What I Read in 2009

First quarter:

1. Three Cups of Tea by David Oliver Relin and Greg Mortenson
Awesome book but a slow read. Recommend.

2. Specials by Scott Westerfield
The third book in the series, all of which I recommend.

3. The Snake, the Crocodile & the Dog by Elizabeth Peters
I love this series as well, but they do tend to be kind of long.

4. Head Start with the Book of Mormon by Vicki Lynn Rasmussen
A little book to help you teach your child to read while also teaching them to read the BoM.

5. Lord of the Silent by Elizabeth Peters
See #3

6. The Quickie by James Patterson
Standard James Patterson fare.

7. You've Been Warned by James Patterson
The first time I've met a James Patterson I didn't like. It messed with my head in a not good way.

8. Jacob Have I loved by Katherine Patterson
Never had to read this in elementary school and I really enjoyed it.

9. Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
Meh.

10. Rollerskates by Ruth Sawyer
Yawn.

11. A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
An improvement over #s 9 and 10

12. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
Oh Sarah Dessen. You speak to the 15 year old me. Janssen and I both pretty much want to marry this book.

13. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Loved this SD as well.

14. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Another one most people got to read in elementary but not me. I loved it. Short but very sweet.

15. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Another sweet SD.

16. That Summer by Sarah Dessen
Least favorite SD.

17. The Goodbyes of Magnus Marmalade
A favorite from my mom's childhood and one I still very much enjoy.

18. Favorite Poems to Read Aloud
Another of my mom's. Love!

19. Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott
To quote Janssen, "Perfect YA romance fluff."

20. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Oh man, I LOVED this. Dying for the next one.

21. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
LOVE!

22. The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
LOVE!

23. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
Another good one by SD

24. The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Catherine Called Birdy was one of my favorite books in elementary school so I'm surprised it's taken me this long to read The Midwife's Apprentice. I loved it.

25. The Golden One by Elizabeth Peters
Yet another in the Amelia Peabody series.

26. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
LOVE. Everything I want from a book. Going to pick up the next one (City of Ashes) TODAY and am annoyed that I let Aaron take the car so I can't go get it RIGHT NOW.

27. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Yes. Again. Don't judge.

28. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Still judging me, aren't you.

29. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Shut up.

30. City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau
Enjoyable. The next one is at the library waiting for me right beside City of Ashes.

31. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
A really hard read. Short, but emotionally devastating. Kind of surprised that this is YA because the content is fairly adult (rape and abuse).

32. Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
I listened to this on CD as Janssen suggested and loved every minute of it.

Second quarter:

1. Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Short and so sweet. I read this aloud to Wes.

2. Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
The short and sweet follow up to Love That dog. I seriously loved both of them.

3. Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Fun read but a tad long and slow in parts. My brother insists that the other books in the trilogy aren't nearly as good and I'm debating whether or not it's worth finishing the series.

4. People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau
Yawn. City of Ember was decent but I had to force myself to finish People of Sparks. It took me far longer than most books because I just couldn't get myself to pick it up.

5. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Spent the first 3/4 annoyed at how confused I was and then the last 1/4 bawling because it was so beautiful and wonderful and bittersweet. There's a lot to this book and no room for me to write it. If you want, read Janssen's review here.

6. Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher
I was prepared to love this but was actually kind of bored.

7. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Enjoyable, but a little slow in some parts.

8. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen
Pretty standard SD.

9. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Third in the trilogy and still so wonderful, which is rather rare. I never thought of myself as one who could even tolerate fantasy, but I have really loved this series.

10. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
The back cover of this book describes it as "heartachingly beautiful" and I'd have to agree. Bawled my way through the second half. Really well done.

11. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Excellent summer reading.

12. A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth Bunce
I really wanted to like this book but I was hating life while trying to finish. Too slow for my taste. The middle just about killed my will to live and when someone said the word "mill" in conversation after I finished I actually flinched.

13. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
I just kind of plow through his fiction in order to get to his autobiographical stuff. The stories about his French class trying to use their limited vocabulary to describe Easter and his experience learning about the Dutch concept of Santa Claus were hysterical. His fictional short stories, not so much.

14. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Really enjoyed it except for the fact that the main male character was named Po (gag). But I can see why it won awards and got a bunch of 4 and 5-stars on Goodreads. Strong female lead, solid story, just enough fantasy to keep things interesting.

15. Wake by Lisa McMann
I think I enjoyed this book so much simply because the writing and the concept were so novel and different. Having read as much as I have lately it's nice to experience such a change of pace. It's a lovely story and I'm looking forward to reading Fade.

16. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
Another book that I was prepared to love based on tons of rave reviews but was disappointed. Really meh.

17. Waiting for you by Susane Colasanti
I really enjoyed how there would be 3 paragraphs of The Crazy percolating around in Marisa's brain and then she'd open her mouth and out would come something perfectly normal and maybe even witty. And I was like, why does this sound familiar? Oh yes. That's my brain.

18. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
I know NOTHING about programming but was still able to hang on through the (massively simplified, I think) technobabble and really enjoy the story. A great cautionary tale, solid writing, a smidgen of romance and the ability to totally change my perception of hackers. Not too shabby.

19. Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald
A hearty "meh."

20. Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez
So awesome. I found myself hoping that at some point Debbie would meet Greg Mortenson and together they would save the women and children of the middle east. It hasn't happened yet, but I have faith.

21. The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germophobia, and Laser Hair Removal by Laurie Notaro
Like reading a wonderfully well written blog full of funny and touching short snippets

22. Beauty by Robin McKinley
Some parts were really well written while some parts had me cringing. The dialogue was too clunky.

23. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Somehow I had never read this. I loved every single moment of it, obviously.

24. The Giant Rat of Sumatra by Sid Fleischman
Quick, easy and lovely.

25. Paper Towns by John Green
Really enjoyable..has depth and substance while still occasionally making me snort with laughter

26. Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Longest. audiobook. ever.

27. Phantoms of a Blood-Stained Period: The Complete Civil War Writings by Ambrose Bierce
I half loved/half slogged through this book. The battle accounts were boring to me and didn't hold my attention very well since I had a hard time imagining so-and-so's battalion on the left flank and the cannonade on the center line and blah blah blah, but I really really enjoyed the devil's dictionary and his stories. Especially the ghost-y type ones.

28. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales by Oliver W. Sacks.
Totally fascinating but also a bit difficult. I felt like Sacks didn't know his audience..sometimes he'd massively simplify things and sometimes he'd go on and on in psychobabble and leave me in the dust. I am now terrified my brain will do something weird and erase everything after 1997 or leave me thinking my feet belong to someone else.

29. Tallulah Falls by Christine Fletcher
Fine.

30. Fade by Lisa McMann
Liked it every bit as much as the first. Looking forward to the 3rd.

31. Alphabet of Dreams by Susan Fletcher
A lovely little bit of fiction based on the few biblical references to the Magi.

32. The Entertainer and the Dybbuk by Sid Fleischman
Slowly but surely falling in love with Sid Fleischman. I've read two of his now and thoroughly loved them both. Will definitely be reading the rest of his books.

33. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
A bit Twilight-esque. But shorter! Which was kind of nice.

34. In the Company of Whispers by Sallie Lowenstein
A good and unique read, but I can't get over my annoyance that the biggest mysteries never got explained. I know it's supposed to be all up to my imagination and all but dang it, I want answers people!

35. Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Really enjoyed it. Well done.

36. Wings by Aprilynne Pike
Fine. I expected to like it more than I did though. It didn't grip me.

37. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Lovely and short. My favorite bit was in the introduction when Beedle was described as having "an exceptionally luxuriant beard" but the stories themselves and Dumbledore's notes were all sweet little additions to the world of Harry Potter.

38. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
I had never read this, which I think means I no longer qualify as a girl. I loved it though and am very much looking forward to the other books in the series.

39. The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
Good, but a smidge depressing, as futuristic distopian type novels are oft wont to be.

40. Bloom by Elizabeth Scott
Good summer chick-lit

41. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
A wonderful story about just being yourself. Looking forward to reading the sequel.

42. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The fact that Bod was the same age as Wes when his family was murdered and he wandered off to be adopted by ghosts made me want to bawl (as do all things involving babies, now that I have my own) but I very much enjoyed it

43. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann D. Wyss
Aside from the fact that they were shipwrecked, this was the luckiest. family. ever. If you have to be shipwrecked then be sure to end up on their island because it has everything you could ever possibly need. Great book.

44. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
Fascinating and ridiculously and painfully long. A bit like your favorite science class taught by a really excellent teacher. I frequently found myself laughing out loud even though science is decidedly not my subject.


Third quarter:

1. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
I loved The Giver and had no idea that it had a companion book. I loved it.

2. The Redheaded Princess: A Novel by Ann Rinaldi
I've discovered that I love pretty much anything that has to do with Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and Elizabeth.

3. I Still Have It, I Just Can't Remember Where I Put It by Rita Rudner
I've always thought she was great but now I really love her. This book was clean and giggle-out-loud funny.

4. Left to Tell: Discovering God Admidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza
I don't even know what to say about this book. Heart rending. Awe inspiring. Faith promoting. Amazing. Should be required reading.

5. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Simply gorgeous writing. Because of what it is I can't really say that I enjoyed it, but I can tell you I gave it 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

6. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Really fun. Although I have this insanely strong desire to slap several of the characters.

7. Austenland by Shannon Hale
Fine, but I didn't like that the point is that it's ok to have totally unreasonable expectations because just when you think you're going to have to give up on your totally unreasonable expectations, POOF! All your dreams will come true!

8. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
Totally different from Austenland..would not have guessed they were the same author. But I loved it and am excited to read Enna Burning.

9. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Mixed feelings. One of the things I loved about the first book, Stargirl, was that Stargirl herself was sort of this crazy mystery. In Love, Stargirl it turns out that all the stuff inside her head is ridiculously normal and I couldn't decide if I loved that someone so different was so like me in her head or disappointed because she should have been crazier. The book itself was fine though.

10. Savvy by Ingrid Law
Loved. Want a savvy.

11. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
I'm not sure how I HADN'T heard of this book, considering all the awards and whatnot. But I picked it up on playaway at the library because the blurb on the back sounded good. And I loved it.

12. The Hinky Pink: An Old Tale by Megan McDonald*
Just the type of book I would have loved when I was in elementary school. Cute illustrations.

13. Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Craig Hatkoff*
Somehow I was expecting more from this book. The story is fascinating but for some reason the book felt a little...blah.

14. Kenny & The Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi*
Slow start but I loved the ending.

15. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide (Book 1) by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black*
I didn't particularly enjoy the movie and I think that may have ruined the books for me? Not sure. Going to read a few more to see how I feel.

16. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd*
Question: Why is it that when married women need to "find themselves" in novels they must do it through an affair? Couldn't they just take up surfing or something? Novels about philandering wives make me twitchy. Decent writing but meh.

17. Tithe by Holly Black*
I need something I can relate to in fantasy novels otherwise it all just feels TOO foreign. There was nothing in this book for me to relate to and I mostly just wanted to report her mom to CPS. The second half was better than the first but I still had to push myself to finish.

18. Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline*
Fine.

19. Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
I have a lot to say about this book. Very little of which is positive. I got the first three in this series for free and I'm just going to toss them. Life is too short for bad fiction.

20. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
These books are so much fun. The writing flows. The stories are strong. Just a great ride. So glad there are still 3 more in the series!

