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Monday, December 21, 2009

Nancy Chirinos' Best of 2009 list



For the past few years, I have asked Nancy Chirinos, a voracious reader, to provide Ghost Word with a list of the favorite books she read in 2009. Nancy has reviewed books for the Chronicle and lives in Noe Valley in San Francisco. Here are her thoughts:

“This is one of my favorite lists to make. I keep a book journal where I grade 'em all, so it's easy for me to pick the year's A's. Not as many good books this year, but the year's not over. I'm reading Zeitoun by Dave Eggers which I expect will be a fav, and slowly reading some Pema Chodron and Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity by David Whyte.”

The List:

When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson, 3rd in a detective trilogy. I loved them all.

The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti, kind of a Dickensian tale.

Infidel by Ayan Hirsi Ali, fascinating memoir


Little Bee by Chris Cleave


The Road Home by Rose Tremain--loved it


Stairs to a Gate by Lorrie Moore--loved it too


The Hemmings of Monticello by Annette Gordon Reed--fascinating, only non-fiction, non-memoir on my list!


The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga


That’s what I like about these lists; they vary from person to person. I have only read one of Nancy’s picks – the trilogy of Kate Atkinson. I also love the books, which detail the life of Jackon Brodie, an ex-army, ex-police, ex-private detective who solves crimes.

1 comment:

Meghan Ward said...

Loved The Good Thief and can't wait to read Zeitoun. Thanks for the reminder!