Kathy R's 2009 List

[Kathy]

Well, since I reached 70 in 2008, I would love to reach 75 in 2009, but I definitely plan on 50. I should able to add one tomorrow.

[Kathy]

1. On What Grounds (3 stars)


2. Love Walked In (5 stars)

[Kathy]

3. Belong to Me: A Novel by Marisa de los Santos (5 stars)


4. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (4 stars)

[Kathy]

5. The Loop by Nicholas Evans (5 stars)

[Kathy]

6. The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff (4 stars)


7. Too Close to Home by Linwood Barclay (4 stars)

[Kathy]

8. The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop by Lewis Buzbee (5 stars)


9. The Wednesday Letters by Jason Wright (3 1/2 stars)

10. Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle (4 stars)

[Kathy]

11. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (5 stars)


12. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (4 1/2 stars)

[Kathy]

Since I am reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and each book is between 800-1000 pages, I'm not getting in as many books in a month right now. I'm 3/4 the way through the 3rd book in the series, Voyager, so I'm hoping to get through the next 3 by the end of March or first of April. It will probably cost me my goal of 75 books, but I should still reach my 50 book goal. I'm loving the Outlander series, so the sacrifice is worth it.

[Molly]

Kathy wrote: "Since I am reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and each book is between 800-1000 pages, I'm not getting in as many books in a month right now. I'm 3/4 the way through the 3rd book in t..."

I completely agree - I use this group as a motivator to read more. It's not how many but the fact that I keep plugging away discovering more books. I too have read some long ones this year and was thinking of keeping track of pages read along with the books themselves so as not to be discouraged by small numbers of titles.

[MB (What she read)]

Kathy, you have a loooong road ahead of you with the Outlander series as Gabaldon's newest, "An Echo in the Bone" comes out in November 2009.

I agree with you that they are worth it!

[Carrie]

I've been contemplating reading "The Monsters of Templeton," and stars only tell you so much. Beyond your rating, what did you think of it?

[Kathy]

MB wrote: "Kathy, you have a loooong road ahead of you with the Outlander series as Gabaldon's newest, "An Echo in the Bone" comes out in November 2009.

I agree with you that they are worth it! "

Yes, I know. That's one reason I want to finish all of the published ones in the next month. Then, I can get some other reading done before An Echo in the Bone comes out next fall. I'm glad you think they're worth it, too.

[Kathy]

Carrie wrote: "I've been contemplating reading "The Monsters of Templeton," and stars only tell you so much. Beyond your rating, what did you think of it?"

Well, I thought it was a quirky little mystery. It appealed to me because of its quirkiness, a little off the beaten path. I had a friend who read it who didn't like it as much as I did, and she usually likes quirky, too. It's not a book I just love, but I'm certainly glad I read it.

[Kathy]

13. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon [image error] (5 stars)

[Suzanne Shumaker]

I just finished Outlander and loved it. I am glad to know that the rest of the series is also really good.

[Kathy]

Suzanne wrote: "I just finished Outlander and loved it. I am glad to know that the rest of the series is also really good. "

Well, the second one, Dragonfly in Amber, isn't as good as Outlander and numbers 3 and 4, Voyager and Drums of Autumn. It's not that it's bad, by any means, just not quite as good as the other three. I've been told that #5, Fiery Cross is the worst one, though. Of course, again, I'm sure it's not a terrible book, but it's just that it probably isn't as good as the really great ones.

[Suzanne Shumaker]

Kathy, thanks for the info. It seems like most epics go that way. They're all good but there are definitely the favorites that are the best.

[MB (What she read)]

I confess, I just skimmed through Dragonfly in Amber. I don't think you can really skip it because it sets up too much of what comes later.

[Kathy]

I agree MB. I don't think skipping any of them is an option, way too much goes on in each book.

[Kathy]

14. Drums of Autumnby Diana Gabaldon [image error] (5 stars)

[Kathy]

15. The Fiery Crossby Diana Gabaldon (4 stars)

[Kathy]

16.
Crank by Ellen Hopkins (5 stars)

[Kathy]

17. The Sisters Grimm Book 1 The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley (4 stars)

[Kathy]

18. A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon (5 stars)

I have finally finished the Outlander series, all 6 published so far, and loved it. I am now looking forward to #7, An Echo in the Bone, which comes out in September. I have a lot of reading to catch up on before then, though.

[Kathy]

19. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson [image error] (5 stars)

This book was fantastic! It's been on hold while I read through the Outlander series, and I was so please that it lived up to all the hype about it. I am looking forward to the July release of the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire.

[Kathy]

20. Glass by Ellen Hopkins (4 stars).

Glass is the sequel to Hopkins' book Crank, and both deal with her daughter's addiction to meth. Both books are so eye-opening about the devastation that this highly addictive drug brings to the addicted and the people who love the addict.

[Kathy]

21. Lethal Legacy A Novel by Linda Fairstein (4 stars)

The latest in the Alexandra Cooper series. I loved that it dealt with the New York City Public Library and rare books and maps.

[Kathy]

22. The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry (4 stars)

Witty, quirky, clever use of children classics titles, and one of the best and nicely challenging vocabularies in a book I've come across for kids and young adults.

[Kathy]

23. The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King (4 stars)

The 9th in the great Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series. I enjoyed it, but it's not my favorite in the series.

[Kathy]

24. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman [image error] (5 stars)

[Kathy]

25. Rules by Cynthia Lord (5 stars)

[Kathy]

26. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (5 stars)

[Mary Todd]

[Kathy]

[Kathy]

Mary Todd wrote: "

"

Thanks Mary for the ticker idea. I made one for myself. Cool!

[Mary Todd]

aren't they fun?

[Kathy]

Mary Todd wrote: "aren't they fun?"

Yes, so much fun!

[Kathy]

27. Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin (5 stars)

[Kathy]

28. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult [image error] (5 stars)

[Kathy]

29. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (5 stars)

[Kathy]

30. Silent On The Moor by Deanna Raybourn (5 stars)

[Kathy]

31. The Last Dickens A Novel by Matthew Pearl (5 stars)

[Kathy]

32. The Calder Game by Blue Balliett [image error] (5 stars)

I've been reading some great books lately. This YA mystery was excellent.

[Kathy]

33. The Devil in the White City Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson (5 stars)

[Kathy]

34. Just Take My Heart A Novel by Mary Higgins Clark [image error] (3 stars)

[Kathy]

35. The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry (4 stars)

[Kathy]

36. Wake by Lisa McMann [image error] (4 stars)

[Kathy]

37. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (4 stars)

[Kathy]

38. In the Woods by Tana French (4 stars)

[Kathy]

39. Case Histories A Novel by Kate Atkinson (4 stars)