2009 is upon us … and I have a few reading goals. I have quite a few books in my TBR pile and I have some really wonderful perpetual challenges I have been working on. In 2008, those challenges got put aside as I focused on time-limited challenges. But in 2009, I’m determined to make a dent in the perpetual lists. I have stolen Michelle’s idea of listing all perpetual challenges in one post with the books I hope to read in 2009. I am going to list the books for each project which already reside on my shelves and set a goal of how many books from each list I’d like to read in 2009. Here they are:
My goal for 2009: 5 books
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz (winner 2008)
- The Known World, by Edward P. Jones (winner 2004)
- Empire Falls, by Richard Russo (winner 2002)
- Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri (winner 2000)
- American Pastoral, by Philip Roth (winner 1998)
- The Stone Diaries, by Carol Shield (winner 1995)
- A Thousand Acres, by Jane Smiley (winner 1992)
- Breathing Lessons, by Anned Tyler (winner 1989)
- Beloved, by Toni Morrison (winner 1988)
- The Optimist’s Daughter, by Eudora Welty (winner 1973)
- All The King’s Men, by Robert Penn Warren (winner 1947)
- The Magnificent Ambersons, by Booth Tarkington (winner 1919)
My goal for 2009: 5 books
- The White Tiger, by Aravind Adiga (winner 2008) – COMPLETED January 3, 2009; rated 4/5; read my review
- Offshore, by Penelope Fitzgerald (winner 1979) – COMPLETED March 27, 2009; rated 3.5/5; read my review
- True History of the Kelly Gang, by Peter Carey (winner 2001)
- Amsterdam, by Ian McEwan (winner 1998)
- Sacred Hunger, by Barry Unsworth (winner 1992)
- Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie (winner 1981) – COMPLETED May 30 2009; rated 3/5; read my review
My goal for 2009: 10 books
Winners:
- The Road Home, by Rose Tremain (2008) – COMPLETED January 16, 2009; rated 5/5; read my review.
- The Lizard Cage, by Karen Connelly (New Writers 2007)
- On Beauty, by Zadie Smith (2006)
- We Need to Talk About Kevin (2005)
- Small Island, by Andrea Levy (2004)
- Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett (2002)
- The Idea of Perfection, by Kate Grenville (2001)
- Fugitive Pieces, by Anne Michaels (1997)
- A Spell of Winter, by Helen Dunmore (1996)
Nominees:
- Fault Lines, by Nancy Huston (short list 2008)
- The Septembers of Shiraz, by Dalia Sofer (long list 2008)
- The Monsters of Templeton, by Lauren Groff (New Writers short list 2008)
- Digging to America, by Anne Tyler (short list 2007)
- What Was Lost, by Catherine O’Flynn (long list 2007)
- Minaret, by Leila Aboulela (long list 2006)
- The Mammoth Cheese, by Sheri Holman (short list 2005)
- A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian, by Marina Lewycka (short liet 2005)
- Case Histories, by Kate Atkinson (long list 2005)
- Ice Road, by Gillian Slovo (short list 2004)
- The Amateur Marriage, by Anne Tyler (long list 2004)
- What I Loved, by Siri Hustvedt (long list 2003)
- In the Forest, by Edna O’Brien (long list 2003)
- Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold (long list 2003)
- Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters (short list 2002) – COMPLETED January 24, 2009; rated 5/5; read my review.
- Five Quarters of an Orange, by Joanne Harris (long list 2002)
- Amy and Isabelle, by Elizabeth Strout (short list 2000)
My goal in 2009: 5 books
- What Was Lost, by Catherine O’Flynn (First Novel Winner 2007)
- Small Island, by Andrea Levy (Novel Winner 2004)
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon (Novel Winner 2003)
- Behind the Scenes at the Museum, by Kate Atkinson (First Novel Winner 1995)
- The Queen of the Tambourine, by Jane Gardam (Novel Winner 1991)
My goal for 2009: 5 books
Winners:
- Three Junes, by Julia Glass (2002)
- The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen (2001)
- Cold Mountain, by Charles Frazier (1997)
- The Spectator Bird, by Wallace Stegner (1977)
- Them, by Joyce Carol Oates (1970)
Nominees:
- Fieldwork, by Mischa Berlinski (short list 2007)
- Drop City, by T.C. Boyle (short list 2003)
- The Known World, by Edward P. Jones (short list 2003)
- House of Sand and Fog, by Andre Dubus III (short list 1999)
- Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat (short list 1995)
- Breathing Lessons, by Anne Tyler (short list 1988)
- Beloved, by Toni Morrison (short list 1987)
- The Optimist’s Daughter, by Eudora Welty (short list 1973)
My goal for 2009: 3 authors
- Herta Muller (2009) – Read The Passport, COMPLETED November 24, 2009; rated 5/5; read my review.
