2009 in Review, My Top 2009 Reads & What’s to Come in 2010
I’m a few days late but I just got back from vacation this past weekend. I am so far behind on reviews, my Google Reader is at 1000+ unread posts (I wonder just how + it is) and I did not have a chance to put together my year in review post while on vacation. So here it is better late than never. I read 234 books during 2009 which amazed me although I have to admit a lot of them were YA books which tend to go a lot faster for me. I still have about 7 reviews left to write for 2009 and then on to 2010!
My Favorite 2009 Reads
- The entire Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead (I read Vampire Academy book 1 in 2008 but here is my review of Frostbite, Shadow Kiss and Blood Promise)
- Wake by Lisa McMann
- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
- City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
- The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
- The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
- Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
- Hate List by Jennifer Brown
- How It Ends by Laura Wiess
2009 Challenges
- 1st in Series Challenge 2009-Completed
- 2nds Challenge 2009-Completed
- eBook Challenge 2009-I only managed to finish 5 of 10 books
- Everything Austen Challenge-Completed
- 2009 Chick Lit Challenge-Completed
- 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge-Completed
- Decades ‘09 Challenge list-Sadly I didn’t read even one book for this! I really must read more classics in 2010.
- Support Your Library Challenge 2009-Completed level 2. Just 3 books short of finishing level 3.
- Romance Reading Challenge 2009-Completed
- Serial Readers Challenge 2009-Completed
- Vampire Challenge 2009-Completed
2010 Goals
2009 was filled with reading a lot of review copies of books while sadly neglecting my own TBR shelves and my library. One of my main goals for 201o is to make a dent in my 200+ books on my book shelves.
I am also going to have to figure out a system to prevent the blogging world from over taking my life. I’m on Twitter, Book Blogs ning and I follow about 250 book blogs among other things. I need to find a way to get these down to manageable levels. I’ve already cut back on my participation in discussions on Shelfari, LibraryThing and Book Blogs. I am also trying to be more selective on what books I accept for review. My big goal is to organize Google Reader into different categories to make it easier to prioritize which blogs to get through first and to be better about commenting on posts I enjoy.
Anything beyond this is up in the air as job is really busy, my two year old is keeping me on my toes and we are expecting another child later this year.
What about you? What are your goals for 2010?
2010 Challenges
Here are the challenges I’m participating so far in 2010.
- Childhood Favorite Reads Challenge
- Cybils Award Challenge 2010
- 2010 Debut Author Challenge
- 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge
- 2010 Reading From My Shelves Project
Posted in Books
January 5th, 2010 at 1:51 am
*high Five*
“knuckle touch*
234 books?
WoooOOoOoza.. you go for it!!
I would love love love to see a pix of your book stash…=)
Congrats to you on a great year of reading and *cheers* here’s to another one!!!=)
January 5th, 2010 at 4:59 am
I recently organized my google reader into folders based on which ones I liked best and then 2nd best and so on. It has made staying on top it so much better. I always read the first level and the second. If I run out of time, I can skim the others and mark as read.
Good luck with your goals.
January 5th, 2010 at 5:40 am
Thirteen Reasons Why and the Chosen are two of my favorites also.
I agree that the online world can easily take over. One of my solutions is to cut back (or ignore) Twitter and Facebook. I “push” my posts to both, but they are low on my list of things to do so that I can do the other (ning and posting and reading!). I don’t think there is a right answer, we just each need to find our own balance. Easier said than done!
January 5th, 2010 at 6:24 am
Nice summary. I have the first couple of Richelle Mead books lined up to read – I am hoping to read that series this year.
I have just finished The Dead and the Gone, but think I liked Life As We Knew It better – looking forward to the next one. (I think I might have read these based on your review of Life…)
How it Ends was one of my favorite books last year also!
My challenges fell apart mid year, so not sure if I am going to sign up for any this year. Good luck on yours!
January 5th, 2010 at 8:31 am
i have most of your favorite list in my tbr pile!
January 5th, 2010 at 8:36 am
Hey Debbie!! Glad to see you’re back on track.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Michelle-I have such a backlog in GR that it’s a nice way to review 10-20 posts and either unsubscribe or filter into my favorites folder so hopefully I can get that more organized.
Helen-finding that balance is always hard.
Kristi-I hope you enjoy Mead’s books.
Linda-happy reading then!
L. Diane-thanks!
January 5th, 2010 at 9:39 am
I’ve never even thought about organizing GR! THAT would be useful! Great idea
January 5th, 2010 at 12:49 pm
Welcome back, Debbie!
Terrific list. And CONGRATS on your new (soon to be) arrival!
January 5th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Aarti-I think it’s a must do at this point for me.
Lori-Thank you!
January 5th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Glad to see you back! Hope you had a wonderful vacation.
I’ve only read 1 of your best of 2009 books but all the others are all ready on my to read list. Congrats on doing so well on your challenges. I’ve signed up for a couple of the same ones for 2010.
And big congrats on expecting another little one!!
January 5th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Reading from my own shelves and cutting down on review commitments is definitely one of my goals for 2010!
January 5th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Looks like you had a great year!
I love your list of favorite reads : those I didn’t read are books I really want to read too (mainly Hate list and The Vampire Academy series). Life as we Knew it made my list too; it was such a gripping book!
I think your goals for 2010 are great! I just reorganized my Google Reader recently and it really helped,so hopefully it help you too! Good luck with everything and Happy New Year!
January 6th, 2010 at 1:59 am
Yes on S Collins
And I do wanna read some of those best books
January 6th, 2010 at 6:09 am
Looks like you were really busy in 2009! Congrats on all the challenges you finished and all the books you read.
I really love the Hunger Games series of books.
Here’s to another great year in books…and I think we all have the google reader out of control problem…I know I do!
January 7th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I am there with you. 2010 will be all about reading what I want when I want. I actually began in 2009…lol. And it’s been FUN!
January 7th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Congrats on the new baby! It will be wonderful and very busy! I have 3 teens and I don’t where the time went. I don’t know how you accomplish all you do! I’m not nearly as busy and I don’t seem to get nearly enough accomplished. I don’t Twitter, rarely use Facebook and have cut back on the other social sites. I mainly just post my reviews now. I do visit lots of blogs and that takes so much time but I enjoy it. I’ve found great books that way. I need to get back to my own books too. I have so many that have been waiting for the review books to get done first. I need to make them a priority. Good luck with all of your plans and I look forward to more great things here! Happy New Year!
January 9th, 2010 at 6:19 am
Congrats on a fabulous 2009, and thanks for sharing these great goals for 2010. I’m also endeavoring to read more from my personal TBR pile and get control of my feedreader. Happy Bloggiesta!
January 9th, 2010 at 5:58 pm
234 books! WOW Great Job!! And some of your challanges make me think I may add a couple more to mine!!
January 9th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
I read a lot of your favourite books and really enjoyed them. I guess that means I need to make reading the rest a priority!