books!

I read about 87 books in 2008. I petered out keeping track at the end, so I am not sure of the exact number. I've already read 7 books in 2009! Here's the first set:

1. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
This is the story of an Australian book conservator who works on the Sarajevo Haggadah. The haggadah is the text used at Passover and the Sarajevo Haggadah is an actual illuminated manuscript. This book tells the fictional story of what the conservator finds, and how the book intersected different people's lives over its long history. I really enjoyed this book.

2. Once Upon a Time in the North by Phillip Pullman
Another book by the author of the Golden Compass. This one is in the same universe as those books but set earlier in time. I really enjoyed this short, adventure-filled book.

3. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood and
4. Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares
These are the 2nd and 3rd books in the Traveling Pants series. I read the first books years ago and feel like I was kind of 'meh' about it, but I really enjoyed these two. The writing is good and the characters are really interesting and I think pretty true to life descriptions of teenage girls. I am definitely going to read the 4th book.

5. Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
A novel about a small town in Central Florida after a nuclear holocaust. This book was written in 1959 and holds up pretty well. It is very interesting and was fascinating to see what someone in 1959 imagined about living after a nuclear war. I also really liked the Central Florida setting. If you like end of the world novels, this one is really good.