My Top 2011 Picks

I started blogging late in 2011, but it has been a great reading year for me since January.  I loved a lot of my 2011 reads, but here is a shorter list for those who are short on time.  Although many of the books I read would have honourable mentions, here are my top picks from my 2011 Reading List, in no particular order.
*Clicking on the image will bring you to my initial post about the novel.  

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Although this book is found in the Young Adult/Teen section, I absolutely loved these books!  The Hunger Games trilogy consists of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay.  These books by Suzanne Collins were a little bit of action and love and a lot of exciting and awesome.  Start this trilogy, no matter what your age, when you have a few days to spare because you are not going to want to put these books down.  The movie comes out in 2012 so you can look forward to that!  Buy the book here.

 
 The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help was a very popular book this year.  Part of its success was probably because of the release of the 2011 movie.  The story, dealing with inequality between coloured maids and their bosses, was funny and heartfelt.  The book had me laughing and crying.  Buy the book here. 





Little Princes by Conor Grennan

The book Little Princes is the true story of Conor Grennan, who travels to Nepal to volunteer in an orphanage.  He finds out the truth behind the past of these young children - they are actually victims of child trafficking and many of them have families who are still alive and well.  Grennan takes it upon himself to help these children reunite with their families.  Little Princes was a great non fiction read filled with Grennan's memories of his time in Nepal.  This book also made it onto the CTV Canada AM book corner.  Buy it here. 

Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay

This book, though fiction, was eye opening to historical events that occurred in 1942 in Paris, during the Vel d'Hiv roundup.  I'm not a huge history fan, but I liked this book.  It goes back and forth between plots in 1942 and 2002, as a journalist tries to connect events that are close to her family.  Buy it here.





Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

Secret Daughter is the story of Asha, a young adult who was given up for adoption when she was born.  Her biological mother was forced to give her up since boys are the strongly favoured sex in their culture.  A family in the United States adopts Asha, one of her adoptive parents being from a similar background and culture.  So many issues are touched upon in this book.  It's a really heartwarming story that I think many of you would love.  Buy it here. 



Honourable mentions include Water for Elephants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Room, and Once Upon a Day. 

A Soft Place to Land (Susan Rebeccca White)

I found this novel at a used bookstore in town.  I didn't really know what I was looking for when I went there...  I was checking out some authors that have been recommended to me and browsing some of the award winning books.  This novel was in with the fiction books and I initially pulled it out because the spine of the book looked like it was in perfect condition.  Then, I saw the cover and, of course, judged it.  I liked the look of it and, after reading the back, decided that it looked like an interesting story. 

"Just know that whatever feelings you shove down are going to have to come up again sometime. And some people think it's better to control when it comes up than to have it just one day boil over and take you by surprise." (A Soft Place to Land, Susan Rebecca White, p. 104-105)

A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White is the story of two half sisters, Ruthie and Julia, who have to deal with the devastating news that their parents were killed in a plane crash while they were on vacation.  Ruthie and Julia are surprised when they hear what is in the will.  Julia, 16, who still has one living parent (her biological father), will be moving in with him and his new wife (we'll call her the evil stepmom).  Ruthie, 13, who has now lost both of her biological parents, is now moving in with an aunt and uncle.  On top of losing their parents, these girls are now, in a sense, losing each other.  The novel, told mostly through Ruthie's story, spans across a few decades and shows the hard times and complicated-ness that is involved in this sister-sister relationship. 

"Her mother.  Her mother who was so alive and then - so quickly, so finally - was simply gone.  From matter to memory.  Like that."  (A Soft Place to Land, Susan Rebecca White, p. 241)

When I first picked up the book, I noticed what Kathryn Stockett, the author of The Help, had said about this book: "A beautiful complicated love between two sisters.  Book clubs: This is your next pick.  I loved this book."  Considering how much I loved The Help, I thought that I would also enjoy this one. 

I completely agree with Stockett - it was most definitely a nice story about "the complicated love between two sisters."  You never know what kind of effect tragic news, such as the sudden death of two young parents, will have on you.  Especially being right at the center of everything, these girls would have had a lot to go through.  It was nice to see the good and the bad of their relationship after the death of their parents.  Also, not only did it show you what events happened right after the girls hear the news, but the author provides you with chunks of information from different points in their lives.

"I've never felt more grateful for my life than I do today, but I think it's fair to say the gods have put me through some shit." (A Soft Place to Land, Susan Rebecca White, p. 327)

I would recommend this novel if you're looking for something real.  It can be a hard topic to think about, write about, or read about, but Susan Rebecca White gives you an honest look at the relationship between Ruthie and Julia.  There were some parts of the story that I found more interesting than others, and some parts that I found to be a bit slow, but it was a good read.

"Knowing that everyone has a story," Naomi would say, "I find it very hard to judge." (A Soft Place to Land, Susan Rebecca White, p. 262)

The Help (Kathryn Stockett)

I read The Help by Kathryn Stockett during the summer and LOVED it! It had me laughing at many points and also had me in tears today as I was sitting outside enjoying the sunshine. I loved the rollercoaster of emotions I felt as I was reading this book.

For those of you who haven't heard about the book (which, I guess, is probably a low percentage considering the amount of publicity the new movie "The Help" was getting), it's a book about a town in Mississippi, where the coloured maids, alongside a friendly white lady, secretly write a book about their experiences working in white households. I loved how the chapters in the book were written from different points of view - it reminded me of how Jodi Picoult's "My Sister's Keeper" was written.

Here are some of my favourite (and most memorable) quotes from the book:

"Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, 'We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought.'" (The Help, Kathryn Stockett, p. 492)

"'I guess I got to go,' I say, even though I'd rather spend the rest of my life right here in Aibileen's cozy little kitchen, having her explain the world to me. That's what I love about Aibileen, she can take the most complicated things in life and wrap them up so small and simple, they'll fit right in your pocket." (The Help, Kathryn Stockett, p. 369)

"Skeeter look away from me, try to smile. 'I don't care about any of that ole stuff, anyway.' She kind a laugh and it hurts my heart. Cause everybody care. Black, white, deep down we all do." (The Help, Kathryn Stockett, p. 346)

I highly recommend this book. I loved it so much that I rushed out to see the movie. While the movie was decent, in this case I definitely thought that the details provided in the book provided for an even better story than what was shown on the big screen...