Wednesday, January 14, 2009

`

```What I've read, 2009 edition:
  1. Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies - Very cute.
  2. Dragonheart (new Pern novel) (1-9-09) - Written by Todd instead of Anne, it was pretty good, definitely not a skimpy book, but somehow a bit unfulfilling and/or confusing. I probably need to go read the book that takes place concurrently with it (Dragonsblood, I think).
  3. Ten Kids, No Pets (1-12-09)
  4. Eleven Kids, One Summer (1-13-09)
  5. Broken Chords (1-14-09)
  6. The Burning Bridge (Ranger's Appreintice, Book 2) - Very good stuff
  7. The Icebound Land (Ranger's Apprentice, Book 3) (1-15-09) - Still very good.
  8. Favorite Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose, illustrated by Scott Gustafson (1-15-09) - very lovely illustrations, they'd be perfect framed for a nursery or preschool. Nice colors and some whimsy (the Pieman in "Simple Simon" is a gorilla)
  9. Images of the World: Photography at the National Geograpic (1-16-09) - full of great pictures. There's one of a tiny octopus coming out of the egg (do Octopi hatch?) it's an older book, printed in 1981, so the colors are a bit dated, but still a nice batch of eye-candy.
  10. The Battle for Skandia (Ranger's Apprentice, book 4) (1-19-09) - I really like this series so far. I'd almost hope they're made into a movie, but then I think about the travesty of the "Dark is Rising" movie, and change my mind.
  11. The Duggars: 20 and Counting - because I can't resist a good dose of fluff. Irritating writing at times, though.
  12. Bringing Home the Birkin - Saw the fuss over Birkin bags on Gilmore Girls, and wondered what the attraction was. Still don't see the point of a $25,000 purse, but oh well.
  13. Family secrets - the story of the Dionne quintuplets in Canada. Bad situation all around.
  14. Antiques Flee Mall (A Trash N Treasures Mystery) by Barbara Allen - good fluffy mystery
  15. Grantville Gazette III (1-26-09)
  16. Murder on Monday, by Ann Purser (1-27-09) - First in a series of British mysteries; the main sleuth is a housecleaner. Pretty good. Makes me want to go live in a little British (or Irish, or Scottish) village.
  17. Library Lion (to El Burrito) - Nice kids book, good illustrations.
  18. Sitting Ducks (ditto) - I like the story, but I really loved the illustrations by Michael Bedard.
  19. The Ship Errant, by Jody Lynn Nye (1-29-09) - One of the Brainship books in Anne McCaffrey's series, pretty good one.
  20. Terror on Tuesday, by Ann Purser (2-1-09)
  21. Death from the Skies! (2-2-09)
  22. Dragonsblood (2-3-09)
  23. Doggie Day Care Murder, by Laurien Berenson (2-6-09)
  24. Sorcerer of the North, by John Flanagan - Fifth and latest book in the Ranger's Apprentice series. It jumped forward about 3 years from the last book, but it was very good. Hopefully the missing years will be filled in later. But I can't believe it'll be almost a year before the next volume is out. Sigh.
  25. The Complete Peanuts, 1959-1960 (2-9-09) - Great, as always. Parts of the Halloween and Christmas specials are based on some of these strips, almost word for word.
  26. Vet Confidential (2-9-09) - Skimmed this one, because we don't have a pet of any kind right now (other than tropical fish)
  27. Weeping on Wednesday, by Ann Purser (2-10-09) - From a mystery series that I'm working through. Good stuff, makes me want to live in a little British village.
  28. Santa Clawed, by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown (2-11-09)
  29. ?? Something, I'm sure
  30. Five Fists of Science (2-20-09) - graphic novel, sort of steampunk
  31. Reserved for the Cat (2-21-09) - Mercede Lackey, one of the Elemental Masters series
  32. Extraordinary Engines (2-23-09) - steampunk anthology, with a good story about a robotic Abe Lincoln and the James Gang.
