2009 - 100+ Reading Challenge

I have joined the 2009 - 100+ Reading Challenge. That means that I am going to do my very best to read 100 books in 2009. Here is my list so far (to be added to as the months pass) in no particular order:

1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (Favorite line: "It takes a graveyard to raise a child")
2. Drood by Dan Simmons (Huge book, dark, brooding and fascinating. This is worth the time.)
3. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Historical fiction with a twist of the gothic)
4. Hot Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman (Enlightening and looonnnng)
5. My Lady Notorious by Jo Beverley (Romance, pure and simple)
6. The Girls From Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow (A good look at female friendships)
7. Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman
8. Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
9. Society of S by Susan Hubbard (Another kind of gothic/vampire story. Very well-written)
10. Fool by Christopher Moore (Weird, Shakespearean)
11. Exile by Richard North Patterson (This was a thriller that made me think)
12. Eclipse by Richard North Patterson (Africa, oil and intrigue)
13. Trouble in Paradise by Robert Parker (Pure vacation read.....Spenser is the best)
14. Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (Wonderful, historical fiction)
15. Dear Fatty by Dawn French (A quirky little memoir by the Vicar of Dibley)
16. A Matter of Justice by Charles Todd (I liked this one...a bit like Maise Dobbs)
17. Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher (funny)
18.Turning Tables by Heather and Rose MacDowell
19. Fault Line by Barry Eisler (Page turner, so-so writing)
20. Maxxed Out by David Collins (Donald Trump-type character, moves along)
21. Happens Every Day by Isabel Gilles (A memoir of betrayal and divorce. Very sad.)
22. Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz (So funny....I love Izzy)
23. Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky (A quest to save Yiddish books makes an interesting story)
24. So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson (My reading life in a nutshell)
25. Reasonable Doubts by Gianfranco Carofiglio
26. Bad Mom by Ayelet Waldman (Not really the story of my life...but interesting)
27. Cupid & Diana by Christina Barolomeo (Fun, almost romance novel)
28. Floater by Calvin Trillin (An oldie, Trillin is so funny in such a subtle way)
29. Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani (Shoes and Italy, need I say more?)
30. Sweet Potato Queen's Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit by Jill Conner Browne
31. Listening is an Act of Love by David Isay (Stories from everyday people)
32. Assisted Loving by Bob Morris (Double dating with your dad. Funny and poignant)
33. Cooking and Screaming by Adrienne Kane ( A different kind of food memoir....the zucchini recipe is great)
34. The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano (This is well written with unexpected twists to the plot)
35. Local by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly (My first graphic novel.....I could become a convert!)
36. Don't Look Twice by Andrew Gross (Good mystery, lots of twists and turns)
37. The Language of Bees by Laurie King (I love these Mary Russell stories...this was a good one.)
38. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (The Sookie Stackhouse books are a guilty pleasure.....the True Blood series on television is pretty good as well.)
39. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran (Good historical fiction, easy to read)
40. Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child (I love Jack Reacher)
41. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (so, so beautiful).
42. Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson (ehhhh)
43. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson ( simple, elegant and beautifully written)
44. King of the Screwups by K.L. Going (funny YA novel)
45. Duty to the Dead by Charles Todd (good, WWI mystery)
46. The Help by Katherine Stockett (my favorite so far this year)
47. South of Broad by Pat Conroy (I am in love with this book)
48. Even by Andrew Grant (good thriller, a little graphic for me)
49. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (great YA book, thanks Sara)
50. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (Classic Steinbeck with beautiful language. Half way there!!)
51. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum rides again....)
52. The Family Man by Elinor Lipman (nice, light summer book)
53. A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (memoir and recipes combined)
54. The Double Bind by Chris Bojalian (I am a little confused....)
55. A Plague of Secrets by John Lescroart (Another great legal thriller with Dismas Hardy)
56. The Defector by Daniel Silva (Gabriel Allon is almost as good as Jack Reacher....almost)
57. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (Good science fiction )
59. You Or Someone Like You by Chandler Burr (please read this book so we can discuss it)
60. Persuasion by Jane Austen (Relaxing, peaceful)
61. First Family by David Baldacci (This is a great beach read)
62. Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby (Fun, sometime sad)
63. This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper (Really, really good.....read it!)
64. Civil to Strangers by Barbara Pym (The literary equivalent of chamomile tea)
65. Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiana (Takes you back to NYC in the 50's....a pleasure).
66. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (I am not really sure I got this one, a little antiseptic and self-consciously intellectual for me)
67. The Hearing by John Lescroart (Good, Dismas Hardy story0
68. Mennonite In a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen (Funny Memoir #1)
69. The New York Regional Morman Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker (Funny Memoir #2)
70. Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom (Just the book I needed to read right now)
71. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo ( Good....I liked Bridge of Sighs better though)
72. The Little Book by Selden Edwards (Interesting time travel story.....good characters)
73. Fahrenheit 451 - Graphic Novel by Tim Hamilton and Ray Bradbury (An interesting retelling of this story in graphic novel form)
74. Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? by Louise Rennison (Soooooo funny).
75. Away with the Fairies by Kerry Greenwood (good, Australian cozy).
76. Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor (wonderful mother/daughter memoir).
77. The Song Reader by Lisa Tucker (Unusual story, great characters)
78. The Fury by Jason Pinter (Fast moving, page-turner).
79. How Shall I Tell the Dog by Miles Kington (Funny musings on death....really)

