Top Books of 2012

It took me awhile to piece together this list.  I couldn't figure out why.... my reading consumption this year was about the same as the prior two years; in terms of quantity.  I didn't want to admit to myself what the problem is:  $$$$.  Got a Kindle last Christmas, and, in terms of maximizing my savings this year, I almost bought no hardcovers; just Kindle downloads and free books I got thru the Amazon Vine program.  I took an early dislike to to the spike in Kindle prices....from $9.99, which was common in 2011, to $12.99 and $14.99 from 2012.  So, I focused on older books and bargain books. 

Thus, I find that I didn't read enough good books in 2012 to comprise a 10 item list.  But here is what I settled for:


1.   BRINGING UP THE BODIES - Hilary Mantel       Mantel's sequel to her tour de force of "Wolf   Hall"...which made a prior year's list.  So well researched!  Historical fiction at its best. 

2.  GONE GIRL - Gillian Flynn...      I've enjoyed her prior books, but none so much as this effort  with all its twists and turns.  Superb fiction. 

3.  TEAM OF RIVALS - Doris Kearns Goodwin        I have never put an "old" book on my list
            before; essentially, my lists are about what was written in 20xx, that I read.  But this 2006 account of Lincoln, revisited in the superb "Lincoln" by Spielberg was a must read and greatly satisfying before I saw the film.

4.  THE ROUND HOUSE - Louise Erdrich     Possibly her greatest book, recognition from the
            National Book Prize.   Evokes, "To Kill A Mockingbird"; and I can never resist books
            set in North Dakota or Minnesota

5.  LIVE BY NIGHT - Dennis Lehane      Dennis Lehane (!), AND he moves his locale from Boston to Tampa.  Couldn't be better.

6.  AFTERWARDS - Rosalind Lupton     Free from Amazon Vine and superb.  An emotional rollercoaster

7. STEVE JOBS  - Walter Isaacson          An extremely fat biography given to me for XMas last year -   a fascinating account

8.  12 TRIBES OF HATTIE - Ayana Mathis     I usually try to stay away from Oprah's picks, but couldn't resist this well-written novel. 

That's it.  8.  Sigh.  I'll be more discerning in 2013. 


From Prior Years: 


http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3858636945560489201#editor/target=post;postID=7815291527772493979


http://livingimperfectly.blogspot.com/2011/01/best-books-of-2010.html

 

http://livingimperfectly.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-best-books-of-2009.html

 

 

Cleaning up the "frolic"

GASPARILLA!



The annual event in Tampa Bay that's a wannabe Mardi Gras. Taking advantage of a real life invasion of the gulf by pirate Jose Gaspar, Tampa "renacts" his landing every year around February 1.


The celebration encompasses a children's parade, an art show, a daytime invasion/breakfast/parade and a raunchy night parade in Ybor City. As time has gone by, the day parade had become drunker and drunker.... prompting the denizens of the beautiful neighborhood along the bay to complain about the drunks, public urination, flashing (in order to get bounty, yes, the inevitable strings of beads from the floats), etc. etc. This year the city agreed to clean it up, warned the youth in schools, bolstered the patrol force, and arrested over 400+ people, mostly for public drunkenness and lewd behavior.

The lead pirate ship "The Jose Gaspar" arrives at the convention center with many, many pirates and an escort of anything in Tampa that has a motor and floats on water.



Sigh. We are all adults. We are all adults. Here's a closer look...

Ok, maybe sometimes we're a little youthful.

Anyway, between the focus on a cleaner atmosphere and the rain we had on Saturday, the invasion and parade were much more docile. I stayed away, but if they continue to tone it down, I may go back again one day. Thought you'd enjoy the pictures!

Damn the rain.

Going for beads, post-parade.

Confiscated! And the denizens on the sidewalk got a court date.