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Dine and Dish

Food blog with family recipes

January 1, 2013

My Favorite Books of 2012

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Books I've Read in 2012

When I set out at the beginning of 2012 with the goal to read more, even if it was just a few pages each day, I never knew that I would re-ignite my passion for reading and good books in such a fervent way. I have fallen head over heels in love with books again and have been incredibly inspired by an amazing lot of authors this past year. I’ve recapped my thoughts on each of these books in previous Connect Through Reading posts, but thought I’d share a brief post on my top favorites from 2012.

My new favorite way to read these books is with my Kindle Paperwhite. I have an old Kindle, a nook, plus an iPad with the reading apps on it but this new Kindle Paperwhite blows reading with the other devices out of the water. I love how it’s compact, backlit, easy on my eyes, and convenient to use. It’s a simple e-reader, without the distractions of email, facebook, twitter, etc. If you are looking for a fairly inexpensive (currently $119 on Amazon), yet wonderful e-reader, I have to recommend giving the Kindle Paperwhite a try.

Now, for my top six reads of 2012…starting with my favorite and in order from there (although it was hard to stop at 6!)…

 

Heft by Liz Moore

1. Heft, by Liz Moore. Read my review here.

2. Unbroken by Laura Hildebrand. Read my review here.

11/22/63

3.  11/22/63 by Stephen King. Read my review here.

4.  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Read my review here.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake Book Review5.  The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield. Read my review here.

6.  The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman. Read my review here.

It has been such a great year of reading for me. I’ve taken the Goodreads challenge and have set a goal to read 30 books in 2013. Won’t you join me?

What were your favorite reads of 2012? I hope you’ll share them with me here!

Happy reading!

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Filed Under: Book Review, Previous Tagged With: book review, books, connect, reading, top books for 2012

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch says

    January 2, 2013 at 8:33 am

    I need a new good book to read! I can’t tell you the last really good book that I read! I need to go through all of your suggestions and cuddle up somewhere for a while and just read!

    Reply
  2. Lynn says

    January 2, 2013 at 8:58 am

    Unbroken is on my list to read this year. I keep hearing how good it is so I knew it was a must read for this year. I love seeing what others have on their book list. It is a great way to get ideas and learn about new book, so thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  3. Aggie says

    January 2, 2013 at 9:01 am

    I would have to say 11/22/63 was definitely one of my favorites this year, as well as Gone Girl. I also loved The Secret Daughter and Still Alice.

    I just discovered the Good Reads app for my phone (duh), I’m in such a reading mood lately and have a nice list of books to get through (a lot thanks to you!). Homecoming of Samuel Lake and Heft definitely on the list!

    Happy reading Kristen! You always inspire me 🙂

    Reply
  4. Kristen says

    January 2, 2013 at 9:01 am

    Robyn – you would love so many of these books, but I guarantee you would love Heft and The Homecoming of Samuel Lake. I promise!

    Reply
  5. Asha@FSK says

    January 2, 2013 at 9:03 am

    Thanks for this post!!! I was brooding yesterday about how little I had read last year and had resolved to fix just that and you have given me a list to dip into!! :))

    Reply
  6. Janet K says

    January 2, 2013 at 9:13 am

    I Love this post. I had set a goal to reach in 2012..to read 52 books…I didn’t quite make it, I read 36. Some of the ones you listed are some that I read, but Gone Girl, I have not read & seem to be seeing it everywhere now. I will put it on the list for 2013.

    Reply
  7. Kristen says

    January 2, 2013 at 9:26 am

    Lynn – Unbroken is a must read. It will give you a whole, new perspective on life!

    Reply
  8. Steph says

    January 2, 2013 at 9:31 am

    I LOVE reading and still love the old school way…real books, no e-readers for me!!! Some of my recent faves are:
    -More Than Words Can Say by Robert Barcley
    -Stay by Allie Larkin
    -City Girl, Country Vet by Cathy Woodman
    I am currently reading A Gift From Tiffanys by Melissa Hill and am having a really hard time putting it down!!!

    Reply
  9. Mama Bird says

    January 2, 2013 at 10:16 am

    I just started The Fault in Our Stars by JOhn Green and am hal way thru! It is fantab!!!

    Reply
  10. susan says

    January 2, 2013 at 11:01 am

    what a great list, Kristen. thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  11. carrian says

    January 2, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    Love this! I am in need of a new book to read and now I have a whole list!!

    Reply
  12. Heather says

    January 2, 2013 at 12:50 pm

    Thanks for the ideas! I, too loved Unbroken!! I also loved the Divergent Series, and The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

    Reply
  13. Chelsea@Chelsea Is Dishing Up says

    January 2, 2013 at 3:32 pm

    I added all of these to my good reads must reads! 30 books in a year is a huge goal! you go girl!

