Hello Everyone!

Yes, I know it is not the best literature in the world (why I used the word “favorite” and not “best”), but here are my top ten reads of 2011… Well, I read them in 2011.  I have no idea if most of them were published in 2011.  They are in alphabetical order because they are SO different that I can’t possibly rank and compare them.

The Autobiography of an Execution by David R. Row

See my full review here.  The Autobiography of an Execution is the definitive case AGAINST the death penalty in the U.S.  I already strongly opposed the death penalty, but this book completely reaffirmed my beliefs and gave me even more reasons to disagree with it.  If you are for or against the death penalty you should read this book– it gives a gripping view of the legal and human side of death row in Texas.  Legal death penalty stuff may sound boring, but it was actually a total page-turner.  (If you like this book, check out Into the Abyss, a new Herzog documentary on the death penalty).

Bossypants by Tina Fey

If you watch NBC’s hit show 30 Rock you know that Tina Fey is hands-down one of the funniest comedians of our time.  Bossypants is no exception.  This memoir covers many topics including her awkward childhood, her years on SNL and the conception of 30 Rock.  If you love Tina Fey, I highly recommend buying the Audiobook, read by Fey herself.  Her jokes are a lot funnier when you hear her deliver them and she does some pretty awesome voices.

The Camera Assistant’s Manual by David E. Elkins

Yes, this is a very nerdy pic to include on my top 10 list, but this book has been my bible since moving to LA.  If you need to know any information about motion picture cameras, go here first.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a lot of information on digital cameras, but it gives you a very detailed account of what is required of each job in the camera department, as well as huge amounts of camera information in general.  I read this book in college, but now I keep it in my car in case I have to look up anything on set.

Columbine by Dave Cullen

Columbine is one of the most thorough non-fiction books I have ever read in my life.  Dave Cullen spent 10 years researching and writing this complete account of the tragic Columbine High School shooting in April 1999 and he pieced it together in hundreds of pages that attempt to uncover every Columbine truth and every media-made Columbine fiction.  The book is fascinating, horrifying, and impeccably written.  If you love non-fiction this book will rivet you.

Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451: Authorized Adaptation by Tim Hamilton

When I first read Fahrenheit 451 at the end of 6th grade, I hated it.  I read it later in high school and I loved it.  Now I consider it one of my favorite books, and have reread it multiple times since.  I was thus pleased to see that Ray Bradbury has authorized the graphic novel adaptations of several of his books.  Let me tell you, Fahrenheit 451 is AMAZING in graphic novel form.  It is one of the most beautifully illustrated graphic novels I have ever read.  The color palette is so beautiful, the style and cinematic way of telling the story is just so perfect.  If you love graphic novels or Fahrenheit 451, or both, check it out!

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

Ever since the rise of Twilight I’ve been skeptical of the INSANELY popular teen series…es. My dear friend Julian, however, told me I should read The Hunger Games and he was totally right.  Numero Uno (The Hunger Games) is AWESOME, Numero dos (Catching Fire) is not that great but you have to get through it because Numbero Tres (Mockingjay) is great.  They are pretty sappy at times (keep in mind that they were originally meant for teen girls, i.e. they have a little too much mushy love stuff– especially in #2, which is probably why I didn’t like it) but it’s definitely a fun read with great characters.  Read it before the movie comes out in 2012.

Is Everyone Else Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Is Everyone Else Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is another great memoir by a popular TV comedienne.  Mindy writes for, produces and stars in NBC’s hit TV show The Office, which I have also been a fan of for years.  Like Tina Fey’s memoir, Mindy spends half of the book telling awkward childhood stories and then moves onto her rise in the TV world with Conan and The Office.  I enjoyed Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling’s books so much that I bought copies of them for several friends this Christmas.  That being said, I think you have to be a girl (or a gay guy?) to appreciate half of Mindy Kaling’s book, whereas Tina Fey’s is more universally funny.  Either way, it was a quick, hilarious read.

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

Read my full review here.  A Stolen Life is the incredible memoir of Jaycee Dugard, who was abducted by two strangers on her way to school in 1991 at age 11.  For the next eighteen years, she was held in captivity by Phillip and Nancy Garrido until her rescue in 2009.  She endured years of sexual and psychological abuse and gave birth to two daughters with her captor, the first when she was only 14 years old.  If you love non-fiction you will love this book, unless you have small children, in which case wait a few years to read this or you will become paranoid by this insane survival story.

The Walking Dead Compendium One

I read a few issues of The Walking Dead sometime during college, but the rise in popularity of AMC’s TV series The Walking Dead (based on the graphic novels) inspired me to read the entire Compendium One (literally thousands of pages of Walking Dead).  There’s not doubt in my mind that Volume 1: Days Gone By is the best, so if you want to dip your toe in the water before going balls to the wall with Walking Dead I suggest purchasing just that one and seeing what you think.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Truth be told, I still haven’t finished 11/22/63… but it is totally awesome.  Totally awesome, but INSANELY long.  I started the book a week ago and am probably halfway through it.  The jacket description doesn’t really give you a good idea of the book– basically, it’s about a professor in 2011 who finds a portal back to 1958 and is convinced by a dying man that he should spend 5 years in the past in a radical attempt to stop JFK’s assassination, change history and solve all of 2011′s problems.  Based in fact (not the time traveling, everything else) and TOTALLY riveting, I highly recommend this book, if you have the time.  I’m listening to a great version from Audible, which makes it a lot easier for me to find the time.  Still, it’s over 32 hours long.