2011 was another good year for reading. I discovered new authors whose work I enjoyed: Selecky, Skibsrud, Lerner and Moore (Lisa). I continued to participate in a book club whose meetings were always vibrant and whose selections surprised me. I touched base with some old favourites. And I had my eyes opened by two great literary achievements, Sebald’s Austerlitz and Nabokov’s Pnin. As per usual, I have compiled a list of statistics for 2011. You can also, if you wish, look back at the comparable stats for 2010. And for 2009.
Stats from my 2011 reading list:
- 33 were borrowed from our public library
- 18 have Canadian authors
- 5 were chosen due to personal recommendations from friends
- 34 are by authors who appear more than once on the 2010 list
- 9 were being reread
- 1 was read aloud by my wife and me
- 12 are non-fiction
Books read in 2011 (81):
- Sebald, W.G. Austerlitz
- Pym, Barbara. Crampton Hodnet
- Holt, Hazel. A Lot to Ask: A life of Barbara Pym
- Laferrière, Dany. I Am a Japanese Writer
- Dickner, Nicolas. Nikolski
- Huxley, Aldous. Crome Yellow
- Selecky, Sarah. This Cake is for the Party
- Pym, Barbara. No Fond Return of Love
- Velleman, J. David. How We Get Along
- Skibsrud, Johanna. The Sentimentalists
- Roth, Philip. The Plot Against America: A Novel
- Pamuk, Orhan. The Naïve and Sentimental Novelist
- Pym, Barbara. An Academic Question
- Smith, Zadie. Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays
- Moore, Lisa. Alligator
- Janzen, Rhoda. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress
- Metcalf, John (ed.). The Narrative Voice: Short Stories and Reflections by Canadian Authors
- Pym, Barbara. Less Than Angels
- Johannesen, S.K. The Yellow Room
- Moore, Lisa. Degrees of Nakedness: Stories
- Iyer, Lars. Spurious
- Moore, Lisa. Open: Stories
- Jacobson, Howard. The Finkler Question
- Prose, Francine. Reading Like a Writer
- Prose, Francine. Blue Angel
- Shawn, Wallace. Essays
- Doxiadis, Apostolos. Logicomix
- Bow, Erin. Plain Kate
- Richler, Mordecai. Barney’s Version
- McEwan, Ian. Solar
- Fforde, Jasper. One of our Thursdays is Missing
- Horan, Nancy. Loving Frank
- Sawyer, Robert J. Wonder
- Toews, Miriam. Irma Voth
- Fallis, Terry. The Best Laid Plans
- Walter, Jess. The Financial Lives of the Poets
- Ollestad, Norman. Crazy for the Storm
- Yeffeth, Glenn (ed.) Seven Seasons of Buffy: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Discuss Their Favorite Television Show
- South, James B. (ed.) Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale
- Kalman, Maira. The Principles of Uncertainty
- Cleave, Chris. Little Bee
- Vaughan, Brian K. The Escapists
- Seth. George Sprott: 1894-1975
- Pratchett, Terry. I Shall Wear Midnight
- Pym, Barbara. Some Tame Gazelle
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Pym, Barbara. A Few Green Leaves
- Kirn, Walter. Up in the Air
- Pym, Barbara. A Glass of Blessings
- Vaillant, John. The Tiger: A true story of vengeance and survival
- Hyland, M.J. Carry Me Down
- Nabokov, Vladimir. Pnin
- Hyland, M.J. How The Light Gets In
- Lerner, Ben. Leaving the Atocha Station
- Glouberman, Misha and Sheila Heti. The Chairs Are Where The People Go
- Lencioni, Patrick. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: a leadership fable
- Larkin, Philip. A Girl in Winter
- Cooley, Martha. The Archivist
- Pratchett, Terry. Nation
- MacLeod, Alexander. Light Lifting
- Simmonds, Posy. Literary Life
- Fforde, Jasper. The Last Dragonslayer
- Harbach, Chad. The Art of Fielding
- de Waal, Edmund. The Hare With Amber Eyes
- Walter, Jess. The Zero
- Shteyngart, Gary. Super Sad True Love Story
- Zusak, Markus. I Am The Messenger
- Cooper, Susan. Over Sea, Under Stone
- Cooper, Susan. The Dark is Rising
- Cooper, Susan. Greenwitch
- Cooper, Susan. The Grey King
- Cooper, Susan. Silver on the Tree
- Mazzucchelli, David. Asterios Polyp
- Pratchett, Terry. Snuff