21. Fire by Kristin Cashore
Janssen kindly let me read her ARC and I pretty much loved every second of its 461 pages.

22. Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
Good except for it's sort of similar in feel to Fire and reading them within a day of each other got me a little confused about which characters and events belonged to which book.

23. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing Stone (Book 2) by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
I think this series might just be kind of too dark for me, much like Holly Black's Tithe. They're really short, so I'll try one more to see how I feel but I doubt I'll finish the series.

24. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Kind of meh but I am apparently one of the very few who think so. I think YA fantasy is starting to feel sort of formulaic to me maybe?

25. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Hard but beautiful but boring all at the same time.

26. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Holy mother of awesome series. I want to marry Suzanne Collins. That's legal somewhere, right?

27. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
So incredibly awesome.

28. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Yawn.

29. Sorcery & Cecilia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede & Caroline Stevermer

Yet another super awesome book. Love love love.

30. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Pleasantly surprised.

31. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Deeply unsettling but awesome.

32. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
Great setting and premise and a decent story. Except the girl on the cover looks like Scarlett Johansson and the main character's name was Scarlett and for some reason I couldn't get over that.

33. Eastern Standard Tribe by Cory Doctorow
Rather disappointing.

34. Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer
I really love this series.

35. Airman by Eoin Colfer
Becoming a serious fan of Colfer's. My favorite from him thus far.

36. Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer
Amazing and riveting but also bleak and soul-crushing. I have new pity for those stuck in polygamy.

37. The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen
A nice little love story.

38. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Oh Dan Brown. Such crazy talk presented in such logical ways.

39. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Loved. A great story and a great setting.

Fourth Quarter:

1. Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson
So so so good. Especially awesome since I had just been to Ford's Theater and the Peterson house, but I think anyone could enjoy it.

2. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Loved. I saw her speak at the National Book Festival and I fell in love with her and decided to read all her books and they really haven't let me down.

3. River Secrets by Shannon Hale
Loved, even though I wasn't expecting to since I hadn't loved Razo in the previous books.

4. Swimsuit by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Pretty standard James Patterson fare. Fast-paced and enjoyable.

5. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
Love. Obviously. Probably my favorite of hers thus far.

6. Medina Hill by Trilby Kent
Had potential but eh. Reviewed for the book blog tour here.

7. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper
It started off so slowly that I almost gave up but by the end I was intrigued. The 2nd book in the series won a Newbery, so I'd like to stick with it and see where it goes.

8. Aurelia by Anne Osterlund
Not the great American novel, but with intrigue and romance and a princess in danger, what's not to enjoy? Bonus points for being a fairly quick read.

9. The Messenger by Lois Lowry
The sequel to Gathering Blue AND the book that ties The Giver and The Messenger together.

10. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
Not as awesome as the Hunger Games books but not bad for a first book. It's also geared toward a younger audience. A good addition to the boy list. I'd like the read the next one.

11. The Wyrm King: Book 3 of Beyond the Spiderwick by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
Because these books are so short and tend to be kind of confusing anyway I was halfway through before I realized I was reading an entirely different series than The Spiderwick Chronicles that I had halfheartedly been working my way through. So basically I have no idea what I just read.

12. Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer
Continuing to love this series.

13. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
I just bawled and bawled. It's sad to read books about bad things happening to good people. It's so much worse when those bad things actually happened and many good people truly suffered. Poor Afghanistan.

14. Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this because the cover and description make it seem like a total fluff book. But it had this kind of intergalactic politics gone wonky Star Wars vibe going on and I found it all very enjoyable.

15. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
I had non stop zombie nightmares afterward. I was not man enough for this book, apparently.

16. Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrated by Nathan Hale
I've never read a graphic novel before so as far as I'm concerned it was just dandy.

17. Rumors (Luxe #2) by Anna Godbersen
For some reason this one just dragged for me. I flew through the first one but just couldn't get quite as in to the second one.

18. A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb
Beautiful and charming and love.

19. The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
I think this series is only getting better. I can't wait for Wes to read these when he gets older.

20. Cult Insanity: A Memoir of Polygamy, Prophets and Blood Atonement by Irene Spencer
I have nothing but love for Irene Spencer. Both of her memoirs are just...above and beyond. She has the kind of personal strength I wish for myself.

21. Idlewild by Nick Sagan
This was...trippy.

22. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
So good.

23. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Finally, something that is actually worthy of her.

24. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
Amazing and horrifying at the same time.

25. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
So in love with this author.

26. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Aaron's mom pulled this off the shelf and told me it should cut in my reading line. She's usually spot on in her recommendations and she didn't disappoint with this one. Loved it.

27. M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang
Fascinating play based on a true story.

28. Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande
Not quite as awesome as his first but still really really good.

29. When Science Goes Wrong: Twelve Tales from the Dark Side of Discovery by Simon LeVay
Excellent and fascinating stories but the writing gets a tad too technical in parts and there was at least one chapter where a diagram would have really useful.

30. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
Fun little mystery. I think the best part is that it takes place in Venice and it's always fun when books take you to places like that.



I read 146 books this year and about 45,671 pages. Not too shabby!

For the new year I'll be reading the 50 classics listed in the sidebar along with whatever else strikes my fancy. The slower pace will be welcome!

Super Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

From Goodreads:

The New York Times best-selling Freakonomics was a worldwide sensation, selling over four million copies in thirty-five languages and changing the way we look at the world. Now, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner return with SuperFreakonomics, and fans and newcomers alike will find that the freakquel is even bolder, funnier, and more surprising than the first.

Four years in the making, SuperFreakonomics asks not only the tough questions, but the unexpected ones: What's more dangerous, driving drunk or walking drunk? Why is chemotherapy prescribed so often if it's so ineffective? Can a sex change boost your salary?

SuperFreakonomics challenges the way we think all over again, exploring the hidden side of everything with such questions as:

• How is a street prostitute like a department-store Santa?
• Why are doctors so bad at washing their hands?
• How much good do car seats do?
• What's the best way to catch a terrorist?
• Did TV cause a rise in crime?
• What do hurricanes, heart attacks, and highway deaths have in common?
• Are people hard-wired for altruism or selfishness?
• Can eating kangaroo save the planet?
• Which adds more value: a pimp or a Realtor?

Levitt and Dubner mix smart thinking and great storytelling like no one else, whether investigating a solution to global warming or explaining why the price of oral sex has fallen so drastically. By examining how people respond to incentives, they show the world for what it really is – good, bad, ugly, and, in the final analysis, super freaky.

Freakonomics has been imitated many times over – but only now, with SuperFreakonomics, has it met its match.

I love books that challenge my perceptions and make me think of things in a totally new way. Both Freakonomics and Super Freakonomics do that for me. And they do it in a way that is well written and entertaining and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny (the economic impact of a pimp is referred to as the "pimpact").

And as someone who generally finds economics deathly boring and too complex (with apologies to my economics professor father-in-law)(whom I've never taken a class from) the fact that I can really get into and understand these books is a testament to their awesomeness. The authors explain economic principles in a brief, concise way that is followed up by a really memorable example that helped me go, "Ah yes, I get that now." I kind of felt the way I did when reading Bill Bryson's A Brief History of Nearly Everything...like maybe I've just had the wrong professors and the stuff that made me want to throw myself out a window in college could actually be really interesting and worth delving into.

An excellent way to begin my 2010 reading.

