Sunday, September 20, 2009

Sunday Salon - The B Words (Burnout and Best Books)


I've been thinking about two (B) topics (BURNOUT and BEST BOOKS of 2009) for today's post:
  1. BURNOUT - inspired by this week's Weekly Geek Question ~~~~~Weekly Geeks wants to know: Are you burnt out after a week like BBAW? How do you counter burn out? Take a break? Soldier on? Or if you don't feel burnt out after such weeks, why not? ~~~~ as much fun as BBAW was, for me it was beginning to burn me out a bit. WHY??? (#1) I felt obsessed to keep up with all the posts in my google reader. I did really well the first few days of BBAW, but that is because I pretty much lived on the computer, and hardly left the house. By Wednesday, I needed a break and took a half of day off to meet my daughter, and to visit with my (2) "grand-cats". We had a leisurely lunch together, bookstore browsed/made a purchase (Ragtime; Doctorow), and then we sat around Starbucks for a bit. After splurging on a wonderful $44.00 lunch for the two of us, I stopped to get dinner for my husband. He got a $5.30 meal from Kentucky Grilled Chicken, and don't think he hasn't forgotten about that one yet either...LOL ~~~ so that was my stress reliever mid-week, and then I was then able to get back to BBAW fun.
  2. BEST BOOKS READ in 2009: ~~~~ I was inspired to post about this (B) topic after I was visiting Jackie's Blog. (We have similar taste in books, and I was able to add (7) more titles to my "must read" list, cuz if it's in Jackie's favorites, it goes on my list!!! So here is what I consider to be the BEST BOOKS I"VE READ IN 2009 (thus far~in no particular order):
So if it is not too much trouble, please leave a comment with some of the Best Books You've Read in 2009. (You all know I need more ideas of what to read). I hope all of you bloggers had as much fun, as I did this week during BBAW - (Amy , Thank You, as well as everyone else who helped to make it great fun for all). (My BBAW giveaway winners will be announced on Monday). Have a Great Sunday everyone. The weather has been gorgeous for the last week around here, so I hope to get out and enjoy it while it lasts.
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21 comments:

  1. SukoSeptember 20, 2009 at 1:31 AM

    It was hard to keep up with everyone's posts during BBAW!

    From your list, I enjoyed reading The Little Giant of Aberdeen County and watched the movie The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and want to read The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. It would be very difficult for me to choose my 2009 favorites!

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  2. UnknownSeptember 20, 2009 at 2:47 AM

    I really need to write a new version of that post as I have read so many more great books since then. I also loved Heliopolis by James Scudamore and The Glass Room by Simon Mawer.

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  3. JoAnnSeptember 20, 2009 at 7:51 AM

    Good morning, Diane! I loved The Help and am loving Little Bee, too. Will have to check out the rest of your list. I have an award for you today...

    http://lakesidemusing.blogspot.com/2009/09/tss-sigh-of-relief-and-some-awards.html

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  4. BeverlySeptember 20, 2009 at 9:46 AM

    Always hard to pick "best" books.
    But here are a couple of my best reads so far for 2009:
    The Calligrapher's Daughter
    Under This Unbroken Sky
    An Elegy for Easterly
    Hold Love Strong
    The Moon Opera
    Burnt Shadows
    The Book of Night Wome
    The Wasted Vigil
    The Vagrants

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  5. rhapsodyinbooksSeptember 20, 2009 at 10:40 AM

    Unfortunately I missed most of the week because we were away and when we got back, with the reader stopped counting at "1,000+" I had no choice but to do a massive "mark as read." But I hope to catch up one of these days!

    This year so far I really enjoyed Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, the Stieg Larsson books, Star Gazing by Linda Gillard, some YA books (they always seem to be good!), and Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant.

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  6. TiSeptember 20, 2009 at 11:31 AM

    I did a lot better this year with BBAW. Last year, I was newish and was completely overwhelmed with it all. This year, I added just a few new blogs to my reader. Instead of being in awe of the glamour and glitz, I chose to focus on the blogs that truly spoke to me. Yours being one of them ;)

    Now I am ready to get back into a normal READING routine because I didn't do much of that during BBAW.

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  7. bermudaonionSeptember 20, 2009 at 12:55 PM

    Some of the books I loved are Galway Bay, Little Pink House, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy and Nothing But Ghosts.

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  8. samantha.1020September 20, 2009 at 2:45 PM

    I've got a bunch of these on my TBR list. One of the best books that I've read so far this year has been Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It was such an amazing book!

