Books read in 2009

In reverse order:

79 * Rounding the Mark - Andrea Camilleri
78 * The Scent of the Night - Andrea Camilleri
77 * Excursion to Tindari - Andrea Camilleri
76 * Wintersmith - Terry Pratchett
75 * Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key - Jack Gantos
74 * The Voice of the Violin - Andrea Camilleri
73 * Diary of a Wimpy Kidd - Jeff Kinney
72 * The Shape of Water - Andrea Camilleri
71 * Clandestine in Chile - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
70 * Once - Morris Gleitzman
69 * Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
68 * Crick Crack, Monkey - Merle Hodge
67 * The Wheel of Surya - Jamila Gavin
66 * Breath, Eyes, Memory - Edwidge Danticat
65 * Krik? Krak! - Edwidge Danticat
64 * Crossing the River - Caryl Phillips
63 * The Kite Rider - Geraldine McCaughrean
62 * A Concise Chinese English Dictionary for Lovers - Xiaolu Guo
61 * Cast Adrift - Peter Guttridge
60 * The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown
59 * Agatha Christie: Murder in Three Stages - Novelisations by Charles Osborne
58 * The Star of Kazan - Eva Ibbotson
57 * Olympiad: An Historical Novel - Tom Holt
56 * The Prestige - Christopher Priest
55 * The Human Factor - Graham Greene
54 * Brighton Rock - Graham Greene
53 * Beruit, I Love You: A Memoir - Zena El Khalil
52 * The Final Analysis of Dr Stark - Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
51 * Miss Marple Complete Short Stories - Agatha Christie
50 * All The Way Home - Bookey Peek
49 * Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
48 * The Fourth Bear - Jasper Fforde
47 * The Labours of Hercules - Agatha Christie
46 * The Big Four - Agatha Christie
45 * Inkheart - Cornelia Funke
44 * The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger
43 * Coram Boy - Jamila Gavin
42 * The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende
41 * Portrait in Sepia - Isabel Allende
40 * The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman - Louis de Bernieres
39 * Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis de Bernieres
38 * Junk - Melvyn Burgess
37 * Blazing Star - Lynne Markham
36 * It's a 50/50 Thing - Chris Higgins
35 * Deep Joy, or Something Like It - Karen McCombie
34 * Happiness and All That Stuff - Karen McCombie
33 * Hunky Dory - Jean Ure
32 * Finding Violet Park - Jenny Valentine
31 * Journey to the River Sea - Eva Ibbotson
30 * Smokescreen - Bernard Ashley
29 * Broken Soup - Jenny Valentine
28 * Higher Institute of Villainous Education - Mark Walden
27 * The Road of the Dead - Kevin Brooks
26 * Freak the Mighty - Rodman Philbrick
25 * Postcards from No Man's Land - Aidan Chambers
24 * The Illustrated Mum - Jacqueline Wilson
23 * Starring Sally J Freedman as Herself - Judy Blume
22 * Waving, Not Drowning - Rosie Rushton
21 * Unheard Voices - Malorie Blackman (collection)
20 * Jack Sweettooth - Malorie Blackman
19 * Tell Me No Lies - Malorie Blackman
18 * Does My Head Look Big In This? - Randa Abdel-Fattah
17 * The Fire Eaters - David Almond
16 * Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
15 * The Complete Book of Aunts - Rupert Christiansen
14 * Before I Die - Jenny Downham
13 * Saffy's Angel - Hilary McKay
12 * Colour Bar - Susan Williams
11 * Ruby Red - Linzi Glass
10 * The View from Saturday - E.L. Konigsburg
9 * At Bertram's Hotel - Agatha Christie
8 * The Sound of Laughter - Peter Kay
7 * The World's Wife - Carol Ann Duffy
6 * Blue Shoes and Happiness - Alexander McCall Smith
5 * The Girl Who Married a Lion - Alexander McCall Smith
4 * The Fire Gospel - Michel Faber
3 * Dreams From My Father - Barack Obama
2 * Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison
1 * Double Cross - Malorie Blackman

So, 79 books. Not bad. Wish I'd managed a nice round 80 though! I shall try and analyse them later, if I can find the time!

Analysis

37 by men
42 by women
14 murder mystery novels (although I suppose it depends on what you include! I've included Camilleri, Christie, Brown and Faber)
3 biographical
7 by Caribbean authors, also another 3 or 4 set in South America

Once again, a lot of books aimed at teenagers, but also many more "serious" novels.

It's probably helped that I've spent quite a lot of time travelling by public transport this year. Might read less in 2010! We'll see.

The Shakespeare Secret by J.L. Carrell

A murder mystery apparently in the style of Dan Brown but with Shakespeare rather than Jesus as the star of the story. Interesting enough for me to decide not to get out of bed until I had finished it (I started and read most of it on the train yesterday), but some of the plot twists were a bit obvious, and some sections I think I read too quickly to really understand. Fun, though. First book fully read in 2010!

Flood Child by Emily Diamand

An interesting story about Lily Melkun and Zeph from the North Isling family, set in the future, when most of London (or Lunden as it is known by the reavers) is under water. The two young people meet and befriend each other, even though their families would be enemies. But can they stay friends?

Also, what happened to Andy?

Rounding the Mark by Andrea Camilleri

As Montalbano considers retirement, he bumps into someone who makes him reconsider. Once again, the familiar friendly characters are here, as well as the delicious descriptions of Italian food, and everything else I have loved so much about the Montalbano mysteries! A good book to finish 2009 with.

The Scent of the Night by Andrea Camilleri

In this story, money and a possible fraud is involved first, before there are any signs of murder. Another enjoyable Montalbano mystery, full of food, sea, olives and the Mafia. Perhaps.

Excursion to Tindari by Andrea Camilleri

I have really enjoyed all of Camilleri's Montalbano books. Love the descriptions of food, but also interesting to get glimpses into the Italian male psyche!

This one involved the disappearance of an elderly couple and the murder of a young man.

Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

Just the right sort of book for reading in the middle of winter! When Tiffany Aching accidentally dances with the Wintersmith, she begins the descent of winter, seeing Tiffany shaped snowflakes and icebergs. Think the librarian lent me this one because it had wee Scotsmen on the front, in the shape of the Wee Free Nac Mac Feegles. Och aye.

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

Fun, fairly light-hearted look at the world through the eyes of a boy with ADHF. Good to remember that he is trying to be good, and just can't help himself when it goes wrong.

(I'm trying to catch up with my final 2009 books!)