12 (okay, 11 1/2) books in 2012

I can’t remember if I mentioned it specifically last year, but it was my goal to read 12 books this year. I’m sure many of you laugh at just 12 books, but given that I only read TWO books last year, I thought it was a pretty decent goal. I am currently on my 11th book, which I plan to finish soon (if I can ever stay up late enough to read a friggin’ CHAPTER), and then I am not sure what my 12th book will be, but it’ll probably be James Patterson (no judgment) or something equally easy and brainless.

Anyway, here’s what I’ve read this year (so far), along with some of my very non-literary thoughts. (No spoilers here, don’t worry!)

1. The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides
This was a recommendation from my mom and I liked it a lot. I felt like it had a story/character everyone could relate to in some way or another. As I was reading it, I was like, “OMG this girl! Make good decisions!” to the main character — I am sure if I could go back in time 10 years, I’d be telling myself the same thing, so there you go. The ending was satisfying and closed the loop, so to speak, which is important to me and my feeble little mind.

2., 3., and 4. The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
I’m sure a lot has been written about The Hunger Games, so I’m not going to try to dissect it here. I will say that I liked it, but definitely felt like it could have been condensed into one or two books. I know a lot of people said they didn’t like the ending, but I actually did. I can’t say I’ll ever be drawn to read more young adult dystopian fiction, mostly because I think the name of that genre sounds really dumb, and also because I can only handle so much end-of-the-world brouhaha and these books fit that quota for a good few years.

However, have you seen this map of where the districts (likely) were supposed to be? Pretty cool.

5. Killing Lincoln, by Bill O’Reilly
This book was a gift from my dad, because he knows my love of Lincoln. I am born on his birthday and have always felt a kindred spirit with our 16th prez, and yet really not known a lot about him. As Bill O’Reilly says in the beginning, this is a nonfiction book (about the last 6 weeks of Lincoln’s life), but written as a thriller. It’s great, highly recommend, etc., and if you’re a little wary of the author, don’t fret, it’s No Spin Zone-free. If you like history and a good story and maps and pictures of people ca. 1865, then you’ll dig this book.

6. I’m going to skip this next book because it was a James Patterson, and while I shamelessly do read James Patterson, I don’t think he needs a recap. I mean, homeboy doesn’t even really write his own books anymore. That’s the hallmark of any great author, right?

7. On Beauty, by Zadie Smith
I found this on my bookshelf and thought I’d give it a read, but I am not sure if I have any final thoughts about it. Even almost six months later and I’m still like, “Was it supposed to be…funny? Serious?” I can’t quite tell. I do know that I wish the book would have focused more on the mom (she was WAY more likeable and interesting) rather than the dad, but I think in the end, I just missed something I was supposed to have “gotten.”

8. Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn
As you know, this was like the It Book of the summer. I liked it a lot — give me a good murder mystery and I’m good to go — and while I had some thoughts on the ending, I definitely liked the book from start to finish. If I ever get around to getting that pesky library card, I plan to rent up all the Gillian Flynn they have, because this was a page-turner and when it comes down to it, that’s what makes a good book.

9. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
I recently glimpsed past a conversation on Twitter involving this book and I don’t think the people in that conversation had good things to say. No matter, though. I read this because it too had been on my shelf for awhile. I wasn’t expecting much, but found that it was a fun, easy read. It was one of those books that made me stop to Google things (Killing Lincoln was like this too) and any book that forces me to learn is a-okay. In fact, shortly after finishing this book, I came across a reference somewhere to “Guernsey cows” and I would have had no clue what that meant before reading this book, so there you go.

10. Summer In The City, by Robyn Sisman
This is another bookshelf find (I’m not sure where I actually get all these books) and it was basically just ridiculous chick-lit. The funniest part was that it was written in the late ’90s, so the references to clothes and fashion and fax machines were pretty awesomely bad. Fax machines! Hahaha.

11. Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan
This is the book I’m currently reading, so I’ll save any judgment until after I’m done. I’m about halfway through and I like it thus far, but keep having to remind myself it takes place during the early 1900s, because it reads as if it could be a modern-day story. Is that testament to the writing? The story itself? I don’t know. (In case you’re unaware, it’s the story of Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick, who had a love affair, while both still married, with children, to other people. Scandal!) Oh, a word to the wise: Don’t go Googling until you’re finished. I forgot that real people had real lives and real Wikipedia pages with real information that could ruin the ending for me. Oops.

12. Any recommendations?