2012 Top Reads of the Year

 This is the 3rd installment in the Outlander series and is my favorite so far.  This one had a little bit of everything.  I am planning on finishing the Outlander books that are currently out this year so I can get ready for the new one.  I don't think I'll ever get enough of Jamie and Claire!

 This is classic historical fiction at its best!  Katherine tells the story of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt who had a love affair that lasted for decades.  It wasn't all roses though and this book sucked me right into their story.  So many people had recommended this one to me over the past couple of years and they were right!  Even though this book is not a light read I was sorry to see it end.

 Here is another one that everyone and their mom has read but I somehow never got around to.  Although it dragged for me here and there the characters (especially Prior Philip and Jack) grew on me and by about half way through I couldn't put it down.  This is one of my longest reads of the year (almost 1,000 pages!) but I'm glad I took the plunge and read it.  I have World Without End on my TBR for this year and I'm hoping its just as good.

 I really loved this historical mystery and I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.  Although the mystery itself was a good one, it was the main characters of anatomist Gabriel Crowther and fiesty Harriet Westerman that really sold the story for me. The back and forth exchanges between these two and the multiple twists thrown into the story kept me flying through the pages to see who the culprit was.  Gabriel and Harriet might even be one of my favorite pairings (after Jamie and Claire and Lady Julia and Brisbane).

 I have recommended this book to so many people this year.  I absolutely loved the story of sisters Marguerite who becomes Queen of France and Eleanor who becomes Queen of England.  These two sisters endure war, political and personal strife but always manage to maintain their bond.  The writing in this book was SO GOOD! I will continue recommending this to everyone and I can't wait for Sophie's next book!

This book has been described as a Da Vinci code like historical mystery/thriller.  That is true in the sense that there are a lot of didn't see it coming moments in this novel but the writing is 10 times better than Da Vinci Code.  Sister Joanna Stafford's quest to discover an ancient relic while Cromwell and his cronies threaten Dartford Priory made for a good fast paced read.  I will be starting the second book-The Chalice-soon and I can't wait.

 I had never read Jack Whyte's Camulod chronicles but I was intrigued by his take on Scottish legend William Wallace.  Here Wallace recounts his last confession to his cousin Jamie who is now a priest and medieval Scotland comes alive. I ended up liking this William Wallace a lot better than the Braveheart version.  His next book on Robert the Bruce is out in August and it is another one I am anxious to get my hands on.


The first graduating class of MIT races to stop a madman that is menacing the city of Boston using science.  This is my first time reading Matthew Pearl and I was totally cheering on this group of four unlikely friends.  I especially loved main character Marcus and girl science geek Ellen.  Originally I thought this book might not be my cup of tea and was going to pass but I was pleasantly surprised by it.  I will be picking up the Matthew Pearl novels I haven't read yet at some point.

This book wins the "Best Barnes and Noble impulse purchase of the Year" hands down.  This wonderful novel tells the story of Mary Bowser who was a slave who was freed by her former owners, the Van Lew family, and sent to Philadelphia to be educated.  She returns to VA to spy for the Union as a slave in the household of Jefferson Davis.  The writing was beautiful, the story was compelling, and the history was fascinating.  This list is in no particular order but if I were ranking them, this one would be near the top.

I just finished reading this one earlier this month.  I had it on my shelf forever and decided to participate in the tour since I already had the book.  I loved it!  The main focus is on Pietro Alighieri, son of famed poet Dante.  He soon becomes a confidante of Cangrande, ruler of Verona.  Along for the ride are his two friends Antony Capuletto and Mari Montecchio whose love for the same woman will fuel a fued that will become legend.  There was so much happening in this book and not being well versed in Italian history this book totally captivated me.  Glad I finally decided to pick it up!




Honorable Mentions:

I am really glad that the "it" time period in historical fiction right now seems to be WWI and WWII era books because I really like reading about this time period.  This was my introduction to smarty pants super spy Maggie Hope.  Princess Elizabeth's Spy was an engaging mystery with an ending I really did not see coming (those are the best kinds of mysteries!)  I'll have to go back now and read Mr. Churchill's Secretary. It seems all but one of my best reads this year have been by authors I had not read previously.  I wonder if Queen Elizabeth has read this one? :)

Abel Truman was probably one of my favorite characters of the year.  He fought on the side of the Confederacy because he was in a Confederate state when the war broke out.  He has seen the horrors of war, experienced profound loss, and now we get to follow his story as a gruff old man living in wilds of Washington.  I can't put my finger on exactly why this book (and this character) resonated with me so much but I really enjoyed the writing and the story.




Best Non-Historical Reads of the Year:

 

Click below to see my best reads from past years:

Best of 2010
Best of 2011

Also don't forget to check out my upcoming historical fiction pages to see what's in store for 2013!

Upcoming HF December 2012-April 2013
Upcoming HF May 2013-October 2013

2011 Year End Wrap Up: Challenges, Statistics, and Plans for 2012

 First Up:  CHALLENGES

2011 was an interesting year for challenges.  Out of the 5 I signed up for (3 here on the blogosphere, 1 on Goodreads, 1 on PBS) I finished two of them.

Six books in different historical fiction sub-genres were required to complete this challenge.  My final tally: 6/6.  FINISHED!

Adam's 2011 TBR Challenge demonstrated just how good I am at making lists....and how bad I am at sticking to them.  Of the 12 books (plus 2 alternates) I listed at the beginning of the challenge I finished 8 out of the 12 required to complete the challenge.

The challenge from the Paperbackswap Historical Fiction Forum actually had 4 challenges you could choose from.  I chose to complete all four for a total of 38 books.  I actually finished this one much to my surprise.
38/38.

This one I thought would be super easy as I entered at the lowest level-reading 3 Georgette Heyer Historicals.  My final tally: 1/3.  Guess I got a little too busy with the other challenges but at least I got to read my first Heyer this year and it definitely won't be my last.

For the 2011 Goodreads reading challenge my goal was to read 90 books this year.  As I write this I am working on #85 and am most likely to finish 86 before the end of the year.  I'm kinda bummed about this one because if I hadn't gotten sick in November and basically wasn't able to read the entire month, I would have made this one.  So, final tally 86/90 (96%).

2nd up:  STATISTICS

Even though I hate dealing with numbers, I like to analyze my reading to see where my main interests were this year and see what I sorely neglected so I can read more of it next year.  I think this handy dandy pie chart says it all:

3rd up:  GOALS/TENTATIVE PLANS FOR 2012

• I will not review EVERY book I read this year.  Why?  It sucks the enjoyment out of reading when I have to spend so much time writing.  I churned out over 80 reviews this year and I'm not going to lie-it got a bit overwhelming. This coming year I am aiming for 1 review a week and I am hoping to keep a reading journal  for everything else and maybe share my entries on Fridays.

•  Stop being a lurker and become a commenter.  There are many blogs out there that I really enjoy and a lot people that take the time to comment here (which I really appreciate).  I have a really hard time moving out of lurker mode even though I peruse blogger for updates pretty much daily.  So, goal for 2012 is comment lots more and respond to comments here more.  

• Do everything I can to keep 2012 my no pressure year of reading.  I will review all the books I commit myself to but other than that I'm reading whatever strikes my fancy.  If it fits a challenge Great!  If not, oh well. I know I am going to relish the feeling of walking into my book room and just plucking whatever sounds good off the ol' shelf.

• Check out 1 book a month from the library.  As much as I want to forgo reading books from outside sources (except ones for review) to put a dent in my 1,000+ book TBR I love my local libraries and want to support them so my goal is 1 a month.  I'll also be checking out 3 every visit for my boy. :)

• Do more giveaways!  I love doing giveaways so I'm really going to make an effort to host more here this coming year (as my budget allows).

So there you have it-some challenges conquered, an obvious love of historical fiction and a plan for the coming year.  Wishing you all a Happy New Year full of great reading!