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  9. ShondaSeptember 20, 2009 at 4:31 PM

    Diane-

    My favorite reads so far this year are:

    1. Life Without Summer by Lynne Griffin
    2. Real Life & Liars by Kristina Riggle
    3. After You by Julie Buxbaum
    4. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

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  10. LisaSeptember 20, 2009 at 4:53 PM

    I haven't read any of your other best books of 2009, but totally agree with you on The Help.

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  11. Kristen HoweSeptember 20, 2009 at 4:54 PM

    HI Diane. Thanks for the comment at my blog. She does have #4, which came out not too long ago. I believe the title is Tears of Pearl. My favorites right now will be hard to decide. Fave thriller so far: Quicksand. Fave romance, other than And Only to Deceive: Matters of the Heart by Danielle Steel. Fave mystery/cozy: TBD. Did put in a request to follow you on Twitter.

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  12. Dawn @ sheIsTooFondOfBooksSeptember 20, 2009 at 5:36 PM

    I like your idea for relieving stress! I'm sure your daughter did, too, and your husband ... well, he'll get over it :)

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  13. AartiSeptember 20, 2009 at 5:39 PM

    Thanks so much for visiting my blog! I have heard so much about yours and visited randomly, but was too intimidated to comment ;-) But now I see your best books list and I realize I haven't read ANY of them. Though The Help is high on my wish list. The best book I've read this year... probably The Enchantress of Florence, in terms of "Ooh la la" power.

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  14. Ana S.September 20, 2009 at 5:41 PM

    I hear you on the burnout...I spent WAY too much time on the computer last week and may need to spend some time away very soon!

    As for favourite reads of 2009, here are mine:
    Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
    Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
    The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt
    The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak
    The Fox Woman by Kij Johnson
    The Knife of Never Letting Go + The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

    It's been a great reading year so far!

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  15. SherrieSeptember 20, 2009 at 6:04 PM

    Hi Diane,
    I have read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and saw the movie. Both were excellent. My list of favorite books this year would be very long, so will list a few.

    A Mercy - Toni Morrison
    Dewey - Vicki Myron
    Trespassers Will be Baptized - Elizabeth Hancock
    Mudbound - Hillary Jordan
    Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen
    Kitchen Privileges - Mary Higgins Clark
    Dog Years - Mark Doty
    The Might Queens of Freeville - Amy Dickinson

    Thanks for stopping by my place, Just Books. Have a great day!

    Sherrie

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  16. AlyceSeptember 20, 2009 at 9:37 PM

    I should have taken a break midweek! I tried to keep up and fizzled out completely by the end of the week. I took the day off from blog browsing today, and am just now hitting some blogs because I am missing reading everyone's posts. :)

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  17. StaciSeptember 20, 2009 at 9:49 PM

    I quit trying to keep up..especially with dial up...!!

    Fave reads so far this year:
    *Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
    *Edgar Sawtelle
    *Labor Day (thanks to you)
    *If I Stay (YA)
    *A Homemade Life
    *Blue Notebook
    *Little Bee
    *Undone
    *The Last Bridge

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  18. AnonymousSeptember 20, 2009 at 10:25 PM

    The Help would be on my list, along with The Well and the Mine and The Calligrapher's Daughter.

    I had fun during BBAW, but I didn't get much book reading done this week!

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  19. Sue JacksonSeptember 21, 2009 at 9:15 AM

    Great post! I've heard such good things about The Help and Still Alice, and I really enjoyed The House at Sugar Beach also.

    Some of my favorites so far this year:

    People of the Book
    Breakfast with Buddha
    Firefly Lane
    The Hunger Games

    I posted reviews of most of these at www.bookbybook.blogspot.com (and the Hunger Games at www.greatbooksforkidsandteens.com)

    Thanks for inspiring a look back at the highlights!

    Sue

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  20. ZibileeSeptember 21, 2009 at 4:44 PM

    I think the best book I have read in the last six months has probably been The Angel's Game. There were several others that I really liked a lot, but none of the others came close for me.

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  21. JennersSeptember 21, 2009 at 8:33 PM

    I keep seeing so many of these mentioned as being good so I have to check them out. I'm not sure what my best books are yet!

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Thanks for taking the time to visit and double thanks for any comments. If you ask a question in your comments, I will try to reply to it here, or by email if your settings allow me to do so. Thanks again for visiting.


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