Favorite Books I Read in 2012

In honor of the new year about to begin, I thought it would be a good time to "countdown" my favorite books that I read (or listened to) during 2012. Most are books that are a year or a couple of years old, ones that I couldn't get around to before this year. A few are much older, but here they all are, anyway, maybe for other grad students who hadn't had the time!

10. Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay (2008, 2009, 2010)
Loved these books -- loved Katniss, loved Peeta, loved all the characters, loved the social critique, loved the intensity, loved the world that Suzanne Collins created. I know they are made for Young Adults, but it didn't matter; they were so enjoyable.

9. Our Tragic Universe (2011)
A weird and cool story about stories; this book has a great voice in the narrator.

8. A Happy Marriage (2010)
One of the tear-jerkers of the bunch -- a beautiful account of a human relationship's beginning and ending.

7. Room (2010)
One of the most dramatic books I've read in recent years! The narrator is pretty memorable, too.

6. The Story Sisters (2010)
This story haunted me as I read it. Lush and dark, and full of feeling.

5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2008, 2009, 2010)
I never wanted these to end!

4. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2005)
The other big tear-jerker -- but also touching and uplifting.

3. Wicked (2000)
Elphaba is probably one of my favorite characters of all time.

2. The Leftovers (2011)
Smart and thought-provoking post-apocalyptic tale about the people left behind on earth after an event that resembles "the rapture," yet doesn't discriminate the religion, age, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or status of its... victims?  

1. The Marriage Plot (2011)
Wonderful story, with metadiscourse about the limits of romance plots in novels as well as a few memorable characters.