I managed to read 114 books in 2012, up from 103 in 2011, so I had a lot of books to consider when compiling my list of favorite books for the year. I wanted to highlight the best books I read last year, and I managed to narrow down my favorites to 10. These are the books that are still with me, months or weeks after reading them. (These are books that I read in 2012, and not all of them were published this year.)
My Top 10 of 2012
The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman
(from my review) “Despite the darkness and sadness inherent in such a novel, it’s one I can see myself reading again for the beautiful writing and Wiseman’s ability to pull readers into the scene from the first page. It’s rare that a novel makes me lose myself as completely as this one did. My heart would race when the bombs started to fall, and at times I was so overcome with emotion that I had to put the book down and sit for a bit in silence. This is definitely a novel to press into the hands of people who mistakenly believe all Germans were Nazis or supported Hitler, and it’s a must-read if you’re as obsessed with World War II novels as I am.”
Emma by Jane Austen
(from my review) “I couldn’t help but love Emma; she was self-important and manipulative, but she did have good intentions where Harriet was concerned. I’m not surprised she thought so highly of herself, given how everyone but Mr. Knightley kept telling her how wonderful she was. And Mr. Knightley! When Harriet is slighted at the ball by Mr. Elton, and Mr. Knightley, dead set against dancing, comes to her rescue, I just about melted. I also loved the conversations between him and Emma, where he doesn’t mince words and tells it like it is. Emma does have some hard lessons to learn, and while he is critical of her, you can tell he has her best interests at heart.”
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
(from my review) “Code Name Verity is a book about war and friendship. It’s shocking, haunting, and brilliantly paced and structured. The characters are believable and endearing, and the narrative is fresh and on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting. I could keep gushing, but you really just need to get your hands on a copy and lock yourself away for a few hours because you won’t want to be disturbed.”
Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto
(from my review) “Before Ever After is a love story at its core, but Sotto doesn’t go overboard with the romance. It’s also an adventure set during some fascinating periods in history and a discussion of life’s most difficult questions about time, love, devotion, and death. Sotto’s writing beautifully blends the history and heartache with humor and hope, and her ability to make the past come to life through ordinary people coping with extraordinary events kept me turning the pages and made me sad when it ended.”
The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy
(from my review) “I was instantly captivated by Elsie’s story, and McCoy does a brilliant job setting the scene. I felt like I was in the bakery, with the smells of the dough, the brick oven, and Elsie’s fear in the air. McCoy perfectly captures the frustrations of the Germans as the war nears the end; they are hungry, scared to say the wrong thing with the Gestapo always watching, and torn between their love for their country and their disillusionment with the politics of the Reich. This patriotism and confusion are exemplified by Elsie, as she accepts Josef’s proposal for the protection it offers not because she loves him, and especially by Elsie’s sister, Hazel, who is a resident of the Lebensborn program and has given birth to twins for the Fatherland, and one of the infants appears not to be a perfect Aryan. McCoy also gets into the heads of some of the minor characters as well, particularly Josef and Riki, juxtaposing one’s struggles with Nazi ideology with the other’s involvement in the border wars between the U.S. and Mexico as he questions immigration laws even while he enforces them.”
Shadows Walking by Douglas R. Skopp
(from my review) “This book made me sad, angry, and sick to my stomach. I hated Johann, his faulty thought processes, and his evil actions, and I also hated that by the end of the book, I realized there had been times when I felt sorry for him. Of course, the extent of my sympathy toward him was nowhere near the sorrow I felt for the victims, but the fact that I felt it at all was disturbing. But I think that’s what Skopp intended, for readers to see that people just like you and me got caught up in all the madness. Johann was smart, he was a decent husband and father who worked hard to support his family, and he had the same worries about money and health that we all have. Yet Johann was a Nazi, he was so quick to blame other people for his problems, and he took it all to the extreme. No one wants to believe they could ever sink as low as Johann did; just the mere thought of it is downright frightening.”
City of Thieves by David Benioff
(from my review) “Benioff brilliantly balances the lightness with action and suspense so that even when you’re chuckling or shaking your head at Kolya, you never once forget that they are on a dangerous and futile mission. He took me on an emotional roller coaster for sure, and I was unable to put the book down for fear I’d miss something and then I was reading through my tears. Benioff masterfully paints a picture of a city under siege, giving glimpses of people who go to different lengths to survive but who all are cold, hungry, scared, and mostly resilient.”
