Top Reads of 2012

It’s that time again to figure out what books I enjoyed the most the past year.  It has been a hectic year and I haven’t been able to post as often as I would have liked.  It is on my ‘New Year Resolutions List’ to be more consistent and post regularly!

It is difficult to pick the “best” books you have read.  What defines “best”?  So my list is merely the books I have enjoyed reading the most.

1.  The books that really moved me:

The Shepherd – Frederick Forsyth  (Very short 54 pages, but it always gives me goose-bumps.)

The Light Between the Oceans – M. L. Stedman (An excellent first novel)

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander Newfoundland – Jim Defede

 

2.  The books that made me laugh out loud:

Gracie: A Love Story – George Burns

Three Bags Full – Leonie Swann

 

3.  Best “Vermont” books:

Waiting for Teddy Williams – Frank Howard Mosher

The Stories – Thomas Weakley

 

4.  The most fun I had with books:

The Desperado Who Stole Baseball – John H. Ritter

Harry Lipkin, Private Eye – Barry Fantoni

Phoenix Rising – Pip Ballantine

 

5.  Best introductions to mystery writers that I hadn’t read before:

Death’s Favorite Child – Frankie Y. Bailey

Winter of the Wolf Moon – Steve Hamilton

 

6.  The Non-Fiction that I enjoyed the most:

Fire on the Beach – David Wright and David Zoby

 

7.  General Fiction I really enjoyed:

Music of A Life – Andrei Makine

 

8.  Best Children’s Books:

JP : Mrs. McBloom, Clean Up Your Classroom – Kelly S. DiPucchio

JF: Seaglass Summer – Anjali Banerjee

YA: The Misadventures of Maude March – Audrey Couloumbis

 

9.  Best Books Added to my Collection:

Sherlock Holmes by Gas-lamp – Phillip A. Shreffler

The Nero Wolfe Cookbook

 

10.   Best Re-Reads

Nero Wolfe mysteries – Rex Stout

 

11.  Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Steampunk books:

Redshirts – John Scalzi

Boneshaker – Cherie Priest

 

12.  Biggest Disappointments:

Pirate King – Laurie R. King

Shake Off – Mischa Hiller