Mariah's Top 5 of 2012

1.  The Night Circus –  Erin Morgenstern
I couldn’t read this fast enough!  When I was finished, it became the book by which I judged every other book I read throughout the rest of the year.  If you haven’t read it, read it!  It’s amazing!

2. Dead End in Norvelt – Jack Gantos
The well-deserved winner of last year’s Newbury Medal.  For an extra treat, listen to the audiobook, read by Mr. Jack Gantos himself!

3. Dragons Love Tacos – by Adam Rubin
Dragons love tacos and parties, but not salsa!  Seriously, any book that can use a line like “Pantloads of tacos” is a winner.  I laughed through this entire book, then cornered anyone else I could find and made them read it as well.

4. The Man Who Ate Everything – Jeffrey Steingarten
A series of essays about food, one of the most notable being dedicated entirely to ketchup.  Who knew ketchup was so fascinating?!

5. House of Leaves – Mark Z. Danielewski
Definitely the strangest book I’ve ever read.  Beware: it may make you afraid of your house…

Linda's Top 5 of 2012

1^st  Place - House of Silk – Anthony Horowitz

Brilliant! is the one word description I would give to Anthony Horowitz’s House of Silk. The characters came to life through Mr. Horowitz’s pen; and his descriptions of the life of the privileged, lavish and indulgent, juxtaposed against the desperation of the poor and the orphaned provided the perfect setting; all wrapped up in the dirt and fog of a raw English winter. I was there with Sherlock Holmes and Watson in Victorian London.  But it wasn’t only the weather that chilled me to the bone.  The subject was so shocking to Watson that he ordered the manuscript not to be published for 100 years.  With two very different murders to investigate the plot is deliciously complex. While some answers seemed obvious, others took me by surprise.  This mystery was fulfilling on every level. The writing was beautiful, the descriptions vivid, and the puzzle engaging right to the end. Written as a reflection by Dr. Watson, some years after the death of Sherlock Holmes, the characters were completely true to the originals. It’s no wonder that this was the first Sherlock Holmes novel written by another author to receive the authorization of the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate.

 2^nd Place The Brutal Telling – Louise Penny

Once again Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Armand Gamache  makes my top 5 list. Armand is a rare breed indeed –  relentless in his search for truth; yet honest, noble, intelligent and kind. The complex storyline, lovable characters, and delightful setting for these mysteries make them irresistible!

3^rd Place - A Cold Treachery – Charles Todd

This Inspector Ian Rutledge case kept me guessing right up to the end. The mother-son writing team  offers a great study in human nature along with an engrossing mystery.

Honorable mention - Believing the Lie – Elizabeth George

The latest in the Inspector Thomas Lynley  series  will not disappoint his followers as Thomas steps in again to discreetly puzzle out what really happened in the boathouse late that night. Surely it was just an unfortunate accident.

Bloodline – Felix Francis

I am happy to say that Felix Francis has filled the shoes of his late father, jockey and mystery writer, Dick Francis. Without missing a beat, this story provides the excitement and intrigue of the British Horse Racing world that the elder Francis provided. It’s like a quick and enjoyable romp among old friends.

Jen's Top 5 of 2012

On Writing by Stephen King

Moon Over Manifest by Clare VanDerPool

In the Woods by Tana French

The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

Dale's Top 5 of 2012

Games of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (book)

Marvel's The Avengers (movie)

The Dark Knight Rises (movie)

The Hatfields and McCoys (TV series)

The Amazing Spiderman (Movie)

Susan's Top 5 of 2012

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Cyndi's Top 5 of 2012

A couple of my favorite nonfiction books that I read in 2012:


Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen. 

An engrossing and slightly horrifying look at how different viruses have spread from animal to human populations and the adaptability some possess when jumping to their “new host”.  As a result of reading this book I now periodically check the World Health Organization’s website.







 The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime That Scandalized a City & Sparked the Tabloid Wars by Paul Collins.  

A fascinating look at the cut throat completion between New York City’s newspaper moguls Pulitzer and Hearst and the extreme measures they were willing to take to be the city’s top paper.  Armed reporters investigating crimes, hiding evidence from the authorities, and creating false clues to insure they broke the story first.  Anyone that questions the ethics of today’s journalists needs to read this book to understand just how far the profession has come.

The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson.  

A horrifying yet at times funny exploration of  human behavior and why some people act like they do.  This book will have you looking twice at the actions of the people around you.  Just remember, if you are worried you might be a psychopath then you are not a psychopath.  










And on the lighter side…

Took a side trip in the form of  Keeping the castle : a tale of romance, riches, and real estate by Patrice Kindl and For darkness shows the stars by Diana Peterfreund.  Both books give a strong nod to Austin classics. 

Set in 19 century England, Keeping the Castle is Austen's Pride and Prejudice distorted by the strength, humor and sarcasm of 17 year old Althea Crawley.  The story line follows Althea as she attempts to hold on to her impoverished family's crumbling castle by the only means available--marrying a wealth man.  Anyone familiar with Austen's work will recognize Kindl's subtle spoof of the limitations imposed upon women during this time period.  I enjoyed Althea's ingenuity as she continued to find ways of keeping up the appearance of wealth-- serving her neighbors reused tea bags as they sat on furniture that literally crumbed underneath them.  This book was a quick, fun, slightly familiar read.

The setting of For Darkness Shows the Stars is an island cut off from whatever remains of a world destroyed by a genetically engineered DNA experiment gone horrible wrong.  Elliot North is trying desperately to keep her family's farm running despite her father and older sister's selfish acts of cruelty and wastefulness.  Four years ago she refused to leave the farm to travel with her best friend Kai, feeling honor bound to stay to protect the farm workers from her father. Now Kai is back and determined to make Elliot regret her decision. This book is Austen's Persuasion in a post-apocalyptic world that argues the benefits of scientific intervention verses allowing nature to take its course.