Books I've Read, 2012

Calling it early, because I know I won't be finishing anything before the new year.

 +Rumours by Anna Godberson
+Fables: The Mean Seasons by Willingham, Buckingham, et al
+Fables: Homelands by Willingham, Buckingham, et al
+Fables: Arabian Nights (and Days) by Willingham, Buckingham, et al
+Fables: Wolves by Willingham, Buckingham, et al
+Envy by Anna Godbersen
+The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
+Splendor by Anna Godbersen
+The Death Cure by James Dashner (Maybe I should have reread the first two before reading this one, but I didn't care much for this book.)
+Drop Dead Healthy by AJ Jacobs (Again, the perfect mix of information and entertainment. Love this author!)
+The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean (Really enjoyed this book. A little difficult to understand some bits given my limited knowledge of chemistry and physics, but still informative and fun.)
+A Practical Wedding by Meg Keene (Great book and blog!)
+Blood Work by Holly Tucker (Interesting history of the first attempts to perform human blood transfusions. Early medical "science" is facsinating!)
+Fables: Sons of Empire by Willingham, Buckingham, et al
+Fables: The Good Prince by Willingham, Buckingham, et al
+Fables: War and Pieces by Willingham, Buckingham, et al
+Fables: The Dark Ages by Willingham, Buckingham, et al
+Fables: The Great Fables Crossover by Willingham, Sturges, et al
+Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (reread)
+Crossed by Ally Condie
+The Lost City of Z by David Grann (This was optioned years ago by Brad Pitt. It will be interesting to see how/if this is translated into a movie)
+The Lost World by Michael Crichton (This is exactly like the movie, in that it is nowhere near as good as the first.)
+The Violinist's Thumb by Sam Kean (Another fun non-fiction read! Much easier to understand than "Spoon" thanks to the many biology/genetics courses I've taken over the years.)
+A Million Suns by Beth Revis (Great follow up to "Across the Universe." Can't wait for the final book to come out next year!)


Best Books: So many good ones this year! In the non-fiction category (which I know isn't everyone's cup of tea) I really enjoyed Sam Kean's The Disappearing Spoon and The Violinist's Thumb. Both are great science reads, filled with anecdotes of how elements and genes have changed the course of history. Holly Tucker's Blood Work delves into the earliest attempts at human blood transfusion, which I was shocked to learn started way earlier than I thought. I also loved The Lost City of Z and The Devil in the White City, both of which are attached to some big league actors for future movie adaptations (Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, respectively).

If you prefer fiction, A Million Suns by Beth Revis is just as intriguing as the first novel in her series, Across the Universe. (And as an added bonus, the final novel, Shades of Earth, comes out January 15!) The Luxe series is also a fun, fluffy, historical romance read, which I really enjoyed. (Rumours, Envy, and Splendor are part of this series.) I also still recommend Jurassic Park, the only reread on my list this year.


Worst Books: When I started the Maze Runner trilogy, I really enjoyed it. However, the final novel, The Death Cure, was a big disappointment. The plot didn't quite make sense, and the conclusion fell flat. To be fair, there was a big gap in time between when I finished book two and started book three, and I had forgotten some plot details. I might give the series another try in the future, but for now I don't recommend it. Also, skip The Lost World-- book and movie.


Looking forward to in 2013: Besides Shades of Earth, I'm excited to finish the Matched series by Ally Condie (Reached is patiently waiting on my bedside table.) The second book started verging a little too much into Twilight territory for my taste, but I have faith that it will end well. I'm currently reading Tales From a Midwife by Jennifer Worth, and need to track down a copy of the BBC series when I'm finished. And speaking of BBC period dramas: the creator of Downton Abbey is developing a series for US television, set in late 1800s New York City. So basically The Luxe, complete with gorgeous gowns, jealousies, and high society intrigue. Just take my money now, Julian Fellowes!