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!

Thinking About Challenges...

Believe it or not, 2012 reading challenges are a-coming :)  So far, it looks like two challenges I participated in this year are coming back in the new year:

The Book Vixen is once again hosting the Outdo Yourself challenge, which is a no-brainer to join as I'm constantly trying to read more.  I read so much more this year with starting up my book blog than I ever have and I'm gearing up for even more in 2012.  My initial goal will be Out of Breath (6-10 more books), considering my year-end total will probably be in the 50s or 60s.

Sarah @ Sarah Reads Too Much will soon be announcing details for an encore of Back to the Classics.  Yay!  I really loved that challenge.  It definitely got me off my behind and in gear to read older books I've always wanted to absorb but don't have the incentive to get to.  Can't wait for the new categories!

So that's two challenges I'm signing up for.  I think I will stick to a small, manageable number of challenges so I'm not restricted to a book list and have room for my spontaneous side.  Maybe two or three more...

As for my 2011 challenges....*drumroll please*...ALL DONE!  Yay!  I still have a few reviews to write but having read The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway for the last Back to the Classics category in just one sitting, I'm officially finished.  Of course, my total for the Outdo Yourself challenge will continue until December 31st at midnight ;)

I'm planning a wrap-up post to conclude and celebrate the end of my 2011 challenges.  This is where I need your help.  As some of you may already know, this is the first year I've participated in reading challenges (seeing as the blog itself is just 14 months old) and I'm not too sure what this post should be like. 

Do you have any ideas or topics of interest that might be good for a challenge wrap-up post?

Also, is it customary to post it near the end of the year or can it go up any time?

Please post ideas in the comments.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts :)  I'd also love to hear about any 2012 reading challenges you think I'd like to participate in.

Thanks!

2-in-1 Challenge Wrap-Up Post

Hosted by Katy @ A Few More Pages

I met my goal:  6/6 books (Series Lover)

Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter series) (re-read) (A+)
The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia series) (A)
Rabbit, Run by John Updike (Rabbit series) (C)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's series) (A)
The Gunslinger by Stephen King (Dark Tower series) (overlaps with Stephen King challenge) (C)
A is For Alibi by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone series) (re-read) (A)


Favourite book of this challenge:  Harry Potter!

Hosted by Beth @ What's in a Name 4

I met my goal:  6/6 books

Book With a Number:  Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (A+)

Book With Jewelry or a Gem:  The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields (B)

Book With a Size:  A Short Guide to Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (A)

Book With Travel or Movement:  This Time Together by Carol Burnett (B)

Book With Evil:  A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving (A)

Book With a Life Stage:  The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne (A+)

Favourite book from this challenge:  Very close; either Fahrenheit 451 or The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Quarterly Challenges Update

Since it's the end of March and the year's challenges are a 1/4 of the way through for 2011, I thought I would do a check-in with you to let you know where I'm at and to see where "you at" :)

So...as you can see by my challenge progress bars at right, here's my progress from January 1st-March 31st on my measly 5 challenges...not to say the challenges themselves are measly (far from it) but to self-mock my wimpiness when it comes to first-time challenge participation :D

For more details on books read & TBR, see my Challenges Checklist.

Back to the Classics--hosted by Sarah @ Sarah Reads Too Much
Progress:  3/8--could be better; I blame the couple of switcheroos on planned books I had to make
Read:  Banned Book, Pulitzer Winner/Runner-Up, 21st Century Classic
TBR:  Wartime Book, Children's/YA Classic, 19th Century Classic, 20th Century Classic, Book Reread From H.S./College

What's in a Name 4--hosted by Beth @ Beth Fish Reads (linked to the challenge page)
Progress:  3/6--not bad, getting there...
Read:  Book With a Number, Book With Travel/Movement, Book With Evil
TBR:  Book With Jewelry/Gem, Book With a Size, Book With a Life Stage

1st in a Series--hosted by Katy @ A Few More Pages
Goal:  Series Lover (6 books)
Progress:  4/6--almost there!
Read:  Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, Rabbit, Run, A is For Alibi
TBR:  Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Gunslinger

Stephen King--hosted by Carolyn @ Book Chick City
Goal:  6 books
Progress:  2/6--slow-going; I love Stephen King but variety is the spice of book blogging life :)  The Stand is going to be the biggest hurdle!
Read:  Full Dark, No Stars, Misery
TBR:  The Stand, The Gunslinger, Night Shift, Pet Sematary

Outdo Yourself--hosted by Brianna @ Book Vixen
Goal:  Breaking a Sweat (11-15 more books)--last year, I only read 18 (that I remember)
Progress:  18/33--just over halfway; I've already matched last year's total & it's only March, so I'm celebrating so far ;)


How are your challenges coming along?  Is it smooth sailing or hard going?  Any suggestions for further challenges I could join when my other ones are finished?

The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini

Purchase:  Amazon | Chapters

Published:  2003
Pages:  391
ISBN:  9780385670968
Genre:  Literary Fiction

Start Date:  Feb. 12, 2011
Finished Date:  Feb. 20, 2011 (9 days)

Where Found:  Chapters-Indigo
Why Read:  On my TBR list, had loads of positive reviews, liked the movie version

Read for:  Back to the Classics challenge (possible 21st century classic) (1/8)

Summary:  In the winter of 1975 in Afghanistan, a young, privileged boy with a tendency for testing the bounds of his friendship with the son of his father's servant witnesses a terrible crime committed against his friend, and the guilt of this knowledge carries with him as he attempts to build a new life in America.