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande

From Goodreads:

The struggle to perform well is universal: each one of us faces fatigue, limited resources, and imperfect abilities in whatever we do. But nowhere is this drive to do better more important than in medicine, where lives are on the line with every decision. In his new book, Atul Gawande explores how doctors strive to close the gap between best intentions and best performance in the face of obstacles that sometimes seem insurmountable. Gawandes gripping stories of diligence, ingenuity, and what it means to do right by people take us to battlefield surgical tents in Iraq, to labor and delivery rooms in Boston, to a polio outbreak in India, and to malpractice courtrooms around the country. He discusses the ethical dilemmas of doctors participation in lethal injections, examines the influence of money on modern medicine, and recounts the astoundingly contentious history of hand washing. And as in all his writing, Gawande gives us an inside look at his own life as a practicing surgeon, offering a searingly honest firsthand account of work in a field where mistakes are both unavoidable and unthinkable. At once unflinching and compassionate, Better is an exhilarating journey narrated by arguably the best nonfiction doctor-writer around (Salon). Gawandes investigation into medical professionals and how they progress from merely good to great provides rare insight into the elements of success, illuminating every area of human endeavor.

Aaron read Atul Gawande's first book, Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, right after we first got married. I read about three sentences over his shoulder and promptly commandeered it for myself.

I loved Complications (gave it 5 stars on Goodreads) and I was vaguely aware that he had written another and kept thinking I should go find it but never got around to it. Fortunately, I found it on my in-laws vast and well stocked shelves (it's like living in a library while we're here) and added it to my stack for our two week stay.

Gawande has a knack for writing about something that could be incredibly dry and dull in a way that makes you WANT to read about it. Also, it's so different and refreshing to hear a physician admit that he makes mistakes. And that ALL doctors make mistakes, despite the best of intentions. Both his books discuss how imperfect and imprecise a science medicine is and while it's frightening to have him admit it, it's also strangely reassuring.

Also, Complications gave me a long lasting and irrational fear of necrotizing fasciitis. So there's always that.

Better isn't QUITE as good as Complications, which was a lot more of his personal experiences, but it was still excellent and worth reading. I loved his section on childbirth seeing as it's the only thing in both his books that I've actually experienced, and the chapter on doctors and executions opened my eyes to a serious moral dilemma I had no idea even existed. If he came out with another I'd read it in a heartbeat. I keep coming away from his books with a lot more respect and understanding for medicine and I think that's something we all could use.

The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

From Goodreads:

Jeannette Walls's father always called her "Mountain Goat" and there's perhaps no more apt nickname for a girl who navigated a sheer and towering cliff of childhood both daily and stoically. In The Glass Castle, Walls chronicles her upbringing at the hands of eccentric, nomadic parents--Rose Mary, her frustrated-artist mother, and Rex, her brilliant, alcoholic father. To call the elder Walls's childrearing style laissez faire would be putting it mildly. As Rose Mary and Rex, motivated by whims and paranoia, uprooted their kids time and again, the youngsters (Walls, her brother and two sisters) were left largely to their own devices. But while Rex and Rose Mary firmly believed children learned best from their own mistakes, they themselves never seemed to do so, repeating the same disastrous patterns that eventually landed them on the streets. Walls describes in fascinating detail what it was to be a child in this family, from the embarrassing (wearing shoes held together with safety pins; using markers to color her skin in an effort to camouflage holes in her pants) to the horrific (being told, after a creepy uncle pleasured himself in close proximity, that sexual assault is a crime of perception; and being pimped by her father at a bar). Though Walls has well earned the right to complain, at no point does she play the victim. In fact, Walls' removed, nonjudgmental stance is initially startling, since many of the circumstances she describes could be categorized as abusive (and unquestioningly neglectful). But on the contrary, Walls respects her parents' knack for making hardships feel like adventures, and her love for them--despite their overwhelming self-absorption--resonates from cover to cover.

I have to start by saying that I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads. It's kind of like Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson in that I can't really say that I LIKED it just because of the subject matter. But it's one that I plan on recommending up and down. It's an amazing tale of courage and ingenuity and so much else.

