Last Year's Books

So, here's the list of books I read in 2009. It's a bit later than usual, due to a Major Life Event commonly known as a new baby. But here it is all the same. Listing all the books I read in the past year is something I started doing on my Inscriptions blog several years ago, and I'm posting this list there as well. Some of my book reviews I've linked to are on that blog, not here.

January

• Women of Valor: The Rochambelles on the WWII Front by Ellen Hampton
• I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnik
• Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde

February

• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Complete Short Stories of Jeffrey Archer by Jeffrey Archer

March

• The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
• A Darker Place by Laurie R. King

April

• Not Quite Dead Enough by Rex Stout
• Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

May

• Hollywood Buzz (Starring Pucci Lewis) by Margit Liesche
• The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
• Giant by Edna Ferber

June

• Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier
• Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

July

• Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
• The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

August

• O Jerusalem by Laurie R. King

September

• 101 Things You Didn't Know About Jane Austen by Patrice Hannon

October

• Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs

November

• A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King
• By Myself by Lauren Bacall

December

• The Watcher's Guide: Volume 1 by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder

Pretty different mix from the year before in one major way: in 2009, I read six books I'd read at least once before; in 2008, nary a one. A lot of old favorite authors this year: Jasper Fforde, Rex Stout, Laurie R. King, J.R.R. Tolkien. And two new authors who quickly gained my appreciation: Jeffrey Archer (for his mad plot-twisting skills) and Kathy Reichs (for her plotting prowess and technical knowledge). Two non-fiction books, one memoir, one play, a healthy dose of fantasy, several novels, and gobs of mysteries. A satisfying year, for sure! If a somewhat scanty one -- the older my son gets, the less time I have to read. Now that I have a baby daughter too... who knows what 2010's list will look like!