Favorite Books of 2012

Using Goodreads is not only fun, it's functional. It allows me to find books I'll actually like (unlike Amazon, which thinks because I've read one book on the Holocaust, I must want to read them all). It also lets me look back over the last year and pick out my favorites and list them here:


Band of Brothers
I loved the HBO mini-series and I loved the book. The series is more visceral and condensed, while the book is a little more subtle and sprawling. One of the reasons I enjoy it so much is the scope is one company, rather than an entire war.

We Were Soldiers
Another book made into a movie, however I must say the book is much more complete. The movie focuses on LZ X-ray only, completely leaving out what transpired later at LZ Albany. Although I may never fully understand the war in Vietnam, this book paints a very vivid picture of being dropped from a helicopter and immediately being surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese soliders.

Into The Wild
It's not that the book is so amazing or the story is so inspiring, it's just a great book to contemplate the decisions and motivations of Christopher McCandless. I enjoy the complexity of the tale and sifting through the layers of the story (Survival, Society, Adventure, Companionship, Family, etc.)

Robbing The Bees
A biography of Honey and Bees. Purely fascinating. This is one of the books you find yourself repeating findings out loud, saying these like "did you know that bees..." etc. The book inspired me to take a community education class on beekeeping! While I'm not ready to start just yet, one day I will be and this book was the beginning.

Fully Loaded Thrillers
Collection of short stories by Blake Crouch. A great introduction to the author, very enjoyable fiction and all at a bargain price. Reminds me of "Creepshow" in the way the stories are short, engaging and somewhat macabre.


I've currently about 100 pages into Stephen King's 11/22/63 and it's fantastic, could have a possible nominee for 2013 in the making.