My Favorite Books of 2012 – So Far

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One of the liabilities for me of being a blogger has been the amount of time I spend reading books. Always a voracious reader, my book consumption has dropped significantly since I’ve been blogging. There are a number of reasons why this has happened – most significantly the number of blogs I read each day. There’s nothing more important for a blogger than reading other people’s blogs – it’s inspiring, intimidating and motivating all at the same time.

Nevertheless, I’ve read some really wonderful books this year – and to keep my attention these days, a book has to be pretty fantastic.

Bonus – many of these books are now in paperback! Click the link to the left that says “I recommend” to purchase any of these books from Amazon.com.

1. Then Again by Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton has lived an exciting life filled with the most interesting people, from Woody Allen to Warren Beatty to her mother and the children she adopted as a single parent. It’s through her mother, whose journal entries she juxtaposes against her own experiences, that we see the true Diane (Hall) Keaton. Her voice is honest and she appears to be as down-to-earth as the characters she played in films like “Annie Hall” and “Something’s Gotta Give.”

2. Heft by Liz Moore
The story of an extremely overweight man and the woman he loves long after their brief relationship ends, Heft is the kind of book that will make you look around and wonder about the lives people are living behind closed doors.

3. Contents May Have Shifted by Pam Houston

The heroine of this book – who I have to believe is Houston, thinly disguised – is a woman who lives life on her own terms while longing for true love. This book is filled with beautiful words and sentences that will make you stop and read them again and again. Pam Houston is a brilliant writer who should be far more well-known than she is, with a unique style of writing that practically sings.

4. The Beginners Goodbye by Anne Tyler
Anne Tyler has been one of my favorite writers since I first discovered her when I read Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant while I was in college. Her books are small in geography – they nearly always take place in and around Baltimore – but big on characters and relationships. This book is another little gem about a man who loses his wife in a freak accident at their home, and how he learns to live without her even as he realizes mistakes he made throughout their relationship.

5. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Te cover of this book evokes the feeling of this story perfectly. Spanning decades, this is a book about love lost, choices made, movie stars, Hollywood, World War II, Italy, and so much more – you will not want to put this book down, and you will thank me for recommending it to you – I promise.

6. The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
A woman journeys to New York City as a chaperone for the silent movie film star Louise Brooks at the age of 15, before she makes it big. Part history, part novel, the twists and turns, secrets and surprises in this book are so unexpected and make the story fascinating.

Next up for me? Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. And coming in the fall are some books I can’t wait to read, including:
Mortality by Christopher Hitchens (September 4)
Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon (September 11)
The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling -her first book for adults- (September 27)
The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg (October 23)
Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe (October 23)
Flight Behavior By Barbara Kingsolver (November 6)

What books have you read that are fabulous? Share them!

GIVEAWAY DAY

To enter, leave a comment. Just say hi if you like. The winner will be drawn on Saturday, September 9, 2012.

Today’s giveaway is this gorgeous handmade necklace from Prairiefunk. Find Prairiefunk on Facebook, too. The retail value of this necklace is $68.