I met my goal of 200 books read in 2008, but I must confess that I deliberately chose to read only short, or somewhat short, books in December. My Reading Resolutions for 2009 are:
- Try to read at least 200 books during the year, and
- Stop numbering my list. The numbers create too much pressure for me.
So here's what I've read this month. They weren't very long books, but they were really good books.
178. The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology by Simon Winchester
This is the story of William Smith, a canal surveyor whose observations of the differences in the soil layers and fossils eventually led to his publishing the very first geological map of England, Wales, and part of Scotland, in 1815. It is also a story about the rigid class structure in England. No matter how great his achievments Smith was not invited to join the Royal Geological Society until very late in life because he was born into a working class family.
179.
A Li
on among Men by Gregory Maguire
The third novel in the series that began with
Wicked tells the story of the Cowardly Lion. Brrrr the Lion, rescued by Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West as a cub, is despised by the other talking animals because of his role in helping Dorothy destroy Elphaba.
180. The Winner by David Baldacci.
LuAnn Tyler is an unwed mother living with her abusive boyfriend when she's offered a guarantee to be the next hundred million dollar national lottery. LuAnn wants to refuse, but in less than a day her life has become precarious she accepts the offer. As a result LuAnn becomes extremely wealthy and an international fugitive. The sociopath behind the lottery scheme is a stone cold killer that no one should mess with, but LuAnn is fearless and dares todisobey him. Baldacci creates wonderful characters, twisting plots and a lot of suspense.
181. Fine Just The Way It Is: Wyoming Stories 3 by Annie Proulx. 
This third collection of Wyoming stories is full of hard working pioneer homesteaders and modern cowboys all trying to make a living in the hard dry high plains of Wyoming. Proulx really captures the feel of the land. I personally find the Wyoming wide open, grey landscape terrifying, but then again my friend Carol from Casper was miserable at college in Indiana because " everything was green and close in." I think it takes a special person to live there. These stories introduce you to an unforgettable bunch of them.
182. The D
ark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals by Jane Mayer.
As I write this we only have 20 more days to endure the current adminsitration. This book gives a detailed account of the post-9/11 violations of the US Constitution and international law that were perpetrated by many in the adminsitration, most notably Vice President Cheney, David Addington, John Yoo, Alberto Gonzalez, and Scooter Libby. The author presents a credible argument that not only did these men subvert American and international law, they also slowed and damaged our ability to fight the threat from Al- Qaeda. "What did the president know and when did he know it?" According to Mayer, he knew most of it all of the time. After reading this book you'll wonder why these men aren't in jail.
183. Dewey: A S
mall-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World by Vicki Myron, with Bret Witter.
This is the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa. It is also a story of life in Iowa and the terrible effects of the farm crises of the late 1980s on every part of the state.
184. The English Assassin by Daniel Silva
A library patron told me I would regret it if I didn't start reading the Daniel Silva thrillers. So I've started reading them - out of order, of course. That's my way. She was right. These are fast-paced fun reads that feature sometimes art restorer, sometimes Israeli agent Gabriel Allon. In this one Gabriel is sent to Zurich to restore a painting owned by a reclusive millionare banker, but discovers his would-be employer murdered and finds himself back in the espionage game.
185.
Nation by Terry Pratchett.
After a devastating tsunami destroys all that they have ever known, Mau, an island boy, and Daphne, an aristocratic English girl who is distantly in line for the throne, together with a small band of refugees, set about rebuilding their community and all the things that are important in their lives. This may be my favorite Terry Pratchitt book.
186.
The Christmas Pearl by Dorothea Benton Frank.
93-year-old Theodora misses the Christmases of yesteryear and dreads the coming holidays with her dysfunctional family. She prays for help, and help arrives in the form of her long-dead family housekeeper Pearl. This special Christmas Pearl and Dora work together to rebuild her family. I read this book on Christmas Eve. What a treat for Christams!
187.
The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted: And Other Small Acts of 
Liberation by Elizabeth Berg.
A compelling anthology of short fiction, including eleven never-before-published pieces, explores the lives of women breaking free of the convention that controls their lives, in a collection that includes "Returns and Exchanges," "Over the Hill and Into the Woods," and the title story, about a woman who goes on a happiness binge after ditching Weight Watchers.
188.
Leaping Beauty: And Other Animal Fairy Tales by Gregory Maguire
This is one of the really short books I chose. It's a collection of eight fractured fairy tales for the 4th and 5th grade set. Animals fill the roles of the traditional fairy tale characters. The book isn't up to the level of Maguire's
Wicked novel for adults, but the stories are fun to read.
189. My Stroke
of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Bolte Taylor.
