Books Read: 2009

Nothing really knocked me on my ass this year. King's return was noteworthy and long overdue. Conroy's book was a major disappointment, as was Doctorow. I've finally entered the word of Rebus, which is a cool place to be.

A Boy Alone provided the saddest twist to a work of non-fiction I've experienced in a long time. Denise Duhamel was a fine new poet to me.

If I finished it, the book gets two stars regardless. If the book is a cut above it gets three and four if really good.

It's been tough to find reading time this year. I'll be lucky to finish fifty in 2010. My wife is planning on reading a hundred. Good luck to her.

1) Boy A. Jonathan Trigell. 248 p.
2) George Being George: George Plimpton's Life. Edited by Nelson Aldrich Jr. 423 p. ***
3) On Purpose. Nick Laird. 65 p. ****
4) Berenice Abbott: Changing New York. Bonnie Yochelson. 399 p. (most. pic) ****
5) Ferenc Karinthy. Metropole. 279 p.
6) Charles Laughton: An Intimate Biography. Charles Higham. 239 p.
7) A Boy Named Shel. Lisa Rogak. 239 p. ***
8) Saved. Jack Falla. 276 p.
9) James Tiptree Jr: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon. Julie Phillips. 469 p. ***
10) Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin. K.S. & Carolynn Carreno. 260 p. ****
11) Indelible Acts. A.L. Kennedy. 191 p.
12) Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street. Michael Davis. 379 p. ***
13) I Can See Clearly Now - Brendan Halpin. 272 p.
14) Love, As Always, Kurt Vonnegut as I Knew Him. Loree Rackstraw. 282 p. ***
15) Devil's Garden - Ace Atkins. 354 p. (Worst fiction)
16) The Fire Gospel - Michel Faber. 213 p. ***
17) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Heart Pounding, Jaw Dropping and Gut Wrenching Moments from Buffalo Bills History. Scott Pitoniak. 184 p.
18) Denise Duhamel. Ca-Ching! 86 p. ****
19) Watchmen. Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons. 419 p. ***
20) Angela Sorby. Bird Skin Coat. 79 p. ***
21) Rob Ryan. This is for You. (Unpaged) Horrible greeting card art and sad affirmation poetry.
22) Greg Ames. Buffalo Lockjaw. 304 p. ***
23) Roger Moore. My Word is My Bond. 336 p.
24) A Pint of Plain. Bill Barich. 242 p.
25) American Rust - Phillp Meyer. 367 p. ***
26) Brooklyn - Colm Toibin. 262 p.
27) Tea Time for the Traditionally Built. Alexander McCall Smith. 212 p. ***
28) Columbine. Dave Cullen. 417 p. ****
29) Let the Great World Spin. Colum McCann. 349 p. **** (best fiction)
30) The Real Animal House - Chris Miller. 321 p.
31) Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror - John Ashberry. 83 p.
32) Close to Death - Patricia Smith. 119 p.
33) I am Not Sidney Poitier. Percival Everett. 234 p. ****
34) Miracle Ball: My Hunt for the Shot Heard 'Round the World. Brian Biegel. 224 p. ****
35) Teahouse of the Almighty. Patricia Smith. 91 p. ***
36) Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World. Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone. 215 p. ***
37) Sarah Waters - The Little Stranger. 466 p. ***
38) Glover's Mistake - Nick Laird. 247 p.
39) Marcello in the Real World - Francisco X. Stork. 312 p. ***
40) A Boy Alone: A Brother's Memoir. Karl Taro Greenfeld. 355 p. **** (Best non-fiction)
41) Ian Rankin - Knots and Crosses. 256 p. ****
42) George & Sam: Two Boys, One Family, and Autism. Charlotte Moore. 296 p.
43) Richard Russo. That Old Cape Magic. 261 p. ***
44) Jim Beaver. Life's That Way. 299 p. ***
45) Pat Conroy. South of Broad. 514 p.
46) E.L. Doctorow. Homer and Langley. 208 p.
47) A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge. Josh Neufeld. 193 p. ***
48) The Impostor's Daughter. Laurie Sandell. 247 p. ***
49) Little Bee. Chris Cleave. 271 p.
50) Nick Hornby. Juliet, Naked. 406 p. ***
51) Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. Jon Krakauer. 416 p.
52) Hide and Seek. Ian Rankin. 224 p.
53) The Lost Symbol. Dan Brown. 509 p.
54) American On Purpose. Craig Ferguson. 268 p. ***
55) Highest Duty. Chelsey Sullenberger. 340 p. ***
56) John Irving - Last Night in Twisted River. 554 p. ***
57) Kurt Vonnegut. Look at the Birdie. 251 p. ***
58) Margaret Atwood. The Year of the Flood. 434 p. ****
59) I'm Dying Up Here: Heartbreak and High Times in Stand Up Comedy's Golden Era. William Knoedelseder. 280 p. ****
60) The Adderall Diaries. Steven Elliott. 208 p. ***
61) Last Words. George Carlin. 294 p. ***
62) Chronic City - Jonathan Lethem 480 p. ****
63) Under the Dome - Stephen King. 1074 p. ****
64) Denise Mina. Still Midnight. 368 p. ***