She was not a writer herself, but she was a very good reader, passionate and eclectic in her tastes . . .
David Benioff, City of Thieves
I read 120 books last year. Don't be impressed--some, such as Ann Patchett's What Now?, were so thin that they couldn't balance a wobbly table leg. One, The Graveyard Book, was nominally written for children. Plus, I had a lot of unique opportunities to read in 2009, including the time I spent on "the rack" (Rick, what's that machine really called?) during physical therapy.
When I finish reading a book, I add the title and author to an ongoing list in my journal. If I really, really liked the book, I put a star next to its title. When I went to compile my 2009 favorites, I was shocked to find that many of the titles, starred and starless, featured one or more deaths. What's that all about? It's not as though I read a lot of murder mysteries.
[Our dog, Berry] might not realize that I am going to die, for a start. He doesn't know about death. As I lie expiring, surrounded by people who got tickets for the event in time, how do I know that as I open my mouth and prepare to utter my carefully prepared and rehearsed last words, he may not burst in and demand to be taken for a walk?
And that my last words, after all that, will turn out to be: 'Oh, for God's sake, not now, Berry!'
Miles Kington, How Shall I Tell the Dog? and Other Final Musings
On the other hand, my favorite book of the year, Manhood for Amateurs, a collection of essays by Michael Chabon, was short on death and long on life with all its vagaries. I read Manhood toward the end of 2009, so perhaps it's a harbinger of happier reading ahead.
With that lengthy aside ("No, I am not preoccupied with death!"), here are my other 2009 favorites, listed in the chronological order in which I read them.
The Mercy Papers (Robin Romm)
Sing Them Home (Stephanie Kallos)
The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barbery)
City of Thieves (David Benioff)
Between, Georgia (Joshilyn Jackson)
The Exact Same Moon (Jeanne Marie Laskas)
The Graveyard Book (Neil Gaiman)
Angels of Destruction (Keith Donohue)
Missing Joseph (Elizabeth George)
Losing Mum and Pup (Christopher Buckley)
The Family Man (Elinor Lipman)
Eat, Drink, and Be From Mississippi (Nanci Kincaid)
The Little Book (Selden Edwards)
The Likeness (Tana French)
Home Safe (Elizabeth Berg)
Her Fearful Symmetry (Audrey Niffenegger)
The Magicians (Lev Grossman)
Blockbuster note: I loved Angels & Demons and enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, but I got through only 35 pages of The Lost Symbol before returning it to the library from sheer boredom.
"Are you kidding? That guy was a mystery wrapped in an enigma and crudely stapled to a ticking fucking time bomb. He was either going to hit somebody or start a blog."
Lev Grossman, The Magicians
4 comments:
I'm still impressed, even though you say some were thin.
120 books is just amazing! Thanks for sharing the list!
Wow, I thought I was doing well with 31 (do you also read magazines?) I'll have to start starring my books. I usually only distinguish between fiction and non-fiction. (I still read a ton of history/biography).
I'm so proud of myself! I contributed a book to the favorites list of my favorite librarian!
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