    Reply
  14. jenna says

    January 2, 2013 at 4:41 pm

    what a great list of books! i was just in need of some new titles! 🙂 thanks for the suggestions.

    Reply
  15. Jamie says

    January 2, 2013 at 5:51 pm

    Great list! I have 11/22/63 on my list to read. I read Gone Girl and Unbroken and liked them both a lot. Adding the others to my list! Last year I really like Still Alice (am reading Left Neglected by the same author right now and love it too!) and The Art of Racing In The Rain. I really liked The Paris Wife too.

    Reply
  16. Maria says

    January 2, 2013 at 6:12 pm

    Thanks for the suggestions. I really liked Defending Jacob, probably one of the better books I read last year. We read The Kitchen House in book club and all enjoyed it. The Language of Flowers was also very good. I was just picking book and reserving books from my public library today as so many publishers have listed the best reads for 2012.

    Reply
  17. Roxanne says

    January 2, 2013 at 7:13 pm

    Kristen,
    Thank you so much for this list. You have been an inspiration to me to begin reading once again. It will be wonderful to have your “go to” list.

    Reply
  18. Kathryn says

    January 3, 2013 at 4:45 am

    I’ve loved your book posts in the last year – you always read such interesting things and I almost always head over to Amazon to download your recommendations! I look forward to more in 2013 : )

    Reply
  19. Bev @ Bev Cooks says

    January 3, 2013 at 7:57 am

    I’m ’bout to go willy nilly on this list!

    Reply
  20. angela @ another bite please says

    January 3, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    I am so up for the challenge…i want to read 26 books this year…I’ve never kept track before and thinking 1 every two weeks sounded good…I just put a bunch of these books on my amazon kindle wish list…and you are so techy with your gadgets…i just have the basic kindle…i don’t do well with new techy change…hahahaha

    this years favorites of mine…

    The Bungalow
    “I Heard You Paint Houses”: Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran & Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa
    The Midwife’s Confession
    My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey
    Bringing Home the Birkin
    Sarah’s Key

    oh gosh I can’t stop now…and i just realized i could have looked back on my kindlee to count the number of books I read…hahahaha

    looking forward to see what books you post about in 2013.

    Reply
  21. Kate says

    January 10, 2013 at 1:21 pm

    Oh thanks — I’m anxious to see more of what you read in 2013! I joined the GoodReads challenge too!

    Reply
  22. Ron Merlin says

    January 17, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    Ah HA! Two of my recommendations to your are in your top six… I’m so proud. ha ha

    Reply
  23. Christine says

    April 28, 2013 at 11:56 am

    Hi there. I discovered your blog through Pinterest when looking for good book recommendations and am working my way through your list. I just finished Heft yesterday and thought it was great. It’s actually a book that I think would make a really powerful movie. Thanks for the suggestions and please keep giving them! I’m in grad school right now and haven’t had the time to read for pleasure since Christmas break (where I just read the HP series for the third time) and now I’m making it a priority to read more often again.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      April 28, 2013 at 11:58 am

      Thanks for coming here and letting me know! I hope you enjoy the books as much as I did.
      I actually wrote the author of Heft begging her to do a sequel or something. I still miss the characters!

      I’ve been kind of on a reading slump this year, which isn’t like me. But, I appreciate the encouragement and will keep sharing what I read!
      Thanks!

      Reply
  24. Lynne says

    August 8, 2013 at 1:28 pm

    Thanks for introducing me to Goodreads! And I appreciate your recommendations. Loved Gone Girl. My favorite authors are Nora Roberts, Kat Martin, Maya Banks. I like romance and mysteries. Read on!!!!!

    Reply
  25. Amy L says

    September 28, 2013 at 4:05 pm

    I Loved The Meryl Streep Movie Club. I listen to audio books during my commute to & from work, which makes the drive so much more pleasant.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. A Pinch of This and That - Living | Add a Pinch | Robyn Stone says:
    January 9, 2013 at 11:01 pm

    […] Book Lists – I have desperately neglected reading much for pleasure over the past couple of years. Any reading that I do has to do with homeschooling and now beekeeping. I love hearing what my friends have read and enjoyed and this list from my Kristen of Dine and Dish looks like a great start! […]

    Reply
  2. Book Reviews of My Favorite Summer Reads of 2013 says:
    August 5, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    […] year I read a ton… more than I probably have in any other year. I read so many great books in 2013, I knew my streak was likely to not continue for much […]

    Reply

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I believe that in order to live a happy life, you have to make happiness happen through implementing simple things that make you happy into every day. Here are a few of the things that bring me happiness - I hope they do you too.

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H is for...high!
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It was so strange being on a plane again. I’m so thankful I have the antibodies because the flights were full, which seemed wrong, but everyone around me did seem to keep their masks on, so that was good.
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I can’t wait until travel becomes a regular part of life again. I’ve missed it so much!
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G is for...oh so grateful!

