Best Books I Read in 2011 (22 books)

Every year for the last 3 or 4, I've kept lists of all the books I've ready over the course of the year, and posted little descriptions/mini-reviews of them at the end of the year. It has become a new year's tradition for me. I notice lots of things as I peruse the list each year - I remember where I was when I read certain things, or remember projects I worked on for which I read certain books. It's a great year in review for me every time.

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1	The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 232,886 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Cool Water by Dianne Warren 3.69 avg rating — 3,031 ratings score: 194, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Come, Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant 3.94 avg rating — 3,947 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	Hannah's Dream by Diane Hammond (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 4,845 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Cloudsplitter by Russell Banks 3.94 avg rating — 5,179 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver (Goodreads Author) 3.84 avg rating — 10,408 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 3,495,551 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Art of Extreme Self-Care: Transform Your Life One Month at a Time by Cheryl Richardson (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 2,092 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	First Lord's Fury (Codex Alera, #6) by Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author) 4.40 avg rating — 66,358 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Transformation Soup: Healing for the Splendidly Imperfect by SARK 4.24 avg rating — 859 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 426,987 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals by Saul D. Alinsky 3.74 avg rating — 8,619 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World by Mim Eichler Rivas 4.08 avg rating — 914 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Arrival by Shaun Tan 4.35 avg rating — 60,001 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert (Goodreads Author) 3.45 avg rating — 56,266 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	River Marked (Mercy Thompson, #6) by Patricia Briggs 4.28 avg rating — 93,613 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Between Barack and a Hard Place: Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama by Tim Wise 4.14 avg rating — 538 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 387,662 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 4.09 avg rating — 939,889 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Night Road by Kristin Hannah (Goodreads Author) 4.27 avg rating — 332,216 ratings score: 91, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The River Why by David James Duncan 4.22 avg rating — 12,667 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Toward the Gleam by T.M. Doran (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 433 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars