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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
What did you read this year?
What books did you read this year? I know we all have our favorites that we recommend, but I want to know your recent reads and how you felt about them : )
Share a little plot summary with no spoilers and let us know if you loved/liked/disliked it.
Re: What did you read this year?
Crucial Conversations: It is a business book about approaching difficult conversations with a goal of finding mutual purpose so you neither get upset by the other person nor do you upset them - how to have a crucial confrontation to get the results you need without making an enemy. It has great tips but you have to work through it. It is an excercise of constant practice to be good at it. It's helpful if you are in a field where work is very political or you have to offer feedback without burning a bridge or disabling the recipient (great for managers). It's also great for relationships - so much of what causes conflict is anticipating where the other person is coming from, which could be wrong or a "story" you tell in your head. It has good tips on avoiding that.
ADKAR - another work book about managing change. Great resource. Another one you have to practice to get right. So many implementations fail in business because the path wasn't laid right for everyone to be on board - change wasn't managed well. The ADKAR model is a great change management model.
Girl with the dragon tattoo - I think everyone here has read it. I really liked it - it was hard to put down. Mixed hacking/investigating/complicated histories/mixed agendas/crime/politics and some freaky family stuff all together. I immediately read the second one and liked it and am about to read the 3rd one.
Boundaries - When to say Yes and How to say No to take control of your life. I have a hard time saying no and take on way too much. this book has been helpful in that regard.
The Power of a Praying Wife - I haven't finished this all the way through but have repeated several chapters and it has really helped my marriage. One of the key factors of loving someone is being able to put their needs above your own (and doing so while having healthy boundaries is complicated). The Power of a Praying Wife helps you put your husband first in your thoughts and it comes out in your actions in ways that communicate support, love, and respect to your husband without you even consciously doing it. I feel closer to my husband now than I did at the beginning of 2011 which is wonderful.
ETA - A Stolen Life by Jaycee Lee Duggard. This book was heart wrenching and hard to read at times but intriguing.
I can't remember if I read A Stolen Innocence this year or last year but that book was also intriguing for similarly disturbing reasons, but also because of the insight it gives into the FLDS and Warren Jeffs.
ETA2 - just skimmed Kel's and I also read Escape - i also found it intriguing.
Am reading Bossypants right now and totally agree with Amydrinkie - it is making me nearly pee my pants with laughter. If you want a hard copy to borrow you totally can borrow this one.
I feel like i'm constantly reading but those are what come to mind.
- Paula Deen to 104.1 KRBE's Producer Eric 9/17/2011
The Help - I wouldn't recommend it, I almost found it offensively written.
Room - Loved this book, it is a bit intense, but a good read.
Something Borrowed & Something Blue - I loved both of these books, they were both good chick lit. You can read them in a day and they were written in a cute way.
Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang & My Horizontal Life - hysterical books by Chelsea Handler
Official Book Club Selection - Kathy Griffin's book, really easy and interesting read
Chasing Harry Winston - beach read
The Ex-Mrs Hedgefund - loved this book because DH works for a hedgefund and the book was spot on
Shopaholic takes Manhattan - I got about halfway through, bad bad book
I Don't Know How She Does It - silly book, short read
Perfect on Paper & It's a Waverly Life - both were good books, quick reads
I have read a lot of books I borrowed from a friend, but I have forgotten what they are. I only remember the above because I ordered them on amazon or they are on my Kindle. I have such a bad memory. I will generally read a book a day on vacation, so I will be watching this thread for books to add to my Kindle.
So Tasty, So Yummy
"The Help" - Loved reading it; could hardly put it down. Thought the movie was just as good as the book.
"Vision in White", "Bed of Roses", "Happily Ever After", "Savor the Moment" - The Bride Quartet - by Nora Roberts. (Think I have them out of order) but easy chick lit reads and the need to be read in order.
"The Next Always:Book One of the Inn Boonsboro Trilogy" a new one by Nora Roberts.. another good chick lit
"Sarah's Key" - Pretty good book.
"The School of Essential Ingredients" - good chick lit read
Currently reading Stephen King's 11/22/63 So far, it's pretty good.
The Help- Loved every word of it.
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- good book, VERY slow to get into though
The Kitchen House- Excellent Historical Fiction, loved it.