The Far Side of the Sky by Daniel Kalla
(from my review) “The Far Side of the Sky is an exciting and beautifully written story about a city and people in turmoil. There is a lot going on in this novel, and Kalla does a wonderful job balancing and connecting all of the plot threads, including the plight of the Jews in Vienna and the Chinese under Japanese rule, the ethical dilemmas that threaten Franz’s career and the fate of his family, the convergence of numerous cultures in one city, the starvation and disease that ran rampant, and the sadness of the people who escaped the Nazis realizing that they probably would never see the relatives they left behind ever again. Kalla’s descriptions of Shanghai made the city come alive, and I could see the chaos, smell the stifling odors and the exotic aromas, and feel deeply for each of the characters, all of whom felt so real to me.”
A Parachute in the Lime Tree by Annemarie Neary
(from my review) “Neary does a wonderful job showing how war was hell and how many people didn’t have a happy ending, and though she doesn’t focus too much on the horrible things that happen during wartime, it’s always there so the reader cannot forget the enormity of it all. The novel also touches on Ireland’s neutrality during World War II, and how even while the country itself may have been neutral, many of its people were not. A Parachute in the Lime Tree is a story of the desperation inherent in both love and war, and how the lines between each are sometimes blurred.”
Charity Envieth Not (George Knightley, Esquire #1) by Barbara Cornthwaite
I won’t have a review of this book posted until sometime in January as it was the last book I read this year, but I wanted to highlight this retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma through the eyes of the hero, Mr. Knightley. Cornthwaite does a great job getting into his head, giving readers a glimpse of the responsibilities he had as magistrate and estate owner and helping them understand how his feelings for Emma changed from that of an old friend to a lover. I can’t wait to read the second book that will conclude Knightley’s story. Stay tuned for my review!
The 2012 Honorable Mentions
Maus I: My Father Bleeds History and Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman — A graphic non-fiction tale of the Holocaust with interesting symbolism and a powerful story about the long-lasting impact on survivors and how their children were affected.
The Last Storyteller by Frank Delaney — The last book in a trilogy about undying love and the Irish art of storytelling.
Across the Mekong River by Elaine Russell — A beautifully complex story of the immigrant experience, one that surprised me with its wonderfully flawed characters and intense emotion.
Searching for Captain Wentworth by Jane Odiwe — A novel about time travel, Jane Austen, and the inspiration for one of my favorite novels, Persuasion.
My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss — A foodie memoir that made me fall in love with a city I’ve never seen in person!
What were the best books you read in 2012?
© 2012 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
Benioff”s book was so good. The rest I have not read
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I remember buying the Benioff book because you loved it so much!
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I have Emma and I might read it in 2013. This is my year in review http://freduagyeman.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-year-2012-in-review.html
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I do hope you get to it. At the moment, it’s my favorite Austen, but I also waffle between Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion taking that top spot, depending on my mood.
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Thank you, Anna, for including my novel, Shadows Walking, among your “best books of 2012” list. I am indeed honored. I wish you happy reading and much joy in 2013 and for all of us, a greater awareness and determination to find peace and harmony in our beautiful but troubled world…. Doug Skopp
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You’re very welcome! It’s so deserving of being on my list. I am still haunted by it. Such an important book.
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Your list is terrific. I’ve read several of your choices and want to read many more!
Happy New Year to you and yours!
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Thank you! Happy New Year!
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Sigh, I haven’t read any of those but do own several of them. I’m loving all of these year end posts but boy is my wish list growing.
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I know what you mean about those end-of-year posts!
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This is a great list! You had a fantastic reading year. I have taken note of several books I want to read from this list.
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Wonderful! I hope you get a chance to read them this year.
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Thanks so much, Anna! Thrilled to see Parachute on your list, and look forward to reading some of the others. Very best for 2013!
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You’re very welcome!
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Congrats on reading so many books, Anna! I’m very impressed! Several of your favorites are on my TBR list because of your wonderful reviews.
Happy Reading in 2013!
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Thanks, Amy. Happy reading to you, too!
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Hi Anna,
I too feel hugely honored to see that my novel, THE FAR SIDE OF THE SKY, made your top ten list (with such heady company). I loved your review of the novel last summer, which I thought really nailed the essence of the story. I look forward to getting you an advanced copy of the sequel, RISING SUN, FALLING SHADOW (September 2013).
