I put off posting this list for several days, because I started reading Lindsey Barraclough's Long Lankin and suspected it might earn a place here if I finished it in time. As it turned out, I didn't even get halfway through before the end of the year, but expect to see Long Lankin on the 2013 list if it keeps going as well as it started.
Note: When I say that these were "the best books I read," I mean that they're the reading experiences I enjoyed the most. Different books on this list serve different purposes, and I try to keep that in mind when I read. That's why Suzanne Collins is next to Dostoevsky. : )
Drumroll, please:
1. All the King's Men
by Robert Penn Warren
I was supposed to read this in one of my last literature classes for university. Not only did I never read it, but I borrowed a copy from my professor to read and never ended up giving it back. I should probably give it back now... Anyway, this is a fantastic book, if not necessarily uplifting. Very lyric, atmospheric, tragic. Expect the kind of racism and sexism typical of the Deep South in the 1930s, but otherwise enjoy.
I was supposed to read this in one of my last literature classes for university. Not only did I never read it, but I borrowed a copy from my professor to read and never ended up giving it back. I should probably give it back now... Anyway, this is a fantastic book, if not necessarily uplifting. Very lyric, atmospheric, tragic. Expect the kind of racism and sexism typical of the Deep South in the 1930s, but otherwise enjoy.
Edited by Rich Horton
4. Among Others
by Jo Walton
A melancholy meditation on the aftermath of death. It's not overtly fantasy till the end, and I actually like the understated magic of the beginning better. Still, the writing is excellent, and I really enjoyed it.
A melancholy meditation on the aftermath of death. It's not overtly fantasy till the end, and I actually like the understated magic of the beginning better. Still, the writing is excellent, and I really enjoyed it.
5. The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas
Started reading this in high school, got halfway through, put it down, and didn't pick it up again till this year. I think what distracted me was that the second half of the novel was VERY different from the first--much darker, with a focus much more on revenge and punishment than on swashbuckling adventures. Someday I'll get around to reading the rest of the D'Artagnan books.
Started reading this in high school, got halfway through, put it down, and didn't pick it up again till this year. I think what distracted me was that the second half of the novel was VERY different from the first--much darker, with a focus much more on revenge and punishment than on swashbuckling adventures. Someday I'll get around to reading the rest of the D'Artagnan books.
6. The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
Took me forever to read these, largely because I thought from the marketing that they were aimed at ten-year-old boys. Brittany gave me an extra copy, and I was hooked.
Took me forever to read these, largely because I thought from the marketing that they were aimed at ten-year-old boys. Brittany gave me an extra copy, and I was hooked.
7. The Idiot
by Zadie Smith
I debated whether to keep this on the list, because overall the way it mostly made me feel was... uncomfortable. It's one of those books where ordinary people do horrible things to each other and suffer the consequences. The writing is exquisite, though, and I'm eager to read more of hers, so on the list it stays.
I debated whether to keep this on the list, because overall the way it mostly made me feel was... uncomfortable. It's one of those books where ordinary people do horrible things to each other and suffer the consequences. The writing is exquisite, though, and I'm eager to read more of hers, so on the list it stays.
12. Chronicle of a Death Foretold
by Gabriel García Márquez
Another for the Classics book club. This is the first García Marquez I've read, and it's just fun. It should be sad, really--the premise is sad, and a lot of the things that happen are sad--but there's a love story involving letters that I really enjoyed, and somehow all the characters (or all the ones I can remember) were sympathetic for me. Definitely going back for more of his.
13. Silver Sparrow
Another for the Classics book club. This is the first García Marquez I've read, and it's just fun. It should be sad, really--the premise is sad, and a lot of the things that happen are sad--but there's a love story involving letters that I really enjoyed, and somehow all the characters (or all the ones I can remember) were sympathetic for me. Definitely going back for more of his.
by Tayari Jones
I had the opportunity to attend a reading by Ms. Jones at Quail Ridge Books a few months ago, and she was a terrific reader--engaging, funny, and completely gracious. This book, which is about the two teenaged daughters of a bigamist, is beautifully written, clear, and melancholy.
I had the opportunity to attend a reading by Ms. Jones at Quail Ridge Books a few months ago, and she was a terrific reader--engaging, funny, and completely gracious. This book, which is about the two teenaged daughters of a bigamist, is beautifully written, clear, and melancholy.
14. Sacred Games
by Vikram Chandra
I started reading this book in 2007, when I was working at Borders. I was only a few dozen pages in when I moved to Korea, and didn't buy a copy to take with me. The story stuck with me, and I kept looking for a copy in the few English-language bookstores in Seoul (I could have ordered it, but wasn't quite that invested yet). When I came home, I ordered a copy almost immediately.
It's amazing. Definitely a book to get lost in. It tells two main stories--one epic in scale--and several shorter ones that stand on their own beautifully as short stories and novellas. The book itself is cumbersome--I read it as a hardback--and you have to flip back and forth a lot to the not-terribly-helpful glossary, but it's absolutely worth a read.
15. Brighton Rock
I started reading this book in 2007, when I was working at Borders. I was only a few dozen pages in when I moved to Korea, and didn't buy a copy to take with me. The story stuck with me, and I kept looking for a copy in the few English-language bookstores in Seoul (I could have ordered it, but wasn't quite that invested yet). When I came home, I ordered a copy almost immediately.
