Hurry Up and Wait: End of 2011 Reading Survey

Thanks to Little Stories for the survey/idea. Top Ten of 2011 to come!

Best book I read in 2011: Really, I can never pick just one. So here's a couple: The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton, East of the Sun, by Julia Gregson, Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay and As Always, Julia, edited by Joan Reardon (why have I never read books of letters before?? Julia Child was hilarious!)

Most disappointing book I read in 2011? This year, I have decided not to waste time on books I don't like, even though it drives me wild not to finish things. So far the only book I've exercised this on was The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton, by Kathryn Hughes. I love a good biography, so I was excited when I spotted this in the library--if you've ever read or seen anything set in Victorian England, you will have heard one of the servants/the cook say "Let's see what Mrs. Beeton has to say". (And if you know me, you will know I read/watch A LOT of things set in Victorian England). She was essentially the Betty Crocker of her time, only not fake (sorry, everyone who thought Betty Crocker was an actual person...).

Unfortunately, Mrs. Beeton died at 28, so there is just not much to say about the actual woman herself. But this book was 350+ pages...about her family, her husband, her husband's family, random Brits, pubs, brewers, horse races....it reminded me of my time as an intern at UNC Press when I was given an enormous box of random documents relating in some way to The Encyclopedia of North Carolina and told to sort it out. I read over 100 pages and came across maybe 5 references to the actual woman. So, I exercised my "this is an unnecessary slog" prerogative and returned it to the library unfinished.

Most surprising book of 2011? Hm. I suppose for me that would be The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, because I never believe anything will live up to its hype. And the hype could not possibly convey what a revelation Lisbeth Salander is as a strong female character. In a era that gave us Bella Swan, aka, sigh-prettily-and-look-to-my-boyfriend-for-answers girl, it's a relief to still find women protagonists with a mind of their own, especially written by men. Plus, she kicks ass AND is a computer hacker who brings down bad guys. What's not to love?

Also, Northanger Abbey. I'd heard it was tedious compared to Jane Austen's other works, and I was forced to watch the dreadful Masterpiece Classic version in high school, but I finally got around to reading this and LOVED IT. It was an incredibly accurate parody, and could have been ripping off Twilight just as much as The Mysteries of Udolpho. I may like Henry Tilney even more than Edward Ferrars.

Book I recommended to people most in 2011? I don't actually recommend books that often, but something I did recommend multiple times this year was Mara Hvistendahl's Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men. An expose of the realities of sex selection, it was incredibly eye-opening (even though I thought she could have gone farther in her conclusions, instead of pandering to party lines).

Best series I discovered in 2011? Hm. Well, the Millenium Trilogy (aka Dragon Tattoo) was great. I was also pleasantly surprised by The Hunger Games, but I haven't read the second two yet. I read the first Wallander mystery by Henning Mankell and thought it was quite good, but again, having only read the first one I'll have to wait and see.

Favorite new authors I discovered in 2011? Kate Morton, Julia Gregson, Henning Mankell, Rhys Bowen.

Most thrilling, un-put-down-able book in 2011? It's a three-way tie between East of the Sun (about three single women who travel to India in 1920s England, in the dying days of the British Empire), On Agate Hill, by Lee Smith (set in rural NC during/after the Civil War)and Sarah's Key, (about the French round-up of Jews during WWII) which I read in its entirety on a plane ride and subsequently had to pretend that I wasn't crying.

Book I most anticipated in 2011? Again, I can't pick just one. I had to wait for Dragon Tattoo and Hunger Games a long time, so I suppose they were most anticipated.

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011? I liked the cover of In The Woods, which made the book even more of a let-down. (Really? The pooka? COME ON.) I think it conveys a nicely creepy tone, with the idea that the woods are ready to reach out with their roots and grab hold of you at any time. But then in the book they demolished the woods to build a highway. So...yeah.