2009: The Year in Review
December 31, 2009
2009 was my first full year blogging, and boy, what a year it’s been! This year, I’ve read 166 books, met quite a few authors, attended two trade shows, been interviewed on Blog Talk Radio and best of all, met lots of bloggers and publicists! I enjoyed most of the books I read, and wanted to highlight those that stand out for me. I can’t tell you how hard it was to narrow my list down to ten, but these are the books I enjoyed the most this year. I’m rating them on pure enjoyment and they’re listed in no particular order:
- The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
- Little Pink House by Jeff Benedict (I listened to this one)
- Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly
- Lizzie Bright and the Buckmister Boy by Gary D. Schmidt (another audio book)
- Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman (will be published in 2010)
- Last Light Over Carolina by Mary Alice Monroe
- Undercover by Beth Kephart
- Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
- The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose
- The Wife’s Tale by Lori Lansens (will be published in 2010)
I’m looking forward to another great year! Happy New Year!
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52 Comments
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Happy new year! I haven’t read any of these, so I’ll be doing some investigating.
I liked School of Essential Ingredients, Labor Day too. Galway Bay is on my read list for March 2010. I also want to read Saving CeeCee Honeycutt!
Here’s to another great year of reading in 2010 : )
I haven’t read any of those, but some are on my list. I hope 2010 is an even better reading year for you
I have added some of these to my TBR list. Hope you have a great year ahead.
I haven’t read any of these books… I’ll be adding some to my TBR list.
Wow! I can’t believe that this has been your first full year of blogging! I could have sworn you’re a true veteran.
I haven’t read any of the books you listed but I certainly will put them on my wish list for 2010. Happy new year!
I’ve not read any of these myself, so I’ll have take a look at some of them!
Happy New Year! Looks like a great list of books!
Thanks for joining the 2010 Vietnam War Reading Challenge. We’ve got you listed on the official participants page!
Happy New Year! Only blogging for one year- hard to believe – your blog is excellent! Thanks for all the great content.
All the best,
Colleen
That’s a wonderful list you have there Kathy. I’m glad you enjoyed the year in reading 2009. Here’s to the same for 2010!
Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday
Wow- you’ve only been blogging for a year? That’s amazing! Thank-you for always taking the time to stop by our blogs, and a happy 2010 to you!
I need to read “The Wife’s Tale”, I’ve heard so many great things! I have her previous novel, “The Girls” in my TBR pile, so I plan on reading that one first.
Hoping you have a wonderful new year!!!
I love your 2009 button, with its little onion perched atop the books!
Happy 2010!!
I too love your button! I too loved Lizzie Bright (thanks to you for bringing it to my attention). I’m sure I’m going to love Undercover. Other than that, our books don’t overlap.
You do it all (blog radio, trade shows, interviews) and so well that it is hard to believe this was your first full year.
Congrats & Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you Kathy.
Wow you read alot of books. Congrats.
This was my first full year of blogging to and what a year it has been.
Looking forward to meeting you in May.
May 2010 be a great year in books and reading.
Happy New Year, its nice to see books I don’t know, will have look at those.
I like the onion on the books – nice touch.
Happy New Year!
I love reading people’s best of lists. I haven’t read any of these, but a couple are on my to-read list.
Happy New Year Kathy. You’ve got some great books on your list – Galway Bay and The School are definitely on mine too. I need to try to put together a list today.
You’ve had a very busy year
166 books is amazing! I haven’t read any of these, but Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt is first up in 2010. I may even start it today 
Well done on reading so many books. I hope you have a fabulous New Year.
You’ve had a wonderful year of blogging. I hope 2010 is just as great for you.
This is a wonderful list for future reference for me. Actually a couple of them are on my list from when you reviewed them. I hope 2010 will be another wonderful reading year for you.
Happy New Year to you and your family.
I admire that you were able to get your list down to ten. I gave up after a while and just listed my favorites.
You read some good books this year! Congrats on reading 166 books!
Kathy, you had a terrific year. I loved Labor Day (almost made my Top 10) Saving CeeCee Honeycutt (made it), and want to read Galway Bay at some point.
Happy New Year and Happy Reading in 2010
You have had a great year! I am looking forward to The Wife’s Tale, nice to see it’s one of your favorites. Happy New Year!
I LOVE your button! Your list is excellent and your blog continues to teach and inspire me. Have a very happy New Year!
Oh, thank you so much, Kathy. I’m delighted that Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is on your top 10 list! I know Oletta would be thrilled to pieces.
Happy New Year, joy, and good health to you and yours.
I thought you had been blogging for years and years. You seem to know everything about keeping a great blog. I love your list of books too. I started in 2009 too. I’m still barely making footprints in the sand, but I keep trying and trying. It’s fun.
I also liked the Unlikely Disciple! I also read just about 166 books (if you include my 6 textbooks). Good for us! Happy New Year.
Great list! I’ve got a couple of these on my TBR list for next year and now I am even more excited to read them!
My sister got Labor Day for Christmas (why she got a book from my parents and I didn’t, I can’t imagine) but I’m looking forward to sneaking into her house and liberating it from her!
Congrats on a year of blogging. That’s a big milestone. It marks the start of an obsession.
Happy 2010 to you.
Helen
Straight From Hel
Happy Years of Reading!
You’ve managed to name 10 books I haven’t read. I’ve had Galway Bay on my to be considered list. I’m moving it up on the pile. Happy reading in 2010.
It’s been so much fun this year. Book blogging wouldn’t be the same without you!
You’ve had an incredible reading year! It has been wonderful to read your blog and get to know you through our blogs this year! Hope you have a wonderful 2010 ahead!
What a nice wrap-up!
Of your top ten, the only one I’ve read is SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT. I didn’t make a “best of” list, but if I had, CeeCee would be on it.
Happy New Year to you and your family, Kathy!
You had such a wonderful reading year in 2009! Well done! Happy New Year to you!
You certainly did have a phenomenal year Kathy! I hope the New Year brings you nothing but happiness (and a ton of great new books!)
What a great list of books! I have been thinking about my list and still haven’t posted it!
It’s nice to reflect on what you’ve read, and thanks for sharing it with us! I see a few there I haven’t read yet myself!
Great year, Kathy!
You had a great reading year. I still want to get a copy of The School of Essential Ingredients for all of the food that you say is mentioned.
I thought you’d read an awful lot of books, but didn’t realize how very many it was. Wow! Happy New Year, Kathy!
I only read one of those! so many, many books, so little time.
166 books? That is awesome! I am seriously impressed.
What a fantastic year in reading and all of your blogging activities. You did an amazing job of it all. Happy New Year.
Love your list…there are several that I will have to pick up for 2010!
Happy New Year, Kathy! I’ve loved reading your posts and getting to know you. And that’s a terrific list to add to my TBR’s!
You had an awesome year! I’ll be compiling my list tomorrow (well, today actually now that I look at the time) and Galway Bay and School of Essential Ingredients will make my favorites list.
–Anna
Happy New Year Kathy. I look forward to a lot of great reading, blogging and commenting in 2010.
This was your first year! No way! I can’t believe it. I thought you were a seasoned pro. That just speaks to your uber professionalism and great reviews. 163 books…I bow down to you.