  33. A Killer Collection by J. B. Stanley (3-5-09)
  34. The Tale of Briar Bank (3-5-09)
  35. Theft on Thursday (3-6-09)
  36. Fear on Friday (3-7-09)
  37. Secrets on Saturday (3-9-09)
  38. Sorrow on Sunday
  39. Warning at One
  40. The Darwin Awards, Next Evolution (3-25-09)
  41. The Dragon Pearl - lovely illustrations
  42. The Maze of Bones (39 Clues book 1) (3-26-09) - Interesting premise for a series. If I had more time, I'd try a bit of the online game.
  43. Fight for your Money, by David Bach (3-27-09)
  44. Grantville Gazette I (3-29-09) - Interesting stuff, but I have a few nitpicky things with the horse-power article. It's "Quarter Horse" people, not "Quarterhorse".
  45. A Fatal Appraisal, by J. B. Stanley
  46. National Park Photography, by Tim Fitzharris (3-31-09)
  47. Handle with Care, by Jodi Picoult
  48. Night Passage, by Robert B. Parker (first in the Jesse Stone books) (4-1-09)
  49. Big Box Reuse, by Julia Christensen (4/3/09) - Very interesting read. I'll have to visit one of the featured Reused Boxes next time I go to Lebanon, MO. The library there is a former K-Mart.
  50. Trouble in Paradise, by Robert Parker. Second Jesse Stone book.
  51. A House is Not a Home, the autobiography/memoir of Polly Adler. Not my usual topic (memoir of a "madam" from the 1920s), but interesting just the same.
  52. Ernie, the Autobiography; by Ernest Borgnine. From the book, he seems like a really good guy. (4-9-09)
  53. Death in Paradise - Robert Parker. Third of the Jesse Stone series. Pretty good, but not as good as the movies (the movies have Tom Selleck. 'Nuf said.). Quick reads, too. (4-10-09)
  54. Stone Cold, Robert Parker.
  55. Sea Change, Robert Parker.
  56. Always Looking Up, by Michael J. Fox. Good stuff.
  57. (57) ReVisions - alternate-history short stories (4-14-09)
  58. Lassie Come-Home (childrens' adaptation)
  59. One False Note, by Gordon Korman (39 Clues, book 2) (4-16-09) These are good, but a really fast read. Like, I finished it in about an hour.
  60. High Profile, by Robert Parker.
  61. Stranger in Paradise, by Robert Parker. (4-17-09) - I'm caught up with the Jesse Stone series now.
  62. Save Queen of Sheba
  63. Tears of the Giraffe, by Alexander McCall Smith. (4-20-09) #2 in the Ladies Detective Agency series.
  64. Mommywood, by Tori Spelling. A really fluffy read - took me an hour or so.
  65. The Black Stallion's Shadow, by Steven Farley. The first, I think, written by Walter Farley's son. Interesting, but a couple of odd things. I.e. I don't think a jockey-sized person would have to bend down to tighten a girth, and if The Black is only 6 years old after 20 or so books, he must have been a foal on the island.
  66. Redneck Boy in the Promised Land: the confessions of "Crazy Cooter," by Ben Jones. Pretty good stuff; not focused all on the Dukes days, and he sounds like a guy who would have been a good Congressman. Still in touch with reality.
  67. Pastures New, by Ann Purser. (4-26-09) Not a mystery, but a really good book. It's the first in a series, but unfortunately they all seem to be out of print. It's off to used-book websites for me.
  68. Fast Ships, Black Sails - Short stories, a fantasy/sci-fi/pirates combination. A couple would be interesting as full-length books.
  69. The Universe in a Mirror: the Saga of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Visionaries who Built it (5-4-09) - A very good book, lots of details and background info on the HST. Kind of sad that some of the people who were responsible for its survival haven't been recognized as such.
  70. The Complete Peanuts, 1963-64 - More great classics. The basis for You're (Not) Elected, Charlie Brown is in here, along with bits of the Christmas and Halloween specials. I'm tempted to buy this whole set, but I would cringe at the total cost. Two years of strips per volume, and Peanuts ran for almost 50 years. So 25 volumes at probably $15-$20 each, average. Plus postage. Eeek.
