2012 in Review: Best Books

I've become a bit of a bookworm this year.  Being out of school has left me with lots of time to read for fun.  Plus I joined a book club!  Turns out the book club was more interested in drinking wine than actually reading books.  I know, right?  Best book club ever.

 

Several times throughout the year I've thought that I should do a book review over a particularly great book.  But I never did. 

 

Then after a summer full of reading I thought I should post about my summer book list.  But I didn't.

 

So, here's a list of my favorite books from 2012.  And no, that Grey book isn't going to be listed.  I don't read smut.

 

1.  The Hunger Games.

 

 

I know, right?  Duh!  Of course I love The Hunger Games!!!  We all did!  It was super fun to read it during my first semester of teaching because so many of my students were also reading it.  It made for a great bonding experience. 

 

2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

 

 

 

This wasn't a book I expected to love so much.  I was surprised when I realized the entire thing is written in letter form.  But it is so wonderful and charming!  It is set in England after WWII and gives a historical perspective I'd never heard before.  The characters are so endearing and the story so interesting.  I just loved it!

 

3.  The Art of Racing in the Rain.

 

 

Oh my goodness.  I cannot even express how much I love this book.  LOVE.  A couple of chapters in, I insisted that Drew also read the book.  I meant for us to read it together but the fool finished it within a couple of days of being off work.  I was not happy about this.

 

The story is told from the perspective of the dog.  I know, sounds weird.  Not weird.  Hilarious.  Endearing.  Heart-wrenching.  Wonderful.  Just wonderful.

 

4.  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

 

 

I think of this book as being Are You There God, It's Me Margarette of an earlier generation.  It's a coming-of-age story about a little girl growing up in extreme poverty in the early 1900's.  Sweet, sad, funny.  Just a really good read.

 

5. Gone Girl

 

 

I know, right???  If you've read it, you know.  YOU KNOW!  Shit is crazy.  C-razy.  I was reading this at the same time as Jess, but she was ahead of me and kept telling me how flipping crazy it was.  She told me I had to call her when I reached a certain point and that I would know when to call.  It turned out I had to call her at an insanely early hour because I knew I had reached that point and I had  to call her!  C-razy.  Crazy.

 

AND, I just found out that they are def making the movie and that my girl Reese Witherspoon is set to play Amy.  Perfect.  I can totally see her being the girl in the diary.  The rest... not so sure about, but excited to see. 

 

READ THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW!!!

 

That's the list.  Honorable Mention goes to Blood, Bones, & Butter, The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry,  (both of which made me want to travel the world, eat delicious food, and drink the heck out of some wine), and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Pride and Prejudice  was like the only book we were supposed to read in high school that I actually read.  I love it with all my heart and read it every couple of years.  Throw some zombies in there and my heart smiles.  Hilarious and awesome.

 

What are your must-read books for the year?  I need recommendations for 2013!!!