These are not reviews, but I'm afraid if I wait until I get my own computer back and write a decent review or two, someone will already have started reading an inferior book just because I didn't warn them.
You might guess from the list of Abandoned Books that those would not be recommended, and you'd be right. But even some of them might be worth the reading for someone else. I just don't have time--I'm counting the minutes, almost, and easily get impatient, if I start to feel that there isn't enough return for my efforts.
But of the books that I completed, there are also some that I would put on the Worst Books Read in 2009 list:
Pig Tale
Living With the Laird
The End of Suffering
And my Favorites of the Year were:
The Architecture of Happiness
The Birds Fall Down
A Thousand Splendid Suns
The Inner Kingdom
I plan to write further on Architecture and Suffering [Suffering is now linked to a review]. And in the upcoming year I want to keep better account of what I read, and maybe do a better job of reviewing, so that next January it will be a snap to post my lists, and they will have more information attached.
To all my reader readers, may your books be nourishing in 2010!
6 comments:
Yes, I'm looking forward to reflecting on my book list. So far, no books! I have to read Ender's Game for school. I have to read it today. Yikes.
I'll be interested to read your comments about The End of Suffering, which is a book I've had on my list.
My worst book of the year would be Lorrie Moore's A Gate at the Stairs. Horrible in so many ways.
Happy New Year!
frances
I recommend, dear Miss Gretchen, ‘Miss Happiness and Miss Flower’ by Rumer Godden, the tale of two lonely wee Japanese dolls and Mary who builds them a real Japanese house. My sister and I often read it aloud to each other of an evening.
I love your lists, and am jotting down a couple on my To Read 2010 list. One of these days, I'm going to get my own together, but I keep forgetting what I read - one of the reasons I started a blog: to keep track in one place.
Thank you, Miss Tilney. I like Godden, and dolls, so that book should please!
I agree, Emily, about the usefulness of a blog for keeping track of these things.
Frances, I just updated my blog with a review of The End of Suffering. Thanks for the prod.
Oh, I'll look forward to your notes on Architecture of Happiness! It's in my to-read pile. I bought the book for Christmas for my son-in-law who is in architecture school, and then I found out that he already owns it. Having read, and thoroughly enjoyed, Alain de Botton before, and being interested in architecture (especially how it affects us), I decided to keep the book and read it myself.
Will look for your notes on the book!
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