  71. The Last Lincolns (5-8-09) - This was amazingly readable for a heavier history book (and a person with attention span issues lately). It wasn't a quick read, but it was a lot better than I'd expected.
  72. The Tale of Despereaux (5-10-09) - Better than the movie, but they didn't change too much for the screenplay.
  73. We're In This War, Too - letters from women in the military during WWII. Good read.
  74. In Joy Still Felt (Isaac Asmov's autobiography, volume 2) 5-15-09 or so. BIG book, 800 pages or so.
  75. #75 The Demigod Files - companion to the Percy Jackson books
  76. Camera and Lens, by Ansel Adams (5-18-09) - I mostly looked at the pics, since the lens stuff doesn't really apply to a point & shoot digital camera (as far as I can tell).
  77. A Voyage for Madmen - recommended on Wil Wheaton's blog. Good stuff.
  78. Morality for Beautiful Women (5-25-09) - More No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
  79. Martha Speaks - interesting, but hard to read aloud because of all the dialogue balloons.
  80. Martha Blah Blah - see above
  81. Martha Walks the Dog - Ditto.
  82. Quiverful - Recommended by an online friend, and a bit disconcerting.
  83. Tracking Trash (6-9-09)
  84. Corduroy - the original.
  85. Curious George (with original artwork)
  86. Chicks and Salsa (6-16-09) - kids book, pretty funny stuff.
  87. Mornings on horseback, by David McCullough (6-17-09) - The early years of Teddy Roosevelt & his parents. Stops before the Rough Riders and Presidency. Not as exciting/interesting as I'd hoped.
  88. #88 The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet, by Neil DeGrasse Tyson (6-17-09). Pretty interesting and a good read. I found this after he and Bill Nye had guest-star spots on an episode of Stargate: Atlantis.
  89. About the B'nai Bagels, by E. L. Konigsberg. Pretty good stuff, I hadn't read this one. I do love Mixed-up Files, though. I scored my copy of Bagels at the library sale for 50c, and it's autographed by the author.
  90. Paddington Takes the Air, by Michael Bond. Good books are like comfort food for your brain. And Paddington's always a hoot. Can't wait until El Burrito is old enough to appreciate it.
  91. The Girl Mechanic, from the Editors of Popular Mechanics. Interesting, a compilation of old projects from Popular Mechanics.
  92. O Come Ye Back to Ireland: Our First Year in County Clare - by Niall Williams & Christine Breen. Memoir/journal of a couple who moved from New York City to a very small community (6 houses!) in Ireland. (6-27-09)
  93. Prairie Tale, by Melissa Gilbert (7-2-09) - Interesting stuff. Not a lot of dish about Little House, but a good overview of her life so far.
  94. The American Way, by John Ridley, & Georges Jeanty. Graphic novel, pretty good story. And the superhero storyline works well with the graphic format. (7-7-09)
  95. Please DO Feed the Bears (cute kid story)
  96. Laika (7-10-09?) - Graphic novel, based on fact, but semi-fictionalized. Good story.
  97. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Recommended by some magazine or other, this was an entertaining and interesting book. I wish it had a bibliography, though. I'd like to read more about the Guernsey Occupation, but neither the book or the publisher's website has any information about research sources. (Finished 7-11-09)
  98. A Pint of Plain (7-13-09) - Kind of a downer. I didn't know "Irish Pubs" were being franchised and cookie-cuttered across the globe. To continue my Irish Downer theme, I'm reading a couple of books by Niall Williams & Christine Breen. Good stuff, but still.
  99. The Kalahari Typing School for Men (6?-09)
  100. Tesla: Man out of Time, by Margaret Cheney (7-25-09) Interesting stuff. Too bad I missed the Tesla program on History.
