The Best Books of 2011

Apologies for the hiatus!  I've been going through a bit of a life upheaval lately -- another move (!) -- and so I haven't had a chance to sit and properly blog.  I have been reading, though, and more posts will be coming.

But first, though it's now a bit dated, I wanted to recap my favorites from 2011.  It was a year of great reading, but three books stood out: 

1. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell: Hands down, the best book I read last year.  It's nearly impossible to describe the book, other than as a tale of six interconnected stories spanning hundreds of years.  I am slightly nervous about the movie, so I would encourage everyone to read it prior to the movie's release.  As a disclaimer:  It took me about one hundred pages to really get into the book, but when I did, I fell hard.  Have patience.
2. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins:  Pulp fiction at its finest, I found it difficult to put down the books in this trilogy.  A friend noted that he thought the writing was juvenile - and perhaps it is - but it's also utterly addicting.  I thought that one of the more interesting aspects of the trilogy, though, was how it reflected our own society and values, particularly with the focus on reality television.  Panem et circenses. 
3. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin: Rubin's study into happiness inspired two posts, and lots of self-reflection on what makes people - and me - happy.  Specifically, it provided me with a framework to think about the different factors that influence my happiness (e.g., exercise, relationships), and launched an inner dialogue on how to maximize my happiness within those categories.  Again, a bit late, but I'd suggest it for anyone making New Year's Resolutions. 

And, with that, happy reading in 2012!  xo