It’s funny the way things work out. Sometimes the books that you like the most and the ones that burrow their way into your mind and heart are two different things. Here is a list of the books from 2009 that are still with me a month, three months, or twelve months after I read them-and badgered my family and friends into reading them- in no particular order.
Fiction
- The Book of Night Women, Marlon James
- Drood, by Dan Simmons
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz
- This One is Mine, Maria Semple
- Runaway Quilt, by Jennifer Chiaverini
- The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos, by Margaret Mascarenhas
- 31 Hours, by Masha Hamilton
- The Story of A Marriage, Andrew Sean Greer
- The Carnivore, by Mark Sinnett
- The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, Syrie James
Non-Fiction
- How We Decide, by Jonah Leherer
- The Midwife, by Jennifer Worth
- Secret Daughter, by June Cross
- Seven, by Jacqueline Leo
- The Dancing Plague, by John Waller
- Perfection, by Julie Metz
- Columbine, by Dave Cullen
- Either You’re in or You’re in the Way, Noah & Logan Miller
- Nine Lives, Dan Baum
- Two Guys Read Jane Austen, by Steve Chandler & Terrence Hill
Children’s/Middle Grade/YA Fiction
- Where The Mountain Meets The Moon, Grace Lin
- Jane On Her Own: A Cat Wings Story, by Ursula LeGuin
- Hate List, by Jennifer Brown
- Winter’s Bone, by Daniel Woodrell
- A Wish After Midnight, Zetta Elliott
- Liar, Justine Larbalestier
Short Stories
- The Simplest of Acts, Melanie Haney
- 3:10 to Yuma, by Elmore Leonard
- More of This World or Maybe Another, Barb Johnson
Re-Reads
- Kindred, by Octavia Butler
- Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery
Other reviews and posts:
The Book of Night Women was in my top reads for 2009 as well. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao was in my top 2008 reads. I really need Junot Diaz to produce another novel, POST HASTE.
.-= BrownGirl´s last blog ..Author Interview: Carleen Brice =-.
I have not read one of those books. Not one! I do have some on my TBR list, though, and even have Columbine on my Kindle. Well, now my TBR list is longer. You are really good about adding to my lists!
.-= Sandy´s last blog ..The Adult Literacy League needs your help! =-.
I’m adding to my reading list! I’m glad to see that 31 HOURS made your list!
.-= Julie P.´s last blog ..Kid’s Konnection – Revew: The Grasshopper Hopped! =-.
Nicole..great list for 2009. I’ve only read #3 from your list, but I did enjoy it. I hope to read # 1 and 2 as well soon. Happy Reading in 2010.
.-= diane´s last blog ..January Giveaway – Saving CeeCee Honeycutt; Beth Hoffman =-.
I can tell how smart you are from your list of books! I loved Drood too. My mom is reading it right now and we’re having some great discussions about it.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Review: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti =-.
Clearly I need to move The Book of Night women out of TBR purgatory.
You are so right…the books we like and the books that stay with us are often different.
.-= Amy @ My Friend Amy´s last blog ..Faith’n'Fiction Saturday: What are Your New Year’s Resolutions? =-.
I am pleased to see that i have a lot of these already on my TBR list. Phew! Can’t possibly add any more.
.-= vivienne´s last blog ..Friday Finds =-.
Love your lists! Columbine made my top ten, too…what a compelling narrative that one was.
.-= Michele´s last blog ..War stories…. =-.
I can’t wait to add some of these to my TBR pile!
.-= Amused´s last blog ..Bloggiesta – Day 2 =-.
Thanks for including my book Nicole (Columbine). I really appreciate it.
(And thank you, too, Michele. Sandy, I hope you like it.)
Oh Nicole, thank you for including my little collection of stories on your list too. I really appreciate it and am so glad that you enjoyed it enough to think of it. Happy New Year!
I love these lists!
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Bloggiesta: Wrap-Up =-.
great list. it is much different from mine.
Cullen , who first reported on the story for the online magazine Salon, acknowledges in the book’s source notes that thoughts he attributes to Klebold and Harris are conjecture gleaned from the record the pair left behind.
Jeff Kass takes a more straightforward approach in “Columbine: A True Crime Story,” working backward from the events of the fateful day.
The Denver Post
Mr. Cullen insists that the killers enjoyed “far more friends than the average adolescent,” with Harris in particular being a regular Casanova who “on the ultimate high school scorecard . . . outscored much of the football team.” The author’s footnotes do not reveal how he knows this; when I asked him about it while preparing this review, Mr. Cullen said he did not necessarily mean to imply that Harris was sexually active. But what else would such words mean?
“Eric and Dylan never had any girlfriends,” the more sober Mr. Kass writes, and were “probably virgins upon death.”
Wall Street Journal
FYI, GM Davis runs a local press that published Kass’ book. I will spare
you all a tit for tat, but for the record, I never spoke to him and
his characterizations of my author notes are perplexing/untrue.
Sorry to draw this unpleasantness here.
I’ve been thinking that I’d like to re-read the Anne of Green Gables books! I loved them so much as a kid, and the Guernsey Literary Society reminded me of them.
I like how you called this “Most Memorable.” That’s a good way to put it. What a fab list. I love lists.
.-= Ti´s last blog ..Moby Dick Monday: January 11, 2009 (Week 9) =-.
I think the only one on your list that I’ve read is Anne of Green Gables! I’ll have to check out some of the others.
.-= Anna´s last blog ..SENSE AND SENSIBILITY AND SEA MONSTERS by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters =-.