2011 My Look at the Books

This year, I managed to read a few more books than I have in previous years. While my list still might not be very long, I resolve to get better! Now that I have me a new Kindle Fire, I anticipate that I will have a few more books next year.
During my last few weeks of my collegiate career, I was one day visiting with one of my fraternity brothers. He was an English/Literature Major of some sort and I asked him: "What are some of the classic books that I need to read." He took about 20 minutes and wrote me a list of about 20-25 books that he thought would be good books for me. That list has long disappeared, but I have told myself that I need to read at least one book a year that is considered "A Classic". This year I chose: "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I have to preface this by saying, in my AP English class, this was one of the books we were assigned to read. I passed the class, but have absolutely no recollection of the story. (Sorry Whicker) Which might be why I picked it as my read this year. I thought the book was a good read. I can see why it is considered a classic, but wonder if it were written today if it would have the same connotation? I will be brutally honest, the entire time I read the book, I picture Robert Redford as Gatsby. Pretty certain he portrayed Gatsby in the movie version. Definitely not a light read, but it is a good one.

Without a doubt, "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak was my favorite book of the year. It is not for the faint of heart. Narrated by "Death" this book tells the story of Liesel Meminger and her life living in Nazi Germany. It's a fairly heavy book, but it is definitely worth the read. So, what are you waiting for? Buy it already!

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett gave me a view into a life that fortunately I will never experience. I started reading the book because it was showing me a side of history that I was unfamiliar with. As it turned out, I enjoyed the book, fell in love with some of the characters and still have a bitter feeling about some of the others. If you are waffling between the movie and the book, read the book, so much better.

I kicked off my summer reading list with" The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. I am glad I did! It definitely got me into the mode of reading each night. I couldn't wait to see what happened next to Katniss and how she would outsmart her opponents. Another must read! I am anxious, nay I am excited for this movie to come out. Come one Hollywood, don't disappoint!

It took me a few chapters to really get into "Heresy" by S.J. Parris. I was really at the verge of setting it down and moving onto my next book. I decided to give it one more try and I was hooked! Set in the late 1500's when learning was reserved for a select few, this story takes place at Oxford and is a clever murder mystery. A rather enjoyable read.

A gift from my good friend Natalie was "Along Came a Spider" by James Patterson. This is his first novel in the Alex Cross series and is definitely the reason why there are about a dozen books in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am ready to move onto the next Alex Cross novel.

I hope I have inspired you to read a little more, or maybe pick up one of the books I have listed. What books am I missing? Do I need to put something on my list for next year? I would love to hear what you think.