lit*chick

My Top Ten Reads of 2009 and a few more

My ya fiction list quickly morphed into this list consisting of my top 10 books read in 2009. Most were published this year but let this serve as my disclaimer.  Here are my picks - including contemporary fiction, memoirs, and ya/juvenile fiction.

Top Ten

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Undercover by Beth Kephart 

When You Reach Me  by Rebecca Stead

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson 

An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenburg

 Still Alice by Lisa Genova

The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano

 Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

The Girl with No Shadow by Joann Harris

highly recommended/shortlisted:

Take This Bread by Sara Miles

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

April & Oliver by Tess Callahan

Happens Every Day: An All Too True Story by Isabel Gillies

  TheElegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

A Friend of the Family by Lauren Grodstein

 The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig

No booklist from me would be complete without a giveaway. I have a new copy of When You Reach Me to send to a lovely reader.  Leave me a comment and tell me a few of your faves this year. Comments will remain open through midnight est, Thursday, December 10th.

The End.

10 on Tuesday...Back to Life Edition

1. We just returned from a most wonderful and restorative time at the beach. Here is the dude crew:

 
2. Evie is almost 4 months old. How can that be?  She's working on rolling over and losing hair, progressing in both areas. Happy as ever.

 
3. Owen told his teacher the best part of vacation was looking for sea glass. That was a mama & boys activity and he really had an eye for it. As in

mama: let's look for sea glass

Owen: (bends over) like this?

mama: um, yeah.

Owen: and this?

mama: uh huh.

I spent 3 days finding my first piece. Right. 

4. Part of the loveliness that was our vacation included mama reading LOTS. I finished:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (2nd in the Hunger Games series)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

  Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

    Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

4. I'm excited that my favorite children's book "trilogy" is now a board book set. This is my new go-to baby gift.

Go AKR!

5. This year we did not have our traditional bag o' books. The Kindle at work. We did have the technology tote...a sign of the times I suppose. Yeesh.

6. Speaking of Kindle...they are down to $259.

7. Ready for October and all that it brings - even the sweater weather. I must admit I didn't expect it immediately, but cold mornings are jolting us back to reality. And I'm back to hot coffee and lots of it.

7. While away we discovered there is a name for when you learn something and then it seems like its everywhere - Baader Meinhof Phenomenon. And now you'll hear Baader Meinhof Phenomenon at every turn....tee hee.

8. How about another Evie? just because.

there's our lil hootie.

9. Can someone explain Tumblr to me?  I'm seeing it, and it looks cool. Is it like an online bulletin board?

10. Looking forward to returning to a more regular blog schedule. I've missed you, my peeps.

*I realize this is posting on Wednesday, but my loophole is that 8 of the 10 items were written on Tuesday - I blame my browser for locking me out repeatedly from 10pm on.

The End.

Three for Thursday: Parent's Choice

1. KWB's next school project is "Parent's Choice" - picking our fave from when we were that age. I'm thinking From the Mixed- Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. It's time to introduce Ms. Konigsburg to the boy, methinks.

2. Overheard at our house: "Get your foot out of my LEGpit" (i always wondered what that part behind your knees is called, now I know)

3. One more day until some lucky reader wins a copy of Tomato Girl - it's not too late to enter at THIS POST.

Happy Thursday!

The End.

Ten on Tuesday: Pack It In

1. Will be posting sometime later regarding packing for vacay. Specifically the reading bag. Ugh.

2. Caleb is reading chapter books - Magic Tree House. Two boys down, one to go.

3. Still deciding about the National Book Festival - have to balance my desire to go with practical issues like packing and leaving. I so want to be that person who can handle it all.

4. Oh, before I forget - Happy Fall!

5. I'm putting off the Reading Round Robin until after Christmas. We'll need something fun in January and February - the cold, dud months. (no offense to those who enjoy those months, i'm a january bday girl so i feel like i can complain) And if you knew the plan, you'd be happy to postpone!  Let's just say, I hope you enjoy your local Post Office.

6. I posted a review of the Duran Duran book, complete with video, on the feed.

7. For a complete change of subject - I like this at seejanework.

8. Join in the Reading Revolution - read about it at Books on the Nightstand.

9. There is a Matrimony book discussion going on. Feel free to jump in.

10. Don't forget to sign up for the GIVEAWAY here.

The End.