The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
BEST & WORST BOOKS OF...
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YOUR TOP 10 OF 2009
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Great idea Tanya!
My top reads for 2009, although not all of the books were published in 2009, are:
Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda
Straight Man: A Novel by Richard Russo
Deafening by Frances Itani
A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name: A Novel by Vendela Vida
Galore by Michael Crummey
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Out Stealing Horses: A Novel by Per Petterson
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I would highly recommend all of these novels. Each was a literary gem.
I love threads like this...although they always add to my already way-too-long To Read list! The top books I read in 2009 (don't ask me to rank the order - I loved all of these for various reasons):The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Confections of a Closet Master Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
In the Woods by Tana French
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern (the audiobook is fantastic)
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Top books I read this year, hmmmThe Secret Lives of Dogs, very cute
The Uglies by Scott Westerfield
How To Ditch Your Fairy
Acts of Love by Ibu Patel
A very cute kids book: Anne Lost Her Leg But Found Her Way
The Shadow of the WindThis book is just so different from anything I've ever read before. From the very beginning I got really into the characters and the plot. The imagery and vivid descriptions totally drew me in. My whole way through the book I was wishing that I was a faster reader, because I wanted to know how it ended. At the same time it was very hard for me NOT to flip to the last few pages... and after all of that, the ending still managed to satisfy.
Oh Tanya....Shadow of the Wind is my all-time favorite book...I even traveled to Barcelona to extend my enjoyment and to find all the places mentioned in the book. I loved the trip.
Wow, Elizabeth, that's great! You should share what you saw during your travels with the group if you have time. I, for one, would find it to be very interesting.
I love seeing what people list here! The top 10 books I read in 2009 are as follows (no particular order):
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
What Is the What by Dave Eggers
S. A Novel about the Balkans by Slavenka Drakulić
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Daughter of the Saints Growing Up in Polygamy by Dorothy Allred Solomon
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
Four Spirits A Novel
by Sena Jeter Naslund
My top 10 books in 2009 included some old ones I'm just getting around to reading. In no particular order:Wolf Hall by Hilary Manel--great detail in this story of Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein--I usually am not a big fan of talking dogs, but this one has something to say.
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran--When Cleopatra died her children were taken to Rome. This is a fictional account of her daughter.Hands of My Father A Hearing Boy, His Deaf
Parents, and the Language of Love by Myron Uhlberg--Inspiring memoir of two loving deaf parents and their hearing son.
Bound A Novel by Sally Gunning--Another historical set in colonial America, which addresses slavery, women's rights, and social responisibility in a very readable way.
Nation by Terry Pratchett--One of Pratchet's NOT set in Discworld. Who is included in your nation?
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley--One of the best written children (but not a children's book) this year.
Your Inner Fish A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body by Neil Shubin--A look at the human body and how its system are like other organisms. Very well written.
Older books I read for the first time this year:
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute--WWII and the years immediately following set in the Pacific and Australia. Plucky heroine, heroic love interest (but not mushy)
The Moon Is Down by John Steinbeck--another WWII novel, this one a propaganda effort that is full of quiet anguish and determination.
Sera wrote: "Wow, Elizabeth, that's great! You should share what you saw during your travels with the group if you have time. I, for one, would find it to be very interesting."We saw everything in the back of the book that is on the map. We followed the map...the only place that was difficult to find was Nuria Monfort's apartment...we took over an hour to find it....it was in a secluded courtyard and was beautiful. Barcelona is a beautiful city. It was sooooo fun.
The map was perfect. We saw the store where Daniel's father bought the pen, we saw the street where the Cemetery of Forgotten Books was, we saw the statue of Columbus, we ate in a restaurant called Nuria's, and there is a toy store there called Monfort's....my son and I figured Zafon put those two names together to get the character's name.
Oh..and we walked down Las Ramblas...it is a wide street that has vendors on both sides.
I had so much fun...that was my favorite trip.
Erin's Top 10 Read in 2009...in no particular order
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Columbine - Dave Cullen
American Wife A Novel - Curtis Sittenfeld
Admission - Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson
Girl with a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
The Unlikely Disciple A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University - Kevin Roose
The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
Dewey The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World - Vicki Myron
My TOP 10, in no particular order (not including re-reads)...Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
Shakespeare The World As Stage by Bill Bryson
These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner
Longitude The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of his Time by Dava Sobel
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Night by Elie Wiesel
That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles 65 All-New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life by Joe Schwarcz
Apollo 13 by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger
This year, I also read more YA than I normally do and particularly loved the following...
