Favorite Reads of 2011

As dictated by tradition, on the last day of the year I post my favorite reads (see 2009 and 2010). This year I read 93 books. I didn't quite make 100, but 93 is a personal record. 24 of those books were audio books. 65 were middle-grade or young adult books, meaning that 38 were written for adults. Only 5 were non-fiction. I read 10 books for book club. Here, in a variety of categories, are my favorites of the year.

 
Favorite Middle-grade Novel: Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt
 
Basically Gary D. Schmidt is a genius. The Wednesday Wars made it onto my favorite reads of 2009. Okay for Now is every bit as good. Doug, the main character, has a rough family life, a volatile father, one brother in Vietnam and one who is always picking on him, and a loving, but powerless mother. Needless to say, he is rough around the edges, but Marysville, despite his initial disdain for the town, ends up being so very good for him. I couldn't not love this battered kid who has such a good heart and so much potential. Doug's voice is so strong and so funny but also so vulnerable, and it's one of the things that makes Okay for Now poignant and real and amazingly good.

Favorite Contemporary YA Novel: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
 
Most of my reading choices tend to be on the science fiction side, but I went through a Contemporary Young Adult kick at the beginning of the year. I had heard lots of good things about Australian author Melina Marchetta's books, and I think they are all true. Francesca is one of the first girl students at a previously all-boys school. She has been torn away from her friends, she has to deal with these boys that don't want girls mucking up their school, and her mother is suddenly, severely depressed. While Francesca starts out floundering it is such a joy to see her discover herself, make new (real) friends, and grow up. A really lovely story. I resolve to read more of Marchetta this year.

Close Second Favorite: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Favorite Book Club Book: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
 
Henrietta Lacks's cells became the first immortal human cells, HeLa. Those cells helped create the polio vaccine, AIDS and cancer treatments, and were a crucial component of cloning and nuclear research. But Henrietta Lacks had no idea she had "donated" those cells and neither did her children or husband. When they found out, long after Henrietta's death from cervical cancer, that knowledge haunted them. This book is about the cells, the woman, her family, and the author's road to putting the story together. The book is about a fascinating and controversial topic. It made for a great book club discussion.

Favorite Non-fiction Book: The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr
 
The Lost Painting chronicles the events leading to the discovery, in 1993, of a lost painting by Caravaggio, The Taking of Christ. I know I am an art history nerd, but I found this book incredibly suspenseful even though almost all the big discoveries were unearthed in archives (tedious work). The book recounts the contributions of several people, an eminent octogenarian Caravaggio scholar, an Italian art restorer living in Ireland, and a Roman graduate student of art history. Much of the credit for unearthing The Taking's provenance goes to Francesca Cappelletti, the aforementioned grad student, who was in her twenties at the time and a Master's student. Seriously impressive. 

Favorite Audio Books: The Protector of the Small Series by Tamora Pierce
 
I am still working my way through Tamora Pierce's oeuvre. She's written a lot of books. I listened to 10 of them this year alone. Tamora Pierce is now the most read author, by far, on my goodreads' shelf. Of all the Tamora Pierce novels I read this year, I think I loved the Kel books the most. Kel is different than most of the heroes who populate Tamora Pierce's novels. She is a leader who understands strategy and who inspires loyalty. She has wonderful friends. I liked Kel more and more as I read through her series. She is tough. She knows what she wants, and she is talented.

Reading Order: The First Test, Page, Squire, Lady Knight

Favorite Light Read: Anna and the French Kiss  by Stephanie Perkins
 
This book is so utterly charming. I loved Anna. She is so normal. I would like to be her friend. And I loved St. Clair. (Whose first name, Étienne, is my favorite French name! Yes, I have a favorite French name. Have had since high school French class. I know. I am a little odd.) And Paris! The chemistry between Anna and St. Clair is perfect. Their banter is fun, flirty, and witty. This is an endearing story about friends, friendship, love, and courage.

Favorite Series Finale: Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
 
I really liked Incarceron but Catherine Fisher's follow-up novel, Sapphique, absolutely blew me away. This is science fiction/ steampunk/ post-apocalyptic dystopia at its finest. The Realm and Incarceron are never what they appear to be. Fisher has created a world with its own deeply entrenched mythology, yet with tantalizing nods to our own fairy tales and fables that establish a tie to our own time and place. The Sapphique Legend is a masterful creation. I found this book to be utterly magical.
  

Favorite Sequel in an Ongoing Series: River Marked by Patricia Briggs
 
The Mercy Thompson Books just keep getting better and better. This is the sixth book in the series, and so as not to leak any spoilers for those just beginning to read it, I'll just say that reading this book made me want to the read the others in the series all over again. Basically Patricia Briggs writes one of the best paranormal/ urban-fantasy series out there.

