Year-End Wrap Up Post: Best Of Lists, Challenges & Holiday Break

Please excuse the extra-long post but this is an exciting time of year and there's a lot to be shared about this first year (and a half) of book blogging!  I sure hope everyone else's year was as good for reading as mine was.  In a word: Wow!  In just 1 1/2 years of book blogging, the number of books I read (compared to last year, from what I can remember) has increased more than three-fold, and the quality of books read has been incredible, thanks to recommendations from book bloggers and from sucking it up and digging into some classics I would not likely have thought to try.

STATISTICS

Books Read:  56 (40 fiction, 16 nonfiction)
*For a complete list of books read in 2011, see Books Read by Year.
Pages Read:  21 097
Average Page Count:  366 (probably skewed due to the two 1000+ page whoppers in the list)
Shortest Book:  The Old Man and the Sea- Ernest Hemingway (93 pages)
Longest Book:  The Stand- Stephen King (1141 pages)

*Note:  These are only for books that were reviewed in 2011:
A+ Books: 11
A Books:  26 (Very lucky)
B Books:  9
C Books:  4
D Books:  0 (Whew!)
DNFs:  4

Most Read Authors:  Stephen King (8), J.K. Rowling (7), John Irving (2)
Series Read:  Harry Potter (7), 1 each of Kinsey Millhone, Dark Tower, Hitchhikers, Chronicles of Narnia
New (to me) Authors:  Ian McEwan, Alexandre Dumas, Ray Bradbury, Douglas Adams, Khaled Hosseini, David Sedaris, Jeffrey Eugenides, Elie Wiesel, Ernest Hemingway, Daphne du Maurier, Bill Bryson, Frank McCourt, Michael Chabon

BEST OF THE YEAR

Most Surprising (in a good way)
Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury
Going in, I thought this book would have aged terribly.  It definitely hasn't.  An amazing book.

Most Suspenseful
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
Every chapter ended on a cliffhanger!

Funniest
The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams
Caution: Having a drink while reading this book risks having it spurt out your nose :D

Scariest
Various stories from Night Shift and Full Dark, No Stars, both by Stephen King
In short: rats, dead bodies coming to life, finding out your husband is a killer, slimy spiders, killer military toys, walking a 5-inch ledge on a skyscraper's top floor, quit smoking at the expense of your sanity, and mowing the lawn (yup, even that one's scary).

Brainiest
A Short Guide to Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson
The science class everyone should have been in.

Loveliest
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen
This story has stayed with me since I read it.  Beautiful, romantic, funny, what's not to love?

Nostalgic
Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll
I saw the Disney movie countless times as a kid but never read the book.  It was a sweet and
funny read.

FAVOURITES

*Note:  It was impossible to narrow each category down to a single choice.  Forgive the cop-out :)

Favourite Characters:  Col. Brandon (Sense & Sensibility), Noirtier de Villefort (The Count of Monte Cristo), Prof. Snape (Harry Potter series, especially in The Deathly Hallows), Mick Kelly (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter), Hassan (The Kite Runner), Dill (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Favourite Villains:  Zaphrod Beeblebrox (Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy), Annie Wilkes (Misery), Dolores Umbridge (Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix), Dorian Gray (The Picture of Dorian Gray), Mrs. Danvers (Rebecca)

Favourite Series:  Harry Potter, of course!  I had a fantastic time reading the whole series (the last 4 books for the first time).

Favourite Quotations: 
"For you, a thousand times over" - Hassan, The Kite Runner
"To your sister I wish all imaginable happiness; to Willoughby that he may endeavour to deserve her" - Col. Brandon, Sense and Sensibility
"Curiouser and curiouser" - Alice, Alice in Wonderland
"Come back to me" - Celia, Atonement
"'Forty-two,'" said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm." - The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy

TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR

*Note:  These may include books written before (often long before) 2011.

10)  Bag of Bones- Stephen King
9)  The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams
8)  Night- Elie Wiesel
7)  The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini
6)  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas- John Boyne
5)  To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee (this was a re-read but I can't exclude it from the list)
4)  Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury
3)  The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
2)  Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen
...*drumroll please*...
1)  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- J.K. Rowling

LESSONS LEARNED

Always pack a towel--it will become very useful (The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy)
Don't trust a cat with green eyes (Pet Sematary)
Teach recipes in English class (Teacher Man)
A dead dog and a tuba will fit snugly but perfectly in the trunk of a car (Wonder Boys)
*Note:  I sure hope I never have to apply this lesson in my life.
Trust the memory of an elephant (Water For Elephants)
Watch your step lest you tumble down a rabbit hole...then again, go ahead (Alice in Wonderland)

CHALLENGES WRAP-UP

*Special thanks to the hosts:  Sarah, Beth, Katy, Book Vixen & Carolyn :)

This is my first time participating in challenges and I managed to finish all 5 I signed up for.  I found by taking it easy with the number I signed up for (and believe me, it was hard to resist signing up for many, many more!), I could manage them and not feel like every book I read had to apply to one of them.  That right mix of flexibility and structure was just what I needed.

