I'm copying Amy. I wish I could hide it, but I can't. And for the record, she has me beat with numbers by far! How ever did she do it?!? I'm not a great one for writing down deep and insightful thoughts after reading a book, but I did (with my mother's suggestion) start doing this last year and made an Excel spreadsheet to do so.
(I think I'm noticing a trend in my life of constantly creating Excel spreadsheets as a means of organization ....)
Anyhoo, here are my 2008 reads, listed in the order that they were read:
Coal Run ~ O'Dell, Tawni -- Set in a coal-mining town in PA. Heartfelt. Learning to be o-k with one's past.
Peony in Love ~ See, Lisa -- I've read her other book and highly recommend that one, although this one was intriguing. This one dealt with the beliefs of the afterlife and ghosts. Heavily influenced by the idea of ancestral worship. Tells the story through opera, Chinese style.
The Phantom of the Opera ~ LeRoux, Gaston -- A classic that I decided to read again. I spent the two weeks singing all the songs from the musical.
Created to Be His Help-Meet ~ Pearl, Debi -- Given to me as a wedding present and it took me 9 months to complete. Felt that it was quite insightful in the beginning but the end ... I dunno if I'm turning into an ultra-liberal woman or if she was just super-conservative and I was reacting to that. Felt like she believed all marital issues could be solved by having better sex.
The Ragamuffin Gospel ~ Manning, Brennan -- Great devotional book. Deep. Old concepts but told in a real way. Say it in one breath, "Abba, I belong to You" and remember that you are loved, despite being a ragamuffin.
Mozart's Sister ~ Charbonnier, Rita -- Mozart had an older sister that more than likely exceeded his talent? What? Huh. Interesting book. A little melodramatic, but perhaps that is true to history. I don't really know.
The Kitchen Boy ~ Alexander, Robert -- Fabulous historical novel! Intriguing. Couldn't put it down. So much mystique surrounding the Romanov's final days.
Rasputin's Daughter ~ Alexander, Robert -- Same author; same story line, but for me, not as compelling. Didn't feel like I connected with the characters as well. Told the final days of Rasputin's life.
Same Kind of Different As Me ~ Hall, Ron and Denver Moore -- A must-read! A tear-jerker at the end. How do I view the homeless? Am I willing to take a step in that direction? It challenged my thoughts in this area.
A Year in Provence ~ Mayle, Peter -- Oh.My.Word. A wonderful book. Told hilarious (and presumably exaggerated) stories about his life in the south of France. Made me want to move there tomorrow!
A Good Year ~ Mayle, Peter -- Same author; fictional story this time. Another delightful read. This time I felt the urge (often) to drink wine and I'm not even that huge of a fan of wine!
Almost French ~ Turnbull, Sarah -- An ex-pat living in Paris. Her insights of living in another country rang true to me, having spent 2 years in a completely foreign country! Understood her love of two different worlds and being pulled in not knowing who you are anymore. Used vivid descriptions and colorful language.
All Creatures Great and Small ~ Herriot, James -- Not a great book for a book club :), but still a fabulous book. Sincere. Honest. Delightful. Quite humorous. All about animals.
Last Man Standing ~ Baldacci, David -- "24" in book format. Listened to it on a road trip. Kept us on the edge of our seats. And at least kept us from getting bored in the car. Good cop realizes he's got bad dudes.
The Queen and I ~ Townsend, Sue -- Hahaha! Funny, witty book-on-tape we listened to. A fictional story (but tons of satire!) of the Royal family and their unfortunate fall from power. Such sad tales. Such woes. Such trials. How hard it must be to live among the common folk. And how inaccurate Prince Charles is in this book. :)
Longitude ~ Sobel, Dava -- Different than what I thought it was going to be. Told the story about a man who worked to develop the concept of longitude, which was instrumental in establishing Greenwich Mean Time. I was anticipating more of a story rather than a fact telling book, but still eye-opening. I've never thought about what it would be like to sail with no way of really knowing where to go.
The Screwtape Letters ~ Lewis, C.S. -- Read for a book club. I must be abnormal. It just didn't grab my attention. I couldn't get into it at all.
Rainbow 6 ~ Clancy, Tom -- My first Clancy. Took forever to read but wow ... so great! Black-ops. Secret missions. Will the world come to an end??? Will they get the bad guys in time? Will find answer on page 17 bazillion.
Stone Cold ~ Baldacci, David -- 3rd book in series called "The Camel Club". Listened to it in the car going to Indy. Interesting. Good guys. Bad guys. Good guys win at just the last minute.
7 comments:
Thanks so much for the book reviews! I'm going to have to check some of them out! Loved both of Mayle's books too.
You couldn't get into The Screwtape Letters???
I'm going to add The Kitchen Boy and the one on the homeless because of your recommendation.
I know. I'm ashamed cuz I know it's one of your favorites. I almost didn't put it down because of that fact. :)
I own the homeless one if you can't find a copy of it.
I had no idea you were reading so much. You should totally keep your books organized on Goodreads (you joined, right?) that way your friends can take your recommendations right away (hint, hint). My MIL is a voracious reader and I love getting her reviews through Goodreads. One of my goals for this year is to spend less time messing around online and more time reading books.
Both my MIL and Mom both read Same Kind of Different as Me last year. I think my MIL reco'd it to my mom. They both really liked it too.
Way to go, girl! Great list!
Of all the ones you read, Meg, which would be your highest recommendation? I'm getting my 2009 list of reading all ready :)
So great! Thanks for sharing your list. It's fun to see what others have read. I've jotted down notes to add to my "to-read" list. I also loved A Year in Provence and this past year read Acquired Tastes. I'll have to read that other one.
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