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January 31, 2012

Announcing the 2011 Sonderbooks Stand-outs! I'm ranking my favorite books read in 2011 and will be giving each review page a special seal. I already announced the titles and my reasoning on my blog, but now I've got the permanent page up.

Tonight I'm posting a review of my #2 Fantasy Fiction Stand-out (and it was a tough decision between it and #1)The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle: Day One, by Patrick Rothfuss, the beginning of an epic tale of a precocious child facing incredible adversity and tragedy, and growing into a hero.

Happy reading!



Christian
The Handmaid and the Carpenter
The Handmaid and the Carpenter
by Elizabeth Berg

Madman
Madman
by Tracy Groot


Fantasy
The Name of the Wind
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss

Child of the Prophecy
Child of the Prophecy
by Juliet Marillier

The Sharing Knife
Beguilement

by Lois McMaster Bujold

The Sharing Knife
Legacy

by Lois McMaster Bujold

Enchantment
by Orson Scott Card

Stardust
by Neil Gaiman

Daughter of the Forest
by Juliet Marillier

Son of the Shadows
by Juliet Marillier

If Wishes Were Horses
by Anne McCaffrey

His Majesty's Dragon
by Naomi Novik
read by Simon Vance

Throne of Jade
by Naomi Novik
read by Simon Vance

Black Powder War
by Naomi Novik
read by Simon Vance

Empire of Ivory
by Naomi Novik
read by Simon Vance

Victory of Eagles
by Naomi Novik
read by Simon Vance

Summers at Castle Auburn
by Sharon Shinn

Coronets and Steel
by Sherwood Smith



General Fiction
State of Wonder
State of Wonder
by Ann Patchett

Minding Frankie
Minding Frankie
by Maeve Binchy

The Elegance of the Hedgehog
by Muriel Barbery

Heart and Soul
by Maeve Binchy

The Lost Symbol
by Dan Brown

An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England
by Brock Clarke

Little Bee
by Chris Cleave
read by Anne Flosnik

Mission
by A. M. Cormier

Still Life
by Joy Fielding

The Story Sisters
by Alice Hoffman

The Interruption of Everything
by Terry McMillan
read by Desiree Taylor

Baking Cakes in Kigali
by Gaile Parkin

Italian Lessons
by Peter Pezzelli

Rise and Shine
by Anna Quindlen
The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People
by Farahad Zama



Historical
The Return of Captain John Emmett
The Return of Captain John Emmett
by Elizabeth Speller

The Pericles Commission
The Pericles Commission
by Gary Corby

The Postmistress
by Sarah Blake

The Canterbury Papers
by Judith Koll Healey
The Rebel Princess
by Judith Koll Healey

La's Orchestra Saves the World
by Alexander McCall Smith

The Sheen on the Silk
by Anne Perry

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Help
by Kathryn Stockett



Humorous
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Right Ho, Jeeves
Right Ho, Jeeves
by P. G. Wodehouse
performed by Alexander Spencer

The Uncommon Reader
by Alan Bennett

Thank You, Jeeves
by P. G. Wodehouse

Mystery
The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party
The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party
by Alexander McCall Smith

A Red Herring Without Mustard
A Red Herring Without Mustard
by Alan Bradley

Aunt Dimity's Christmas
by Nancy Atherton

North by Northanger
by Carrie Bebris

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag
by Alan Bradley

Santa Cruise
by Mary Higgins Clark
and Carol Higgins Clark

The Fourth Bear
by Jasper Fforde

The Oxford Murders
by Guillermo Martinez

The Good Husband of Zebra Drive
by Alexander McCall Smith

The Miracle at Speedy Motors
by Alexander McCall Smith

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built
by Alexander McCall Smith

The Double Comfort Safari Club
by Alexander McCall Smith

A Christmas Grace
by Anne Perry

A Christmas Promise
by Anne Perry

High Priestess
by David Skibbins

A Death in Vienna
by Frank Tallis

The Daughter of Time
by Josephine Tey
narrated by Derek Jacobi

The Man in the Queue
by Josephine Tey
read by Stephen Thorne

The Franchise Affair
by Josephine Tey


Romance
Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Bronte

Casting Spells
Casting Spells
by Barbara Bretton

The Little Lady Agency
by Hester Browne

The Boy Next Door
by Meg Cabot

Mozart's Ghost
by Julia Cameron

Christmas Letters
by Debbie Macomber

Summer on Blossom Street
by Debbie Macomber

Silver Bells
by Luanne Rice

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
by Helen Simonson


Science Fiction
I, Librarian
I, Librarian
Rex Libris, Volume 1

by James Turner

Shades of Grey
Shades of Grey
by Jasper Fforde

A War of Gifts
by Orson Scott Card

The Host
by Stephenie Meyer

Watchmen
by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons