Reading Days With J

2012 Reading Challenges

2012-01-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

I could be insane but I am looking at a bunch of reading challenges to perhaps participate in. And it's already the 11th, scratch that, the 13th now. This is precious reading time I have wasted. I really should have been looking into the reading challenges in the beginning of December like most other normal people would have. But at the time, I had a birthday party to deal with, Christmas presents and presents to get and wrap, Christmas cards to send out, cookies to bake and another birthday party to plan. Besides, I also hadn't even finished my 2011 reading challenges let alone start thinking of 2012!

So now that all of the above have been taken care of and I may breathe, I have been poking around and looking at challenges for this year. Oh, more of the insanity comes in since I am a bit burnt out because of these reading challenges these last few years. What is this, my 4th or 5th year of doing reading challenges? So why, oh, why am I looking at or even considering reading challenges for this year?? Especially since I also didn't FINISH last year's reading challenges!!! Probably because I'm a glutton for punishment.

It's a bit a challenge to even attempt a challenge. heehee

So these are what I have my eye on....

1 - Book Chick City is hosting the Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge.
2 - Socrates Book Review is hosting the Cruisin' thru Cozies Reading Challenge

These two are just a given since mysteries and cozies are my books of choice. It's not really a challenge per say for me but hey, if they are what I read anyway, why not count them! I can make myself feel good and think I am completing a "challenge."

3 - MizB's Reading Challenges hosts the 2012 Original TBR Challenge.

I love the concept of this challenge because it makes me focus and read the books on my TBR list. It's actually a lot harder than I anticipated. You would think it wouldn't be hard to read books you want to read. I did this last year and the problem is getting distracted by other great books and reviews. Also, I also lost interest in some books as well, so that was a problem. I think I've learned to just get rid of books I no longer want to read - not physically but off my TBR list. Many of the books on my TBR list are sequels or continuation of a series. I think this is going to be a year of "finding out what happens next!"

4 - Teresa's Reading Corner hosts the 2012 Audio Book Challenge.

I actually did not make it with the Audio Book Challenge. I will attempt it again this year. I enjoyed it. It was a break from reading. Plus now that I'm distracted by games on the Nook, listening to a book is a great option.

5 - Reading with Tequila hosts the 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge.

I skipped this challenge last year even though I liked it the year before. It just seemed that in 2010, I read all the books that I was interested in and the 2011 list seemed to be be similar. But now there looks be to different books to be enjoyed. Or perhaps I am more open to different books than last year.

The following ones are new to me but caught my eye. I especially like the last two. Because it involves the kids and kids' books.

6 - Historical Tapestry hosts the Historical Fiction Challenge 2012.
7 - Reading with Martinis hosts Those Books I Should Have Read 2012 Reading Challenge.
8 - Tea Time with Marce hosts the I Want More Challenge 2012.
9 - Book Journey hosts Read Dystopia Challenge 2012.
10 - The Introverted Reader hosts the Dewey Decimal Challenge.
11 - Emlyn Chand hosts the 2012 "Books that made me love reading" Challenge.
12 - mommy wants to read hosts the 3660 Minutes Reading Challenge.

Oh, and there's one more that I did last year and can't seem to find this year is a Page to Screen reading challenge which is basically reading books and then watching their movies or television shows. I didn't get to complete the challenge last year, but thought I'd give it another shot. However, I can't find it. Last year's host doesn't seem to be doing it again. So I'm going to just make one up and Ty and I are planning are doing a Page to Screen reading challenge together. We may include Luc in on it, too.

2011 End of Year Stats

2012-01-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

I thought this would be fun to do. I stole, ahem, I mean borrowed the idea from someone else. For the first time I can actually figure out the stats because I kept a spreadsheet of the books I read. I didn't keep the best records but they are more or less accurate, just some mislabeling here and there.

12 Chick Lit
13 Children's books
1 Classic
4 Cozies
28 Culinary Mysteries
10 General Fiction
13 Mysteries
1 Nonfiction
4 Romance
1 Suspense
7 Young Adult
2 books I gave up on
1 book I returned because I realized as I was reading the first chapter that I already read the book
3 books I didn't finish by the end of 2011 - one I finished 5 days into the new year

83 books borrowed from the library
29 ebooks
33 Hardcover books - one book overlaps with an ebook because I found the ebook after I started reading the library book
35 Paperback books

85 pages was my shortest ebook read
150 pages was my shortest print book read
1162 pages was my longest ebook read
529 pages was my longest print book read

1 - 2 1/2 star book
20 - 3 star books
46 - 3 1/2 star books
18 - 4 star books
8 - 4 1/2 star books
3 - 5 star books

Oh, and the whole point of keeping the spreadsheet to keep track of the pages read:
28863 pages read

Okay that number is tweaked a little. Just a little. I have a book that I finished 1/5/12, so technically not completed at the end of 2011. However, I forgot to note what page I was on when the year ended, soooooo I just added in the total number of pages instead. I also have two books that are unfinished from 2011 that I suppose I will eventually finish however, I haven't included those numbers either. Yes, I am being anal....

2011 Reading Challenges

2012-01-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

2011 Reading Challenges

* Audiobook Challenge
* Mystery & Suspense Challenge - DONE!
* TBR Challenge - DONE!
* Page to Screen Reading Challenge
* Cruisin' Thru Cozies Reading Challenge - DONE!

As you can see, I did not meet my reading challenges for 2011. :(

Audiobooks - needed to listen to 6 audiobooks and I was in the middle of #6 when 2011 ended. So close yet so far!

Page to Screen Reading - Read the five books but didn't watch the five movies. :( Just didn't watch #5. I supposed I could have watched 2 episodes of True Blood but just didn't have time to in the last few days before the year ended.

So, so disappointing! I almost made it...

2011 Book List

2012-01-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

So this is what I've got so far for 2011. I think I need to update the list but the following is pretty much what I read last year, give or take a few books. I haven't been the best at keeping this updated here. Please excuse the various lists. And the repeats. I haven't a clue what I was thinking at the beginning of the year, why some books are on multiple lists, etc. But it is what it is... Maybe, hopefully, I'll make more sense in 2012! I'll have to posts my stats another time.

2011 Books

* Now You See Her by James Patterson 162 pgs
* Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich 308 pgs
* Mobbed by Carolyn Higgins Clark 255 pgs
* One Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley 371 pgs
* The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi Durrow 256 pgs
* In the Woods by Tana French
* The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larrson 395 pgs
* City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare 259 pgs
* A Million Little Pieces by James Frey 383 pgs
* Wicked by Gregory Maguire 405 pgs
* No Place Like Here by Cecelia Ahern 341 pgs
* East of Eden by John Steinbeck - 489 pgs
* A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrich 169 pgs
* Rosie Dunne by Cecelia Ahern 431 pgs
* Dreams of Joy by Lisa See 349 pgs
* At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks 216 pgs
* This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen 247 pgs
* Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes 518 pgs
* Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos 307 pgs
* Nefertiti by Michelle Moran 457 pgs
* Shanghai Girls by Lisa Lee 309 pgs
* Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian 362 pgs
* The Postmistress by Sarah Blake 318 pgs
* Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner 397 pgs
* The White Queen by Philippa Gregory 529 pgs
* Undead and Unappreciated by Mary Janice Davidson 271 pgs
* Distant Shores by Kristin Hannah 402 pgs
* Undead and Unemployed by Mary Janice Davidson 272 pgs
* Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner 397 pgs

Mystery & Suspense Challenge - DONE!

* 1 - Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson 315 pgs
* 2 - Whisker of Evil by Rita Mae Brown 297 pgs - don't know how to count this, since I finished after the new year
* 3 - Tick Tock by James Patterson 400 pgs
* 4 - Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris 197 pgs
* 5 - Cross Fire by James Patterson - reading
* 6 - Mary, Mary by James Patterson 319 pgs
* 7 - Club Dead by Charlaine Harris 193 pgs
* 8 - London Bridges by James Patterson 308 pgs
* 9 - Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich 192 pgs
* 10 - Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris 291 pgs
* 11 - Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris 223 pgs
* 12 - Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris 256 pgs
* 13 - Now You See Her 162 pgs

Page to Screen Reading Challenge - didn't complete the challenge, shy one movie

* 1 - The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks 463 pgs *
* 2 - P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern 375 pgs *
* 3 - He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt/Liz Tuccillo 165 pgs
* 4 - The Nanny Diaries by Emma Mclaughlin/Nicola Kraus 305 pgs *
* 5 - Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine 229 pgs *
* Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 86 pgs *
* Southern Vampire series/True Blood by Charlaine Harris

Cruisin' Thru Cozies Reading Challenge - DONE!

* 31 - Mobbed - Carolyn Higgins Clark 255 pgs
* 30 - Bedeviled Eggs by Laura Eggs 302 pgs
* 29 - Farm Fresh Murder by Paige Shelton 281 pgs
* 28 - One Bad Apple by Sheila Connolly 253 pgs
* 1 - Fed Up by Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant 259 pgs
* 2 - Roast Mortem by Cleo Coyle 186 pgs (started in 2010)
* 3 - Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke 359 pgs
* 4 - Holiday Grind by Cleo Coyle 279 pgs
* 5 - Dying for Dinner by Miranda Bliss 250 pgs
* 6 - Murder Has a Sweet Tooth by Miranda Bliss 231 pgs
* 7 - Glazed Murder by Jessica Beck 291 pgs
* 8 - Fatally Frosted by Jessica Beck 286 pgs
* 9 - Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett 286 pgs
* 10 - Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett 296 pgs
* 11 - Devil's Food Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke 322 pgs
* 12 - The Diva Takes the Cake by Krista Davis 304 pgs
* 13 - Death in Daytime by Eileen Davis 283 pgs
* 14 - I Scream, You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson 300 pgs
* 15 - Sinister Sprinkles by Jessica Beck 290 pgs
* 16 - Chapter and Hearse by Lorna Barrett 181 pgs
* 17 - Death Takes the Cake by Melinda Wells 266 pgs
* 19 - Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson 342 pgs
* 18 - Delicious and Suspicious by Riley Adams 269 pgs
* 20 - Dial Emmy for Murder by Eileen Davidson 284 pgs
* 21 - Throw Darts at a Cheesecake 211 pgs
* 22 - Evil Eclairs by Jessica Beck
* 23 - The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames 309 pgs
* 24 - Scones and Bones by Laura Childs 279 pgs
* 25 - Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett 324 pgs
* 26 - The Diva Paints the Town by Krista Davis 304 pgs
* 27 - Buzz Off by Hannah Reed 312 pgs

Ebooks

* In the Woods by Tana French 419 pgs
* The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larrson 395 pgs
* City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare 259 pgs
* Definitely Dead 405 pgs
* Uglies by Scott Westerfeld 199 pgs
* House Rules by Jodi Picoult 423 pgs
* Wake by Lisa McMann 85 pgs
* East of Eden byJohn Steinbeck 489 pgs
* The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon 1162 pgs
* Crunch Time by Diane Mott Davidson 342 pgs
* Cloud Pavilion by Laura Joh Rowland 228 pgs
* A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrich 169 pgs
* Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris 223 pgs
* At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks 216 pgs
* This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen 247 pgs
* Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich 192 pgs
* London Bridges by James Patterson 308 pgs
* Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes 518 pgs
* Mini-Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella 324 pgs
* Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Denham 529 pgs
* What a Lady Wants by Jennifer Crusie 153 pgs
* Watermelon by Marian Keyes 417 pgs
* Club Dead by Charlaine Harris 193 pgs
* Cross Fire by James Patterson - reading
* Mary, Mary by James Patterson 319 pgs
* Sidney Sheldon's After the Darkness by Tilly Bagshawe 333 pgs
* Living Dead in Dallas in Charlaine Harris 197 pgs
* Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - reading
* Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - reading
* Wish by Alexandra Bullen 336 pgs
* Tick Tock by James Patterson 400 pgs

Children's Books

* The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Nervous Lion 150 pgs
* The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Flaming Footprints 182 pgs
* The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Shrinking House 153 pgs
* The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Coughing Dragon 181 pgs
* The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Laughing Shadow 178 pgs
* The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Talking Skull 164 pgs
* The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Moaning Cave 160 pgs
* The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Fiery Eye 180 pgs
* The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Green Ghost 179 pgs
* The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Whispering Mummy 180 pgs
* The Three Investigators and the Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot 174 pgs

Re-evaluating blog

2011-12-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

The time has come re-evaluate how I have been maintaining this blog. And quite honestly, it doesn't look so pretty from where I'm sitting. I have two weeks to figure how to do a better job in the coming year. This blog business is a lot harder than it looks. It doesn't help that I'm a reader not a writer. I've got to figure a way to make it easier on myself. I know I get lazy about searching for the cover and a summary for the books. Maybe I should stop worrying about that. It's not like I really have followers who read my blog. If it's just for me then I should make it simple for myself. Just my quick thoughts on the book. Whether I liked it or not. Rate it. The simpler it is, the more likely I'll work on it!

sigh

2011-05-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

Obviously I suck! For the record, I am on book 60 for the year. Not that you can tell from my mere 2 reviews. But I have been good enough to be diligent on my excel spreadsheet. At least I am keeping up with that. I can't even remember the last time I checked in with blogger. So even my booklist is out of date. Oops.

Okay, of the 60 books, 4 books I have only been reading on and off. Truth be told, more off than on. 6 are children's books of The Three Investigators series that I am re-reading. I'm actually reading one right now. Quite frankly I'm not really into it. I started re-reading the series with zealous and excitedly wrote down all the books in the series with intention to get them from the library. I borrowed the first 6 and read them with enthusiasm. I took a break and recently put the second 6 on hold and have them on hand. But I don't have the desire to read them anymore. Shockingly, I think I might send them back unread. I don't want to fall back into the trap of forcing myself to read the books and then dreading reading like I did a couple of years back. *shudder* It was an awful feeling, not wanting to read.

I'm going to turn a new leaf and not push myself to read when I don't want to. I have Witch & Wizard on my Nook and am not feeling it. I know I only read one chapter but I do not care to force myself to read the book before it's due in a few days. So I won't.

Roast Mortem by Cleo Coyle

2011-02-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

About this book - from Amazon.com

The pseudonymous Coyle's strong 9th coffeehouse mystery (after 2009's Holiday Grind) pays tribute to New York City firefighters. Clare Cosi, the head barista at Village Blend; Blend owner Madame Dreyfus Allegro Dubois (who's Clare's ex-mother-in-law); and Blend employee Dante Silva narrowly escape death in the bomb-activated blaze that destroys Enzo Testa's Caffe Lucia in Queens and seriously injures Enzo. Clare informs the irritating, overly flirtatious FDNY captain, Michael Quinn, a cousin of her NYPD detective boyfriend, Mike Quinn, that she suspects arson. As fire marshal Stuart Rossi swings into action, Clare is eager to help catch the firebug (aka the Coffee Shop Arsonist), but Rossi is less than enthusiastic about her getting involved. Later, the arsonist torches a Long Island coffeehouse, killing a firefighter, as a warning. While the media worry that a terrorist is loose, new, even more horrible crimes surface. Coyle (the wife-husband writing team of Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini) provides an appendix of useful tips and tempting recipes.

One thing I like about this series is that it starts off with the crime. It starts off with the "villain" and their mind frame. This is a bit different and refreshing.

It's been so long since I've read this book that I can't even remember what it's about. What I can give is the impression the book has left.

I wasn't as crazy about this book as I was the others in the series. Just the introduction of possible corrupt firefighters left a bad taste in my mouth. And Matteo with whom there is always great dialogue doesn't make much of an appearance in this book.

Unwed and Unemployed by Mary Janice Davidson

2011-01-22T22:10:00.000-08:00

About this book

Queen Elizabeth I, aka Betsy Taylor, is adjusting to life after death as a vampire, but she still needs a job. To satisfy her lust for sexy shoes, she lands one in Macy's, but one night she is attacked by zit-remedy-scented slayers who are targeting female vampires. While trying to find out who is behind the plot, she befriends an adolescent gang called the Blade Warriors and the kindly priest who leads them. Betsy's unwanted consort, sexy Eric Sinclair, king of the vampires, doesn't know how to deal with a vampire queen who sneezes at holy water and wears a cross around her neck, and a charming subplot involving a mysterious five-year-old girl in saddle shoes adds poignancy to this wickedly clever and amusing romp. Davidson's witty dialogue, fast pacing, smart plotting, laugh-out-loud humor, and sexy relationships make this a joy to read. And Betsy's second adventure, following her debut in Undead and Unwed, will have readers begging for more.

Another funny, quick read from the Queen Betsy vampire chick lit series. Betsy is a vampire queen who doesn't want to be one. In this second book in the series, Betsy lands herself a coveted - in her opinion - job in the shoe department of Macy's after showing her expertise.

Meanwhile someone or someones are killing vampires. It's up to Betsy to help figure it out. She is the Queen after all. She quickly meets the group of vigilantes who is headed by a priest and is funded by someone unknown. The vampires and the vigilantes come to an agreement and stop the killing. In fact, one of the members develops a crush on Betsy, although it could be her newfound ability to be very desirable to others.

And as if she doesn't have her hands enough going on, there is a little girl who keeps popping up in her bedroom. Betsy has to wonder why her parents are working such long hours and always leaving her at the house. It takes a while, but eventually it dawns on Betsy that the little girl is a ghost. Who happens to be the daughter of a newcomer vampire who doesn't care for Betsy. And the only way for the mother and daughter to be together again is in the afterlife.

Betsy unwillingly complies to the mother vampire's wish to be staked and dead forever.

At the end of the day, Betsy loses her lovely job at Macy's even though she is most suited for it. Her manager fires her because she cannot be counted on the work when she is supposed to. And because her manager is a sheep. Eric's sheep.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

2011-01-22T18:42:00.000-08:00

About this book - From Amazon.com

Seventeen year old Veronica "Ronnie" Miller's life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father...until her mother decides it would be in everyone's best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie's father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story of love on many levels--first love, love between parents and children -- that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that love can break our hearts...and heal them.

I liked reading The Last Song well enough. It was a nice start to the new year. It was a very typical Nicholas Sparks book which is why I wanted to read it. It is a feel good book with a twist and usually with a "happy" ending. I have happy in quotations because happy is in the eye of the beholder. Let's just say there is usually a definitive ending to Nicholas Sparks' books. You generally know what to expect and that is why you read his books, at least that's why I do.

Throughout the book, I had it in the back of my mind that The Last Song was a Miley Cyrus vehicle. Not being a fan of Miley Cyrus, I'm sure that colored my opinion of the book. Maybe I would have liked it more? I don't know.

I had trouble understanding Ronnie's anger at everyone. I do get the impression that that is how it can be in divorced families especially when one parent disappears. And as a teenager, it can be just triple fold.

I do look forward to watching the movie, The Last Song, as a part of my Page to Screen reading challenge. I cannot wait to compare the book to the movie.

2011 Audio Book Challenge

2011-01-05T19:21:00.001-08:00

You won't believe this but I've signed up for ANOTHER challenge. Before anyone gets up at arms, wait until you hear about it first. It is an AUDIOBOOK challenge. That makes a difference, doesn't it?

Teresa's Reading Corner is hosting the 2011 Audio Book Challenge.

The 2011 Audio Book Challenge will run from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011.

I'm going to go ahead and continue with the same levels that were previously established:

Curious: 3 Audio Books
Fascinated: 6 Audio Books
Addicted: 12 Audio Books
Obsessed: 20 Audio Books

Choose your level of participation and add your name. Over the course of the year I'm going to try to put together some fun things. If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know.

Right now, I'm going to lowball it because I don't know how much audiobook time I'm really going to get. Audiobooks might be the only reading I get this year or maybe I won't even have time at all. It remains to be seen once the baby arrives in the next week or so. So for now I will shoot for the Fascinated level. I already have 2 audiobooks borrowed from the library, so I have a headstart. I hope that these will not be the only audiobooks that I get to this year! I know listening to the audiobooks should be easy. I agree. It's the getting to the library to get more audiobooks that will be the hard part. But like I've already mentioned, at least I have 2 audiobooks from the library, so I've got a decent headstart!

