2012 Reading Year in Review
I’m going to call it at 49. I’d like to finish one more today, but
suspect I won’t as I have 100 pages to go and 4 bowl games to watch 
ETA: In 2010, I read 40. In 2011, I read 42. This is a definite step up!
2) Did you meet or beat your own personal goal?
No, I was hoping to get to 52, but I’m not disappointed … reading as much as I can manage is my goal.
3) Favorite book of 2012? Yes, you can list more than one and even break it down by genre if you choose.
Favorite Read-Aloud – Little Britches by Ralph Moody.
Favorite History – Evening in the Palace of Reason by James Gaines.
Favorite Parenting – Loving the Little Years and Fit to Burst both by Rachel Jankovic
Favorite Audio Book – The Hobbit read by Rob Inglis
Favorite Education Book – Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
Favorite Memoir (and probably overall favorite) – Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber
4) Least favorite book of 2012 and why?
Either
Lit! by Tony Reinke or Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. Lit! just
wasn’t very engaging or well constructed. It was a bit of a slog. I
was expecting much better after stellar reviews. I also had high hopes
for Edenbrooke, that weren’t met. I was somewhere in the middle – I
didn’t love it as much as Angel and I didn’t dislike it as much as
AggieAmy. Overall, I didn’t have anything in my booklist that was
awful.
Oh, and Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students. It wasn’t very helpful at all.
5) One book you thought you’d never read and was pleasantly surprised you like it?
I would never have selected The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, but it helped me find a new genre I liked: memoir.
6) One book you thought you’d love but didn’t?
Both of my least favorites of 2012 fit this category.
7) One book that touched you – made you laugh, cry, sing or dance.
Surprised by Oxford. I absolutely loved it. I want to be friends with Carolyn Weber.
8) Any new to you authors discovered and you can’t wait to read more of their stories?
I’ll
read anything Carolyn Weber writes. And, not a specific author, but I
plan on continuing to read in the genre of memoir. I really enjoyed
reading about people’s lives this year.
I also read some Sayers mysteries and want to continue. And PG Wodehouse on my Kindle.
9) Name the longest book you read? Shortest?
Shortest is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Longest is probably one of the Howatch books.
10) Name the most unputdownable book you read? 11) Book that had the greatest impact on you this year?; 2) What book would you recommend everybody read? 13) Share your most favorite cover(s)
Surprised by Oxford. I could not keep my nose out of it.
14) Do you have a character you fell in love with?
Bertie & Jeeves, Bunter & Wimsey
15) What was your most favorite part of the challenge? Did you do any of the mini challenges?
I enjoy the camaraderie – even when I’m not reading the same books as
everyone else. I enjoy getting back to reading a lot. I enjoy learning
about books I know I won’t read …
16) What
are your goals for the new year? To read more non fiction? To dip your
toes into a mystery or a urban fantasy or horror or romance? What book
are you most looking forward to reading in 2013?
My goals were to not do any re-reads, but I think I’m going to limit
that because I was given two books for Christmas that will require some
re-reading (Island of the World which was my favorite book of 2011 – and
maybe ever and Publish & Perish which is the third in a series that
I read the first two of many years ago). I’m not going to count any
Heyer, Austen, or Eddings re-reads in 2013 because those are too
easy. I’d like to read more Sayers, finish SWB’s Medieval History
book, read the next one when it comes out. I might do the CSL
challenge. I’d like to re-pre-read Anne of Green Gables because I have
an 8 year old who will be ready in the next year or so.
My complete book list for 2012:
1. Lit! by Tony Reinke
2. Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic
3. Words to Eat By by Ina Lipkowitz
4. How to Tutor Your Own Child by Marina Koestler Ruben
5. Evening in the Palace of Reason by James R Gaines (spectacular)
6. The Cat of Bubastes by GA Henty (Audio from Librivox)
7. The Last Battle by C S Lewis (Audiobook)
8. A Praying Life by Paul E Miller
9. Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students by Christine Fonesca
10. Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody (fantastic read aloud)
11. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
12. The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis
13. How to Write a Sentence by Stanley Fish
14. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
15. The Rich Are Different by Susan Howatch
16. The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer
17. Sylvester by Georgette Heyer
18. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher (great read aloud)
19. Sins of the Fathers by Susan Howatch (wow!)
20. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (very good)
21. Mansfield Parkby Jane Austen (favorite)
22. The Toll Gate by Georgette Heyer
23. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (audio book)
24. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (audio book)
25. Penmarric by Susan Howatch
26. Cashelmara by Susan Howatch
27. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
28. Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
29. Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings
30. Magician’s Gambit by David Eddings
31. Castle of Wizadry by David Eddings
32. Enchanter’s End Game by David Eddings
33. Persuasion by Jane Austen
34. Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber (phenomenal)
35. A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle
36. My Man, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse
37. Right Ho, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse
38. The Summer of the Great-Grandmother by Madeleine L’Engle
39. Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
40. Never Gone by Laurel Garver
41. The Secret of Contentment by William B Barcley
42. A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken
43. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
44. Whose Body? by Dorothy L Sayers
45. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (Audio Book read by Rob Inglis)
46. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (Librivox Recording)
47. Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L Sayers
48. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
49. Fit to Burst: Abundance, Mayhem, and the Joys of Motherhood by Rachel Jankovic