A great deal of my reading in 2012 was work-related. Fascinating stuff, but not necessarily rattling good yarns, as C.S. Lewis called page-turners. Still, I managed to dig in to some good stuff in the off-hours, and here are a few favorites:
My Favorite Non-fiction last year:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts In a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
If I invited you over for coffee and tried to explain to you how much I love this book, I'd end up sputtering, and sounding incoherent and inept, because as an introvert I'd spend too much time analyzing what I was saying and how I was saying it. I adore Susan Cain for understanding that and for attempting to help the world better understand introverts, too.
The Year of Learning Dangerously by Quinn Cummings
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My Favorite Fiction last year:
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
The more I think about this book, the more I love it. It is delicate, but raw ... eloquent but real ... deeply touching but not saccharine. It is simply beautiful, brimming with what is best in humanity.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
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Favorite Books I Read to Ramona last year:
The Prairie Thief
Little Women
Charlotte's Web (with this cover, not the movie cover)
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Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle
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And finally, perhaps the most important category:
Favorite Book Written by One of My Daughters in November:
Bront, by Betsy (her NaNoWriMo novel)
10 comments:
I have to say thank you for Quiet and The Language of Flowers, two books I read and loved because of you.
I Captured the Castle is hilarious. I discovered it years ago. And Charlotte's Web goes without saying! On your recommendation I'm going to order the Introvert book as soon as the paperback is out (I'm hoping that will make the Kindle edition go even lower). I'm thinking about Language of Flowers.
I got the Quiet book from my 17 yo introvert for Christmas, but secretly because I plan to read it myself one of these days.
Melanie, I have to thank my friend Danae for The Language of Flowers. It wasn't on my radar screen at all when she mentioned it, and I'm so glad I read it. My daughter loved it, too.
Daria, looks like the Quiet paperback is coming soon.
And Faith, I like the way you think. :)
I don't have time for more books on my reading list! But it looks like I'm adding a bunch anyway.
I know the feeling, Sara. :)
I love seeing what other folks are reading. Looks like you read some beautiful ones in 2012. I tried to be more intentional about making a list for 2013 because my 2012 reading had....room for improvement :)
Karen Edmisten said...
I thought your 2012 reading list was great, Haley! (Esp. that thing by that Edmisten woman....)
Waugh, Gaskill, Chesterton ... you've got me beat for quality reads in 2012.
OK! I thought I read about The Language of Flowers here and I was right. Thank you. I'm enjoying it.
Oh, good, Jenn! I thought it was a beautiful book. My daughters loved it, too.
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