2012 = A Poor Excuse for an Avid Reader

I just did not read much this year. I'm not sure why...though I will say much of my reading time was taken up by Game of Thrones Books 2 and 3, which are hefty tomes.

Here's what else I read in 2012, and a quick review of each:

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
The last in the Hunger Games trilogy. A fitting ending, albeit a little too neatly tied up for my tastes. 4 out of 5 stars

The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy - E.L. James
Yes, yes I did. These were alright. The writing is a bit annoying, read any review and you'll get an earful of all the times Anastasia chews her lip or refers to her "inner goddess." But obviously there was something keeping me interested, and it wasn't the sex scenes. The first book is a cliff hanger, of course...so one must pick up the second. The plot is pretty far-fetched, but as the trilogy wore on I did find myself getting a little more attached to the characters, and rooting for them. Definitely not fine literature, but worth of a beach read (but careful who's looking over your shoulder, because there are some pretty steamy scenes).  2.5 out of 5 stars

On Island Time: Wildlife, Windsleds, and a Wedding on Madeline Island - Patricia Spaulding
A book club friend of mine gave me a hard copy of this memoir, because it was written by someone in her local writing class. It tells the story of a middle-aged couple who decide to build a home on  Madeline Island, and the assimilation into "island life" It's a charming recollection of their day-to-day adventures and family events. I really enjoyed it. 4 out of 5 stars

Light in August - William Faulkner
I tried, I really did..but in all honesty I did not finish this book. The writing was captivating but the story was not, at least not at the time. I hope to try this again sometime, but for now it remains unfinished and I won't rate it.

A Visit From the Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan
Now this, this was a highlight of 2012. I realize this might not say much given some of my selections, but I would recommend this book any day. It weaves the stories of Bennie, an aging record exe and former punk rocker, and Sasha, a young woman he hires, along with a host of other eclectic characters. As we start to learn more about Sasha, "troubled" doesn't seem to cover it. Each chapter focuses on a different character across various decades, and music plays a large part in the whole story. One chapter is even written entirely in PowerPoint form, which seems odd, but I found brilliant. Another thing I loved is that the characters are not revealed entirely in the past and present, but we also get a glimpse into their future, and the future of how social media and electronic devices are used to promote and listen to music in the future. Some in my book club found this part a little too strange, but I found it fascinating. I haven't read any other book like this one. 4.5 out of 5 stars

So that was 2012, plus the Game of Thrones books which I already reviewed.

Yes, I know. I need to do better in 2013.

Carrier: Untangling the Danger in My DNA - Bonnie J. Rough

Bonnie Rough comes from a family which is genetically predisposed to a health condition called hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia or HED. As she and her husband consider having a family of their own, they start uncovering details of the condition in her family tree, and are faced with harrowing decisions on how they will handle a pregnancy which has a 50/50 chance of producing a child with this life-altering disease.

This memoir captivated me from the very beginning. Not only because it is set partially at the University of Iowa, and then in my old Lake Harriet area neighborhood in Minneapolis, but because it reads in a way that suggests family drama as well as mystery novel. Bonnie's present-day struggle is paralleled by an account of an investigation into her family's past, and the struggles of her grandfather Earl, who lived a life with HED. Earl not only displayed the tell-tale physical symptoms - unusual bone structure, sparse hair and teeth, and the inability to sweat - but also difficulty breathing, infections that never healed, and many years of drug use to numb the physical and emotional pain. These tales are interspersed with accounts from Bonnie's mother Paula, who saw her father deteriorate into an early death, and who herself bore a son with HED. These generational vignettes weave into a beautiful, compelling, heart-wrenching, joyful, terrifying, inspiring account of a journey into parenthood that no one should have to bear. And yet the author successfully brings the reader along and in the end...left me feeling that somehow, this was the way things were supposed to be.

This book certainly addresses a controversial topic. Whether you are pro-choice or pro-life, I guarantee you will be affected by this memoir; and if you are a parent, your heart will break 10 times over while reading it. Then you will go hug your kids.

4.5 out of 5 stars