I flew to South Texas yesterday to visit my parents whom I haven’t seen in 2 years. They live around 17 hours away from us. We typical get to see each other a few times a year but with the pandemic and other health issues it just wasn’t able to happen and I’ve missed them soooo much.

Grateful to have had COVID last month. Although it was not at all fun, it gave me the antibodies to make this trip possible. My dad is having surgery tomorrow so I’m helping with my mom so my dad can recover without having to worry about her.

Kansas is enjoying frigid temperatures and snow. I picked a great week to head south.
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F is for...food photography.
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This time of year especially, food photography (and I guess all photography actually) is a tug of war with time and light. I had planned on making and photographing a delicious pasta recipe, but my grocery delivery ran a couple of hours late because of snowstorm. So, at the eleventh hour I decided to make a cake...that took over an hour to bake and I had about 90 minutes of natural light left...leaving me with about 30 minutes of ok light to work with.
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Anyway, this wouldn't work for a client shoot because the cake, although delicious, didn't turn out looking so great. But it will work great for today's F photo for the @kimklassen_innercircle A-Z photo project:) Lemon Citrus Yogurt Cake from this weeks @cabotcheese newsletter. So good!
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E is for...Excitement!
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There’s a lot of excitement in Kansas City as our beloved @chiefs head back to the Super Bowl this weekend! #runitback 🏈
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It’s so strange because winning the super bowl last year was the last “normal” thing that happened before the pandemic hit. We went from a city full of excitement to shutting down and sheltering in place. Maybe when we win and bring the trophy home this year, it’ll be the start of something great. Let’s hope!
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D is for... Dreary (and Dog)
February has always been my least favorite month. I have a special name for this month that may start with another not so nice F word...🤭.
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In Kansas, the sun usually doesn't shine that often, it's cold, and just kind of gray and blah.
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My indoor jungle makes me happy though...especially this space in my office. Houseplants almost makes me forget we’re in the “F” month 😂.
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Also, my dog (my favorite d word) would not sit still for a picture when I had my tripod set up, but I finally caught her sitting on her bed and had to catch a picture with my phone. Swipe and you’ll see she is much overdue for a haircut.
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C is for Coaching, Coffee and Crystals! Lots of C words today. My @rockyourhappy coaching practice has been the best thing. I am so lucky to be working with really great clients who are doing the hard work and making big changes in their lives. It’s been the perfect fit for me and I know it’s what I am meant to be doing. Coffee, of course, is my favorite C word and Crystals…my daughters got me into the energy powers of crystals and it’s been really fun to learn all about them.
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My beautiful, custom, Rock Your Happy bullet journal is from @maisielaneco . Coffee/espresso is from @mistoboxcoffee Fabulous photography backdrop is from @poppybeesurfaces . Crystals are from a wonderful local shop here in town.
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There’s still time to join in the @kimklassen_innercircle photography group, where this months theme is A-Z. Join us!
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B is for Books! Are you a big reader? I wasn’t really a reader growing up. Well, I take that back. In junior high I plowed through the Sweet Valley High series (anyone else?) 😊 And when I was in elementary school I would bust my butt to get to the highest level in the SRA Reading box before anyone else. But I wasn’t a kid who you’d find with their nose in a book, ever.
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It wasn’t until I was an adult, and my kids began to sleep through the night, that I started reading for fun. Now, I read all the time and it’s one of my favorite pastimes. I love talking books with people and sharing recommendations. I really don’t watch TV, so books, especially right now, is my main form of entertainment.
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This is why for the @kimklassen_innercircle A-Z photography challenge, I knew that Books would be my B. It’s my favorite B word (beating out Bullet Journaling, Bread, Blankets, Be Happy, etc).
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A is for Alone. I think one of the hardest things for me to get used to this past year is rarely being alone. My husband used to travel all the time. My school aged kids were in school all day while I worked. I’d even get several days a month in a hotel room by myself for my work travels. I like my alone time and it’s definitely something I miss.
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I’m easily distracted so you will usually find me working in complete silence…maybe just the hum of my essential oil diffuser and the sound of my fingers on my keyboard. I need the quiet and treasure silence.
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With that said, I’ve loved the extra time with my family - and we’ve all learned over the past several months how to give each other space and recognize when we need that space. As of today, my kids all are back to school full time in person 😢. Nick is still working from home and will be for the time being, but now the aloneness feels strange. I’m sure we’ll get used to this “new normal” yet again!
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This month in @kimklassen photography Inner Circle, we’re tackling the alphabet, with an A-Z photography challenge (interpreting that however we see fit). If you want to join us, check out this wonderful community of photographers at @kimklassen_innercircle 📷.
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