Counting Down

So its countdown time to a New Year. 2011-wow! 2010 flew by, as usual. So many big highlights...Katie graduating from high school and going to college, me completeing 25 years at my present teaching job, Dave and I both turning 50 (eeks, not possible), a great trip to Spain and France, a camping adventure, finally getting my floor in the dining room and kitchen (after 22 years), paying off my car, making TONS of art, writing my 1000 blog post, having a gnomey year (in our house, you could call 2010 the year of the gnome), everyone being basically healthy...and I'm sure tons of other great things that aren't just coming to me right now. There were (to be cliche) happy times and sad times...stressful times and relaxing times...quiet and loud times...ok, I won't keep going on like that. But today I want to highlight (if for no one but myself)

the best books for me in 2011.

Some are new books, some are old (ok, I'm doing it again with the opposites, aren't it?) and at this point although I kept track of all my books I never counted them up mainly because I didn't number them and who wants to go back through the blog to get a number? These are all books I bought, read, and were new to me in 2011. And here's my LIST!

Best non-specific travel books-the last 2 make me want to GO away ASAP!

 Best Non Fiction general reading (this top author gets 2 hits!!!)

Best Photographs!!! WOW!

Best Cookbooks! These got me into the kitchen!

Best Knitting/Stitching books-the ones that got me to pick up my knitting needles

Best Jewelry Making book

Art Books that stick in my head and make my expand my horizons (though there were lots of good art books with great ideas!) 

My Best Science Read

 My Most Memorable Fiction (Fiction was down a bit for me this year, especially this fall)

 A surprise but oh so glad I read it!

(Loved book 8,  not so much book 9, but this is an awesome series) and below, in the Mistress of the Art of Death series, more enjoyable reading.

Do either Jodi Picoult or did Agatha Christie ever write a really bad book?

And unfortunately, the series is done, but this book (though hard to get to that point where it enraptures you but finally does) ties everything up just perfectly.
HA-HA-Tomorrow, my favorite art supplies for 2010-Oh BOY!