Unless Holly has something up her sleeve, this will be the last post of 2009. I want to thank Holly for talking me into this book blogging, and you guys for visiting and commenting and giving us great ideas on new books. I love our little site, and visiting all of your sites and the memes and reviews.

Now for my questions :) Are you reading anything now? Will you be bringing it into 2010 with you? What will your first book of 2010 be? Do you have any book resolutions? Holly kept count of her booking this year and finished 119. She's upped next year's goal to 130 I believe. My goal is to keep count of my booking next year. I just cracked open Supreme Courtship and that will be ringing in the New Year with me.

Everyone have a safe and fun New Year!

I really thought that in this point in my life I had learned all there was to know about the Holocaust. I've been to the museums, seen the movies, heard survivors speak, and studied the awful events in school. I didn't expect to gain a new sense of understanding from this survivors tale.

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History was a shocking, at times truly disturbing account of a family trying to survive day to day during the Holocaust. This is not a cut and dried tale, it is artfully told through a graphic novel.

I went into this novel wondering "why mice?". As you can see from the cover, the center of the swastika is a cat face. Art Spiegelman has used symbolism to portray a cat and mouse game. The jews are all mice, forever foraging for food and shelter, trying to outsmart the cats that want nothing more than to destroy them. The use of this idea in his artwork makes the novel that much more interesting.

I imagine that I could learn something new each time I read this book. There is so much depth, and raw descriptions of what occurred to the authors father and his family. It goes one step deeper in showing how it has affected their lives beyond their time struggling to survive the Holocaust.

A powerful and deeply affecting graphic novel that is an absolute must read.

The Imperfect Enjoyment is truly a manly read. A raunchy romp of a novel written by a self proclaimed "international chick banger".

A mans perspective on finding love, in many different forms, this book was a bit of an eye opener. After reading  some of his blush-worthy debauchery, you wouldn't expect him to find a stable relationship. When he does, its a challenge that he isn't quite sure how to handle. While he arguably takes all the wrong steps towards his own perfect enjoyment, he manages to find the imperfect enjoyment suits him just fine.

What's it all about?
When college instructor Dewan Gibson leaves the Midwest for California, he expects to find a world of breast implants, beer and beaches. Instead he enters a secret and ill-fated romance with a Middle Eastern undergraduate. In this vivid and humorous memoir, Gibson describes his attempts to overcome his forbidden love affair by jumping into an office fling gone wrong (Tijuana Mornings), traveling across the world to Denmark in hopes of meeting "Ms. Booty Mama" (Arhus Ain't for Lovers) and musing over the interracial relationships between his African-American uncles and "rural white women that wore 1980's big bangs and resembled Guns N' Roses groupies" (Too Much Tupac). Toeing the line between stable adulthood and post-college debauchery, Gibson presents a comically honest look at the frailty of modern relationships. Poignant, witty and at times downright hilarious--The Imperfect Enjoyment is a story of toxic relationships and the search for a second chance at love that enlightens and amuses as very few books do.

Mead is days away from graduating college when he flees to his home. There he gets nothing but anger and nagging from his mother who doesn't understand why her son won't accept that a fact that he is a genius and can be so much more than his own father and his uncle, both furniture dealers and undertakers in the family business passed down to them. His uncle loathes him and blames him for the tragedy that has befallen his wife and himself. His dad is as distant as ever, but this time it's not obliviousness that's causing it.
When he comes back to town, he's Teddy again to everyone no matter how much he wishes to remain Mead. Then there's Herman, the reason he left the school in the first place and who has followed him back to his hometown but nobody sees him but Mead. Is Mead losing it?

I really enjoyed this book, and it was nice in that I could just walk away from the book and pick it back up the next day to read more without rushing to finish it. It was great to be intrigued but be able to pace myself and read it at a leisurely place. The plot line was rife with twists and turns unexpected, the characters were vividly written and the story as a whole was extremely satisfying. I think this would be a great one for the Manly Reads

What do you do when you've slapped your daughter in the heat of the moment the night before her fifteenth birthday, and this action causes your daughter to take your keys and disappear? Well, if you're anything like Laura, you'll sit down and write to your daughter and try to explain to her that you know what it was like to be a fifteen year old. That you weren't always a mom who has no idea how to relate to a teenager. You weren't born strict, you became that way to protect your daughter. That you'd give anything to be able to relate to her, but every time you look in her eyes, you see the coldness that keeps you isolated and not able to reach out to help her. That you've known love, you've felt the pain of loss, you've rebelled because your parents couldn't, wouldn't, understand either. And you'll worry and you'll wait and you'll pray that your little girl will be home safely so you can see her on her fifteenth birthday.


A beautifully written, well paced short story, Bishop nails the evocative tone perfectly, conveying the angst and eagerness to relate to a teenage daughter exactly. Also well spun are the tales of Laura, Liz's mom's youth. The pain she experienced, the river of doubt, mistrust and sadness that separated her from her own parents. I finished this book in one sitting. I look forward to much more from George Bishop.

As the year is coming to an end we are reflecting back on the many books we have read and reviewed this year. We have each selected our top 5 books for 2009. Once you finish looking over our list, please comment letting us know what your picks were. If you have a blog, please link us to your "best of 2009" post. Happy New Year, and may 2010 bring us lots of great reads!

