Favorite Books of 2012

Whoa!  It's been awhile since I posted here!  Blogger sure has changed!  Anyway, thought I'd share my favorite books of 2012!

Last year I started reading like a maniac again.  I took my son to get his library card last Spring and we've gone to the library every 2-3 weeks since!  It was so wonderful to read again - I hadn't really read anything of substance since before he was born.

Some of my favorites were:

The Hunger Games - I read all three in about a week and a half and they blew me away.  And, of course, the movie pales in comparison

Under the Dome - Stephen King really knows how to freak a girl out with real people.  This book shows how a small town reacts when something bad happens to them.  It's crazy.  And good. And scary.  A perfect SK.

11/22/63 - another SK.  This one is about time travel, which is a total mind fuck for me.  I simultaneously love and hate time travel plot lines.  He does a good job with this one, though...even though I kind of saw the ending coming (the whole time-space continuum thing).

The Descendants - Just a beautiful book - funny, sad, heartwarming, poignant.  I just watched the movie last night - since it had been awhile since I read the book, I was pretty happy with the movie adaptation.  Plus, George Clooney wins for me in anything.

Two Kisses for Maddy - this one is by a fellow blogger, Matt Logelin.  Those of you not familiar with Matt and Maddy's story, go take a look at his site.  He has a few quick links to give you background.  I came across Matt's blog right after I found out I was pregnant with my son and right after Matt lost Liz, so I kind of followed him from the beginning of his journey.  The book was a perfect addition to his blog. Warning: have tissues ready.  And if you're offended by the word "fuck" then you may not want to read (or any of the books I'm suggesting, really).

Let's Pretend This Never Happened - Blogger Bloggess writes a hilarious book.  I think I peed my pants twice while reading this book. (see above warning regarding the word "fuck")

A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night - The first two books in a trilogy by Deborah Harkness.  Alone, Discovery of Witches was rough for me - until the vampire came into the picture.  The sequel, Shadow of Night, was awesome (more time travel into the 1500's, one my favorite time periods!).  I'm looking forward to the third book.

And, my most favorite book I read last year:

The Night Circus - Have you ever read a book that you were afraid to put down because you were afraid you were going to miss something?  That's how Erin Morgenstern's debut novel was for me.  It has mixed review on Goodreads, but I absolutely loved it.  I recommended it to pretty much everyone I know who loves to read and I even bought it as gifts for my besties for their birthdays.  In fact, I just went out and bought a copy for myself so I could reread it again.  That's how amazing it was - I'll reread it less than a year after reading it for the first time!  Seriously, though, it was magical.  Truly magical.

What was your favorite book you read last year?

Sons of the Pope

My good friend Dan O'Connor's novel Sons of the Pope is out this week (Kindle version available now, physical version ships 12/12).

I just finished the book today and it's really terrific, I am not just saying that because I've know Dan of more than 35 years, it's the truth. Brief review below:

"In Brooklyn, before the murders, before the miracle, before the 1940s were gone forever, there was a tree. If only they let that tree alone. If that sycamore tree had been allowed to stand, then maybe Biaggio Falcone never would have been the head of the Campigotto crime family. Perhaps little Joey Salerno would not have been born like that. Joey's father, Sal-just home from World War II-probably would never have gotten involved with the New York underworld, and his wife Mary wouldn't have to spend her entire life caring for an eternal child. There may have been no reason, four decades later, for that desperate pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. No need for Pearl Gholston to venture across those tracks, or for anyone to call upon the one known only as The Diabolist. Experience the richness of a story that spans half a century. Love and hatred. Devotion and betrayal. Murder and miracles. If only they let that tree alone."

While some may see the obvious market for this book is the Sopranos  Godfather, and other mob stories type audience. True enough, if that genre appeals to you, this book is a must read but there is more depth to this novel (and some of those other titles/shows/movies). The imagery is vivid and describes a time and place I have familiarity with and it does so with amazing clarity. The characters are well developed and often surprise the reader both with the level of emotional involvement you have with them and by the things they do.

Most interesting is the role of the popular music of the time to weave the story lines, personalities and time frame. O'Connor has proven that story telling in the modern age of hyped up trilogies and over thought, over produced, over sold run of the mill can still come from the heart. I'm certain you will find something special about this book and I for one, can't wait until his next book.

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If you click on the BUY FROM AMAZON link on the appropriate graphic, at least 4% of your purchase will be donated to the ER-D Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. (Note: Kindle edition cost $5.99)

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A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton

As a student I find, if I attempt to access them, my resources are almost infinite! I have a school library that has too many books to count in. Yet I only read something if it truly interests me.

