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2011 Archive > What are some of the best books you read in 2011?

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message 1: by Athira (new)

Athira (Reading on a Rainy Day) (readingonarainyday) With the year almost over, what are some of the best books you read this year? Which books would you recommend to others to pick up asap in the new year?

If you wish, you can add your favorite books to the group bookshelf, so that other readers can use it as a reference for future book recommendations.


message 2: by Zakiya (last edited Dec 12, 2011 06:51AM) (new)

Zakiya LadyWings (zladywings) I think the best book I read this year is def Between by Cyndi Tefft . My eyes were glued to this book from the moment I started it. If I weren't so clogged with books that I want to get done, I'd reread it a dozen times.

Other books I loved from this year:
Milkweed (Readers Circle) by Jerry Spinelli How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford The 19 Dragons by S.M. Reine The Help by Kathryn Stockett Crossed (Matched, #2) by Ally Condie Fang (Maximum Ride, #6) by James Patterson Angel (Maximum Ride, #7) by James Patterson


message 3: by Athira (new)

Athira (Reading on a Rainy Day) (readingonarainyday) The Help was one of my favorite reads from last year! I'm so glad you liked it too. The other titles are new to me, will have to check them out. Great list, Zakiya!


message 4: by Linda (new)

Linda Mallet (lmallet) | 72 comments These are books I loved from this year

The First Rule (Joe Pike, #2) by Robert Crais The Glass Rainbow (Dave Robicheaux, #18) by James Lee Burke Edge by Jeffery Deaver Worth Dying For (Jack Reacher, #15) by Lee Child Buried Prey (Lucas Davenport, #21) by John Sandford Fallen (Georgia, #3) by Karin Slaughter Caught by Harlan Coben Storm Prey (Lucas Davenport, #20) by John Sandford


message 5: by ★Meghan★ (new)

★Meghan★ (starinheaven) | 247 comments My 5 star books from this year...
The Girl Who Played With Fire (Millennium, #2) by Stieg Larsson City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3) by Cassandra Clare Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor (Friday Harbor, #1) by Lisa Kleypas Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë My Blood Approves (My Blood Approves, #1) by Amanda Hocking Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins The Host (The Host, #1) by Stephenie Meyer The Help by Kathryn Stockett Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7) by J.K. Rowling Rogue (Shifters, #2) by Rachel Vincent Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6) by J.K. Rowling Hate List by Jennifer Brown Cindy Ella by Robin Palmer Ship Breaker (Ship Breaker, #1) by Paolo Bacigalupi The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Jenna Fox Chronicles, #1) by Mary E. Pearson Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins


message 6: by Zakiya (new)

Zakiya LadyWings (zladywings) Aths / Athira wrote: "The Help was one of my favorite reads from last year! I'm so glad you liked it too. The other titles are new to me, will have to check them out. Great list, Zakiya!"

Thanks, Aths!

Meghan-- Not sure how many 5* reads I had from this year. Great list! I've only read five of them (which I also rated 5*), and reading Jane Eyre now.


message 7: by Ann aka Iftcan (new)

Ann aka Iftcan (iftcan) | 394 comments I too gave The Help 5 stars. And I am sitting here at my computer fondling the dvd for the movie (which I didn't get to see in Theatre) and trying to figure out if I want to watch it now or do some more reading. I still haveto read 11 books to make my lowered goal of 325 for the year. I am not sure if I will make that goal or not. There are too many things to fit into my schedule for the rest of the year to think I can get 1 a day between now and Dec. 31.

I also found the Mary Russell series (The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the first in the series) and had to get copies of all 11 books in the series so that I could read it. Its a mystery series with Sherlock Holmes in his late middle age as the male lead, and Mary as the main character. She meets Holmes when she's 15 in 1915, while wandering around the cliffs where they both live. Mary is an orphan, being cared for by an Aunt who doesn't like her, and is not happy that she (the Aunt) can't loot Mary's inheritance. Fortunutely there is a trustee for Mary's money, who does a good job. Oh, and yes, Mary IS rich. But she's also very like Holmes (ya know, I just realized, Holmes was probably Asperger's or maybe even high functioning Autistic) and he starts training her to take his place in the detective world. So I loved the entire series (some more than others, but still, I have read everything else about Holmes including the perfectly dreadful Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula, so I am warning you that you might want to take my mania into account before you read these if you aren't a fan of The Master.)

I also loved, loved, LOVED Big Bad Beast--but then again, Shelly Laurenston writes such funny books, who wouldn't love them?


message 8: by Linette (new)

Linette Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series - so great! Starts with Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1) by Jim Butcher .
Anna - I also love Laurie R. King's Mary Russell books.


Margie (Bookzombie) (bookzombie08) Here my 5 star books so far:

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King The Cabinet of Curiosities (Pendergast, #3) by Douglas Preston Rot & Ruin (Benny Imura, #1) by Jonathan Maberry True Grit by Charles Portis The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson The Summer I Died by Ryan C. Thomas Yours Until Dawn by Teresa Medeiros Crank (Crank, #1) by Ellen Hopkins Virals (Virals #1) by Kathy Reichs Ghost Road Blues (Pine Deep, #1) by Jonathan Maberry Dust & Decay (Benny Imura, #2) by Jonathan Maberry Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins Virals (Virals #1) by Kathy Reichs

Re-reads:
The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins Tisha The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaska Wilderness by Robert Specht


message 10: by Ann aka Iftcan (last edited Dec 19, 2011 08:43PM) (new)

Ann aka Iftcan (iftcan) | 394 comments Storm Front is the weakest of the Dresden books in my opinion. Of course, when you consider it was not only the first book in a series, but the first book that Jim Butcher SOLD. . . Well, its really good with that understanding. But its also the only one of the books that I haven't gone back and reread.

