2008 Round-Up

2008 is over and 2009 has begun. The NHL Winter Classic is on the tube and I'm wrapping up the year on the 'nets.

Knit in 2008
2 Appliqued Purses as Christmas gifts for two nieces

An Odessa hat, a Coronet Hat and a Laced Edge Hat for co-workers who shaved their head for St. Baldrick's.

I knit Straight-Laced Socks for a niece for Christmas, socks for a baby and Pomatomus for me.

Hats were knit for my mom who also shaved her head for St. Baldrick's this year. She recieved a Lace-Edged Hat, a Lace Leaf Hat and a Wavy Cable Hat.

I knit a Kitty, a 5-Hr Baby Sweater and a Helena baby sweater for babies this year.
My newest niece (the recipient of the Helena sweater) also recieved a Christmas Stocking with gingerbread men on it.

A sweet niece asked for a pink hat this year for her birthday and I obliged her.

Scarves were requested by the daughter for her and her now-fiance. Those were a Cable & Garter scarf and a plain stockinette scarf, both lined with black fleece.

Also knitted were 2 coffee cozies and 20 dishcloths. The dishcloths were my fall-back knitting.



Books read in 2008
I didn't read nearly as many books as last year. But I did read enough to average a smidge over 1 book a week. In total, 66 books for a total of 21,215 pages.

In no particular order, they're listed below. And yes, I did read some title more than once. Usually when they were part of a series.

Jennifer Crusie's Anyone But You

Katie Fforde's Restoring Grace, Practically Perfect, Stately Pursuits, Paradise Fields, Life Skills (I thoroughly enjoy Fforde's books; they're comedic, relateable and I enjoy the English aspect)

Jayne Ann Krentz' White Lies, Second Sight, Ghost Hunter, White Lies, Sizzle and Burn (Krent and her alter ego, Amanda Quick, provide some of my favorite reads. She has a series going right now that spans both nom de plumes)

JA Jance's Exit Wounds, Tombstone Courage, Desert Heat (Joanna Brady is a character I enjoy greatly)

Linda Howard's Up Close and Dangerous, Drop Dead Gorgeous (I keep intending to give up Linda Howard but hope is a powerful force)

Mary Jane Maffini's The Cluttered Corpse (A new cozy mystery writer and I enjoy the organizational tips scattered throughout)

Mary Kruger's Knit Fast, Die Young (knitting, mystery. 'Nuff said)

Nora Roberts' High Noon, The Hollow, Blood Brothers, The Hollow, Dead of Night, Waiting for Nick, The Hollow, The Pagan Stone (Nora is a favorite. I read and re-read The Hollow because I loved the characters)

JD Robb's Creation in Death, Strangers in Death (Lt. Eve Dallas is a strong character and I've enjoyed watching her and her "family" evolve")

Donna Andrews's No Nest for the Wicket, The Penguin Who Knew Too Much (cozy murder mysteries, unusual family and Meg keeps it under control)

Yvonne Lehman's Coffee Rings (Christian chick lit, I tried to read more of this type of book this year)

Laura Jensen Walker's Reconstructing Natalie, Miss Invisible, Dreaming in Technicolor, Dreaming in Black & White (this is Christian chick lit I absolutely love)

Sandra Byrd's Let Them Eat Cake (more Christian chick lit and a character I could relate to)

Charles Baxter's The Feast of Love (I haven't seen the movie, but I enjoyed this book. I'm having trouble picturing Greg Kinnear in it)

Mark Haddon's A Spot of Bother (Brit lit. Enjoyed)

Amanda Quick's The River Knows, The Third Circle, Rendezvous, Dangerous, Reckless, Ravished, Deception (see Jayne Ann Krentz above)

Julie Garwood's Shadow Dance (part of a wide reaching series)

Jill Churchill's The Accidental Florist (Meh. I usually enjoy Churchill's books about Jane, but this one wasn't as engaging)

Lt. Carey Cash's A Table in the Presence (wonderful book written by a chaplain who was in Iraq)

Maggie Sefton's Dying to Sell, Killer Stitch (more cozy mysteries)

Tamara Leigh's Perfecting Kate (Christian chick lit and a story line about accepting ourselves as God made us)

Susan Meissner's The Remedy for Regret (Christian chick lit)

Michael Ondaatje's Divisadero (I'd heard about this on the BookLounge podcast, not my usual reading, but that's a good thing)

Sarah Vowell's Partly Cloudy Patriot, Assasination Vacation (love her sense of humor, her ability to pull things together)

Susan May Warren's Everything's Coming Up Josey (little bit of romance and some screwball comedy)

Julie Carobini's Chocolate Beach (and the Christian chick lit continues. This character was closer to my age though)

Jo Dereske's Catalogue of Death (I'd seen this author's books when we were in Seaside and tried it out from the library. I'll continue to read these cozies)

Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next: First Among Sequels (love love love Thursday Next)

Adam Felber's Schrödinger's Ball (I was wandering around the library and came across this book. I love NPR's Wait Wait and he's a frequent guest)

Monica Ferris' Knitting Bones (just keeping up with the series)

Polly Evans' Kiwis Might Fly (a fun travelogue about her adventures riding a motorcycle through New Zealand)

Jan Burke's Kidnapped (this took me forever to read, but it's actually very good. I just kept getting distracted)

Kate Jacobs' The Friday Night Knitting Club (very enjoyable, I cried)

Debbie Macomber's Back on Blossom Street (part of the continuing Blossom Street series)

Kathy Reichs' Monday Mourning (love Tempe, love the science, love the Bones spin-off)

Now to wipe the sidebar clean and start 2009!

Happy New Year!