Patricia Harrelson

The books I read in 2009 were varied, leaving me quite satisfied about that aspect of the year.

I got an iPod for Christmas 2008, so I was able to listen to a lot of audiobooks, though I had a weird spell starting in August when I repeatedly rejected my audiobook choices. Later, I returned to 2 of 5 of these books and found them quite agreeable. In the interim, I dove into my fallback escape genre–mystery–swallowing whole a number of these by Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwall, and P.D. James. Then I listened to The Thirteenth Tale read by Bianca Amato, and I was back in the throes of audiobooks. But wait, I get ahead of myself. The year started with some wonderful non-fiction, many in the spiritual vein, and I also read some great poetry this year.

Of all that I read in 2009, here are some that I recommend to others:

The Barn at the End of the World by Mary Rose O’Reilly

A Love of Impermanent Things by Mary Rose O’Reilly

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Standing in the Light: My Life as a Pantheist by Sharman Apt Russell

Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron

The Life of Pi by Tann Martel

Interpretive Work by Elizabeth Bradstreet

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and the Journey of a Generation by Sheila Weber

Jewel by Brett Lott

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

So Far from God by Ana Castillo

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer

Into the Wild by John Krakauer

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larrson

Dog Years by Mark Doty

The Sister by Poppy Adams

The Thirteen Tale by Diane Setterfield

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Neffenegger

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

Stopping on the Edge to Wave by James Baker Hall

See How we Almost Fly by Alison Luterman

The Human Line by Ellen Bass

Mules of Love by Ellen Bass

As you can see, many of these books were published years ago, and I’m just getting to them. I’m so glad that I did, especially Ana Castillo, Jon Krakauer, and Neil Gaiman. I read without direction last year and the result was not bad.

This year, however, I’ve decided to be more purposeful. I’ve made 4 lists of books that I intend to read from:

• 10 books already on my shelves
• 10 books of poetry
• 5 classics I haven’t yet read
• 10 books I will re-read

Next time I’ll post these lists. In the meantime, let me know a few of your favorite reads from 2009.