Altho, my fav of all the books is Dead Beat. But that's because it has my favourite of all the (scarey) females to appear in the Dresden Files in it. It has SUE!!! (view spoiler)


message 11: by Linette (new)

Linette <3 Sue! :) I think Changes is my favorite so far.


message 12: by Ann A (new)

Ann A (readerann) I read several that I liked a lot, but my favorite may have been The Cellist of Sarajevo.


message 13: by Tracy (new)

Tracy Linette wrote: "Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series - so great! Starts with Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1) by Jim Butcher.
Anna - I also love Laurie R. King's Mary Russell books."


Linette this was definitely one of my favorites for the year.


message 15: by Tracy (new)

Tracy Linette wrote: "Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series - so great! Starts with Storm Front (The Dresden Files, #1) by Jim Butcher.
Anna - I also love Laurie R. King's Mary Russell books."


Linette this was definitely one of my favorites for the year.


message 17: by Desperado (new)

Desperado (lethallovely) As most of my GR friends know, I am stingy as hells when it comes to my 5-star ratings. Consuming over 1400 books overs the years has made me less tolerant of bs in my books. That being said, there were quite a few books I read this year that made it onto my "Favorite Reads of 2011" shelf.

5-star Ratings
Naked by Megan Hart A Mermaid's Kiss (Daughters of Arianne, #1) by Joey W. Hill Demon Moon (The Guardians, #2) by Meljean Brook Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, #3) by Ilona Andrews Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, #4) by Ilona Andrews Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, #5) by Ilona Andrews Shadowfever (Fever, #5) by Karen Marie Moning Tempting Danger (World of the Lupi, #1) by Eileen Wilks City of Ghosts (Downside Ghosts, #3) by Stacia Kane Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth

4.5-star Reads
Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna, #1) by Kendare Blake Across the Universe (Across the Universe, #1) by Beth Revis Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changeling, #1) by Nalini Singh Dragon Bound (Elder Races, #1) by Thea Harrison Hunt the Moon (Cassandra Palmer, #5) by Karen Chance Nevermore (Nevermore, #1) by Kelly Creagh The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins Go Fetch! (Magnus Pack, #2) by Shelly Laurenston Healer's Choice (Ghostland World, #3) by Jory Strong Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, #10) by Louise Rennison Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1) by Simone Elkeles


message 18: by Janel (new)

Janel (janel10) | 2 comments The Hunger Games was my favorite of the year!


message 19: by ★Meghan★ (new)

★Meghan★ (starinheaven) | 247 comments Janel wrote: "The Hunger Games was my favorite of the year!"

I loved that book when I read it last year. I think I will have to put it in for one of my rereads for this year.


message 20: by Maria (new)

Maria (mhenkel) I have a few but my all time favorite was "heaven is for real"


Margie (Bookzombie) (bookzombie08) Margie wrote: "Here my 5 star books so far:

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen KingThe Cabinet of Curiosities (Pendergast, #3) by Douglas PrestonRot & Ruin (Benny Imura, #1) by Jonathan MaberryTrue Grit by Charles PortisPatient Zero (Joe Ledger, #1) by Jonathan Maberry
Still Life With Crows

I'm reading Dead of Night A Zombie Novel by Jonathan Maberry right now and trying to finish it as my last read of 2012. If it's anything like Maberry's other books, it will end up with 5 stars.



message 22: by Jen (new)

Jen | 287 comments While Hunger Games is amazing, everyone already knows about them. My "lesser-known" favorites were Room by Emma Donoghue and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline . I am still mesmerized by them and think of them often even though I finished them MONTHS ago!


message 23: by Jery (new)

Jery (brwniidgirl) | 94 comments My two favorite books of the year wereShiver and The Name of the Star - besides re-reading The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes. I feel like I read too many books like flipping through magazines in the checkout line - looking forward to more mindful reading in 2012 (and clearing some space on the TBR shelves!).


Shari*LoveMiKindle* Some of my 5 star books for 2011 include Angelfall by Susan Ee, Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park, The Study Series by Maria V. Snyder, Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning, and The Emperor's Edge by Lindsay Buroker. Oh, and of course, the Hunger Games trilogy.


message 25: by Rachel (new)

Rachel (thedoctorscompanion) | 107 comments The Hunger Games

Definitely the best fiction book I've read all year.


message 26: by Jessica B (last edited Jan 03, 2012 10:09AM) (new)

Jessica B | 88 comments I read a total of 146 books in 2011. If I had to choose some of my favourites they would be:

Ice Storm (Ice, #4) by Anne Stuart Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Dreams of a Dark Warrior (Immortals After Dark, #11) by Kresley Cole Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Highland Pleasures, #1) by Jennifer Ashley Shadowfever (Fever, #5) by Karen Marie Moning Breathless (The House of Rohan, #3) by Anne Stuart The Leopard Prince (Princes Trilogy, #2) by Elizabeth Hoyt The Help by Kathryn Stockett Texas Glory (Texas Trilogy, #2) by Lorraine Heath Nobody's Baby But Mine (Chicago Stars, #3) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Dream a Little Dream (Chicago Stars, #4) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips This Heart of Mine (Chicago Stars, #5) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Envy (The Fallen Angels, #3) by J.R. Ward


message 27: by Kirsten (new)

Kirsten (kielianne) | 40 comments My favourites were The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins Season of Darkness by Maureen Jennings The Help by Kathryn Stockett Queen By Right by Anne Easter Smith


message 30: by April (new)

April Shari*LoveMiKindle* wrote: "Some of my 5 star books for 2011 include Angelfall by Susan Ee, Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park, The Study Series by Maria V. Snyder, Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning, and The Emperor's Edge by Lind..."

I also enjoyed The Study series by Snyder! I think my favorite one was Magic Study.


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