Books Read in 2009

It’s time to close the excel spreadsheet on my computer titled ‘Books Read in 2009’. Yes, I am one of those geeky writers who keeps a list of every book I read with author’s name and sub-genre/target age group. Reading over the list at the end of the year makes me smile when I see the name of a favorite.

Just a few of my favorite reads this year:

KidLit:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (all four books in the series) by Jeff Kinney
Swindle by Gordon Korman
The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman

Teen Fiction:
Hope was Here by Joan Bauer
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Books for grown-ups:
Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

Favorite Re-read:
Holes by Louis Sachar

As a writer and reader, I am always looking for new books by new authors to try. Care to share your favorite books of the year? Book recommendations are welcome in the comments section.

Required Reading

I read a lot of books in 2008. But it’s required right? Writers must read to keep our fingers on the pulse of the current market. A few years ago, I started keeping a log of books read for the year, so I could go back and check a forgotten title of a book I wanted to recommend to a friend or see how long ago I first read a favorite book (Outlander in 2006). Reading through the lists of titles today felt like looking at photos of past holidays, a few bad ones, but most of them are good memories.

I now keep the list in an excel spreadsheet and it grows from year to year. My number one reading category this year was historical romance with middle grade novels coming in second. I love reading historical romance, but do not ever expect to write in this sub-genre. I think that is one of the main reasons I like it so much. It is just a pleasure to read. And I love middle grade novels because they’re wonderful! Hopefully mine will be on your reading lists one day.

Just a few of my favorite books read in 2008 were:

*The Teacher’s Funeral by Richard Peck (middle grade historical)
*The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (middle grade mystery) [This novel deserves its very own blog post. Stay tuned.]
*Graffiti Girl by Kelly Parra (young adult)
*Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs (women’s fiction)

Books I look forward to reading in 2009:
The Associate by John Grisham
What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

What were your favorite reads of 2008? Are there any books you look forward to reading this year?