2011 Bookshelf In Review

I didn't do as good a job this year as I wanted on writing about all the books I read over the year, so I thought I'd just make one big list here of all the books I read and make some comments about them. Some of these I've blogged about earlier in the year. As a side note, I love the website goodreads.com, which allows me to keep track of books I've read, books I want to read, and to find good recommendations. In 2011 I read a total of 26 books - I think I'm going to try and beat that in 2012. Anyway, here's the list, in a somewhat chronological order of when I read them thorughout the year:

• Shanghai Girls, by Lisa See: Second book by Lisa See I've read (the other being Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) both of which I enjoyed.
• The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins: These books were as addicting as crack, or Thin Mints. I am entirely geeked for the movie coming out this spring.
• Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers: A classic read I needed to pick up again.
• The Help, by Katherine Stockett: I actually listened to this as an audio book, based on a recommendation I read on someone else's blog. Loved it as an audio book, and thought the story itself was amazing. I've not seen the movie, and I don't know that I really want to, as I sometimes get disappointed with how movies portray books that I really like.
• Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand: Hands down, one of the best books I read this year. This needs to be a must-read for everyone.
• Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate, by Jerry Bridges: A good, convicting read about confronting in our daily lives "little sins", or things we wouldn't even necessarily consider to be sin, like anxiety, discontentment, unthankfulness; a good reminder of our call to live lives of holiness in every area.
• Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte: I read this because of the movie that came out about it in 2011, which I have yet to see. This book took me a while to get through, as is the case with most classic literature. I always walk away feeling very cultured when reading an old-school classic like this.
• Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro: This book was kind of a disappointment. I wasn't really able to get into it that much.
• The Prodigal God, by Tim Keller:  Another "best book" of the year. The way Keller puts a new light on the story of the prodigal son will stick with me. It not only gave a new perspective on this oft-told biblical story, but is a reminder of how the Gospel needs to infiltrate every area of  my life.
• Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese: I was apprehensive about picking up this book, as it had been an Oprah book club book, and I generally try to avoid her book club picks, mostly on principle. I made an exception here, and am glad I did. 
• Under the Banner of Heaven, by John Krakuer: Fascinating look inside Fundamental Mormonism.  Makes me want to read more of his stuff. 
• Tramp for the Lord, by Corrie Ten Boom: Great, inspiring read recommended to me by my sister. We should all have the same faith and trust in the Lord as Corrie! 
• Seabiscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand: Considering how much I enjoyed her other book, and the fact that this was a hit movie, I had high hopes for this book. I was a bit disappointed, as I found the book to be kind of hard to get through. The beginning and the end of the book were the best parts...the middle part seemed long. 
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer: Fun read, highly recommended. 
• What Women Fear: Walking in Faith That Transforms, by Angie Smith: I picked this book up based on little more than a review I had read about it on a blog. It was okay - it didn't pack quite as big a punch as I was hoping for, but had good tidbits in it nonetheless.
• The Harry Potter Series, by J.K. Rowling: Yes, I re-read all seven of the Harry Potter books again this year. Having seen the last movie earlier in the year, I wanted to re-read the last book. But, come on, you can't really just jump into this series at the end. Like the other times I've read them, they never fail to satisfy.
• Middlesex, by Jeffery Eugenides: I picked this book up because it was set in Detroit/Grosse Point, Michigan. It's an...interesting....book, to say the least. I'm not entirely sure if I liked it or not. Probably more "not". 
• Obsessed, by Ted Dekker: Dekker is a Christian author who writes suspense/mystery/action stories, which I had hoped would be a nice change of pace from a lot of women Christian authors who write romance/historical romance/Christian emotional "porn" (a thought that maybe deserves its own post). I was disappointed by this book. The premise of the story was good, but it became way too far-fetched. What really put me over the edge though, was how the main character fell immediately, irrevocably, head-over-heels in love with a woman he just met (and she too with him). The worst line of the book? When describing what this woman looked like, it was said she "had skin live a dove". What? She was covered in feathers? This was just too stupid, and make the rest of the book go downhill from there.

I may have missed one or two, but for the most part I think this covers it. Overall, as satisfying book year. I'm looking forward to my 2012 reading!