The Penderwicks A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
And, I just started The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and so far, so good - I think this might end up being another 5-star on my list!
Here is my top 10 for 2009:A Thousand Splendid Suns by
Khaled Hosseini
From a Buick 8 by Stephen King
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
These books all got either As or A+s from me. I didn't include the re-reads of my favorites this year that I still love (Watership Down, Ender's Game, Of Swords and Spells). In no particular order:
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.[image error] The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami.
Saving Francesca by Melina Machetta.[image error] Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
My top 10, in no particular order, except maybe chronological: Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Bear Daughter by Judith Berman
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
Here's hoping that the coming year will hold just as many pleasant surprises!
My Top 10 for the year - none were re-reads:The Book Thief
Child 44
Fair and Tender Ladies
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Help
The Hunger Games
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet A Novel
The Jungle
Pride and Prejudice
What Came Before He Shot Her
The Book thief seems to be a popular book. I have it on my list to read.
My top ten:The Elegance of the Hedgehog
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Help
The Story Sisters
The Girl from Foriegn
The Memorist
The 19th Wife
The Mommy Track series by Ayelet Waldman
Blindman's Bluff by Faye Kellerman
The Last Ember by David Levin
No particular order...1) The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
2) A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
3) The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
4)The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
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5) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
6) Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip
7)The Immortal Fire by Anne Ursu
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8)Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
9)The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
10) The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
The most memorable book I read this year was...(drumroll please)....:
The Book Thief by Markus ZusakMy other favorites were (in no particular order):
Hands of My Father A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love by Myron Uhlberg
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
The Brothers K by David James Duncan
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Braid Helen Frost
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Gilead A Novel by Marilynne Robinson
Traveling with Pomegranates A Mother-Daughter Story by Sue Monk KiddOh shoot, I have to add just ONE more to take my total to 11 Top Books of 2009....
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
My top 10 of 2009:
Julian Comstock A Story of 22nd-Century America by Robert Charles Wilson
Someday My Prince Will Come True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess by Jerramy Fine
Busted Life Inside the Great Mortgage Meltdown by Edmund L. Andrews
Twenties Girl A Novel by Sophie Kinsella
The Various Flavours of Coffee by Anthony Capella
Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman
The Soul Thief by Cecelia Holland
In a Gilded Cageby Rhys Bowen
The X-President by Philip Baruth
Sojourn by Jana G. OliverAnd the 15 runners-up (to make a Top 25):
My favorites from this year were:Out Stealing Horses A Novel by Per Petterson
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Eventide by Kent Haruf
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Shaffer & Barrows
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet A Novel by Jamie Ford
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Last Night in Twisted River A Novel by John Irving
Okay, I will take a stab at this.... Here are the top ten books I read in 2009, in the order in which I read them. Kind of an eclectic list, but that's me. 
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneggerfor not being science-fiction-y
Interred with Their Bones by Jennifer Lee Carrellfor making Shakespeare worthy of a Dan Brown conspiracy
City of Thieves by David Beniofffor making WWII Russia both amusing and sympathetic
Death Of A Hollow Man by Caroline Grahamfor Inspector Barnaby
The Ballad of Frankie Silver by Sharyn McCrumbfor local color
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooksfor turning great art into great fiction
Lost in Austen Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure by Emma Websterfor just plain fun
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novikfor mixing history and fantasy so well it's hard to tell one from the other
New Found Land Lewis & Clark's Voyage of Discovery by Allan Wolffor great characters
Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moorefor making me laugh and not messing with the truth (not too much anyway)
On Love A Novel by Alain de BottonJealousy by Alain Robbe-Grillet
The Wasp Factory A Novel by Iain M. Banks
Villette by Charlotte Brontë
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Passing by Nella Larsen
Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
The Lost Language of Cranes A Novel by David Leavitt
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
The Swarm A Novel by Frank Schatzing
Ok, so it's 12 books, 11 fiction and one non-fiction. But these were all 4-5* reads.
I read Infidel Liz for my book club. I loved it :) It was the first book I totally finished for the book club that year.
1. Coraline2. When You Reach Me
3. Columbine
4. The Book Thief
5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
6. Shutter Island
7. The Strain
8. The Kite Runner
9. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
10. Still Alice
My Top Ten Count Down of 2009!! (What a fun idea!)10.
Eclipse by Stephanie Meyers-- OK, I know its not good literature, but when it comes to enjoyment levels, I had to put something from Twilight on here.
9.
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
8.
Pride and Prejudiceby Jane Austin
7.
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Wilson
6.
Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
5.
House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski
4.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
3.
Transparent Things by Nabakov
2.
Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera (no idea why I can't find the title shot for this)
And the #1 book of the year after careful consideration:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Hmmm, this was a hard one - my top ten for what I read this year, in no order...The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Lush Life A Novel by Richard Price
Made to Stick Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
The Hardest Questions Aren't on the Test Lessons from an Innovative Urban School by Linda Nathan
Saving Fish from Drowning A Novel by Amy Tan
Glad to hear you liked Saving Fish from Drowning, Katy. That's coming up on my TBR list. My top ten, in no order:
Some good reads this year!
I love this list. Thanks for coming up with the idea. Here are my favorites reads of 2009. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. This one really affected me.
Hands of My Father A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love by Myron Uhlberg. Beautiful storytelling.
The Glass Castle byJeannette Walls. Vivid and engrossing.
The Confessions of Max Tivoli byAndrew Sean Greer. Unique.
The Cracker Factory byJoyce Rebeta-Burditt. Out of print, but if you can find it, don't pass it up. Great retro read.
A Girl Named Zippy byHaven Kimmel. Great funny stories.
Travels With Lizbeth Three Years on the Road and on the Streets byLars Eighner. How this brilliant man was homeless says something about our society.
Ham on Rye A Novel by Charles Bukowski. You either love him or hate him. I finally read this and Post Office this year, and I love him.
What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal A Novel byZoë Heller. Great psychological study. The movie was great, too. The cast was perfectly chosen.
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight An African Childhood byAlexandra Fuller. Fascinating and fun.
Katie wrote: "Glad to hear you liked Saving Fish from Drowning, Katy. That's coming up on my TBR list. My top ten, in no order:
[bookcover:Ella Minnow ..."
I read a few of your selections this past year and agree whole heartedly (The Poisonwood Bible and The Bridge of San Luis Rey). I also have a couple on my TBR (Death Comes for the Archbishop, The Namesake, Kavalier & Clay, and Persepolis). I'll move them further up on my TBR.
This is a really hard one, but here goes. This list looks SO different from when I was in grad school, so you will have to excuse the non-literary nature of it (note the later half). I am still in rebellion against my academic roots. Here goes:1.
Wuthering HeightsLove and hate emerge as nearly the same emotion, and the vital role of self-interest in love is exposed. Amazing.
2.
Sense and SensibilityThis Austen novel is extremely relevant to my grad school research topic. Combine that with Jane Austen's general awesomeness, and it was no contest.
3.
The Chronicles of NarniaC.S. Lewis writes with ink the color of truth, and you believe every word, no matter how ludicrous. Beautiful.
4.
PersuasionIt's Austen, so you really cannot go wrong. This is a particular favorite of mine, though.
5.
DraculaI have wanted to read this forever and finally got to it--wasn't disappointed.
6.
The Beautiful and DamnedI liked The Great Gatsby better as a whole, but there are some really lovely pieces in this one.
7.
Od MagicMcKillip's prose is actually more like poetry. Her diction is amazing.
8.
The Blue SwordThe portrayal of women is great as they are strong, central characters.
9.
EclipseYou knew it was coming. I think this is my favorite of the series as the narrative forces Bella into some hard choices. I know people think that Meyer's work is bad, but I think of it as merely underdeveloped. There is SO much there, but the reader needs to take responsibility for pulling some of it out. It's worth it. Any book (or series) that gets this many teen girls reading is cool with me.
10.
Nights of Rain and StarsBinchy, as I understand it, has a lot of mediocre novels. This isn't one of them. The descriptions are so clear that you could be in Greece with the characters, all of whom are uniquely flawed.
Ok, after much thought, I finally have my list, and in no particular order...1. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
2. Mermaids in the Basement
3. The Book Thief
4. The Forgotten Garden
5. The Wednesday Sisters A Novel
6. The Elegance of the Hedgehog
7. The Eyre Affair
8. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
9. Sarah's Key
10. A Little Bit Wicked Life, Love, and Faith in Stages
All of these were 4 or 5 stars for me and a mix from my list. This year was definitely a great year for reading for me as I opened up to mulitple genres and tried new things. Can't wait to see what I love in the coming year!
OK. Let's see, my top 10: 1. Salt A World History
2. The World Without Us
3. The Poisonwood Bible
4. Ender's Game
5. Wolf Hall
6. Team of Rivals The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
7. Shutter Island
8. The Handmaid's Tale
9. The Time Traveler's Wife
10. A Fine Balance
All of these just blew me away.
