I recently went through my list of all the books I read during the course of 2011 (believe me, it's a long list!) and picked out my favorites.
Although The Passage actually came out in 2010, I believe, I only read it early in 2011. Hubby and I both read it about the same time, and both of us really loved it. It's a beautifully crafted novel that spans a lengthy period of time, establishing the science behind how vampires were created, and the post-apocalyptic world they create in the United States. Through it all, the unchanging, almost other-worldly character of Amy is a constant.
This may actually be one of my favorite books of all time. Delirium is about a futuristic world sort of like Lois Lowry's The Giver, where society is tightly controlled and emotions are repressed as a danger to that control. In Delirium's world, though, surgery is done on people at age 18 to prevent them from loving, and since love is the basis of most other emotions, people simply no longer feel. Outwardly a perfect society, throughout the course of the novel the negative effects on the society start to become evident. Ultimately, it is about love's triumph over human efforts to control it, but the story isn't over yet -- it's the first book of a trilogy, with the second book due out early in 2012! I can't wait for the next book, Pandemonium!
This was the first ebook I read "in-store" on my Nook when I got it in April. Although I could only read it for one hour per day, and only when we were in the store (we like to hang out at the cafe inside Barnes & Noble), I blazed through it in only three or four visits to our local store. The best word to describe Sarah's Key is... haunting. It's the kind of book that really sticks with you, long after you've finished reading.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
I couldn't possibly have a favorite books list for 2011 without including Water for Elephants. I've read a lot since I read this one back in March, but this is one of the few books that I don't think I'll forget with time. It was so good that although I initially got it from the library, after I was done I promptly went out and bought it. It's a beautiful, compelling story that is well worth having my own copy of!
What about you? What were your favorite books that you read in 2011?
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