The Hunger Games Trilogy- best books I've read in a long time! Very entertaining.
Right now I'm reading BossyPants and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and they're both great so far. Next on my list is The Red Tent.
I have read all three in your last paragraph-- great books! I read Henrietta lacks In one day. Could not sleep without finishing it.
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Same Kind of Different As Me-excellent read
The Help- loved it, and it's basically historical fiction, whether offensive or not. Thought it was cleverly written!
Heaven Is For Real-easy, quick read; thought-provoking
Escape, by Carolyn Jessop- interesting read, but I enjoy reading about the FLDS
A Stolen Life, by Jaycee Dugard- really enjoyed it even though her story is very sad. It definitely shed light on what a disgrace the California justice system is!
The Kids Are All Right- good read, true story
Escape from the World Trade Center- so sad, but uplifting
In My Hands, Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer- interesting read
Seems like I read more that I just can't recall right now.
So Tasty, So Yummy
I read a TON of books this year.
The one's that stand out are Sarah's Key (good), 11/22/63 (intriguing but not great), The Game of Thrones series (great), Vampire Academy series (teen lit but I loved them), Nefertiti (loved it), and Cleopatra's Daughter (good).
The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. Best fantasy books I have read in a long time.
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon. Finally got back into the Outlander series. I also read all of her Lord John Gray series.
The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. Not as good as The Historian, but interesting.
The Night of the Jaguar by Michael Gruber. His books are strange, but really well-written.
The Sonnet Lover and Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman. She writes mysteries that usually have decent female leads.
Through a Glass Darkly and Now Face to Face by Karleen Koen. Loved Through a Glass Darkly. Historical fiction.
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. Meh.
Not enough. The Help, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, 2 Vince Flynn books, the most recent Sookie Stackhouse book.
I'm sure I read more, but I can't remember anything else. That tells me I either didn't read anything else, or it was crap/smut.
I think I also read HP 7 again earlier this year, but I can't remember.
You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs - a collection of short stories about Christmases throughout his life. Same guy who wrote Running w/ Scissors, similar to David Sedaris. I enjoyed this and it was a light and easy read.
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris - collection of short stories about his growing up gay in the south, his family, living in Paris, pretty funny.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky - this is actually YA, but someone recommended it to me, and I thought it SUCKED. I truly struggled after the halfway mark to finish it. The main character is supposed to be 15 but has the thought processes of someone half that age.
Scruples by Judith Kranz - said to be loosely based on Giorgio Beverly Hills. The story about an ultra posh BH boutique and the people who work in it.
Bossypants by Tina Fey - I laughed until tears were rolling down my face. Highly recommend - this was probably my favorite book this year.
Gunn's Golden Rules by Tim Gunn - OK, I didn't like it as much as Tim Gunn's Guide to Style (this isn't really a style book).
Hedge Fund Wives by Tatiana Boncompagni - I felt sorry for the main character through most of the book b/c I went through a similar breakup, parts of the story stung, but it was good. I had trouble putting it down.
I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris - Pretty funny, another light read. I would have preferred this one in print format though rather than ebook.
My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands by Chelsea Handler - hilarious. Love her.
The Agency by Ally O'Brien - kinda Devil Wears Prada-ish. I enjoyed it.
Straight Up and Dirty by Stephanie Klein - I started this twice and lost interest about halfway through both times. I just kind of wanted to punch the main character in the face, crying over her loser-ass ex-husband.
Confessions of a Prep School Mommy Handler: A Memoir by Wade Rouse - Wade works at a private school where all the moms are like the Real Housewives.
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrich - story of a mail-order bride in Wisconsin in the early 1900s. Her husband has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, and her plan is to poison him and get the dough but he has other plans. Sounds like it'd be a good story but it was disappointing.
Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo and Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask by Jancee Dunn - Jancee Dunn used to interview bands for Rolling Stone magazine. She is struggling with the realization that she's getting old, while her parents kinda go all mid-life crisis.
sTORI Telling by Tori Spelling - good enough that I have her next book Mommywood in my queue.
Life by James Fox with Keith Richards - Keith's autobiography. I thought this was going to be badass but I lost interest before they even got famous. H made it further but also didn't finish it. All he talked about was getting fucked up, what a snooze.
I also read a sample of Room but didn't like it enough to shell out for the whole book.
