My Favorite 2009 Reads

I read so many great books in 2009, I don't really know where to start. Choosing my favorite reads for the year is tough, but I have to start with each of the books my fellow Novel Girls wrote. I truly loved every one of these stories, and they exemplify (in my opinion) some of the best reads out there.

However, in addition to these terrific books, I also read quite a few other wonderful books in 2009. Here is a list of those favorites and why:

• Remembrance by Jude Deveraux: This is not a new book, as it was published in 2004, but it quickly became one of my all-time favorites. The story centers around a romance writer (!) who is unable to find true, everlasting love in her life, but then, when she begins a new novel, becomes fixated on her fictional hero. As the story progresses, we learn that her hero isn't fictional at all, but rather, a memory of an everlasting love from one of the heroine's prior lives. I loved every word of this story.


• Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult: Again, not a 2009 release, but a story that has stayed with me for months after reading it. This story takes place mostly in the world of the Amish, and when a newborn infant is found dead on an Amish farm, questions are raised. Who does the baby belong to? The suspense is riveting and well-paced, but I really enjoyed diving into a world I was mostly unfamiliar with.


• WITSEC: Inside the Federal Witness Protection Program by Pete Earley: This is also not a 2009 release and it's not a fiction book, but I've been considering writing a novel where one of my characters is in WITSEC, so I read this for research purposes. It's an engrossing read, and there's a lot of information to be gleamed from it. I can truly say that while a lot of this info was on the gruesome side, it was also compelling. I learned a lot about the program and the criminals that made the program a necessity.


• La Vida Vampire by Nancy Haddock: This is a wonderful debut novel about a vampire who was trapped for over 200 years and then found during the renovation of a Victorian mansion. This is not your typical vampire story! It's light, humorous, and while there are some spine-tingling moments, it's a ton of fun to read.


• The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Wax: This is the last book I read in 2009, and it's easily one of my top favorites. I loved it so much, I immediately ordered the rest of this author's back list. For anyone who wonders what it's like to be a published author, this is a must read, as it covers everything from the worst of circumstances to the best of the best in the world of publishing. Plus, the strong bonds of friendship between the four main characters (all writers) felt very real to me.

In addition the above, JD Robb's In Death series is always a favorite of mine, and 2009 brought two new titles to the series. I've had a great year of reading, and can't wait to see what books fill me with happiness in 2010. What about you? Do you have any favorites from 2009? Share, please! I'm always happy to buy more books...