1 - Something borrowed by Emily Giffin
2 - Something blue by Emily Giffin
3 - Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
4 - Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
5 - Room by Emma Donoghue
6 - Now You See Her - listening

2011 Reading Challenges

2011-01-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

So continuing our annual reading challenge tradition, my reading buddy and I decided to take it easy this year. We're skipping the specifics and just going with a simple TBR challenge. We will also log the number of pages read. Simple and easy!

And of course, I can never leave well enough alone. I went looking for other reading challenges.

I've committed myself to a few other challenges:
- Book Chick City is hosting the Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011! Mysteries are my first love, so this challenge won't be too much of a stretch.
- Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2011 hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews is another challenge that piqued my interest. Cozies are right up my alley! So this challenge will be a complete cheat. It's not even fair to call it a challenge since given a choice, cozies is what I would read.
- And then for fun, I decided to also join in on the Page to Screen Reading Challenge hosted by Reading Extensively. Yes, I know, normally I am not a fan of books to movies. But I'm prepared to have a less than stellar reading year with the arrival of the new baby in a couple of weeks. So I thought why not have fun with it. I could spend my many sleepless nights watching movies/shows based on books. Kill two birds with one stone!

Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2011

2011-01-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

Oh boy! Just browsing what kind of reading challenges are out there and this one just popped out at me. I know I really don't need any more reading challenges, but how can I refuse a cozy!

Okay, this isn't really going to be a challenge because cozies are my go to books. Given a choice, I would probably read a cozy over any other book. So this should be an easy, fun challenge.

Socrates' Book Reviews is hosting Cruisin' through the Cozies Reading Challenge 2011. This challenge is definitely calling my name!

Here is what Socrates' Book Reviews says about the challenge:

I know I wasn't going to host another reading challenge, but I couldn't help myself :) I love cozy mysteries and I want to read more of them this year. To find out exactly what a cozy mystery is, check out Cozy-Mystery.com. This site is dedicated to cozy mysteries and does a great job of defining them as well as giving a list of cozy mysteries. This challenge is NOT restricted to what is on their list, it's just to be used as a guideline in case you need some hints on what to read.

So, here are the rules...

1. Choose the level you wish to participate:

Level 1 - Snoop - Read 1-6 books
Level 2 - Investigator - Reading 7-12 books
Level 3 - Super Sleuth - Read 13 or more books

2. The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 and ends December 31, 2011.

3. You don't have to choose your books in advance. If you do, you can change your list at any time during the year. Books can overlap with other challenges.

4. Books can be in any format - paper, audio, ebooks...it all counts!

5. You don't have to post a review, but I'm sure others would love to know about the books you are reading and may even want to add it to their reading lists.

6. Take the button above, put it on your blog and post about the challenge. Then add your name to Mr. Linky below...Please use the link of challenge post, not the link to your home page.

Have fun!

NOTE: If you don't have a blog and want to participate, that's fine. You don't have to have a blog, just post in the comments section as you finish books.

I am going to aim high and shoot for Level 3 - Super Sleuth, and read 13 or more.

2010 Reading Challenges - Complete!

2010-12-31T22:54:00.000-08:00

The constant reading overachiever that I am, means that I read way, way more than I was willing to blog about. While I did complete the reading challenges I had set up for myself (ahead of schedule, I might add), I did read less books than I did in previous years. And this is reading books beyond the ones in my challenge, 12 outside of my self imposed challenges. I read a total of 95 books. I believe my numbers for the previous two year was 101.

I started off with the 52 book challenge with a friend. We agreed to continue the different genre books and supplementing that with banned books, Pulitzer/Booker prize nominated books, name books and number books. The most challenging part of the challenge (pun intended!) were the prize books. They were not the usual easy reads. While I may not ever read a Pulitzer or Booker prize again, I am proud to have read some. I'm going to be bold and say it was the prize books that slowed down my reading. They required a little bit more thinking than my usual books.

I will admit that I am a bit burned out by the challenges. I think I am going to take a break from such specific reading challenges. But as always, I look forward to another great year of reading!

2010 Genre Challenge

* Biography/Memoir - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future by Michael J Fox 2010
* Biography/Memoir - My Fair Lazy by Jen Lancaster 2010
* Chick Lit - Big Boned by Meg Cabot
* Chick Lit - She Went All the Way by Meg Cabot
* Classic - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
* Classic - Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
* General Fiction - Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
* General Fiction - Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell
* Historical Fiction - Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin 2010
* Historical Fiction - Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon
* Horror - Lisey's Story by Stephen King
* Horror - The Passage by Justin Cronin 2010
* Humor/Comedy - Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler
* Humor/Comedy - Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster
* Mystery/Thriller - Blood Game by Iris Johansen
* Mystery/Thriller - Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke
* Nonfiction - Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster
* Nonfiction - Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster
* Romance - Full Blast by Janet Evanovich
* Romance - The Grand Finale by Janet Evanovich
* SciFi/Fantasy - Stork Naked by Piers Anthony
* SciFi/Fantasy - Jumper Cable by Piers Anthony
* Young Adult - Princess In Love by Meg Cabot
* Young Adult - Princess in Waiting by Meg Cabot

2010 Banned Books Challenge

* 1 The Giver by Lois Lowry
* 2 The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
* 3 Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
* 4 The Witches by Roald Dahl
* 5 Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
* 6 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
* 7 Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

2010 Booker/Pulitizer Prize Challenge

* 1 - Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
* 2 - What Was She Thinking by Zoe Heller
* 3 - Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
* 4 - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
* 5 - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
* 6 - The Clothes on Their Back by Linda Grant
* 7 - The Accidental by Ali Smith

2010 Read Your Doppleganger Challenge

* 1 - Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
* 2 - Things I Want My Daughter to Know by Elizabeth Noble
* 3 - Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
* 4 - Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner 2010
* 5 - Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay 2010
* 6 - Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie
* 7 - Crazy for you by Jennifer Crusie

2010 Number Challenge

* 1 - The 9th Judgment by James Patterson
* 2 - Eight Days to Live by Iris Johansen
* 3 - Sizzlin' Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
* 4 - Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
* 5 - One Day by David Nicholls
* 6 - Size 14 isn't Fat Either by Meg Cabot
* 7 - The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

2010 Published Challenge

* 1 - Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke
* 2 - Mistress of the Game by Tilly Bagshawe
* 3 - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
* 4 - Oolong Dead by Laura Childs
* 5 - Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke
* 6 - Swimsuit by James Patterson
* 7 - The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
* 8 - The Teaberry Strangler by Laura Childs
* 9 - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
* 10 - Vixen by Jill Larkin

2010 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

1. Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner
4. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
5. Teen Idol by Meg Cabot
6. Shadowland by Meg Cabot
7. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
8. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
9. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
10. Unwed and Undead by Mary Janice Davidson

2010 TBR Challenge

1 - The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
2 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3 - Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
4 - The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
5 - The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
6 - Her Fearful Symmetry by Audry Niffenegger
7 - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
8 - Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
9 - The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
10 - Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
11 - The Broken Window by Jeffrey Deaver
12 - Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

Misc Book List

* Dashing through the Snow by Mary Higgins Clark & Carolyn Higgins Clark
* Death Swatch by Laura Childs
* Eggs Benedict Arnold by Laura Childs
* Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs
* Fatally Flaky by Diane Mott Davidson
* Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - reread
* Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
* Motif for Murder by Laura Childs
* Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
* Quickie by James Patterson
* Santa Cruise by Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark
* Turn Up the Heat by Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant

2011 Page to Screen Reading Challenge

2010-12-31T22:45:00.000-08:00

I found another fun reading challenge. Yes, I know I should stop but this seems like a fun and easy one. Read books that have been made into television shows or movies. Okay, I know normally I am not a fan of movies based on books but I think I can make an exception for a reading challenge, especially in 2011. I'll have a newborn and I can watch the movies and shows during the late night feedings!

Here's my tentative list:
P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern 2007
Shopgirl by Steve Martin 2005
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson 2007
About a Boy by Nick Hornby 2003
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine 2004
Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum 2002
Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum 2004
Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum 2007
Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi 2008
Last Song by Nicholas Sparks 2010

Anyway, the 2011 Page to Screen Reading Challenge is from Reading Extensively.

Rules:

* Read books that were made into movies or T.V. shows
* Books must be read between January 1-December 31, 2011
* Rereads count!
* You can also watch the movies/T.V. shows as part of the challenge but it is not a requirement
* If you watch T.V. shows, you should watch 2 hours of the show to be equal to one movie
* Books that are currently being made into movies also count as long as the movie will be released sometime in 2011
* Make a post about the challenge using my challenge logo and link your post below to sign up
* As stated above, reviews of the books/movies you watch/read are not required but they count as extra prize entries!
* Make a wrap up post at the end of the challenge and link it to my wrap up post

Reading Levels:

* Level one-Read 5 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows
* Level two-Read 10 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows
* Level three-Read 15 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows
* Level four-Read 20 books that were made into movies/T.V. shows

Reading and Watching Levels:

* Level one-Read 5 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows
* Level two-Read 10 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows
* Level three-Read 15 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows
* Level four-Read 20 books made into movies/T.V. shows and watch the movies/shows

And to sweeten the pot, there is even a prize!

Prizes:

* One participant will win their choice of book worth up to $15 from Amazon.com or The Book Depository (for international participants in countries that Book Depository ships to).
* Participants must reach reading level one (5 books) by December 31, 2011 to be entered in the drawing.
* Reviews are not required but each review you post will give you an extra entry. So be sure to check back each month to link your reviews!

2011 TBR Challenge

2010-12-31T22:28:00.000-08:00

Loved this challenge for 2010! Of course I will participate again for 2011. I even got my friend to join in, too.

So again from MizB's Reading Challenges, we have the 2011 Original TBR.

For this challenge you should…

** Pick 12 books – one for each month of the year - that you’ve been wanting to read (that have been on your “To Be Read” list) for 6 months or longer, but haven’t gotten around to.

** OPTIONAL: Create a list of 12 “Alternates” (books you could substitute for your challenge books, given that a particular one doesn’t grab you at the time)

** Then, starting January 1, read one of these books from your list each month, ending December 31. )

(for more information, please read the challenge FAQs)

NOTE: To sign up, there is a MR.LINKY at the end of the FAQ’s, below!

By the end of the year you should’ve knocked 12 books off of your TBR list! (of course, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have added *at LEAST* 12 more to the ever-growing pile by then! LOL).

The good news is, though, that you’ll be making some progress! ;o)

Additional rules/guidelines for this challenge:

* the challenge is to read 12 TBR books in 12 months — you can read those all in one month if you want, or one a month, or however you wanna do it.
* you should have a list posted somewhere for others to see
* you CANNOT change your list after January 1st, of the current year!!!
* you can create an Alternates list of MAXIMUM 12 books, if you want, in order to have options to choose from (you can read these in place of books on your original list).
* audiobooks and e-books ARE allowed
* re-reads are NOT allowed, as they aren’t TRUE “TBRs”
* you CAN overlap with other challenges
* OPTIONAL: you can join the Yahoo! Group created for participants of the TBR Challenge, if you want to have a place to keep your list, or just to share with others about how you’re doing!

Here's my TBR list:

1 The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larrson
2 The Help by Katheryn Stockett
3 The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
4 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5 Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
6 House Rules by Jodi Picoult
7 Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
8 In the Woods by Tana French
9 The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
10 Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian
11 Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
12 Wicked by Gregory MacGuire

And here's my alternative list:

1 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
2 Cloud Pavilion by Laura Joh Rowland
3 Katherine by Anya Seton
4 Red Tent by Anita Diamant
5 Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
6 She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
7 Beaches by Iris Rainier Dart
8 Willow by Julia Hoban
9 The Nanny Diaries by Emma Laughlin and Nicola Kraus - using for another challenge
10 Wake by Lisa McMann
11 The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
12 The Stand by Stephen King

Books in boldface have been read

Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011!

2010-12-31T22:17:00.000-08:00

Just found a great new reading challenge on Book Chick City. It's a Mystery & Suspense Challenge. Totally right up my alley! It will actually be necessary to read all those mysteries that I love. Like I really need an excuse!

The rules are:
* Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

* Rules: To read TWELVE (12) mystery & suspense novels in 2011 (12 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)

* You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

* You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.

* At the beginning of Jan 2011, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews. There will be a monthly prize too courtesy of the lovely Simon & Schuster - you must be signed up to the challenge and add the link to your review to be entered into the monthly prize draw.

And as an added bonus, publisher Simon & Schuster UK has been kind enough to offer all participants of this challenge a free ARC of The Survivor by Sean Slater. How cool is that!

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! I finished all my challenges as of yesterday, Christmas Eve!

I really didn't think I could do it. It was getting really difficult towards the end. Especially with the Pulitzer and Booker Prize challenge that I left until the end. Those were really tough reads. There was one books that I really did not enjoy, so I really skimmed at least half the book. Then I'll have to admit that I might have cheated with the banned books. There were a few that were children's books: Alice in Wonderland, Bridge to Terabithia and Witches.

However, I persevered and actually finished a week ahead of schedule. I am so proud of myself!

2010 Book Reviews

2010-12-21T10:16:00.000-08:00

So far I am on book 91. I'm thinking by year end I will have possibly read 2-3 more books. Maybe.

14/91 book reviews. That's about 15%. Less when I have my final total of books read. Not good at all. Obviously I am not meant to review books. I am horrible at it. I would just rather read. I have read some good books. I should just review the standouts. Maybe I'll try next year. It is too late for that this year.

ETA: Oops! Just checked and my first few posts of 2010 were actually about my reading challenges. So that is actually 3 less book reviews than I thought I had done. 11/91 book reviews is absolutely terrible! That's 12%! I could attempt to go back and do some book reviews for the books that I remember. Some do stand out more than others. I could try. Somehow I doubt I will, but I could try.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

2010-03-09T22:11:00.001-08:00

About this book

In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world's most popular thriller writer. The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling -- a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths . . . all under the watchful eye of Brown's most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object -- artfully encoded with five symbols -- is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation . . . one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon's beloved mentor, Peter Solomon -- a prominent Mason and philanthropist -- is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations -- all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

As the world discovered in The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons, Dan Brown's novels are brilliant tapestries of veiled histories, arcane symbols, and enigmatic codes. In this new novel, he again challenges readers with an intelligent, lightning-paced story that offers surprises at every turn. The Lost Symbol is exactly what Brown's fans have been waiting for . . . his most thrilling novel yet.

This was another fascinating book into the world of Free Masons. I also loved the tour of Washington DC and cannot wait to go to visit Washington DC and see it through new eyes. There were so many Free Mason references. I felt like I entered the secret society without the initiation.

With all the fascination and build up of suspense throughout The Lost Symbol, you have to anticipate that the ending cannot truly tell you what you want to know. Did one really think that a fictional novel will hold the secret of all secrets? It was the same with The Da Vinci Code. You get lost in the story and somehow came to expect to find out the secret of the Holy Grail. Of course you will not.

So while most of the book draws you in and Dan Brown tells a suspenseful thriller throughout, you cannot help but feel let down at the end of the book.

Blood Game by Iris Johansen

2010-02-26T10:16:00.001-08:00

About this book

First comes darkness, then comes fear...

Eve Duncan is back! Blockbuster New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen’s latest thriller brings Eve closer to discovering her daughter’s killer…and into a web of danger from which she may not be able to escape…

Eve Duncan returns in a thriller that pits her against the most evil mind she has ever encountered: a ruthless killer who taunts her with his every move…and who has a special affinity for blood. When a Georgia senator’s daughter is found murdered, and her body drained of blood, Eve Duncan is drawn into the web of Kevin Jelak—a serial murderer who is on Eve’s short list of killers who might know something about her missing daughter Bonnie. When a goblet of blood is found in Eve’s refrigerator, she knows the taunting is over…and the games have begun. As Eve and Jelak engage in a dance of death, Eve must call upon those she loves and trusts the most…even if it means bringing them into the game as well.

I really enjoy the Eve Duncan series by Iris Johansen. However, Blood Game is a little weird even for my taste. I know that the last couple of books start delving into the supernatural but it is a bit more prominent in this book.

Eve is stalked by a wanna be vampire who happens to be on the short list of possible suspects of her daughter's kidnapping/murder years ago.

Somehow Eve gets on his radar again. He seems to believe that he must perform a series of sacrifices, ultimately ending Eve, in order to achieve his goal of being a true vampire.

Eve must act before too many lives are risked.

In the meanwhile, things are happening with Joe. Things that he is not comfortable with. In a prior book, he had contact with a woman whose apparent talent is to release latent powers within someone or to drive them insane. Now Joe is hallucinating, or so he thinks. He is on the hunt for the serial killer who is has killed a prominent politician's daughter. One and the same who is after Eve.

Joe has to decide whether he will let his new talents drive a wedge between himself and Eve.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2010-02-26T10:15:00.001-08:00

About this book Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

This is the first book in a dystopian trilogy. Katniss who comes from District 12, the coal mining district, has been been forced to fend for her family by learning to hunt in the forbidden forests after her father is tragically killed in the coal mines. When the annual Hunger Games come around and her little sister Prim, is chosen, Katniss automatically volunteers to take her place in order to save her sister's life. Petra, the baker's son, was the other chosen one. In a live press conference at the Capitol to introduce the Hunger Games tributes to Panem, Petra confesses is unrequited love for Katniss. Katniss is taken aback but assumes that it is part of the plan to garner sympathy and therefore sponsorship to get help during the games.

Katniss is a fierce competitor. Katniss' survival skills prove to be a tremendous asset for her.

The tributes are been thrown for a loop when it is announced that 2 tributes from the same District can be victors. So there is a scramble to everyone to find their fellow tribute. Katniss needs to find and team up with Petra. In the meanwhile she finds an ally in Rue, a little wisp of a girl from the agriculture district.

One by one, the tributes go down, including Rue. Katniss does eventually find Petra but he is in horrible shape. They play up their "love" for the viewers and are rewarded with sponsors' gifts and medicine for Petra.

At the end, with the final on command confrontation between the remaining tributes, Katniss and Petra are the last ones standing. They are the winners, or so they think. The rules are changed again and there is to be only one winner. Katniss in a fit of defiance declares that she and Petra will go down together by ingesting the poisonous berries she still had. The Capitol had no choice but to declare the lovebirds winners because there cannot be no winners.

The Hunger Games is definitely a must read! It is full of adventure and twists and turns that have you on the edge of your seat.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

2010-02-07T13:11:00.001-08:00

About this book

Recipe for disaster: Celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle comes to Trenton to participate in a barbecue cook-off and loses his head – literally.

Throw in some spice: Bail bonds office worker Lula is witness to the crime, and the only one she’ll talk to is Trenton cop, Joe Morelli.

Pump up the heat: Chipotle’s sponsor is offering a million-dollar reward to anyone who can provide information leading to the capture of the killers.

Stir the pot: Lula recruits bounty hunter Stephanie Plum to help her find the killers and collect the moolah.

Add a secret ingredient: Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur. Enough said.

Bring to a boil: Can Stephanie hunt down two killers, a traitor, five skips, keep her grandmother out of the sauce, solve Ranger’s problems and not jump his bones?

Warning: Habanero hot. So good you’ll want seconds.

Janet Evanovich does it again! Finger Lickin' Fifteen is downright hilarious. The trouble and mischief that Stephanie Plum, Lula and Grandma Mazur get into is too funny for words.

Lula inadvertently witnesses a mob murder. So now she is a target. When it is determined that the unfortunate headless victim was a celebrity chef who had come to town to judge a babecue cookoff, Lula decides that she is going enter the barbecue contest. Not only enter it, but to win barbecue cook off as well. Lula is forgetting one little, very important, fact - she can't cook!

