There are a lot of books on the list this year, due mostly to the fact that Washington, the new Wee Bairn in the Rochester household, joined us in March. You can see the reading numbers spike up after his arrival. You might wonder how a new mom can read so much. Easy! I read during breastfeeding, which for the first few months is about 20 minutes or more every 2 hours. Awesome!
The list has a lot of romances, as always. I went back and read some older Nora Roberts that I had not read. I realized that there are quite a bit Roberts I have not touched and decided to remedy that. Interspersed in the list are some award winners and non-fiction. I also read some YA and sci fi/fantasy.
Total books read in 2011: 67
Most books read in one month: May, 11
Least book read in one month: February, 2
Worst book read: The Debutante’s Dilemma by Elyse Mady – I could have bought the whole stuck between two lovers at the same time thing, but the ending just did not seem plausible to me. It was all a bit silly and made me realize that the menage genre was definitely not for me.
Best new to me book: I read a lot of great books this year. A plethora, you might say, so choosing one is really hard. So hard in fact, I am completely cheating and putting four books here.
One is a series and one is non-fiction. This is my list so stop complaining. The fiction series is an older Nora Roberts: Sea Swept; Rising Tides; and Inner Harbor. – I fell in love with the family in this book. The non-fiction goes easily to Everything I Know About Love I Learned From Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell. – I am a huge fan of Sarah. I even have a picture of us when she came to ALA last year. I have shielded my share of scoffers for my reading tastes, but this book reminded me why romance novels are not just good, but great for the soul.
Best reread: The Bride by Julie Garwood – I have a whole shelf of old Garwoods and they are my go to books when nothing else appeals. What is not great about a man in a kilt?
Worst book I did not finish (and thus it is not on this list): Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard – all around awful.
Books Read
January – 3
Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale by Joss Whedon, Zack Whedon, and Chris
Samnee
Goose in the Pond by Earlene Fowler
February – 2
Fallen by Lauren Kate
Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas
March – 3
Start Your Family by Steve and Candice Watters
Torment by Lauren Kate
Betrayed by Claire Robyns
April – 3
Sea Swept by Nora Roberts
Rising Tides by Nora Roberts
Inner Harbor by Nora Roberts
May – 11
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts
Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts
Heart of the Sea by Nora Roberts
Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison
The Spurned Viscountess by Shelley Munro
I Wish (The Witches of Desire) by Wren Emmerson
Collision Course by Zoe Archer
Blue Galaxy by Diane Dooley
The Spiral Path by Lisa Paitz Spindler
Blood of the Maple by Dana Marie Bell
June – 7
Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator by Janni Nell
The Bride by Julie Garwood
Almost Innocent by Jane Feather
Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik
The Debutante’s Dilemma by Elyse Mady
The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell
The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourne
July – 5
The Lion’s Lady by Julie Garwood
When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
Ashes by Ilsa Bick
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
X-Isle by Cosby, Nelson, and Scott
August – 4
Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman
Offworld by Robin Parrish
Superman: Red Son by Miller, Johnson, Plunkett, Robinson, Wong
The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
September – 7
Defying Convention by Abby Niles
Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
Undeniably Yours by Shanon Stacey
Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey
Cat’s Tale: a fairy tale retold by Bettie Sharpe
Sevenfold Spell by Tia Nevitt
Tankborn by Karen Sandler
October – 7
The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson
Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs
Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
Sparks in the Cosmic Dust by Robert Appleton
The Outlaw Bride by Kelly Boyce
November – 8
My Lord Jack by Hope Tarr
Goddess With a Blade by Lauren Dane
Captive Bride by Bonnie Dee
Everything I Know About Love I Learned From Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Born In Fire by Nora Roberts
Born in Ice by Nora Roberts
Born In Shame by Nora Roberts
December – 7
Daring to Dream by Nora Roberts
Holding the Dream by Nora Roberts
Finding the Dream by Nora Roberts
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Brighid’s Choice by P. C. Cast
Altered Destiny by Shawna Thomas