57 out of 75

well, the year is over, and i have fallen short of my goal of reading 75 books in 2010.

while not disappointed, as the 57 books that i did read were all amazing, especially the last one, the brilliant Bonhoeffer biography {which at 542 pages should count for at least 2-3 books, if not the entire missing 18!}, i really did think that i would do it.

truth be told, i probably could have. after yesterday's wedding reception for my baby brother, instead of watching an episode of Glee, sat down with the stack of Dr.Seuss books from my childhood and finished those off, but since i have already read a great many children's books last month, searching for the perfect Christmas present for the nephews, i opted not to.

so, i've been asked what my favorite books of 2010 were, so here's the rundown:

Juliet by Anne Fortier
without a doubt, this fictional tale of a young woman's discovery that she is related to Giulietta, the character Shakespeare immortalized in his Romeo and Juliet is my favorite of the year. i didn't want it to end, and i think that if a movie isn't made out of the book, it will be a tragedy.

the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
not only do i love this series, i also love the movie and cannot wait for the next one.

School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
i went through a 'food lit' phase this summer, and this book, lent to me by my friend Angie was the highlight of that phase. simply a beautiful story of all the members of a cooking class.

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood
one of those surprising books that i read ridiculously fast, simply because i was swept up in the story. if you have to choose between the book and the movie, there is no choice. pick up the book.

How To Catch A Star and Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
while searching for books for my newest nephew, i came across these two board book gems. they are, especially Lost and Found, quite simply the sweetest stories. i will not be surprised if somehow they end up on my own coffee table one day very, very soon...

Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas
yes, it's a big book. but even if it will take you all of 2011 to read, go out today, buy this book and begin reading it. {my review is in the previous post}

* * * * *

well, i guess this wraps up 2010. it didn't go exactly as i had planned, but what does, really? i haven't begun thinking about a goal for this year, so we'll have to see what happens there. but i will say that my Kobo is filled with exciting books just waiting for my attention. i believe i will go and pay some attention right now.

happy new year!