The Last Chunk

The last chunk of books I read in 2009.

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon - 4

I absolutely love this series. Any writer who can hold my attention locked for 1000 pages and then seven subsequent books of the same size deserves cookies. She's got humor, action, romance, history, fantasy...all of it. This one was a little annoying just because of the cliff-hanger ending. The next one isn't even written yet!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - 5

Yes, a rare 5. I read this book in Germany. Let me tell you, I've read a lot of holocaust books but reading one while living here was unsettling. The narrator of this book is Death. It is a must read.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - 5

Anyone disagree with this number 5? Sadly, it was the first time I read it. But it will not be the last.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner - 2

This was greatly intriguing until the end. It felt like a cop out. Not the ending I was expecting, besides the fact that the book had me so scared and then ended like cotton candy, all fluff.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen - 3

This one bored me. I kept wanting to scream at Fanny to stand up for herself, or just say something.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - 3

Not nearly as good as the first one but worth the read. I didn't think the story could go any further, but she kept me hooked and wanting more.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit - 3

Cute. Better than the movie. Strong morals hidden inside.

1984 by George Orwell - 3

Political junk is usually too tedious for me, but I liked this one.

The Apple by Michel Faber - 2

Liked it, didn't love it. But you should still read it. He's wonderful with words, really paints pictures.

A Recipe for Bees by Gail Anderson-Dargatz - 2

Reminiscent of Alice Hoffman. A good story, not one I would read again.

The Dark Mirror by Juliet Marillier - 2

I had to push my way through this fantasy and another of her books. I was desperate for books when we first came to Germany. They were good, but not amazing.

Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier - 2

Artemis Fowl the Graphic Novel - 4

My first graphic novel and a great one. We found it hiding under a bed in our temp apartment.

A little disclaimer: these are all my opinion. I don't think I have the right to say whether these books should be best sellers or not. But if they are above a 3 I would highly recommend them to you. And even if they are a 2 or a 1, you should read them anyways just to broaden your horizons. Books open your mind.

It's a Book-Reading Sunday

More books from my 2009 reading list:

The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir - 3
Not as good as her straight history books, but this novel about Queen Elizabeth when she's a child and teenager is rich with color and history.

The Lost Art by Simon Morden - 2
Great idea, not so great execution. It's a sci-fi book.

Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris - 3.5
I won't quite give it a 4, but this book has stuck with me. Just your normal everyday novel, with a beautiful story.

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink - 3
Rather sexy with a turn you won't expect. I learned a lot about Germany after World War II that I didn't know. Did you know some of the Nazi's were put on trial for war crimes? I didn't until I read this. It's a tough concept to think about because weren't they just doing what their superiors told them to do?

Sleep, Pale Sister by Joanne Harris - 3
Great writing, but a story that was dragged out beyond it's point of interest. It's told from multiple points of view and has strange turns and twists like any gothic novel should.

The Big Fellow by Frank O'Connor - 2
To tell you the truth, I was so confused that I barely read this book. There were so many random names thrown in that I felt like to keep up I had to keep looking back, but I didn't have the energy to look back. I read this non-fiction with my book club so we could watch the movie with Liam Neeson, which made so much more sense than the book.

The Door in the Hedge by Robin McKinley - 4
Nothing will match her book Beauty, but this one was just as fantastical and amazing. It is a mix of four stories, two well known and two original. For anyone who likes reading about princesses, fairies, and magical frogs definitely pick up this book.

Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh - 2
If you want to discover who you are as a woman read this book.

The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley - 2
Another version of Robin Hood. I know she put a lot of research and time into this book, but it was just really slow for me.

Paper Butterfly by Dianne Wei Lang - 3
A mystery, not my norm. I listened to this one on tape with my sister on a road trip. Only problem was, we figured out the end before it happened. I like guessing at mysteries, but I don't like the ones that I actually solve.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - 2
I have to love classics, and after I saw the movie and it made me cry I had to read this one. But it wasn't as strong as the movie and fell flat for me. Makes me wonder if it would have been better if I had read it before the movie.

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons - 4
I've never read a World War II book from the Russian side of things. It was a beautiful love story and had a lot of history that opened my eyes.

A little disclaimer: these are all my opinion. I don't think I have the right to say whether these books should be best sellers or not. But if they are above a 3 I would highly recommend them to you. And even if they are a 2 or a 1, you should read them anyways just to broaden your horizons. Books open your mind.

Read, Read, Read

The Language of God by Francis S Collins - 4
A very good book about the mix of God and science.

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James - 3
I'm rating it a three just because I have a lot of respect for people who have the guts and the patience to take someone historical and write a fiction about them. It was good, but not on of my favorites.

