Tag Archives: re-read potential

Lists: Best Books Read in 2011 – # 7

Best Books Read in 2011

7. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler

I neglected Raymond Chandler for far too long. The Long Goodbye hit that home with a vengeance. What a beautiful, heartbreaking book. I love Los Angeles, but the setting was mere backdrop to the complex, dark, and brilliant story which unfolded. It is rare that I immediately put a book on my favorites list, but this deserved it.

Original Review

8. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
9. A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett


Lists: Best Books Read in 2011 – # 9

Best Books Read in 2011

9. A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

A Great & Terrible Beauty earned its place on this list by showing me that young adult paranormal fantasy can be enjoyable. I remain surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It’s genuinely good. Unfortunately, the second is kind of awful, but the third is also great.

Original Review

10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett


Lists: Best Books Read in 2011 – # 10

Best Books Read in 2011

10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

In this case, The Color of Magic stands in for the Discworld series as a whole. For Christmas last year, my boyfriend gave me the first two and I was hooked. The series is not as consistently good, but I have enjoyed the majority of the books I have read to date. It also has the benefit of each book being able to stand alone or mixed & matched by its dominant characters.

Original Review


Review: The Things They Carried

The Things They CarriedThe Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Incredible. Parts of “How to Tell a True War Story” come to mind regularly. I love Tim O’Brien‘s writing. Those were the three things I had to say about The Things They Carried when I initially “reviewed” this book. I hold to all of those. This is my third reading and I found the book even better than it was eleven years ago. “How to Tell a True War Story” has probably influenced my views on writing and literature more than anything else I have ever read. There is a beautiful clarity and painful honesty that permeates this book. I can’t say enough good things about it.

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Review: The Unit

The UnitThe Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

The Unit is the saddest piece of dystopian fiction I have ever read. Normally the genre leaves me angry or frightened or feeling the need for a good shower, but this made me feel heartbroken. The Unit is a place where women who have reached the age of 50 and men who have reached the age of 60 without having children are sent to live in order to participate in “humane” experiments and act as organ donors for the so-called needed. These people are known as dispensable.

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Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire proved to be an excellent choice for a non-horror Halloween read. In it, J.K. Rowling sharply continues her addition of darkness to the series. We see Harry, Hermione, Ron and the rest of the gang returning to Hogwart’s for yet another year. As usual, there are also dark deeds going on, but the focus this year is on the Triwizard Tournament. Despite rules requiring contestants to be 17, Harry naturally ends up in the mix. Adventures ensue. Naturally, there is a giant spider. Why is there always a giant bloody spider? *grumbles* In spite of that, the book is excellent. Also, there is a merciful lack of Quidditch game play by plays.

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Review: The Duke And I

The Duke And I (Bridgertons, #1)The Duke And I by Julia Quinn
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Oh the cheesy Regency romance. What a place it holds in my heart. Perfectly mindless and heartwarming despite the massive amounts of suspension of disbelief required. The Duke And I is the first, but will not be the last of Julia Quinn‘s books I read. It struck a fantastic balance between funny and sweet. In the creation of the hilarious Bridgerton family it added that excellent dynamic of The Overprotective Older Brother and Possibly Crazy Mother that makes these books delightful. I know I’m raving shamelessly. It could be the allergy medication or it could be that this is a fun book. I’ll leave the determination to you.

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