Thursday, January 28, 2010

The Books of 2009

I know, I'm weird, but I love to keep track of what I read. It's fun to look back a few years ago, see which books really stuck with me, which ones didn't. I also try to challenge myself to read more every year. My husband thinks I definitely need counseling for this.
So here's a glimpse of 2009:

Contemporary Fiction -

Shelter Me - Juliette Fay

Loved Walked In & Belong To Me - Marisa de la Santos (I read these in the wrong order, but it was still good. I recommend doing Loved Walked In first.)
The Wednesday Sisters - Meg Waite Clayton

Mudbound - Hillary Jordan


The Help - Kathryn Stockett (Prediction: this book will be made into a movie with Oprah as the lead role)


Olive Kitteridge - Elisabeth Strout


Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - yup, saw the movie. twice. Ashley, have you forgiven me yet? :) But the book was better. Isn't it always?


Firefly Lane - Kristen Hannah
River of Heaven - Lee Martin

A Reliable Wife - Robert Goolick (Winner of the "Laundry Piled Up To The Sky While I Read This Book" Award)

The Turtle Catcher - Nicole Helget

Memoir -

This genre has really gotten a boost lately. I prefer memoir because it reads more like a novel than an actual autobiography. (like Glass Castle)
The Gift of an Ordinary Day - A Mother's Memoir - Katrina Kenison (Wanted to buy a box of these and give them away on street corners to moms pushing strollers!!!)

Jesus Land - Julia Sheeres (AMAZING. This book made me sad, no, outraged. Buckle your seatbelt on this one.)
Surrendering to Motherhood - Iris Krasnow
Where Rivers Change Direction - Mark Spragg (Great cowboy stories)
Through Painted Deserts - Donald Miller (yup, he's the Blue Like Jazz guy, but I liked this early book better about his journey across the country with a buddy)
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years - Donald Miller (This is his latest, very honest and searching)
From Our Home - Lee Martin
Non-Fiction/Misc.
And here's a potpourri of everything else:
Wild Things - The Art of Nurturing a Boy's Heart - Stephen James and David Thomas (This is fabulous. I keep referring back to it as it goes through different phases of a boy's life)
The Lost Continent - Bill Bryson (Hilarious! Get it for your next road trip. He goes across the country searching for the perfect small town. I don't think a book ever made me laugh out loud so much.)
In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms - Dr. Laura Schlessinger (The good doctor doesn't mince words in this one.)
An Old Friend From Far Away - Natalie Goldberg (This was a memoir-writing handbook with lots of cool writing exercises)
Writing the Poetic Life - Sage Cohen (Pulled me back into the world of poetry writing. missed it)
Sailing Around the Room & The Trouble With Poetry - Billy Collins (This was during my "poetry" phase. I like Collins because he has a great sense of humor and a lot of his poems leave me smiling.)
Looking for God - Nancy Ortberg (I love John Ortberg's books, but his wife Nancy is a bit more challenging and a real straight talker!)
The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch (Alright, I got this at the library to see what all the fuss was about. Randy wrote this before he passed away from pancreatic cancer as a sort-of letter to his children, his wife. I was saddened by the complete absence of God in this book. He wanted so much to leave a legacy, and I suppose he did, but he had no trust in God, no hope of heaven.)
And the "Book I Wish I'd Never Read" award goes to: In a Perfect World - I forget the author. But it was this Target fiction pick I grabbed on a whim and it really pulled me in right away. Then, suddenly the book took this doomsday turn where a horrible "bird-flu"-like virus hit the country and the U.S. was a complete anarchy...it was ridiculous and I was so angry at the end of it!
What's on YOUR nightstand?










6 comments:

Jana said...

How impressive that you have read this much in 2009. I thought I was a reader, but you win. I am currently reading "The Power of Praying for your Adult Children" by Stormie Omartian and "Throw Out Fifty Things" by Gail Blanke. I am addicted to organizing books.

Jana B.

Beth Wilmot said...

What's on my nightstand? Mostly books from you. :) Love ya!

beth said...

This is a great post! I hope you don't mind me printing it out and reading it again with a highlighter! :) Thanks for the recommendations--I can't wait to add some of these to my list.

Erica said...

I'm pretty sure you read more books in 2009 than I have in my whole life. Um, I hope that's not actually true, but if I didn't count anything I HAD to read for school, it might be. Oh sad. Sad. Sad.

Jeannie said...

Beth, I'm honored! Here's to a great year of books :)

Erica, please do not feel guilty. I have a serious addiction that probably needs a 12-step program. I wasn't always like this. I think it started after Jonathan was born and I felt like I needed a brain makeover. :)

farmer64 said...

Might I suggest the only book I have read by choice this year. "The dumbest generation." by Mark Bauerlein.

I have read countless other things...but they were homework so and not worth listing.