The Exchange

2012 was relatively quiet here at The Exchange, updates coming few and far between. But we have been reading :) Last year, we:

• finally met Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan (The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald);
• walked the streets of Barcelona with young Daniel and the intrepid Fermin (The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon);
• danced under the moonlight in Fairyland (The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making and The Girl Who Ruled Fairyland - for a little while by Catherynne M. Valente);
• fell in love with Henry and grieved with Taylor (Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson);
• basked in David Levithan’s loving, glowing words (The Lover’s Dictionary and Every Day by David Levithan);
• wondered at the curious baubles in Maira Kalman’s mind (The Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman); and
• watched June and Wes collide in their own Big Crunch (The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman).

In 2012, there was pain to go with the joy. The world lost Ray Bradbury, Maurice Sendak and Nora Ephron, among others. They are loved and will be missed.

We are, as always, excited for a fresh slate of books and reading. Let the revels begin!

This was a post by Kubi and Hanna, wishing everyone a fantastic New Year!

It’s been a rather busy year and there was barely enough time to pick up a book and get lost in it. But I’ve read some of the best books in 2012 and it’s extremely difficult to narrow down the list. So here are eighteen of the most remarkable books I’ve read this year:

• 1Q84 (Book One) by Haruki Murakami
• A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
• After the Quake by Haruki Murakami
• Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
• Enough About Love by Herve Le Tellier
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Franny & Zooey by J.D. Salinger
• Good Omens by Neil Gaiman

• If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor
• Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• 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)
• On Love by Alain de Botton
• The Princess Bride (S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure) by William Goldman
• Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
• St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell
• Zen and the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

It was a year of magic and magnificent stories and remarkable things. Here’s to another year of spreading the love for good books and reading!

I read more books in 2012 than any other year I’d tracked my reads. I’m surprised, but pleased, because I was awful busy. Although I will say, there was this one golden stretch where I felt like I had found a balance between my reading and the stuff I had to do for work and school.

Also, towards the end of the year, I learned to earnestly read e-books and am glad for it. I thought the slight disconnect between reader and page would throw me off, but was happily wrong. Certain books even in digital form still made me want to rip out my heart (Second Chance Summer, I’m looking at you). Anyway, here are my favorites for 2012:

1. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles - The glittering Twenties descending into the Depression, the complicated bonds of men and women, and well, the rules of civility.
2. Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl - A discerning palate’s coming of age. Ruth Reichl is wicked cool and a damn fine writer.
3. Talking to Girls About Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield - Or, the one where I wish I could write about music the way Rob Sheffield does.
4. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - Jane Austen was being funny and Catherine Morland is loony.
5. Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson - I like travel books, and they’re even better when drawn. Made me wish I could draw. 
6. City of Thieves by David Benioff - You must read it just for the chess game.
7. The El Bimbo Variations by Adam David (with Josel Nicolas) - Clever. Very clever.
8. The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami - I didn’t understand a lot of it, but the words just trickled so amiably into my brain.
9. The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente - September went to Fairyland-below and all I got were all the stupid feels. I need the next one, poste haste.
10. The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson - This is my favorite Maureen Johnson book (and that’s saying something because she’s written a couple about Europe).

This was a post by Kubi who is plotting her reading year.

Last year was, indeed, a good year for reading but it was also the busiest and most stressful year that we’ve had so far. Naturally, we turned to books and films for refuge.

Our mutual favorites for last year are those that have made us squee with delight and giggle like blushing school girls with crushes:

• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
• Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
• The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen
• What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
• This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
• Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

For last year’s collective favorites, click here.

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!

Hanna’s Favorite Reads for 2011:

• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
• 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
• Love is a Mixtape by Rob Sheffield
• Blankets by Craig Thompson
• No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July
• Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
• Going Solo by Roald Dahl
• My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
• American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson
• The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
• Lamb by Christopher Moore
• Talking to Girls about Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield
• Goodbye, Chunky Rice by Craig Thompson
• Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
• I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
• As Simple as Snow by Gregory Galloway
• Pure Drivel by Steve Martin
• Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory

Last year was a good year for reading as evidenced by my massive list.

It was a year for discoveries as in I have discovered that The Phantom Tollbooth is probably my most favorite children’s book of all time, Rob Sheffield can see through my soul, Steve Martin is my hero, and Craig Ferguson is awesome sauce (well, I did know that but his memoir just confirmed it). It was a good year for YA as well, especially for Kubi and me. I also read a ton of poetry collections and short stories and 84 Charing Cross Road deserves a special mention for making me bawl my eyes out.

Basically, 2011 was a good year. Here’s hoping that this year will be spectacular.