(Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. Want to make your own list? Clicking the image will take you to this week’s post. Happy listing!)
I read a lot of books this year, so when I saw this list coming up, I thought I’d be in trouble; how could I pick just a handful? But when I started writing, these 10 just popped right to the top of my mind. Here’s my favorite reads of 2011.
1. Graceling (Kristin Cashore) – I cannot fangirl over this book enough. Great story, one of my favorite characters ever, and other awesomeness. Read it!
2. Packing for Mars (Mary Roach) – Science and hilarity in equal combinations.
3. Poison Study (Maria V. Snyder) – Another kick-ass heroine. Great adventures, twists and turns, and a little romance.
4. The Grand Sophy (Georgette Heyer) – This one had me laughing out loud. That rarely happens to me.
5. Big Red Tequila (Rick Riordan) – Yea, that Rick Riordan. Turns out he writes awesome mystery novels. And they’re set in San Antonio, Texas, a city I know well. It’s cool to read about places that I drive by frequently.
6. Sin in the Second City (Karen Abbott) – Madams, prostitutes, and religious/government nutjobs, oh my! One of the two non-fiction books to make it to the list.
7. The Wee Free Men (Terry Pratchett) – I’m lovin’ the Discworld series, and this story, starring a clever young witch named Tiffany, is my favorite so far.
8. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Lauren Willig) – Every time I try to talk about this book, I devolve into incoherent babbling. If you like tales of swashbuckling and disguises and humor and close calls and…well, just read it.
9. The Name of the Wind (Patrick Rothfuss) – My first high fantasy novel in years, and it did not disappoint. So amazing, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.
10. Cinderella Ate My Daughter (Peggy Orenstein) – Loved the author’s sense of humor. Loved her constant questioning of the way she’s raising her daughter, and the messages she’s receiving. Loved every second of it.
What are your favorite reads of 2011? Did any of these make your list?
