I'm pretty proud of my reading accomplishments this year. I read thirty books and, although it may not seem like a lot, it is to me! Here are all the books I read this year, followed by my "Bookie" awards (think Oscars)!
Any questions? Check out my Goodreads account and friend me to see more recommendations and books I'm dying to read.
Bookie for Making Me Keep the Lights on at Night: The Passage by Justin Cronin
The book is about a vampire apocalypse, but these aren't your Twilight vampires that are taking over the world. One difference? Their teeth are described as being as long as toothpicks. And that's only part of the picture. The book might not seem up my alley, but you'd be surprised. You really become attached to the characters--a colony of people who have survived 100 years after the apocalypse--and follow them as they venture out to look for others like them. (And there's a sequel!)
Bookie for Being a Surprisingly Amazing Book: Tie between Villette by Charlotte Bronte and The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
I love it when I dread reading a book that's required for class, and it actually turns out to be great. Villette was required for my Victorian Lit class, and I spent a whole Saturday in my bed reading the 400-plus page tome. I couldn't wait to see what happened to the main character, a teacher at a foreign all-girls school.
The White Tiger had a similar effect on me. The book is about a boy who rises from the slums of India to become a wealthy entrepreneur. It reminded me of Slumdog Millionaire, yet seemed more realistic. I really was able to understand the caste system in India, and the conditions of those living within it.
Bookie for Being Overrated: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Ugh, I hated this book. Okay, hate is a strong word, but I was expecting so much more of this book due to the glowing reviews I had read of it. The book is told from an eleven-year-old girl's perspective as the world ends due to the rotation of the earth slowing down. It's a genius idea, but the narrative of the young girl brings the whole book down. I feel like having the girl narrate the book was just an excuse for the author to write at a lower level.
Bookie for Not Being Able to Put Down: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
I can't say anything about this book without spoiling it--it's just amazing. The book opens with a husband who's wife has gone missing, and he's the number one suspect. That's all I can say, for the book takes so many twists and turns from there on that I don't want to spoil anything. Just read it!
Other Favorites:
- The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
What were some of your favorite books this year?