Holly's Picks
A powerful novel that I think about quite often. This book will stay with me forever, and I absolutely cherish my copy!"The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" is an epic novel. It should be at the top of every book lovers list of books to read. Hands down, one of the best stories I have ever read. Check out my detailed review here.

I needed a day to process this book after finishing it. This is hands down, one of the most well-written novels I have read in a long time. The character depth is astounding! I felt as though I knew these people, that their story could have been in my family. Check out my detailed review here.

Masterfully written, this book is going on my "favorites" shelf, and this Michelle D. Kwansney is going on my "authors to watch" list.
Check out my detailed review here.

The novel is very well written, and was an absolute breeze to read. This took me by surprise, as it is a book about neurosurgery. An impressive first novel from the author, I eagerly await her next. Check out my detailed review here.

Sookie Stackhouse had me at "Hello". An excellent series, that I will be reading and re-reading for years to come. I highly recommend. To read all of our Sookie Stackhouse content (there is a whole lot!) click here.

Ashley's Picks
I could not put this book down for even a little while, and I was a little disappointed when I got to the end that there wasn't more to read. I'm definitely looking forward to when her next novel is available. Her writing is quick, witty, and endearing. It's light, funny, and quick. A perfect read for a rainy day, or those of us who need something to read on the commute to and from work. Read my detailed review here.

Every once in a while, there's a book that seems written for you. It speaks to you in a way books you love haven't. You don't just visualize the author's words, they leap off the page, and rather than watching the movie in your mind, you are living it. You feel the pain, the joy, the laughter. When the book is finished, you're more than disappointed. I will hold onto the satisfaction this book gave me, and the hunger for more of the same. Hopefully, there will be another book that catches my attention like this one. And soon. Check out my detailed review here.

I couldn't tear myself away from this book, and I knew nothing of the heavily dramatic rumors surrounding Alice in Wonderland, and the people behind the book. Ms. Benjamin has woven a story that enticed me from beginning to end. Check out my detailed review here.

Every emotion possible was covered in this book, and for me felt deeply: heartbreak, love, second chances, anguish, loss, sympathy, agony, joy, lust, anger, pride and hurt. I know I'm particularly susceptible to feeling as if I'm there in many of the novels I read but I think I can say with certainty that this was one of the most evocative pieces of work I've ever read. Check out my detailed review here.

Kevin said in his afterward that he did not want to write this memoir, did not feel that he had lived a life meriting it. Boy is he wrong. His writing is fluid and gripping, his voice raw and evocative. I was glued to the pages and fascinated by this man living his life on his terms and turning something so potentially hurtful (the startles stares of so many) into something so profound (many of his pictures accompany chapters and there's no mistaking the stares he's captured). His humor, drive, and humility shone through throughout and I would highly recommend this to anyone. Read my detailed review here.

The first Alice Sebold book I ever read was Lucky: A Memoir. I actually bought the book without knowing anything about it (I frequently do this)based on the cover art alone. I cannot begin to tell you how utterly shocked I was what was held within. That book was disturbing to the core, so why I would go and elect to read another one of her books I will never know.

I am not saying that The Lovely Bones was a bad book, but I can't say that I enjoyed it. Alice Sebold is a deeply dark writer. The powerful content that she writes about is disturbing and makes me very uncomfortable to read about. That being said, Lucky still pops into my mind from time to time, as will The Lovely Bones.

Sebold has a very dark and somewhat poetic writing style. Occasionally in one of her books you will find a sentence that packs a whallop. This is not a book you can read through quickly, it takes time to digest this book. Emotionally draining, this book is deeply affecting, a powerful read that should not be missed.

Check out the trailer for the film. The trailer seems to portray the book quite well. I more often than not am disappointed in a film version of a book, but hopefully Peter Jackson can do the book justice.



Book Description
"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."
So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, THE LOVELY BONES succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

I have heard good things about this series. In all honesty though, what really draws me to this series is the beautiful covers! I really hope they are awesome, as I know have the first 3 books of the series.
Moving along with broadening my horizions, I put a lot of graphic novels on my list. Looking forward to this one for sure. It was on a lot of "Best of 2009" lists.

Another graphic novel that is on a lot of the "Best of 2009" lists. I like the colors on the cover. Looking forward to reading this, although the book itself is huge! Going to be hard to lug around all day. Wish me luck.

This looks like a super fun and breezy read. I plan to give this to my little sister when I am done reading it.

Obviously I opened this one early!! I adored every second of this book. You simply must run right out and pick up a copy.

I have heard good things about this book. I am in love with french cluture and am excited to see what a french author has to bring to the table that is new and interesting to me. This is next on my TBR list!

A non-book gift that I know most of you can appreciate. Brilliant but cancelled, this TV series launched the careers of a lot of industry greats. Apatow is known now for movies like Knocked up, and the stars of this show were in movies like Superbad, and Pineapple Express, to name a few. Check this series out if you haven't yet had the chance.

Please share what you got! Comment or leave a link to your blog in the comments letting me know what you snagged!