Lula destroys, I mean, cooks her way through Stephanie's apartment and Stephanie's parents' kitchen and backyard. And she enlists Grandma Mazur as her trusty assistant.

While Lula lives at her place, Stephanie crashes at Ranger's apartment and takes on a job at Rangeman as well. Sparks fly but Stephanie manages to deftly avoid them while she is figuring out her latest tiff with Morelli.

Another great read by Janet Evanovich. Counting the days until Sizzling Sixteen!

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

2010-02-03T10:26:00.001-08:00

About This Book

In December 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby, the 43-year-old editor of French Elle, suffered a massive stroke that left him permanently paralyzed, a victim of “locked in syndrome.” Once known for his gregariousness and wit, Bauby now finds himself imprisoned in an inert body, able to communicate only by blinking his left eye. The miracle is that in doing so he was able to compose this stunningly eloquent memoir.

In a voice that is by turns wistful and mischievous, angry and sardonic, Bauby gives us a celebration of the liberating power of consciousness: what it is like to spend a day with his children, to imagine lying in bed beside his wife, to conjure up the flavor of delectable meals even as he is fed through at tube. Most of all, this triumphant book lets us witness an indomitable spirit and share in the pure joy of its own survival.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is the strange title for this inspiring memoir by Jean-Dominique Bauby. Or is it? It is the author's beautiful and apt description of what life was like after his unfortunate stroke.

First off, I am amazed at how he was able to communicate his thoughts and desires, let alone an entire book. I might have to borrow the movie to understand better how he was able to communicate.

It was just so inspiring that a man in his condition was still uplifting and positive. It makes you really open your eyes about the things you take for granted, how one needs to appreciate what one has and really not complain so much.

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

2010-02-01T20:13:00.001-08:00

About This Book

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.”

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends --- and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society --- born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island --- boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

It was interesting reading a novel completely composed of letters. It made everything seem so much more personal. But still confusing to me because I kept reading the letters without reading who it was addressed to. So I'd read the first few paragraphs and go, wait, who is writing to whom? It's probably because I am impatient and want to find out the meat of the story, so I lose sight of the details.

In the beginning of the book, you get the sense that Juliet is a very independent sort of woman that has been through a difficult time, understandably as it is after World War II. We learn that she loses her flat after a bombing that hits her neighbor's home which takes half of her flat as well. We learn that she has difficulty maintaining relationships or even finding a man that interests her, for that matter. Which is why it was a bit difficult for me to understand how she falls into a whirlwind relationship with a wealthy American publisher. It just didn't seem to jive with the character that I've come to know. But I supposed that it would be flattering and welcomed to have a fun, carefree relationship after the hardships of the war. I can't fault her for that.

Needless to say, I wasn't too surprised that she didn't accept right away when marriage was proposed. Her escape was to Guernsey which she had fallen in love with through her letters with the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

The correspondence began with Dawsey who somehow ended up with a book that used to belong to Juliet. Dawsey writes in hopes that Juliet would point him in the right direction to get more books of that nature. He mentions the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which piques Juliet's interest and so the letters begin. One by one, the members of the society begin to write to Juliet sharing their stories about the Nazi occupation.

Juliet ends up visiting Guernsey under the premises that she will write an article about the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, but she ends falling in love with the people and the island.

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

2010-02-01T10:15:00.001-08:00

About This Book According to legend, the Jersey Devil prowls the Pine Barrens and soars above the treetops in the dark of night. As eerie as this might seem, there are things in the Barrens that are even more frightening and dangerous. And there are monkeys. Lots of monkeys.

Wulf Grimoire is a world wanderer and an opportunist who can kill without remorse and disappear like smoke. He's chosen Martin Munch, boy genius, as his new business partner, and he's chosen the Barrens as his new playground.

Munch received his doctorate degree in quantum physics when he was twenty-two. He's now twenty-four, and while his brain is large, his body hasn't made it out of the boys' department at Macy's. Anyone who says good things come in small packages hasn't met Munch. Wulf Grimoire is looking for world domination. Martin Munch would be happy if he could just get a woman naked and tied to a tree.

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has Munch on her most-wanted list for failure to appear in court. Plum is the all-American girl stuck in an uncomfortable job, succeeding on luck and tenacity. Usually she gets her man. This time she gets a monkey. She also gets a big guy named Diesel.

Diesel pops in and out of Plum's life like birthday cake - delicious to look at and taste, not especially healthy as a steady diet, gone by the end of the week if not sooner. He's an uber bounty hunter with special skills when it comes to tracking men and pleasing women. He's after Grimoire, and now he's also after Munch. And if truth were told, he wouldn't mind setting Stephanie Plum in his crosshairs.

Diesel and Plum hunt down Munch and Grimoire, following them into the Barrens, surviving cranberry bogs, the Jersey Devil, a hair-raising experience, sand in their underwear, and, of course . . . monkeys.

Let me just say that only Stephanie Plum would get into situations like this. Plum Spooky is another funny book by Janet Evanovich. You have to be ready to suspend all belief when reading this book. Seriously, how else does Diesel and Grimoire do all that they do? Or even how does Stephanie Plum get into all the trouble she gets into? Noone is that unlucky, can they be? Yet at the same time be so lucky to have guys like Diesel and Ranger to clean up after her.

Definitely another fun, hilarious look into the life of Stephanie Plum!

Jumper Cable by Piers Anthony

2010-01-21T06:18:00.001-08:00

About This Book

In the thirty-third thrilling escapade in Piers Anthony’s rousing Xanth fantasy series, an adventurous arachnid named Jumper must assume human form to save the enchanted realm from a cosmic peril.

A cataclysmic battle between two all-powerful Demons has severed a mystical connection that joins Xanth to our own world. The key to restoring it is hidden within a cryptic prophecy that Jumper discovers when he is suddenly transformed from spider to man. As he sets out to discern the prophecy's meaning, he gathers about him a half dozen alluring damsels who do their best to help him solve the riddle while vying for his attentions.

But a seductive siren and her demonic consort have determined to use their wiles to lure Jumper and his lovely companions away from their urgent mission. In a madcap adventure that is alternately harrowing and hilarious, they soon discover that danger, deception, and even true love may be found where they least expect it.

In Jumper Cable, master storyteller Piers Anthony spins a wild and witty web of wonder that is sure to captivate fans of fantastic adventure everywhere!

Let me preface this by saying I adore Piers Anthony. I love his fantasy books. They are the only ones I read in the fantasy genre. I adore Xanth. And I adore the puns. However, I do not adore Jumper Cable.

Piers Anthony began the Xanth series with the intention of it being a trilogy. Due to its popularity, Piers Anthony developed Xanth into a longer series. First a trilogy times three, then squared which would have brought the series to a whopping 27 books. Honestly, I think Piers Anthony should have stopped writing the Xanth series a while ago.

This book is a bit indulgent and is just all about S-E-X. Everyone just wants to sleep with someone or is trying to. It was getting a bit tiresome. And it just didn't seem to go with the whole Xanth vibe. It used to be a bit more wholesome and just hinted at naughty things. Now naughty things are said and done outright.

Definitely not one of my favorite Xanth books. Will I read his next one? Probably, but I won't rush excitedly to pick it up like I've done in the past.

Sam's Letters to Jennifer

2010-01-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

I decided to go with Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson for my next read.

About This Book

Dear Reader,

Have you ever gotten a letter that changed your life completely? It happened to me once. I still can feel the urgency that overtook me as I opened the envelope and the hunger I felt for whatever that letter would say. It seemed as if my entire life hung in the balance as I read.

Sam's Letters to Jennifer is a novel about that kind of drama. In it, a woman is summoned back to the town where she grew up. And in the house where she spent her most magical years she finds a series of letters addressed to her. Each of those letters is a piece of a story that will upend completely the world she thought she knew - and throw her into a love more powerful than she ever imagined could be possible. Two extraordinary love stories are entwined here, full of hope and pain and emotions that never die down.

I hope you'll enjoy this novel as much as I've enjoyed writing it. It's not often that you get a letter that changes your life. But it should happen to everyone at least once.

Yours,
James Patterson

The book starts you off wondering "Who is Sam? Who is Jennifer? And who is Danny?" Are they involved? What happened to Danny? Are Sam and Jennifer couple? These were just a few, okay more than a few, questions that ran through my head as I started off the book.

The background is set. We learn that Sam, whoever he is, and Jennifer are extremely close. And that Jennifer is still, even after a year and a half, heavily mourning the loss of her husband, Danny.

Jennifer receives a phone call that tells her that Sam is in a coma and is needed by her side. Here we learn that Sam is Jennifer's beloved Grandmother who practically raised her and has been her support since her parents were gone.

Back in Grandmother Sam's home, Jennifer discovers a set of letters addressed to her. When she reads the first letter, a bomb is dropped. Grandmother Sam never loved her Grandfather Charles despite their 50+ years of marriage.

As Jennifer reads her letters from Sam, she learns that Sam finds love despite being in a loveless marriage. Jennifer also discovers that she can let herself love again when she finds romance with a childhood friend, Brendan, who is back in town visiting his uncle. She learns to live life to its fullest despite the losses she has suffered with her husband's terrible accident that cost him his life and her subsequent miscarriage. Brendan teaches her to live every day "from the crack of dawn until I closed my eyes."

When Sam wakes up from her coma, Jennifer is hit with more devastating news. Brendan who she is slowly falling in love with, has cancer. He has the kind of cancer that the only treatment is experimental, radical surgery with extremely high risks. Brendan had returned to his childhood haunt for one last enjoyable summer. But for her, Brendan is willing to take the risk. Sometimes you just have to take the chance for love...

I kept getting the feeling I read this book before. There were parts that I thought, hey I read this before, and then there were parts that were totally new to me. I am leaning towards my not having read this book before, but rather that the storyline is a bit predictable somewhat along the lines of Nicholas Sparks. It is a sweet, romantic read, nonetheless.

ETA: I've heard a new song lately called According To You by Orianthi. The sentiment of the song makes me think of the relationship Sam had with her husband.

Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke

2010-01-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

Yay, my first book of the year. And I started with a good one.

Product Description

The Cookie Jar's busiest time of the year also happens to be the most wonderful time...for Christmas cookies, Hannah's own special plum pudding - and romance! Holiday orders are high, and Hannah's slated to provide dessert at the Reverend Knudsen's upcoming nuptials. She's busy as can be and loving it. She also gets a kick out of 'Lunatic Larry Jaeger's Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot', a kitschy carnival taking place smack-dab in the middle of the village green. Larry thinks he's crazy like a fox with his wild business schemes, but this time, the entrepreneur may have bitten off more than he can chew. Rumour has it that Larry's in the red - an idea that takes a sinister turn when Hannah discovers the man himself dead as a doornail in his own office...

It seems quite a few people would have liked to fill Larry's stocking with coal and then bash him with it - including his bitter ex-wife, his ex-partner's daughter, a woman he was wooing, and the Crazy Elf Tree lot's extremely exasperated investors...

Now, with so many suspects to investigate and the twelve days of Christmas ticking away, Hannah's running out of time to nab a murderous Scrooge who doesn't want her to see the New Year.

I really like the Hannah Swensen series by Joanne Fluke. Plum Pudding Murder did not disappoint. Hannah Swensen is the resident cookie maker of picturesque Lake Eden with a knack for finding bodies. What is this, book number 12 for the series and a dead body for each? Something tells me that I would not want to live in Lake Eden, although Hannah's cookies might be strong temptation....

Hannah and Lisa, owners of the The Cookie Jar, have their hands full baking for the holiday season. Along with their regular customers, they are supplying the Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot with cookies to sell. Larry Jaeger is the crazy owner of the Crazy Elf Christmas Tree Lot with questionable business practices, as Hannah discovers through the Small Business Practice class that she is taking with her mother. Apparently Larry's motto is "We sell below cost and make it up on volume." Not exactly kosher business happening here. And it seems that someone else agrees. Hannah and Norman find Larry and his big screen television victim to a gun toting murderer.

Hannah sleuths around while baking delicious goodies, trying to keep Moishe (her cat) from destroying her Christmas tree and heirloom ornaments, tracking the whereabouts of Norman's mother to find out why she has been acting so mysteriously lately, and still bouncing back and forth about her feelings for the two men in her life, Norman and Mike. Yes, Hannah is a busy lady.

The discovery of the murderer is a bit convoluted, but very Hannah. And the ending leaves us with a major cliffhanger that you could see coming a mile away.

Oh, and the recipes.... there were so many recipes in Plum Pudding Murder that I want to try. I will be back to update how yummy or not so yummy they are.

2010 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

2010-01-07T20:47:00.000-08:00

Reading with Tequila has a great challenge that I want to try to. I know I'll be reading some great books! I am shooting for Level II, subject to change if I'm feeling ambitious.

1. Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner
4. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
5. Teen Idol by Meg Cabot

Level I met! Yay! I have a feeling that I might not get to Level II.

6. Shadowland by Meg Cabot
7. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
8. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
9. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
10. Unwed and Undead by Mary Janice Davidson

Level II! Success! Yay!

Book bloggers are my favorite source of book recommendations. More than any other source, they consistently introduce me to books and authors that impact my life. Therefore, I have created the Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge.

The Top 25

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Graceling - Kristin Cashore
Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
Eragon - Christopher Paolini
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
The Host - Stephenie Meyer
The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough
Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
The Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel
The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
11 Minutes - Paulo Coelho
Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer

Click here to see the entire 2009 Book Blogger Recommendation List.

The Levels:
Level I - Read 5 books from the 2009 Book Blogger Recommendation List
Level II - Read 10 books
Level III - Read 15 books
Level IV - Read 20 books
Level V - Read 20+ books

The Rules:

Challenge will run January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. Participants can join anytime throughout the challenge.
Create an intro post, linking back to this post.
Sign up with the MckLinky below. Please link to your challenge intro post, not your blog home page.
Chose your own books from the list. You can decide to read books only on the Top 25 list or from the entire recommendation list. You do not have to make a list of books before the challenge begins.
All forms of books acceptable (audiobooks, eBooks, etc.)
Rereads do not count towards the completion of the challenge. The challenge is about discovering books that are new to you.
You don't need a blog to participate.
Reviews, while always appreciated, are not mandatory.

2010 TBR Challenge

2010-01-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

I've decided to tackle the 2010 TBR Challenge from MizB's Reading Challenges.

Here are the rules:

** Pick 12 books – one for each month of the year - that you’ve been wanting to read (that have been on your “To Be Read” list) for 6 months or longer, but haven’t gotten around to.

** OPTIONAL: Create a list of 12 “Alternates” (books you could substitute for your challenge books, given that a particular one doesn’t grab you at the time)

** Then, starting January 1, read one of these books from your list each month, ending December 31. )

By the end of the year you should’ve knocked 12 books off of your TBR list! (of course, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have added *at LEAST* 12 more to the ever-growing pile by then! LOL).

The good news is, though, that you’ll be making some progress! ;o)

Additional rules/guidelines for this challenge:

* the challenge is to read 12 TBR books in 12 months — you can read those all in one month if you want, or one a month, or however you wanna do it.
* you should have a list posted somewhere for others to see
* you CANNOT change your list after January 1st, of the current year!!!
* you can create an Alternates list of MAXIMUM 12 books, if you want, in order to have options to choose from (you can read these in place of books on your original list).
* audiobooks and e-books ARE allowed
* re-reads are NOT allowed, as they aren’t TRUE “TBRs”
* you CAN overlap with other challenges
* OPTIONAL: you can join the Yahoo! Group created for participants of the TBR Challenge, if you want to have a place to keep your list, or just to share with others about how you’re doing!

**************************************

Okay, I didn't strictly adhere to the rules because I only found out about this challenge 2 days ago and only decided to join last night! But I have created my list and promise not to change it after I post it today.

TBR List

1 - The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

2 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

3 - Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

4 - The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

5 - The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larrson - will read

6 - The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

7 - Her Fearful Symmetry by Audry Niffenegger

8 - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

9 - Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

10 - Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

11 - The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

12 - The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Alternate List

1 - The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

2 - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossein

3 - The 8th Confession by James Patterson

4 - Katherine by Anya Seton

5 - Life of Pi by Yann Martel

6 - She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

7 - The Stand by Stephen King

8 - A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

9 - Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian

10 - The Broken Window by Jeffrey Deaver

11 - Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

12 - Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

ETA - Titles in Boldface have been read.

2010 Reading Challenge

2010-01-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

I have my new reading challenge for 2010. My friend, and fellow booklover, came up with this one. I will concede and even applaud her because now I do not have to think of one myself!

Our challenge is a 52 book challenge. It will be a hodge podge of challenges:
A) 24 books -- the genre challenge (2 books from each of the categories from last year)
B) 7 books -- from the banned books lists (from here and here)
C) 7 books -from award-winning books (like the Booker Prize or the Pulitzer)
D) 7 books that start with "J" or have the name Jennifer in them (our name)
E) 7 books with numbers in their title

I was surfing the web last night and came across a few other challenges that caught my eye as well:
2010 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge from Reading with Tequila
2010 Pub Challenge from 1morechapter.com
Countdown Challenge 2010 also from 1morechapter.com
2010 Reading Resolutions Challenge from Jenny Loves To Read
2010 DIK Book Reading Challenge from DIK (Desert Island Keepers)
2010 TBR Challenge from MizB's Reading Challenges

I know it's already the 4th of January but I am still thinking about which challenges to commit to. I like the Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge and the TBR Challenge and will most likely do those. I really like the Countdown Challenge but I believe that will prove to be too overwhelming for me. It would mean another 55 books on top of what other challenges I may decide to do. I think I will keep it in mind for next year....

2009 Reading Challenges

2010-01-03T14:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, I didn't succeed in blogging about all my books. I really, really tried. I really did. But I realized that I'd rather read than write about what I read.

So on with my reading challenges. I started out the year with the intention to do a 50 book challenge. A friend, a fellow booklover who did a reading challenge with me in 2008 as well, and I decided to do the ABC Author challenge and the Genre challenge - reading 2 books from 12 different genres. I decided to up the ante by only recognizing new authors (authors I have never read before) for my ABC Author challenge.

As the year started, on one of the sites I frequent, I found out about the New York Bestseller's challenge and decided to go for that as well. I aimed for a 10 book goal.

Then as the year progressed, I had difficulty sticking to my challenges. I kept reading books that grabbed my interest - read books from authors I like; therefore not new to me. I soon realized that I read enough extra books to actually create a list for an ABC Title challenge. In that manner, I ended up with maintaining 4 challenges. I almost made it. I was shy one book for my ABC Title challenge. I was reading up to the last day of the year, but I fell asleep before I could finish the book and the year! I guess that's what happens when one reads well into the night for days in order to finish up a reading challenge! I'm not as young as I used to be and cannot keep up with all these late nights!

I am proud of what I was able to achieve. The book count, I believe, is at 101 books. I am not counting my childrens' books and books on CD.

This was a great year of reading for me.
- My New Author challenge forced me to read books from authors I am not familiar with. I confess that I am guilty to sticking with particular authors. Once I like an author I have tendency to read everything I can grab from them. I have read from at least 26 new authors last year. I know that is a first for me.
- I read a few classic which is something I have been wanting to do for some time but have been hesitant to commit to.
- I have begun reading an amazing series, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.
- I have been reading from genres that are out of my comfort zone - nonfiction, memoirs, classics and comedy.
- I have been introduced to new authors that I will definitely read from again - Katherine Howe, Cassandra Clare and Michelle Moran.
- I read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series in record time.
- I am part of two in real life book clubs that I actually keep up with.

Here's to hoping 2010 is just as good!

