Welcome to the Annual Farewell here at the wool and the word, formerly known as trek casts on. The name change happened during 2009 and it was appropriate indeed, seeing as how there was a bit less of the knitting this year. I wouldn't attribute this to missing mojo so much as to the determination to reduce the cholesterol numbers. It is much easier to read and walk than it is to kwit in the highest heat of the summer.
Speaking of reading, Neatnik has read almost as many new books this year as Mommy. She just handed me her 184th finished book of the year 2009. To celebrate 50 new titles, we took her out for ice cream. In honor of 100 new ones, we told her we'd take her out for dinner but she opted for breakfast at a local diner. For 150 books, we visited a new ice cream shop and promised a weekend trip if she made it to 200 books year's end. Well, she didn't make it to the two century mark but we are planning to take her out to dinner tonight in celebration. Shh! Neatnik doesn't know yet: it's a surprise.
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As is tradition, I am posting the titles of the new books I have read in the past year. This tradition is a very long standing one: I started recording my new titles in a spiral bound notebook during my senior year of high school. That original notebook is no more and I am truly sorry about that. In 1996, I changed from managing the list on paper to keeping it in an Excel spreadsheet. Several computers later, I continue to copy the old files to the new hard drive.
The year 2009 was a banner year for new books, a personal best, if you will. Here are the 185 new titles I read this year. Maybe you will find a new favorite author in this list? Or at least an old favorite?
In an effort to organize my reading list, if you mouseover a title that is part of a series, you will see the name of the series pop up. I was thinking about some sort of color-coding for next year. Still thinking about it. Many of the books I read are mysteries but you will also find children's literature, fantasy, and even the occasional biography tossed in there. Might be nice to have that information readily available, too.
- A Perfect Pony
- Night of the Loving Dead
- Pane of Death
- Double Dog Dare
- Wolfsbane and Mistletoe
- Dewey
- Kitty and the Midnight Hour
- Murder by Numbers
- Kitty Goes to Washington
- Kitty Takes a Holiday
- Kitty and the Silver Bullet
- Batter Off Dead
- A Kudzu Christmas
- Fed Up
- Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand
- Dying for Dinner
- Pony on the Porch
- The Christmas Cookie Killer
- Spin a Wicked Web
- Turn Coat
- Cream Puff Murder
- Oolong Dead
- Death is Disposable
- Blood Lite
- Mother's Day Murder
- Bookmarked for Death
- Sinister Sudoku
- Welcome to the Jungle
- A Face at the Window
- Double Minds
- The Lost Quilter
- Fatally Flaky
- The Warrior
- Fablehaven
- Rise of the Evening Star
- Miss Julia Delivers the Goods
- Dead Man's Puzzle
- Murder of a Royal Pain
- Ocean Waves
- The Candy Shop War
- Kitty Raises Hell
- Doggie Day Care Murder
- Dragons Wild
- Love Mercy
- Let Me Eat Cake
- Summer on Blossom Street
- Cat Sitter on a Hot Tin Roof
- Killer Keepsakes
- Horse Heroes
- Hangman's Curse
- Stroke of Enticement
- Sweet Dreams
- While My Pretty One Knits
- Unravelled
- The Voice
- Nightmare Academy
- Broken Angel
- The Fairy-Tale Detectives
- Graven Images
- Elska
- The Unusual Suspects
- The Problem Child
- Once Upon a Crime
- Magic and Other Misdemeanors
- Tales from the Hood
- Dropped Dead Stitch
- The Everafter War
- Hound on the Heath
- Poison Ivory
- Patterns in the Sand
- A Murder of Taste
- Kitten Crowd
- Whittington
- Sucker Punch
- Dragons Luck
- Starfinder
- A Fatal Slip
- The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love
- Fatal Fixer-Upper
- The Alpine Uproar
- Conquistador de la Noche
- The Phantom Tollbooth
- Undead and Unwelcome
- Tuck
- The Secret
- Cub in the Cupboard
- Bunny Bonanza
- Ponies on the Point
- Grip of the Shadow Plague
- Kitten in the Candy Corn
- Through the Fire
- The Castle in the Attic
- Swan for the Money
- Guinea Pig Gang
- Evil Justice
- Where the Heart Is
- One Bad Apple
- The Princess Diaries
- The Secret of Platform 13
- Princess in the Spotlight
- Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary
- Miracle's Boys
- Holly's Inbox
- Princess in Love
- Princess in Waiting
- The World According to Humphrey
- Dead and Lovin' It
- Critical Care
- The Promise of Lumby
- Laced with Magic
- Julia Child
- Trouble According to Humphrey
- Strange Brew
- Princess in Training
- Surprises According to Humphrey
- Party Princess
- Spackled and Spooked
- Sew Deadly
- Inked Up
- Princess in Pink
- The Boggart
- The Starlight Barking
- Princess on the Brink
- Trust Me
- Horse Crazy
- Snake in the Glass
- A Slice of Murder
- Knit the Season
- A Pony to the Rescue
- Olive Kitteridge
- The Dragon in the Sock Drawer
- The Mysterious Benedict Society
- The Dragon's Eye
- Rotten to the Core
- The Monsters of Otherness
- The Search for Truth
- Mustang in the Mist