Best Reads for 2011

One of the things I really love about the end of the year is seeing everyone else's best of lists.  I always have trouble picking out my faves though and with 81 books read this year picking out my top ten for was no exception.  I finally managed to do it though.  So here they are-my top 10 plus five "honorable mentions" You didn't really think I'd be able to pick just ten did you?  :)

1.

The ultimate tale of forbidden love and set in the Australian outback to boot!  I loved the story of Father Ralph and Meggie.  In fact, I loved all the characters.  This was a book that I loved so much that it took me a long time to find something to read after it because nothing else came close!








2.

This was my first book by Sharon Kay Penman and after reading it I was left wondering why I waited so long to read one of her books.  This was the fantastic love story of King John's illegitimate daughter Joanna and Llewelyn ab Iorweth-a Welsh leader.  The historical detail in this was excellent and she managed to show a different side of King John.  Loved this story!








3.

This is the story of Rachel Kalama-a seven year old girl who contracts leprosy-a disease afflicting Hawaiians in the late 1800's-and is sent to live at the leper colony on the island of Moloka'i.  Even though there were a lot of sad parts in this book, I enjoyed following the journey of spirited Rachel and her friends.  After this I immediately picked up Brennert's next book Honolulu and I loved that one too (just not as much as Moloka'i).  I think Alan Brennert was one of my best "finds" of this year and I very much look forward to whatever he comes out with next.






4.

When I started compiling my best of list earlier in the month,  I hadn't read this one yet but I devoured this chunky book about a little boy named Peekay growing up in Africa as the tensions from the Boer Wars remain, the war in Europe rages on and apartheid takes hold in South Africa.  I really didn't want this story to end and have learned today that there is a sequel which I will be getting my hands on as soon as possible.







5.

I loved the story of Pearl and May in Shanghai Girls and was anxious to continue their story along with that of daughter Joy in Dreams of Joy.  As Joy grows into young womanhood she becomes an idealist who wants to do everything she can to help her mother country-China.  When Joy runs away to do just that Pearl follows to get her daughter back.  Joy discovers things are extremely different from what she expected as she is introduced to Communism and life under Chairman Mao.   I was completely wrapped up in this book, especially the parts taking place in Communist China.  I spent half the book wanting to shake some sense into Joy and I still really enjoyed this one despite that.




6.

I'm usually a read the book then see the movie person but I saw the movie The Road starring Viggo Mortensen and had to pick up the book to see if it was just as good.  This book left me so down after I finished it and McCarthy has a rather interesting style in regards to punctuation and dialogue that takes some getting used to.  Even though this was probably my most depressing read of the year it was really good as well.  I cried at the end of the movie and the book.







7.

Paranormal vampire themed type books?  Not a fan.  The Passage?  Definite fan.  The first half of the book introducing the child Amy and leading up to what happened to cause the extinction of 90% of the human race had me hooked.  The book switched gears for awhile and got bogged down a bit but then it picked up and hit me with an ending that left me going WHAT IN THE HECK JUST HAPPENED?!  I can't wait to read the next part in the trilogy coming out next year.  I'm sure I'll blaze through it as well and then spend another week sleeping with the lights on like I did with this one.





8.

Ok, so the Tudors have been done. And done. And done again.  This time though Margaret George takes on Elizabeth I in the later years of her reign and showed a whole new side of her.  I loved seeing behind the mask Elizabeth so painstakingly created throughout her years on the throne.  In addition to Elizabeth's story we get that of her cousin Lettice Knollys who is as different from Elizabeth as can be.  The alternating viewpoints of these two ladies worked really well here and even though like all of George's books, this one was a door stopper but I loved every minute of it.





9.

I discovered Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia series last year and every time she comes out with a new one I can just about guarantee it's going to be good.  This one focuses more on my favorite couple-Julia and Brisbane as they try to help brother Bellmont out of a sticky situation.  This series just keeps getting better and better. I cannot wait until the next one!







10.