Happy New Year, happy reading and keep up the great work!
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Thank you! I can’t wait to read the sequel!
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You’ve got several on your list that I really want to read!
Have a wonderful New Year!
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I do hope you get a chance to cross them off your list this year. Happy new year!
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I haven’t read any of these also a few are on my wish list already, probably because of you!!
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I can’t be the only one with a huge wish list, right? 😉
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Great choices, Code Verity, Before Ever After & The Baker’s Daughter are 3 on my must read list for 2013. Here’s to many more reading adventures in 2013
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I can’t wait to read your thoughts on those!
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Sounds like you had a lot of great WWII reading this year…as usual!
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Yes, it does seem that my end-of-the-year lists are mostly WWII. I can’t help it, though!
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There are a lot of books on here that I like. The covers are beautiful too.
THANKS.
Happy New Year!!
My list is in the link below.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Favorite Books of 2012
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I agree that it’s a great assortment of covers this year. Happy reading!
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City of Thieves is great! I will have to get to the others! Happy 2013. http://www.thecuecard.com/
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It definitely stood out among the historical fiction I read last year, mostly for Benioff’s inclusion of humor in a situation that was far from humorous. Happy new year!
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I want to read all the ones that I haven’t read… Need more hours in my days! Happy New Year!
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I know what you mean! You should see the stack of books I want to tackle in Jan & Feb!
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I’m really anxious to read “Code Name Verity!” Glad to hear that it was one of your favorites for the year!
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My daughter put it on her “best of 2012” list, too. I can’t wait to see what you think of it!
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I always love your list because you read such a lot of historical fiction which sounds interesting and I always end up with a small wish list. I should give Code Name Verity another try. I started it but for some reason didn’t get into it.
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I can see how it could be hard to get into. My daughter felt the same way, but I pushed her to stick with it because I really wanted her to love it as much as I did…and then she couldn’t stop talking about it and put it on her “best of 2012” list, too! I do hope you’ll try it again.
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Thank you so much for including THE PLUM TREE on your list, Anna. I’m truly honored. If authors made lists of their favorite reviews, yours would certainly be on the top of mine! Wishing you and yours a wonderful new year.
Thanks for all that you do!
Best,
Ellen
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Aw, thanks! Happy new year to you as well!
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I haven’t read any of these but were familiar with them from your reviews. It’s fun to start the year with a lot of great choices to choose from.
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I love approaching the new year with so many new titles in mind!
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You’ve got some good books listed.
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Thanks, hope you give one or two a try!
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I love reading your list and linked to it in my recent blog post!
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Thanks so much!
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So many great titles and a few that I’ve read and loved too! I have to pin this post so that I can come back and pick something from your list to read!!
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I love that we have such similar tastes in books!
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After reading your review for Before Ever After, I have had it on my TBR list. It just sounds so good! So glad to see it was one of your favorites, Anna! 🙂
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Wonderful! I can’t wait to see what you think of it. It was something different for me, and I’m so glad I read it.
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Some of your top reads of the year sounds very interesting, I added about 4 of them to my TBR list and downloaded preview on my Kobo, including The Plum Tree. Thanks for sharring!
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I hope you love The Plum Tree as much as I did!
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Great list! There are a couple on here that I’ve read and loved (The Baker’s Daughter and Before Ever After) and there were many more that I will now be adding to my wishlist!
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Glad to hear you loved those, too!
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Sorry, I missed this wrap up post Anna, but it certainly looks like you’ve read some great historical novels in 2012. I have a few on my wish list, but most are new to me. Happy reading in 2013
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I never realized how much historical fiction I read until I started keeping track. Happy reading and happy new year to you too!
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I am going to have to bookmark your page-these all sound great.
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Thanks! I hope you get to some of them in the new year.
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Woot woot! So happy to see Barbara Cornthwaite’s novel made your list too! *sigh* Love her Mr. Knightley!
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I fell in love with him, too, and recently finished (and loved) book 2. I’ll be posting my reviews later this week.
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The only one of these I have read is The Baker’s Daughter. I own a couple of the others. Given that we are often in sync when it comes to reading taste I will be referring back to this post for reading suggestions.
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I hope you love them as much as I did!
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