by Shannon Fox
I lifted this survey from Jillian at A Room of One’s Own . Even though I haven’t been a book blogger for long, I figured I could do this anyway 🙂
2011 in Review:
How many books read in 2011?
- 50
Fiction/Non-Fiction?
- 47 fiction /3 non-fiction
Male/Female authors?
- 34 male /16 female
Oldest book read?
- House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)
Newest book read?
- Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (November 8th, 2011)
Longest book read?
- Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (860 pgs)
Shortest book read?
- Kaddish for an Unborn Child by Imre Kertesz (128 pgs)
Any in translation?
- L’Ile Mysterieuse by Jules Verne (read en francais)
- Blindness by Jose Saramago
- Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi
- Kaddish for an Unborn Child by Imre Kertesz
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Best book read in 2011?
- Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Most disappointing book in 2011?
- Seven Deadly Wonders by Matthew Reilly
Most beautifully written book read in 2011?
Toss-up.
- Empire Falls by Richard Russo
- The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?
- Madeline is Sleeping– Sarah Shun-lien Bynum is a former professor of mine and whenever I read her books (Ms. Hempel Chronicles), I’m surprised at how irreverent they are. Sarah and her writing kind of occupy different ends of the spectrum. I’m constantly surprised now and again by the things I find in her writing.
Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Book that had the greatest impact on me in 2011?
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Book that had a scene in it that had me reeling?
- Blindness by Jose Saramago
Book I most anticipated in 2011?
- The Gates by John Connolly
Most memorable character in 2011?
- Tyrion Lannister from A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
How many re-reads in 2011?
- None
Book I read in 2011 I’d be most likely to reread in 2012?
- Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Book I recommended to people most in 2011?
- Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Favorite new authors I discovered in 2011?
- Aimee Bender
- Richard Russo
Most books read by one author this year?
- Three- read the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Favorite cover of a book I read in 2011?
Favorite passage/quote from a book I read in 2011?
- “In the world, everything is compensation” -Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Did I complete any reading challenges or goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year?
- My Goodreads challenge of 50 books!
Book I can’t believe I waited until 2011 to finally read?
- Hyperion by Dan Simmons
- The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Shannon Fox - Author 
I saw that you read The Road, have you heard though of No Country For Old Men also by McCarthy? I ask because both that I would like to read it, and also that I was completely drawn in when I saw the film for the first time. If the book to film adaptation is good enough, it would seem that Cormac McCarthy has a very mysterious and gripping or even harrowing touch to his work. How did you like The Road, Shannon?
I loved the Road! I should be getting a post up on it in the next few weeks. I thought No Country was a stunning film- it was my first Coen Brothers experience. I haven’t read the novel of that one though. Nor have I seen the film version of the Road, though it’s certainly on my list! Have you seen/read All the Pretty Horses?
Alright! I’ll be reading that one then. So did I, researching reviews on it many call it just shy of a perfect film, and I can see why, it’s style is highly original; it’s cryptic and yet so intriguing, plus it’s one of those films that doesn’t just choose to portray some kind of a “happy ending.” Plus, let’s be honest, Anton is a seriously well-developed villain. Yeah I never saw the film version of the road, but I mean it has to be somewhat a good film. Isn’t the book a Pulitzer prize winner? I have not, have you any opinions on it?
I heard the book is good. Actually the one thing I didn’t like about No Country was the ending…I don’t really like losing my eye-witness character..I mean, I know Hitchcock did that in Psycho, but it doesn’t make me any less pissed off about it…kind of makes me feel cheated.
That’s understandable, actually a lot of people have similar opinions about the film. Personally, I don’t think I’ll say I liked the ending as much as I will say the ending kind of works I think because it envelopes this harrowing world of crime and how at times we really just don’t understand it. We don’t understand the motives of the criminals and what they want out of a deal which makes the villain more threatening and the protagonists more vulnerable. Also, I just love the tagline for the movie: There are no clean getaways.