Books: 2009 in review

January 18, 2010 | 2009,Books,Stephen King,Stieg Larsson

Here’s what I read in 2009.

• Involuntary Joy: A Story of Unexpected Rebirth by Joy M. Newcom [I applied for a job at the local college. When I saw that the person doing the hiring was a published author, I read her book. This one. I didn’t even get an interview. Too bad. It would have been interesting to talk to her about the book.]
• Duma Key by Stephen King
• In Cod We Trust by Eric Dregni
• Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
• Growing up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl by Carol Bodensteiner (her blog is Just Walking This Earth
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• Bellbina, Queen of Weed Park by Laura Juszczyk
• A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
• The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power by Jeff Sharlet
• The Girl who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
• The Night Listener: A Novel by Armistead Maupin
• Zillah’s Gift by Lois West Duffy
• Lights on a Ground of Darkness by Ted Kooser
• The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
• She taught me to eat Artichokes by Mary Kay Shanley
• The Memory Box by Mary Kay Shanley
• The First Paper Girl in Red Oak, Iowa by Elizabeth Stuckey-French

I made a list of Iowa books and authors.
I also participated in a SHE WRITES call to action.

Books I haven’t read yet but should.

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (recommended by Zilpha Underwood)
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Any other suggestions?

Books: Zillah’s Gift

November 14, 2009 | Books,Iowa

I just finished reading Zillah’s Gift by Lois West Duffy. It’s in the 9-12 age category, but it’s a great read about an orphan girl in ancient Persia, who experiences an adventurous journey that involves kings, bandits, shepherds and a precious gift.

I got to meet the author last week, and it was fun hearing her tell the stories behind the book.

Every day SHE WRITES the book

November 13, 2009 | Books

Look! Books by women!

I went to Bookadee, my local bookstore, today. I was inspired by Gloria Feldt, who planned to buy 13 books on Friday the 13th for the She Writes Call to Action. Kamy Wicoff, founder and CEO of She Writes, put out a call to action to protest Publishers Weekly all-male Top 10 of its “Best Books of 2009 List.”

So I bought 11 books today and two others just recently, Zillah’s Gift by Lois West Duffy and Bellbina, Queen of Weed Park by Laura Juszczyk, which brings me to 13 on Friday the 13th.

• Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder
• Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
• Dewey, There’s a Cat in the Library! by Vicki Myron
• Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
• Goldilicious by Victoria Kann
• The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
• Rogue Angel Eternal Journey by Alex Archer
• Rogue Angel Footprints by Alex Archer
• 3 Willows by Ann Brashares
• While I’m Falling by Laura Moriarty
• The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Thank you, Tora, for all your help!

Here are some books I read in 2009 and before.

• The Shriver Report by Maria Shriver
• The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad
• Entwined Lives by Nancy L. Segal
• The Girls by Lori Lansens
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
• Growing Up Country by Carol Bodensteiner
• Identical Strangers by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein
• Indivisible by Two by Nancy L. Segal
• Involuntary Joy by Joy M. Newcom, an author from my new hometown in Iowa
• Iowa Curiosities by Dan Coffey and Eric Jones with Berit Thorkelson
• Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
• Patriotic Grace by Peggy Noonan
• A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown
• Rumors of our Progress have been Greatly Exaggerated by Carolyn B. Maloney
• The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
• Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman
• You’re Amazing! by Claire Mysko

Books: The Night Listener

November 8, 2009 | Books

I just finished reading The Night Listener: A Novel by Armistead Maupin. I feel sort of like a chump after reading it but not as gullible as Gabriel Noone (and, one might guess — Maupin). No, I felt chumpy because if I’d heard the true story, I’d forgotten it. The book is almost 10 years old. Gah. (It’s got a “bargain priced” sticker on it so who knows when or where I got it.) I know who Maupin is, but I’d never read any of his work. I’m not sure why I chose to read it now, but it’s the second book almost in a row to make me think, gee, are *all* the people in Wisconsin crazy? Which made me hesitate when I saw this book yesterday:

Except for the Oprah sticker on front, it looked terribly inviting. What I read on the book jacket made it sound like a wonderful story … except the thing about Wisconsin. Nah, I thought. I think I need to stop with the crazy cheeseheads for a while. But then the bookstore owner unintentionally talked me into it by telling me how much she liked it. So, I’ll read it soon.

In the meantime, I’m reading this.

I got to meet the author yesterday. More on that when I’m done reading.

But … back to Maupin. He’s such a helpless romantic, and that annoys me. But I can mostly forgive that because of his stories (especially the bejewelled elephants) and the way he tells them. His Gabriel Noone wanted to get the story right. And he did. Just not in the way he intended.