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Finish Line 2009! >
Dini's List for 2009 - 50 and ongoing
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51. Life of Pi by Yann MartelThe bulk of the book when Pi was drifting on a boat in the ocean was rather dull, but some parts in the beginning and end were good. In the end it makes you think, which is something I like.
50. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz ZafonI like the Gothic feel of the book. The mystery keeps the reader guessing -- although there was one thing that I guessed right from the beginning.
FINISH LINE! YAY!!!!!
49. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldA bit dull at first but gets better as the story progresses. A great accompaniment if you want to learn about American history in the 1920s.
One more book to go!!
48. Oeroeg by Hella S. HaasseVery short and leaves a lot to be desired. But I liked the descriptions of nature in it.
47. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson BurnettI absolutely adore this book. I can't believe I hadn't read this sooner! Sara Crewe has officially entered my list of the awesomest female literary characters ever.
45. Paris Lumiere de l'Amour by Rosita SihombingAn interesting and informative non-fiction book, but lacks coherence as a whole.
44. Ptolemy's Gate - Gerbang Ptolemy by Jonathan StroudThe final book in the Bartimaeus trilogy brings us magical rebellion and radical conspiracies, and in the end gets the three main characters closer than ever before. A fantasy series not to be missed.
43. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García MárquezThe writing style is dense though beautiful, and the main character irks me. But I think I understand why people appreciate this book.
42. The Golem's Eye - Mata Golem by Jonathan StroudStill as funny and action-packed as the previous book. I find myself rushing the chapters told from Kitty's point of view because I would much rather read about Bartimaeus, but the part with Kitty in the mausoleum was very creepy. Especially when you read it at 1 AM like I did.
41. The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan StroudI like the author's new take on the world of magicians. The book is dark and suspenseful but also very funny thanks to the hilarious, wisecracking djinni Bartimaeus -- one of the most interesting literary characters I've found in a while.
40. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie BarrowsA sweet and funny book for bibliophiles.
39. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace ThackerayI finally finished this monster book! It was witty, snarky and funny, but some parts really dragged on too long. For "a novel without a hero", I'm glad the good characters get a good ending.
Hi Nicole. I'm finding Gaarder's shorter books very interesting, but the best so far is definitely Bibbi Bokken's Magic Library.
Thanks for reminding me of Jostein gaarder, I loved his book Sophie's World A Novel about the History of Philosophy which I read when I was eleven, but haven't read some of his other books. I'm glad you liked them :)
38. The Little Lady Agency in the Big Apple by Hester BrowneJust when you think you know where the story is headed, it turns the other way. A nice sequel -- I'll definitely read the next Little Lady book.
37. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. RowlingShort and enchanting tales. My favorite is "The Fountain of Fair Fortune".
36. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry PratchettFun and wacky, but a bit too long. A few characters less also would have been great.
35. The Children by Edith WhartonThis one exceeded my expectations. Wonderful in a bittersweet way.
15 more books to go!
34. Cecilia dan Malaikat Ariel Kisah Indah Dialog Surga dan Bumi by Jostein GaarderTranslated from Through a Glass, Darkly. Sweet and sad, but can get a bit draggy because it mainly consists of conversation between the two main characters.
33. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman CapoteNot much of a page-turner, and Holly Golightly's character didn't manage to gain my sympathy either.
32. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine HarrisDefinitely trashy, though the mystery part was good. I don't think I'll be reading more of this series.
31. The Wisdom of Whores Bureaucrats, Brothels, and the Business of AIDS by Elizabeth PisaniA no-nonsense analysis on the AIDS industry that manages to be funny and personal but still balanced and informative at the same time.
30. Mansfield Park by Jane AustenMy last and quite possibly favorite Austen novel. Now I can watch the movie! LOL.
29. The Witch of Portobello by Paulo CoelhoI enjoyed this book although some parts were a bit far-fetched. There were a few nice twists, especially in the ending, and some of the spiritual aspects were also inspiring.
28. The Graveyard Book by Neil GaimanLight and enjoyable, with Gaiman's usual touch of horror and the supernatural.
Thanks for the recommendation, Lisa. I think I've heard that title somewhere but didn't know what the book was about.
Dini, The Thirteenth Tale is one of my favorites. I loved the gothic feel of the book. Since you liked it too, I'd like to recommend another favorite of mine.....The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's another gothic suspense surrounding the mysterious author of a book that the main character finds in The Cemetery of Forgotten Books.
26. Gadis Jeruk Sebuah Dongeng Tentang Kehidupan by Jostein GaarderAnother novel with philosophical elements from Gaarder, translated from The Orange Girl. Short and meaningful.
25. A Very Yuppy Wedding by Ika NatassaA light chick lit novel in Indonesian, with smooth-flowing dialogue.
24. Mi Familia by Sylvia L' NamiraA nice book written by a friend. She really knows how to tap into the female emotion.
Hi MB, thanks for the recommendation. I'm gonna check out the second Little Lady book some time and maybe also the third one.
Hi Dini, I liked "The Little Lady Agency" as well. It was fun. The second book, "Little Lady, Big Apple" wasn't bad. I wasn't hugely fond of the third one and didn't finish it.
She does have a new book coming out soon called "The Finishing Touches". I'm looking forward to that one!
Good Morning Dini,
I just swapped for this book on swaptree. I heard it was good and unusual for chick lit. I'll send you a note after I read it!
Congratulations on 22 books!
22. The Little Lady Agency by Hester BrowneThis was somewhat different from the usual chick lit, but still funny and enjoyable.
21. Norwegian Wood by Haruki MurakamiIt was just all right for me. The story drags on in parts because everybody keep launching into the story of their life when talking to the main character.
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