  101. The Year of Living Biblically (7-30-09)
  102. Testimony of an Irish Slave Girl (7-31-09)
  103. Rick Sammon's Field guide to Digital Photography (8-1-09_
  104. Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella (8-11-09)
  105. Hounded to Death - Rita Mae Brown (8-14-09)
  106. A Horse of Her Own, by Annie Wedekind. (8-20-09) (A real score - the library just got it a year ago, but someone's pet chewed on it, so I got it for 50c at the sale.) This one is a pretty good teen horse book. Not quite as pie-in-the-sky perfect ending as most.
  107. Child Star: an Autobiography, by Shirley Temple. (8-21-09) Stopped in the 50's, and didn't mention the ambassador work. Otherwise pretty good, although I think she let her father off too easy.
  108. Complete Peanuts 1967-1968 (8-22-09) - The introduction of Franklin.
  109. Book Club: An Unshelved collection (8-24-09) - These are great, possibly one of my favorite comic strips. I may put the full set on my birthday/Christmas list.
  110. My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George. (8-26-09) Don't think I'd read this one before, although I find it hard to believe. Pretty good story. Got the sequel on hold at the library now.
  111. Soul of the Silver Dog, by Lynn Hall. (8-27-09) I've read a lot of Lynn Hall's horse and dog books, and love them. But jeez, sometimes the sad endings are right up there with Marguerite Henry's stuff. (Love her books, too, but there are some I had to stop reading. Too heart-breaking sometimes. Black Gold and King of the Wind especially. And San Domingo. Oh my. Great stuff, but those last chapters are killers.)
  112. The Wand in the Word: Conversations with Writers of Fantasy - edited by Leonard S. Marcus. (8-28-09) Good interviews and insights. Wish there were more, though.
  113. Melting Stones, by Tamora Pierce (8-31-09)
  114. The Full Cupboard of Life, by Alexander McCall Smith (9-1-09)
  115. Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld (09-02-09) Started reading it from the free download that the publisher did last month, and got the whole trilogy from the library this week. Interesting stuff.
  116. Pretties, by Scott Westerfeld (09-03-09). Part 2 of the trilogy. I'm not sure where he's going with all this - is Tally supposed to be the "hero" or is she a dupe? And where does Shay fit into the hero/villain/patsy range?
  117. Specials (09-05-09). Westerfeld again. See above comments.
  118. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies, by Alexander McCall Smith (9-9-09). I'm getting caught up with this series, and I'll be sorry when I run out of new books to read. It's a very engaging setting.
  119. Blue Shoes and Happiness, by Alexander McCall Smith ((9-15-09)
  120. Beka Cooper: Bloodhound, by Tamora Pierce (9-18-09)
  121. The Air We Breathe (9-22-09)
  122. One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II, by Lita Judge
  123. Planting the Trees of Kenya, the story of Wangari Maatha, by Claire A. Nivola (9-22-09)
  124. Calico the Wonder Horse, or The Saga of Stewy Stinker, by Virginia Lee Burton. We've read Mike Mulligan, but I didn't know there were other books, and the illustrations are a different style.
  125. Basil and the Pygmy Cats, by Eve Titus (9-23-09)
  126. The Other Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George
  127. African Queen (9-30-09) - Good book; now I really want to see the movie.
  128. Extras by Scott Westerfeld. (10-05-05)
  129. Gabriel's Horses, by Alison Hart (10-08-09) - Part of a middle-school age trilogy, about a young slave in Kentucky during the Civil War. Interesting stuff.
  130. Well Wished, by Franny Billingsley. Good fantasy fiction, and the author's former lawyer work sort of makes an appearance. (10-08-09)
  131. Gabriel's Triumph, by Alison Hart (10-12-09)
  132. Gabriel's Journey, by Alison Hart (10-13-09)
  133. The Day After Tomorrow (10-14-09) - because I have some weird fascination with Totally Scientifically Improbable Movies, i.e. Armageddon. But I'm glad I didn't spend money to watch this one.
