Notable Boy-Friendly Books Read in 2009

At the end of the week, when one year ends and another begins, I will post my Best Books of 2009 list at Bildungsroman, my book blog. I have a sneak-peek version available at Amazon: Best Books of 2009 (So Far) - but, as I've read over 300 books this year, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Today, for GuysLitWire, I thought I'd post a list of some good books I read this year which were written by men and/or feature male protagonists. These are all works of fiction, though some are inspired by true events. (Hurrah for historical fiction!) I've included graphic novels and novels with artwork, dramas and comedies, sequels and series, first-person narratives and ensemble pieces. The titles are in the order in which they were read, so a title's placement is not indicative of anything other than when I read it. No rankings here -- just recommendations.

* This is What I Want to Tell You by Heather Duffy Stone
* The Waking: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall
* The Map of Moments: A Novel of the Hidden Cities by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon (Note: This is adult fiction, not YA, and thus shelved in the sci-fi/fantasy section of bookstores and libraries.)
* Dancing on the Head of a Pin by Thomas E. Sniegoski (the follow-up to A Kiss Before the Apocalypse)
* So Punk Rock (and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother) by Micol Ostow with art by David Ostow
* Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold, and Alexis Frederick-Frost
* Legacy by Tom Sniegoski
* Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
* The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan
* Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan
* Bug Boy by Eric Luper
* After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick (coming out in February 2010, this is the follow-up to Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie)
* Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes

I'm throwing in four bonus titles - two picture books and two non-fiction titles - which may not be typical GLW fodder but are completely worth your time:

* Peg Leg Peke by Brie Spangler, a sweet picture book about a dog whose injury is overshadowed by his wonderful imagination and upbeat attitude;
* Hug Time by Patrick McDonnell, another adorable Mutts book about a happy-go-lucky dog named Earl
* Guardians of Being, with powerful words by Eckhart Tolle and lovely art by Patrick McDonnell
* The Complete Professional Audition: A Commonsense Guide To Auditioning For Musicals and Plays by Darren R. Cohen with Michael Perilstein (and a foreword by Jason Robert Brown), one of the best resources I've ever read on the subject. I highly recommend it to any and all of my fellow stage actors.

Break a leg, GuysLitWire folks, and crack open a good book!