It's amazing. Definitely a book to get lost in. It tells two main stories--one epic in scale--and several shorter ones that stand on their own beautifully as short stories and novellas. The book itself is cumbersome--I read it as a hardback--and you have to flip back and forth a lot to the not-terribly-helpful glossary, but it's absolutely worth a read.
15. Brighton Rock
by Graham Greene
A third for the Classics book club. I'd never read Graham Greene before, and wasn't really sure what to expect. The writing in this book is amazing--the prose is clear and evocative, and the characterization is brilliant. Am absolutely going to read more of his.
A third for the Classics book club. I'd never read Graham Greene before, and wasn't really sure what to expect. The writing in this book is amazing--the prose is clear and evocative, and the characterization is brilliant. Am absolutely going to read more of his.
16. Mockingjay
by Suzanne Collins
You may notice that Catching Fire isn't on this list. While I enjoyed Book 2 in this series, I didn't think it was quite as exceptional as Books 1 and 3. Mockingjay is a totally different kind of story from The Hunger Games. Though it's about the same length, it covers a much longer time period, and the story is much larger in scale. The Hunger Games deals with survival, while Mockingjay deals mostly with survivor's guilt. It's not a perfect story, by any means, but it's definitely intriguing, and (aside from the epilogue, which didn't really work for me) was a great wrap-up for the trilogy.
You may notice that Catching Fire isn't on this list. While I enjoyed Book 2 in this series, I didn't think it was quite as exceptional as Books 1 and 3. Mockingjay is a totally different kind of story from The Hunger Games. Though it's about the same length, it covers a much longer time period, and the story is much larger in scale. The Hunger Games deals with survival, while Mockingjay deals mostly with survivor's guilt. It's not a perfect story, by any means, but it's definitely intriguing, and (aside from the epilogue, which didn't really work for me) was a great wrap-up for the trilogy.
17. The Demon's Lexicon
by Sarah Rees Brennan
Read this in preparation for YALLFest, and adored it. The dialogue's witty, the story is exciting, and the prose is really good. One of the best YA books I read this year.
Read this in preparation for YALLFest, and adored it. The dialogue's witty, the story is exciting, and the prose is really good. One of the best YA books I read this year.
18. The House of the Scorpion
by Nancy Farmer
For some reason I thought this was a recent release, but it actually came out in 2002. It sort of bridges the gap between MG and YA, and presents really dark subject matter in a very approachable way. I thought the premise was a little unbelievable (why clone a whole body for organs when you can just clone organs?) but a lot of the worldbuilding--the environmental devastation, the chip-controlled zombies--seemed very plausible, and on the whole I really enjoyed the book. Will have to reread The Ear, The Eye and the Arm, which I read in middle or high school and absolutely loved, and see how it stands up.
For some reason I thought this was a recent release, but it actually came out in 2002. It sort of bridges the gap between MG and YA, and presents really dark subject matter in a very approachable way. I thought the premise was a little unbelievable (why clone a whole body for organs when you can just clone organs?) but a lot of the worldbuilding--the environmental devastation, the chip-controlled zombies--seemed very plausible, and on the whole I really enjoyed the book. Will have to reread The Ear, The Eye and the Arm, which I read in middle or high school and absolutely loved, and see how it stands up.
19. The Demon's Covenant
by Sarah Rees Brennan
A very worthy sequel to The Demon's Lexicon. It was a bit of a whiplash effect suddenly being in Mae's head, but I got used to her quickly and really enjoyed her story. Looking forward to reading the conclusion of the trilogy.
20. Possession
by A.S. Byatt
A very worthy sequel to The Demon's Lexicon. It was a bit of a whiplash effect suddenly being in Mae's head, but I got used to her quickly and really enjoyed her story. Looking forward to reading the conclusion of the trilogy.
20. Possession by A.S. Byatt
This was absolutely incredible. I first heard about Possession in the English department, I think, while I was a university student. Not surprising that English majors and professors should be talking about it! I definitely had it in mind as a long-term want-to-read (or even as a should-read) but didn't bump it up my list until I got a copy from Brittany in the same lot as The Hunger Games. Only recently got around to it, and... it's amazing. One of the best books I've ever read. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in English literature.
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And that's it! What were your top reads in 2012? Have you read any of these--and, if so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments!
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And that's it! What were your top reads in 2012? Have you read any of these--and, if so, what did you think? Let me know in the comments!
I've heard Among Others is excellent. Strongly disliked Princess of Roumania (awesome beginning, then all those tedious internal monologues). Enjoyed Three Musketeers but I still think Count of Monte Cristo is Dumas' best work.-Fraser
ReplyDeletePeople (esp. Mary, below!) keep telling me that The Count of Monte Cristo is amazing. I read recently that it was based on the author's father, too! Will definitely have to get to it.
DeleteI'm with Fraser -- I enjoyed Three Musketeers but Monte Cristo is just EPIC.
ReplyDeleteI saw the Akira Kurosawa adaptation of "The Idiot" so does that count for something? ^.^; -Mary
I'll have to read it! I think you recommended it to me years ago.
DeleteKurosawa did The Idiot? I bet that's interesting.