2011 Reading Round Up

First, let's do my December Reading List:

1. Harry Potter Books 5, 6, and 7 in audio. To quote my FB status update, "Note to self:  Listening to the final chapters of the last Harry Potter book while knitting in a public place (Starbucks in case there was any question) is not perhaps the best of ideas for a woman who is prone to crying."
2. Grave Sight and An Ice Cold Grave, Charlain Harris (library, ebook), I needed some light, junk-food books after HP.  These did the trick.  I feel no need to read the other two books in this series.  I also checked out the first books in Harris's other two series, and deleted them after a few pages.  I think the Sookie Stackhouse books are wonderful, but Harris's other series fall flat.
3. The Leopard, Jo Nesbo (library, ebook)  Crazy how much I enjoy down and dirty Norwegian crime/mystery books.  They really are a bit repulsive if you think about it, but Nesbo is such a great writer that he really sucks you in.  Think Steig Larson lite. 
4. The Family Fang, Kevin Wilson (ebook)  I'm reading this one right now, and will probably finish it up this evening.  It's amazing, and I highly recommend it.  The Fang family is wholly unique and Wilson's writing style is funny and heartbreaking and completely engrossing.  LOVE it!

Second, here are my top 5 books of the year:

1. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern
2. A Thread of Grace, Mary Doria Russel
3. The Passage, Justin Cronin
4. Mr. Chartwell, Rebecca Hunt
5. Blackout & All Clear, Connie Willis
6. (honorable mention) Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter

Finally, 4 Ways in Which My Reading Habits Changed in 2011:

1. The biggest change is that I got an iPad and started reading most of my books in ebook format, which surprisingly enough I enjoy thoroughly. 
2. Thanks to my iPad I read a lot more books from the library.  In fact, I've probably recouped 2/3 the cost of the iPad in books that I probably would have just purchased before.
3. Also thanks to my iPad AND my monthly reading lists here on the blog I've started to finally purge the crates and crates of books in storage.  Some I'm replacing in ebook format, others (mostly big, silly series) I'm just doing away with and checking out from the library now.  Part of it is a larger household simplification that we're going through, part of it is that with my lists I don't feel a need to hold on so tightly anymore, and part is simply that I like to carry around my library of really good books in my iPad so that they are easily accessible should I want/need them. 
4. Thanks to Books On The NightStand my reading has expanded to include many more genres than it had previously.  I still love my fairy tales, fantasy and mythic fiction best....but with good recommendations I've discovered that there's a lot more out there than I had expected. (Four of my best of 2011 books are BOTNS recommendations)

Thank you for indulging me in all of my book posts, and Happy Reading in 2012!