This book tells the story of several Jewish women named Rachel and the passing of the family heirloom Cuheno diamond from on Rachel to the next.  As one Rachel dies the next one inherits.  This book starts off in Spain in the 1400's and continues all the way to the 1970's.  Each Rachel is unique and has a completely different story from the last.  Some are more likeable







HONORABLE MENTIONS:


1.

This is the story of Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump, a woman who at under 3 ft tall, would not let her size define her.  She knows she is destined for greater things and sets out to accomplish them-marrying General Tom Thumb, becoming a close confidante of PT Barnum and becoming one of the most famous women in the country along the way.  I loved reading about Vinnie's fascinating life.  I wasn't even really all that interested in reading this but I once I started I completely fell in love with it.






2.

I love books set in Ireland and this telling of the warrior Queen Maeve by Jules Watson was no exception.  Passionate about the welfare of her people and  a fierce warrior we follow Maeve as she proves to those around her that she is a ruler material despite being a lowly woman.  I love strong female characters and Maeve fit the bill.  Also enjoyed the mystic elements thrown in as well.








3.

What can be said about Marie Antoinette that hasn't been said already?  A lot apparently.  This book tells of MA's upbringing in the Austrian court and  the effort that went in to making the young girl worthy of the French Court.  This book covering MA's childhood up until the point she becomes Queen is the first in a trilogy.  I was surprised at how much detail the author was able to stuff in this book and still make it interesting.  I genuinely felt sorry for the poor girl throughout the entire novel.






4.

I really liked this one.  It starts off innocent enough.  When Alice Ibbetson notices a rare Lady's Slipper orchid on her neighbor's property she decides to steal it setting off a whole chain of unforeseen events.  Citizens turn against each other, a murder occurs-once it gets rolling it doesn't stop and there is even a little romance thrown in for good measure.







5.
Queen by Right tells the story of Cecily Neville (known as Proud Cis), wife to Richard Duke of York.   I really liked spunky Cis who we meet as an eight year old girl.  She grows up alongside Richard and they form a close friendship which blossoms into a true love match.  I really liked this lady's fascinating story as she stood by her husband despite his being constantly humiliated and shunned by King Henry VI and his haughty Queen Margaret of Anjou.  Loved the detail and learned quite a bit about Cis whom I'd never heard of before picking this up-this book had me leaning Yorkist :)




Did any of these make your list?

Best Reads for 2010

The year is almost at an end and I have had the pleasure of reading some really fabulous books this year. Of the 80+ books I managed to complete there are 15 +1 honorable mention that stuck out. Without further ado and in no particular order:

My TOP 5 Non-Historical Fiction Books of 2010

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This classic story of the four March sisters: Amy, Jo, Beth, and Meg was like a nice cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. I couldn't help but love them all and found myself wishing I had read this years ago.

The Grapes of Wrath was the first book I read in 2010 and it just blew me away. It is the story of the Joad family who set out for California from Dust Bowl of Oklahoma after they are driven off their land. This book won the Pulitzer in 1940 and it was easy to see why.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo started out so dull it had me deciding if I'd rather go watch paint dry instead of read it. After I got past the first 100 pages though, the mystery of the missing Harriet Vanger and the teaming of Mikael Blomkvist and the anything but stereotypical heroine Lizbeth Salander had me glued to the pages. I loved this and can't wait to read the other two in the trilogy.

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins: This Dystopian Trilogy tells of a US now divided into 13 districts and ruled by the Capitol. As a way to keep the other districts in line the Capitol makes 2 children from every district participate in the Hunger Games-a televised fight to the death every year. These gave me a new appreciation for YA. I tore through all of these and it was the first time EVER that I went to the store and bought a YA book (Mockingjay) the day it came out.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher is a YA about a girl who commits suicide and leaves behind tapes to 13 people detailing how they were involved in her decision to end her life. Following Hannah Baker's story as the tapes passed from one person to another really made me sad and it made me think a lot about the whole high school experience and seeing so many kids who could have been this girl. Yet another one that made me like YA novels just a bit more.