On the morning of December 10, 1996, Taylor, a brain scientist, experienced a massive stroke. She observed her own mind completely deteriorate. Now she shares her unique perspective on the brain and its capacity for recovery.
190. Mr. Timothy: A Novel by Louis Bayard.
Tiny Tim is grown up and living in a brothel, working as a book keeper to earn his room and board. Timothy wants to free himself financially from the allowance bestwoed on him by "Uncle Ebeneezer", but grief over the loss of his father, the ever cheerful Bob, and general ennui keep Timothy from moving forward. He earns cash by helping to dredge the Thames for dead bodies at night. When two murdered young girls turn up in the river Timothy becomes obsessed with tracking down their killer. The author does a great job of recreating the Dickensian atmosphere of mid-ninteenth century London.
191. How the States Got Their Shapes by Mark Stein
This is an interesting way to learn or remember some important facts about American history. The author examines the borders of each state and tells of the treaties, compromises and w
ars that shaped those borders. The book lists the states alphabetically. I began reading it that way, but by the time I got to Maine I began skipping around. I think it would be better to read the articles on states that are near each other as a group. I already knew most of this, but it's an interesting way to review.
192. Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
Chelsea Handler is a stand-up comedienne and has starred in several cable television comedy series. Her material is based on her life growing up half-Jewish, half-Mormon in New Jersey. If the stories are even half true she was a holy terror as a child and young teen, but the material is funny.
193. Stranger in Paradise by Robert B. Parker.
Paradise, Massachusetts police chief Jesse Stone recognizes hitman Wilson "Crow" Cromartie in his town, but can't find anything to charge him with. Crow is in town to return a Florida mob leader's teenage daughter to him. When the mob leader orders Crow to kill the girl's mother Crow shows up at the police statiion to tell Jesse all about it. Jesse accepts Crow's help, always aware that Crow has someother scheme working. It's a fast read with gritty characters.
194. Dough: A Memoir by Mort Zachter.
This is anot
her great find. The author's two uncles owned the Ninth Street Bakery on Manhattan's Lower East Side all their adult lives. They worked seven days a week, closing only for Passover and the High Holy Days. Mort's parents were expected to help out on weekends and evenings. The family was always on the edge of poverty, living in sad little apartments in Brooklyn. After Uncle Joe died, Uncle Harry moved in with Mort's parents. When Mort's dad is hospitalized he asks the now adult and new member of the New York Bar Mort to get the mail from Uncle Harry's mailbox. He discovers that Uncle Harry has accumulated over six million dollars in his lifetime. He further finds that his parents were aware of this wealth all along. The book is rich in the history of the Lower East Side and the immigrant families who scratched out a living - and sometimes a fortune- there.
195. Porch Lies: Tales of Slicksters, Tricksters, and Other Wily Characters by Patricia C. McKissack.
This a collection of family stories that were told on the front porch when all of the author's relatives got together. Told as stories about real people the family knew the tales follow the patterns of traditional trickster folklore. Check out the audio version of this children's book to get the full enjoyment of the book.
196. The Bible Salesman by Clyde Edgerton.
I just love reading Clyde Edgerton. In this story he introduces Preston Clearwater, car thief and killer in post-World War II North Carolina. He recruits Henry Dampier, a very innocent young Bible salesman, to be his helper. Poor Henry thinks he's been hired by the FBI to investigate organ
ized crime. The novel flips back and forth to Henry's childhood in the late 1930s. As they travel through the south Henry questions the Bible stories he learned in Sunday School, falls in love, and finally wises up to Preston.
197.
Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich.
Louisa Brannigan is a Washington D.C. press secretary whose annoying neighbor gets her involved in the case of a missing pig. Little does she know that the quest for this MIA swine might just lead to unexpected romance.
198.
I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being A Woman by Nora Ephron.
These pieces all deal with the day to day struggle with the problems of aging. Since Ephron is my age the essays really speak to me. If I had the money I also would probably try some of the tedious and expensive maintenance routines she writes about so humorously.
199. The Lord Is My Shepherd: Healing Wisdom of the Twenty-Third Psalm by Harold S. Kushner.
Rabbi Kushner discusses the Twenty-Third Psalm, line by line, and relates it to our everyday lives.
200. What I Was by Meg Rosoff. 
H, a 100-year-old man recounts his first love. While attending a terrible boarding school H meets Finn, a boy who lives alone in a shack on the beach. Finn is everything that H wants to be. He is obsessed with Finn. As an old man H protest that the relationship was platonic, but knows that it was a real love.
201. The
White Tiger: A Novel by Aravind Adiga.
Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life -- having nothing but his own wits to help him along. This novel won the 2008 Man Booker Fiction Award.
