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 - # 23: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Title: The Hobbit
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Story: Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling any farther than his pantry or cellar. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have launched a plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon. Bilbo reluctantly joins their quest, unaware that on his journey to the Lonely Mountain he will encounter both a magic ring and a frightening creature known as Gollum.
Start: june 1st 2012
End: june 6th 2012
Comment: Although I was never a fan I saw all the movies in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and the movie version of "The Hobbit" looks really good. I never did read any of the books though, so that's why I decided to read the first book in the adventure month. "The Hobbit" tells the tale of Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit that is visited by Gandalf the Wizard and the very next day twelve dwarves show up in his house and enlist his aid as a burglar in their quest. Before poor Bilbo knows it, he's on a quest with the twelve dwarves and Gandalf to the far reaches of Middle-Earth to rob Smaug the dragon of that which belonged to dwarf King Thorin's father Thrain and is rightfully his, the treasure of Lonely Mountain. What follows from there is most certainly one of fantasy fiction's classic tales and an extremely enjoyable tale for all ages where Bilbo, Gandalf and the twelve dwarves go from one adventure to another on their way to the Lonely Mountain and an inevitable meeting with Smaug. Especially that encounter is really exciting. Tolkien initially wrote this book for children, or more exactly precisely his children. I love writers with a big imagination, like Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. Tolkien can be added to that list. All the creatures Bilbo encounters, like trolls, goblins, giant spiders and ultimately a giant dragon. And he has a perfect eye for detail. Tolkien describes the simplest things so well, that it's not that hard to imagine or picture it. Bilbo is a very likeable character, the only one we really got to know. I can't name all the dwarves, it was hard to memorize them all. I do know that Oin and Gloin where my favorites, but it was pretty hard to keep them all apart. "The Hobbit" was written for kids, but a good read for everyone. I'm really interested in the other Tolkien books now.
Rating: 5/ 5