Guess Who's Back, Back Again? Best of 2011

So I've officially decided to break my blogging hiatus. Hooray!

The world has changed dramatically since my last post. While I was riding the unpredictable roller coaster formally known as my first semester of college, Libya's future was forever changed by the death of Muammar Gaddafi, America's future was temporarily defecated on by way of Rick Perry's various campaign strategies, and my future became increasingly more tangible, little by little. But I realized, looking back on my first semester, that I truly missed blogging. I read far too many books and wore far too many pairs of shoes to document, so instead I shall give you a list of my favorite books of 2011. Enjoy!

5. Freedom-Jonathan Franzen

If authors write about what they know, Franzen knows a thing or two about dysfunctional familial relationships. Similar to his novel The Corrections, Franzen chronicles the deterioration of a once beautiful family using the backdrop of rural suburbia. Freedom is Franzen's literary critique of how modern society has reconstructed the meaning of family and love. The once widely accepted code of ethics that has helped to uphold human relationships is demolished in Franzen's work and replaced with passionate, unbridled Freedom. Though Franzen's satirical smirk presents itself often in the story, Freedom truly showcases raw human emotion and the disturbing, negative side effects that result from an indulgence of freedom.

4. Galapagos-Kurt Vonnegut

In what world do humans evolve into birdlike creatures that procreate by way of a series of nubbins attached to their wings? Why, only in a Kurt Vonnegut world of course! Though Galapagos might seem like the silliest, most far fetched novel Vonnegut has ever dished out, it doubles as an honest, profound allegory of human evolution. In his novel, Vonnegut critiques the widespread neurosis of the human race. In his opinion, man has his "big brain" to thank for his ultimate downfall. Vonnegut tells the story of a wily group of passengers aboard a cruise ship destined for disaster. After the "Nature Cruise of the Century" shipwrecks on the coast of the Galapagos Islands, the human race begins a rapid process of deterioration. But isn't this a story about evolution? This is precisely Vonnegut's criticism: Evolution of thought causes the deterioration of the human race.

3. Fires in the Mirror

Everyone reacts differently to tragedy. In her revolutionary dramatic interpretation of the Brooklyn shootings of 1991, Anna Deavere Smith compiles the personal accounts of twenty six Brooklyn locals directly after the accidental killing of African American youth Gavin Cato. Cato's life was cut short when an intoxicated Hassidic man lost control of his vehicle. In an act of retaliation, a group of black teenagers brutally beat and killed a Hassidic man named Yankel Rosenbaum. The feud that resulted characterized the Brooklyn community for years as the war between black and Jewish waged onward. Smith's collection of monologues captures various points of view on one of the most controversial racial feuds in recent history.

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-Stieg Larsson

I have but three words to describe this novel, this series, this phenomenon: believe the hype. As a slightly obsessive literary fanatic, I at first chose to ignore what I thought was a petty fad in the fiction world. Sure, tons of people have read these books--but tons have people have also read Twilight (Including me, freshman year. Stop judging). This mindset completely deteriorated seconds after seeing David Fincher's masterful film starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig. Hours later, I still couldn't get the addictive story out of my mind. I bought the first book the very next morning, I was done by the next day. I tip my hat to the most gripping, addictive, and cleverly written trilogy I have ever read.

1. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close-Jonathan Safran Foer

Even as a self professed writer, I struggle to find the words to accurately describe the most beautiful novel I read all year. Foer's work is a masterpiece about loss, love, and the growth one experiences when forced to adapt to the most unlikely circumstances. Oskar Schell absolutely idolizes his father, Thomas Schell: Foer artfully depicts the beauty of the father-son relationship in the first chapters. Oskar's world turns upside down when his beloved father is killed in the terrorist attacks on September 11th. While rummaging through his father's things, Oskar finds a mysteries key in an envelope addressed to someone by the name of "Black". A naturally gifted, incredibly intelligent, and curious child, Oskar decides to embark on an adventure to find the key's respective lock and to find "Black" all in the hopes of creating one last connection with his father. A frame narrative, Extremely Loud also chronicles the relationship of Oskar's grandparents, Thomas's parents. This powerful love story gives the story it's true meaning, depth, and beauty. As Oskar travels through his epic journey, he learns to make peace with his loss and appreciate the love around him, just as his father would have wanted. I'll be quite honest: I was crying within the first ten pages. This novel has the kind of heart that makes me love literature.

Well that sums up my five favorite books of 2011! I'm so excited to start blogging again. As always, I truly appreciate your comments! Let me know what you're reading and what you think of my list!