My top books read in 2009 included: Best Friends Forever A Novel (it's sort of like a happy version of Beaches)
Passport to Romance (what a wonderful coming of age story!)
Hands of My Father A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love (what a wonderful memoir; read by suggestion from this group)
Misery (deliciously sadistic witch, that Annie is - LOL - her character alone bumped up this story a star)
The Pinballs (my favorite re-read)
The Tender Years (a wonderful end to the series)
Crossing the Yard Thirty Years as a Prison Volunteer (reminded me some memoirs are really worth the read - what an inspirational author!)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (made me realize audio-books aren't all that bad, and this one was a wonderful telling of the story)
Eat, Pray, Love One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia (She rambles a LOT, but then again, so do I sometimes - hah!)
Nights in Rodanthe (slow getting started, ended up really invested in the characters)
and my #1 book this year:
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (It made me want to travel there to see the wonders described in the book!)
Yay Jennifer - Jim Dale rocks on the HP audio books. My Top 6: (I didn't read that much this year)
1. The Book Thief - Such a beautiful story.
2. I Am Legend - Excellent writing, very visual.
3. Misery - My first King novel...won't be my last.
4. The Book of Lost Things - So clever and kinda terrifying.
5. World War Z An Oral History of the Zombie War - Aside from the awesome Zombie munching action its actually a good mirror to our current society.
6. Watchmen - Although I rated it 4 stars (because I can't read Graphic Novels very well. I get lost) I thought the story was amazing.
Felina, when you read graphic novels, you need to read them like a comic book and if it is a manga one, you read it right to left, top to bottom.
Yes, I know... numbers 3 and 7 are cheating. :oP but it was hard enough narrowing my list down to this!1. Tale of Two Cities - Dickens
2. The Third Policeman - Flann O'Brien
3. A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Cider House Rules, Last Night in Twisted River: A Novel - all by John Irving
4. House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski
5. Everything That Rises Must Converge - Flannery O'Connor
6. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
7. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close & Everything Is Illuminated: A Novel - Jonathan Safran Foer
8. The End of the Affair - Graham Greene
9. Fool: A Novel - Christopher Moore
10. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Errr... I'm gonna cheat, too, and I'm still coming up with 12 (18 total)... In alphabetical order:
* The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
* City of Bones, City of Ashes, & City of Glass - Cassandra Clare
* The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
* The Goose Girl & Princess Academy - Shannon Hale
* Graceling - Kristin Cashore
* The Hunger Games & Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
* I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, & Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover - Ally Carter
* If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period - Gennifer Choldenko
* To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
* The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch
* A Mango-Shaped Space - Wendy Mass
* Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli
It's hard to pick out my very very favorite, because they were all so great, but I do want to say how awesome The Goose Girl was. I gave it 1 million stars in my review... ;)
I finally have time to figure this out, so here's my top ten for this year. I cheated a bit, too, grouping a few series together. :)1. The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
2. Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
3. Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
4. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
5. The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
6. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
7. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
8. Columbine by Dave Cullen
9. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
10. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Bell Jar A Curse Dark as Gold
Anne of Green Gables
A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Get Real
Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
P.S. Longer Letter Later
In no order :)The Book Thief
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Shadow of the Wind
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Hunger Games
Catching Fire
The Thirteenth Tale
Emma
The Woman in White
1984 Nineteen Eighty-Four
The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
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The Feast of the Goat (other topics)
The Good Earth (other topics)
When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jeannette Walls (other topics)Lars Eighner (other topics)
Joyce Rebeta-Burditt (other topics)
Richard Yates (other topics)
Myron Uhlberg (other topics)
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I thought it would be fun if everyone posted a list of the best books that they read this year.
There's already a thread for reviews and a thread for everyone's 5 star reads. But I want to narrow down the list: Tell me your what were your MOST LOVED books of the year 2009 :)
I'll start us off.
1. The Shadow of the Wind
This book is just so different from anything I've ever read before. From the very beginning I got really into the characters and the plot. The imagery and vivid descriptions totally drew me in. My whole way through the book I was wishing that I was a faster reader, because I wanted to know how it ended. At the same time it was very hard for me NOT to flip to the last few pages... and after all of that, the ending still managed to satisfy.
2. The Book Thief
Read the entire book in a day. Couldn't put it down. Even though the narrator TELLS us the ending before it happens, I loved every minute, and I cried like a baby at some parts. For about two weeks after having read the book, I was still finding myself using some of the expressions that the main characters in the book used. And having death narrate the story was pure genius.
More to come...