I read a lot of books this year. My goal was to read 50, and I hit 58, so goal accomplished.
My favorites of the bunch were:
1. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
2. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
3. The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Peter Sis (beautiful picture book)
4. The Annotated Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, edited by David Shapard
5. Maus by Art Spiegelman
6. Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
7. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
8. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
My goal for 2009 is to read at least 50 books again. I'm pretty sure I'll end up surpassing the number since I'm going to start my work for the William C. Morris YA Debut Award committee. We'll be choosing the best new young adult novel of 2009.
It's exciting in a way, because a bunch of newly published or pre-published YA books will start showing up at my door. It's less exciting in that I find forced reading to be more tedious than almost anything else. I'm hoping that the new YA authors out there have got good stuff for us!
I have no clue how many I read this year, but not as much as I wanted. I haven't read any on your list, but I did read Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson. I wasn't too thrilled with his writing style.
I got my presents wrapped (but I still have to purchase a b-day present for dad) and they look awesome. It's sad because the outside is better than the inside.
Stolen from Miss Maggie over at maggiereads.blogspot.com
1. Started my own blog (August 2002)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (high school marching & symphonic bands and junior orchestra)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower (when we lived in WA)
6. Given more than I can afford to charity (I'm not really sure what's more than I can afford... since I'm obviously getting on ok.)
7. Been to Disneyland/world (Disneyland for the first time this year- Disney World several times)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo (was part of a duet or trio at some point, I think)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris 13. Watched lightening at sea (on the Gulf Coast in FL)
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France (She's quite small, actually.)
20. Slept on an overnight train (At least five or six times, most recently in October)
21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (Mental health days, they call them!)
24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (Half of one!)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors (Italy, Switzerland)
35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught myself a new language (Italian- easy to do when you've lived in Italy)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (halfway up- it was cheaper, and plus it's better to stand on other tall things in Paris, so the Eiffel Tower is actually in your view!)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen (It was actually a pasta kitchen in Italy.)
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (And now I buy them!)
62. Gone whale watching (in Washington State we could do this in our living room)
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving (Not yet…)
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (Dachau outside of Munich)
67. Bounced a check (When I was in college and I was so embarrassed!)[me too, Maggie!]
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (a little lion that plays You Are My Sunshine)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (Does a speeding moped count?)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car (I like to buy used)
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper (and been on the 5:00 news!)
85. Read the entire Bible (probably throughout my life but not all in one go)
86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (most favorite famous person meeting: Helena Bonham Carter)
92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person (worked a few blocks away from it for two years!)
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee 100. Rode an elephant (Louisville Zoo)
So, I'm listening to Sufjan Stevens' awesome five-volume Christmas album (ooh, I'm such a hipster!!) and finally writing my annual Christmas letter. I am tempted to write "Dear All: Went to Disneyland and Turkey this year. Both are great. Love ya!" But probably that would not be worth the postage.
Also, I'm nearly done with my shopping and am determined not to push off the wrapping of the presents until the day I leave for Alabama. Last year it took me at least three hours and that's ridiculous.
I am really looking forward to spending time with my peeps in the 256. (Apparently the lazier I get during these blog posts, the more outdated slang I like to use.)
Now I'm baking spicy pretzels and taping Christmas cards to the wall. What could be more glorious?!
yay!!!! I can't wait til you're here!! Christmas wrapping does take sooo much time. I set up a wrapping station in my room last year and everyone kept bringing me things to wrap.
When do you leave the 256 and head back to 615? I'm home the 24th- 30th I could come up to HSV to visit for a bit if you're around. Or up to TN on Sunday if you're there and not working.