2009 New Author Challenge - DONE!!

Albert, Susan Wittig - Thyme of Death
Baer, Judy - The Baby Chronicles
Clark, Mary Jane - Lights Out Tonight
DuMaurier, Daphne - Rebecca
Everson, Eva Marie & Shepherd, Linda Evans - The Secret's in the Sauce
Fergus, Jim - One Thousand White Women
Gabaldon, Diana - Dragonfly in Amber
Harris, Charlaine - Dead Until Dark
Irving, John - The World According to Garp
Johansen, Iris & Roy - Silent Thunder
Kalogridis, Jeanne - I, Mona Lisa
Lutz, Lisa - The Spellman Files
Meyer, Stephenie -Twilight
Neill, Fiona - Slummy Mummy
Osborne, Denise - Positioned To Die
Pelecanos, George - The Turnaround
Quinn, Sherrill - Seducing the Moon
Roughan, Howard & Patterson, James - Sail
Scotch, Allison Winn - Time of My Life
Tyler, Anne - The Accidental Tourist
Updike, John - The Witches of Eastwick
Vanderbilt, Gloria - Obsession
Wilshire, Taylor - The Book of Mom
Xu, Xiaobin - Feathered Serpent
Yates, Richard - Revolutionary Road
Zutell, Irene - Pieces of Happily Ever After

2009 50 Book Challenge - Genre DONE!

Biography/Memoir - STori Telling by Tori Spelling
Biography/Memoir - What Time Is It? You Mean Now? by Yogi Berra
Chick Lit - Queen of Babble Getting Hitched by Meg Cabot
Chick Lit - Shopaholic and a Sister by Sophie Kinsella
Classic - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Classic - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
General Fiction - A Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg
General Fiction - Firestorm by Iris Johansen
Historical Fiction - The Nature of Monsters by Clare Clark
Historical Fiction - The Other Queen by Phillipa Gregory
Horror - Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
Horror - Rose Madder by Stephen King
Humor/Comedy - Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Humor/Comedy - The Yogi Book by Yogi Berra
Mystery/Thriller - Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Mystery/Thriller - Death Walked In by Carolyn Hart
Nonfiction - Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli
Nonfiction - Marley & Me by John Grogan
Romance - Foul Play by Janet Evanovich
Romance - The Treasure by Iris Johansen
Sci-Fi/Fantasy - City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Sci-Fi/Fantasy - The Dastard by Piers Anthony
Young Adult - New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Young Adult - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

2009 Title Challenge :(

Alchemist, The by Paul Coelho
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Catered Christmas, A by Isis Crawford
Catered Murder, A by Isis Crawford
Catered Wedding, A by Isis Crawford
Cell by Stephen King
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Diva Runs Out of Thyme, The by Krista Davis
Dragonwell Dead by Laura Childs
Espresso Shot by Cleo Coyle
Everyone worth knowing by Lauren Weisberger
Fire Kimono, The by Laura Joh Rowland
French Pressed by Cleo Coyle
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The by Stieg Larsson
Heretic Queen, The by Michelle Moran
Immaculate Reception by Jerrilyn Farmer
Jed Hunter's Reluctant Bride by Susanne James
Killing Me Softly by Nicci French
Killer Smile by Lisa Scottoline
Laced by Carol Higgins Clark
Murder with Reservations - by Elaine Viets
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Perils of Paella, The by Nancy Fairbanks
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Queen of Babble In the Big City by Meg Cabot
Red Chrysanthemum by Laura Joh Rowland
Scandal of the Season by Sophie Gee
Shopaholic and a Baby by Sophie Kinsella
Silver Needle Murder, The by Laura Child
Simmer Down by Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant
Steamed by Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Truffled Feathers by Nancy Fairbanks
Up in a Heaval by Piers Anthony
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Way of the Traitor, The by Laura Joh Rowland
Wise Woman, The by Philippa Gregory
X, The Dangerous Days of Daniel by James Patterson
You Belong to Me by Johanna Lindsey
Zenith by Julie Bertagna - finally finished 1/5 :(

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched

2009-09-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

This book is the third installment in this series. I saw it on the new books shelf and I had to grab it, despite having a ton of other books that I "need" to read. I had to know what happens next. That's just how I am. The previous book was left off at such a big cliffhanger...

I know that Lizzie is referred to as the Queen of Babble but I just do not see as so. I understand she does say things sometimes when she's not supposed to. I mean, who doesn't? I just feel that she is not as bad as her title makes her sound. Her heart is in the right place even though her mouth isn't.

We left off in Queen of Babble in the Big City with Luke just having proposed to Lizzie. And Lizzie accepting even though she has a sleeping Chaz upstairs in her apartment?!??! Okay, her New Year's Eve wedding date with Chaz was purely platonic. Mostly, anyway. But Lizzie has discovered that there is potential in their relationship. But not if she is going to marry Luke, Chaz's best friend.

Chaos ensues. Lizzie is the talk of the town, since her restored gown has been publicly deemed a hit. Everyone wants her to do their gown. Her shop, or rather her boss' shop is busier than ever. However, Henri suffers from a heart attack, leaving his beloved shop in Lizzie's....er...um....capable hands while he recovers.

Tiffany, the receptionist, from Chad's dad's firm comes to the aid as Lizzie gets bombarded with calls. And a high profile celebrity, Ava, becomes a client. Lizzie takes her on, not only to create a gown but to also turn her into a class act.

With all that's going on, Lizzie has little time to prepare for her own wedding. Everything time she thinks about her own wedding preparations, Lizzie breaks into hives. Not a good sign. And to make matters worse, Luke has taken on a "temporary" position with his uncle's firm in France. Luke wants Lizzie to go with him but she can't. She has her own business to contend with. And his job is supposed to be temporary, isn't it?

So Lizzie is supposed to plan her wedding on her own with Luke across the Atlantic Ocean, run Chez Henri and play Professor Higgins to Ava. Not to mention avoiding her feelings for Chad.

Luke's temporary position with his uncle's firm turns into a more permanent one. He never really did want to fulfill the fantasy of medical school. Lizzie realized that she was in love of what Luke was supposed to represent as opposed to the actual man and ended the engagement.

Ava and her fiance mutually decided not to go ahead with the wedding on the day of.

Lizzie happily continues with bridal gown business and begins a relationship with Chad, with the blessings of Shari. She no longer feels that marriage is where all roads lead to.

All's well that ends well. Ava gets dates, gets pregnant and marries the DJ she was enamored with. While at the marriage license bureau, Lizzie and Chad decide "why not?" No pomp and circumstance, no big to-do. Just the two of them, as it well should be.

Firestorm by Iris Johansen

2009-08-26T19:15:00.001-07:00

Firestorm is another spinoff of the Eve Duncan series. Various characters have been introduced to have special psychic powers in other Iris Johansen books.

In Firestorm, Kerry Murphy is able to detect fires. She hides her ability by being an arson investigator with an "amazing" arson dog. Kerry "discovered" her ability after she woke up from a two year coma that was a result of being hit by an unknown man at the scene of a house fire that killed her mother. She continues to have nightmares about that night but is never able to "see" the man's face.

Brad Silver is a controller who knows her secret and needs her help. He, under the orders of the President, is after a pyromaniac. However, Brad also has a personal agenda. This pyromaniac, James Trask, is also responsible for the death of his brother, a US Senator, and his sister in law. Brad witnessed them being burned alive.

The US government needs to locate the unstable Trask. Trask had been in charge of a secret scientific project funded by the government. When the funding was pulled and the project terminated, Trask began targeting his enemies, those behind the end of his pet project.

Brad draws Kerry in to help to find Trask before he kills more people. As a controller, Brad is able to help Kerry with her nightmares and along the way, also teaches Kerry how to manipulate minds.

However in the meanwhile, Trask gets personal and targets Kerry's brother and his pregnant wife. Kerry's brother is burned and her sister in law loses her baby.

Not only does this not scare off Kerry, it motivates her even more to go after Trask. When Trask kidnaps Kerry's brother and father as an attempt to bring her to him, Kerry is ready for him. Kerry is able to use mind control to manipulate Trask into position so that Brad could take him out.

Kerry also learns the extent of her father's love for her brother when her father was willing to give up his life and hers for her brother. She had always known that her brother was the favored child and that there was a lack of a father daughter relationship. She did not begrudge her brother because she loved her brother as well.

Kerry finally gets a breakthrough and realizes that the unknown man and cause of the fire that killed her mother was her brother. Her father knew the fact and covered the fact. Knowing something was wrong her brother, her father spent his life trying to make it up by being a better father to him. Unfortunately, he did not have enough love to go around.

I have a little bit of trouble with the direction that Iris Johansen has taken this series. I think the main reason is that the Eve Duncan series starts out without any of these paranormal abilities. So I think I have difficulty transitioning from a normal forensic storyline to a paranormal one. Once I get past it, I begin to enjoy the story. I really enjoy the Iris Johansen books. I have to admit at first it did take a little bit getting used to the idea that Iris Johansen the romance writer was also a wonderful suspense writer.

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

2009-08-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

I vaguely remember seeing the movie, Practical Magic, with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, ages ago. So while reading the book, I kept trying to reconcile my memories with what I was reading right before me. It wasn't working too well. I didn't remember a whole lot. I think I just kept confusing myself. However, that didn't stop me from continuing to picture Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock as Gillian and Sally Owens.

Two young girls are orphaned and come to be raised by their elderly witch aunts. Gillian, the wild and vivacious one, embraces her differences. Whereas Sally just wants to be normal. Gillian who falls in love at the blink of an eye, runs away to elope and escape. Sally who has always shied away from love, believing that her family is cursed when it comes to love, stays behind, falls in love, marries and has two little girls.

Then tragedy strikes and Sally's husband dies. Devastated, Sally leaves with her two girls to start a new, normal life, to be as far away as possible from her aunts. She continues to correspond with Gillian who has a wanderlust life with numerous husbands.

One day, Gillian shows up at her doorstep with a dead body, her current beau. She really did nothing do with his death but they did not want to be linked with the dead body. The two sisters bury the man in Sally's backyard. Mysterious things begin to happen. And a detective, Gary, shows up, investigating the disappearance of a man he was tracking.

The aunts come to help Sally and Gillian with the spirit that is now haunting. Sally and Gillian convince Gary that they had nothing to do with the disappearance of the missing man. Sally and Gillian are in the clear for the missing man.

This is what I get for not keeping up with posting. I cannot remember the ending. Funny thing though, just the other night, Practical Magic just happened to be on cable....

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

2009-08-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

This is another heartstring tugging book from Jodi Picoult. And I expect no less from her. I love her books because they make you think. I like to describe her as an author who writes about social issues. That's not totally accurate but it gives you a gist of what her stories are about. Without a doubt, after reading one of her books there will always be discussion and controversy. Change of Heart is no different.

June is the sole survivor of a fatal car accident that takes her husband and leaves her to care for their baby girl, Elizabeth, on her own. She eventually falls in love with and marries the police officer, Kurt, that rescues her. While heavily pregnant with her second daughter, June hires an itinerant, Shay Bourne, to help with some badly needed repairs. June returns one day from an ob-gyn appointment to find her husband, Kurt, and her daughter, Elizabeth, killed. Presumably by Shay. Shay is sent to death row, the first in over half a century. The jury deliberations were tough. There was one holdout by a young man, Michael. Michael's guilt in his part in this case leads him to a life in priesthood.

June, again, becomes a single parent to a baby girl, Claire. Under the circumstances, one can understand why June is very protective of her daughter. June is much more so with Claire due to a serious heart defect that requires a heart transplant for survival.

Years later, as Shay is facing execution, he sees a television segment showing a girl in need of a heart transplant and wants to donate his heart. June is ecstatic that someone wants to donate their heart. Moral dilemma, it belongs to the man that murdered her daughter and husband. June wants very much to deny the heart, hoping against all hope that there will be another donor. When she meets Shay face to face during a well supervised meeting, he tells her that Elizabeth was "better off dead." (My jaw dropped during this heart wrenching scene.)

Michael comes to the prison to befriend Shay and be his confessor. Michael and the other prisoners witness things that cannot be understood. Wine flows through the pipes of Shay's quadrant instead of water. A bird miraculously revives after Shay holds it. Shay pinpoints the cause of a guard's baby's severe illness to the peanut filling in her stuffed animal in her crib. Shay is able to share his one piece of gum with everyone in his ward. His HIV positive neighbor is seemingly cured the next day. A guard is fatally attacked by a prisoner and pronounced dead. While being removed by EMT, the guard revives, as Shay is seen huddled in a corner in prayer.

June refuses the heart but circumstances and time is not on Claire's side. June changes her mind when Claire ends up in the hospital. She accepts Shay's heart out of spite.

A trial is underway to determine whether Shay can donate his heart. A chamber has already been built to give him the lethal injection. Shay's lawyer helps him fight for the right to hang instead so that he can donate his heart.

Father Michael searches for ways to soothe Shay's soul, so that he may die in peace. Father Michael seeks out Shay's sister, Grace. He tries to convince her to forgive Shay for setting the fire that disfigures her face.

Shay admits to Father Michael that on the night of the murders, he discovered Kurt molesting his stepdaughter Elizabeth and in the struggle for the gun, Elizabeth was accidentally killed. Shay in turn killed Kurt for what he did. Although he finally admitted the truth, Shay refused to allow his lawyer to use the information to delay the trial. Shay wants to donate his heart. And time is running out.

When Claire finds out about the upcoming transplant, she convinces her mother to let her die.

Grace comes to visit June and shares the story of abuse from her foster father. She also tells June how she set the fire that killed her stepfather and how Shay took the blame. Grace plants the seed that Kurt might have been abusing Elizabeth. June decides that she will accept Shay's heart for Claire. The transplant is a success.

A few weeks later, while at home, Claire sees that her dog, Dudley has died. As she holds him in her arms, his heart starts beating again.

Laced by Carol Higgins Clark

2009-07-20T14:07:00.000-07:00

Laced is another in the Regan Reilly series. I think it's cute how Carol Higgins Clark gives her books one word titles that are verbs reflecting some aspect of the storyline. I can usually tell it is one of her books when I see them on shelf.

We follow Regan and Jack Reilly on their honeymoon in Ireland. They are staying at a castle that is reputed to be haunted by a ghost. The ghost is supposedly haunting the castle because she was never paid for the special lace tablecloth which is on display. On their first night at the castle, the fire alarm goes off in the wee hours of the morning. The disgruntled guests find out that the kitchen will be out of commission due to a fire and the antique lace is missing. And a note is left, taunting Jack. It is from notorious thieves that have eluded him. The hunt is on.

Add in a bumbling couple who are trying to score some extra money by selling the artwork of a housekeeper who works at the castle without telling her how valuable her paintings are worth, and we've got a Carol Higgins Clark mystery here.

I enjoy reading Carol Higgins Clark's books. Don't forget I love mystery/suspense books. Laced was an enjoyable, quick summer read.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

2009-06-05T14:20:00.000-07:00

Reading the last book in a series is always bittersweet. At the same time, I was really looking forward to it. Stephenie Meyer tells an engaging tale. From the first book, Twilight, I wanted know what was going to happen. I wanted to know if Bella and Edward were going to get together. I wanted to know if Belle was going to become a vampire. And it's finally here. The end to the journey. Now here's the problem. When I get excited and want to find out what's going to happen, I tend to skim. I read super fast and of course, lose things. In this, I mean, I lose text, nuances, even bits and pieces of the storyline because I read so fast. All just to find out what is going to happen. However this is not a problem with Stephenie Meyer's books. The writing is simple and simplistic so it is easy to read, easy to follow.

Now onto the story. Bella and Edward must fulfill their promise to each other. Bella begins to plan their wedding, or rather Alice begins to plan their wedding and Edward will make Bella a vampire after they are married. Jacob returns have a dance with Belle at the reception as a sign of his reluctant acceptance. Then Edward takes Bella on an elaborate honeymoon on Rene's island. They consummate their marriage with much reluctance on Edward's part. Not because he does not love Bella. On the contrary, he is reluctant because he loves her too much. Edward is afraid that in his passion, he will crush and hurt Bella. They wake up the following morning to find the bed mangled. Bella wakes up completely ecstatic but to Edward's horror, Bella is completely bruised. He swears to not touch Bella again, to Bella's dismay, and tries to distract with all the wonders of the island. Bella is distracted and not feeling well. She quickly comes to the conclusion that she is pregnant. Bella is overjoyed. Edward is not. Vampires apparently are unable to reproduce. And legend says that those that do, do not fare well. Legend has it that the "babies" are monsters, so Edward's initial is less than positive. His immediate call to Carlisle spurs him to get Bella back home to Forks to get rid of the "spawn." Bella immediately forms an alliance with Rosalie, who she has never gotten along with, to protect the baby. Rosalie who longs for her former, normal life where she could have grown up, married and had a family has a second chance with Bella's baby.

Although Bella is newly pregnant, her stages of pregnancy is advancing at a rapid pace. By the time she returns to Fork, she is clearly showing, feels the baby kicking and is having difficulty walking. Bella refuses to allow anyone to harm the baby despite the damage the baby is doing to her. She is unable to move, breathe or eat. The baby even ends up breaking her ribs with its kicks. But nothing can convince her the baby is evil. She continues to have beautiful dreams about the baby boy she thinks she is going to have.

Jacob returns to this "horror," and remains because it makes Bella happy. And Edward will put up with anything, even Jacob, to keep Bella happy. For once Jacob and Edward are truly on the same side in wanting Bella to end this horror of a pregnancy because they know it will kill Belle.

There are unknown dangers of a vampire child. The werewolves are "obligated" to kill the it and in doing so, its mother. Jacob, an alpha in his own right because he is a direct descendent of the first werewolf, leaves his pack and forms his own. At first he meant to be a lone pack but two others join him - Leah and Seth. Seth had formed a bond with Edward after fighting the vampires in Eclipse. And as an alpha, Jacob gives Edward permission to break the Convenant formed by years ago by the werewolves and the vampires, in order to save Bella's life. So the werewolves will no longer go after the vampires after Bella is made into a vampire.

A couple realizations are made. Since Bella is unable to keep any food down, the idea that because she is carrying a vampire child, perhaps it is blood that she is craving. And it actually works. Edward also realizes that he is able to read the baby's mind and has a conversation with the baby to let the baby know that all the movements have been hurting Mommy. And that works, too. The baby actually relays to Edward how much Mommy is loved. This now endears Edward to the child and they have made the step towards being a loving family. Jacob has lost his ally in Edward. The baby tries its best to not hurt Mommy but soon cannot help it. The time has come for Bella to give birth. Bella may die. Or will she?

Giving birth is killing her. It is literally tearing Bella apart. It is then that Edward chooses to make Belle a vampire by injecting her with his vampire blood. Rosalie escapes with the baby. Clearly, the baby is her first priority. The baby is a little girl, not the baby boy that Bella dreamed she was carrying. She names her Renesmee, after her mother and Edward's mother.

The transformation begins. Bella feels the burn searing through her veins throughout her body, along with a rapid heartbeat. This accelerates and accelerates for what seems like an eternity until it comes to a sudden stop. The transformation is complete. Belle is now a vampire.

Bella jumps up with the kind of agility and grace that she most definitely never had. Edward is wary. Everyone knows how dangerous and strong a newborn vampire is. Bella feels a bit a wariness of her own as she feels the tension in the air emanating from the other vampires. But Bella can only think of her baby. The circumstances under which Bella finally sees her baby girl is strange. Everyone is afraid of Bella's new abilities. As a newborn vampire, she is stronger than everyone else there. They are afraid not for themselves, but for her newborn who is half human and has human blood flowing in her veins. Bella shows amazing self control. Jasper who has had much experience with newborn vampires is astonished by Bella.

Surprisingly, the most protective over Renesmee is not Edward, not Rosalie or any of the other vampires. The one who hovers over the most is Jacob. Jacob has imprinted on Renesmee. Renesmee is Jacob's true mate. Bella is not happy.