My TOP 10 Historical Fiction Reads of the Year:

By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan paints a portrait of of 15th century Spain during the Inquisition and focuses on Luis de Santagel, a Jewish convert to Christianity who is targeted by the head of the Inquisition. It is hard to sum up this novel in just a sentence or two as it had several other things going on as well, but it was a very enjoyable read.

Elizabeth I is one of my favorite historical figures to read about. I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles which tells Elizabeth's story in her own words really made this much written about Queen feel real to me. I have read many Elizabeth books and love this one best of all.

The King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes gives us the much told story of Henry VIII and his wives from a different point of view: his fool Will Somers. Here Will is not just the clown- he is smart, sensitive and courageous as well.

I loved all the books on this list but if there is one that completely awed me this year it is Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. This is not just a western, its an epic of the frontier. It has love and loss, a terrifying villain and plenty of action. I cried at the end of this beautiful book and then watched the miniseries based on the book and cried some more. You know a book is great when it is almost 900 pages and you get to the end and wish you had 900 more to read.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon tells the story of Claire Randall who touches an ancient boulder in Scotland which sends her back in time to 1745 Scotland where she is constantly thrown into danger and eventually into the arms of Scotsman Jamie Frasier. Claire must decide whether to get back to the future and husband Frank or stay in the past with Jamie. I read this to find out what all the fuss was about. Now I know. It has romance and adventure and most of all Jamie. Unless you have a heart made of stone there is no way you can read this book and not fall in love with him. Gabaldon's writing is also so detailed you feel like you are right there in the highlands.

In The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon young Daniel discovers a long forgotten book written by a man named Julian Carax. When he delves into the author's life a little more he discovers someone has been hunting down and burning everything ever written by him. Daniel and his friend Fermin begin to investigate Julian's story to find out why and are soon thrown into a web of intrigue and danger with a plot that has so many surprising twists and turns I had no clue what was going to happen til the very end. I just finished this book yesterday and it was not originally on my top 10 list but the story was so engaging and the writing so beautiful I had to reserve a spot for it. This book has been described as a novel for book lovers and that is exactly what it is.

The Secret Confessions of Anne Shakespeare by Arliss Ryan is a book I only heard mentioned in a couple of places this year which is a shame because it was REALLY good. It tells the story of Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's first wife whom we meet on her death bed when she confesses to her grand daughter that Will didn't write all the famous plays-she did. Anne goes on to tell her life story in a voice that is believable and so alive. I really loved this character and I love when an author can take a character that was a mere footnote in history and craft such a wonderful story about them.

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn is the first of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries. We meet Lady Julia as her ailing husband collapses and dies at her feet. Convinced it was murder she engages the services of the enigmatic inquiry agent Nicholas Brisbane. What follows is a wild and dangerous ride to find out who may have wanted Edward Grey dead. I loved this book so much that I read the next four in the series in quick succession. Lady Julia and Brisbane are now on my list of favorite fictional couples, right up there with Scarlett and Rhett and Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. LOVE LOVE LOVE this series!

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum is another novel of the holocaust which really touched me. It begins with Trudy, a professor of German history discovers a photo of herself, her mother and a Nazi officer taken in Germany-a time which her mother Anna refuses to talk about. The book flashes back to tell Anna's story from the German perspective during the war and with what unfolds, it is no wonder she refuses to talk about it. I read this book in one day and could not stop thinking about it for quite awhile afterward.

To Dance with Kings by Rosalind Laker takes place during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV and tells the story of four generations of women from the same family who practice the art of fan making. Margeurite, Jasmin, Violette and Rose each have their own engrossing story and distinctive voice that made this novel a joy to read. I am glad I discovered Rosalind Laker this year. I can't wait to read more!

Honorable Mention:

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay broke my heart. It tells two stories: the story of Sarah a 10 year old girl who was rounded up with the rest of the Jews in Paris in 1942, and Julia, the reporter who discovers her name 60 years later and resolves to find out what happened to her. I really wanted to find out what happened to Sarah and could not put this book down.

And there you have it, my top picks for 2010. Did any of these wonderful books make your list?