Eimer's Top 10 Reads of 2009

I've made a grave error. In a previous entry, I sounded off that I read approximately fifty books during this past year.

Apologies to everyone.

It was only 46.

However, two of the novels on my 2009 reading list were graphic novels (David Boring and Watchmen) which, if you're going by Mac's comment in my previous entry, David Boring doesn't cut the mustard due to the fact that it's less than 200 pages.

So, let's make it an even 45, which equals approximately 3.75 books a month.

Sounds about right to me.

In any event, I've uncovered a number of great books this year that I think would make great reads for all three readers of this blog.

So here goes. Below are my top ten reads of 2009 (in no particular order):

1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimen It's The Jungle Book in the Graveyard! What a cool idea.This book is pure genius. The writing. The characters. Everything. It actually made me jealous after I read it.
   
   
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry Quite possibly one of the best horror novels I've ever read. And it's really not supposed to be a horror novel.
   
   
3. The Terror by Dan Simmons Great book. Great writing. Great story. I continue to think about this book almost a year after reading it. It would make a great mini-series on HBO or Showtime. Perfect reading during the cold months of winter.
   
   
4. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card This is probably one of the most amazing science fiction books ever written. Seriously. This one is up there on my list of all-time greats. I'm curious as to why a movie was never made about this.
   
   
5. The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann A true adventure story about a true adventurer. This isn't Indiana Jones. This is a story of a man with an unbridled obsession to make a name for himself in this world, no matter the psychological cost.
   
   
6. The Stranger by Albert Camus I read this in my early 20's and thought I'd revisit this book in my late 30's. Nothing has changed. It's still a fascinating book about a very flawed character. However, is he really flawed? That's your opinion. Part of me understands his actions. Part of me abhores them.
   
   
7. 1776 by David McCullough This non-fiction novel starts out a bit slow, but it's worth the effort. McCullough has done his research about this particular year in America and, in the process, has created a truly entertaining history of the American Revolution.
   
   
8. Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen This is another book that just took a hold of me and never let go. I couldn't wait to read it. Gruen creates an entire circus world that fills your head with beautiful imagery. Her writing is so good, that you actually feel for the characters, both good and bad. But, it's much more than a circus book. It's about growing old, past regrets, hanging on to precious memories and living your life to the fullest.
   
   
9. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien Saw the Secret of Nimh, but never read the book. I'm glad I did because the movie is a complete bastardization of the novel. O'Brien's fine writing style propelled this anthropomorphic tale into my top ten.
   
   
10. The Life of Pi by Yann Martel Like 1776, the books starts off a bit slow, but it pays off in the end. After Pi is on the boat, I found myself reading chunks of pages simply to see how this fantastical story was going to end.

WARNING: If you're interested in any of the above books, I implore you to not (NOT) visit Wikipedia to learn more. The Wikipedia summaries are filled to gills with spoilers that will ruin these books for first-time readers.

Taking a Walk In The Woods with Redford.

When it comes to non-fiction books about hiking, hands-down my favorite book is Bill Bryson's A Walk In The Woods.

The book is a non-fiction, humorous account of Bryson and his chubby, alcoholic friend tackling the 2,100 mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from from Georgia to Maine. Bryson highlights his hardships in an amusing, yet moving, way.

That said, today I came across a post on Slashfilm.com that announced Robert Redford will playing the role of Bill Bryson in the new movie adaptation of the book with Barry Levinson set to direct.

As the post states, Redford and Paul Newman were looking for a project to do together before they croaked. They both mentioned this movie as a possibility. Although it would be nice to see the duo from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid back in the theater, I have my reservations and think that they should look for a younger person to play Bryson's sidekick.

As far as Levinson is concerned, I'm a fan of his work including Diner, The Natural, Avalon, Bugsy, Wag the Dog and Bandits. He also produced the hit TV series Homicide: Life on the Streets. But, he's been known to make a couple stinkers as well including Toys and Sphere among others.

All in all, I think he's a great dialogue guy when it comes to direction and writing for males. That's why I think he's a good choice for this particular film.

On a personal note, a through-hike of the Appalachian Trail is considered a monumental achievement that's highly regarded in the hiking community. It's basically an investment of 3-8 months of your life, depending on how fast you can hike and how much you're carrying on your back.

Some hikers love the book. Other's hate it. All I can say is the book definitely motivated me to hike bits and pieces of the trail, with hopes of an eventual through-hike in my 50's or 60's.

If you haven't read A Walk in the Woods, I strongly recommend you pick it up and read it. You won't be sorry.

Now all we need is for someone to produce and direct The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, the Appalachian Trail-inspired horror novel from Stephen King.