Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 Books

Best Fiction:
Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards
One Second After by William R. Forstchen
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
Praise the Human Season by Don Robertson
A World Away by Stewart O'Nan
That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
East of the Mountains by David Guterson
Antarktos Rising by Jeremy Robinson
Traveler by Ron McLarty

Honorable mention:
Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (2nd in series)
Greatest Thing That Almost Happened by Don Robertson (3rd in series)
Under the Dome by Stephen King
Contagious by Scott Sigler (2nd in series)

Nonfiction:
The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
Panic in Level 4 by Richard Preston
Secret Agents by Madeline Drexler
The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost
Well Enough Alone by Jennifer Traig


Worst:
Roses of Glory by Mary Pershall
Tsunami by Gordon Gumpertz
Places in the World a Person Could Walk by David Syring
Virus by Graham Watkins
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro

Books not finished:
The Shell Game by Steve Alten
Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley
Idlewild by Nick Sagan
Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers

Challenge wrap-up:
RIP IV, Peril the First, 4 books, Sept-Oct 31
Summer Lovin' - done 7/31/09
Chunkster- completed 6
TBR Challenge - 12 books required; read 18 from list and alternates
Just4thehelluvit (perpetual)

Ongoing challenges:
Critical Monkey (7 books; July 2, 2009 - July 2, 2010)
Random Reading challenge (12 random books Aug. 1, 2009- July 31,2010



2009 books -140 books; 56787 pages

January - 11 books, 3817 pages
1. Meg by Steve Alten, 278 pages, 1/5, no rating
2. Places in the World a Person Could Walk by David Syring, 200 pages, 1/7 rating: 2.5
3. Outside Valentine by Liza Ward, 301 pages, 1/10 rating: 3
4. Contagious by Scott Sigler , 438 pages, 1/14, rating: 5
5. The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi 322 pages, 1/15, rating:5
6. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, 371 pages, 1/20, rating: 4.5
7. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers, 500 pages, 1/22, rating: 3.5
8. The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall, 428 pages, 1/23, rating: 4.5
9. EarthCore by Scott Sigler, 319 pages, 1/26, rating: 4.5
10. The Last King of Scotland by Giles Foden, 335 pages, 1/29, rating: 4
11. The First Horseman by John Case, 325 pages, 1/31, rating:4

February - 14 books, 4997 pages
12. Brisingr by Christopher Paolini, 748 pages, 2/6, YA novel, no rating
13. We Thought You Would Be Prettier by Laurie Notaro, 221 pages, 2/7, rating: 3.5
14. The Trench by Steve Alten, 296 pages, 2/8, no rating
15. A World Away by Stewart O'Nan, 338 pages, 2/11, rating: 5
16. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan, 287 pages, 2/13, rating:5
17. Everyday People by Stewart O'Nan, 295 pages, 2/15, rating: 4.5
18. The Syndrome by John Case (pseudonym for Jim & Carolyn Hougan), 455 pages, 2/16, rating: 4.5
19. The Eighth Day by John Case, 378 pages, 2/18, rating: 4
20. The Murder Artist by John Case, 435 pages, 2/20, rating: 4.5
21. Ghost Dancer by John Case, 381 pages, 2/22, rating: 4.5
22. Why I'm Like This by Cynthia Kaplan, 212 pages, 2/24, rating: 3
23. Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller, 315 pages, 2/25, rating: 5
24. Secret Agents by Madeline Drexler, 316 pages, 2/27, rating: 5
25. Terminal Freeze by Lincoln Child, 320 pages, 2/28, rating: 4.5

March - 15 books (2 not finished), 5344 pages
26. The Echo Maker by Richard Powers, 451 pages, 3/4, recommended
27. Gold BugVariations by Richard Powers, 150 pages, 3/4 , did not finish
28. Cries Unheard by Gitta Sereny, 412 pages, 3/6, recommended
29. Drop City by T. Coraghessan Boyle, 444 pages, 3/9, highly recommended
30. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, 236 pages, 3/9, highly recommended
31. Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards, 371 pages, 3/11, very highly recommended
32. The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon, 324 pages, 3/14, highly recommended
33. The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro, 535 pages, 3/18, highly recommended
34. When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro, 336 pages, 3/20, recommended
35. Virus by Graham Watkins, 413 pages, 3/22, not recommended
36. 7 Deadly Wonders by Matthew Reilly, 392 pages, 3/24, recommended with conditions
37. The Shell Game by Steve Alten, not recommended/did not finish
38. The Six Sacred Stones by Matthew Reilly, 577 pages, 3/26, recommended with conditions
39. Panic in Level 4 by Richard Preston, 188 pages, 3/28, Very Highly Recommended
40. Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler, 515 pages, 3/30, highly recommended for fans

