Thanks to recommendations from book bloggers I have read a higher quality of books than ever before. I’ve already posted my list of favourite books published in 2009, but here are the ones I enjoyed reading most, whenever thay happened to be published.
Flowers for Algernon – Daniel Keyes
The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
Generation A – Douglas Coupland
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The Wilderness – Samantha Harvey
Child 44 – Tom Rob Smith (Audio Book)
If you are interested in seeing how I rated other books I’ve read, then please look at my new reviews by rating page.
I have also created a page which shows all my reviews by title, or author surname. You can also find these pages by clicking on the Books Reviewed tab in the top right-hand corner of my blog.
Do you like my new pages?
Have you read any of my favourite books?
63 replies on “My Favourite Reads: 2009”
Great list, am loving reading everyone’s books of 2009 today. I definately agree with Child 44 and Flowers of Algernon. I need to read Generation a as I said yesterday.
Oooh and happy new year!!! See you in 2010!
Simon, It is interesting to see what is on everyones lists today. It is strange that your list contains so many books that I either love or hate – a real marmite list! Have a great New Year!
Blindness is one book that I wish I had read this year as I have been wanting to since February! Out is another one … top of my TBR for 2010! The Hunger Games was definite a stand-out and The Other Hand made a lasting impression; both of those books were ones I came across through blogging. It’s been a great year for reading and has definitely been enriched by blogging and recommendations!
Claire, I’m looking foward to your thoughts on Blindness and Out. I hope that you love them as much as I did. I agree – it has been a great year for reading. My best yet!
Great post, Jackie.
I love your ratings page and the way you’ve subdivided it (by rating etc.). Do you have a magic way to maintain this or do you do so manually?
Happy New Year!
Thanks Laura! It is magic! I use the headspace wordpress plugin to define custom labels for each post and then the AZindex plugin to sort them. If you’d like to know how it is done then drop me an email and I’ll explain it a bit better.
I loved Blindness, The Hunger Games and Child 44. And as you know, got Stone’s Fall from my secret santa for Christmas and is on my TBR Challenge list for 2010. The others are on my lists too. Anything that rates a 5 star with you automatically gets written down!
Sandy, I hope that you enjoy Stone’s Fall and that you like a few of the others on my list. I’ve noted your favourites too. Hopefully I’ll read a few in 2010. Happy New Year!
Yay for the Hunger Games! I need to read something by Saramago.
Amanda, let’s hope the 3rd one is just as good!
Jackie, so glad to see 2666 on your list!! Happy new year!!
Claire, I would never have guessed that it would make the list when I was half way through! Happy New Year!
Excellent list, Jackie! The only one I’ve read is The Other Hand (Little Bee), but several others are on my list for 2010. Happy New Year!
JoAnn, I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did. Happy New Year!
You have some wonderful books on this list that I know and love including Blindness and Flowers for Algernon and several that I plan to read in the upcoming year such as Generation A by Douglas Coupland and 2666 by Roberto Bolano.
Happy New Year, Jackie!
Amy, It is good to hear that you enjoyed Blindness and Algernon – they are both on my all-time favourite list now. I hope you find some fantastic books in 2010!
I have read only two books from your list: Hunger Games and Child 44 (also on audio). I see Hunger Games on almost every best of the year list in blogosphere but if I had to choose I would say Child 44 was better.
Happy New Year!
lilly, Interesting point. They are very different books. I would say that Child 44 was better written and had a much more clever plot, but Hunger Games had me gripped more – I couldn’t put it down. There isn’t much between them, but I think Hunger Games just has the edge for me. It has a more univeral appeal and I have recommended it to far more people in 2009 than Child 44. Both are great though!
You have reminded me that I still need to read The Wilderness – I did start it this year but for some reason I got distracted by other things… It will have to be read in 2010.
Karen, Make sure you have plenty of tissues handy – it is an emotional book. I hope that you appreciate its beauty though.
Great list! I have The Blindness and Out on my TBR pile, I’m glad to know you enjoyed them this much. The Hunger Games is also on my Best List of 2009.
Happy New Year!
Kay, I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did. Happy New Year!
Oh Boy Blindness (read it twice) and Chris Cleave–loved it too. Looking forward to Wolf Hall too.
Jackie, Thanks for being a great resource for some really terrific book referrals. I love the quality of what you read! Have a Happy and Healthy 2010.
Thanks Diane! You are great at recommending books too. Have a great 2010.
What a great list! Hunger Games and Flowers for Algernon were both on my list, but Blindness was definitely close. 🙂
I am very intrigued by Generation A, so I’m happy to see it’s on your favorites list.
She, I’m surprised that Blindness didn’t quite make your list – I’ll have to make a note of all those that you think are better than it!
Happy New Year, Jackie! I have only read a handful of the books that you listed here, but many of them are on my TBR list. I REALLY want to read The Wilderness (I need to check and see if it’s out here in the States yet…), and it’s about time that I read some more Saramago…
Steph, I need to read more Saramago too. I hope that I can find some more of his books in 2010.