80. The Last Symbol by Dan Brown (Fun, fast page turner with lots of info about the Masons and Washington, D.C.)

81. Secret Asset by Stella Rimington (MI 5 Spy novel...I am addicted to British espionage)

82. Making Toast by Roger Rosenblatt (Touching, sometime funny memoir of loss)

83. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (Haunting, a bit disturbing)

84. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Really good YA sci-fi)

85. Thin is the New Happy by Val Frankel (Memoir of a chronic dieter)

86. American on Purpose by Craig Ferguson (Inspiring and funny)

87. Labor Day by Joyce Maynard (She perfectly captures the voice of the young boy)

88. The James Deans by Reed Farrell Coleman (Great, noir mystery)

89. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Follow up to The Hunger Games....I can't wait for the third book!)

90. The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathie Marie Buchanan (Historical fiction about Niagara Falls and the early days of electricity)

91. The Cold Light of Mourning by Elizabeth J. Duncan (A lovely little cozy mystery)

92. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran (Light and easy historical fiction)

93. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (My new favorite book)

94. Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly ( Harry Bosch and Hong Kong....a lethal mix)

95. Y, The Last Man by Brian Vaughn, et al (Interesting, dark graphic novel....a lunchtime read)

96. Murder Plays House by Ayelet Waldman ( A smart cozy mystery)

97. The First Rule by Robert Crais (Joe Pike made me cry!?!)

98. Personal Days by Ed Park (Odd little book)

99. The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova ( Wonderful story, beautiful writing)

100. Velva Jean Learns to Drive by Jennifer Niven (Endearing characters, good story)

101. Still Life by Louise Penney (Very good mystery that takes place in Quebec)

102. The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom (Quirky mystery with a mobile library in the north of Ireland)

103. American Thighs by Jill Connor Browne (Oh those Sweet Potato Queens!)

If I get very ambitious, I will annotate the list with comments. Check this post to see how I am doing!

April is National Poetry Month

Oh, how in the world did National Poetry Month sneak up on me like this? The craziness of winter, the non-sale of the bookstore, the still new work of the library world and here it is, April. So, although I have a lot to say about so many things, I am just going to post my favorite poem in honor of Spring and Poetry and the world spinning round.

Summons
By Robert Francis

Keep me from going to sleep too soon
Or if I go to sleep too soon
Come wake me up. Come any hour
Of night. Come whistling up the road.
Stomp on the porch. Bang on the door.
Make me get out of bed and come
And let you in and light a light.
Tell me the northern lights are on
And make me look. Or tell me clouds
Are doing something to the moon
They never did before, and show me.
See that I see. Talk to me till
I’m half as wide awake as you
And start to dress wondering why
I ever went to bed at all.
Tell me the walking is superb.
Not only tell me but persuade me.
You know I’m not too hard persuaded.

A Piece of Pi

I am the first to admit that math was never my strong suit. I have always been a book person. But the last few years I have enjoyed hearing about the celebrations of "Pi Day" on March 14th. There is even a website, Pi Day, which has a countdown clock. There are discussions about why people like Pi including poetic statements such as "Pi is a magical loophole in our assumed and intuitive structures….lovelovelove". There are even Pi day songs with lyrics such as "Oh number Pi, Oh number Pi, your digits are unending" (Sung to the tune of "Oh Christmas Tree"). Today, I saw students walking into school carrying cakes and pies. Who knew that math could be both fun and tasty?

