The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories by Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a tiny (what were you expecting?), enjoyable read. Something heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious, sometimes just plain weird, this little gem of a book should be forgiven for the few places it falls short and enjoyed for the small pleasures it offers, overall.

Brain Pickings has a lovely round-up of page shots and video from the book, if you’re so inclined.

FTC Disclosure: This review was based on a copy of the book that I received from the publisher.

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Best Books of 2011

January 17

Last year I was sad because I only read 83 books. Of course, this year, I only read 65 and my annual round up is a month late, which just goes to show that life can get in the way of even the deepest obsessions.

Anyway, without further ado:

My favorite book of 2011:

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

Runner-up favorite book of 2011:

You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon

Honorable mentions for 2011, in no particular order:

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (read my review)

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano

Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom From the Urban Wilderness by Lyanda Lynn Haupt

Favorite character of the year:

Tom Violet, from Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman (which also gets the award for book that made me laugh the hardest all year)

Happy New Year, readers. May 2012 be your happiest reading year yet!

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After nearly ten years of on-and-off blogging, a year and a half of which has been (mostly off) on this blog, I finally sprang for a custom design and my own little corner domain with a window. Ain’t it just the prettiest?

Huge props to Sarah Fite of Momalom for taking a lump of unformed blog and making it shine. Thank you for all your hard work and mad skillz, Sarah!

Now, onto 2012 and a new resolve to write more actual posts instead of writing them in my head. Happy New Year and happy reading, people!

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