Best Books Read in 2011

Didn't I just mention recently that I liked making lists? Well, the New Year is a great time for making lists! And what's better than lists of books?

Consulting my record book, I find I read a little over 70 books in 2011 (excluding single shorts and books I'd read before). Here are my ten favorite reads of the year, in the order that I read them. There's a little bit of everything in here! And an interesting thing about this list is that I read seven out of the ten for free or almost-free on my Kindle.

The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington

I was impressed by this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of a wealthy, influential family's gradual decline during the industrialization of America at the turn of the last century, which seems to be a somehwat overlooked classic of American literature. Read my full review of the book here.

Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther

Different from the movie, but in some ways even better—short, beautifully written chapters that capture the little wonders and joys of everyday life. Read my full review here.

Once On a Time by A.A. Milne

A light-hearted, hilarious satire of the classic fairytale, filled with kings, princesses, spells and a villainous Countess who fancies herself as a poet. I don't think I've ever laughed harder than I did when reading this than I have at anything other than P.G. Wodehouse!

Land of the Burnt Thigh by Edith Eudora Kohl

A captivating memoir of two sisters' adventure in homesteading by themselves in South Dakota in the first decade of the 20th century. I couldn't put this one down—it reads almost like fiction, filled with colorful characters and adventures. Read my full review here.

Points West by B.M. Bower

This is one of my favorite Bower Westerns in spite of a few flaws. The only thing to really hold against it is a rushed final chapter that winds the story up much too abruptly. In this story the young protagonist leaves home after his father's tragic death and the loss of his inheritance, trying to escape his troubles, but ends up plunging himself into even more difficult and dangerous situations. It's written with the same mixture of appealing characters, humor and poignance that characterizes Bower's best work. One supporting character in particular, Mrs. Harris, absolutely steals every scene she appears in. Whenever I start it over from the beginning I forgive the ending.

Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock

Delightfully funny, sweet satire about the residents and happenings in a little lakeside town of northeast Canada, that keeps you laughing and yet wishing all along that you could live in Mariposa yourself. Read my full review here.

Laddie by Gene Stratton-Porter

There's much more to this charming book than the central plot, a little girl's account of her adored elder brother's romance. It depicts a really vanished way of life in the prosperous (you could almost say affluent), self-sustaining American family farm; and the life of a large, loving family with a faith put into daily practice and an appreciation for knowledge and learning that goes beyond the boundaries of organized education. And Leon Stanton shares the award for scene-stealing supporting character with the aforementioned Mrs. Harris.

Green For Danger by Christianna Brand

A great classic murder-mystery and WWII novel combined—the setting is one of the most outstanding features of the book. It takes place in a British military hospital in the thick of the Blitz; the murder victim is an air-raid casualty who dies on the operating table, the suspects are the attendant doctors and nurses. You can read my brief review on Goodreads here.

Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West by Dorothy Wickenden

A fine adventure in historical nonfiction, filled with fascinating detail—the story of two girls from wealthy upstate New York families who traveled to rural Colorado to teach school in 1916, when the surrounding country still partook of much of the wild West. Read my full review here.

Uncle Abner, Master of Mysteries by Melville Davisson Post

A collection of short mysteries in another unique setting, this time American—rural Virginia of the early 1800s. Similar to Chesterton's Father Brown stories with their theological overtones and musings on justice, but from a Protestant perspective, and a vivid glimpse into a period of history that I'm less familiar with. Read my full review here.

Have you read any of these? What were your favorite reads of 2011?