Top 5 Thursday: Books I Read in 2012

This year I had themes for every month and I liked it. It made reading even more pleasant for me. Some months were better then others, but overall I had a very good reading year. Here are the five best books I read this year.

5. “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë
It’s an absolute classic and I can’t believe that I never read it before. Although it’s not a very spectacular book, it keeps your attention at all times. (September – Classics Month)

4. “Duma Key” by Stephen King
I read a lot of Stephen King books this year, but this was definitely my favorite. It totally captivates you, like my brother had already warned me before. King is a magician with words, just sublime. (October – Stephen King Month)

3. “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
Fantasy has become one of my favorite genres over the year and I loved every second of reading “The Hobbit”. What a fantastic journey. (June – Adventure Month)

2. “Matilda” by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl is the best children´s book writer off all time and “Matilda” is his best work. I´ve loved this books ever since I was a child. And now as a teacher I love to share this wonderous story with my children. It’s such a magical story. (August – Roald Dahl Month)

1. “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett
When I finished this book in the beginning of the year, I already knew that this was going to be high on my favorites list. It is the best books I read this year, for so many reasons. It really grabbed me, the story is touching and sometimes funny and it has such great characters. If you haven’t read this book yet, what are you waiting for?(February – Bestsellers Month)

They almost made the top 5: “Divergent” by Veronica Roth, “Into the Wild” by John Krakauer, “The Understudy” by David Nicholls, “Dances with Wolves” by Michael Blake, “A Game of Thrones” by George R. R. Martin, “The Lucky One” by Nicholas Sparks, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” by Roald Dahl, “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, “Carrie” by Stephen King

50 Books Challenge 2012 - # 43: Duma Key by Stephen King

Title: Duma Key
Author: Stephen King
Story: Six months after a crane crushes his pickup truck and his body self-made millionaire Edgar Freemantle launches into a new life. His wife asked for a divorce after he stabbed her with a plastic knife and tried to strangle her one-handed (he lost his arm and for a time his rational brain in the accident). He divides his wealth into four equal parts for his wife, his two daughters, himself and leaves Minnesota for Duma Key, a stunningly beautiful, eerily remote stretch of the Florida coast where he has rented a house. All of the land on Duma Key, and the few houses, are owned by Elizabeth Eastlake, an octogenarian whose tragic and mysterious past unfolds perilously. When Edgar begins to paint, his formidable talent seems to come from someplace outside him, and the paintings, many of them, have a power that cannot be controlled.
Start: october 1st 2012
End: october 8th 2012
Comment: When you pick up a Stephen King novel it's a guarantee for an entertaining read. My brother has a lot of King book and this was the one he kept recommending. I now know why. It's a consummate and compassionate novel. We follow Edgar Freemantle, who was lucky to survive a crash that left him with a cracked skull, a fractured lefts side with broken ribs, a broken hip and he lost his right arm. Edgar becomes verbally abusive and his wife Pam leaves him after twenty-five years of marriage. He flees to Duma Key, Florida. He rediscovers his artistic skills and tries to unravel the mystery of Duma Key. The moment I picked up this book I just literally couldn't stop reading. I was totally captivated and forget everything around me. And the funny thing is, not a lot of spectacular things happened. It's just the way this story was told, so vividly and colorful. Everyone has something that scares them, but it doesn't always have to be horror. There is a certain force in this book that gives you the chills. That's what this book does to you. That proves again that Stephen King isn't just a master in writing horror stories, he's just a master in storytelling. My brother was right, this book is simply AMAZING!
Rating: 5/ 5