'09 reading, the first 1/3

Continuing my first successful New Year's Eve resolution of last year, to finish at least 50 books, I'm doing the same this year. The only rule is the book has to finished in this year, meaning half-read books from last year can be finished now and half-read books from this year will be finished next year, and on and on to infinity. Books finished so far (in order):

1. The Tormented Mirror – Russell Edson
2. The True History of the Kelly Gang – Peter Carey
3. The Men Who Stare at Goats – Jon Ronson
4. Flying to America – Donald Barthelme
5. How to Sell – Clancy Martin
6. Retreat Retreat Chapbook – Wells Tower
7. The Ring of Brightest Angels Around Heaven – Rick Moody
8. Dreams of a Robot Dancing Bee – James Tate
9. Farewell Navigator – Leni Zumas
10. Like You’d Understand Anyway – Jim Shepard
11. Funny Misshapen Body – Jeffery Brown
12. NOON 2009
13. Days Between Stations – Steven Erickson
14. Autobiography of Red – Anne Carson
15. Hey Jack! – Barry Hannah
16. Personal Days – Ed Park
17. Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World - Donald Antrim
    

A pretty good run with no real clunkers. Here are the books I rated five stars on Goodreads:

The True History of the Kelly Gang
How to Sell (I predict this will be the hip book of the summer.)
Like You’d Understand Anyway (H.S. football story was badass.)
NOON 2009
Days Between Stations (An eye-patched man in a blue trench coat who owns an LA club called the Blue Isosceles? How is that not a David Lynch character? But this book came out before even Blue Velvet. Hmm...)
Autobiography of Red (Just fantastic.)
Hey Jack!
Personal Days (I think my current work situation helped.)
Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World (This book might have the sickest, in both senses of the word, ending I've ever read.)

Yep.