105 books read in 2009 – I changed the background of the blog so that bolding will work better. I’ve bolded the ones I’d most highly recommend, added comments here and there. * means that I read it for Book Club, and I’ve provided links if I discussed it previously.
Comments always welcome!
January
The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons (I joke that the first two books of this series are 80% good historical fiction, 20% smut. This one is 80% smut and 20% marginal historical fiction. It really could have been a 200 page book)
Jack’s Widow by Eve Pollard (what if Jackie Kennedy became a spy after the assassination?)
Dream When You’re Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg (historical fiction about a family during World War II)
The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell
A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith (read for my historical fiction book club and HF challenge. Engaging story about Richard the III’s mistress)
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski* (a modern retelling of Hamlet)
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron (Jane Austen as a cozy mystery sleuth)
The Reader by Bernhard Schink* (also a movie I’d recommend. Beautifully spare)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society* by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer. (cute story, told in letters)
February
Fires in the Dark by Louise Doughty (about the Romani people during World War II)
A Crowning Mercy by Bernard Cornwell and Susanna Kells (many on my HF board love Bernard Cornwell. I find him iconoclastic and boorish)
Sarah:A Woman of Genesis by Orson Scott Card (extremely rushed ending)
The Apostles by Pope Benedict XVI (one of the winners in the most beautiful cover of the year award)
Hugh and Bess: A Love Story by Susan Higgenbotham (I read her blog, she’s delightful. And, anytime a book has the subtitle “A Love Story” I’m there)
The Sugar Camp Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini (I like this series a lot. This one was historical fiction)
The Reluctant Queen by Jean Plaidy (about Anne Neville. I like Plaidy/Holt/Carr)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (probably the best book I read in 2009)
Grania by Morgan Llywelyn (about Grace O’Malley)
March
The New Year’s Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini (see above)
Prove It: God by Amy Welborn
The Yiddish Policeman’s Union* by Michael Chabon (I usually feel like I don’t “get” Michael Chabon – full disclosure, I won this book at Book Club Girl)
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (another in the “classics I should have read but hadn’t” category)
Orthodox Prayer Life and the Interior Way by Matthew the Poor
Looking For God in Harry Potter by John Granger (sometimes, I felt he tried too hard, but overall good)
April
Facing East by Kh. Frederica Mathewes-Green (one I like to re-read often)
First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew by Kh. Frederica Mathewes-Green (I’ve read this every Lent since I received it, and I find I learn something every year. This year, a dear Facebook friend posted a thought daily from it, and I was greatly edified by the discussion)
A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East by David Fromkin (non-fiction)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle (would you believe I’d never finished it before?)
Jo of the Chalet School by Elinor Brent Dwyer
Catherine: The Great Journey by Kristiana Gregory (this is apparently my YA phase of 2009)
Daughters of Spain by Jean Plaidy (about the daughters of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand)
Escape by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer
The Three Junes by Julia Glass *
Courage to Pray by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom and George Lefebvre
The Red Scarf by Kate Furnivall (not as good as I’d hoped)
May
The Book of Abraham by Marek Halter (excellent historical fiction – the blurb on it said “It out Michener’s Michener” and I agree)
Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper by Harriet Scott Chessman (interesting, short book about art and artists)
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan (one I still think about a lot)
Living God: A Catechism (Volume 2)
Black and White by Dani Shapiro
Birth: A Surprising History of How We are Born by Tina Cassidy (an admitted birth junkie, I don’t think I was surprised)
Nadia by Susan K Downs and Susan May Warren (this is a four part series that unfolds backwards, I should have read them in the opposite order)
Something Rising Light and Swift * by Haven Kimmel (I was underwhelmed, and I like her non-fiction A Girl Named Zippy very much)
Lady MacBeth by Susan Fraser King
Gifts of the Desert by Kyriacos Markides (this and his Mountain of Silence are modern classics)
Miss Garnet’s Angel by Sally Vickers (three storylines: one fabulous, one good, and one totally creepy)
1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion by Morgan Llywelyn (this is a fantastic series about Ireland in the 20th century – a good blend of a fictional family and Irish history)
June –
Quilter’s Homecoming by Jennifer Chiaverini (see above)
Plain Jane by Laurin Gardner (not as fabulous as it could have been)
The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan (non-fiction. An odd book)
Marina by Susan K Downs and Susan May Warren (see above. This may have been the one that kept talking about the “challis” – oh editors, how we yearn for thee)
The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Sister Bernadette’s barking Dog by Kitty Burns (fabulous about diagramming sentences, less fabulous parts about her politics – even though I agree with them – as it is out of place. And, it seems to me I need to loan this to XK, is that right? Non-fiction)
Father Arseny Translated by Vera Bouteneff (non-fiction)
Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barberry* (I liked it, but the Book Club reaction was mixed)
July –
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (writing this badly should hurt)
Trespassers Will be Baptized by Elizabeth Emerson Hancock (cute memoir about growing up as a Baptist Preacher’s daughter)
The Sisters of Henry VIII by Maria Perry (non-fiction)
Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I learned From Judy Blume (Oh how true that is! A collection of essays)
All Shall be Well, and All Shall Be Well, And All Manner of Things Shall be Well by Tod Wodick (the title indicates it should be about something totally different than it is. Quirky characters that I still think about, but the overall story was not quite good)
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling (I had to get ready for the movie)
From Baptist to Byzantium by Father James Early (Thank you, Father. Non-fiction.