In Praise of Old Books

Jaqueline Winspear is the wonderful author of the Maisie Dobbs series and one of my favorite authors. She and five other authors write a terrific blog called Naked Authors.com. Recently she wrote about her visit to the Boston Public Library. I know that this is a long quote, but her sentiments about books and bookstores and libraries made me smile on a gloomy, gray, March day. Ms. Winspear says:


"Now, this is a library-goers library, a place with thousands of books that seem to scream, 'Come in, read, research, study, learn, travel to far places, meander back in time, stretch the gray matter, pull me off the shelves and have your way with me.' And as I was sitting at my desk, surrounded by a pile of books on the social history of Beacon Hill, I thought, 'Why would anyone want a Kindle?' (Or something similar). Well, having slogged a couple of hefty books off and on one ‘plane or another, I can see why, however, there is something about those older tomes, something about a place so steeped in intellectual curiosity, that underlines the importance of the book. And later, as I braced myself and went out into the cold air, I realized that it had to do with what we are really tapping into when we open a book, whether we are immersed in study or reading for pleasure. We are accessing a direct line to a vein of storytelling that goes back centuries, and the fact that we can pick up a book – old technology, if ever I saw it – speaks to that legacy. I was using books that will never be available on a Kindle, and to turn their weary but still-up-to-the-job pages made me ache with pleasure. We are so lucky to have libraries, so fortunate to have bookshops, and we have been blessed with books. I just wish more people would come in from the cold and seek the warmth of they offer to the very soul of a person. I've always felt a sense of belonging, in a library - a belonging that warms the cockles of my heart."

The Many Faces of Jane

I just love Jane Austen. Her books are like mashed potatoes on a snowy day, filling and comforting. I have read and re-read all of her books many times. I don't really have a favorite, but lately I have been intrigued by the many different ways in which you may consume the classic, Pride and Prejudice. Of course, there is always my favorite, the Penguin Classic paperback, but you may be suprised at the appearances this timeless story makes in different packages.


There are the movies, both the classic version with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier and the more recent version with Keira Knightly. In 1995, the BBC produced a wonderfully long and luxurious (6 hours!) version of the book in a miniseries starring Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. Mr Firth again reprised his role as Mr. Darcy in the modern day take on this story in Bridget Jones Diary.

Now, coming in April we can look forward to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith, a story described as "the original text of Jane Austen's beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action". I think I hear Jane Austen whirling in her grave....

Finally, I found the following site that condenses the plot of Pride and Prejudice into a Facebook Status Update page. Austenbook lists the changes in relationships and announces the events that drive the plot. My favorite listing is "Lydia Bennet and Kitty Bennet joined the group 1,000,000 Strong Against the Officers Leaving Meryton {join!}".

So you can choose your Pride and Prejudice.....black and white or color, with or without zombies. For me, give me a rainy day, lots of tea and the 6 hour miniseries. I know I almost know it by heart, but it always draws me in.

Meme Madness

It seems like everytime I open a blog or a social networking site there is another meme. You know those posts asking you to list "25 Random Things" or "Memories" or "In Your Senior Year of High School Did You...." . I truly enjoy reading them, but find completing them more difficult. It is hard to think up 25 random things about myself or remember what I did in high school. But I may have found the perfect meme.....or at least I may have "borrowed" other people's ideas and created the perfect short meme for me. Here it is.....Bookmama's Book Meme:

1. What was your favorite book as a child?

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
2. What is the one book you recommend to almost everyone?

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
3. Do you read books while you do other activities, and if so, which activities?

Yes, cooking, bathing, watching TV, listening to music and any activity which allows it.
4. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
5. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

Hot Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman, Eclipse by Richard North Patterson and

Above the Law by Tim Green
6. What book did everyone like and you hated?

Atonement by Ian McEwan

7. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life?

All of the Travis McGee books remind me of off-season in Colorado.

8. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

The Hours by Michael Cunningham
9. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

Jessica Howard
10. What was the last book that you bought?

A book on hydroponics for the home gardener for my daughter.
11. What was the last book you checked out from the library?

Above the Law by Tim Green
12. What do you wish you had time to read?

Raj Quartet by Paul Scott

13. What is one of your favorite reading memories?

Listening to my friend Jane reading The Monster at the End of the Book complete with

Elmo and Cookie monster imitations and hearing my daughters shrieking with laughter.

I could continue to ask questions about books for hours. You can find out a lot about a person by asking what they read, why they read it and what kinds of books touch them. I hope you enjoy thinking about how you might answer the questions. I would love to hear your responses.....

Oh Mexico....

The sale of The Open Book has eaten up every waking minute and I have sadly neglected Bookmama's World.  While the sale of the store is still in limbo, I am leaving in about an hour for a long anticipated trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  While I am there, I hope to regroup and recharge and READ!

I tend to be sensible when it comes to packing.  I throw in a few pairs of shorts, a bathing suit and a skirt.  I take the necessities.  But when it comes to taking books on vacation, I am, admittedly, ridiculous.  For this vacation I am taking two mysteries download to an MP3 player and the following books:

The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

Eclipse by Richard North Patterson

Exile by Richard North Patterson

Quietly in Their Sleep by Donna Leon

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 

 

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz 

You may not believe it, but I am concerned that I will run out of books.  Luckily, my sister and my mother will have backups waiting for me.  I will give you an update on how many I read when I get home.  In the meantime, thanks for checking in on my world.