurus by Alan Sitomer – I talk about why in the review.

Most beautifully written book read in 2011?

• Junonia by Kevin Henkes

This was a tough one! In the end, I have to go with Henkes’ lovely prose. But I have to give Franny Billingsley’s Chime some love here, too.

Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?

This is a hard one for me, since I read a whole bunch of books that I liked much more than I expected to. (Thanks, people who nominated them for the Cybils!) But I’ll pick two:

• Close to Famous by Joan Bauer – I probably wouldn’t have read this at all had it not been nominated for the Cybils. That would have been a shame, since there’s a great story behind that sugar-sweet cover.
• Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald – Another one I might never have read were it not for the Cybils. I honestly didn’t think I would like it, but I found myself unexpectedly charmed.

Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?

• Shine by Lauren Myracle  – As I said when I reviewed it back in January, I was up until 1 in the morning finishing the last few chapters; I just couldn’t put it down.

Book that had a scene in it that had me reeling?

I’d like to say Tabitha Suzuma’s Forbidden, but I kind of knew what to expect before I started reading. So, I think I’ll have to say Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy.

Book(s) I most anticipated in 2011?

• Sheepish by Catherine Friend – I don’t remember when I first heard she had a second memoir coming out, but it seems like it was ages before I was actually able to get my hands on a copy.
• A Life in Stitches – I’ve loved Rachael’s blog for years, so I was hoping she’d publish a memoir even before she announced it last year.
• The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan – Let’s see… I read The Lost Hero in November of last year, so I was pretty much anticipating this one from then until it was published in October. Now I’m waiting on book 3

Most memorable character in 2011?

• Sage from Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher stands out for me, but it feels like a bit of a cheat, since I actually read the book twice.

How many re-reads in 2011?

Just one:

• Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher – it was actually a re-read within the year, since I read the book after it won the Stonewall Award early in the year, and then I listened to the audiobook when I was assigned to review it toward the end of the year. It turned out to be a good thing, since I really disliked the book on the first reading, but I found it growing on me the second time.
• I also started re-reading Neil Gaiman’s American Gods in the new anniversary edition, but I didn’t finish before the end of the year.

Book I read in 2011 I’d be most likely to reread in 2012?

Hmm. I don’t really expect to re-read any of them. There were several first-in-series books that I’m planning on reading sequels to, though, so I might go back and re-read Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Bumped by Megan McCafferty (especially as I just purchased an e-copy in HarperCollins’ 99-cent sale), Delirium by Lauren Oliver, and/or The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens.

Book I recommended to people most in 2011?

• Probably No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko. I think I went up to just about everybody at work and said, “This is a really weird book. In the best possible way.”
• Out in the library, I recommended Katherine Applegate’s Roscoe Riley Rules series quite a bit. They’re great for kids just moving into chapter books.

A book I read this year that was recommended by a blogger?

I think most of the books I read this year originally came to my attention on one blog or another, not to mention that whole slew of Cybils nominees.

Favorite new authors I discovered in 2011?

Some who were new to me this year and whose books I’ll be looking for in the future:

• Kirsten Hubbard
• Megan McCafferty
• Kate Messner
• Lauren Oliver
• Cat Patrick
• Time Pratt
• Beth Revis
• Wendy Wan-Long Shang
• Tabitha Suzuma
• Lisa Yee

Most books read by one author this year?

2: Two books about Alvin Ho by Lenore Look, and two books from the Lucky trilogy by Susan Patron. And I read the Brian Katcher book twice.

Favorite cover of a book I read in 2011?

Oh, like I could pick just one! How about one for kids, one for teens, and one for grown-ups?

That sheep in a scarf and hat just cracks me up!

Favorite passage/quote from a book I read in 2011?

• Ben wished the world was organized by the Dewey decimal system. That way you’d be able to find whatever you were looking for, like the meaning of your dream, or your dad. – Brian Selzick, Wonderstruck
• Like all fourteen-year-olds, I used to be a nine-year-old. In retrospect, I was an annoyingly perky and enthusiastic nine-year-old. In fact, I’ve been enthusiastic my entire life, up until this fall, when high school sucked every last ounce of enthusiasm right out of me. – Frances O’Roark Dowell, Ten Miles Past Normal
• Taking up yoga in the middle of your life is like having someone hand you a dossier about yourself. A dossier full of information you’re not really sure you want. – Claire Dederer, Poser

Did I complete any reading challenges or goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year?

Yep. Two out of three, anyway:

• Debut Author Challenge
• E-Book Reading Challenge

Book I can’t believe I waited until 2011 to finally read?

• I’ll Get There, It Better Be Worth the Trip by John Donovan.

Looking ahead to 2012:

One book I didn’t get to in 2011 that will be a priority in 2012?

• The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains by Nicholas Carr. I’ve started reading this twice, but I kept putting it aside.
• The Year We Were Famous by Carole Esby Dagg. It was on my original Debut Author Challenge list but didn’t happen in 2011. I’m planning to read it as part of the Truth in Fiction Challenge in 2012.

Book I’m most anticipating in 2012?

• Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeannette Winterson

One thing I hope to accomplish or do in reading/blogging in 2012?

• I’d really, really like to complete the Off the Shelf Challenge this time
• I’m also just looking forward to reading lots more good books, writing lots more reviews, and getting to know other book bloggers better in 2012!