Wilderness is already out in hardback in the US, but there is no sign of the paperback. I hope that you manage to get hold of a copy soon. Have a great New Year!
Happy New Year! I purchased Flowers for Algernon this past week and look forward to reading it!
Kathleen, I’m sure that once you start it won’t be long before you finish! I’ll keep an eye out for your review!
I too see that the books you list which I haven’t read are for the most part on my TBR list. …except for Blindness. I know you loved it, but I think it would touch too deeply on my own fears!
Have a very Happy New Year!
rhapsodyinbooks, Blindness is a very powerful book and I am certain it would have a big effect on you, but that it what I love about it. I hope that you enjoy the other books from my list. Happy New Year!
Great list Jackie.
Thanks to you and a couple of other fellow bloggers I follow my reading experience in 2009 has been better than any other year. My choice of authors and titles has broadened greatly and I now look for books I would never have dreamed of picking up before I began blogging myself.
So, thank you and I look forward to keeping up with you in 2010.
Happy New Year and all the very best.
Kim, Thank you for the kind words. I wish you all the best in 2010 and hope we find many more fantastic books.
Haven’t read any of those, but several are on my TBR list…
Happy New Year!
Verity, Considering that you read so many books I am surprised that you haven’t read any of them. I hope that you enjoy any that you decide to pick up. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! I hope that it brings you lots of good things, and great books!
Biggest Hugs, Bethxxx
Beth, Thank you! I hope your 2010 is wonderful too!
Happy New Year Jackie, I’m going to have to read ‘Hunger Games’ and the Iain Pears when they’re out in pbk. Loved Saramago, Flowers for Alg. Out and The Other Hand are in my TBR piles somewhere.
Annabel, I hope that you enjoy Stone’s Fall and The Hunger Games. I’m sure that you’ll love the others too! Have a fantastic 2010!
We share 2666 but other than that, I feel like we published each other’s tbr list. 🙂 I especially want to read Stone’s Fall soon. Happy new year to you and yours!
Frances, Very true! There were so many on your list that I want to read. I’m really looking forward to getting them – hopefully 2010 will be an even better reading year than 2009.
Popping in to say happy, happy new year!
Beth, I hope that you have a fantastic 2010!
Ah, The Wilderness made my list as well. I did enjoy Out – the story was most fascinating.
Am looking forward to reading 2666, Flowers of Algernon and The Hunger Games this year. Hope I enjoy them as much as you did.
anothercookiecrumbles, I’m sure that you’ll enjoy Flowers for Algernon, but I’m not sure about the others – I still haven’t worked out your reading taste! I look forward to seeing your thoughts on them.
I’ll never, ever forget Flowers for Algernon, and I read it in High School. Okay, 25 years ago. 😉 I, too, loved Blindness. What a thought provoking book. The one on your list which I really want to read in 2010 is Out. I also notice you’ll be reading The Wind-up Bird Chronicle which will be so interesting to talk about when you finish.
Bellezza, I think that Wind Up Bird Chronicle might be added to my list of favourites too. I’m about half way through now and am loving it. I’m sure that you’ll enjoy Out, so look forward to your thoughts on it. Have a great 2010!
What a great list of books, Jackie. I really liked Out when I read it last year. I had heard it was good, but didn’t expect it to be as good as it was. You list several others I hope to read one of these days, maybe even a few this year.
Here’s to a great reading year in 2010.
Literary Feline, I was unprepared for how good Out would be too! I hope that you read many more fantastic books in 2010!
Looks like you had a great reading year. I hope 2010 brings you happiness and more great books 🙂
Thank you Stacy, The same to you!
Great list, I have The Hunger Games in my TBR and I spotted Out in the library, I’ll get to them soon.
Happy New Year Jackie!!!
Violet, I’m sure you’ll love Hunger Games as much as everyone else – at least you don’t have to wait so long for the last in the trilogy to be released!
Happy New Year Jackie – you’ve read some great books, and like you that thanks to blogging-friend’s recommendations, I’ve read a lot of really good books in 2009. Thanks for your kind comments on my blog – and thanks for all comments in 2009. Without comments, a blog is not the same. I would probably blog anyway, but I love comments!
Louise, I love comments too! Unlike you I don’t think I’d continue without them, so thank you for leaving them on my blog.
Blindness is one of my favorite books ever. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Happy New Year!
Vasilly, Snap! Blindness is one of my favourites too!
Stone’s Fall was one of my favorites of 2009 too, and I really didn’t see it on anyone else’s list (other than yours) and that surprised me. I’m hoping to read Blindness this year.
Alyce, I don’t think that many people actually read it. I’m sure they’d have loved it if they had. Hopefully a few more people will discover it in paperback.
Great list … I’ve added several of these to my wishlist based on your reviews and a few I’ll be reading in 2010.
Jenners, I hope that you enjoy them all! Have a great 2010!