52 Books in a Year

I set a goal at the beginning of the year to read at least 52 books this year. I knew I read a lot, and mostly I curious to see just how many books I actually read. When I first began this, I was plowing through books like chips through dip, and thought, "Hey, this will be a snap!" Then spring and summer came, and I didn't want to read as much. It became a bit of a chore for awhile, because I really wanted to make my goal, but it wasn't always the thing I most wanted to do! Go figure, I don't actually want to read ALL the time! Just most of it. :)

I also had big plans to review each book I read, but clearly that didn't happen! Life just got in the way, and I was also feeling a bit shy about sharing why I thought a book was good or not so good. I'm pretty opinionated, but I find the enjoyment of books is really private, and depends on so many factors. Earlier in the year, I read all of the Twilight books, which I think if I picked them up now, I would hate them. At the time, however, I was desperate for easy reading, and the story is actually pretty interesting. The writing is horrible, sort of like Dan Brown for me. Good idea, bad execution! There were several books that I started reading this year, but absolutely could not get through and had to quit them. I think if I were to try again on some of them, they might actually be great, but at the time, they weren't what I was in the mood for.

All that said, I'd like to point out what some of my favorites from the year were, and hope that some of you will enjoy them, too!

1. Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl - This is a food writings memoir of Reichl's discovery of food as a child and adolescent. As a foodie myself, I've been gravitating towards food writings books this year, and really enjoyed how she weaved the story of her unusual upbringing by an offbalance mother and a meek father with her growing love of cooking and the joy of taste.

2. Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - The first two books in a trilogy, these teen books center around a young woman in a future America divided into 12 districts with the Capitol ruling over them. Each year, the districts must choose 1 boy and 1 girl to go to the Hunger Games, a fight to the death where there is only one victor. The main character Katniss basically turns it all upside down, and what happens is too good to spoil here. All I can really say about this is you must read them! The third one is coming out in August, which is so ridiculously long to wait!

3. Hands of My Father by Myron Uhlberg - A memoir about growing up the son of two deaf parents, Uhlberg does an astounding job of bringing his father to life for the reader, how his love was conveyed through his hands. One of my favorite moments in the book was when he is describing something his father is signing, and he does so with Yiddish accented signs. The idea of having accented sign language really interested me, and he brings it up a few other times. Guess the linguist in me was coming out!

4. War Dances by Sherman Alexie - I adore Alexie. Actually, I think I am a tiny bit in love with him. Kevin and I were invited to hear him speak at Town Hall right after the release of this book, and seeing him in person reading his work brought me to a whole new level of adoration! He is hilarious and self-deprecating, brilliant and humble. And he's pretty darn cute! This book is basically several short stories, each capturing such unique moments in different characters lives. Some are poems, others prose, and I loved every last one of them. He described this book as a mix tape, which I think is a brilliant descriptions of this collection. Read him, read all of him! :)

5. City of Thieves by David Benioff - The tale of two Russian men sent on a mission to find a dozen eggs for a general's daughter's wedding cake during WWII, the characters go through incredible ups and downs, insane close encounters, and form an unlikely bond. It is a quick read, but the story is packed with goodies. It made me laugh out loud, as well as cry, which is one of my favorite things to happen when I read a book.

6. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell - This was a really fun read about Powell's year of cooking her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Powell is really funny, and this book actually helped me stick with my resolution to read 52 books this year. I mean, she made crazy stuff! I can read a few books in a year. :) She has a new book out called Cleaving that I am not sure I want to read. She apparently has an affair, and I just can't stand the idea of her husband being hurt. He was so sweet and supportive! Boo on adultery!

7. Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda - A French Bestseller, Gavalda writes the story of a ragtag trio of unlikely roommates who fall in together through a series of events. They are a dysfunctional family of sorts, and I loved every minute of this book. We read it for my book group, and we all loved it, although many members did not like the way the book ended. Without giving it away, I was one who loved the ending, and think Gavalda made the right choice for her characters.

8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Another young adult read, the novel takes place during WWII in Germany, following the story of one family, with the twist that it is told from the perspective of Death. It is haunting, and beautiful, and so full of incredible imagery. I highly recommend this as well.

9. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - Also a French novel, Hedgehog is a dense book full of philosophy and art and a lot of things I didn't really understand. But it didn't matter, because the heart of this book is the relationship between and young girl and a middle aged woman who forge a friendship that will break your heart. Oh this one made me cry and cry and cry! So good!

10. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz - Actually three books so far, with a fourth due out in March, the Spellmans are a family of private investigators who just can't seem to stay out of each other's business. The main character, Isabel, is a lovable, hilarious, irresponsible twenty something who is fed up with her family digging into her life. But shaking them is tough, and Isabel herself is no saint. There are mysteries weaved into each of the books, but the real story in the family itself. Loved every one of them!

There, I did it! Brief, not necessarily that informative, but now you know which books I really loved. Now I will go back to reading book #53, Angela's Ashes, and think about what sort of challenge I should put down for next year! Happy reading!

The 2009 List:

• 53. Angela's Ashes
• 52. Ford County
  
• 51. Vanishing Acts
• 50. Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Single
• 49. Tender at the Bone
• 48. Catching Fire
• 47. The Hunger Games
• 46. Hands of My Father
• 45. The Girl Next Door
• 44. War Dances
• 43. Lost in a Good Book
• 42. Juliet, Naked
• 41. The Lost Symbol
• 40. Straight Man
• 39. The Art of Racing In the Rain
• 38. The Geography of Bliss
• 37. Her Fearful Symmetry
• 36. The Friday Night Knitting Club
• 35. Shanghai Girls
• 34. Bitter is the New Black
• 33. City of Thieves
• 32. Julie and Julia
• 31. Geek Love
• 30. Fat Girl
  
• 29. The Book Thief
  
• 28. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
  
• 27. Dune Road
  
• 26. All About Lulu
  
• 25. Pretty in Plaid
  
• 24. Hunting and Gathering
  
• 23. Between the Bridge and the River
  
• 22. Watermelon
  
• 21. Breaking Dawn
  
• 20. Eclipse
  
• 19. Real Life and Liars
  
• 18. New Moon
  
• 17. The Eyre Affair
  
• 16. Twilight
  
• 15. Stiff
  
• 14. A Homemade Life
  
• 13. The Invention of Hugo Cabret
  
• 12. Handle with Care
  
• 11. Safer
  
• 10. Thanks for the Memories
  
• 9. The Bean Trees
  
• 8. My Sister's Keeper
  
• 7. Revenge of the Spellmans
  
• 6. The Elegance of the Hedgehog
  
• 5. The Appeal
  
• 4. The Curse of the Spellmans
  
• 3. The Spellman Files
  
• 2. Coraline
  
• 1. The 19th Wife