- Doris Lessing (2007)
- Orphan Pamuk (2006)
- V.S. Naipaul (2001)
- Jose Saramago (1998)
- Naguib Mahfouz (1988)
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1982)
- William Faulkner (1949)
- Hermann Hesse (1946)
- Sigrid Undset (1928)
My goal in 2009: 3 books
- Intuition, by Allegra Goodman (Medical Science)
- Prodigal Summer, by Barbara Kingsolver (Biology)
- Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck (Marine Biology)
My goal in 2009: 3 books
- One More Year: Stories, by Sana Krasikov (2008)
- The Boat, Nam Le (2008)
- Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, by ZZ Packer (2006)
My goal in 2009: 6 books
- Netherland, by Joseph O’Neill (from NYT Most Notable – 2008) – COMPLETED April 4, 2009; rated 3/5; read my review.
- Heyday, by Kurt Anderson (from Christian Science Monitor Bests – 2007)
- There is No Me Without You, by Melissa Fay Greene (from ALA Most Notable – 2007)
- Out Stealing Horses, by Per Petterson (from 2008 ALA Most Notable and NBCC Best Books- 2007 and NYT Most Notable-2007) – COMPLETED January 6, 2009; rated 5/5; read my review.
- The Septembers of Shiraz, by Dalia Sofer (from 2007 Christian Science Monitor Best Books AND NYT Most Notable-2007)
- The Likeness, by Tana French (from 2008 PW Best Books)
- Sea of Poppies, by Amitav Ghosh (from 2008 PW Best Books) – COMPLETED June 13, 2009; rated 5/5; read my review.
- Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri (from 2008 PW Best Books and 2008 NYT Most Notable) – COMPLETED February 22, 2009; rated 5/5; read my review.
- The Boat, by Nam Le (from 2008 PW Best Books and 2008 NYT Most Notable)
- Matrimony, by Joshua Henkin (from 2007 NYT Most Notable) – COMPLETED February 11, 2009; rated 3.5/5; read my review.
- What the Dead Know, by Laura Lippman (from 2007 PW Best Books) – COMPLETED June 16, 2009; rated 4.5/5; read my review.
- The Whistling Season, by Ivan Doig (from 2007 ALA Notable Books)
- The Good Thief, by Hannah Tinti (2008 NYT Most Notable) – COMPLETED August 1, 2009; rated 3/5; read my review.
- The Road Home, by Rose Tremain (2008 NYT Most Notable) – COMPLETED January 16, 2009; rated 5/5; read my review.
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007 NYT Most Notable)
My goal in 2009: 10 books
These will come from several sources.
= Excellent
= Good/Very Good
= Okay read
= Not recommended
= Ugh! Don't waste your time.
You weren’t kidding when you said we’d be reading a lot of the same books this year. I can’t wait to compare notes, Wendy!
Good luck reaching your goals.
What ambitious goals. I loved reading these lists and have so may of the books you listed on my 2009 TBR lists: White Tiger, Small Island, Three Junes, Bel Canto, Prodigal Summer, What I Loved and Spell of Winter. I’ve also read at least 10 of the ones you mention and have enjoyed them as well.
Happy Reading in 2009!
That bookshelf looks just like mine! Teetering with books! Looking forward to another year of great reading!
Michelle: I think it will be fun to share reads this year! I’m looking forward to your reviews
Kathy: Thank you!
Diane: Good to hear you have enjoyed some of these books. It is an ambitious list…but I love making lists
Happy reading to you too!
Jill: *laughs* And that is an old photo … you should see it now. Kip keeps promising to build me a floor to ceiling book shelf – maybe THIS year!
Wow! Looks like you will be reading some good books this year
Good luck and hope you have a great 2009.
Samantha: Thanks! The same to you!