Killing Yourself to Live 85% of a True Story by Chuck Klosterman (kind of a kicky read.Non-fiction)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling (once I’d reread the sixth one…)
Beloved Enemy: The Passions of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Ellen Jones (cheesy)
The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin* (fantastic book, and ironic to read during our heat wave. Non-fiction)
August -
The King’s Daughter by Sandra Worth (about Elizabeth of York)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Desert Pilgrim by Mary Swander (non-fiction)
The Holy Angels by Mother Alexandra (non-fiction)
Murder on Astor Place by Victoria Thompson (what a delightful find – this cozy mystery series was recommended by my Historical Fiction message board, it is the story of a midwife at the turn of the 20th century in New York City. Great historical detail and sweet stories. Be warned, however, this one is decidedly uncozy for a cozy mystery, and you need to read this one to set the stage for the rest of them)
1921 by Morgan Llywelyn (see above)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett * (some one-dimensional characters kind of keep me from making this one bold, but engendered a lot of great Book Club discussion)
Oksana by Susan K Downs and Susan May Warren (by far the best of these, and since it had unfolded backwards, I am sad that I missed later clues)
September –
A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by EL Konigsburg (a delightful YA about Eleanor of Aquitaine – the fabulous Helena invited me to her Book Club discussion of this book, thank you again!)
American Wife by Curtis Settenfeld
Niccolo Rising by Dorothy Dunnett
Murder on St. Mark’s Place by Victoria Thompson (see above)
Flapper by Joshua Zeitz (non fiction, very interesting)
The Translator by John Crawley (I’m not quite sure if this should be bold or not, it’s on the cusp)
Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon (see above)
Lady’s Hand, Lion’s Heart by Carol Leonard (non-fiction, lots of birth stories, it’s about a midwife)
October
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Murder on Gramercy Park by Victoria Thompson (see above)
The Jesus Prayer by Kh. Frederica Mathewes-Green (non-fiction)
Shelf Discovery by Lizzie Skurnick (short essays about YA books, what a hoot. Full disclosure: I won an ARC copy from The Book Club Girl)
Before Green Gables by Budgie Wilson (a “prequel” to Anne of Green Gables)
The Queen’s Man by Sharon Kay Penman (I like her historical fiction better than her mysteries, but still interesting, and Eleanor of Aquitaine is a minor character)
Old Filth by Jane Gardham*
Murder on Washington Square by Victoria Thompson
The Last Queen by CW Gortner (about Juana the Mad, quite interesting)
November
The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George (dragged a bit at the end)
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (I love her, I got to see her speak, she signed my book, I am still verklempt. This book was a slog)
Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield (sweet and short. I cried. Non-fiction)
Murder on Mulberry Bend by Victoria Thompson (see above)
Emma by Jane Austen
Royal Diaries: Queen Cleopatra by Kristiana Gregory (I read Memoirs of Cleopatra for a challenge - book over 1000 pages - and it didn’t quite make the mark, so I added this in to go over the number)
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger* (I know the reviews are mixed, but it was a good Gothic ghost story)
December –
The Winter Pascha by Father Thomas Hopko
The Stripping of the Altars by Eamon Duffy (non-fiction)
Cat Who Covered the World by Christopher Wren (my Goddaughter gave me this, a travel memoir about owning a cat as a foreign correspondent family. Cute. Non-fiction)
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Grand Duchess Elizabeth: New Martyr of the Communist Yoke by Lubov Millar (long out of print, I got a copy at a good price. It is now back in print, and I highly recommend it. Non-fiction)
Murder on Marble Row by Victoria Thompson (see above)
1949 by Morgan Llewellyn (see above)
posted by Mimi @ 1/12/2010 10:23:00 PM
21 Comments
21 Comments:
that's a lot of books! I am hoping to read the one by F M-G for lent...
always happy when you post!