  134. A Sending of Dragons, by Jane Yolen
  135. Dragon's Heart, by Jane Yolen (10-22-09). Fourth in the Pit Dragon series.
  136. Nancy Drew and her Sister Sleuths - Michael G. Cornelius and Melanie E. Gregg (?) Interesting papers, and some leads on more books for my library list.
  137. Chicken and Cat Clean Up - Sara Varon. It's harder than you'd think, to read a book with no words, to a boy with some odd questions.
  138. Did Dinosaurs Eat Pizza? Mysteries Science hasn't solved, by Lenny Hort. Kiddie book
  139. Knitty Kitty, by David Elliott
  140. Military Horses, by Michael Sandler
  141. Born with a Bang: the Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story, by Jennifer Morgan. The beginnings of the universe, for kids. Interesting, but not amazing. (11-03-09)
  142. Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik. A favorite of mine when I was little.
  143. A Kiss for Little Bear, by Else Holmelund Minarik. From storytime last month.
  144. Don't let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, by Mo Willems. ALso from story time.
  145. The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!, by Mo Willems. More pigeon.
  146. Chicken and Cat, by Sara Varon.
  147. Almost Astronauts: 13 Women who Dared to Dream, by Tanya Lee Stone. Very good stuff, about the "Mercury 13" women. (11-05-09)
  148. Wolf-speaker, by Tamora Pierce (10-xx-09)
  149. Birds & Blooms' Ultimate Gardening Guide, by Melinda Myers (11-19-09)
  150. Picture-Perfect Origami, by Nick Robinson. Neat penguin, but I can't get the boat to come out right.
  151. Look to the Stars, by Buzz Aldrin, paintings by Wendell Minor. Lovely pictures.
  152. Lightship, by Brian Floca (another kids book)
  153. That Book Woman, by Heather Henson (another kid book)
  154. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, by Alexander McCall Smith
  155. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, by Alexander McCall Smith (11-2x-09). I'm caught up with the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series now. Back to waiting for the next book to come out.
  156. Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
  157. Until it Hurts: America's Obsession with Youth Sports and How it Harms Our Kids, by Mark Hyman (12-01-09)
  158. (#158!) Beautiful Mess: the Story of Diamond Rio, by Diamond Rio with Tom Roland. Interesting read, I'm glad I saw it at the library because I had no idea they were writing a book.
  159. The White Dragon, by Anne McCaffrey
  160. Dragonquest, by Anne McCaffrey
  161. Freedom's Landing, by Anne McCaffrey
  162. Freedom's Choice, by Anne McCaffrey
  163. Freedom's Challenge, by Anne McCaffrey
  164. Freedom's Ransom, by Anne McCaffrey. Notice a theme? I was prepping and researching for McCaffreyQuest 2009.
  165. Nose for Trouble, by Doranna Durgin
  166. Scent of Danger, by Doranna Durgin. These are the first two books in the "Dale Kinsall series" named for the main character. I like these, but I've liked Doranna's work since I read Dun Lady's Jess about ten years ago.
  167. The Unlikely Disciple, by Kevin Roose (12-21-09)
  168. The Snow Queen, by Mercedes Lackey. (12-25-09) One of her Five Hundred Kingdoms series.
  169. Summoned to Tourney, by Mercedes Lackey (12-09)
  170. Rainbow on a Hard Trail, by Dale Evans Rogers (12-29-09) Interesting, and a good fast read, but a bit chronologically disjointed. Dale's first husband is mentioned briefly, but the second is only referred to in one sentence.
  171. Lily Chin's Crochet Tips and Tricks (12-29-09) - A Christmas present from my wish list, and from a brief skim, it'll come in handy. Her class sounds interesting, too.
  172. Alt Fibers - interesting, but knitting-focused. (12-31-09)
The numbered list isn't working. No good reason; the HTML looks right. Unless OL isn't supported by the latest standards. Hmm.

Sub-list: Returned, but didn't read yet:
  1. North Sea Saga, Paul Jordan. "epic sotry of the North Sea from Sone Age to 20th Century"
  2. The Dinosaur Heretics

No comments: