Hey There! It’s crazy that the year is coming to a close. Where does time go, really? I think consider that thought every day when I realize that it is, yet again, almost seven o’clock and that means dinner time! I don’t know why I’m surprised every day, but goodness! Time just escapes me. And now we’re flying into December which, for obvious reasons, is my most favorite month of the year. (I can’t WAIT to get that Tannenbaum tomorrow!)
Since the year is nearly coming to a close I got to thinking about some of the books I’ve read this year. Ohh, I just can’t read enough!! Know what I mean? There are so many great books out there--ones awaiting me on the shelf, and ones yet to be discovered.
When I was journaling the other night I realized that I will pass from this earth without ever having read all of the books that I want to read. Scary thought! Not to get you in a down mood, voracious readers, but it kind of hit me and made me sad. Weird concept, don’t you think? But after journaling I just picked up The Great Gatsby that I was reading for the first time and felt much better. I was whisked off to the roaring 20s and enjoyed it. I can’t read all the books I want, but I can read as many as I can!
So as I run through my list of read books for 2012 so far, I thought I’d share my five favorites of the year (in no particular order).
Perhaps you’ll be struck by the book bug and want to pick one of these up for yourself as you begin your 2013 reading goals. I highly recommend it.
PS:Goodreads is a great site to keep track of your reading lists, as is THIS super cool Moleskin journal that I bought a few weeks ago. I get to keep track of all of the books that I’ve read and when, the books I want to read, and I can rate them, write down favorite quotes… It’s awesome! This is one of my favorite things in my bookshelf now. Well, that and my Emily Giffin collection, my hardcover Harry Potter set, The Great Gatsby, my Mireille Guiliano books… Okay. I best stop. Here’s the list!
1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I never had the chance to read this when most kids do in high school or college. It is now among the top ten favorite books I’ve ever read. This is heralded as Fitzgerald’s piece of genius for obvious reasons. All I can say is: pick it up. It sucks you in. I even randomly started reading a few pages from the middle to my husband and he was entertained.
2. Laughing Without an Accent: Adventures of an Iranian American, at Home and Abroad, by Firoozeh Dumas
She’s hilarious. I’ve never laughed out loud so often when reading before I picked up this gem. Her adventures of life as an Iranian American are written with so much humor and thought and love. It’s fab! This is how I want my travelogue writing to entertain.
3. 11/22/63, by Stephen King
I am very interested in the life (and death) of President Kennedy, so when I heard that King had written a time-travel book with a JFK background, well, I was sold. It’s a page-turner and worth every penny!
4. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, by Sophie Kinsella
I’m a chick lit author, primarily, yet Kinsella (the Princess of Chick Lit) was not in my bookshelf. <Gasp!> The second one in her Shopaholic series, this one here—which takes place in NYC as opposed to London as in book one—is so much fun. The first book is great, too, but this second one really just captured me. Maybe because I have a desperate desire to some day visit NYC and this filled that void…although only temporarily. ;) I do suggest reading the Shopaholic books in order if you’re interested in testing the series out.
5. Le Divorce, by Diane Johnson
I had to read this in college for a modern lit class, but with the usual time pressure to read three or four novels a week, I obviously didn’t get a chance to enjoy this book. And boy-oh-boy is it a great read. I’m glad I dusted it off. There’s a film adaptation, too, and I saw that after I read the book. But, as they say: The book is always better. The film’s fun, but, seriously, the book tops it. It’s written very intelligently and beautifully, sometimes making me feel like I was reading an Austen book. And, if Paris is your cup of tea then you can’t beat Le Divorce.
In my next blog post I’ll share the top 5 books that I’m looking forward to reading in 2013.
I’ll also share my NaNoWriMo experience in my next blog post. I wanted to in this one, seeing how I’ve just completed the writing challenge, but since this post is growing, I’ll say toodle-oo for now.
And, hey, if you want to drop me a comment letting me know what your favorite reads of 2012 are, I would LOVE to hear! I’m always looking for books to weigh down my crammed shelf or fill my Kindle.
Happy Reading!
Note: A portion of all of my book sales in November and December will be donated to the American Red Cross for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Because every little bit helps.