I read 26 books for 4 challenges with specific categories, and of course, all books counted towards the Outdo Yourself challenge.  For a complete list of books read for these challenges, visit my Challenges Checklist.

Back to the Classics
Wow, this was a very successful challenge!  After a couple of false starts on original book choices, I settled in and was not disappointed by any on this list.  I've already signed up for the encore challenge in 2012.
Favourite Book:  How do you choose between the A+s in this list?!

What's in a Name 4
A unique challenge that made me think outside the box to fit the title to the category.  I've already signed up for What's in a Name 5. 
Favourite Book:  A tough choice but I'd have to go with Fahrenheit 451.  It was very ahead
of its time and is important for everyone to read about the scary potential of losing the power and impact of the written word.

1st in a Series (level: Series Lover, 6 books)
This got me to read the entire Harry Potter series and get a jumpstart on The Chronicles of Narnia.  How could I lose? 
Favourite Book:  Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone, an infectious start to a wonderful
series.

Stephen King (level: 6 books, plus 2 more)
Being a huge SK fan since I was a teenager, this was impossible to resist.  I read mostly older books of his with just one new one (I'll get to 11/22/63 next year).
Favourite Book:  Definitely Bag of Bones.  It was unlike any other Stephen King book I've read, surprised me in so many ways and not since The Mist have I read an SK book that stays with me long after reading it.

Outdo Yourself  (level:  I'm on Fire, 16+ more books)
I actually read 36 more books than last year!  My numbers from last year aren't exact, but from memory, I counted 17 books, and this year I read 53.  Yowzah! :D

I'm looking forward to seeing how you all did this year and your reading plans for 2012.  Have a wonderful holiday, enjoy yourself, and keep safe and warm, if you get any snow...remember snow?  It's that white fluff that usually falls sometime in December.  Yeah, I'm starting to forget what it looks like, too, and I live in Canada :D

I will be taking a break from book blogging to relax and enjoy the holidays from now until January 9th.  I may pop on occasionally but won't be doing reviews or memes until then.  I'll return with a book loot post should Santa leave any books under the tree ;)

All the best for a happy holiday and New Year!

November Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

*It's beginning to look a lot like...you know*

Read This Month:  (2)
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers
It- Stephen King (just finished it last night...almost 1100 pages, whew!)

Currently Reading:  (3)
Bag of Bones- Stephen King--starting this today; I must be on a King fix!
U2 by U2- U2 (Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.)--set aside for now; will return to it
My Life- Bill Clinton--will eventually return to

Reviews This Month:  (2)
An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton (A)
The Stand- Stephen King (A)

Other Bookish Things:
I made plans for these 2012 challenges:
Mixing It Up
What's in a Name 5
New Authors
Outdo Yourself
Back to the Classics

Year-to-Date:  (51)  (actually 53, but some reviews are backlogged...again)

October Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

Read This Month:  (5)
Teacher Man- Frank McCourt
(reviews coming soon for these)
An Exaltation of Larks- James Lipton
The Stand- Stephen King
The Count of Monte Cristo- Alexandre Dumas
The Old Man & the Sea- Ernest Hemingway

...and 4 DNFS!

Other Reviews This Month:  (4)
Night- Elie Wiesel (A+)
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen (A) (I also saw the movie--fantastic!)
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot (B)
Pet Sematary- Stephen King (A)

Year-to-Date:  (49)

P.S.  I forgot to list the reviews I did in September, so that's been edited on the September wrap-up post :)

September Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

Yikes, that was a fast month!  You can still see my August wrap-up post on my blog's main page :D  I'll make this a quick post and get caught up on those reviews.

Read This Month:  (4)
Pet Sematary- Stephen King
Paul Simon: A Life- Marc Eliot
Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris
Sense & Sensibility- Jane Austen

Reviews This Month:  (3)
American on Purpose- Craig Ferguson
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas- John Boyne
Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll
Year-to-Date:  (44)

August Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

Summer, summer...where did you go?!  As much as the summer is great for relaxing and catching up on things (like sleep!), the fall season brings about a feeling of refreshment for me--a new school year and an exhilarating push to read even more!

I'm happy to report that I've officially finished the What's in a Name 4 challenge and have surpassed my goal for the Outdo Yourself challenge.  I'm also just 1 book away from finishing the Back to the Classics (On the Road by Jack Kerouac) and Stephen King (The Stand--I'll probably need most of the winter holidays for this one!) challenges with just under 4 months left.  Hooray!  I've enjoyed participating in these challenges and it's motivated me to read books that I've passed up for too long.  Thanks again to all the hosts for your hard work :)

Now for my August stats...

Read This Month:  (5)
Not too shabby :)

American on Purpose- Craig Ferguson (B)--just reviewed today
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas- John Boyne (A+)--review coming soon
Night- Elie Wiesel (A+)--review coming soon
Born Standing Up- Steve Martin (A)--review coming soon
Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll (A+)--review coming soon

Reviews This Month:  (5)
The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde (A)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (#5)- J.K. Rowling (A)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (#6)- J.K. Rowling (A)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (#7)- J.K. Rowling (A+)
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower series, #1)- Stephen King (C)

I caught up on my backlog of reviews from July.  Now I'm behind by 5 books, all of August.  It's the same old story: more reading, less reviewing or more reviewing, less reading.  I think most of us would agree that reading trumps all :)

Year-to-Date:  (40)
I'm setting a goal for myself:  50 by December 31st at 11:59 p.m.  I think I can handle that :D

July Monthly Wrap-Up, YTD & Monday Meme Catch-Up

Once again, my apologizes for being absent this week.  Here's how it is:  August, how I both loathe & adore you--one month closer to the end of summer vacation, yet one month closer to an exciting new school year, a clean slate of teaching...and the possibility of a full-time classroom job *crossing fingers*

My July course is over (whew!) and I've had flexible time to read some great books, including finishing up the Harry Potter series (that was an awesome ride!), so I'm now getting caught up on my reviews. I'm behind 5 books...eek!

I also saw the first 5 HP movies. I started with seeing the first 2 on ABC then I couldn't wait and rented the next 3 on demand. They were so fun--I especially liked how the second movie seemed better than the book.  And (*spoiler alert*) I loved the part in Prisoner of Azkaban where Snape protects Harry, Ron & Hermione, which made me sympathize with him even more. And how terrificly evil was Imelda Staunton as Prof. Umbridge in Order of the Phoenix? My on-demand channel didn't have Half-Blood Prince (grrr...) so I have to wait & see if it comes on soon, then the 2-part Deathly Hallows movies.

So, back to books, here's what I read in July:

Books Read This Month: (6)
The Giver- Lois Lowry (B)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- J.K. Rowling (A)
...and reviews coming soon for:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- J.K. Rowling (A)
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince- J.K. Rowling (A)
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows- J.K. Rowling (A+)
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower series, #1)- Stephen King (C)

I'll post my top 10 HP list as promised once I get the last three reviews up!

Other Reviews This Month:  (1)
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

Books Read So Far in 2011: (35)--which means that I surpassed my Outdo Yourself challenge mark!


Seeing as I missed Monday's meme, here's an up-to-date post:

Read This Week: (2)
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows- J.K. Rowling (A+)
The Gunslinger (Dark Tower series, #1)- Stephen King (C)--ahhh, thank goodness I finished this! I was getting worried.  Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed with this one :(

Currently Reading: (2)
As much as I should pick up a challenge book, a few appear to be downers, so I needed to cleanse my reading palate with something light & fun before dipping into them.

American on Purpose- Craig Ferguson- I love his show! His sense of humour is brilliant compared with other talk show hosts and is more genuine, not so phoney-baloney like other talk show hosts. Very funny memoir so far...not that I expect it to get worse! :P

My Life- Bill Clinton--how does that Aerosmith song go?  "Same old story, same old song & dance"

Other Reviews Written This Week:
None, I'm behind by 5 books :(

Next to Read:
I'm going to try The Boy With the Striped Pyjamas next, then probably Night.  I had forgotten that I chose two books about the Holocaust.  I'm prepared for a sobfest.

Upcoming Event!
It's also 5 days until my one-year blogoversary. I'm sorry I can't finagle a giveaway but I will ask you all to share a book title with a special purpose in the comments. Stay tuned for a post...

Cheers!

June Monthly Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

Here's to June and the jumpstart to a summer of reading!

Books Read This Month:  (4)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- J.K. Rowling (A) (for fun)
A Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson (A) (for What's in a Name 4 Challenge)
Film Flam- Larry McMurtry (C) (for fun)
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee (A+) (for Back to the Classics Challenge)--review coming soon

Other Books Reviewed This Month: (2)
Night Shift- Stephen King (for Stephen King Challenge) (A)--finished in May

Currently Reading: (2)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- J.K. Rowling (for fun)
My Life- Bill Clinton (for fun)

Books Read So Far in 2011: (29)
*DNFs don't count in this total

How was your reading in the month of June?

Monthly Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

Wow, is it time for this already?  Summer must be on its way because my posts have been few and far-between, but my reading totals are looking promising and all challenges seem to be on track...except my poor Back to the Classics Challenge progress bar which I need to get a move on.

Last month, I had a dismal total of 2 books read, the first eating up nearly 3 weeks of time to finish.  May was my "getting back on track" month.  Here's the round-up:

Books Read This Month:  (4)
Rebecca- Daphne du Maurier (for fun) (A)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams (for 1st in a Series challenge) (A)
The Stone Diaries- Carol Shields (for What's in a Name 4 Challenge) (B)
Night Shift- Stephen King (for Stephen King Challenge) (A)--review coming soon

Other Books Reviewed This Month: (2)
The Cider House Rules- John Irving (for fun)--finished in April (B)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- J.K. Rowling (for fun)--finished in April (A)

Currently Reading:  (3)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- J.K. Rowling (for fun)
A Short History of Nearly Everything- Bill Bryson (for What's in a Name 4 Challenge)
My Life- Bill Clinton (for fun)

Books Read So Far in 2011: (25)
*DNFs don't count in this total

How was your reading in the month of May?

Monthly Wrap-Up & Year-to-Date

Boy, that was a fast month!  Thanks to my week off for spring break, I got more reading done this month than last and only second to January (thanks to the Xmas break).  Here's the breakdown:

Books Read This Month (7)--click titles for reviews
Middlesex- Jeffrey Eugenides (A)
Oprah: A Biography- Kitty Kelley (B)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia series, #1) (A)
Fahrenheit 451- Ray Bradbury (A+)
A is For Alibi- Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone series, #1) (A)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter series, #1) (A+)
Misery- Stephen King (A)

Other Books Reviewed This Month (0)
*Retro reviews (for books I've read prior to starting my book blog) are all caught up.

Currently Reading (2)
The Cider House Rules- John Irving
My Life- Bill Clinton

Books Read So Far in 2011 (18)
*DNFs don't count

February Wrap-Up & Year to Date

Boy, with just 28 days, February sure goes by fast!  I was a bit busier with work this month than last but for the shortest month of the year, it wasn't that bad.  Here are my book stats for the month & YTD:

Books Read This Month (4)--click titles for reviews:
Wonder Boys- Michael Chabon
Rabbit, Run- John Updike (for 1st in a Series challenge, 1/6)
The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini (for Back to the Classics challenge, 1/8)
A Twist of Lemmon- Chris Lemmon

Other Books Reviewed This Month (8 + 4 above= 12)
Retro reviews of:
The Stone Angel- Margaret Laurence
The Silence of the Lambs- Thomas Harris
Bridget Jones's Diary- Helen Fielding
I Am Charlotte Simmons- Tom Wolfe
Mystic River- Dennis Lehane
Where the Heart Is- Billie Letts
The Accidental Tourist- Anne Tyler
Deception Point- Dan Brown

Currently Reading (2)
Middlesex- Jeffrey Eugenides
My Life- Bill Clinton

Books Read So Far in 2011:  (11)
(DNFs don't count)

January Wrap-Up & Year to Date

Overall, I had a great month, owing mostly to a slow working month.  Substitute teachers aren't much in demand for a couple of weeks following the holidays, but thankfully things are picking up now.

Here are my book stats for January:

Books Read This Month (8)--click titles for reviews
This Time Together- Carol Burnett (1/6- What's in a Name 4 Challenge)
Full Dark, No Stars- Stephen King (1/6- Stephen King Challenge)
Water For Elephants- Sara Gruen
Earth (The Book)- Jon Stewart & staff of The Daily Show
Atonement- Ian McEwan
Slaughterhouse-Five- Kurt Vonnegut (DNF)
Cloris: My Autobiography- Cloris Leachman
A Prayer For Owen Meany- John Irving (review is coming soon)

Other Books Reviewed This Month (9 + 7 above= 16)
The Poisonwood Bible- Barbara Kingsolver
Last Words- George Carlin
84 Charing Cross Road- Helene Hanff
The Shining- Stephen King
The Dead Zone- Stephen King
The Green Mile- Stephen King
Cell- Stephen King
Girl, Interrupted- Susanna Kaysen
What's It All About?- Michael Caine

Currently Reading (2)
Wonder Boys- Michael Chabon
My Life- Bill Clinton

Books Read So Far in 2011:  7
(DNFs don't count)

For those of you posting a monthly summary, how was your January?