April - 15 books, 4939 pages
41.When Science Goes Wrong by Simon LeVay, 304 pages, 4/1, highly recommended
42. Praise the Human Season by Don Robertson, 495 pages, 4/5, very highly recommended
43. Reaper by Ben Mezrich, 342 pages, 4/7, so-so
44. The Experiment by John Darnton, 422 pages, 4/9, highly recommended
45. Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall, 207 pages, 4/12, recommended
46. Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres, 363 pages, 4/13, highly recommended
47. Game Control by Lionel Shriver, 277 pages, 4/16, recommended, highly for fans
48. Well Enough Alone by Jennifer Traig, 257 pages, 4/17, very highly recommended
49. Spin by Robert Charles Wilson, 454 pages, 4/20, recommended
50. Axis by Robert Charles Wilson, 355 pages, 4/22, recommended
51. Idlewild by Nick Sagan, 50 pages, 4/22, did not finish
52. Truth and Consequences by Alison Lurie, 252 pages, 4/23, so-so
53. Summerland by Michael Chabon, 500 pages, 4/27, YA novel, highly recommended
54. The Lost Night by Rachel Howard, 273 pages, 4/28, very highly recommended
55. The Known World by Edward P. Jones, 388 pages, 4/30, very highly recommended

May - 11 books, 4072 pages
56. These Granite Islands by Sarah Stonich, 310 pages, 5/4, highly recommended
57. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, 227 pages, 5/5, so-so
58. The Third Pandemic by Pierre Ouellette, 403 pages, 5/8, recommended
59. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, 374 pages, 5/10, very highly recommended
60. The Host by Stephenie Meyer, 619 pages, 5/11, recommended
61. One Second After by William R. Forstchen, 350 pages, 5/13, very highly recommended
62. Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, 435 pages, 5/18, very highly recommended
63. The Blooding by Joseph Wambaugh, 288 pages, 5/19, very highly recommended
64. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson, 258 pages, 5/23, very highly recommended
65. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, 355 pages, 5/28, very highly recommended, with caution
66. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult, 453 pages, 5/31, very highly recommended

June - 18 books, 5497 pages (6617 w/ photography book)
67. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows, 277 pages, 6/1, very highly recommended
68. Century by Bruce Bernard (Editor) 1120 pages, 6/2, very highly recommended for adults
69. Flu by Gina Kolata, 335 pages, 6/4, highly recommended
70. The Last Oracle by James Rollins, 448 pages, 6/7, Highly Recommended - Very for fans
71. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, 349 pages, 6/8, very highly reommended
72. A Treasure Deep by Alton L. Gansky, 350 pages, 6/10, recommended
73. Beneath the Ice by Alton Gansky, 320 pages, 6/11, highly recommended
74. Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell, 512 pages, 6/15, not recommended
75. The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer, 321 pages, 6/16, very highly recommended
76. The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost, 272 pages, 6/17, very highly recommended
77. Die for You by Lisa Unger, 353 pages, 6/19, highly recommended
78. Neanderthal by John Darnton, 397 pages, 6/22, recommended
79. Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley 10 pages - did not finish
80. The Short History of a Prince by Jane Hamilton, 349 pages, 6/24, highly recommended
81. Summer People by Brian Groh, 311 pages, 6/25, so-so
62. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, 246 pages, 6/26, highly recommended
63. Tsunami by Gordon Gumpertz, 304 pages, 6/28, not recommended
64. Frameshift by Robert J. Sawyer, 343 pages, 6/30, highly recommended

July -20 books, 6794 pages
65. The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy, 148 pages, 7/1/09, did not finish (reread)
66. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, 7/2/09, 215 pages, very highly recommended, reread
67. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams, 250 pages, 7/2/09, very highly recommended, reread
68. Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams, 227 pages, 7/3/09, highly recommended, reread
69. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams, 204 pages, 7/3/09, highly recommended, reread
70. Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams, 277 pages, 7/3/09, recommended
71. Watership Down by Richard Adams, 448 pages, 7/4/09, very highly recommended, reread
72. Roots by Alex Haley, 729 pages, 7/8/09, very highly recommended
73. Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War by Judith Miller, William Broad, Stephen Engelberg, 384 pages, 7/10/09, very highly recommended
74. Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson, 324 pages, 7/12/09, very highly recommended - one of the best - reread
75. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin, 307 pages, 7/13/09, very highly recommended - one of the best - reread
76. Second Genesis by Jeffrey Anderson, 371 pages, 7/15/09, recommended
77. Threshold by Ben Mezrich, 336 pages, 7/16/09 recommended
78. I Feel Bad about My Neck by Nora Ephron, 137 pages, 7/16/09, highly recommended
79. Camouflage by Joe Haldeman, 289 pages, 7/18/09, recommended
80. Antarktos Rising by Jeremy Robinson, 453 pages, 7/20/09, very highly recommended
81. Glasshouse by Charles Stross, 333 pages, 7/23/09, so-so
82. Hearts and Minds by Rosy Thornton, 437 pages, 7/25/09, highly recommended
83. The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff, 525 pages, 7/28/09, very highly recommended
84. We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver, 400 pages, 7/31/09, reread, very highly recommended