- Spaniel in a Stocking
- Dolphin in the Deep
- TMBS and the Perilous Journey
- The Fire Within
- TMBS and the Prisoner's Dilemma
- Fudge-Laced Felonies
- Recipe for Murder
- Icefire
- Plum Pudding Murder
- Forever Princess
- A Drunkard's Path
- Tragic Magic
- Blackwork
- Killer Crab Cakes
- Dead Man Talking
- Mourning in Miniature
- Fire Star
- Bundle of Trouble
- The Chocolate Cupid Killings
- The Field Guide
- Demon Ex Machina
- The Seeing Stone
- Lucinda's Secret
- The Ironwood Tree
- Curse of the Kissing Cousins
- Civil War on Sunday
- The Wrath of Mulgarath
- Bookplate Special
- Best Friends Forever
- The Nixie's Song
- Holiday Grind
- Return to the Hundred Acre Wood
- When She Flew
- Ace of Cakes
- A Giant Problem
- Huckleberry Finished
- Ice
- Sink Trap
- The Missing
- Christmas Miracles
- Rachel's Journal
- Rose's Journal
- Murder Has a Sweeth Tooth
- Pick of the Litter
- Hannah's Journal
- Emma's Journal
- Stuck on Murder
- The Traitor King
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Even though there was less of the fibery persuit, knitting (and hooking) still happened. I am still working on the Cable and Rib Cardigan (Ravelry link) - just the right forearm, collar, and zipper installation remains. I was sort of hoping to finish this sweater before the end of the year but a nasty razor cut to the pad of my left middle finger partially sidelined the progress. Hard to knit while adorned with a self-adhsive bandage there. Impossible to knit without one.
Finished Objects in reverse order of completion...
Madagascar Socks - Night Sky Edition
Waff-ooz! Dishcloth
Granny's Favorite - Metro Collection (8)
Granny's Favorite - Poolside Edition (2)
A Litter of Dishcloths (5)
SJ Crew Socks - Raspberry Edition (grown up sized)
Froot Loops String Bag (Ravelry link)
911 Socks
Rockyview Socks
Sunset Stripes Socks
SJ Gym Crew Socks - Now with Blue Toes
Dublin Bay Socks - Herbal Edition (Ravelry link)
Madagascar Socks - Fire on the Mountain Edition
Classic (Red) Mittens
I Am Not A Paper Cup Cozy
SJ Gym Crew Socks - Hot Pink Edition
Kiddie Kables
JIT Hat - Scrap Yarn Edition
Just in Time for Dawn Hat
# # #
Travel in aught-nine included some weekends (family visit in New England, a band trip to New York State, and a visit to the ranch) and a a week in our nation's capital. Anybody have ideas for cool places to bring the Neatnik in 2010? I am open to suggestions.
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So there you have it, 2009 in a nutshell. I hope that your 2009 was a wonderful one and that your 2010 is even better.
May you and yours experience health and happiness unbounded in the upcoming months.
May we each of us reach out and make some new friends while still maintaining (or renewing) established relationships.
Come back to visit often and bring some friends along.
I wish you peace in your hearts and homes and a very Happy New Year.
Cheers.
-trek
Posts
10 yarns:
Happy New Year to you and yours! Give Neatnik my congratulations, please?
Tangent: I was looking for something else (ok, I was hoping that Wild Rumpus sold some of its cool t-shirts online) and found this interesting sounding book.
Are you still reading the Kitty books? I got annoyed at the series a couple books back and the Las Vegas one was my last... Have you read the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs? REALLY good shapeshifter books.
That's a busy year!
I hope next year is just as fun!
I always love your book lists, so varied and eclectic. I always manage to make a wish-list from yours! As for vacation suggestions, I am dying to bring my kids to Williamsburg, VA, but I want them to be old enough to appreciate the history of it, not just the fun, food, etc. I've never been, but the thought is magical. (I love history.)
Happy 2010! We loved the Mysterious Benedict Society books here, too! See you next year....
Abundant blessings to you and your family in 2010 as well.
We just finished taking care of our 14 month old granddaughter for the past 5 days and no doubt will wait until morning for our first peek at the New Year.
P.S. I've strangely become interested in re-reading William Faulkner this year.
Happy New Year to you, Number Guy, and Neatnik and congrats to Neatnik on reading 184 books.
I'm honored to see my debut medical drama, Critical Care, on your list--thank you for picking it up. And Happy New Year to you.
Candace Calvert
Happy New year to you and your family!
Happy New Year!
Congratulations to Neatnik on her achievement. Have a wonderful dinner.
I really like your book list so will have to look out for those. I was most intrigued by Sinister Sudoku!!
Since you mentioned you like having authors you've read respond, let me say I really appreciate your reading all the way through my Laura Fleming series and starting the Tilda Harper series. Not to mention WOLFSBANE AND MISTLETOE! Since you kept on reading, I'm going to take that that as a high compliment. Hope the reading, and the knitting, go splendidly in 2010.
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