Renesmee is a very special baby. It only takes one look at her to figure that out. She is unlike any other newborn. Yes, she is half human and half vampire, but there is more to it. Renesmee is very alert and aware, much more than a newborn should be at a few days old. We soon discover that Renesmee is aging at rapid pace, which explains the advanced pregnancy that caused Bella to give birth at a few months. This is a cause for concern. Carlisle is pooling all his resources to figure out what may or may not happen to Renesmee. Renesmee's growth is monitored and she appears to be toddler size before long. Thankfully, the rapid pace of growth as slowed down a little. She is not aging as quickly as she did at birth.

Renesmee also has her own abilities, not unlike her very special parents. With a touch, Renesmee is able to project her thoughts onto other people. It is the mirror image of Edward's abilities. She is able to "speak" to people and let people know her thoughts and desires despite being a newborn.

It is against vampire creed to make vampire children because they are dangerous and uncontrollable. So when Renesmee is seen by a lurking vampire and is mistaken to be one, the Volturi are informed. The Volturi begin to make their way to Forks to destroy Renesmee and the Cullens.

The Cullens gather their fellow vampires from around the world to stand as their witnesses as to Renesmee being a special human vampire child, in hopes that the Volturi will at least pause long enough to listen to their case. There is resistance for fear that Volturi will destroy them or the Cullens will expect them to fight. The Cullens only want witnesses.

In the meanwhile, Alice and Jasper disappear to places unknown. Speculation is that Alice was running away from what she know who spell doom for the Cullens. However, Alice did leave an innocuous clue for Bella, and only Bella. The page from a book leads Bella to a forger of all people. Bella deduces and determines that if all fails and Volturi destroys the Cullens, Renesmee will escape and start a new life as someone else. Bella has to be the one who sets this plan in motion because her mind is protected from Edward and the Volturi.

By the time the Volturi arrive with their entourage, the Cullens and many of their witnesses have formed a bond. Bella has also learned to finesse her special abilities. Her barrier that protects her thoughts from Edward has been honed to be a physical shield which she has been working on to protect not only herself but those around her.

The Volturi is taken aback by huge show of support for the Cullens. They destroy Irina for her mistake of leading them there. However, the Volturi still feel that Renesmee must not be allowed to live because they do not know the consequences of her existence. The Volturi make a show of deliberating while making hidden attempts to pick off some of the Cullens and their friends. If not for Bella's expanded abilities to formulate an invisible shield, the Volturi would have won.

Alice and Jasper arrive to save the day. They return from South America with an existing 150 year old human vampire that looks like a teenager. This first gives hope to Bella and Edward that Renesmee will live a long life and not prematurely die. This also shows the Volturi that Renesmee will not be a danger to vampire's secret existence.

The Volturi leave. And Bella, Edward and Renesmee can begin to enjoy their life together. The end.

I read that there was a lot of backlash for Breaking Dawn. I know that Breaking Dawn did not have many fans. But I actually liked this book. I liked Breaking Dawn better than Eclipse which I knew was a favorite of many. I felt that something was finally happening in this book. Things were finally going somewhere. The previous books were in stasis and things were finally happening in Breaking Dawn. Bella's little secret spy mission was a little weird and seemed to be a bit of a simplistic solution to the problem. But it's not like I can think of one better. It was a departure of the direction of the storyline that we were used to Twilight. But it made sense, sort of. Bella holding the key to Renesmee's safety in case all else fails. Bella is the one with the mind who noone can read.

Now Breaking Dawn isn't my favorite of the Twilight series. My favorite of the Twilight series is actually one that Stephenie Meyer has not written yet. Yes, I am referring to Midnight Sun, the companion book to Twilight. It is the first book that is from Edward's point of view. Supposedly a copy of one of the initial drafts of Midnight Sun was leaked on the internet. Now Stephenie Meyer feels violated and will not finish writing the book. At least not yet. She has released the draft on her website. So of course I had to read it. I know there are many Twilight devotees who vow not to read Midnight Sun until it is published but I am not one of them. I had to read it once I found out about it. I loved the concept of Midnight Sun. I've always wanted to know what someone was thinking both in real life and in stories. I want to know what is going through their head. Maybe I'm just a nosy person, but that's just how I am. The idea that Midnight Sun is the counterpart to Twilight which is from Bella's perspective is awesome. I was reading Midnight Sun thinking, oh, that's why he did that. So that explains why he said that. I loved it. I really do hope that Stephenie Meyer decides to complete Midnight Sun.

Rose Madder by Stephen King

2009-04-27T06:35:00.001-07:00

So I combed the recommendations from an online book club for promising horror books to fulfill my horror genre. I used to be a huge fan of horror books and movies. I think I have lost my nerve as I've gotten older. So I was looking for a milder horror book, one that wouldn't give me nightmares. I know that Stephen King is the "King of Horror." He earns his title well. That man has a very sick mind. One really has to have one in order to come up with the stories he does. A book club friend tells me that he came up with The Shining and the character of Jack because "there are times when I felt very angry toward my children and have even felt as though I could hurt them." Okay. But the recommendation said that Rose Madder was not one of those scary horror books, so I went with that.

Basically the story begins on a surprising note. And not in a good way. Rose, pregnant, is beaten up by her husband for reading what he considers trash. Needless to say, Rose has a miscarriage and Norman covers it up. Rose feels that noone would take her word against the word of her husband, a cop. Rose suffers in silence for years, until one day a spot of blood on the sheets pushes her to run away. It was a hard road for Rose to take because for over a decade, Rose had meekly followed and taken Norman's abuse. But somehow she did it. Rose managed to escape by bus to a town that she thought would be far away enough. And luckily, she met a man at the bus depot who directed her to home for abused women. In this new place, Rose thrives and learns to be independent for the first time in a long, long time.

Meanwhile, Norman has not forgotten her. He considers Rose his possession and will never let go. He is just temporarily detained because he is being honored as a "hero" for a big case he has just solved.

Rose decides to pawn her engagement and wedding rings because they no longer hold any significance for her, only to find out that the diamond engagement ring that Norman told her was worth a lot of money was not real. This really brought to home how little Norman thought of and valued her even in the beginning. As she leaves the pawn shop in utter embarrassment, Rose finds herself mesmerized by a painting. The painting is of a woman standing in the middle of a field with her back to the viewer. Rose has to have this painting. She trades her two rings for the painting. As Rose leaves the pawn shop with her prize, another patron of the pawn shop stops her and offers her a job. He is owns an audio book company and thought that Rose had a wonderful voice that would tape beautifully. So things are slowly falling into place for Rose. She has found a safe haven away from Norman. She has a job for the first time. She has her own apartment. And she meets a man. Bill is the clerk at the pawn shop. Rose thinks she is safe since it has been a while since she has escaped from Norman. Meanwhile, Norman is finishing up business and begins to slowly follow leads to track Rose. He is in no hurry because he "knows" he will find what belongs to him.

In the meanwhile, the haunting painting that Rose found at the pawn shop holds much significance. The title of the painting is Rose Madder who Rose assumes is the female figure in the painting. Rose begins to notice subtle changes in the painting. Rose also begins to have dreams about the painting where she seems to enter the painting and finds that there is more to the painting than what she first sees. Apparently there is a monster that is similar to the Minotaur in the Greek myths.

Norman succeeds in tracking Rose to the town she now calls her home. He tortures and kills the man who first directed Rose to the women's shelter. He tries to stalk her at a fair sponsored by the women's shelter and almost succeeds in getting her. He injures two of her friends. Norman escapes after donning a mask that interestingly enough makes him look like the Minotaur. During his escape, Norman begins to have conversations with the mask and it begins to "influence" his actions.

Now things start getting intense. The police are now actively involved. Norman goes back to the women's shelter to find out where Rose lives. There he takes the life of the director of the shelter. Rose and Bill go back to her apartment, knowing that the police believe her claims of her husband's cruelty and have sent police patrol to guard her apartment. Unfortunately, Norman had gotten there first. Norman, having killed the two patrolmen, was disguised as one of the officers in the patrol car to give Rose the peace of mind to unlock the front door of her building. Rose and Bill just barely manage to make it up to her apartment by pure luck and the skin of their teeth. To escape the madman, Rose and Bill enter the Rose Madder painting. Rose will get help if she follows direction which is to lead the monster/Norman to a certain destination. And it is there that Rose Madder of the painting attacks and destroys the monster/Norman.

Hereafter, Rose and Bill leave the painting and one would think there would be a happily ever after. Rose and Bill marry and have a child but Rose has periods of rage and actually has abuse tendencies. She was warned by Rose Madder it would happen. Rose Madder had foreseen Rose's rage and had given her seeds and the warning "to remember the tree." This is the tree at the lake that Bill had brought her to. The seeds grow into a beautiful but deadly tree, I believe representing the poison that caused her rage.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

2009-04-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to read the classics for a while, books I have never had the chance to read. I was never had to read the classics in high school. I was never in regular classes where the classics where a part of the curriculum like my friends were. So I've been wanting to make up for past times. Yet at the same time, I was avoiding reading Rebecca. I kind of wanted to keep on reading my easy reading books. I knew that reading Rebecca would take time and require me to think. And I just don't want to do that. My brain can't handle it. My biggest motivation in finally picking up the book to read was that it was due at the library soon.

It took me a while to get into the book, Rebecca. I think I kept on re-reading the first few pages because it wouldn't quite sink in. But once I overcame that obstacle, I was captivated. I came to see how it was considered a classic. It is well written. The story flowed. I wanted to keep on reading to find out what happened.

We meet a young woman, a quiet and demure sort of girl, who is working as a companion to a lady abroad. While in Monte Carlo, she meets and is "romanced" by a Maxim de Winter. Maxim de Winter is supposedly a grieving widower whose wife was lost at sea. He proposes and after a short honeymoon, the newlyweds return to Manderlay. Manderlay is the family home of the Maxim de Winter. The new Mrs. de Winter finds that Rebecca, the first Mrs. de Winter, still has a strong presence at Manderlay. This is evident with Mrs. Danvers - the housekeeper who is devoted to the first Mrs. de Winter, her untouched bedroom, her sitting room among other things. Mrs. de Winter finds it difficult to overcome the ghost of Rebecca and fears that she will never live up to Rebecca in the eyes of the staff, Maxim or his family. When the de Winters are pressured to throw their annual costume ball, things come to a head. Mrs. Danvers subtly convinces Mrs. de Winter to wear a costume based on a painting in the house. Unbeknowst to Mrs. de Winters that it was the same costume that Rebecca wore at her last costume ball. Maxim is horrified and demands that his wife removes the costume. They spend the remainder of the ball under a facade of marital bliss. Mrs. de Winter is completely convinced that it was a mistake to have married Maxim and that Maxim is still in love with his first wife, Rebecca. The next morning, Mrs. Danvers shows her true colors and nearly drives Mrs. de Winter to suicide by jumping out the window. But a shipwreck at the nearby beach gets in the way. It is a good thing, in more ways than one. Maxim reveals that the true nature of his first marriage. He opens up about how Rebecca was a manipulator, an adulterer and just plain cruel. Maxim dealt with it because she was abolutely wonderful with Manderlay. Basically Maxim made a deal with the devil in exchange for a proper mistress for his family home. The last straw was when Rebecca flaunts the 'fact' that she was pregnant with her lover's baby. Maxim loses it and shoots her dead. He sinks her and her boat. She is presumed lost at sea. The rescue of the shipwreck leads to the location of the sunken boat. An investigation unearths Rebecca's secret visit to a doctor who reveals that she was terminal, not pregnant. Rebecca intentionally provoked Maxim to cause her death and his perpetual guilt. The de Winters return to Manderlay guilt free, only to find Manderlay in flames - all likely at the hands of Mrs. Danvers.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

2009-04-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

I was excited to read the next installment of the Twilight series. I was lucky and was able to get Eclipse rather quickly from the library. But I had wanted to pace myself. I had a bunch of other books waiting on the sidelines. I did not want to bypass them in order to satisfy my selfish need to find out what happens in this series. I did not want to seem too obsessive. Plus time was running out with me having to return the books to the library. So there was space between my reading Book 2, New Moon, and Book 3, Eclipse. I explain all this because I did not enjoy reading Eclipse. At least not in the beginning. I guess I was in a good mind frame - a teenage mind set - when I started reading Twilight. I read New Moon right afterward, so I was still "in the zone." I don't know if it was because I read Rebecca right before Eclipse. Rebecca is a literary classic. So honestly, I found myself a bit annoyed with the writing. I really had little patience for it. It affected how I thought of the book and it is my least favorite. I find this odd because I've read lots of comments about how people love Eclipse . I think it is directly connected to the fact that I read a very good piece of literature directly before reading Stephenie Meyers again. I guess that was a big mistake. I still like her story a lot. I think she is a great storyteller but I wish she were a better writer. I can totally see how the teens love the Twilight series. It took a hundred or so pages before I got into reading the book again without being annoyed. Then I was immersed in the Bella/Edward saga again.

In Eclipse, the Cullen family is back in Forks, and Bella and Edward are together again. All would be fine in the world, except now Bella's best friend in the world, Jacob, will not or cannot be anywhere near her when Edward is around. Vampires and werewolves do not get along. Oh, and the fact that there is a vampire, Victoria, who is after Bella. And the Volturi may come around anytime to check on whether Bella has become a vampire as promised. It's just another day in the life of Bella and Edward.

With Bella's life still in danger from Victoria, Edward and Jacob form an alliance. They put aside their dislike for each other in order to protect the girl they both love. Edward will do anything, anything at all, to keep Bella from being hurt or sad again after he had hurt her so much. Even if it means letting her be friends with Jacob. The vampires and the werewolves take turns monitoring Forks and protecting Bella.

Bella continues to push to become a vampire. Edward agrees to be the one who will make Bella a vampire, on one condition - that Bella agrees to marry him. Bella wants it done as soon as possible because she does not want to get any older.

There appears to be a band of newborn vampires on the loose in Seattle. And they seem to be making their way to Forks. The vampires and the werewolves further their alliance and band together to destroy the newborns. They plan a trap with Bella as bait. When Jacob threatens to sacrifice himself during the battle when he finds out about Bella's and Edward's engagement, Bella kisses him to give him false hope. Only it isn't. In that kiss, Bella realizes that she loves Jacob, too.

Everyone gets ready for the attack while Edward and Seth, a young werewolf, protect Bella at a separate location. Since the werewolves are in tune with each other and of course, Edward can read minds, they are all in full contact with each other and are aware of what is going on. Edward soon comes to the realization that it is a trap. While everyone else is preoccupied with the newborns, Victoria is coming in for an attack. Edward is forced to fight anyway, despite Bella's machinations to keep him safe with her. Edward and Seth together destroy Victoria.

After the battle, Bella explains to Jacob that despite loving both Edward and Jacob, her love for Edward is much greater. As the wedding plans proceed, Jacob runs away in pain. He lives as a wolf to escape the pain.

Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli

2009-03-30T19:50:00.000-07:00

As I was reading this book, I couldn't quite figure out how Melissa Anelli got to where she was. I couldn't quite figure out how a "normal" person got to be such a bigwig in the Harry Potter world. There were/are so many huge Harry Potter fans. I wonder how Melissa Anelli got to be the one to run a Harry Potter fansite, to be at premieres, to meet JK Rowling... How lucky can a girl get? She wasn't exactly with the Harry Potter craze from the beginning. Could it have to do with her persistence? Her maintenance of Potter fansite integrity? Her journalism know how? I was in awe because Melissa Anelli appears to be a normal person who got to be a part of things that any Potter fan would have loved, loved, loved to be a part of.

When Melissa Anelli first begins the Harry Potter series, she is interested but not obsessed. She is in college, so other things do come first. When Melissa is finally back home and job seeking, she falls back into Harry Potter and discovers the world of fansites. She ultimately relates the most with the Leaky Cauldron site. It is the world of Harry Potter that helps her through that terrible day on September 11, 2001. It is my impression that that day was a turning point for her. Even when Melissa secures a job, the Leaky Cauldron remains of utmost importance to her.

Melissa Anelli walks us through the different fansites, fanfiction, premieres, interviews with Jo Rowling, a Potter film set, podcasts and so much more. Reading this book was like re-living the Potter craze. I loved being to able to get a sneak peek at being an insider.

This is a great book for any Potter fan!

Sneak Peak at Books!

2009-03-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

Guess what? I got a book today! I got a book today! Okay, so what's so exciting about that? I have books all around me all the time. Well, this one came from the Barnes & Nobles First Look program. I found out about it through the BBC Book Club. Well, I did know about Harper Collins First Look program. I signed up for it a while ago, but never really did anything about it. None of the books really interested me - mostly nonfiction. I also signed T for the Harper Collins First Look Kid's program and he's actually gotten a few books. We have one right now that I have to read to him.

Let me backtrack - what is the First Look program? It is the opportunity to get an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) for free to review. An Advance Reading Copy, or ARC, is an uncorrected paperback edition created by publishers for distribution to booksellers and the media a few months before the actual publication of a new book. You get to check out new books before they are even on the shelves!

With Barnes & Nobles, it's easier to get an Advanced Reading Copy. You check to see if there is an offering of a First Look Book Club selection. Then all you have to do is enroll. Once there are no more books, enrollment will close. This makes it easier to figure out whether or not you will get a book or not. The number of books are limited and it's a first come first serve basis. So you should check to see if there are new selections each month, since you need to enroll each time. This month's selection The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. I'm excited to read it. Also with Barnes & Nobles, you get to have a private discussion with the author and chat with other readers about the book online.

With Harper Collins, there will be a list of Books on Offer of their Advanced Reading Editions (ARE). You select the ones you are interested in. Here you simply briefly write why you would like to review the book. Then you wait to see if you will be selected. A random drawing is held. This past month was the first time I saw a book that appealed to me and chose a book to review. So I will have to wait to see if I am chosen. I think I requested to review 4 different times for T and we received the last 3 books. Perhaps there are better odds for the kids. Then if and when you get the book, you read and write a brief review in the time slot given. It's as simple as that.

Happy reviewing!

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

2009-03-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

I only knew about this book because the movie came out last summer. As I was looking for a YA book to meet my book challenge,I thought this would be a neat book to read. I haven't seen the movie but I have seen commercials so I had a rough idea of the actresses that had been cast. So while reading the book, I did have mental images of the characters. I don't know if that helped with the story or not.

This book follows four girls and their friendship one summer when they are apart. They are tied together by a magical pair of pants that travels between them. These pants are magical because somehow even though the girls are all different shapes and sizes, the pants fit them all beautifully.

Carmen, who originally found the pants, is going to visit her father where he lives for the first time. Carmen is all ready for some father daughter bonding when she learns that her father is getting married to a ready made family. Where does she fit into all this?

Lena and her family are visiting her grandparents in Greece. Through a big misunderstanding with a boy, Lena causes her grandparents to fight with good friends. Lena doesn't have the courage to right a wrong.

Bridget is off to soccer camp where she is learning about life, love and when to hold back.

Tibby is stuck at home for the summer. She's making a documentary while working at a local store. She meets a little girl who teaches her there are worse things in life.

The pants travel to each of the girls and gives them the courage to do what's right.

The Nature of Monsters by Clare Clark

2009-03-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

It took me a while to get into The Nature of Monsters. I wasn't quite sure where the book was going. I think the title of the book was in the back of my head while I was reading and I kept waiting for the "monster" to appear.

We meet Eliza Tally who is unwed and pregnant. Her mother sends her to be an apothecary's maid in London, where she thinks she is going to avoid disgrace and get help in getting rid of the baby. Eliza's new master, Grayson Black, is a mystery. He hides his face under a veil. He studies her as her body grows big with the baby. Eliza slowly finds there is something wrong in this household. She stays only with the thought that her master will eventually be doing something to help rid of the unwanted child. When Eliza gives birth, she realizes that she does want the child, only to find out that the baby is stillborn.

