Monday, February 1, 2010

Reading in 2009

I saw a blog post from my friend Paul Randal recently in which he recounted the books he’d read in 2009. It’s an impressive list, 100 books, that he compiled in his travels. Paul and his wife, Kimberly, travel a lot, and I think if I were in a similar situation, I’d read 100 books a year as well. However it got me wondering how many I’d read. I’ve tracked them in the past, but since I moved my blog and started using the Kindle and iPhone, I haven’t been doing it. My totals in the past were:

2008 is also wrong as I got the Kindle in September and started to read on there, forgetting to track books since I was busy and reading quicker on there. I went to my Amazon Kindle account and noticed a few books that are missing, so I’ll need to add those back.

However.

This post is about 2009, so in terms of looking over 2009, here’s what I have:

  • 54 ebooks from Amazon
  • 6 ebooks from Barnes and Noble
  • a total of 68 books
  • of the 68, 19 were re-reads
  • 1 classic from the Gutenberg project. I started a second (War and Peace) that has not been completed.

I don’t have the breakdown of books, though they’re mostly fiction. Of the books I read, I think that a few stood out.

The Count of Monte Cristo – I grabbed this, along with a few other Gutenberg project books when I first got the Kindle. I struggled with it, and I have to say the first 100 pages barely held my interest. However I plugged away, and eventually really enjoyed this book. The story is amazing and I was surprised how much was happening in there. I ended up really enjoying it.

The Snowball – I noticed this at the 2007 PASS Summit when Andy Warren and I were walking around the bookstore. He needed books for the ride home, and since I had the kindle I was just keeping him company. I actually made a note and bought this on my way home, starting it then, but finishing it in 2009. I’ve read a lot about Warren Buffet over the years, but this was an amazing look at the guy. Made me realize that not only am I nothing like him, I wouldn’t want to trade places at all.

Grift Sense – Not sure why I picked this up, but it captivated my interest and I read all the books by James Swain. It deals with cons and casinos, and I loved it. Looking for a similar series from someone else.

It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, USS Benfold – This caught my eye in a bookstore and I decided to try it. It’s fantastic, and it shows how someone can really transform a group with good leadership.

The Clone Republic – I got back into Science Fiction in 2007 with Old Man’s War, which I think is one of the best books I’ve read. This series, which I started on an Amazon recommendation was great as well. Not an all time favorite, but really enjoyable.

The full list, as best as I can determine, is:

  1. Hear No Evil, James Grippando
  2. Nine Dragons, Michael Connelly
  3. The Night Monster: A Novel of Suspense, James Swain
  4. The Merchant of Death, D.J. MacHale
  5. Pursuit of Honor: A Novel, Vince Flynn
  6. Long Lost, Harlan Coben
  7. The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown
  8. Sucker Bet, James Swain
  9. Midnight Rambler: A Novel of Suspense, James Swain
  10. Deadman's Bluff: A Novel, James Swain
  11. The Night Stalker: A Novel, James Swain
  12. Dark Watch, Jack Du Brul
  13. Skeleton Coast, Jack Du Brul
  14. The Doomsday Key: A Novel, James Rollins
  15. First Family, David Baldacci
  16. A Plague of Secrets, John Lescroart
  17. Killer Summer (Walt Fleming), Ridley Pearson
  18. Havoc, Jack Du Brul
  19. Finger Lickin' Fifteen (Stephanie Plum Novels), Janet Evanovich
  20. The Scarecrow, Michael Connelly
  21. Bad Luck and Trouble (Jack Reacher, No. 11), Lee Child
  22. Gone Tomorrow: A Reacher Novel, Lee Child
  23. Cemetery Dance, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
  24. Dance of Death, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
  25. Wheel of Darkness, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
  26. Wicked Prey, John Sandford
  27. Private Wars, Greg Rucka
  28. Walking Dead: A Novel of Suspense, Greg Rucka
  29. Patriot Acts, Greg Rucka
  30. Critical Space, Greg Rucka
  31. The Lost Fleet: Relentless, Jack Campbell
  32. Valiant, Jack Campbell
  33. Courageous, Jack Campbell
  34. Fearless, Jack Campbell
  35. Dauntless,  Jack Campbell
  36. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Doris Kearns Goodwin
  37. To the Nines (Stephanie Plum, No. 9), Janet Evanovich
  38. Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum, No. 10), Janet Evanovich
  39. Helfort's War Book 2: The Battle of the Hammer Worlds, Graham Sharp Paul
  40. The Da Vinci Code: A Novel, Dan Brown
  41. The Clone Alliance, Steven L. Kent
  42. Rogue Clone, Steven L. Kent
  43. Helfort's War Book 1: The Battle at the Moons of Hell, Graham Sharp Paul
  44. Hard Eight (Stephanie Plum, No. 8), Janet Evanovich
  45. Seven Up (Stephanie Plum, No. 7), Janet Evanovich
  46. Hot Six (Stephanie Plum, No. 6), Janet Evanovich
  47. High Five (Stephanie Plum, No. 5), Janet Evanovich
  48. Four to Score (Stephanie Plum, No. 4), Janet Evanovich
  49. Three Plums In One, Janet Evanovich (three books, #s 1, 2, and 3 of this series)
  50. Fleet of Worlds, Edward M. Lerner
  51. The Clone Republic, Steven L. Kent
  52. Boys Will Be Boys, Jeff Pearlman
  53. The Billionaire Who Wasn't: How Chuck Feeney Made and Gave Away a Fortune Without Anyone Knowing, Conor O'Clery
  54. Along Came a Spider, James Patterson
  55. Atomic Lobster, Tim Dorsey
  56. The Bodies Left Behind: A Novel, Jeffery Deaver
  57. Teddy Roosevelt, Edd Winfield Parks
  58. The Clone Elite, Steven L. Kent
  59. It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, USS Benfold, Captain D Abrashoff
  60. The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life, Alice Schroeder
  61. Grift Sense (Tony Valentine Series #1), James Swain
  62. Funny Money (Tony Valentine Series #2), James Swain
  63. Deadman's Poker (Tony Valentine Series #6), James Swain
  64. Sacred Stone (Oregon Files Series #2), Clive Cussler
  65. Mr. Lucky (Tony Valentine Series #5), James Swain
  66. The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexander Dumas

I started out 2010 with a vacation after New Years and finished 2 books I’d started in 2009 early, plus re-read 4 more since I didn’t have an Internet connection and it was convenient. As of Jan 25, I’ve got 16 books done, but that’s with a week’s vacation.

It will be interesting to see where 2010 takes me. I’ve started rewriting book reviews on my blog, so I’ll be able to track things.

Posted by Steve Jones at 6:30 AM

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