Ringin’ In…
Happy New Year! I hope 2009 will be everything you hope it will be, plus a few surprises.
I enjoyed a positively lovely first-Saturday of 2009 yesterday. I spent a couple of very enjoyable hours chatting with a friend at table outside the local Starbucks. Then we strolled around Barnes & Noble with no thought other than to browse (and maybe use our gift cards). I can’t remember the last time I did that: not looking for some gift item or other. And then we had a quick lunch with lots of salty sweet potato fries…yum. And, even better, there were two separate instances of Doris Day parking!! Plus I got my Christmas decorations (mostly) put away and I watched a couple episodes of the first season of Pushing Daisies which I have checked out from the library. Have you seen this show??? I LOVE it–so clever and colorful and charming. I cannot be-lieve it’s been cancelled. I’m already envisioning buying the DVDs for both seasons to watch over and over again. Simply lovely.
I’ve very slowly putting together a list of resolutions for the new year, but as of right now, none of them involve writing. I’ve convinced myself that that doesn’t mean I’m burnt out on writing or that I’ve no plans for 2009, it simply means that this year, I’m going to be a little more laid back. I had plans last year–plans that were thwarted by the snail’s pace of the publishing industry–and this year I’m not yet sure how I want to proceed with my writing. So I’m saving the resolutions for a future post (hopefully this week).
Instead, I’m stealing an idea from Mary Danielson and listing my top ten reads of 2008. (I’m also stealing a couple from her list, as well). So, in no particular order…I give you, my list:
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City by Kirsten Miller
Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart (a many time over re-read)
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn
A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander
The Little Lady and the Prince by Hester Browne
Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
01/05/2009 at 3:44 am
I almost cried when I heard about Pushing Daises, that show has everything, I just couldn’t believe the sad news.
01/05/2009 at 12:09 pm
I listed my top reads of 2008 on my blog as well, only I couldn’t really come up with 10…I had 9, including required reading for school.
I haven’t read any of the books on your list so I’ll have to look into checking some of them out in 2009.
Happy new year Alyssa.
01/05/2009 at 4:00 pm
I love reading other people’s book lists. And I’ve been meaning to read Tasha Alexander.
Doris Day parking. Great term! I’ve never heard anyone say that before.
01/06/2009 at 3:18 am
ooooh more for my to-be-read list.
Happy New Year!