We learn with horror that the nature of the Grayson Black's studies. He is in the belief that the experiences of a pregnant woman affects her unborn child, maternal impression. For example, if a pregnant woman has horrific nightmares or visions during her pregnancy, she will give birth to a 'monster.' I think this comes from his own disfigurement.

Things get worse when Eliza finds that Mary, the dimwitted maid she works with, is pregnant. Presumably by Grayson Black, although Eliza mistakenly believes it was Mr. Jewkes, an associate of Mr. Black. Eliza tries to get them both away by selling potions, possibly marrying a local bookseller who has taken a fancy to her and then finally running away.

Eventually we learn that Mr. Jewkes is Mary's father, not her lover, but his aid comes too late. Mary dies shortly after childbirth. With Mr. Jewkes' help, Eliza raises Mary's baby.

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

2009-03-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

I grabbed Case Histories by Kate Atkinson off the library shelf because I thought I remembered it being recommended by someone. It was interesting and not what I expected it to be. The summary tells of private investigator who comes across three cold cases that apparently have a connection. Throughout the book, I look for that connection and expect to at least see it at the end of the story. I don't. So I don't quite understand what was hinted. The only connection that I saw was the private investigator.

Cold Case #1 - On a hot summer day, we meet a stressed mother of three girls, pregnant with her fourth child. She allows her two younger daughters to sleep in a tent in their backyard one night. The next morning, the youngest is missing.

Cold Case #2 - A widower father who dotes on his younger daughter, gets her a job at his law firm. On her first day, the daughter is fatally stabbed to death by a stranger after he asks for her father by name.

Cold Case #3 - A young new mom and wife seems overwhelmed by her new life. One night, apparently she snaps and murders her husband when he wakes up the baby.

Private investigator Jackson Brodie is first called upon by two sisters who have discovered something disturbing upon their father's death. After a long estrangement from their father, the women had returned to their family home to take care of the business and clear up the property. In their father's locked desk, they discover a stuffed animal that never left the side of their missing baby sister. This drives the sisters to try to discover what had happened to their sister - if their father had anything to do with it.

The retired lawyer makes yet another one of his endless attempts to discover the identity of the man who murdered his beloved daughter by having Brodie try to seek out clues.

A woman comes to Brodie to find out what happened to her niece after her sister was sent to prison for killing her own husband.

We follow Brodie as he goes back and traces the steps and tries to uncover what happened so long ago. There are subtle links between the cases, but none that really stand out as to being obviously connected. But as Brodie researches each particular case, he finds out relevant information to these three cold cases plus a couple of cases he is currently working on.

The Wise Woman by Philippa Gregory

2009-03-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

Since I'm playing catch up with my book reviews, I am simply going to cut and paste my comments in the group book discussion on The Wise Woman by Philippa Gregory. I read The Wise Woman so many books ago, that I cannot remember much in detail anymore.

I don't know if I pinpointed an ultimate villain. It seemed that many of the characters had villainous characteristics in some shape or form. My sympathies with Alys came and went. I certainly did not have any for her when the book began with the fire at the abbey. Then I felt sympathy for Alys when I read about her childhood. I also had sympathy for Alys when she was told that they would take her baby from her.

Despite knowing what that time period was like for women, I felt bad for Catherine knowing she had a husband who would sleep around the way young lord Hugo did. And what her pregnancy resulted in was horrible.

I don't know if I had any sympathy for Lord Hugo. I want to clarify this statement to say that I didn't feel either which way for Lord Hugo - good or bad. To me, he was simply a man, or rather a Lord, who was trying to maintain his realm. I definitely did not for young Lord Hugo. I did not like him. I did feel a tinge bad for young Lord Hugo when Alys was giving him the earthroot, esp after Morach said that anyone who took it for a prolonged period on a regular basis would die.

Alys is a woman with no loyalty. Alys' disloyalty "saves" her throughout the story. She is disloyal to Tom to go to the abbey. She is disloyal to the abbey when she leaves them in the fire. She is disloyal to Morach when she accuses Morach of witchcraft. I think she ends up losing everything by being selfish.

The Wise Woman is definitely not one of my favorites of Philippa Gregory. Interestingly enough, someone commented that in Philippa Gregory's earlier books, there are characters you love to hate and that it takes a lot of talents to create believability. I have to agree. It must be why I keep going back for more.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

2009-03-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer is the second book in the Twilight series. The book begins with Bella celebrating her birthday with the Cullen family. Through a series of unfortunate events, Bella ends up with a severe cut that almost gets her attacked by Jasper - who is relatively new at being a 'vegetarian' - and sorely tempts the rest of the family. Edward sees this as a sign of their relationship is not meant to be. Edward promises to remove himself from Bella's life in order to keep her safe, against Bella's wishes. The entire Cullen family abruptly leave Forks. Literally, the next day.

Bella is devastated beyond belief. This is where I think Stephenie Meyer employed a very cute tactic. She proceeds to title chapters by months. However, these chapters have no words. Basically, it is implied that those months passed by like a blur. I have to admit that when I saw those pages, I gasped with foreboding. When Bella finally wakes up, she realizes that she lived those months like a zombie, trudging through life, completely in despair.

Bella makes an attempt to re-enter life, but has trouble. Bella is driven to do risky things because when she does, Bella "hears" Edward admonishing her. In order to hear his voice more, she gets the bright idea of riding a motorcycle when she spots two run down motorcycles for sale. Having not a clue of how to fix a motorcycle, she goes to Jacob Black who is a handy mechanic. Bella finds that the more time she spends with Jacob, the less she is distraught about Edward's absence. Jacob is her sun that keeps away the darkness and shadows. This is not to mean that she is falling in love with Jacob. Although Jacob would love her to do so.

Bella pushes to do more dangerous things. When Bella sees some guys cliff jumping into the water, she wants to do it, too. Jacob is able to hold her off, promising to take her.

Meanwhile other things are happening in Jacob's world. One of his best friends has joined with a cult-like group of young men. Jacob's hates the leader, Sam, for isolating his friend from him. Then suddenly, seemingly overnight, Jacob joins this group. Bella is left confused and in the dark. We soon discover that Jacob, along with his 'pack' of new friends, is a werewolf. Probem - vampires and werewolves are mortal enemies or should I say, immortal enemies.

Anyway, without Jacob to hold her back, Bella attempts the cliff jumping on her own. Fortunately, Jacob is there is rescue her from the water. She is fine but not for long. She gets a surprise visit from Alice Cullen - who has arrived to comfort Bella's dad, Charlie. From what? From her vision of Bella's death. Unfortunately, Edward has mistakenly thought the same. He rushes to Italy to ask for death from the Volturi. Because he cannot live in a world without Bella. Alice and Bella rush to save Edward from his foolish mission. Though the Volturi refuse Edward's request, Edward still plans on provoking them to kill him by exposing himself to the Italian public. The Volturi police the vampire world and they make sure that the secrets of vampires is not compromised. Of course, Alice and Bella arrive just in time. But not early enough to escape the notice of the Volturi.

In the presence of the Volturi, we find that Bella is also immune to the special powers of the minions of the Volturi. We also find that the Volturi had taken notice of the special powers of Alice and Edward. Edward, Alice and Bella only manage to escape, with the promise of making Bella a vampire soon.

This is the least of their problems. Due to a series of mysterious murders that has been occurring in the metro area, the vampires and the werewolves deduce that there is are vampires on the loose. It is determined that Victoria, James' mate, is out for revenge. She is after Bella, Edward's mate for killing her mate (in book #1, Twilight.)

Edward and Bella work through some misunderstandings and the Cullen family return to Forks. Edward promises to never leave or hurt Bella again. And they focus on the threat of Victoria. Bella continues to push Edward on her desire to become a vampire.

New Moon left me wanting more. Not getting sucked into the Twilight until now is a good thing. It's a good thing because now I do not have to wait for each book to be published. I can read one book after another. But I will not. I will not. I will not. I will restrain myself. I do not want to get too obsessive. Although, one easily can...

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2009-03-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

I actually started to write a review a week or so ago but somehow it was lost! I thought I was rather witty, but now I will attempt to start again - and not be as witty, as I cannot recall a thing I wrote. That's what lack of sleep will do to you.

ETA: I actually found it. I've added it in. The text in blue is my original beginning.

I added Twilight to our book club selection choices on a lark and it actually won. So I had to succumb to the Twilight craze. Seriously, Stephenie Meyer has written a very captivating story. It made me feel like a teenager again. Understandable as it is a young adult book. Not that I felt and thought the way the characters did in the story, but more the writing style of Stephenie Meyer made me think of being a teenager. The growling, the sighing, the smoldering...

But it is a typical story of star crossed lovers with a twist. The twist being one of them is a vampire. Hmmm... you're thinking that vampires like to suck the blood of humans? Yes, quite a dilemma. Not only that, somehow Bella, that's our girl, has a scent that is irresistible to our guy, Edward. Yes, girl meets guy. Girl falls for guy. Guy actually wants drink girl's blood. Because guy is a vampire. Guy falls for girl instead. Which is great and all, but don't forget, guy is a vampire!

We first meet Bella Swan when she moves up to Forks, Washington to live with her father, so that her mother can spend time with her new husband. Forks is known to be the rainiest place in the US. Interesting, huh? Anyway,....

I added Twilight by Stephenie Meyer to our list of book club suggestions on a lark, and lo and behold, it was selected. So I got to join in on the Twilight craze. Twilight is a typical girl meets guy book with a twist. It's girl meets guy, girl falls for guy, guy falls for girl, guy wants to eat girl. Yes, eat or if you want to be technical, drink her blood. You see, guy is a vampire. Yes, a vampire.

Let's meet Isabella (please call me,Bella) Swan. We are first introduced to Bella as she moves to live with her father in small town, Forks, Washington. Forks is known to be one of the rainiest places in the United States. This is important to know for later on. Bella is making this self sacrificing move to give her mother time with her new husband. At her new high school where Bella is the source of much attention being the new girl in town - the new pretty girl in town. She is drawn to a group of beautiful and aloof teenagers - the Cullens family, Edward, Jasper, Emmett, Alice and Rosalie.

On Bella's first encounter with Edward, he looks at her with absolute hatred. After disappearing for a few days, Edward returns to Forks and tries to make friends with Bella. Bella is inexplicably drawn to Edward despite his weird behavior. Edward even saves her life while seeming to act like he doesn't like her. Through stories told by her new friend, Jacob, Bella guesses that Edward might be a vampire. Rather than be repulsed, Bella is intrigued. Then seemingly by chance, Bella and Edward get together after Edward saves her yet again. They are inseparable after that.

Bella learns that her blood is irresistible to Edward - despite being a "vegetarian" - but he is able to stave off his natural desire for her blood. On a side note, Edward and his family are "vegetarians." In their case, these vampires do not drink human blood but survive on animal blood.

Bella also learns that a few of her new vampire friends have special talents. Edward is able to read minds, although not hers. Alice is able to see the future once someone has made a decision. And Jasper is able to manipulate moods. A very formidable group.

During a date watching Edward and his vampire family play baseball, another coven appears. This new trio of vampires have eyes on Bella, the only human in the group. Due to the Cullen family protectiveness, the leader of the coven, James, set his sights on Bella. The Cullen family vow to protect Bella and plan to move her back to safety with her mother in Phoenix. However, through trickery, James lures Bella away from her vampire protectors by preying on her love for her family. James is thisclose to killing Bella when the Cullen family arrive to her rescue. Bella might have been lost forever or succumbed to becoming a vampire had Edward not sucked James' venom out of Bella.

This experience only serves to reinforce Bella's and Edward's love for each other. Aaahh... true love....

The books ends with Edward intent on giving Bella real life experiences. Unlike what she has had to deal with thus far since having met him. He unpleasantly surprises her by bringing her to the prom. This is unpleasant to Bella because she is the ultimate klutz.

I liked this story. I just had to put myself in the proper mind frame in order to read the books. I think Stephenie Meyer tells a good story. For most of the story, I really wanted to know what happened. And I was intrigued to find out what happens next. Reading Twilight made me feel like a teenager again. Re-living teenage angst and all. Not that I know what it's like to fall for a vampire or be the attraction of many boys in school. But it makes me remember or think of days when emotions were worn on our sleeves and we were quick to feel. I guess that's what makes YA books different. However, the writing itself left much to be desired. Lots of sighing, growling, hissing, scowling, eye rolling... You know, typical teenage stuff....

2009 Challenges

2009-03-10T07:45:00.001-07:00

Ooh, it's been a while. I promise that I've been reading! lol I've just been pretty lazy about writing up the books. I'm trying to get my reading done now while I can. I fear that the reading blitz that I've had going on is slowly coming to an end. My reading time is slowly becoming more an more limited. I hope I haven't bitten more than I can chew with the challenges.

As a reminder, I am participating in a few reading challenges this year: Author ABC challenge (26), Genre challenge (24), New York Bestseller's challenge (10). The first two combine to be the 50 book challenge. None of the books will overlap on the lists. And as a personal challenge, the books on the Author ABC challenge are new authors to me. I am also trying my best to keep up with book club books on OB moms, BBC, Cafemom and the groups on Shelfari.

Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

2009-02-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love reading culinary mysteries. Once upon a time, I didn't even know there was such a thing. Imagine my surprise the first time I opened one of my beloved mysteries and found RECIPES in it! I love mysteries. I've always loved mysteries ever since I read my first Encyclopedia Brown! lol And I love collecting recipes. I don't cook a whole lot, but I love collecting those recipes! I think it was a Diane Davidson Mott book. Don't quote me on it! Thereafter, I sought out all her books and started noting other books that would have recipes - books that would have food in the title. Then I started looking up other authors that would have books with recipes. I didn't know that there would be a whole genre of culinary mysteries. Ingenious! lol Joanne Fluke was one of those authors that I have discovered. Love her! Probaby because she has recipes. Not that I make any of them. Anyway, Joanne Fluke is the author of the Hannah Swenson mysteries. I have since read ALL her books.

Hannah Swenson is a owner of the Cookie Jar and has a penchant for finding dead bodies. In Carrot Cake Murder, a murder puts a damper on her partner's big family reunion. A long lost uncle, who apparently was not sorely missed, meets his demise while eating Hannah's carrot cake. Hannah is called upon to help solve the murder before it totally ruins the reunion. There are a bunch of suspects, of course. Those who were jilted by him, those who gyped by him, those who hated him when he left town thirty years before. Hannah solves the mystery with the help of her sisters, Andrea and Michelle, and boyfriend, Norman. One of her boyfriends, anyway. Hannah is caught between the affections of two men, Norman and Mike. Joanne Fluke throws us for a loop when at the end of the book, yet another man, a former flame, enters the picture.

Speaking of too many men, this is an seemingly unending love triangle - what is it now? a rectangle? - is a bit ridiculous. I was reminded of this as I read reviews complaining about it. Readers were having difficulty believing that this woman was able to have these two men vying for her love, and apparently get along so well. I guess I can see their point. Hmmm... I guess I'd say I'm rooting for Norman. He's my kind of guy.

Foul Play by Janet Evanovich

2009-02-21T20:18:00.000-08:00

Aah... my feel good books... lol Janet Evanovich is one of the those authors who I turn to when I just want to read for the sake of reading, to enjoy reading and not have to think at all. Foul Play, along with a host of other funny romances, has been re-released under Janet Evanovich's name. It was originally published under a pen name - which I cannot remember. Foul Play is a fun light read. Most of Janet Evanovich's books are. And Foul Play does not disappoint.

In Foul Play, Amy aka Lulu the Clown just lost her job as a children's television host to a rooster! As she is fuming, she catches the eye of the local hottie and good guy veternarian, Jake. Jake offers her a job as a receptionist and a soft spot in his heart. When the job stealing rooster is brought to Jake's office and suddenly disappears overnight, Amy is under suspicion and tailed by reporters. While they are playing detective, Jake romances Amy.

I was a little confused at the end where Amy suddenly feels the need to run away. And ends up being a weather girl, no less. It didn't make sense.

But Janet Evanovich never fails in her entertainment value. =)

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

2009-02-18T21:35:00.000-08:00

This is my first exposure to author, Stephenie Meyer. I only knew vaguely that she also wrote the popular Twilight series. Hmmm... come to think of it, I wasn't really aware that it was a series. Unfortunately as I began to read The Host, an article came out with an interview with Stephen King. In the article, Stephen King gave a very negative opinion of Stephenie Meyer as a writer. Interview with Stephen King Not good for me as I'm easily influenced. However, I must say that I had already begun reading The Host and had already found it difficult to follow. The writing was awkward. I thought this on my own. The article with Stephen King just cemented my opinion. It took me a very long time to get into this book. I was already 100+ pages (of a 600 page book) before I was interested in reading. It wasn't a very original idea. I just kept thinking about Invasion of Body Snatchers. Eventually I did get into the book but I did find myself skimming the pages a lot.

I had trouble with the ending. I understand that we didn't want to Wanderer to die. Of course not. I generally am not fond of having the main character die for whatever reason. Not after you've gotten to know them. But to take over another body just didn't seem right to me. It was just extending a wrong. The humans hated the souls because the souls took over their planet but yet, in this instance it was okay because they wanted it this time? Doesn't work with me. I was very uncomfortable with the idea.

As good as these souls were supposed to be, I would hope that they would eventually see that it was wrong to take over the human race or any race for that matter. But it was very different when they took over in the other planets. The Flowers, Spiders, etc didn't have a problem with begin taken over. Humans did. Okay, I didn't really know that but those "species" were vegetation or animals. Not people with intelligence and free will.

Could souls and humans co-exist? Yes. But at what cost? Someone would have to give up their body.

Jeb's and Jamie's intial reactions were believable. Jeb's kindness goes in line with his taking in all these strangers into his "home." I felt Jamie's quick love was just his love for his sister. I also felt that because Jamie was so young, he was more resilient and acceptable than the adults; therefore more able to accept Wanderer. I had a tough time with Jared's reactions. No matter if a soul had taken over Melanie's body, I just don't understand how he could have attacked her. It was still Melanie's body no matter what. He could have hated her, but to strike her just seemed wrong. How could you hit the woman you love even if it wasn't her inside anymore??

Despite being The Host touted as Stephenie Meyer's first adult book, I still felt like it was a YA book. It was the style of writing, her style of writing that made me think that. I think that Stephenie Meyer should stick to her YA genre where she really captures her audience.

Queen of Babble In the Big City by Meg Cabot

2009-02-15T22:34:00.000-08:00

Another frivolous, fluff book by Meg Cabot, that you just can't help reading. lol This is a follow up to Queen of Babble where we first meet Lizzie. Lizzie earns her name honestly.

In the Queen of Babble in the Big City, Lizzie is now living with her "prince" of a boyfriend, Luke in New York City. She also makes headway in her career of rehabilitating vintage wedding gowns while also working as a receptionist at a prestigious law firm.

These two worlds collide when Lizzie inadvertently befriends a client of the firm while trying to help her with her wedding gown. The publicity that Lizzie brings to the firm that is known for their discretion costs Lizzie her job. Lizzie also realizes that the fantasy future she has in her head will not come to fruition as Luke gets her a sewing machine, of all things, for their first Christmas together and as they spend New Year's Eve on two different continents.

Lizzie learns to stand up for herself and gets herself her dream job and learns the man she is meant to be with is not who she thinks it is supposed to be.

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

2009-02-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

One Thousand White Women was a book club selection for BBC. It wasn't quite what I expected. I guess I wasn't sure I would like the book. I was open to anything. I enjoyed the book much better than I thought I would.

One Thousand White Women is based on a historical event where there was an attempt at negotiations between the Native Americans and the United States. The Native Americans came up with a proposal asking for one thousand white women for brides in exchange for one thousand horses. The Native Americans considered this a viable possibility because in their culture, babies are considered a member of their mother's tribe. Therefore, any babies that resulted would be assimilated into Caucasian culture, or so they thought. This proposal was met with outrage by the American public. However, in One Thousand White Women, Fergus suggests as the premise of his story that this plan was secretly given a go ahead.

