2009 Reading Review

Just for fun, let's take a look at the books I read in 2009... (starting 4/28 - Didn't bother to log them prior to that)

My favorite book of the year: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Other 5 Star Book:

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

My 4 Star books:
What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Hot Pursuit by Suzanne Brockmann
The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinksi
The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

My 3 Star books:
Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner
Tears of the Renegade by Linda Howard
Burn by Linda Howard
Black Hills by Nora Roberts
Smash Cut by Sandra Brown
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Dogs and Goddesses by Jennifer Crusie, Anne Stuart & Lani Diane Rich
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Ice by Linda Howard
Rainwater by Sandra Brown
Don't Tell by Karen Rose (2nd time through)
Have You Seen Her by Karen Rose (2nd time through)
I'm Watching You by Karen Rose (2nd time through)

My 2 Star books:
Me & Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter
The Cradle by Patrick Sommerville
Darling Jim by Christian Moerk
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson & Gabrielle Charbonnet
Bogeyman by Gayle Wilson
Trouble in High Heels by Christina Dodd
Shades of Gray by Vicki Hinze
All Due Respect by Vicki Hinze

My 1 Star book:
The Wedding Dress by Maggie Casper, Lena Matthews & Liz Andrews

Total read this year: 33

5 star books grabbed me and kept me thinking. They were more than I expected and were exceptional stories with memorable characters. I guess it's telling that this year, my 5 star books are classics.

4 star books exceed my expectations (the expectations I formed when I, you know, judged the book by it's cover). Most of these books were books I couldn't put down (but of course, I did because I have a job).

3 star books are what I expect them to be. I expect my favorite authors to produce 3 star books, but I still hold out hope for more. I would (and in some cases have) re-read my 3 star books.

2 star books weren't terrible, but I wouldn't necessary classify them as a painless read. I would probably not re-read and would certainly would not recommend.

1 star books are just bad. I force myself to finish them because it's against my nature to stop mid-book, though there are several books I've attempted this year that didn't make this list because I just couldn't force my way through. I only had one this year, but be happy that I listed even that one - I'm almost embarassed to admit to reading 1 star books.

14 - 0

Colts 35, Jaguars 31

Tis the Season for Snowmen...

13 - 0

Colts 28, Broncos 16

Courtesy of Peter King's MMQB

"Factoid of the Week That May Interest Only Me

The last time the Colts lost in the regular season came eight days before Barack Obama was elected president -- the night Tampa Bay and the Phillies tried, in vain, to finish the World Series in an insane frigid downpour in Philadelphia. In other words, not many people noticed a loss by the Colts on that Monday night.

But it's interesting looking back. That loss made the Colts 3-4. We all had serious questions about whether Peyton Manning was just too gimpy coming off his two knee procedures -- the first to remove his bursa sac, the second to deal with the staph infection that set in afterward. Marvin Harrison was a shell of himself. Austin Collie was playing at BYU. Pierre Garcon's head was swimming, trying to adjust to the jump from Mount Union (Ohio) College to the NFL. The Colts couldn't run. The Colts couldn't stop the run.

What a difference 58 weeks makes."

Read the full Monday Morning Quarterback report here.

12 - 0

Colts 27, Titans 17

Are we there yet?

Today, the headlines on MSNBC scream:

OFFICALS TRY TO SELL AFGHAN STRATEGY

I would imagine that it's difficult to sell a war strategy to anyone.

But then the article was accompanied by a picture of our officials, looking anything BUT engaged in the topic of converstion.

I mean, seriously. Have you ever seen a more bored looking group of people?