2011: A Year in Books at the Dexter District Library

Whether it’s hardback, paperback, or digital, reading books is a great way to spend the cold winter months. And with 2011 now just a memory, there’s no better time to look back and catch up on some of the most popular books.

Books for adults

1. "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

The story is about African American maids working in white households in Jackson, MS. during the early 1960s.

2. "Sizzling Sixteen" by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter in Trenton, NJ., has inherited a “lucky” bottle from her Uncle Pip. The problem is, Uncle Pip didn’t specify if the bottle brought good luck or bad luck.

3. "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson

Lisbeth Salander, the lead character in Larsson's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence.

4. "The Confession" by John Grisham

In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, Travis Boyette abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donte, a local football star, and marched him off to death row.

Now nine years have passed. Travis has just been paroled in Kansas for a different crime; Donté is four days away from his execution. Travis suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. For the first time in his life, he decides to do what’s right and confess.

5. "Fall of Giants" by Ken Follett

From the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty, "Fall of Giants" takes readers into the inextricably entangled fates of five families during the early 20th century.

Books for children

1. "The Ugly Truth: Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney
2) "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
3) "Big Nate Strikes Again" by Lincoln Pierce
4) "Hop on Pop" by Dr. Seuss
5) "Time to Sleep, Sheep the Sheep" by Mo Willems

All titles are available to borrow at the Dexter District Library with a valid library patron card.