Kubi’s Favorite Reads for 2011:
2011 was a busy year for me. I moved back to The Big City, jumpstarted my academic train wreck career, and took on a new job. It’s been tricky in the way of finishing books, as demonstrated admirably by my meager list. But I’ve been lucky, because I only ended up reading books I either liked or loved (thanks, in large part, to Hanna and her always spot-on recommendations). So, without further ado, my favorites for 2011:
- The History of Love by Nicole Krauss - I regret not having read this sooner.
- On Love by Alain de Botton - I highlighted the beejeezus out of this intelligent gem.
- Starter for Ten by David Nicholls - Laughed like an idiot.
- You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons by Mo Willems - Mo Willems is a wanderer after my own heart.
- Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs, and Some Other Things That Aren’t as Scary, Maybe, Depending on How You Feel About Lost Lands, Stray Cellphones, Creatures from the Sky, Parents Who Disappear in Peru, a Man Named Lars Farf, and One Other Story We Couldn’t Quite Finish, So Maybe You Could Help Us Out, Edited by Ted Thompson (with Eli Horowitz) - Rekindled my love affair with short stories, and gave me Kelly Link (which brings me to…)
- Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link - A spine-tingling, heartwarming, well-crafted read on a storm day.
- Daytripper by Gabriel Moon and Fabio Ba - Storytelling at its finest and most impressive.
- Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson - Took me a while to finish this one, but the sentences (I feel) were meant to be savored.
- Enough About Love by Herve Le Tellier - I have no words for this.
Another challenging year awaits, but “I have my books and my poetry to protect me.” My fine wordly friends, it is always a pleasure. Read forth!