Reading Order: Moon Called, Blood Bound, Iron Kissed, Bone Crossed, Silver Borne, River Marked

Favorite Historical Novel: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
 
The Paris Wife is the story of Ernest Hemingway's marriage to his first wife Hadley Richardson, as told from Hadley's perspective. The couple lived in Paris and participated in the burgeoning artistic climate of the post-war period, a time period that is of particular interest to me. The Sun Also Rises might be my favorite book by Hemingway, so it was also interesting to read about the circumstances surrounding it's creation. I think that Paula McLain crafted the book so that Hadley is a very rich and captivating narrator and Ernest is an artist with a vigorous and energetic spirit who, although not without his demons and flaws, is clearly a fascinating person.

  Favorite Science-Fiction/ Historical Novel: Blackout (and sequel All Clear) by Connie Willis

Blackout begins in Oxford in the year 2060 where historians are preparing to time travel to WWII. Once they get there things go awry. Not only do they have to deal with unexpected quarantines, demanding bosses, and all kinds of delays, but also time travel doesn't seem to be function properly. It seems like there are a lot of WWII books out there right now, and some and good and some are not so good. Connie Willis's novel offers a really interesting perspective on the war because the characters have all studied it intensely, and they have insights that the contemporaries do not, and yet they are still unprepared for the harrowing experiences that they face. In some instances knowing more is worse. 

Favorite Fantasy: Starcrossed (and sequel Liar's Moon) by Elizabeth Bunce
 

Here are a couple of books I think deserve more attention. Elizabeth Bunce's novel plunges the reader right into the world she's created, and the reader picks up on its intricacies little by little. This is exactly how I prefer my stories, especially my fantasies. StarCrossed is on par with some of the great fantasy novels. The world building is as intricate as that of Tamora Pierce. The court intrigue is just as fabulous as that of Megan Whalen Turner. The atmosphere of the book is as layered as that of Kristin Cashore. This is high praise. 

Favorite First Book in a New Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

If you are like me you have been hearing all sorts of good things about Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and you know what, they are all true. Everything in this book, from the various settings, our blue-haired heroine, her quirky friends, and even quirkier "family," to the mystery of Karou's origins is fantastically developed. The novel rolls along in this perfect progression, never revealing too much or too little. I particularly loved the beginning of the book. Taylor's blend of the ordinary with the extraordinary has a Neil Gamon-type quality. And that is a huge compliment. 
 

Favorite Steampunk Awesomeness: The Leviathan Series by Scott Westerfeld
 
I loved the Leviathan Series. The books combine a lot of elements that I find really appealing: 1. an alternate history 2. a WWI setting 3. girls disguised as boys 4. steampunk at its finest (seriously the Darwinists creations are just perfection). On top of all of that, these books feature engaging characters and amazing illustrations. They are a fantastical romp around the world, from England and Austria to Switzerland and the Ottoman Empire to Russia and the United States. I'm honestly sad the series is over. I could read more about this amazing setting and the characters who populate it. 

Reading Order: Leviathan, Behemoth, Goliath

Favorite New Release by a Beloved Author: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater 
 
It's no secret that I love Maggie Stiefvater's books. (Just check out last year favorite books and the year before.) When I met Maggie Stiefvater back in back in July she told us that The Scorpio Races was her favorite of all the books she had written but that previously Ballad was her favorite. This bode well because Ballad was also my favorite of Maggie's books. With The Scorpio Races Maggie Stiefvater once again delivers a book that is impossible to read quickly because the language is just too gorgeous to rush. It is a book that sucks you in slowly until you are completely submerged in the atmosphere and characters.

Christmas Extravaganza

The whole family invaded my parents' house for Christmas this year. It was such a great time. My parents really know how to throw a good Christmas. Here's how they do it:

1. Devote lots of attention to the grandkids.

2. Allow your house to become a playground.

The dads turned the couch cushions into a tunnel (B is obsessed with tunnels). The boys loved this game. They also enjoyed running around the family room and throwing themselves on the couch and laughing and laughing. Beckett also played the "Come Back" game with my dad. It involved him running to some not very hidden spot (or climbing behind the couch) and shouting "Come Back, Come Back, Not Again."

3. Visit the Relatives.

We took a trip to Denver to see my Gramma (Gramma Great) and Aunt Patti. The boys loved Patti's preschool room. Beckett and Andrew really enjoyed all the shouting and noise we made during the photo session. Charlie was a little confused by all the commotion.

4. Dress your grandkids alike as often as possible.

Above the boys sport their Christmas Eve outfits. They wore these matching outfits to the Sorenson's Christmas Eve Open House.

Beckett and Andrew wore matching Cars pajamas to bed on Christmas Eve. Beckett was so excited when he opened these pajamas. He immediately said, "put cars on."