One Thousand White Women was written in journal form. It is supposedly the journal of May Dodd who was against her will placed in an asylum by her parents. She volunteers for the bride program just to get her freedom. She is joined by a number of other brides who come from various backgrounds, asylums, prisons, poor and differing backgrounds. On their way to Cheyenne tribe of Little Wolf, there are a number of stops at forts. At one of which we meet Captain Bourke who May Dodd really bonded with. Their "friendship" leads to a one night affair the night before the brides join their new family. The Cheyenne men pick their brides and Little Wolf, the chief of the tribe, selects May. The women learn the way of the Cheyenne as they teach them Christian ways. We follow as the women bond with their new families and with each other.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: a fable by John Boyne

2009-01-29T09:32:00.000-08:00

Wow. What a book. I picked up this book because it was a BBC book club selection. I had no idea what it was about. I was pleasantly surprised when I picked it up from the library that it was a Young Adult book. I thought 'okay, it will be an easy book to read.' I was wrong. Well, yes, it was a simple book to read wordwise, but the subject matter was not. I did what I usually do and read the book flap. But the book flap said nothing. Yes, nothing. What was written was that it was intentional not to give a summary of the book. That should have told me something. So I started reading the unknown.

It begins with a little boy named Bruno. While things were told from an 8 yr old's perspective, meaning a child's point of view, I was able to quickly deduce when the story took place and what it was about. I guessed that the 'Fury' he was referring to was the Fuhrer and where he lived 'Out With' was Auschwitz. The story was about Nazi Germany, Hitler and Auschwitz. Not exactly a pleasant storyline. I knew it was going somewhere, I just didn't know where.

I kept thinking that Bruno's father was a good man. That he had to be because Bruno was a good boy, at least I was under the impression he was. I don't know why I thought Bruno was a good boy, but he just had to be. Besides throughout the story, Bruno did appear to be a good boy. But if I really had to think about it, the Fuhrer would hardly promote someone to be the Commandant of Auschwitz unless he was very capable and aligned with his vision - Nazi Germany vision which I equate with not good. I kept on thinking that Bruno's father was just a good man who fell into the Nazi army. But Bruno's memories of conversations between his grandparents and his father give hints as to what a patriot Bruno's father is. Also things that were said to Lieutenent Kotler about his father leaving Germany also hinted to Brunos' father's loyalty to the German cause. And comments to Bruno about how wrongs are being righted with the Germans in reference to the concentration camps definitely did not make him sound like a good guy anymore.

To Bruno's father's credit, Bruno was not aware of what Auschwitz really was about. Perhaps he wanted Bruno oblivious and innocent or assumed Bruno knew that Jews were the "scum of the earth." Bruno was just a spoiled little boy who just wanted to be a little boy. And living right next to a concentration camp is not the life for a little boy. Therefore, when Bruno made friends with Schmael, the boy in the striped pajamas, Bruno didn't realize that he had done anything wrong. Bruno had the wits not to tell anyone in his family. Although in the end, that was not the wisest idea.

I just don't understand why punish the little boy who actually done the right thing. Why not punish the adults? My jaw dropped when I realized what had happened. It's not like the parents, or rather the father really knew what happened. I mean, I guess, he could have probably deduced what had happened, but he would never have concrete proof. It was all circumstantial. The clothes by the fence. The gap in the fence. I thought that when Bruno donned the striped pajamas, he would be trapped with the other Jews and not be allowed to go back home, that no one would listen to the fact that he was indeed German. I never, never thought that he would inadvertantly be trapped in a group headed for the gas chamber....

I just realized that you have to know some background before reading this book to make an impact. I think it would be a really great book when learning about the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. I will definitely keep this book in mind for T when the time comes.

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

2009-01-29T09:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, this was one weird book. I guess I had expectations going into this book. I've read comments about people laughing out and peeing in their pants. I just didn't get it. And was not laughing out loud. I must be lacking a funny bone. I chuckled once and maybe smiled another time. Not my idea of hilarious, but it will still go under my comedy genre.

I am trying to figure out why this guy is so popular. If these books are memoirs and these are actually "stories" from his life, I do not see what is worthwhile about his life to write about. I guess what he has going for him is that he is a good writer? Because he makes himself sound like a degenerate.

Shopaholic and a Baby by Sophie Kinsella

2009-01-26T21:14:00.000-08:00

Becky Brandon is at it again. But this time around I find the story a bit more heartwarming. She and Luke are expecting. And I suppose I can relate. When you're expecting, you can't help but want to get anything and everything for the baby. But you do realize the reality of things and restrain yourself to an extent. Not so with Becky. She is a shopaholic, you know. She also wants the celebrity obstetrician that she overhears a fellow shopper talking about. Unfortunately this new celeb ob-gyn happens to be an ex of Luke's. But that doesn't stop Becky b/c she wants to go where the celebs go. We follow Becky as she shops in the name of the baby. Becky goes through a lot in this book that I'll blame on hormones. ;) As does everyone else in the book. What is not hormonal is the ex trying to sabotage Becky and Luke's marriage. As Becky goes into false and then real labor, we find out why and how Luke falls in love with Becky - well, we know b/c we've been with them since the beginning... And now there is a new little being to join them. Now you don't think I'm going to give it away, do you?

Now I'm wondering if I should read Confessions of a Shopaholic. Not that I'm ever going to see the movie. I'm pretty sure that the book is based on the movie. Then that would be a condensed version of the the first few books, I think. Eh, not really interested.

The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

2009-01-22T20:39:00.000-08:00

As with the other books I've read from Philippa Gregory, I am so tempted to run out and read factual books on the lives of Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn and Mary Queen of Scots and all the others. I want to find out what actually happened and what didn't. I want to see how true to life is the story that Philippa Gregory has woven. She really is a wonderful storyteller. It's amazing how she is able to weave and fill in gaps of history. I mean, what would happen if she fabricated everything. It is a piece of fiction, isn't it? But it's based on facts. There really was a Mary Queen of Scots. There was a Queen Elizabeth. Speaking of which, I want to re-read The Virgin's Lover and compare notes. lol Anyway, it's not like someone is going to come and say Philippa Gregory is a liar and made up stuff.

In this book we follow Mary Queen of Scots during her days in England. She is the "other Queen" that is supposedly the rightful Tudor heir to the throne. As repeatedly said, Mary Queen of Scots is a queen three ways: she was married to the prince of France, she is daughter of the Queen of Scotland and she is the grandniece of Henry the VIII. She is held prisoner for conspiring to murder her husband, the Scottish prince, in order to marry her current husband, Lord Bothwell. Inquiries are made in the Elizabethan court and she is put under the 'house arrest' under Lord George Talbot, a man loyal to the throne. George Talbot, eventually loses his heart, his wife and much of his fortune in caring for this young queen as she plots to regain her freedom.

2008 Book Challenges

2009-01-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty proud of myself for completing both the books challenges. And actually keeping track of the books. We all know I am not the most organized. hehe But I actually did it! Woohoo! Of course it did take me a while to transfer the list here. Since obviously I didn't remember to log my books here. I may even be missing a book. But now that it's been almost a month, I forgotten what that books is. Gee, how typical....

So here are the lists of books that I've read for 2008! Happy Reading for 2009! Believe it or not, I'm doing alright!

Title Challenge

A - Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer
B - Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier
C - Cherry Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke
D - Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs
E - Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
F - Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier
G - The Good Guy by Dean Koontz
H - Holy Guacamole by Nancy Fairbanks
I - If Cooks Could Kill by Joanne Pence
J - Jessica Z by Shawn Klomparens
K - Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
L - The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier
M - Murder on the Menu by Miranda Bliss
N - Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich
O - On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle
P - Paint it Black by Janet Fitch
Q - Quicksand by Iris Johannsen
R - The Snow Empress by Laura Joh Rowland
S - Step on a Crack by James Patterson
T - Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle
U - Until the Day You Die by Tina Wainscott
V - Vanishing Point by Marcia Muller
W - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
X - The Xibalba Murders by Lyn Hamilton
Y - You've Been Warned by James Patterson
Z - Zapped! by Carolyn Higgins Clark

Author Challenge

A - Air Apparent by Piers Anthony
Two to the Fifth by Piers Antrhony
B - Cooking up Murder by Miranda Bliss
Dead Men Don't Have Munchies by Miranda Bliss
The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian
Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett
C - Latte Trouble by Cleo Coyle
Decaffeinated Corpse by Cleo Coyle
Chamomile Mourning by Laura Childs
Echo Park by Michael Connelly
Murder Most Frothy by Cleo Coyle

Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark
Hitched by Carol Higgins Clark
The English Breakfast Murder by Laura Childs
Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot
Unpredictable by Eileen Cook
D - The Sleeping Doll by Jeffrey Deaver
E - Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich
Love Overboard by Janet Evanovich
F - Cold Mountain by Charles Fraizer
Death a l'Orange by Nancy Fairbanks
Chocolate Quake by Nancy Fairbanks
Killer Heat by Linda Fairstein
Blueberry Muffin Murder by Joanne Fluke
Mozzarella Most Murderous by Nancy Fairbanks
Turkey Flambe by Nancy Fairbanks
French Fried by Nancy Fairbanks
Sympathy for the Devil by Jerrilyn Farmer
Dim sum dead : a Madeline Bean catering mystery by Jerrilyn Farmer
Mumbo Gumbo by Jerrilyn Farmer
Bridget Jones' diary by Helen Fielding
G - The Appeal by John Grisham
The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerristen
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham
H - Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag
April Fool Dead by Carolyn Hart
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
I - Third Degree by Greg Iles
J - Pandora's Daughter by Iris Johansen
The Golden Valkyrie by Iris Johansen
K - Rage by Jonathan Kellerman
Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella
Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella
Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury
The dim sum of all things by Kim Wong Keltner
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
L - Made in the USA by Billie Letts
Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts
M - Saturday by Ian McEwan
N - Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble
O - The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
P - Double Cross by James Patterson
7th Heaven by James Patterson
The Sixth Target by James Patterson
Stranger in Paradise by Robert Parker
Two Cooks A-Killing by Joanne Pence
The Lake House by James Patterson
Red Hot Murder by Joanne Pence
Sundays by Tiffany's by James Patterson
Courting Disaster by Joanne Pence
Q - Behind Closed Doors by Tara Taylor Quinn

R - Witch Hunt by Ian Rankin
The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte by Laura Joh Rowland
S - Bungalow 2 by Danielle Steele
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline
Sisters by Danielle Steele
T - Midori by Moonlight by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga
U - Black out : a novel by Lisa Unger
Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger
V - Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
W - Dead Time by Stephen White
Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells
Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner
The guy not taken : stories by Jennifer Weiner
Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner
What Lies in Shadow by Tina Wainscott

X - A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo
Y - The highly effective detective goes to the dogs by Richard Yancey
Z - The Book Thief by Mark Zusak

The Baby Chronicles by Judy Baer

2009-01-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

I chose this book blindly. First off, I knew it was chick lit but I didn't realize it was Christian chick lit. Secondly, apparently it is a part of a series. I didn't realize that til I finished the book. I saw a comment on the back cover about The Whitney Chronicles. Bummer. I prefer not to read books out of order. Oh well.

As far as the Christian chick lit is concerned, I didn't feel as though it was overtly religious. It wasn't til the end that religion is mentioned more. So that didn't really bother me.

It was a nice cozy book about 3 women who want to have babies. Whitney, who decides to have a baby after 2 years of marriage, and is pleasantly surprised by one. Mitzi, who has been on fertility treatments after trying for a long time and is surprised with triplets. Kim, who is adopting due to health issues - breast cancer and depression - which would make a pregnancy an unwise decision. We go through their trials and tribulations as they talk, laugh, play and work. Towards the end of her pregnancy, Whitney's faith is tested she almost loses her husband. It is Mitzi who helps her see her way back.

And of course there is a fairy tale ending where their amazing boss restructures and renovates their office so that the 3 women can make their own hours and bring their babies into work with them. Where can I find a job like that?

STori Telling by Tori Spelling

2009-01-21T07:22:00.000-08:00

Here are some thoughts that I had shared with my IRL book club. Please excuse the choppiness of the incoherent thoughts. lol Then I added some more to flesh it out.

I agree, I did get the feeling that I was reading fiction rather than a real story. It didn't seem real. The outrageousness of what her life just doesn't seem possible. But what do I know? I'm just a girl from a lower middle class working family. Her life could be the lives of all those celebrity children and they do not think twice about it.

I never thought of her much and when I did, it was like she said, Tori Spelling, oh, Aaron Spelling's daughter. Truthfully, I didn't think much of her either. I didn't think she was that pretty. I know, very catty of me. And now that she says in her book that she was constantly trying to make comedic gestures to stand out in the crowd, I simply thought she wasn't that good an actress. That she got her roles (apparently like everyone else thought) b/c of her daddy. Tori says that she didn't get her roles b/c of her dad. That she got it on her own, based on her ability. Maybe. I'm not really buying it. Maybe I'm being a little hard. Maybe her dad's name got in her foot in the door and she is the one who kept it open. But the thing is, even according to her, she hasn't done so well. So maybe she isn't that good? She tells about these movie roles that keeps getting cut, pilots that keep being shot down. She's doing a show now that's not really a show. It doesn't require acting ability. People just want to look into her life. That's not acting. I actually think it's kind of sad that someone would allow cameras to monitor their life. I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm a nosy one, too. I totally want to peek into their lives. Yes, I'm a total perv. lol But are they so desperate for attention. That's my take on it.

I didn't realize she did that many TV movies. I think I've seen a few movies that starred her. Well, I didn't actually watch them. You have to love the info button on the remote control. lol Come to think of it, I thought Shannon Doherty and Jennie Garth were the queens of TV movies. Why not Tori Spelling, too?

Her relationship with her mom was just weird. There had to be something more. Since it was Tori Spelling writing her own memoirs, I doubt that she would portray herself in a terrible light. While I will believe that she is a nice person, I think it highly unlikely it was a totally hangup on her mom's part. There had to be something else going on. Like Michele had said, that I'm sure her dad had something to do with the poor relationship between mother and daughter. Saying that they were Hansel and Gretel while the mom was the witch. A little weird, don't you think? And it makes sense that there would be a jealously issue btwn her and her mom. I'm sure that her mom had a bloated sense of self, too. So when Tori came into herself, became her own person, there was someone to compete with.

I think it was Michele who said that her mom didn't train her for real life. But she didn't really have a "real" life by any standards, normal standards anyhow. Having designer Halloween costumes is not real life. Having a 10,000 sq ft house is not just a large house. Based on what BBC moms have said, 3000 sq ft is a big house. Then D tells me that my cousin's ginormous mansion like house is 5000 sq ft. You can bowl in her bedroom! A 10,000 sq ft house must be super gigantic! That is not real life or realistic. Okay, it's real life to her, but seriously, not realistic. I have to laugh at her reminder that the house Aaron Spelling is known for (I can't believe it has 100 rooms and is an acre big!) is not the house she grew up in. That it was simply a large house, but not as large as the Manor. Even having a 10,000 sq ft home is not real life. Getting a BMW for your 16th birthday is not real life. Having a beyond luxury condo when you're 22 and simply paying $1000 is not real life. Oh, I could go on.

As far as that inheritance, I can see how being left $800,000 out of so many millions can seem not right. Especially in light of how her father could buy a million dollar piece of jewelry at the drop of a hat. I mean, I do not expect my parents to leave me anything. I wouldn't expect it, but it just seems different in her case. I guess simply because they had so much money. That said, I totally agree with Rebecca in what she (Tori) thought about being a SAHM and wife. Maybe if Tori Spelling wasn't hundreds of thousands in debt, the inheritance or therelackof wouldn't matter. I guess the $800,000 seemed like a slap in the face. Kind of like 'leaving a nickel for the waiter for poor service' philosophy. But I wouldn't mind that kind of slap in the face. lol $800,000, that's a pretty penny. I could do a lot of damage with that kind of money. :P But when one continuously builds up debt without forethought, I guess $800,000 is piddly. I think she says that it would have been nice if her dad gave her enough money to cover her debts. What good would that have done? She would have just gotten into debt again. More on that in the next set of thoughts....

I had to chuckle about her being satisfied with spending $25 at Forever 21. I've caught a couple of episodes of Tori & Dean Inn Love last year when I still had time to watch television. ;) I am reminded of the planning for her son's first birthday. Ummm.... that is not how someone thinks or throws a party when they have "no money." Not by a long shot. She is so not a normal person no matter how she thinks she is now. One does not have to have a customized cake. One does not have to have monkeys even if the theme is monkeys. One does not have to have the party at someone else's house when one's own backyard will suffice. One does not have to invite everyone under the sun. One does not have to have a circus at a one year old's birthday party. And that's all I caught. I think I must have missed a lot more since Michele says the party must have cost $10k. I guess I think her a little frivilous and self-entitled. Okay, I'm being a little hard. But it wouldn't have mattered how much money her father left her, even if just to cover her debts, she would have continued to have debts and still not be able to be a stay home mom and wife that she seems to think she could be.

So instead, she decides to air out all her secrets by writing a tell all book and having a reality show. Well, obviously, she doesn't consider them secrets since she's telling everyone. I remember catching another episode where she goes to off to do a talk show shortly after the baby is born. How is that putting the baby first? It wasn't like she was doing it for the money. It was to promote her career. To me, despite what she says, it doesn't seem like she wants to simply be a stay at home mom and wife.

Wow. So, okay, I had a lot to say.... lol

Shopaholic and a Sister by Sophie Kinsella

2009-01-15T07:59:00.001-08:00

Oh, Becky Bloomwood... what can I say? She drives me crazy. I really feel like shaking her. She really is addicted to shopping for simply the sake of shopping and doesn't seem to learn. That said, she is charming, good hearted and really means well. In this, 4 or 5th book in the Shopaholic series, Becky and Luke are on their yearlong honeymoon trip around the world. And of course, Becky considers it a world shopping trip. But I can see how easy it is to shop and not know how much you have purchased when you have everything shipped home. Hmmm... I suppose that's why D didn't want to sent things right to the room although the Disney resort offered that privilege. Anyway, when they returned home, she ended up with 2 trucks full of stuff! Whew! And while they are away, lots had happened - her best friend Suze had twins and found a new best friend, and her father found out that he had a daughter that he didn't know about! Becky is excited to find out about her new sister and imagines wonderful bonding over shopping. Becky has a rude awakening. Imagine Becky's surprise when she finds out that her half-sister is a no frills person who hates shopping and everything else she thinks is fun. Yes, hates! They part on a poor note when they each say not so pleasant things to the other. Then things come to a head when Luke finds out Becky promised his PR firm would work on a hotel opening for a man with a poor reputation. A reputation that Luke does not want his PR firm associated with. And Becky places Luke in this dilemma when during their last days of their honeymoon, the man helps Becky get a coveted 2ooo euro "Angel" bag with a long waiting list. Luke leaves Becky for the hotel opening on a poor note. And Becky, in her devastation, goes to find her sister in order to learn to be more like her. Becky learns that she and her sister are more alike than they realized.

everyone worth knowing by Lauren Weisenberger

2009-01-14T22:19:00.000-08:00

Jaw drop with what the PR world is like. Is it really like that? Do you really, I mean, is it really a PR person's job to go to the clubs and party all night long? Wow. Why couldn't I get into that? Nah, not my style but one could dream, couldn't I? Similar to Devil Wears Prada where a girl who seemingly knows nothing about the biz gets a dream job. Instead of being the assistant to the top editor in fashion, in everyone worth knowing, Bette lands a job with an up and coming PR firm and ends up partying with the hottest celebs and socialites. A bit over the top, but still fun to read about. Bette, daughter of two hippies, niece to a gay columnist uncle, impulsively quits her boring job in the bank world. She needs to find herself. Her uncle helps her land a job with a former assistant who has opened a PR firm. And what is her job? To go to the hottest nightclubs, to socialize with celebrities and socialites, to go to the hottest restaurants, to plan parties for companies like Blackberry and Playboy, and to fly first class to other countries. Poor Bette. lol All the meanwhile, her best friend is engaged to someone she cannot stand, she is constantly the subject of an online gossip column - and not in a good way - for her "relationship" with young, hot, wealthy bachelor and she is interested in Sammy, the bouncer, who has issues of his own. It all comes to head at the Playboy party where Bette finds her best friend's fiance making out with a former schoolmate and the party is crumbling around her. All's well that ends well. Bette finds love with Sammy who opens up a hot new up and coming restaurant. Her best friend breaks up with her fiance and starts anew. Bette decides she will write a romance novel, her secret guilty pleasure.