But at the same time, this book was absolutely horrifying. Like...I don't even have words for how disgusted I am with Jeannette Walls' parents. And how much I want to write a strongly worded letter to Child Protective Services for not stepping in at some point. There were times when I wanted to throw this book at the wall because I was so angry that parents could put their children in these situations. The author herself was touched inappropriately or almost raped several times throughout the book. Her brother was molested by their nasty grandmother. Who knows what happened to the other two sisters. Their parents always shrugged it off and told them to deal with it. The blurb above references the following passage on page 184 that I wanted to include a little more fully:

"Mom, Uncle Stanley is behaving inappropriately," I said.
"Oh, you're probably imagining it," she said.
"He groped me! And he's wanking off!"
Mom cocked her head and looked concerned. "Poor Stanley," she said. "He's so lonely."
"But it was gross!"
Mom asked me if I was okay. I shrugged and nodded. "Well, there you go," she said. She said that sexual assault was a crime of perception. "If you don't think you're hurt, then you aren't," she said. "So many women make such a big deal out of these things. But you're stronger than that."

This is me, throwing myself out a window because a mother actually said that to her 13 year old daughter.

The fact that Walls can write this memoir with love and compassion is a testament to her own resilience. The writing itself is strong, the story is compelling and haunting. And eventually she gets her own happy ending. It took me several days to work through it but I know it will stick with me for a long time.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

From Goodreads:

In 1937, Shanghai is the Paris of Asia, a city of great wealth and glamour, the home of millionaires and beggars, gangsters and gamblers, patriots and revolutionaries, artists and warlords. Thanks to the financial security and material comforts provided by their father’s prosperous rickshaw business, twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Though both sisters wave off authority and tradition, they couldn’t be more different: Pearl is a Dragon sign, strong and stubborn, while May is a true Sheep, adorable and placid. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree . . . until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and that in order to repay his debts he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from California to find Chinese brides.

As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that will take them through the Chinese countryside, in and out of the clutch of brutal soldiers, and across the Pacific to the shores of America. In Los Angeles they begin a fresh chapter, trying to find love with the strangers they have married, brushing against the seduction of Hollywood, and striving to embrace American life even as they fight against discrimination, brave Communist witch hunts, and find themselves hemmed in by Chinatown’s old ways and rules.

At its heart, Shanghai Girls is a story of sisters: Pearl and May are inseparable best friends who share hopes, dreams, and a deep connection, but like sisters everywhere they also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. They love each other, but each knows exactly where to drive the knife to hurt the other the most. Along the way they face terrible sacrifices, make impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are–Shanghai girls.

A few years ago my in-laws got me Lisa See's Snowflower and the Secret Fan for Christmas. That was Aaron and I's first real Christmas together (we were on our honeymoon the previous year and didn't really have a Christmas) and we were so excited that we ended up opening all our presents the night before. I sat down with my book and stayed up all night to finish. It's one of those books that has gotten passed around to my friends, my mom, my mom's friends, etc. because it's so good that you just need to share it.

After Snowflower I sought out Lisa See's books only to be heavily disappointed. Nothing was even close to the level and I had more or less given up on her. Each of her other books just made me sad because I knew she was capable of so much more.

Shanghai Girls, while still not quite there, is still leaps and bounds above her other stuff. It has the heart and depth and feeling I remember from Snowflower. It probably won't be one that I pass around to everyone I know, but I feel good about recommending it. The story is solid and beautiful and, as a sister, one that I can totally relate to.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

From Goodreads:

“ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

I don't know why I had such low expectations for this book. Maybe just because it's so ridiculously popular? I've been on the waiting list at the library for.ev.er and I've still got like 30 people ahead of me. So when I saw it sitting on my mother-in-law's shelf after I first arrived I snapped it up and went to work. Because, seriously, for.ev.er.