 

The cousins looked so cute in their matching sweater vests. They wore them to church on Christmas morning.

5. Be traditional.

 The results of the traditional Christmas cookie baking.

 

The traditional Christmas Eve pajamas presents.

The traditional "down the stairs in youngest to oldest" picture.

The traditional super-stuffed stockings.

And the traditional Christmas night dinner with the Danahers.

Thanks Mom and Dad. I can't imagine a better Christmas.

Beckett Versus Wallace

For years Nate has been saying that he thinks that Beckett looks like a Burt (my mom's family). This Christmas my mom pulled out some pictures of her parents.

Here is a picture of Wallace Burt, my grandfather:

And here is a picture of Beckett from approximately the same age:

Now let's see them side by side:

In these pictures from when Beckett was a little younger, he and his grandfather wear the same expression:

Pretty wild. Especially since I look a lot more like my dad's side of the family than my mom's. I guess those genes were in there somewhere.

White Christmas

We spent Christmas in Colorado with my family and while we were there it snowed. A lot. A white Christmas is not at all a certainty in Colorado (last year it was beautifully warm), and so we ventured out to take advantage of the cold, white stuff.

The dads took the big boys sledding. They pulled them up and down the street and then took them to sled down a hill.

Beckett loved sledding this year. Last year he preferred running around. This year he didn't want to get off the sled.

The cousins took a ride together.

See you later.

Exploring the Woods

One thing we've really enjoyed this Fall are all the walking trails around our house. Beckett loves crossing over the bridges, throwing the leaves, and picking up sticks. He's becoming quite the nature enthusiast.

I think that during this shot he was slamming the stick into the ground and shouting "a-boom." Everything in our house crashes these days.

These next two pictures illustrate the game "Stick up high. Back down." Anything (and I mean anything) can take the place of the stick.

Beckett has a strong desire to climb trees these days.

It's hard to keep up with this speedy kid.

Rockstar Authors

I interrupt the usual Beckett-centric posts to revel in some book-nerd glory.

I've had some pretty stellar author sightings in the last few months. In July a bunch of us went to see Maggie Stiefvater when she came to Kansas City. I first read one of Maggie Stiefvater's books back in 2009, shortly after her first book Lament was published, and I've read every book she's published since. Maggie Stiefvater made my Favorite Reads of the Year List in both 2009 and 2010. She was definitely near the top of my list of "authors I want to meet." Maggie was very funny and told us stories about killing off characters and scrapping entire books much to the dismay of her editor.

I wrangled a bunch of my friends into coming with me to see Maggie. It didn't take too much to convince them. Here's the whole gang waiting in line to get their books signed.

And here we all are with the awesome author trio, Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa Gratton. They were very surprised to see such a big group. We told them it was a book club outing.

As luck would have it Tamora Pierce came to Kansas City shortly after I left. Boo. I wanted to go see her with my friends too. Luckily, I made it to a signing she did in Baltimore a few weeks later.

I was so excited to meet the fabulous Tamora Pierce. She is basically the founder of Young Adult fantasy fiction. She published her first YA novel in 1983. I didn't actually read any of her books until 2009, a glaring hole in my reading history that I quickly rectified as I began to make my way, book by book, through her entire oeuvre. Consequently, Tamora Pierce also made my Favorite Reads of the Year List in 2009 and 2010. (Interesting side note: Maggie Stiefvater and Tamora Pierce are the only authors that share the distinction of having made the list two years running. Check back at the end of the year to see if they make the list three years in a row.)

Tamora Pierce's book signing was actually really small, and that was nice because she was able to be very personable with everyone. She listened to all of our stories about how much we love her books, spoke to each of us individually, and answered all of our questions. The small book venue also gave me the opportunity to meet another author, Diana Peterfreund.

You guys, I have read all of Diana's books too, and she also made my Favorite Reads of the Year List in 2009. (And no every book that I read does not make this list. I just got very, very lucky with book signings this year.) Diana actually came to meet Tamora Pierce herself, and she was right behind me in line. The luck! Hopefully I didn't come across as a crazed fan. Although clearly I am because I recognized her, introduced myself, told her that I frequently read her blog, and asked her to sign a book for me and pose in a picture. Anyway, Diana was very, very nice, and just as thrilled to meet Tammy as I was. She, of course, wanted to thank Tammy for her blurb on Rampant, whereas all I could say to the Grand Dame of YA fantasy was, "I have been listening to your books every night for over two and a half years," but still, shared interest folks.

It was serious book-nerd heaven. And, because everyone who was there was a mega-fan of Tamora Pierce we all had this shared camaraderie that allowed us to easily falling into conversation with one another (mostly about Tammy's books, of course, although I did assure one 24-year-old that she was definitely not the oldest person there).

 

I can think of very few authors I would have rather met. For a book-nerd like me it doesn't get much better than this.