Books of 2009

Yeah, yeah, I know what's left of my readers are looking for news of Owen. The kid's still cute and funny -- today he's big on having us stand up and play soccer with him, insisting that we "Stand floor!" and waving his hand down to show us what he wants us to do. He also has become particular about what songs I sing to him and if he doesn't like my selection, he says, "More song!" Let's hope he doesn't say that to his music class teacher later this afternoon.

I've been meaning to post the list of books I read last year since I've heard from some people in the past that they enjoy getting book ideas. So, for what it's worth, here it is, with a few thoughts about some of the most thought-provoking ones.

1. Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson – an eye-opener about life in Afghanistan.
2. American Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld – truly entertaining fictional take on the life of Laura Bush.
3. The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens’s 'A Christmas Carol' Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits, Les Standiford – "A Christmas Carol" is one of my favorite books of all time, and I never knew the impact it had on shaping the holiday as we know it.
4. The Perfect Wife, Ann Gearhart – This biography of Laura Bush helped clear up what was true and what wasn’t in “American Wife.”
5. Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell – this lays out the reasons why luck and timing are often the reason for success. Sorry about your August birthday, O.
6. The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett – a must read for any fan of historical fiction, architecture, England or truly great writing. One of my favorite books of the year.
7. Marrying Mozart, Stephanie Cowell
8. It’s a Boy, ed. Andrea Buchanan – this is one I’ll have to reread once a year as O grows up.
9. Love the One You’re With, Emily Giffin
10. Bright Side of Disaster, Katherine Center
11. Street Gang, Michael Davis – I loved this history of the creation and impact of “Sesame Street”
12. Operating Instructions, Anne Lamott
13. Frankly, My Dear, Molly Haskell – this history of “Gone With the Wind,” another one of my all-time favorite books, got me to pick up the 1,037 page classic again (see No. 18).
14. How the States Got Their Shapes, Mark Stein – enlightening book about how our country became what it is geographically. (Wisconsin really got lost out on a lot of land in order to share Great Lakes access with some other states, but that was part of the bigger plan for geographic equality.)
15. The Lady Elizabeth, Alison Weir – another take on my favorite period for historical fiction by a skilled historian.
16. A Homemade Life, Molly Wizenberg
17. Sippy Cups are not for Chardonnay, Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
18. Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell – Yes, it’s politically incorrect, and yes, Scarlett is an imperfect character to love. I think I avoided rereading this over the years because I was afraid I wouldn’t like it as much as I did when I was 15. No worries, I still loved and devoured it.
19. Heart & Soul, Maeve Binchy – I usually like her books, but this wasn’t one of my favorites.
20. American Parent, Sam Apple – a new father’s take on parenthood. I loved the experiments he did on himself with tear-free shampoos (they really hurt the eyes) and baby food (not very appetizing).
21. Gossip of the Starlings, Nina de Garamont
22. Swimming, Nicola Keegan – a fictional story about a world-class swimmer is perfect choice for anyone going through Olympics withdrawal.
23. Admission, Jean Horwitz
24. Pollyanna, Eleanor H. Porter – Life would be much better if we all played the “Just Being Glad” game more of the time.
25. Not Becoming My Mother, Ruth Reichl – This isn’t a self-help book – I’d love to be like my mother!
26. Skeletons at the Feast, Chris Bohjalian – Another of my favorite reads of the year. I couldn’t put down this book about the eastern front at the end of WWII, and I found myself thinking about the characters and story constantly when I wasn’t reading it.
27. Olivia Joules & the Overactive Imagination, Helen Fielding – a light and entertaining read – just what you’d expect of the author of “Bridget Jones’ Diary.”
28. My Life in France, Julia Child – you’ll have a new appreciation for high-quality cookbooks once you read how much time and effort Child put into her masterpiece on French cooking.
29. Prospect Park West, Amy Sohn – what my life might have been had I stayed in Brooklyn. I’m much happier to have landed in Madison.
30. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Alan Bradley – Flavia, this book’s 12-year-old budding detective, is one of the best protagonists I’ve ever encountered. I can’t wait for the sequel.
31. Missing Mark, Julie Kramer – a breezy murder mystery pursued by a Twin Cities television reporter. Lots of fun.
32. The Girls From Ames, Jeffrey Zaslow – this one made me really miss my high school friends.
33. The Great Escape, Kati Marton
34. The Wild Things, Dave Eggers
35. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss – I figured that if I’m living in Wisconsin, I should know more about Vince Lombardi, even if I’m not a Packers fan.
36. Upstarts!, Donna Fenn
37. Where Men Win Glory, Jon Krakauer – also on the favorite of the year list. Run to the bookstore or library to read this one!
38. The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown – another book that delivers what you’d expect from its author – a can’t-put-it-down read that races across Washington, D.C.
39. In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan
40. The White Queen, Philippa Gregory – one of my favorite authors of historical fiction switches eras to the War of the Roses, and I enjoyed it just as much. I’m looking forward to the next two books in the trilogy.
41. The Guy Not Taken, Jennifer Weiner
42. No Time to Wave Goodbye, Jacqueline Mitchard
43. Live from New York, James A. Miller and Tom Shales – this comprehensive oral history of “Saturday Night Live” covers it all and gives me more respect for this paradigm-shifting show.
44. A Single Man, Christopher Isherwood -- a gripping read that takes place over the course of one day. Now I have to see the movie!
45. Stalking Susan, Julie Kramer