Monday, January 2, 2012

Joanna's Best of 2011

Another year of reading gone by. Here is my list for titles that made me sit up and take notice, or at least the ones I took time to record. There's a lack of picture books and a lack of GN this year, which is surprising since my son devoured it. He has Sidekicks, Nursery Rhyme Comics, and Astronaut Academy at home on his shelf. 

YA
The Big Crunch
Okay for Now
Anya's Ghost (GN)
Blood Red Road
Where Things Come Back
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Between Shades of Gray

J/Middle Grade
Inside Out and Back Again
The Adventures of Sir Gawain the True
Junonia
The Trouble with May Amelia (author site) [I"m surprised by how much I liked this. I never read the first. Patti, it rises above the scrappy-historical-fiction-heroine-does-good scenario.]
A Monster Calls

NF
Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word
If Rocks Could Sing: a discovered alphabet
Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart (goodreads) [Even though we all know the outcome, the suspenseful pacing totally got me.]
Heart and Soul: the story of America and African-Americans (author site)

Picture Book
Big Little Brother [I love this book! Sibling dynamics and loving your little brother, even if he's bigger than you. Bonus: Little Brother likes to carry a donut around with him all day. A picture book a little left of center and totally wonderful.]
Little Owl Lost
Where's Walrus?
Every Cowgirl Needs Dancing Boots [well, of course!]
That's How!
Anton Can Do Magic
Press Here


Adult
Swamplandia!
In Zanesville
The Night Circus
Unfamiliar Fishes (goodreads)

And hey! I like TV, too! This year I discovered The Big Bang Theory on local reruns. It's kind of fun to watch a series totally out of order. What episode will be next? My husband and I, we are too much fun.  Count me in with the Downton Abbey Die Hards. PBS Mysteries had me all year, too.

Happy 2012 Reading, one and all! Patti and I will have our ALA Youth Media Awards Annual Chat and I cannot wait! Only 20 days to go. 

5 comments:

Madigan Mirza said...

I'm reading Blood Red Road now and really enjoying it.

I love your ALA media awards commentary!

joanna said...

BRR is a fascinating book. I'm looking forward to seeing what will get noticed by the committees this year. I still have a stack of 2011 books to read, but I bet that I'll only finish my picture book list by Jan 23.

Jenn H. said...

Great list! A few of your favorites are sitting in my TBR pile. Have to move them up.

Can't wait for the awards, either. I really can't call any of them this year.

Patti said...

I loved Downton Abbey! Also can't wait for the next season!

I just watched some Portlandia and that was hilarious. I apparently want 2012 to be as filled with TV as was 2011.

joanna said...

Portlandia is pretty fun. I watched it before we got rid of cable.

I love how we're talking about TV.

Did you see the movie Young Adult? We went over the holidays.