My Favorite Reads of 2011

I read 162 books in 2011.  I think.  Each time I tried to count my list I came up with a different number, but when I came up with the number 162 twice I decided that was the number I'd go with.

It's hard for me to choose favorite books.  And my favorites might be favorites for reasons that others might not use as their own criteria.  I might choose a favorite based on the fact that it is a first book by an author and I'm applauding their efforts while at the same time I feel as though their next effort is the one that's going to blow me away, with their first one being their warm up - although one hell of a warm up.   And in many cases here, I'm actually choosing the author rather than one of their books.  This is because I think of their books as one body of work that I can re-read back to back seamlessly - cases in point would be series by Margaret Maron and Louise Penny who have each written a series that has not included a single entry that I found to be a disappointment.  While I am a huge fan of other series, I can't make that same statement about most of them.  In fact, some of my favorite series writers did not make my list this year.  That's not to say I didn't like their latest, it just means it didn't grab me and carry me away.   Also, some of the books I've included here are re-reads.  I re-read a lot, it brings me comfort and it's something I'll continue doing forever, I suppose.  And, oddly enough, I may even enjoy a book more during the second or third read than I did the first, and I "think" it has a lot to do with my mood or state of mind at the time.  Who knows.  Rather than analyze it, I'd rather just go with the flow and enjoy it.

My entire list of 162 (or there about) reads can be found here - Books Read During 2011.  If a book was included on this list, I liked it.  I'm not one who will continue reading a book that's not interesting to me.  Culling this list to those that had a bit more of an impact than others almost defeats me every year.  If I weren't such a fan of lists, I probably wouldn't do it.

So - here they are in the order read, the most recent at the top of the list.   As you can see, I've added a few personal notes and reflections. 

• WAYWARD SAINTS by Suzzy Roche (ARC)
• AN APPETITE FOR MURDER Lucy Burdette (ARC)
• THE FACES OF ANGELS by Lucretia Grindle
• THE HURT MACHINE by Reed Farrel Coleman
• THE LAST WORD (along with the other books in the Books by the Bay series - all of which I read this year) by Ellery Adams
• WATERBURY: A Holiday Crime Novel by Katia Lief
• NEXT TIME YOU SEE ME by Katia Lief
• FORGOTTEN BOOKMARKS by Michael Popek
• YOU ARE NEXT by Katia Lief
• FEVER DREAM by Dennis Palumbo (ARC)
• THE NEXT ALWAYS by Nora Roberts
• THE BETRAYAL OF TRUST by Susan Hill was not my favorite in the Simon Serrailler series, but the series remains a favorite)
• THREE-DAY TOWN by Margaret Maron
• THE BEADS OF LAPIS LAZULI: A GREEK MYSTERY by Doris Kenney Marcotte
• THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern
  

  

  source: fotcl.org

• SECRET SMILE by Nicci French
• WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE by JT Ellison
• THE LANTERN by Deborah Lawrenson
• GHOST HERO by S.J. Rozan
• THE AFFAIR (my favorite Reacher - so far!)  by Lee Child
• THE CHALK GIRL by Carol O'Connell (ARC)
• THE DAMAGE DONE by Hilary Davidson
• MURDER IN THE 11th HOUSE by Mitchell Scott Lewis (ARC)
• PIRATE KING by Laurie R. King (not one of my favorites, but the series remains a fave)
• NORTHWEST ANGLE by William Kent Krueger
• JUDAS CHILD by Carol O'Connell
• AMMIE COME HOME by Barbara Michael
• THE MOST DANGEROUS THING by Laura Lippman
• UNDER THE SKIN by Vicki Lane (ARC)
• THREE JUNES by Julia Glass
• THE SCENT OF RAIN AND LIGHTNING by Nancy Pickard
• THE SANDBURG CONNECTION by Mark de Castrique (ARC)
• DAMAGE CONTROL by Denise Hamilton (ARC)
• IN SEARCH OF THE ROSE NOTES by EmilyArsenault (ARC)
• WHATEVER DOESN'T KILL YOU by Gillian Roberts
• THE SILENT GIRL by Tess Gerritsen
• THE END OF EVERYTHING by Megan Abbott
• THE MIDWIFE'S CONFESSION by Diane Chamberlain
• LONG GONE by Alafair Burke
• MISERY BAY by Steve Hamilton
• SO COLD THE RIVER by Michael Koryta
• THE RIDGE by Michael Koryta
• HELL IS EMPTY by Craig Johnson
• CLAIRE DEWITT AND THE CITY OF THE DEAD by Sara Gran
• THE BEACH TREES by Karen White
• BURIED SECRETS by Joseph Finder (ARC)
• A TRICK OF THE LIGHT by Louise Penny (ARC)
• THE LOST RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS by Barbara O'Neal
• VANISHED by Joseph Finder
• TIME AND TROUBLE by Gillian Roberts
• CAUGHT DEAD IN PHILADELPHIA by Gillian Roberts
• COME AND FIND ME by Hallie Ephron
• THE SUGAR QUEEN by Sarah Addison Allen
• THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON by Sarah Addison Allen
• PUBLISH & PERISH by Sally S. Wright
• GARDEN SPELLS by Sarah Addison Allen
• HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY by Audrey Niffenegger
• THE THEBAN MYSTERIES by Amanda Cross
• THE PEACH KEEPER by Sarah Addison Allen (ARC)
• THE BUSY WOMAN'S GUIDE TO MURDER by Mary Jane Maffini (ARC)
• HOWARD'S END IS ON THE LANDING by Susan Hill
• FAITHFUL PLACE by Tana French
• THE LIKENESS by Tana French
• IN THE WOODS by Tana French
• POETIC JUSTICE by Amanda Cross
• SILENT MERCY by Linda Fairstein (ARC)
• THE GIRL IN THE GREEN RAINCOAT by Laura Lippman
• SWEET DEATH, KIND DEATH by Amanda Cross
• LIFE by Keith Richards

No idea how many this totals up to, but I guess I named more than my Top Ten, huh?  And just narrowing it down to this many has given me a headache!

Should you choose to read anything I've shared, I hope you'll let me know what you think.  You may love some of them, and you may hate some of them.  Either way, I'd enjoy hearing what your thoughts are.

Happy Reading! ! !