Books read 2011

I finished entering in all the titles I read over Christmas, and then counted.  I read 100 books this past year!  Well, maybe more, because sometimes, when I re-read something, I don't write it down.  And I don't write down all the magazines I read either.  But, wow!  What an accomplishment.  This might explain why I haven't done much stitching this past year...

Part of the credit for me reading so many titles goes to Mrs. Coach, who I hired in late January.  She's a young thing--only 21, but she likes to read and she likes to read the same kinds of books I like to read.  I'm not sure if we're good for each other or not, and I'm not sure if our husband's appreciate us enabling each other.

Rather than give a brief review of each title, Let me just tell you my most favorite book of the year:

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.  What an excellent book.  Yes, it has witches, and vampires, but neither fit any of our typical images.  It was a fluke that I picked up this book, but it was so well written.  I was even frustrated to reach the end, because it ended on a cliff hanger.  I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel which should be published sometime in 2012. (And I'm not giving you a synopsis...you can look it up on Amazon or Barnes & Noble to see what it's about!  Just take my word for it...it's GOOD!)

My least favorite book, and the one that disappointed me the most was Jean Auel's final novel in her Earth's Children series, Land of Painted Caves.  I felt that she recycled most of the book and didn't have any real plot until the last 1/3 of the book.  If she'd dumped the first 2/3 and started with the ending, I think it would have been a much better ending to a series that first appeared in 1982.

I read lots of series this year.  Lots of Fantasy titles (thanks Mrs. Coach) and I read the entire Sookie Stackhouse books.  I still managed to fit in some non-fiction titles.  Some to make me think and question my beliefs about many things, and some just for fun.

I apologize for not correctly formatting my book titles.  I should underline them all, but I'm not.  On a few titles, I did make some additional comments, but not all.

Without further ado...here's the list...


Once a Princess  by  Johanna Lindsey


Deep Down by Karen Harper

Endless Forest  by Sara Donanti --this one WAS a great ending to a great series.  The epilogue had me in tears.

The Templar Salvation  by Raymond Khoury

Star Crossed  by Elizabeth Bunce

Last Templar by Raymond Khoury

Jesus Interrupted by Bart D. Ehrman

Misquoting Jesus by Bart D. Ehrman

Great and Terrible Beauty  by Libba Bray

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

The Exile by Diana Gabaldon--this one is a graphic novel based on Outlander

The sweet far thing by Libba Bray

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins--an excellent series.  Who doesn't love a girl with a bow?

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Treachery in Death by J D Robb

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

Lost to Time: unforgettable stories that History forgot by Martin W. Sandler

A discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Sex, Time and Power by Leonard Shlain--his basic concept (in my mind) is that women were the first to develop a sense of time...That's not all, but that's what I remembered the most :)

Land of painted caves by Jean Auel

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Calling for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts

Rangers apprentice 10: Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

Faefever by Karen Marie Moning

Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan--Riordan's books look at Mythology in a new way.  Makes it fun for kids to read these and then actual mythological stories.  They're fun, fun, fun!

Crying Blood by Donis Casey

Immortal by Gillian Shields

Betrayal by Gillian Shields

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deadly Hollows

Dragon's Time by Todd McCaffrey

Smokin' seventeen by Janet Evanovich

Hold me closer Necromancer by Lish McBride

The Dark is Rising Series (6 books) Susan Cooper

Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

The Sun Witch by Linda Winstead Jones

The Moon Witch by Linda Winstead Jones

The Star Witch by Linda Winstead Jones

All that is bitter & sweet by Ashley Judd

Mapping Human History by Steve Olson

Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Dead in the family by Charlaine Harris

Prince of Magic by Linda Winstead Jones

Prince of Fire by Linda Winstead Jones

Prince of Swords by Linda Winstead Jones

Untouchable by Linda Winstead Jones

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Game of Thrones by George R R Martin

22 nights by Linda Winstead Jones

Bride by Command by Linda Winstead Jones

She-Wolves: the women who ruled England before Elizabeth by Helen Castor

New York to Dallas by J. D. Robb

Tears of the Sun by S. M. Stirling

Centuries of June by Keith Donohue

The Unquiet by JD Robb

Harvest by Tess Gerritsen

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion by Charlaine Harris

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

None wounded, none missing, all dead: story of E.B. Custer by Howard Kazanjian & Chris Enss

Ranger's Apprentice: The Lost Stories by John Flanagan

Growing and canning your own food by Jackie Clay

Stories of a self-reliant woman by Jackie Clay

The Next Always by Nora Roberts

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

Second Grave on the Left by Draynda Jones

Sex with the Queen by Eleanor Herman--Yes, this is a book about sex.  Actually it's about Queens and their lovers.  Quite interesting.  Ms. Herman also wrote one about the Sex with Kings too.

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon

Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer

Sword Dancer by Jennifer Roberson

Sword maker by Jennifer Roberson

Sword Breaker by Jennifer Roberson

Sword Singer by Jennifer Roberson

Sword Born by Jennifer Roberson

Sword Sworn by Jennifer Roberson

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Wagon Wheel Kitchens: food on the Oregon trail by Jacqueline Williams