Thyme of Death by Susan Wittig Albert

2009-01-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

New author to me. I was trying my best to find her first book in the China Bayles series. I think Thyme of Death was it. She doesn't have recipes in this book so it leads me to believe that it probably is her first attempt at writing and then eventually added recipes to her books later on. Yeah, another one of my culinary mysteries. Love 'em! Anyway, taking it from a first book standpoint... Thyme of Death was a bit stilted but not bad if it was a first book. While I wasn't crazy about it, I would read it again. I am a sucker for culinary mysteries. I wish that she included recipes in this book. There were a couple of foods I wouldn't have minded recipes for like the clam dip or the pepper cornbread. heehee

China Bayles is a former lawyer who has retired from the Type A lifestyle and moved down to easy going small town Texas to be an herb shop owner - of all things! One of her dear friends, Jo who has cancer, is found dead of an apparent suicide. All the signs, clues, evidence and whatnot are there. China's best friend, Ruby, does not believe it and sets out to find the truth. There is Roz, the famous children star and creator of StrawBerry Bear, who we find out had a secret lesbian relationship with Roz. But Roz is after letters she had written to Jo, supposedly for sentimental reasons. There is Roz's manager, Jane, who is after her to renew her contract There's Violette, who happens to have the sold-out-everywhere StrawBerry Bear in her possession, acting very strangely around Roz. There is Jo's daughter with whom she's never had a close relationship. There's the newspaper owner who is spearheading the campaign for the new airport that Jo is protesting against and possibly has something up her sleeve to end the project. Then Roz is killed. Initially looks like a bleeding ulcer but China thinks otherwise. And then Violette is killed. Another apparent suicide with a perfectly typewritten murder-suicide note admitting to the murder of Roz and all. Again, China thinks otherwise since Violette never learned to type.

The whole story is a bit convoluted and a little bit difficult to follow. I'm still not too sure I get the ending and how it was all resolved. But it definitely wasn't boring. It is figured out that Jo is killed by Roz who had been trying to get the letters. In order to keep their relationship secret due to her upcoming marriage to Senator who has his sights on the White House. That would be some scandal. Jane is the one who kills Roz and then Violette by poisoning them with ant poison. That's where it's a bit convoluted. I couldn't quite figure out the why.

And in the end, Jane is arrested for the murder of Violette, and Violette only. Because supposedly that's a sure thing and it would be too difficult to prove the murder of Roz. And the love letters between Jo and Roz are burned b/c there is no point pursuing the murder of Jo since Roz is dead anyway. I just don't get it.....

Hold Tight by Harlen Coben

2009-01-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

I'm not too sure whether Harlen Coben is a new author to me. I seem to think he is, since I don't really remember reading any of his books. Not that really means much nowadays. However, there is a ringing familiarity to a couple of them. I'm sure I have a couple, if not a few of his books downstairs.

Hold Tight piqued my interest before I even started reading the story. In the beginning, before the actual story started, there is disclaimer. Well, disclaimer might not be the right word. Usually it is a disclaimer but Coben claims that the equipment mentioned in the book are real. Now that was a little creepy.

Hold Tight begins with parents, Mike and Tia, who are about to place some sort of monitoring device onto their teenage son's computer where they see everything that their son goes into and every email that he gets. Invasion of privacy, anyone? Their validation is that their son's best friend committed suicide months ago and now he is withdrawn and sullen. Typical teenage, don't you think? Not the suicide part, but the other part. They go further with activating the GPS on his cell phone when he disappears - voluntarily.

Oh, there's the usual murder and mystery, too, but it's the above that really got me thinking about this book. Part of me, now that I'm a mom, makes me think "Wow, what a great idea!" Especially, the GPS part. But there really the invasion of privacy and trust that just doesn't seem right. Sure, one could argue that you want to keep them safe and not let them roam into things they shouldn't go into like porn, drugs or anything illegal. But where do you draw the line? The mom, Tia, says it is our job to protect our kids until they are old enough and then send them out into the world. And right now falls under the "until they are old enough" time frame. I totally understand what she is saying and where she is coming from. Would I think differently if I were not a mom? Maybe. Would I really want to monitor my children's computer activity? I think I would really want to, but would I do it? I think I would be hardpressed to cross the line. There's just something wrong about it. Puts a bad taste in my mouth. But I'm not in the situation where my son refuses to talk to me. What I think worries the parents more is the fact that his best friend committed suicide. As silly as it sounds, they are probably thinking is that their son might be harboring the same thoughts, like its contagious. You have to start wondering. That's why if they are not willing to talk to you, you will try your best to get into their minds. And apparently in this day and age, it's possible. Scarily possible. But where do you draw the line???? Typical teenage rebellion? Or cause for concern? Food for thought. This is why I would hope to really keep the communication lines open and not be oppressive to my children. I want my children to be able to come to be about anything and not be afraid to talk or ask. I know teenage years are going to be expected to be rebellious with peer pressure. That just goes without saying.

Hold tight just has a new meaning. B/c if you hold too tight they might just be scrambling to get away from you....

Lights Out Tonight by Mary Jane Clark

2009-01-07T08:55:00.001-08:00

Mary Jane Clark is a new author to me. I've seen her books on the shelves before but have never gotten around to reading her books. So this year's challenge gave me a push to doing so. What I did know of her is that apparently she is related to Mary Higgins Clark, who I do read. Mary Jane Clark is her daughter in law. Interesting. 3 authors in the family.

Lights Out Tonight was an okay book. I didn't quite feel that the characters were developed enough. I felt as if there was a book prior to this book that better explained the characters' relationships and I should have read it first. I kept thinking I was missing something.

There's the main character, Caroline. There is a lot going on with her. She is a film and theater critic who is a newbie in the television world. She is having problems there. Her boss seems not to like her or think her edgy enough. The female anchor seems to be chilly towards her. But you never really know why. Caroline is also a newlywed. And surprise, surprise, her new college aged stepdaughter, Meg, does not like her and does not want to accept her. And the story starts off where Caroline discovers pot in Meg's closet - not from snooping but when she was getting sandals that Meg has asked for. To tie this altogether, Caroline is sent up to the Warrenstown theater festival on assignment where Meg happens to be apprenticing at.

Meanwhile up in Warrenstown a killer is on the loose, that people are not aware of. Two of Meg's apprentice friends are killed, thought to be an accident, after being run off the road. The killer unfortunately thinks that one of victims had taken a picture of the car and sent it to a friend through their cellphone. So the hunt is on for the killer to find the sendee. Meg is the one who received the pictures but the picture of the car is not clear or recognizable.

Then there is famous Academy and Tony winning actress, Belinda, who is the lead in the new play at the festival. She is refusing to star in the movie version of the play. The director is working hard on convincing her b/c the backers will only invest if she is in the movie. She has an artist friend, who is in love with her, seemingly obsessed with her. He paints portraits of her in each of her stage roles. That he refuses to sell. She has a caretaker for her property but he is up to no good. Her understudy is hungry for her chance to shine. Caroline's new husband acts weird around the actress. Like I said before, so much going on.

A librarian is also murdered after she witnesses the killer take pages about Belinda from a magazine.

Then the actress disappears. The whole town searches for her on her vast property. Who could have taken Belinda? In the meanwhile, the killer is still hunting for Meg.

There were so many components to this book. So many ideas. That go nowhere. Which was why I always thought I was missing something.

I would read her books again. This falls under my "fluff" books, books I don't have to do much thinking. To read just for the sake of reading.

Death Walked In by Carolyn Hart

2009-01-05T08:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm on book 3. 3 mysteries. Surprise, surprise. ;) I have to get myself to the library to get some more books!

Death Walked In by Carolyn Hart
The series fascinates me because I would love to be like the main character and own a bookstore. As I discussed with D recently, this would be something I would love to do someday when the kids are older and out of the house. Of course I would deal with the books part and not the business part. heehee The book was okay. Not bad, not great. This series is based on two amateur detectives Max and Annie Darling. Annie is the owner of Death on Demand, a mystery bookstore. Max is problem solver of sorts. He is not a private detective b/c that requires a license but he has an office open to help people solve problems. Max apparently had a problem in a recent book and is a avoiding his problem solving business. He has decided to focus on renovating their new home, the Franklin House. There are a few mysteries involved. First, Double Eagle coins are stolen from a wealthy man's home. A woman is found, by Annie, murdered in her home when she calls to Max to retrieve an item from the Franklin house. The woman is the housekeeper of the wealthy man. Soon it is determined that the housekeeper somehow hid the Double Eagle coins in the Franklin, unbeknownst to the Darlings, and was murdered for them. The questions are: Who stole the Double Eagle coins? Who murdered the housekeeper? Where are the Double Eagle coins hidden? Was the housekeeper involved? The book follows Max and Annie Darling as they seek the answers to all the questions with the aid of Max's mother and two friends via email and webcam as they sail aboard a yacht. I would read more books from Carolyn Hart. She is not a difficult read.

Broken resolutions

2009-01-02T19:02:00.000-08:00

So I already broke my New Year resolution.... No, it was not to keep up with this blog. Although that would be a good resolution, wouldn't it? lol I told myself that I would be a better mom. Oops, too late. I think I need help. I really do. It is not healthy for myself or the kids for me to be so angry. I just can't help myself. :( The boys just make me really angry and I lose it. I really feel like running away. I am so tired of being taken for granted. I really wonder how much influence D has over them. They see him ignoring me and learn from that. Ugh.

I already know that this is not going to be a good year. It didn't start off on a good note, did it? D just aggravates the crap out of me. Such an inconsiderate ass. Yes, I may be making it a bigger deal than it is. He doesn't really have to be with me at the stroke of midnight. I don't really care. But seriously, he really needs to figure out his priorities, be with friends or be with me. If he says that stupid crap about being rude again, I swear.... Yeah, it matters other people's opinion than mine. He'd rather be rude to me than to others. Uh, okay.

Anyway, to bigger and better things. New book challenge for the year. Well, I haven't quite figured out what I am going to do. There seem to be so many this year. Maybe there were always so many and I just wasn't aware. Now I am aware. And I am tempted by many. I am going to do one with JC - the 50 book challenge. We're going to call it that even though it might be more than 50. Let's see, in it we're going to do the AZ author challenge again. I am going to give this a twist by applying only the books of authors I have never read before. Just to make it a little harder and make me read other authors since I tend to ram through authors. That gives us 26. Oh, we settled on 12 genres, so 2 from each genre would give us 24, bringing to a total of 50. Cool. The 12 genres are:

nonfiction

humor/comedy

general fiction

chick lit

biography/memoir,

classic

romance

sci-fi/fantasy

young adult

mystery/thriller

horror

historical fiction

Umm..... I'm on book 2. Heehee. I may attempt other challenges but I don't know if I'll be biting off more than I can chew. I read over 100 books last year. But I don't know if I can repeat. I'm sure a lot of the books I read were "fluff" books. Those are easy reads but they didn't apply to any challenges. This year's challenge is more specific and may be harder. We'll see. And once little Zman gets more mobile, I'm sure reading will become a challenge in itself for me.

Can I pretend that the New Year starts now and start over again? I promise I'll try harder to be a better mom. The boys deserve better than me..... D doesn't, but the boys do.

New Year Resolution

2008-09-16T20:54:00.001-07:00

Can I start a New Year Resolution now? I mean, this is my blog. I can, can't I? I resolve to actually keep up with my blog!!! hahahaha Yeah, right. Seriously, I really want to do this but I keep forgetting. I spend all this time on the computer but most of it is reading. I click here and there, check this and check that. But that's about it. I don't do a whole lot of writing/posting. I might respond once in a while but not much more. :(

I have been doing a whole lot of reading. I am quite proud of myself. I thought I might include some book reviews. Give me some purpose to this blog. Some deals. What else? I'll have to think on it. Hopefully it won't take me months again before I post. But hey, I had a baby. That's a good excuse, isn't it?!??!

Today I actually managed to get some tasks done. Namely cleaning. I had a little checklist in my head. I wanted to put in a load of laundry. Check. I wanted to put the diapers from the diaper pail into the trash. Check. I wanted to clean the kitchen floor. Check. Not only did I clean the kitchen floor, I also cleaned the bathroom floor. And sorta cleaned our bedroom floor. Woohoo! What I didn't get around to was cleaning the stove. Boy is that nasty! Maybe, hopefully tomorrow. I also didn't get to work on T's thank you cards or my own for Z. Shame, shame, shame.

Oh, maybe I'll review some of the shows I watch - the reality shows. Although Project Runway is almost over. Not that I've really been following it as much as I'd like. I watched a marathon over the weekend and I've already forgotten most of it. I meant to write down the guest judges to help me remember. But of course I forgot to do that.

I am reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd right now. I read it a couple of years ago, I think. Maybe it was just last year, I forget. Anyway, I am re-reading it now. The library is having a discussion on it Thursday night and I am hoping to get to it. That is, if I finish the book. Looks good so far. I thought the book discussion was tonight and I would have totally not been able to do it, but I think I should be able to finish it by Thursday night. Now it'll just be a matter of whether I can get to the library. D says he might be coming home late one night to have drinks with his old co-workers but he doesn't know what night yet. Obviously if it's Thursday night, then I won't be able to make it to the library. I was planning on bringing Z but I don't want to bring all the boys. I don't think it would be a good idea. Anyway, regardless I will review the book after I'm done. So far, it's a pretty good book. I think I remember liking this book better than The Mermaid Chair, her second book which we read for book club. And I've easily read half the book already. I think that already shows how good the book is. I know I read quickly, but being able to get through a book quickly doesn't necessarily mean it's good.

I just wanted to add that I just got a look at my book challenge lists. Boy, have I added to the list since I last posted. I guess I have been doing something. lol I'll tack onto that list later. It's too late to go back and forth right now. I have my list on the other site.

Nesting

2008-03-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, I have been less than stellar with my posts. Just call me lazy. haha I did just update my book list. At least I've been reading. Doesn't that count?

I suppose I have been nesting. I've more or less cleaned out T's and L's closet. I've also sorted through lots of my own clothes. I have more that I want/should get rid of, too. I have 3 shopping bags full of clothes so far that I will never wear again. To the donation pile! Perfect timing that someone has posted on the mom board about clothing collection. Now I just have to remember to bring the clothes. They are also accepting stuffed animals among other stuff. Ooh, more things to de-clutter. I really must be nesting b/c normally you'd have to twist my arm to get rid of stuff. I'm more the "oh, I might wear it again or might need it again someday" kind of person. We really do need to downsize and de-clutter. I'd hate to have to pack all these things if we move someday.

33 weeks tomorrow! Yikes! Where has time gone?!?!? Of course, I am so ready. No, that's a lie. I am so NOT ready! For 3 kids?!?!? I have trouble with 2. How on earth am going to deal with 3?? But what I am ready for is to feel comfortable with my body again. To not have these pains. To be able to lift my boys without problems. To be able to hug them properly. To be able to walk without waddling. To be able to sleep comfortably. To sleep. Ugh. Who am I kidding? I'm not going to be able to sleep for a couple of years! lol But the rest, I want. Oh, to be able to gorge on food again. That would be nice. I love to eat. And of course, for the nausea to stop. Yes, I definitely want the nausea to stop. I think that's about it. lol

I am not ready for sleepless nights again. Who am I kidding? I have sleepless nights now. lol I think it'll be good. I just worry about going into labor. I want my dr. Not her partner. But I do not want to be induced just to have the dr I want. I guess I just have to cross my fingers that Dr W will be on call. I will talk to her about that as it gets closer. I also worry about the boys. I hope the timing will be good that there will be people around - mainly K or my mom - so that the boys will be okay and comfortable with whoever is taking care of them. I also hope that D will be nearby when the time comes. I want him to be there when I have the baby. I don't want to be alone. :( I want to share the moment with D just like I did when T and L came into the world. That's my biggest worry. I know everything else will be fine. I know we will handle being a family of 5 perfectly fine. I know the baby will fit in perfectly. I know that T and L will be great big brothers. Well, I know T will be. I expect that there will be some adjustment for L. He is not as aware and mature as T was at 2 years old. But I'm sure he will do just fine eventually. He is a sweet little boy. Most of the time. We will temporarily ignore the terrible twos.

Super Bowl munchies

2008-02-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd start a blog of my own. Random thoughts but mostly for all the books I've read.

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. Not that I could care less about football, but I do enjoy preparing the Super Bowl munchies. I've been doing this since we got married. I may have skipped one year, but I'm not too sure. My memory is not the best. That's why this blog may be good for me! lol This is what we had tonight:
Lil Smokies
TS Beer Bread
Chips with various dips: guacamole, salsa and TS Si Si Cilantro - all homemade - YUM!
Cheese, pepperoni and apple platter
Carrot matchsticks
Bat Wings
Buffalo Wings
Chicken Tenders
Pizza roll with pepperoni and mozzarella (But we were too full to even touch this! Dinner tomorrow)
Jello

D and the boys were munching for 3 hours! Even before the game started! By the time all was said and done, I didn't even feel like eating. I guess that's what happens when you've been working in the kitchen for over 2 1/2 hours! I'm pooped and not feeling so hot. :( But there's lots to snack on for days to come! lol

Reading Days With J

2012 Reading Challenges

2011 End of Year Stats

2011 Reading Challenges

2011 Book List

Re-evaluating blog

*sigh*

Roast Mortem by Cleo Coyle

Unwed and Unemployed by Mary Janice Davidson

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

2011 Audio Book Challenge

2011 Reading Challenges

Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2011

2010 Reading Challenges - Complete!

2011 Page to Screen Reading Challenge

2011 TBR Challenge

Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011!

Merry Christmas!!!

2010 Book Reviews

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Blood Game by Iris Johansen

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

Jumper Cable by Piers Anthony

Sam's Letters to Jennifer

Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke

2010 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

2010 TBR Challenge

2010 Reading Challenge

2009 Reading Challenges

2009 New Author Challenge - DONE!!

2009 50 Book Challenge - Genre DONE!

NY Bestseller's Challenge DONE!

2009 Title Challenge :(

2009 Children's Books

Books on CD

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched

Firestorm by Iris Johansen

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Laced by Carol Higgins Clark

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Rose Madder by Stephen King

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Harry, A History by Melissa Anelli

Sneak Peak at Books!

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

The Nature of Monsters by Clare Clark

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

The Wise Woman by Philippa Gregory

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2009 Challenges

Carrot Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke

Foul Play by Janet Evanovich

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Queen of Babble In the Big City by Meg Cabot

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: a fable by John Boyne

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Shopaholic and a Baby by Sophie Kinsella

The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

2008 Book Challenges

The Baby Chronicles by Judy Baer

STori Telling by Tori Spelling

Shopaholic and a Sister by Sophie Kinsella

everyone worth knowing by Lauren Weisenberger

Thyme of Death by Susan Wittig Albert

Hold Tight by Harlen Coben

Lights Out Tonight by Mary Jane Clark

Death Walked In by Carolyn Hart

Broken resolutions

New Year Resolution

Nesting

Super Bowl munchies

sigh