Favorite Books of the Year (and probably longer)

I love reading. I always have. I remember watching my mom read all the time. She loves reading to relax. She prefers the mystery novels, a la Mary Higgens Clark. I learned from her the wonders of diving into a good book and losing yourself in another world. Or just forgetting what's going on around you and relaxing for a few hours. Both of my parents encouraged us to read often. Going to the library was always a trip, starting with trying to collect all the books we had to return. The books were loaded into our square laundry basket. Yes, you heard me correctly. Who borrows just one or two books from the library? We would stack them high in our laundry basket. Probably around 20 or 30 for all of us. I loved searching the shelves for new books to read. I have fond memories of Sweet Valley Twins (and High), R.L. Stein, Babysitters Club. All the classics. I felt so grown up when I would occasionally need a book from the regular library (i.e. not the juvenile section) and I had to walk up the stairs to the mass of books waiting. Some reading experiences will never be forgotten. I have a very vivid memory of reading in my bed while eating the chocolate peanut butter Girl Scout cookies, whatever those are called. I even remember the vague plot of the book I was reading... something about fairies and another world or dimension or something. I remember crying as I read the chapter where Dumbledore dies in Harry Potter #6. I was lying on my bed at Campus Plaza, unable to put the book down, while my friends were hurrying me from the front room so we could go somewhere. I had to find out what happened. I also remember forcing the five youngest in my family to sit down and let me read them Harry Potter, despite their protests. I knew they would love it. Another thing you should probably know about me... I don't know how people can read and actually enjoy non-fiction. I need some adventure and excitement and drama. Some magic. I read for pleasure.

Okay, enough reminiscing. I wanted to let you all know my absolute and utter favorite books that I read this past year. For more details on my book list, you can join goodreads.com and become my friend. I am in love with that website now. In no particular order, here are the top three best books I have read this past year:

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (and I really should include the two other books in the trilogy... all very good!)
  

I absolutely loved this book. I haven't been this pulled into a fantasy series since Harry Potter. I mean, I know I loved Twilight, but honestly this writing and J.K. Rowling's writing is just on another level. The storyline and the characters in this series are so well-written. Definitely not for young teenagers due to the violent nature of the books (good luck making these into PG-13 movies!). I had heard about these books before, but didn't know what the fuss was all about. Let me tell you, the fuss is all real and all worth it. Although in retrospect, I was glad I ended up reading them just a few months before the last book was released. I went crazy having to wait even that long. Also, this was a series that Mark and I read together and he loved them as much as I did! Another reason I know how much these books affected me... I cried while reading them out loud to Mark. It's a little more embarrassing to cry in front of someone instead of just in the comfort of my own reading session. But it happened during both of the first two books for me.

• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This book is seriously adorable. I read this the longest ago so it's hard to remember all the specific feelings, but I loved this book. I loved the way it was written, just as letters written between different people. I cared so deeply for the characters and what was happening to them during this difficult time (post WWII England). A must read.

• The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Oh my gosh I love this book. The storyline, the characters, the writing- it is all magnificent. It is set during WWII in Germany, which can be a very difficult subject but one that can be very important as well. I think that the voice of the narrator for this book is absolute genius. The book is told from the perspective of Death. Not the Death we think of who looks like the grim reaper. It's a Death who simply has a job to do. Who doesn't revel in the unpleasantness going on around him. A Death who is sympathetic to those who are suffering. It's very poignantly told. The way it was written did take a little bit of getting used to, but I ended up loving it. It was also odd to me how I could still be so emotionally invested in certain events, even when the Death narrator had already told us what would happen. It seemed like that would be spoiling the ending, but oh gosh that was not the case. I was glad that I was reading the end of this book in the privacy of our room with the door shut. I love my husband, but I was hoping he wouldn't come in to interrupt. I was so involved in the ending. I believe I sobbed for the last 30-50 pages or so. Literally sobbing. Not just tearing up. I had to work to control myself so Mark wouldn't hear my sobs and come in and interrupt. I needed to be involved in the story and the characters.