Did you know the Newbery and Caldecott winners were announced this week? I had a feeling this day was coming soon, so last week I looked around the internet a bit to scout some Newbery contenders. Because of this, I was lucky enough to have a copy of this year's winner all checked out from the library and sitting by my bed when the announcement was made. Today, I read that book. And I am here to tell you:You. Must. Read. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. As soon as possible.
For me, this book ranks up there with my very favorite Newbery novels, like Holes, The Westing Game, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and A Wrinkle in Time. Like these classics, it gets the following things just right: a well-crafted story with plenty of mystery, compelling characters who seem like real people, and commentary on the human condition that's not in any way preachy. This book is downright enchanting. Go read it now!!
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So, a few years ago, my nerdy/organized side teamed up with my sappy/reminiscent side to create an Excel spreadsheet, a place to keep track of the books I read. Thanks to a "Year Read" column, I can easily look back on the books I read each year. I thought I'd share my year in reading. There's really nothing here I wouldn't recommend, but my favorites are in red.What I Read in 2009
- The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
- Summerland by Michael Chabon
- An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clarke
- The Gathering by Anne Enright
- The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
- World Without End by Ken Follett
- Coraline by Neil Gaiman
- Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonnell
- Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls by Lynne Jonnell
- Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
- About the B'Nai Bagels by E.L. Konigsburg
- The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
- The Soloist by Steve Lopez
- In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Betty Bao Lord
- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
- Mostly True by Molly O'Neill
- Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park
- A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
- The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
- The Soul of Baseball by Joe Posnanski
- The Machine by Joe Posnanski
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
- Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
- Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
Hi Elizabeth, I will definitely try to get a copy of "When you reach me". It looks interesting. I just finished the "White Mary" by Kira Salak. I liked it.
ReplyDeleteI'm embarrassed to admit that I've only read the baseball-themed books here - the two Posnanski books and The Year of the Boar.
ReplyDeleteAspa, The White Mary sounds intense! I'll keep that one in mind next time I need a real page-turner.
ReplyDeleteken, there are other baseball books on my list, too! Summerland, About the B'Nai Bagels, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, Mostly True, and Keeping Score all have significant baseball action.
how DELIGHTFUL to find your blog! LLLLLOOOOOVVVEE your Christmas card!!! and so fun to see some favorite writings. beautiful birds with wings of blue i send you. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteI came across this site via LinkedIn, so I hope that's not too creepy. Have you heard of a site called GoodReads.com? It's like your Excel spreadsheet idea, but on the web. It's ridiculous in a good way.
Speaking of which, two books I just finished reading are The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, both by Suzanne Collins and parts 1 and 2 of a trilogy known as The Hunger Games trilogy. Part 3 comes out this August. If you haven't read them yet, they're...insane. I could go on forever about them, but you should check them out for yourself. Once I picked them up, I couldn't put them down, though, so if you've got a pressing deadline or something, I'd wait. =P
Nick Hornby: How to be Good (a husband decides to become a good person and gives away his kids toys etc)
ReplyDeleteAnne Tyler: The Ladder of Years (about a mother who runs away from her non-appreciative family)