The following are my best and worst picks for fiction reads in 2011. Later this week I will share my best and worst of non-fiction and young adult reads. (Books below are listed in alphabetical order.)
Best:
Blackout & All Clear by Connie Willis – I include both books here because they were written to be one book but split into two by the publisher because of their length. These stories combine two of my favorite fiction elements: time travel and World War II.
The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus by Sonya Sones – This was the most pleasant surprise of the year! It’s a novel written in verse, which along with the chick-lit appearance of the cover could scare people off. Don’t pass this one up though, especially if you are a wife and mother. Sonya Sones hits the nail on the head with her entertaining observations of marriage and motherhood in this novel. The highest praise that I can give it? I went out and got my own copy after reading one from the library. And the poetry aspect? I normally hate poetry and this one is written in free verse, easy to understand and made me both laugh and cry.
Left Neglected by Lisa Genova – A story about a woman with a fascinating brain injury that causes her not to be able to observe things on her left side (even though her actual vision is unaffected). I hadn’t heard of this neurological effect before, and it made for a dramatic story.
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi – Old men go into military service off planet and are never heard from again from those on Earth. This story follows one of those men through his training and some significant battles. A completely fun and original tale for fans of sci-fi.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – If forced to choose one favorite book of the year this would be it. It’s got science fiction, a contest with a race to the finish, and tons of 80s culture references. This is great science fiction for those who don’t normally read sci-fi stories.
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett – A hauntingly beautiful literary fiction story set in the Amazon. It deals with all sorts of ethical questions like the effects of corporations exploiting natural resources and native populations for research, and the implications of old age parenthood.
What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty – This story about a woman who wakes up in the hospital with amnesia, not remembering the past ten years of her life, was fun and surprisingly touching. It was one of those that makes you think, “What would my younger self think of me now?”
Worst:
The Brummstein by Peter Adolphsen – This was a book in translation that promised a compelling sci-fi story stretching across generations was the length of a novella and more like a plot summary than a fleshed-out story.
The Four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton – This one bored me and the other ladies in my book club. Only one other person in our club finished the book.
The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas – In retrospect I find that I really didn’t like anything about this book. It had a mystery that wrapped up strangely, an attempted rape scene that seemed thrown in for it’s own sake, and boring conversation that did nothing to move the plot along – it was pretty much just chit-chat to fill space. This was another book club read.
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What Alice Forgot and ‘Hunchback’ are both on my 2011 Favorites list. Truly enjoyable books!
I liked these choices ALyce. Good idea to do the Worst List as well.
I absolutely LOVED the Hunchback of Neiman Marcus. I originally borrowed it from the library, but after reading it in one day – I immediately went out and purchased my own copy.
I am sorry to hear that the Persian Pickle Club was such a disappointment. I have had it sitting on my shelf for a while now – mostly because of all the favorable reviews I read in the bloggosphere.
Glad to see the Connie Willis book make your best list. I want to read those at some point.
The Hunchback of NM has shown up on a couple of lists so I’m putting it on my TBR list. The Persian Pickle Club is on my list but I think I’ll take it off. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
“Left Neglected” was one of my top books too!!!
I haven’t read that one but have read others of hers and always thought she was good.
I am surprised to Sandra Dallas at the bottom
Left Neglected was a favourite also and Pickle Club was a DNF for me, agree.
Gosh everyone is mentioning Ready Player One! Can’t wait to read it!
I had the same reaction to The Four Ms. Bradwells…which was disappointing, since I really enjoyed The Wednesday Sisters.
I have Left Neglected on my Kindle…I will be reading it soon!
Connie Willis is one of my favorite authors ever. If you haven’t read Bellwether, that’s a must read.
Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)
You had some great reads last year. Though boo about The Four Miss Bradwells, I have that on my shelf and was looking forward to it. Mainly because I love the cover (yes, I’m just that shallow). Oh well, maybe going into it with low expectations will help the book. Happy New Year-I hope there’s lots of great reading ahead.
Nice list! Ready Player one hit my best of the best for the year too…. I even started listening to it on audio a second time.
A couple of those made my list of favorites from 2011 as well and What Alice Forgot was on my long list – it didn’t make the final cut.
Great list!! I agree with you — Blackout and All Clear should be listed as ONE BOOK!!! : )
Goes without saying maybe, but you and I have a lot in common. If I would have read State of Wonder earlier (just finished it) it would have been on the 2011 list. Ready Player One completely rocked my world. I need to read more Connie Willis (damn her books are long), and I have heard enough about Scalzi to require some reading there too.
I am really hoping to read more Connie Willis this year! I LOVED To Say Nothing of the Dog and really want to read The Doomsday Book next.
Sounds like you need to find a new book club. Thanks for your recommendations.
Hahaha! My book club rocks, we just have some dud books once in a while. And one of those (the Bradwells book) was my pick, so it was completely my fault.
What Alice Forgot is on my wish list, it sounds like a great read, I’m really curious about Ready Player One. I’ll have to check out both.
Nice list. Blackout was one of my favorites for 2011 too but I left it off my list because I didn’t read All Clear yet and really, they are one book. So I don’t feel like I finished it yet. I loved Ready Player One, I felt right at home in that book.
Of your favorites, those I haven’t read are pretty much all on my intended-read list (whether I own them or not). I’m actually craving a little Connie Willis, at the moment. And, Kiddo got a copy of Ready Player One for Christmas (woot!) so I’m going to sneak that off his shelf, at some point! Nice lists! I did like The Persian Pickle Club, but I can see why you’d dislike it. I think it was just the right book for the moment, when I read it.
I’ve been debating whether or not to read The Hunchback of Neiman Marcus or not. This is the first blog I’ve seen recommend this book. I’ll definitely have to pick this one up! I’m reading What Alice Forgot right now too, and I’m LOVING it! Ready Player One is on my TBR pile for this coming year!
I have Left Neglected on my reading list. I’ve only heard good things about it. I love the “best of” lists at the end of the year! I did one like yours where I listed my bests and my disappointments.
2 Kids and Tired Cooks
I was disappointed by The Four Ms. Bradwells – so many people loved it but I found it to be so predictable and the characters so cookie cutter.
One of these days I really must get back to Scalzi. I really enjoyed the first book so there is no excuse for not getting back!
Interesting, that Ready Player One book. I’ve looked at it in the store — I love a bit of sci-fi now and then although I am not a major fan of it. The book looked interesting to me, and because I respect your opinion — hmmm… perhaps next time I will LEAVE the store with it.
Thanks, Alyce.