I'd be interested in any recommendations for our church book club. We've enjoyed reading and learning about different things--I think historical fiction would be good, and some non-fiction, too, but sometimes it's hard to tell if a book will be okay for an official church book club. Right now we're reading Kaffir Boy, about growing up in apartheid South Africa. One girl in the club had read it earlier and picked it. She said it had been quite a while since she read it, though, and she didn't remember if all of the content would be quite appropriate. Turns out there are a few mentions of male genitalia which I hope doesn't offend anyone. But it's an *important* sort of read and those parts certainly aren't gratuitous so I hope everyone will be okay with it.
"Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (writing this badly should hurt)"
LOLOLOLOL.
I got some good ideas from your list, thanks!
Helena -
You know, I'd recommend "The Book Thief" off the top of my head, but I did just re-read it, and there are mentions of uncomfortable situations (it is about the Holocaust) but as you say, it is important sort of read.
Let me think for a few more minutes...my problem is that a lot of times it kind of goes in one ear and out the other, so I forget it when I remember it. "Dream When You are Feeling Blue" was really good and gave a good picture of the homefront during World War II, but one of the characters falls pregnant, so there may be a coupe of scenes of that type there.
I think Jennifer Chiaverini's Elm Creek Series are very tame. There's some that have the overarching story of the Quilt Camp that need to be read in order, but her "Sugar Camp Quilt" and "A Quilter's Homecoming" I think are both stand alones (Sugar Camp perhaps a bit more than Homecoming)
Have you read "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford? There are some historical accuracy issues that really, really bugged me (there is perhaps a support group for me?) but, I remember it being very tame. It almost reads as a YA book.
Elizabeth Thank you. I really recommend anything by her, but especially her Canon of St. Andrew book.
Janelle I know, grin. I'd love to see your list. I'm pretty sure you beat me, numberwise.
Oh, Mimi, I LOVE this post! I have got to ask: do you ever skim? And when you read nonfiction, do you ever take notes to help you? And when do you find time to do all this reading--and have a life and a husband and kids? I tend to hole up and read, but I force myself to be with friends because I can so easily get lost in books.
I am going to get The Canon of St. Andrew by Frederica this Lent. Oh and do you own all your books and how do make your choices? I usualy ask others I respect, or else I get my ideas from blogs. I have too many going now. I just finished David Bentley Hart's The Doors of the Sea Where was God in the Tsunami. I am still reading Anna Karenina as well as The Rector of Justin. I also started The Collected Essays of TS Eliot and a book by a Catholic theologian called The Lord. Oh there is way too much I want to read!
So many great book choices. I just finished reading Murder on Astor Place this evening. I'm afraid I didn't like it as much as you did. At least it only took me 3 days to finish it.
I love the idea of a thought per day over on FB during Lent... I hope you'll do it again - and perhaps I'll join in.
I have seen The Book Thief on several people's "Fav. of 2009" list. I must move this up to the top soon. And Stripping of the Altars has been on my TBR pile for nearly 2 years!
Thanks for this list and all the new ideas.
I couldn't put Escape down. Highly recommend. I thought the "water is of the Devil" ideology was intriguing, as it is so opposed to our Orthodox understanding. And you know how much I love Epiphany/Theophany! lol.
Lots of new ideas for me to read , thank you ! :-)
thanks so much for posting this!! I am always looking for new books to read! I broke down and ended up getting a kindle - so at least now I can get books here (and I figured out how to get them from sources other than amazon). Anyway - thanks for the post and the notes about each book. . . .I should keep notes . . . but dont tell christina- I made fun of her for keeping an excel spreadsheet of books :-)
Wow!
Which translation of Anna Karenina did you read? I finally finished War and Peace...
PS I am back after looking at your list more thoroughly. I have Frederica's The Jesus Prayer, but I have had trouble getting through it. I also read The Living God series when I converted to Orthodoxy. My priest gave me the books, and I really enjoyed them a lot. I am going to check out the Murder on Astor Place as well as The Holy Angels and The Grand Duchess Elizabeth. Did I tell you already how much I love this post. I think I did, but I am getting some great suggestions here. :-) Plus this is a list I can trust because I know you don't read smut or junk!