Story and plot and whatever else aside, the writing in this book made me aspire to greater compositional heights. I frequently found myself rereading sentences just to admire how awesome the wording was. It probably helped that their characters were British and quite clever (or batty), but seriously. My NaNoWriMo project could really benefit from the way the authoresses turned their phrases. It actually made me excited to go back and rewrite my forty whatever thousand words into something more readable.

The plot was really lovely. I swear I've read reviews on this book but for some reason I had no idea what it was about when I started and I was pleasantly surprised. I felt like it had some depth and substance while still feeling like fairly light reading. I loved the characters, I loved learning about the occupation of the Channel Islands (which I had been pretty clueless about), I loved the format (letters back and forth between characters). There was just a lot to like about this book.

Plus, all the characters are drawn together by a deep love of books and reading. How could I argue with that?

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

From Goodreads:

MOST OF MY friends now go to Pius Senior College, but my mother wouldn’t allow it because she says the girls there leave with limited options and she didn’t bring me up to have limitations placed upon me. If you know my mother, you’ll sense there’s an irony there, based on the fact that she is the Queen of the Limitation Placers in my life.

Francesca battles her mother, Mia, constantly over what’s best for her. All Francesca wants is her old friends and her old school, but instead Mia sends her to St. Sebastian’s, an all-boys’ school that has just opened its doors to girls. Now Francesca’s surrounded by hundreds of boys, with only a few other girls for company. All of them weirdos—or worse.

Then one day, Mia is too depressed to get out of bed. One day turns into months, and as her family begins to fall apart, Francesca realizes that without her mother’s high spirits, she hardly knows who she is. But she doesn’t yet realize that she’s more like Mia than she thinks. With a little unlikely help from St. Sebastian’s, she just might be able to save her family, her friends, and—especially—herself.

Apparently Melina Marchetta's first book, Looking for Alibrandi was so good that it actually became part of Australia's school curriculum. I'm just about to spend a couple paragraphs talking about how much I loved Saving Francesca, her second novel. Her third, Jellicoe Road is probably my favorite novel of the year, so much so that I'm about to go pick it up from the library for a second reading and then possibly name my second born after one of the characters. I'm not actually joking on that, either.

I can't WAIT to see what else Marchetta comes out with. She apparently wrote another novel called Finnikin of the Rock after Jellicoe Road but for some reason my library insists on not carrying it, so I have to figure out some way to get my mitts on it. Because I think I am seriously in love with Melina Marchetta.

While Saving Francesca doesn't have the same depth and all around awesomeness of Jellicoe Road, there is still SO MUCH to love. Although, like Jellicoe Road, it's almost difficult to pinpoint WHAT exactly is so awesome about this book.

The main character is relatable and realistic. She has some real trials going on and she responds to them in ways that actually make sense to me. As someone who has a permanent dent from smacking herself in the forehead when a character makes a stupid and non-logical decision in response to a situation, this is a big deal to me.

The supporting characters are awesome and loveable, the situations are real things I saw as a teenager in high school and Francesca's resulting behavior made me think of a bunch of kids I knew who I wrote off as slackers but years later found out had real problems going on outside of school. Plus the friend and boy drama were written in a way that made them totally familiar to me.

I don't know, I just feel like it encapsulated...something...really well. The teenage experience? Growing up and becoming comfortable in your own skin? I don't know, but whatever it is, I related to it.

My one complaint is that the love story and love interest just weren't quite up to par with everything else. I actually spent most of the book waiting for her to fall in love with one of the other male characters (my money was on James) because Will just kept not making the grade. And then the way it came together at the end (despite a humorous fatherly interference at an inopportune time) didn't make much sense to me in the context of the rest of their relationship.

I will leave you with the following passage, which pretty much made my day:

Having boys around at camp is hard. You have to be on the alert. Boys, for example, like exposing themselves. They walk back from the shower blocks with their towels around them, and next minute either someone flashes you, or one of his friends grabs his towel off him and makes a run for it. I have to say it's a bit traumatic at times, not knowing when the next penis will appear.

Bwahahaha