Friday, January 1, 2010

Books of 2009

Well, I didn't do it.

I think I had to read 80+ books in 2009 in order to meet my standing resolution: Read more books than the previous year.

I only finished 61.

But I did pack up my life, move to the other side of the world, and start a new job, so... can we call it even?

Here are my books for the year:

1. The Kid in the Red Jacket by Barbara Park (113)
2. Looking for Bapu by Anjali Banerjee (162)
3. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (232)
4. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (568)
5. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (485)
6. The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron (134)
7. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell (116)
8. Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke (209)
9. Rules by Cynthia Lord (200)
10. Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker (150)
11. The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman (146)
12. The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin (134)
13. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz (335)
14. A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-32 by Joan W. Blos (144)
15. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart (440)
16. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (217)
17. Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (230)
18. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (161)
19. Anchored In Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash by John Carter Cash (197)
20. Coraline by Neil Gaiman (194)
21. The Mysteries of Pittsburg by Michael Chabon (336)
22. The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry (174)
23. Youth in Revolt: The Journals of Nick Twisp by C. D. Payne (498)
24. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney (217)
25. Foreskin's Lament by Shalom Auslander (310)
26. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (128)
27. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (297)
28. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (307)
29. Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (244)
30. Tracks by Robyn Davidson (254)
31. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (270)
32. The Giraffe, and the Pelly, and Me by Roald Dahl (80)
33. The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women by Jessica Valenti (216)
34. On Subbing: The First Four Years by Dave Roche (121)
35. Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman (80)
36. Rock On: An Office Power Ballad by Dan Kennedy (224)
37. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney (217)
38. Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (190)
39. Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women by Cornelia Meigs (197)
40. The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs (332)
41. The Kid: An Adoption Story by Dan Savage (246)
42. A Reenchanted World: The Quest for a New Kinship with Nature by James William Gibson (254)
43. Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah (360)
44. The Awful Truths: Famous Myths, Hilariously Debunked by Brian Thomsen (246)
45. 40 Days and 40 Nights: Darwin, Intelligent Design, OyxContin, and Other Oddities on Trial in Pennsylvania by Matthew Chapmen (288)
46. Culture Smart! UAE by John Walsh (164)
47. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (216)
48. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
49. Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (262)
50. In America by Susan Sontag (387)
51. Q & A by Vikas Swarup (318)
52. Magical Thinking: True Stories by Augusten Burroughs (268)
53. The Twenty One Balloons by William Pene Dubois (180)
54. The Motel Life by Willy Vlautin (206)
55. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore (444)
56. Super Sunday in Newport: Notes From My First Year in Town by Matt Love (157)
57. Simple Guide to Islam by Neal Robinson (120)
58. The Southern Gates of Arabia by Freya Stark (237)
59. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne (216)
60. The Wave by Morton Rhue (107)
61. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne (209)

3 comments:

Cynthia Lett CPP CEP CTP said...

Please read my new book, "That's So Annoying: An Etiquette Expert On The World's Most Irritating Habits And What To Do About Them". It is a quick and fun read that everyone who reads it likes.

Happy New Year! My resolution is like yours, to read more than last year.

Zach said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Zach said...

Whoops. I don't know how I managed to delete that comment... But it was:

Isn't it amazing that two people can read so many books in a year, and yet have zero overlap?

I was glad, though, to see "Lamb" and "Oscar Wao" on your list. Those are two books I've come to recommend to those unwitting people who ask me for my opinions on books. Unfortunately, I read them before I started my own blog... but both warrant re-reading someday.