Monday, June 1, 2009

2009 Reading List

Many of my friends have blogs that I follow. I check them often and am somewhat disappointed when they do not update semi-regularly. So I wanted to make sure that if I started a blog I would update at least once a week. I think that is sufficient.

My husband has a blog. He is very good at it. He stated in his Blog Manifesto (http://creativeyear.blogspot.com/2009/01/manifesto.html) that if a blog does not have a focus, or a specific purpose it would soon die. Unfortunately I cannot think of a purpose other than just wanting to write down some of the things that I have in my head.
Today, you get a book list. These are the books on my 2009 Reading List. The books whose titles have been bolded are ones I have already read this year. I included the author's name when I knew it.

Amie's 2009 Reading List
Crazy Love - Francis Chan
The Singing - Allison Croggon
Orthodoxy - G.K. Chesterton
A Study in Scarlet
Emma - Jane Austen
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
A People's History of the U.S. - Howard Zinn
People of the Book
River Secrets - Shannon Hale
Freedom of Simplicity - Richard Foster
The Shack - W.P. Young
Wind in the Willows - Grahame
Life Together - Deitrich Bonhoeffer
Story
A Generous Orthodoxy - Brian McLaren
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Enna Burning - Shannon Hale
A Great and Terrible Beauty
Red Letter Christian - Tony Campolo
Letters to a Young Evangelical - Tony Campolo
Contemplative Youth Ministry - Mark Yaconelli
Of Mice and Men - Steinbeck
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
East of Eden - Steinbeck
Coraline - Neil Gaimann
A Little History of the World
World Without End - Ken Follet
The Watchmen
Mysterious Benedict Society
Tiger Rising - Kate DiCamillo
Crusader
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
Chris Farley Biography
Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
French Women Don't Get Fat
Holy Silence
Wisdom in the Waiting - Phyllis Tickle
The Great Emergence - Phyllis Tickle
The Zoo Keeper's Wife
Prayer - Richard Foster
Red Moon Rising
Alphabet Juice
Burning Bright - Tracy Chevalier
Forest Lover - Susan Vreeland
Chasing Vermeer
Forest Born - Shannon Hale
The Time Traveler's Wife
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
UnChristian
Book of a Thousand Days - Shannon Hale
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri
World Made By Hand - James Howard Kunstler
Basic Christianity - John Stott
Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell
Odd and the Frost Giants - Neil Gaiman

There are also some authors I would like to read more of but don't have any specific books of theirs in mind: Henri Nouwen, Ayn Rand, John Keats and T.S. Eliot.

Obviously I've been on a Neil Gaiman kick. I also reread the Twilight series and a few Harry Potters though I didn't include them on the list. I'll probably reread them again before the movies come out. I'm halfway through Outlander and the Watchmen. I've also started Orthodoxy and War and Peace. I don't know if I have the self discipline to read those kinds of things outside of an academic setting. Maybe someday. Also, this list is continually being updated. If you have any suggestions, send them my way. Feel free to share your own 2009 reading list as well.

Ciao.

6 comments:

Matt M said...

It pleases me to see how many of my suggestions made the list. Good luck!

EddieSki said...

I suggest The Road if you haven't read that already. Seems like it would fit along with those books.

Great list!

Anonymous said...

You read Emma but can't make it through Pride and Prejudice? I find that strange. Also, I expected there to be more books in bold.
-Jill

AbominableAmie said...

Pride and Prejudice is one of my most favourite books ever. Don't you know me at all, Jill?

: ) I know... I haven't been reading so much lately and I've also been reading more books that take me longer to read.

17 are bolded. We are on the 21 week of the year. I could catch up and averaging about a book a week. That's pretty good, no?

brandyglows said...

Wow. WOW. I thought I was a serious reader. I was mistaken. Jill thought more should be bolded? That's crisazy! But I'm impressed! And I feel inspired blog a book list soon.

PS. I'm embarrassed to say I couldn't get through Emma [I was supposed to read it for a class a couple of semesters ago - I watched Clueless instead].

I recommend The Blue Parakeet by Scott Mcknight [I'm in the middle of it so I'm not sure if I can truly recommend it yet, but I like it so far and JM gave it rave reviews]. And Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner - she grew up Jewish and converted to Christianity - it's wordy and fascinating. And the Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren. It was amazing. And I always always recommend Mister God, This is Anna. I read it in high school and it's still my favorite book of all time.

JMS said...

Freedom of Simplicity, UnChristian and To Kill a Mockingbird are all available on CD in my old office, fyi. :)

Good luck with War and Peace!