Sum up!: The year of 2012 in books
Cutting it close here, I know, but I finally made my lists of most memorable - for better or for worse - books I read in the year 2012. Trends include embarking upon best-selling trilogies, memoirs, and adventures in sci-fi. Best part? My best-of list is nearly twice as long as my worst-of list.
Best:
Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America - an amazingly silly and goofy little number about a fictional small town featured in Parks & Recreation (9:30/8:30 c Thursday on NBC - why does no one watch this show?). Prepare for a gigglefest.
Shiver - supernatural romance done right. Girl falls for shape-shifting boy; I fall for Stiefvater's lovingly-rendered atmosphere and tone. I've read the sequel and up next is the three-quel.
The Hunger Games - I'm not a complete loyalist of the trilogy - I've yet to pick up the second book - but this was still one of the best sci-fi novels I've ever read. Thoughtful, intelligent, and with an action-based plot, it's entirely engrossing.
The Book Thief -this is, bar none, the most powerful and memorable book I read this year. Death narrates the life of a girl growing up in Germany circa 1940. Out of all these books, this is the one true must-read.
Bossypants - Tina Fey's experience as a comedy writer allows her to really stretch her legs in this memoir. Fans of comedy, Fey's work, and laughing should pick this up.
Lock and Key -probably the best Sarah Dessen book I've read to date, with the possible exception of Along for the Ride. A gracefully written story about a girl with a troubled past who learns to immerse herself in the present. A bit familiar, but nevertheless a joy.
World Without End - Follett's mammoth sequel to Pillars of the Earth, this book is a fictional account of medieval England and the way people like to play politics. The spine is thick, but the story never loses you.
It's Not Like I Planned It This Way -charming in an old-school way, this Alice book marks a turning point in our main character's life and the series itself. Any self-respecting YA reader needs to read this, like, yesterday.
The Education of Temple Fox - a weird and wondrous foray into fantasy-adventure, this book's ambition gels nicely with its universal lessons about love and the role of humanity. If you're looking for something new, this might do ya.
Worst:
Cherry Holler -this is definitely the most lackluster sequel in a year swarming with them. Ave Marie has marriage problems with her blank slate of a husband, and I couldn't be bothered to care. So much for small-town home-spun wisdom.
The Dashwood Sisters' Secrets of Love - yuck. Waste of my time. Neither new nor cute nor funny, this limp update of a Jane Austen classic is fail-tastic.
The Au Pairs -not so much bad as so incredibly, unthinkably boring. Three beautiful girls are surrounded by the beach, rich people, and hot guys. There - you just read the whole book.
Waiting for You - weak and stale, this book did try at certain points for originality, but those moments were too fleeting for me. Colasanti is a successful writer and I begrudge her nothing, but for now I don't care to read her other books.
Haters - let me make this clear: this is not in and of itself a bad book. It does have more color and energy than any of the books on this worst list. But ultimately it disappointed me by not going anywhere substantial with its ideas. It's still worth a read. Just make sure you haven't watched Mean Girls lately so the book doesn't suffer by comparison.
Disappointing Follow-up to a Successful Sci-Fi Trilogy:
Extras - okay, last time I'll pick on this book. But seriously, I think Westerfeld could have taken his Uglies trilogy in a much better direction. The whiny and spineless protagonist nearly ruined the book for me. Having said that, I was happy to see Tally, David, and the recently ex-psycho weirdos/allies.
Classics
Emma - not my favorite Austen novel, but it always makes me think every time I read it. Emma decides to become a matchmaker and proceeds to make the worst couplings imaginable. Family friend Mr. Knightley rolls his eyes in the background while Emma sorts through a couple of her own issues. For those who like British literature, flawed heroines, and complicated romance plots.
Fahrenheit 451 - I'm not trying to make a pun when I say that this story is explosive ("a scorching read" - now that's a pun. But I'm better than that). It really is, though. A fast and furious story about one man's discovery of his soulless society and the books it eschews, its message rings true to anyone with a heart and a brain. Parsing through Bradbury's prose is an exercise in concentration, but it's so worth it. Read, read, read on.