Holy WOW! You are simply amazing! Maybe if I stopped watching so much TV I could get more reading in. You have inspired me to do a book count - sadly, it may be 10% of what you read :)
Ali I do skim a fair amount – one of the things that I have really learned is that my Dh reads really slowly, but his retention is far better than mine – often about three books later, I’m a bit fuzzy on the details of what I read. I also will skim over violence, excessive sex scenes, and boring dialogue – which is why it’s hard to answer Helena’s question about content.
I’ve not tended to take notes for non-fiction, but if it is a book that I’m keeping, I have no qualms about underlining, or folding down a page corner to reference it.
I like to read before bed, and my grandmother (waves hi!) taught me it is perfectly acceptable to go to bed to read at 8:30 some nights. I also read on the couch a lot, take books with me if I am going to be waiting, read while waiting for sports events to start, etc. I can read in the car, but only once we are at freeway speed. I also can read on the treadmill, but haven’t been on the treadmill lately (which clearly I should change). My Dh once said that the difference between me and him in regards to reading (other than the aforementioned speed) is that I will almost always choose to read if I have some downtime, while he is more varied in his downtime plans.
And, a note about the Gaslight Mysteries (the series that starts with Murder on Astor Place) – please, please note that the first one had a decidedly uncozy reveal – feel free to email me on what the topic was. I felt that the good of the story outweighed that, but I do want you to be aware.
I’m also impressed that you read so many books at one time – I tend to only do one, maybe two – especially if it is something like “First Fruits” where I am reading a chapter or a section a day.
Deb If my friend doesn’t do that again this year, I may take up the mantle as it was really helpful.
“Stripping of the Altars” doesn’t read terribly quickly, but is very well done, and fascinating. The author has a couple of others out – one just reviewed by the fabulous Ian – that I’d like to pick up.
Geeky Wife - I agree about “Escape” – shudder. One thing that I found interesting, not being current on my LDS history, was that the FLDS drink alcohol and caffine. I was not aware of that. You do draw an interesting contrast with Theophany, I’m going to think on that, thank you!
Kat - I’m so glad you got a Kindle, whooooot! Your secret is safe with me ;)
Ian It is actually slightly down from last year. I’d hope to be in the same ballpark for 2010. When I retire, God willing, I’d like to double it!
Rozel - hi! It’s good to see you! One thing that I truly believe is that we read in cycles depending on our life place. While I never stopped reading, I know for a fact that my book counts weren’t that high when the kids were younger.
Laura This was my third time reading ‘Anna Karenina’ – The first two times I’d read it, I used the Garnett translation (the first time was in college, and that was the textbook one chosen.) This time, I read the new Pevar and Volokhonsky translation, which is fabulous. I’d love to get their “Brothers Karamazov” and “War and Peace” translations. Plus the cover is prettier than my other one. Which one are you reading?
wow
I am impressed by the list.
I will keep track this year for interest sake.
my goal is to read more YA fiction this year.
You are so amazing! And I always love it when you give us a list - it really helps me make some picks!
My dh is the same way. It's taking him F O R E V E R to get through Brothers Karamazov, but he's brought up so many details to me that I'd completely forgotten. He takes so long because he is so insistant on understanding and soaking in everything. I thnk it's cute.
great list! I'll definitely be using it as a resource.
Oh, I'm bookmarking this. I can see that there are quite few books on your list that I'd like to read. So many books, so little time :) I like this year of books in review idea. I've been thinking of doing something like this monthly, to help me remember what I've read.
Wow Mimi, a busy year of reading! Thank you for posting this, lots of good ideas. I have yet to keep up with a read-along, but will try again with Middlemarch!
I LOVE this list. I am always seeking ideas, but I love that you give reasons to back your feelings towards the book. I might pick up a few of these and give em a read. I need a good book right now.
ps.Anna Karenina is one of a my favorite favorites!
I am so impressed by how much you read. I hope that once my children are a bit older I will be able to read more often. I am lucky to get through 10-20 books a year, and that is only because I tend to read a bunch of books all in a row and then I don't read for months. I wish I could be more consistent.
WOW! I didn't crack 100 in 2009, as I had hoped to do. Maybe this year. I've gotten some good suggestions for future reading from your list here--thanks!
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