My Great Books of 2012

Better late than never, here is a list of the books that I loved reading over the past year. There were a few duds but I'll save those for another list because, kind of like reading terrible restaurant reviews, I love reading about books people didn't like. Of course, everyone has a different opinion which makes it all the more interesting and you never know whether you'll agree with them or not.

I read mostly fiction but the two non fiction books, Quiet and Cleaning House, were excellent and so relevant to my own life. I wasn't very good about keeping up with my Goodreads reviews but fortunately lots of other people have. I find Goodreads to keep track of what I've read and for suggestions form other people.

So, without further ado, my Top 10 List for 2012:

1. Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver (my all-time favourite author and climate change warrior)
2. The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty (lovely story set in the roaring twenties)
3. The Summer Before the Storm by Gabriele Wills (a fun find by a local self-published author)
4. Quiet by Susan Cain (particularly appropriate since I am not)
5. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thomson Walker (a YA book that satisfied my love for all things post-Apolcalypic)
6. The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (funny, literary and sisterly)
7. Coppermine by Keith Ross Leckie (an historical Who Dunnit set in the North)
8. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (Hemmingway, larger than life from his wife's point of view)
9. Clean House by Kay Wills Wyma (how to save your children from a pervasive sense of entitlement)
10. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (took me two tries to get into it)

What were your favourites of the past year?

Snow Dog on a Snow Day

A few Random Tuesday thoughts:

• Exams begin for No. 1 Son on Friday so it's actually helpful that today is a Snow Day and he can actually study in between ski training and hockey practice.
• My Other Half had a very successful boat show, seems the economy is finally turned around enough for people to willingly open their wallets. Now if we can just get the water levels back up in the Bay so all those shiny new boats don't end up on the rocks.
• I'm helping out a friend who has launched a wonderful line of clothing for we "women of a certain age" Take a look at Helene Clarkson Designs.