At the end of the year, I usually make a list of books to read based on what's on the "best books of the year" lists ... because I usually haven't read any! This year though, I read a few - some I didn't like but seemed to be on all the lists, and some I loved. Not sure what that says about my tastes if I manage to have books I both liked and disliked on the same list!
Watching the Best Books of 2011 Lists
For Adults
The Tiger's Wife, Tea Obreht is the only book on this list that I've read (it's on almost all of the best of lists - and wouldn't you know it's one of the books I really didn't get into this year. I thought it was well written, but just ... meh ... guess that's why I'm not a book critic ... especially when I use pseudo-words like "meh"). I'm looking forward to reading 11/22/63 as a HUGE Stephen King fan.
I read 2 books on the list, The Tiger's Wife, ughh again, and I didn't like The Empty Family Stories, Colm Toibin ... I called it "The Boring Family Stories" - both are on my Favorite Reads of Summer 2011 (plus the Books That Let Me Down). I'm looking forward to reading Silver Sparrow, Tayari Jones.
I haven't read any of the books in the top 10, but on their Best Fiction List, I read 3 - 2 that I did not care for (can you guess which book I'm going to mention next) - The Tiger's Wife and Someday This Will Be Funny, Lynne Tillman (the stories in this book will never be funny in my opinion, as I mentioned in Weekly Reading with A Few Bad-Ass Vampires And Some Funny Business); but I loved The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern (it was one of 10 Books Published in 2011 That Invoked Strong Emotions in Me). I'm looking forward to reading The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides.
Yet another list with The Tiger's Wife on it, but The Night Circus and Before I Go to Sleep, S.J. Watson are also on this list, both of which I loved (see Weekly Reading with An Amnesiac). I'm looking forward to reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor.
Finally, a list that doesn't have The Tiger's Wife on it. I liked The Outlaw Album, Daniel Woodrell (see Weekly Reading with Some Outlaw-ish Types), and I'm reading We Others, Steven Millhauser now - so far the stories are very interesting.
This list doesn't have The Tiger's WIfe on it either (it's #14 on their "Best 50" list though, and it's #13 on The Reader's Choice List). I haven't read any of the books in their top 10, but I'm looking forward to reading Swamplandia, Karen Russell. The Reader's Choice list has a few of my favorites as well - The Night Circus (#1), A Discovery of Witches, Before I Go to Sleep and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs.
Before I Go to Sleep and The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern, are also on this list, both of which I really liked as I mentioned before. The Empty Family Stories, which I didn't like, also shows up. I'm looking forward to reading The Magician King, Lev Grossman, as I just finished reading the first book in the series, The Magicians.
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern, Before I Go to Sleep, SJ Watson, and A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness, all books I read and liked, made this list. There are also quite a few books here, that are on the other lists that I want to read, like 11/22/63, Stephen King and The Marriage Plot, Jeffrey Eugenides.
This list is based on the votes of the users. Favorite Book of 2011 went to Divergent, Veronica Roth and Best Fiction went to 1Q84 - neither of which I've read. In fact, the only book I've read that's on the list of winners is Graveminder, Melissa Marr, which won for Best Horror. While I liked the book, I slightly preferred, What the Night Knows, Dean Koontz, which is the only other book I read that was nominated for this category (I discussed both these books in Favorite Reads of Spring 2011 (Plus the Books That Didn't Thrill Me)).
For Young Readers
- School Library Journal Best Books of 2011. This list offers a variety of books from picture books for kids, to a few young adult books, like Divergent, Veronica Roth and The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater.
- American Library Association 2011 ALSC Award Winners. You'll find books here that won book awards (as well as the nominees) geared towards young readers (up to young adult).
- Bankstreet College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year, 2011. One of the most comprehensive book lists for children, ordered by age groups (under 5 to 14 and up).
- Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2011. This list has categories like Adrenaline Rushes, Picture Books, Novels with Great Boy Characters and Novels with Great Girl Characters.
- NY Times Best Illustrated Books of 2011 and Brain Pickings 11 Best Illustrated Children's and Picture Books of 2011. Both these lists have gorgeous picture books - and not just young kids will enjoy these.
I'm noticing that you and I are looking forward to reading a lot of the same books from these lists. Thanks for linking to Bankstreet College's list. I almost forgot about them.