In 2005, I started recording all the books I read (I wish I’d done this many years ago). Because I’m a slow reader, my goal each year is to read 24 books (two per month). This year, I fell sadly short with just 13 completed and two more in the works. That’s what having two kids in less than two years does to you! Here is the complete list, and below is my list for 2009. My favorites had to be Cutting for Stone and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. It took me way too long to discover Murakami, and I want to read the rest of his books now. Story was a great writer’s reference. I found The Bluest Eye disappointing after all the hype. The rest I’ll let you judge for yourselves.
1. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
2. Story by John McKee
3. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
4. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
5. Rising Shadow by Jaquelyn Appell
6. The Ramen King and I by Andy Raskin
7. The Age of Orphans by Laleh Khadivi
8. A Happy Marriage by Rafael Yglesias
9. The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality by André Compte-Sponville
10. All That Work and Still No Boys by Kathryn Ma
11. Nurture Shock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman
12. The Elegance of a Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
13. Big Machine by Victor LaValle
What about you? What books did you read in 2009, and which were your favorites?
Oh, what did you think of A Happy Marriage? I saw an NPR thing on that and was curious to read it.
And you know what? 13 books isn't bad! If only everyone read 13 books in a year…
Kristan, I loved A Happy Marriage! Here's a review I wrote: http://bit.ly/4U9009 I saw A Single Man tonight and it made me want to read more books like it (if a book can be like a movie).