On a more general note, happy New Year! We should all get gold stars for surviving that pesky apocalypse.
Best:
Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America - an amazingly silly and goofy little number about a fictional small town featured in Parks & Recreation (9:30/8:30 c Thursday on NBC - why does no one watch this show?). Prepare for a gigglefest.
Shiver - supernatural romance done right. Girl falls for shape-shifting boy; I fall for Stiefvater's lovingly-rendered atmosphere and tone. I've read the sequel and up next is the three-quel.
The Hunger Games - I'm not a complete loyalist of the trilogy - I've yet to pick up the second book - but this was still one of the best sci-fi novels I've ever read. Thoughtful, intelligent, and with an action-based plot, it's entirely engrossing.
The Book Thief -this is, bar none, the most powerful and memorable book I read this year. Death narrates the life of a girl growing up in Germany circa 1940. Out of all these books, this is the one true must-read.
Bossypants - Tina Fey's experience as a comedy writer allows her to really stretch her legs in this memoir. Fans of comedy, Fey's work, and laughing should pick this up.
Lock and Key -probably the best Sarah Dessen book I've read to date, with the possible exception of Along for the Ride. A gracefully written story about a girl with a troubled past who learns to immerse herself in the present. A bit familiar, but nevertheless a joy.
World Without End - Follett's mammoth sequel to Pillars of the Earth, this book is a fictional account of medieval England and the way people like to play politics. The spine is thick, but the story never loses you.
It's Not Like I Planned It This Way -charming in an old-school way, this Alice book marks a turning point in our main character's life and the series itself. Any self-respecting YA reader needs to read this, like, yesterday.
The Education of Temple Fox - a weird and wondrous foray into fantasy-adventure, this book's ambition gels nicely with its universal lessons about love and the role of humanity. If you're looking for something new, this might do ya.
Worst:
Cherry Holler -this is definitely the most lackluster sequel in a year swarming with them. Ave Marie has marriage problems with her blank slate of a husband, and I couldn't be bothered to care. So much for small-town home-spun wisdom.
The Dashwood Sisters' Secrets of Love - yuck. Waste of my time. Neither new nor cute nor funny, this limp update of a Jane Austen classic is fail-tastic.
The Au Pairs -not so much bad as so incredibly, unthinkably boring. Three beautiful girls are surrounded by the beach, rich people, and hot guys. There - you just read the whole book.
Waiting for You - weak and stale, this book did try at certain points for originality, but those moments were too fleeting for me. Colasanti is a successful writer and I begrudge her nothing, but for now I don't care to read her other books.
Haters - let me make this clear: this is not in and of itself a bad book. It does have more color and energy than any of the books on this worst list. But ultimately it disappointed me by not going anywhere substantial with its ideas. It's still worth a read. Just make sure you haven't watched Mean Girls lately so the book doesn't suffer by comparison.
Disappointing Follow-up to a Successful Sci-Fi Trilogy:
Extras - okay, last time I'll pick on this book. But seriously, I think Westerfeld could have taken his Uglies trilogy in a much better direction. The whiny and spineless protagonist nearly ruined the book for me. Having said that, I was happy to see Tally, David, and the recently ex-psycho weirdos/allies.
Classics
Emma - not my favorite Austen novel, but it always makes me think every time I read it. Emma decides to become a matchmaker and proceeds to make the worst couplings imaginable. Family friend Mr. Knightley rolls his eyes in the background while Emma sorts through a couple of her own issues. For those who like British literature, flawed heroines, and complicated romance plots.
Fahrenheit 451 - I'm not trying to make a pun when I say that this story is explosive ("a scorching read" - now that's a pun. But I'm better than that). It really is, though. A fast and furious story about one man's discovery of his soulless society and the books it eschews, its message rings true to anyone with a heart and a brain. Parsing through Bradbury's prose is an exercise in concentration, but it's so worth it. Read, read, read on.
On a more general note, happy New Year! We should all get gold stars for surviving that pesky apocalypse.
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