In 2009, I participated in the 50 Book Challenge through my local library. Over the course of the year, I more than met my goal and I re-discovered the simple joy of reading simply for the pleasure of reading. Losing myself in the world of a good book for a little while before I fall asleep at night, in between events at a swim meet, in spare pockets of time, or while waiting for the children at swim team has been absolutely wonderful this year.
In my reading, I don't always get to choose whatever mystery, romance, or thriller interests me. I do read some books specifically for the purpose of preparing to discuss the book with one or more of my children for school. For example, I read "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Forbes over the summer so that my daughter and I could discuss the book when she read it during our American Revolution unit study. I also read some non-fiction - usually related to homeschooling or some aspect of managing my home.
I had thought about setting some more specific goals for myself this year regarding the types of books that I read (for example, more classic books or a certain number of non-fiction books) but then I decided, no. Reading is one of the great joys of my life and I will leave it at that...in 2010, I will just continue to READ to prepare for teaching my children, to better myself as a manager of my home, and (most importantly) for the sheer pleasure of it!
Each month I post the books and movies I read and watched that month along with my reviews. As an end-of-the-year wrap-up, I'm including my full list of books that I read in 2009, along with my reviews which range from 1 to 5 stars. I will be clearing my Shelfari shelf located in my blog sidebar on the last day of December to make room for the books that I will read in 2010!
The 68 Books That I Read in 2009
- Definitely Dead, #6 in the Southern Vampire Mystery Series by Charlaine Harris ****
- Night Embrace, #3 in the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
- Dead as a Doornail, #5 in the Southern Vampire Mystery Series by Charlaine Harris ****
- All Together Dead, #7 in the Southern Vampire Mystery Series by Charlaine Harris ****
- Dance with the Devil, #4 in the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon ****
- Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer ****
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling, audio CD read by Jim Dale *****(This is the second time my daughter and I have listened to this book - I can't recommend the audio CD enough - it is wonderful!)
- Men in Kilts by Katie MacAlister ****
- A Girl's Guide to Vampires by Katie MacAlister ***
- Dead End Dating by Kimberly Raye ***
- One Bite with a Stranger by Christine Warren *
- Seducing His Wife by Janet Chapman ****
- Death of a Dentist by M. C. Beaton ****
- High School at Home, You Can Do It! by Diana Johnson****
- Kiss of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark Hunter series) ****
- Booster Shot - How to Energize Your Homeschool with Unit Studies by Kym Wright *****
- Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox ****
- The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson ***
- Best Practices for Planning Reading and Writing Instruction by A. C. Fornshell **
- Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes - **** (I read this because it will be an assigned book for my daughter during our American Revolution unit next school year. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The historical references were well-done and interesting and the character development was excellent.)
- Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon - ***
- Seize the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon - ***
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling (audiobook) *****
- Kitchen Organization Tips and Secrets by Deniece Schofield ****
- Sins of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon ****
- Mother's Day Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery) by Leslie Meier ***
- Taming the Scotsman by Kinley MacGregor ***
- From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris ****
- Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells ****
- Managers of Their Homes by Steven and Teri Maxwell ****
- Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells ***
- The Organized Homeschooler by Vicki Caruana *
- Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon ****
- Candy Apple Dead by Sammi Carter **
- Relentless by Dean R. Koontz ****
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (audio CD) *****
- Dark Side of the Moon by Sherrilyn Kenyon ***
- The Husband by Dean R. Koontz ****
- The Swimsuit by James Patterson *
- Organize Your Corpses by Mary Jane Maffini ***
- The Stranger in Her Bed by Janet Chapman ****
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (audiobook for the second time!) *****
- Charming the Highlander by Janet Chapman ****
- Sue Patrick's Workbox System, A User's Guide by Sue Patrick ***
- The Death of a Scriptwriter by M.C. Beaton ***
- Moonlight Warrior by Janet Chapman ****
- The Ligtning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book 1) by Rick Riordan ** (The audio book is quite disappointing.)
- Loving the Highlander by Janet Chapman ****
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke ***
- George Washington's Socks by Elvira Woodruff ***
- Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins ****
- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins *****
- Wedding the Highlander by Janet Chapman ***
- The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer **** - Favorite Book of the Year
- Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke ***
- Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt ***
- Highlander Ever After by Jennifer Ashley ***
- Penelope and Prince Charming by Jennifer Ashley ****
- The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner ***
- Deep Trouble (Goosebumps series) by R. L. Stine ***
- The Maze Runner by James Dashner ****
- Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning ****
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens *****
- Twilight by Stephenie Meyer ****
- New Moon by Stephenie Meyer ****
- The Hunger Games **** (My daughter and I listened to this on audio after reading it - loved the book and loved the audio.)
- Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad by Rosemary Sutcliff ***
- Tempting the Highlander by Janet Chapman ***
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