If anyone is interested in reading about the Black experience prior to the Civil Rights era, by a Black author, I highly recommend reading Richard Wright's Black Boy.
- Paula Deen to 104.1 KRBE's Producer Eric 9/17/2011
I listened to the following audio books:
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy - The first book was my favorite but I really liked them all. Looking forward to the movie with DH.
Pillars of the Earth and World Without End - Enjoyed them, but I thought the violence was a little intense at times. Looking forward to The Century Trilogy.
The Help - Loved it.
The Strain trilogy (finishing up book 3 today) - Modern day vampire end of the world stuff. Definitely not the Sookie Stackhouse type books.
Water for Elephants - Least favorite book I read. I just couldn't get into it.
Blood Bayou - Who-done-it by a local Christian author. Easy read.
I haven't read Black Boy, will have to look into that. I have read Native Son by Richard Wright and Invisible Man by Ellison. Both are great reads.
So Tasty, So Yummy
I re-read several books in 2011, including Harry Potter #7. I won't list all the books I re-read because it was at least 10 books. I also read several books for work that I won't bother listing.
Books 5- 11 of the Left Behind series - Christian fiction about the end of the world, pretty interesting. Definitely made me think.
Ender's Game - futuristic sci-fi that DH loves so I gave it a whirl. Not really my style, but I am looking forward to the movie. This was the second Ender book that I read. I don't love them, but I'll probably read the rest of them in 2012.
Pride & Prejudice - Loved, hated myself for not having read it sooner.
Triumph: Life After the Cult -- A Surivivor's Lessons by Carolyn Jessop. - Not as good as Escape, but still good. And great insights into how cults & brain-washing work.
Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers - So good. Christin fiction, series of 5 books, one based on each of the 5 woman named in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
The Scarlet Thread by Francine Rivers - Christian fiction again. Really good.
The Hunger Games Trilogy - Great books. My favorites of 2011. Planning on going to the midnight premiere of the movie in March.
Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers - More Christian fiction by a great writer. Looking forward to reading the sequel this year.
Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark - Fun mystery.
Having a Martha Heart in a Mary World by Joanna Weaver - Great book about spending quality time with God.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Seybold - Weird book. It was just ok for me.
Austenland by Shannon Hale - Cute & silly chick lit book. My first though when I read it was "this would be a great chick flick". Two weeks later they announced the casting. Opens sometime in 2012.
Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan - Cute & fun young adult series about modern day children of the Greek gods.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - Really liked this one.
First 3 books in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series - Good books. Reading #4 now. DH likes me reading them because he gets laid a lot when I'm reading about Jamie.
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer - Quick & interesting read.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - The girls on the book club board raved about this one, so I picked it up at the library. It was cute & entertaining, but I think they overhyped it for me.
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns - Really liked this one. I could identify with the small town drama.
Nora Roberts Bridal Quartet - Very easy, fast, enjoyable reads. DH liked me reading them because he got laid a lot.
I also purchased the Lutheran Study Bible this year & Martin Luther's book of prayer. I have loved reading those.
Though of another one: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - That guy really knows how to write a riveting book. Deception Point is on my 2012 to-read list.
The Help - I loved it, and the movie too.
The Hunger Games - not usually my cup of tea but I loved them. Can't wait to see the movies.
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Girl Who Played with Fire and Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - LOVED them. Saw the movie over the break and really enjoyed it too.
Several mysteries/thrillers I found on Kindle/iBooks - David Baldacci (No Time Left and Hell's Corner, The Sixth Man), Vince Flynn (American Assasin), Stephen Coonts, Michael Palmer, Peter James and Brad Metzger.
LA Candy - Lauren Conrad's first chick lit book. Great beach read.
Decision Points by GW Bush - I wanted his insight on his time in office. Enjoyed it but it got mired down in the details of the war.
Sarah's Key - liked parts of the story, others were too predictable
They certainly keep your attention. I didn't love The Lost Symbol as much as I had his previous books but really liked Deception Point.
i read a lot but forget/don't keep track of what i've really read w/o going back through my kindle. and i'm too lazy for that right now ;p.
BUT i just finished A Dog's Purpose. Oh my goodness was it good! So much better than Marley and Me. Tear jerker for sure, but in a good way. A really, really good way.