I have had no prior philosophical education (apart from indenting the first few pages of the works of Plato, and failing on an epic proportion!) So I decided to pick up this introduction and have a very brief flirtation with philosophy. Let me state this book is very accessible but one must be willing to devote time and mental energy or else be willing to give up in the tedious sections. 

It represents the best philosophies and their theories; it is very useful for reference as it is in chronological order from Socrates to Singer. Each philosopher has more or less a chapter with the exception of Kant and a few others claiming more. The ending chapter is devoted to Peter Singer, as a vegetarian I found this particularly interesting as it tells us of animal rights. 

Selling complex ideas to the learned public is a hard job, and despite not doing it with the sexiness of Brain Cox it manages to fit it all in there.

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Keith Richards - Life

Don't go into this one expecting a lighthearted autobiography that you can bang out in a day or two as we've come to expect (or so it seems) from the celebrity type. "Life" at times felt as long as the road Richards is taking us down yet I didn't feel like it was time wasted, because on that road I learned about things i never really expected going in and that, for me, is always a good thing about any type of book.

Keith talks extensively about music; not just the Rolling Stones but the music in his soul, that which has inspired him throughout his lifetime and journey as a musician and a writer. I think the book does a great job of revealing Keith Richards as a true songwriter and not just someone who takes a credit for doing so, a craftsman who bleeds for his craft.

Yes, there is extensive talk of the drugs but not in the way I think I expected to read. It's easy to go into this book thinking it would primarily be a journal of drug use and the after effects - instead, we learn how they became a part of his life and how they affected each area of his life without clouding the telling of those stories to the point where the drugs become the main character.

I feel like there is an automatic perception of Keith Richards that paints him as a very simple guy - almost a caricature of the Rock and Roll druggie stereotype but what this book does, is prove that there is a complexity,  wit, intellect, substance and heart to this guy.

Autobiographical Briefs

I read two autobiographies recently that were highly anticipated for a number of reasons and I thought I would share a few thoughts on each here with all of you.

I saw Rob Lowe on a few of the talk shows while he was out promoting this book. Aside from the stories he told on the talk shows that implied the book might be interesting, being roughly the same age and having watched all of the "Brat Pack" films (because it was something you did in the 80's) and wanting to know more about the culture of that group of people in that time and place - I opted to give this book a read. While it wasn't the worst autobiography of all time, and there were some sincere moments that had a rare humanizing effect on a celebrity, it just didn't ring as a cohesive piece of storytelling for me and I was left feeling like it may have been okay to just leave it be with what I saw on the talk show circuit.

Tina Fey captivated me on SNL and then again on 30 Rock. She's witty, intelligent, and powerful but also has, for me, a remarkable charm that I simply can't get enough of. This book not only offered the story of Tina Fey from then till now but it was punctuated with the witty humor that makes those of us that love her, lover her. I laughed so much while reading this book that I'm smiling just writing about it. Fey doesn't take herself so seriously that she isn't willing to be self-deprecating almost to a fault. If you are a fan of Fey, this is a must read.

Jamie's Italy

I have a crush on Jamie Oliver. Also, I'm Italian.

This is not why I chose to review this book and I promise that I'm not being biased about it either.

For me the glue that binds any cookbook to the recipes inside of them are the pictures. Okay, granted the pictures don't tell you how to cook the meals. HOWEVER, the pictures are what makes the recipe look oh so very nom nom nom.

I bought Julia Child's cookbook because it's French cuisine and it's Julia Child. Also, I had just finished watching the movie Julie & Julia and became very inspired. Upon perusing the recipes, it wasn't just the size of the book or the font of the words that scared me off of it ... it was the lack of photos! And those little pencil drawings do not count. Needless to say, I didn't spend hours pouring over each recipe as I did with Jamie Oliver's book. There was just no appeal to me.

I will admit that what drew me to this book is that it was filled with recipes from my motherland (maybe I am being biased). But, look at the cover of this book. Look at how vibrant the colours are ... they just pop right off the page. And that is what you can expect from the entire book. Every photo shows amazing details of not only the prepared dish, but of the individual ingredients that go into making each dish so mouth-watering.

It doesn't get much better than having a homemade glass of wine with a plate of pasta and enjoying it in some rustic town sitting next to a beaten up VW Beetle. Talk about simple pleasures.

Another aspect of this book that I really enjoyed are the stories that it told ... where the recipes came from ... the origins of the towns he visited ... the stories of the people who live there. He not only brought these meals to life, he brought the little towns to life as well. This wasn't just a cookbook, it was a journey.

If you can appreciate good food, a good cook and fantastic stories and photos, this is the next cookbook you need to have in your kitchen. All of your senses will thank you.