Review:

As I read this book, I was initially struck by its simplicity, which becomes a clever deception in that it soon barrels forward, unfolding more and more complicated layers over time and space, as events from the past are carried into the future, affecting every character in profound ways.  It is remarkably coincidental that I had recently read Atonement by Ian McEwan, as the books have strikingly similar themes of redemption for a single error in judgment during childhood that resonates over time, influencing major future decisions, remaining everpresent in the conscience of Amir (in The Kite Runner) and Briony (in Atonement).

What separates the two books is Khaled Hosseini's deep exploration of a meaningful friendship, the kin of brotherhood, and the extent of a person's love over social, political and geographical realms.  A beautiful quotation provides the greatest insight to these themes: "For you, a thousand times over."  Descriptive images of brightly coloured kites, a pasttime that both brings the friends together and tears them apart, provides a perfect metaphor for their relationship: the kites soar to the highest highs, dip to the lowest lows, struggle in complicated tangles, and fight to cut each other down, echoing the trials of a wavering relationship amid jealousy, fear, class, and favourtism deepened by hurtful family secrets.

Khaled Hosseini delights in sharing customs of Afghani culture and Muslim faith, patiently and intricately telling a tale that rings true in both Western and Eastern nations, while attempting to bridge a gap riddled with conflicts of war, tension, racism, cultural & religious persecution, and difference.  Writing for the most part through a lens of childhood creates a gentle, peaceful route to a greater understanding between West and East amidst growing suspicions and misunderstandings in a post-9/11 world.

Rank:  (A+)- Excellent, A Must-Read

Challenge Book Update

I purchased these challenge books today:

The Gunslinger (#1- Dark Tower series)- Stephen King- for Stephen King & 1st in a Series challenges

A is For Alibi (#1- Kinsey Millhone series)- Sue Grafton- a re-read for the 1st in a Series challenge

Middlesex- Jeffrey Eugenides- for Back to the Classics challenge (Pulitzer Prize winner)

Also, I'm noticing lots of Harry Potter activity on the blogosphere lately and am going to change an entry in my 1st in a Series challenge books so I can start re-reading the HP series, a quest that will probably take a couple of years but I'm excited to revisit them, and finish off reading the entire series as I've only read the first 3 books (even though I have #4, I never finished it).  Note that the title is often called HP & the Sorceror's Stone, except in Canada & the U.K.  So I'll be substituting:

Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter series) by J.K. Rowling

over

The Bourne Identity (Jason Bourne series) by Robert Ludlum

More Challenge Switcheroos

Ugh...here's the dilemma:

Early poll results for my Back to the Classics Challenge books gave top votes to Anna Karenina and Gone With the Wind for my 19th century classic and wartime reads (respectively).  My issue is that both are incredibly long books and I keep forgetting that this challenge runs until June (not December).  I intend to read both this year but I can't fit in both before June as well as my other BTTC Challenge books...which I haven't even started yet (after Slaughterhouse-Five became a DNF & was swapped for Cujo), unless I intentionally set myself up to fall short on completing the challenge.  That doesn't sound so appealing. 

So...since book choices aren't carved in stone, I'm going to switch them up for this challenge:

Wartime Book:
From Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell to Night by Elie Wiesel

19th Century Classic:
From Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy to The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Ah, that will be a more manageable balance for me for the next few months.  Whew...!

2011 Challenges Summary

I'm all challenged out...5 is my limit for my first year doing these!  I think this will be a good test of my stamina & ability to set & achieve goals for myself.

As for the Back to the Classics Challenge polls, sorry I'm cutting it short, but despite posting earlier that they'll be open until the 21st, I'm closing them now because I haven't seen much activity on them recently & I have adequate leads on most of them.  Plus, I'm likely going bulk book shopping on Monday & should get my challenge books together!  There was just one tie for the 19th century classic, so I decided to choose the tiebreaker.  Thanks to all who voted :)

So, here is a summary of challenges I've officially joined & the books I intend to read for them:

Total Challenge Books:  23, including 2 re-reads (2 books also overlap)--should not be a problem :)

Banned Book:  Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Wartime Book:  Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Pulitzer (Fiction) Winner/Runner-Up:  Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Children's/YA Classic:  The Giver by Lois Lowry

19th Century Classic:  Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (tiebreaker)

20th Century Classic:  On the Road by Jack Kerouac

21st Century Classic?:  The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Book Reread From H.S./College:  To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Book With a Number:  Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (overlap with Back to the Classics)

Book With Jewelry or a Gem:  The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields

Book With a Size:  A Short Guide to Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Book With Travel or Movement:  This Time Together by Carol Burnett

Book With Evil:  A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving

Book With a Life Stage:  Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

My Current Level:  Series Lover (6 books)

1)  The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum (Jason Bourne series)
2)  The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia series)
3)  Rabbit, Run by John Updike (Rabbit series)
4)  Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's series)
5)  The Gunslinger by Stephen King (Dark Tower series) (overlaps with Stephen King challenge)
6)  A is For Alibi by Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone series) (re-read)






My Current Level:  Breaking a Sweat (11-15 more books)

I'm sitting in the 30s for the year and have only been blogging since August, so I can almost guarantee that I'll do better in 2011 :D






My Current Level:  6 books

1)  The Stand
2)  Full Dark, No Stars
3)  Cujo
4)  Night Shift
5)  Misery
6)  Dark Tower series- I'll start with book 1 & see how many I can get through (there are 7 so far) (overlaps with 1st in a Series challenge)