The Six Wives of Henry the VIII by Alison Weir - 5
Yes, it was a five. An amazing history book that kept me enthralled through its entire bulk.

This Is Not Chick Lit Short Stories edited by Elizabeth Merrick - 2
They just weren't up my alley. But you might like them.

Who Switched Off My Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf - 3
A how to on controlling anxiety and stress.

Truancy by Isamu Fukui - 4
Another prodigy writer, but he is very good. His world in this sci-fi was well thought out.

Here On Earth by Alice Hoffman - 3
I don't think there is a bad Alice Hoffman book out there.

Tristan and Iseult by Joseph Bedier - 4
You can never go wrong with classics. This one was beautiful. Basically another rendition of Romeo and Juliet, but better.

Business for Beginners byFrances McGuckin - ?
Another that I can't rate. Read it if you need to start a business.

Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco - 3
I have to rate this one just because it was so wonderfully done. The design of the book alone is stunning. She hit a niche that is very big right now, and she did it well.

The Loon Feather by Iola Fuller - 3
Really great historical story about the Indian tribes in Michigan.

Hard Laughter by Anne Lamott - 4
This is one of my favorites by her. It's a fictional autobiography about a family and their lives when their father gets brain cancer. Her first novel.

A little disclaimer: these are all my opinion. I don't think I have the right to say whether these books should be best sellers or not. But if they are above a 3 I would highly recommend them to you. And even if they are a 2 or a 1, you should read them anyways just to broaden your horizons. Books open your mind.

Mehr Bücher - More Books

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott - 4
A classic for any writer or writer-wanna-be.

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini - 2
He's a good writer, but he made his trilogy into four books, and he tends to have ideas that sound just like other fantasy writers.

Business Plan in a Day by Rhonda Abrams - ?
I can't rate this book. It was very good, but it's not like I would recommend it unless you needed to write a business plan.

Colors of the Mountain by Da Chen - 3
I love learning about other cultures through a good story.

Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Kate Horsley - 3
Cultures through fiction, loving it.

Crooked Little Heart by Anne Lamott - 3
I got on a Lamott kick and the books got boring by the end of it, but she is such a good writer.

Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir - 4
If you want history books that aren't boring, read Alison Weir.

Paper Towns by John Green - 2
Very good, but exactly the same plot line as Looking for Alaska.

Rosie by Anne Lamott - 3
Part of the Lamott kick.

The Entrepreneurs guide to Writing Business Plans and Proposals by K. Dennis Chambers - ?
Again, if you really need it it was a big help.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows - 3
Wonderful book. If only the title had been better I would have picked it up a lot sooner.

A little disclaimer: these are all my opinion. I don't think I have the right to say whether these books should be best sellers or not. But if they are above a 3 I would highly recommend them to you. And even if they are a 2 or a 1, you should read them anyways just to broaden your horizons. Books open your mind.

Books in 2009 - 60

I won't bore you with the entire list in one chunk. I'll break it into pieces that are a tad easier to digest. But I will be going in chronological order. These are the books I read in 2009. I'll rate on a scale of 1-5, 5 being best in my opinion. I read an even 60 books, and I've already devoured five in 2010. To some that will be a mediocre number, to others it is outrageous. Reading is what I do, just ask my husband. So onto the list in size-able chunks...

First, the books I reread in 2009:

Beauty by Robin McKinley - 5
I will read this book over and over again. It is beautiful and imaginative, and I always want more when I'm done.

Cane River by Lalita Tademy - 2
Very well researched historical fiction.

Harry Potter 6 by J.K. Rowling - 3
Reread just before watching the movie.

A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers - 3
Well written christian fiction. Not overtly religious and annoying. A great story.

An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers - 3
Goes with A Voice in the Wind.

Emma by Jane Austen - 2
I hate to give her a 2, but gosh do I hate Emma. She is so stuck-up!

Marley and Me by John Grogan - 4
Reread this with Albert. I'm still laughing at some of the things he writes.

Wicked by Gregory Maquire - 2
I love the imagination it takes to pull an old story out and remake it. But I'm not into politics and he turns Oz into a modern day political debate.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer - 2
Reread for the movie.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - 4
Ten times better than the Twilight books. She is an amazing writer, she just needed a better subject.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - 5
I read this one twice this year. She creates a world that sounds horrible, but I want to crawl inside and live there all the same.

A little disclaimer: these are all my opinion. I don't think I have the right to say whether these books should be best sellers or not. But if they are above a 3 I would highly recommend them to you. And even if they are a 2 or a 1, you should read them anyways just to broaden your horizons. Books open your mind.

Read. Read. Read. Just don't read one type of book. Read different books by various authors so that you develop different styles.
--R. L. Stine