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I wish I had the time and focus to say I read 357 books in 2009, but the truth is I only actually FINISHED around 35 and I don’t think any of them were really “new” books. Here are my six+ favorites:

The New York Trilogy

The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster

Sheer fucking perfection. Sidewalking stories that spiral inward and out, mirroring slightly fractured selves all with the feeling of noir detective stories, but . . . not.

Stardust

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

I know, I’m totally behind the times. And this is only the second of his books I’ve read (the other one being American Gods, parts of which I enjoyed immensely). Basically felt like the PERFECT grown-up bedtime book. I adored it. It’s the kind of book you recognize as something you’ve been longing for (in this case, a fairy tale) a long time and finally found. Note: I felt the same way about The New York Trilogy, but it answered a different longing.

The Abhorsen Trilogy

The Abhorsen Trilogy (Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen) by Garth Nix

Magic, adventure, strong female leads on journeys/missions.

I prefer Philip Pullman’s and Garth Nix’s heroines to Harry Potter. Nothing against J.K. Rowling – I admire her and of course ENJOYED her books and think they’re worth celebrating as a phenom/something we can all (mostly) love in common, but the Harry Potter series didn’t take me to the places His Dark Materials and The Abhorsen Trilogy have, or move me the way those did (and STILL do when I think of them). What I’m trying to say is that if Harry Potter is the be all, end all for you then maybe my book recs won’t work for you.

The Road to Damietta

The Road to Damietta by Scott O’Dell

Historical fiction by the guy we all love for writing Island of the Blue Dolphins. Here’s what I said about it on GoodReads:

Outstanding; I’m so glad I ran across this book that I’d never HEARD of before and wouldn’t have bought if it weren’t for vaguely recalling how hard Island of the Blue Dolphins rocked. I’m not someone who’s into reading about saints or the crusades or Italy or any of that; it’s just a frank, well-researched story of a girl’s infatuation that doesn’t resemble any other cliched overtold version of same. Pulls in so many provocative issues (but in a simply-told, objective way) but most of all is ju…more Outstanding; I’m so glad I ran across this book that I’d never HEARD of before and wouldn’t have bought if it weren’t for vaguely recalling how hard Island of the Blue Dolphins rocked. I’m not someone who’s into reading about saints or the crusades or Italy or any of that; it’s just a frank, well-researched story of a girl’s infatuation that doesn’t resemble any other cliched overtold version of same. Pulls in so many provocative issues (but in a simply-told, objective way) but most of all is just a perfectly told STORY, or story blanketing other stories.

I’m so glad I didn’t know anything about this book or expect anything or see any of it coming. Just beautifully done in a well balanced, simply-stated way (but still very sensually told). I really appreciated this one; it read totally differently from anything else I’ve had my nose in lately.

Especially interesting to read as an alternative YA “romance”/adventure to Twilight, et al. ESPECIALLY considering the criticisms of the religious “agenda” of those books, this is a pretty healthy alternative.

Note: if you’re afraid of reading anything to DO with religion assuming it will be religious itself, you don’t have to worry with this one. Unless you’re one of those people who breaks out in hives at the mere mention of Jesus.

The Motel Life

The Motel Life: A Novel by Willy Vlautin

A book about brothers, it felt close to me. Not because I recognized myself in them in literal ways, but . . . something(s) else. Maybe that part of me that gets sick and fucking tired of most books being about (or written by) people living on the East Coast (specifically the NORTHeast) or in London or fucking California. Maybe it’s just a class thing, I don’t know, but it’s one of the few books I read this year with characters who seemed like people I would actually meet in real life (I suppose after listing so much fantasy you’re like, “DUH, because the other shit you read takes place in the land of fey!”). Again, here’s what I posted on Good Reads:

I couldn’t help hearing most people’s voices in this book sounding like Moe’s voice on The Simpsons. Moe is my fave Simpson character, so maybe that partially explains my love for this beautiful, sad fucking book. The other part of the explanation is just that it’s a pretty special book. I was afraid going into it that it would be unbearably depressing, but it wasn’t. Depressing, yes . . . but just squeaks by as BARELY bearable. I did find myself with tears dripping down my face a few times, but…more I couldn’t help hearing most people’s voices in this book sounding like Moe’s voice on The Simpsons. Moe is my fave Simpson character, so maybe that partially explains my love for this beautiful, sad fucking book. The other part of the explanation is just that it’s a pretty special book. I was afraid going into it that it would be unbearably depressing, but it wasn’t. Depressing, yes . . . but just squeaks by as BARELY bearable. I did find myself with tears dripping down my face a few times, but they were gritty and slow and tiredly sweet, not headache-inducing wailers.

It felt very American, very WESTERN American and like it could have taken place any time between 1930 and the present (even though there are real events that place it in one specific time period).

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

I know!! Another book for kids!! And I totally should’ve read it when I was in fourth grade or whatever, but didn’t, and I’m GLAD because it was so awesome to read new as an adult. And hey, aren’t you glad something written by a woman made my favorites list? Phew! Me too . . .

*****

I mostly just read for pleasure these days, so sorry I don’t have nonfiction in my list. It’s just not relaxing for me to read about things that matter, and I have enough “mattering” in my life for now. Mostly I just want to lose myself in someone else’s story and not feel like I have to DO something about it or commit a bunch of facts to memory. But wait, I actually *did* read some nonfiction . . . it was light stuff, though, that couldn’t come close to edging out my faves.

You can see what I’m reading (and have already read) by visiting my GoodReads profile or checking the badge in my right sidebar (over there >>> to the right and down). My ratings are pretty much meaningless (aren’t those star systems ALWAYS meaningless??) and I’m not good at “reviewing” books, but I enjoy that site a lot and like to see what other people are reading.

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