August - 11 books, 3438 pages
85. Coroner's Journal by Louis Cataldie, 352 pages, 8/5/09, so-so
86. Tying down the Wind by Eric Pinder, 280, 8/8/09, highly recommended
87. House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III, 365 pages, 8/9/09, so-so
88. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, 181 pages, 8/12/09, unrated
89. Codex by Lev Grossman, 348 pages, 8/14/09, so-so
90. Ride with Me, Mariah Montana by Ivan Doig, 322 pages, 8/19/09, highly recommended
91. Prairie Nocturne by Ivan Doig, 371 pages, 8/22/09, recommended
92. Traveler by Ron McLarty, 280, 8/24/09, very highly recommended
93. Peder Victorious by O. E. Rolvaag, 340 pages, 8/27/09 very highly recommended
94. Their Fathers' God by O. E. Rolvaag 338 pages, 8/28/09, very highly recommended
95. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo, 261 pages, 8/31/09, very highly recommended


September - 10 books, 3451pages
96.The Sum and Total of Now by Don Robertson, 290 pages, 9/3/09, highly recommended
97. Freaks of the Storm by Randy Cerveny, 371 pages, 9/5/09, highly recommended
98. The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist, 268 pages, 9/6/09, very highly recommended
99. Flower Children by Maxine Swann, 211 pages, 9/8/09, recommended
100. Roses of Glory by Mary Pershall, 366 pages, 9/11/09, don't ask
101. Last Last Chance by Fiona Maazel, 337 pages, 9/15/09, so-so
102. Blue World by Robert R. McCammon, 435 pages, 9/18/09, highly recommended
103. Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer, 319 pages, 9/21/09, highly recommended
104. The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells, 416 pages, 9/22/09, highly recommended
105. Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall, with Lisa Pulitzer, 438 pages, 9/25/09, highly recommended

October - 11 books, 4399 pages
106. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, 656 pages, 10/2/09, not recommended
107. The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, 448 pages, 10/5/09, very highly recommended
108. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, 391 pages, 10/8/09, very highly recommended
109. Greatest Thing That Almost Happened by Don Robertson, 268 pages, 10/9/09, very highly recommended
110. The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro. 225 pages, 10/12/09, not recommended
111. The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos, 372 pages, 10/14/09, highly recommended
112. The Sanctuary by Raymond Khoury, 432 pages, 10/19/09, recommended
113. Spock's World by Diane Duane, 388 pages, 10/23/09, not rated
114. Kronos by Jeremy Robinson, 425 pages, 10/25/09, highly recommended
115. Shampoo Planet by Douglas Coupland, 299 pages, 10/27/09, highly recommended, but...
116. Book of Dave by Will Self, 495 pages, 10/30/09, so-so for me, but recommended

November - 12 books, 4877 pages
117. The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer, 524 pages, 11/3/09, recommended
118. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, 356 pages, 11/6/09, highly recommended
119. Amigoland by Oscar Casares, 357 pages, 11/8/09, highly recommended
120. The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan, 307 pages, 11/10/09, highly recommended
121. A Texan's Honor by Leigh Greenwood, 353 pages, 11/11/09, no rating
122. Under the Dome by Stephen King, 1074 pages, 11/16/09, very highly recommended
123. Life after God by Douglas Coupland, 360 pages, 11/17/09, very highly recommended
124. Blind Pursuit by Matthew F. Jones, 244 pages, 11/19/09, recommended
125. Yucatan Deep by Thomas Morrisey, 368 pages, 11/22/09, so-so
126. Lost in Place by Mark Salzman, 271 pages, 11/24/09, highly recommended
127. Evening News by Marly A. Swick, 356 pages, 11/27/09, recommended
128. Seeing by Jose Saramago, 307 pages, 11/30/09, so-so

December - 12 books, 5162 pages
129. Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon, 368 pages, 12/3/09 very highly recommended
130. The Bounty by Caroline Alexander, 512 pages, 12/7/09, highly recommended
131. Star Wars: Rebel Dawn by A.C. Crispin, 389 pages, 12/9/09, not rated
132. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, 569 pages, 12/12/09 recommended
133. East of the Mountains by David Guterson, 279 pages, 12/14/09, very highly recommended
134. Time Bomb by Jonathan Kellerman, 468 pages, 12/16/09, highly recommended
135. Flesh and Blood by Jonathan Kellerman, 437 pages, 12/19/09, highly recommended
136. The Murder Book by Jonathan Kellerman, 516 pages, 12/21/09, recommended
137. Rage by Jonathan Kellerman, 391 pages, 12/24/09, recommended
138. Gone by Jonathan Kellerman, 456 pages, 12/27/09, recommended
139. The Conspiracy Club by Jonathan Kellerman, 405 pages, 12/28/09, highly recommended
140. Twisted by Jonathan Kellerman, 372 pages, 12/30/09, highly recommended

2 comments:

Lisa said...

You had a great year! 140 books!

I didn't like Laurie Notaro AT ALL.

Lori L said...

I'll never read another Laurie Notaro book again. Never.