It’s possible (though, ok, fairly unlikely) that you’ve noticed a little change in my sidebar. After a few years with WeRead, formerly Books iRead on facebook (one of many things that seems to have just *poof!* disappeared with the stupid new facebook), I got sick of seeing this:
So many weird dead links. And a pretty clunky widget, for sure. After seeing a much better version of the same widget on the Fuel/Friends blog (more on this amazing resource to come) and doing my typical way too much online research for a simple choice thing, I decided to move over to Goodreads. It might even be a social network I like.
Of course, my luck means that my two most obscure recent reads magically filtered to the top, so I still have a couple of missing images. I’m still trying to figure out how to organize and order some of these books (especially the “want to read” choices) and I have to admit that I’m missing weRead’s simple checkboxes for “I own” and “Is a favorite.” But I like being able to add where I bought a book – good memories of afternoons spent perusing bookstores and their endless sense of possibility. For me, sometimes the buying adds to the pleasure of reading.
It’s not a coincidence that this switch coincides with all of the year-end “Best of” lists – the New York Times editors released theirs, Barnes and Noble’s version just hit my inbox, I’m sure NPR has all sorts of suggestions for their bookish listeners.
I am perhaps most intrigued by Freedom, Jonathan Franzen’s new book, having read nothing but rave reviews, but am not sure I’m quite in the mood for something so somber and so capable of eliciting tears from so many reviewers. Nicole Krauss’ Great House, a finalist for the National Book Award, will also be added to my newly-formed Goodreads “to-read” category mostly because I really liked The History of Love.
Looking back on this year, I read a lot of interesting, thought provoking, and sometimes just beautiful books. Here are a few that come to mind:
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
And I’m sure that as soon as I hit publish, I’ll think of others. Isn’t it funny that it’s harder to think of books from this year than books you read a long time ago? When I was first adding books to my weRead profile, it ended up being basically the entire high school English curriculum – mostly because I could remember what we read and discussed each year. I don’t read nearly as much Shakespeare as my profile probably suggests…
What were your best books of the year? Do you glean suggestions from the end of year lists?
I like writing, photography, reading, music, design, typography, paper products, days in the seventies and sparkly snow, Spanish wine and cans of PBR. I spent a year in Córdoba, Spain, working as a 
I really need to read Little Bee. Friends keep recommending it. And, I really loved The History of Love and didn’t realize she had a new book out!
One of my favorite books this year was Mennonite in a Little Black Dress.
I do take a look at the lists, but I rely more on recommendations from friends. I think you should try “Let the Great World Spin” for a powerful *powerful* story. For fun, try something by Michael Malone – I am reading “Foolscap”. For an edgy memoir, my favorite is Mary Karr’s “Lit.”