We’re home sweet home!
Although it will be nice to get back into a normal routine, we were really sad leaving Washington DC and my in-laws this morning. Eight days out there completely flew by, and it stunk seeing our vacation come to an end. :(
I should really spend tonight unpacking, getting started on my massive to-do list, and taking down Christmas decorations (xmas decor on display after the holidays is always a little depressing, don’t you think?) but instead I’m going to enjoy what’s left of my vacation and finish reading New Moon. :)
I started it on our first flight today and got swept away in the land of vampires and warewolves. Again. It’s my second time reading it, muwahaha!
OMG, that reminds me, I finally read The Help!
I’m not sure what took me so long – I think I believed it to be over hyped – but I was 1,000% wrong. I started it on our first flight out to DC last week, and finished it the same day. I do believe it was my favorite book of 2011!
Now I’m just dying to see the movie even though Emma Stone, who plays Skeeter, couldn’t be further from the skinny, awkward character I grew to love from the book.
Readers & viewers – what did you think?
It was also kind of neat that we saw the brand new Martin Luther King Jr Memorial out in DC this week, after I finished reading it.
Inspirational.
Striking.
AMAZING! :D
What was your favorite book of 2011? Read any good ones over the holidays?
Stacie Gorkow 01.02.2012
You will fall in love with Emma Stone in the movie. Make time to watch it soon! I read it in 2010, but my fav read in 2011 was The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Just a great story.
Jill 01.02.2012
The Help was AMAZING! I got the movie for Christmas and cannot wait to watch it. I was looking for another good book to read so thanks for all the help. :)
Melissa 01.02.2012
The MLK memorial is amazing at night. I’m in DC all the time for work, so I’ve run by it, and I was inspired that early in the morning. But at night! Wow.
My favorite book this year was The Violets of March by Sarah Jio–I think I actually found iowagirleats.com right after you first started blogging through a comment you wrote on Vitamin G! Anyway, the book is amazing. I read it in a day, then immediately re-read it. Such a great story. I’m reading her second book now and loving that one, too! I found them both at Target!
Michelle 01.02.2012
I also read The Help but my FAVORITE book of 2011 is by far The Hunger Games! I am reading the 3rd book in the trilogy and have not been disappointed! Wasn’t sure what to expect but it’s one of the BEST books I have read in a while:)
Kristen 01.02.2012
The Hunger games series was definitely my favorite read of 2011…I flew through all 3 books in about 4 days!
ktlovespie 01.02.2012
I haven’t read The Help yet but I saw the movie. Now I’m dying to read it! The movie was great and I even got my boyfriend to watch it. He even thought it was good.
I sadly don’t have a favorite book this year….I haven’t had time to read much. Maybe Room by Emma Donoghue. It’s quite good but not amazing enough to be considered my abosolute fave.
abby 01.02.2012
Loved The Help! My other favorite book of 2011 was The art of racing in the rain…my book club loved it…seriously great book!
Carrie 01.02.2012
I thought the film was horribly miscast and cut out a lot of important stuff. Didn’t love it.
danielle 01.02.2012
I finally read The Help this holiday break too! And then watched the movie the next day. Not surprisingly, the book was so much better :)
sarah 01.02.2012
the book was certainly better. it shed light on the reality of the times in a much more intense way than the movie did. i enjoyed the movie but felt it was much more light hearted than the book was.
my favorite book(s) of 2011 were the hunger games series by suzanne collins! i can’t wait to see the first movie in march!
Molly 01.02.2012
Sometimes the book lives up to the hype! For sure true for The Help. And I was so hesitant for the movie since I loved the book so much. But… I loved it too! It’s different in some ways, but the characters are just as endearing and the story is well told. My favorite of 2011 was probably The Art of Racing in the Rain. The narrator is a dog! Loved it. It makes me all dog-crazy and excited for when we don’t live in an apartment and can get one.
Sarah crowley 01.02.2012
I loooooved The Help. Read it very quickly, couldnt put it down! I just watched the movie today. I cried several times. Unbroken is my #2 fave of the year as well.
Jenn 01.02.2012
I always think popular things are probably overhyped so it’s good to hear someone who thought the same thing loved it! It’s so fun reading about things and then seeing them in real life. Right now we are traveling the country in an RV while studying US history. It’s amazing!
Molly 01.02.2012
Water for Elephants was definitely the best read of 2011 for me.
Kristin from MN 01.02.2012
I read SO MANY good books in 2011! My #1 favorite would have to be The Hunger Games Trilogy. Other really good books I read that I just have to share are: Water for Elephants, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, Discovery of Witches, House of the Scorpion, Divergent, The Passage, the Mortal Instruments series, Clockwork Angel, Vampire Academy books, Bloodlines, Sookie Stackhouse books (TrueBlood series), and Incarceron & Sapphique.
Hallie Sawyer 01.02.2012
It was on my list of best books of 2011 as well. I also finished LETTERS FROM HOME by Kristina McMorris during the holidays that I just loved. It is set in WWII and it made me cry. I always love when a book does that.
Happy holidays and welcome back!
Chris 01.02.2012
Love the pics of MLK Memorial by night! I saw it last month, during the day and it was magnificent, but these night time photos are Awesome!
chantel olson 01.02.2012
if you love twilight…try the Trylle trilogy by Amanda Hockings….she is from Austin MN…..you will LOVE it….
Francesca 01.02.2012
Loved The Help! Favorite for the year would have to be Cutting for Stone, though. It is long but reads quick and is extremely well written.
Lauren @ As Good As Gluten 01.02.2012
Water for Elephants and The Help were my two favorite books from 2011. I saw The Help movie and was disappointed, but I’m always disappointed with movies based on books because the books are always better. I still need to see the Water for Elephants movie.