Jennifer's Book Blog

Marked by P.C. & Kristin Cast

2009-06-01T19:34:00.002-04:00

4 stars

Marked is the first book in the House of Night series. Zoey Redbird is your typical sixteen year old girl until she gets marked. Getting marked means you have to move to the House of Night and train to become a Vampyre. Not everyone survives the change...

I've read a lot of mixed reviews about this book, but I liked it. The storyline was good and kept my attention. For the most part, the characters seemed like typical teenagers. Zoey's use of the word "poopie" was all that seemed a bit off to me. It was definitely interesting enough for me to continue the series.

Plainsong by Kent Haruf

2009-05-29T23:30:00.002-04:00

4 stars

Plainsong is set in the rural community of Holt, Colorado. It's the story of a pregnant teenage girl, two lonely teachers, a pair of old bachelor brothers, and two young boys abandoned by their mother.

I've said this many times before, but I'll say it again. I'm a huge fan of character novels. Stephen King and Richard Russo have always been my favorites, but I can now add Kent Haruf to that list. I was captivated by this story. I fell in love with the characters, especially the McPheron brothers. Haruf had no problem putting you into their lives and making you care for them. I look very forward to reading more of his books.

Flight by Sherman Alexie

2009-05-06T20:35:00.001-04:00

5 stars

Flight is the story of fifteen year old Zits. Zits is a half Native American/half white orphan. He's been in and out of foster homes since his mother died when he was six years old. Zits has decided to commit a massive act of violence. Right at the moment he begins to act on that decision, he is transported back in time into the body of an FBI agent during the Civil Rights era. This happens to be Zits first stop in a series of travels through history.

This was an amazing little book. The main character gets to find out what it's like to be inside someone else. To feel what they're feeling. To see what they're seeing. To see hate and what it does to people no matter what race they are or what side they're on. At one point, Zits is a white man hunting down Native Americans. At another point, he's a Native American killing the white man. It was just so interesting to see both sides of the same situation and see how both sides feel justified in what they're doing. These aren't the only situations he finds himself in, but they're all interesting. This book is quite violent and the language is rather course, but it should be. This is a fifteen year old boy that's lived a horrible life and the things he does and says feel real. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in this sort of thing, but I can see some parents having issues with the language and violence. Personally, I would let my kids read it if they wanted, but that's just me.

Malice by Lisa Jackson

2009-05-03T12:24:00.002-04:00

4 stars

New Orleans detective Rick Bentz is seeing his ex-wife, Jennifer, everywhere. The problem is that Jennifer died in LA twelve years earlier. Bentz knows it's not his imagination, but how could Jennifer be alive? He's the one that identified her body. After receiving an envelope with recently dated photos of Jennifer or someone that's a dead ringer for her, taken in LA looking alive and well, Bentz is off to LA to find out who is messing with him and why.

Malice is the sixth book in Lisa Jackson's New Orleans series. I'm usually a stickler for reading a series in order, but I won a copy of the book and had a time limit to read it and answer some questions. Even though I had not read any of the first five books, I didn't feel like I was missing anything. There was just enough back story for each character for me to feel like I knew them, but not so much that it interfered with the flow of the story. The characters were very well developed. The story was fantastic, fast paced, and filled with suspense. I thought I knew who the culprit was, but I ended up surprised. I always love it when I'm surprised by a suspense/thriller novel because so many of them follow the same pattern and you end up feeling like you've read it a hundred times before. I didn't feel that way with Malice. I've already picked up the first book in the series and hope to get started on it soon.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson Review and Giveaway

2009-04-19T21:07:00.004-04:00

5 stars

Seventeen year old Lia has been struggling with anorexia for years. Her best friend Cassie struggles with bulimia. When Lia is released from her rehabilitation program for the second time, Cassie tells her she's a bad influence and she doesn't want to be her friend anymore. A few months later, Cassie is found dead in a motel room alone. She left thirty three messages for Lia the night before, but Lia wouldn't return her calls. Now, Lia is seeing Cassie's ghost everywhere and while on a mission to find out how Cassie died, Lia begins spiraling out of control.

Wintergirls is told completely from the perspective of Lia. You are in her head from page one. At first, I thought the writing style was a little weird, but I quickly caught on to what the author was doing. There are parts of the book that are crossed out because it shows you what Lia's first thought was and then what she ended up actually saying or doing. Anderson really succeeded in making me feel like I was in this confused, scared teenager's head. This book is very raw and very powerful. I'd definitely recommend it.

Giveaway

Now for the fun part! This will be my first giveaway! The book is a paperback ARC. It has been read twice. Once by me and once by my sister. Now, no one in my household smokes, but my sister does. I don't think the book smells like smoke, but I thought I would warn you just in case. If you would like the chance to win, please leave a comment below. For a second chance to win, let me know what your favorite young adult book of all time is. I will draw a winner on April 30th and ship the book on May 1st. Good luck!

Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain

2009-04-15T20:19:00.004-04:00

5 stars

Synopsis: (from Barnes and Noble)

With Heartsick, Chelsea Cain took the crime world by storm, introducing two of the most compelling characters in decades: serial killer Gretchen Lowell and her obsessed pursuer Portland Detective Archie Sheridan. The book spent four weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and garnered rave reviews around the world. But the riveting story of Archie and Gretchen was left unfinished, and now Chelsea Cain picks up the tale again.

When the body of a young woman is discovered in Portland’s Forest Park, Archie is reminded of the last time they found a body there, more than a decade ago: it turned out to be the Beauty Killer’s first victim, and Archie’s first case. This body can't be one of Gretchen's—she’s in prison—but after help from reporter Susan Ward uncovers the dead woman's identity, it turns into another big case. Trouble is, Archie can't focus on the new investigation because the Beauty Killer case has exploded: Gretchen Lowell has escaped from prison.

Archie hadn't seen her in two months; he'd moved back in with his family and sworn off visiting her. Though it should feel like progress, he actually feels worse. The news of her escape spreads like wildfire, but secretly, he's relieved. He knows he's the only one who can catch her, and in fact, he has a plan to get out from under her thumb once and for all.

Chelsea Cain has topped her own bestselling debut thriller with this unpredictable, edge-of-your-seat story.

My review:

Sweetheart, the sequel to Heartsick, is just as good as the first book! This book delves deeper into the relationship between Archie and Gretchen. Imagine being obsessed with the person that tortured and tried to kill you. So obsessed that it affects every single aspect of your life. This book was an amazing page turner. I started reading last night and only stopped because I had to. As soon as I got the opportunity, I picked the book back up and didn't stop until I finished. Gretchen Lowell is one of the most captivating "bad guys" I've ever read about.

The Zombie Chicken Award

2009-04-12T20:43:00.004-04:00

I got another award! How cool is that???

Desert Rose at DeSeRt RoSe BoOkLoGuE and Penny at Penny's Pages kindly passed along "The Zombie Chicken Award" to me.

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all..."

I will definitely be coming back later to pass this award on. I don't want to face the wrath of those zombie chickens!

You Don't Say Award

2009-04-12T20:34:00.004-04:00

J. Kaye's Book Blog was kind enough to pass along the "You Don't Say" award to me. Thanks so much J. Kaye! If you haven't visited her blog, you're missing out!

The "You Don't Say" Award is given to bloggers that take the time to comment on your blog. I'm finally back to pass this award along. Thanks so much to the following people for taking the time to comment on my blog. It means alot. :)

1. DeSeRt RoSe at DeSeRt RoSe BoOkLoGuE

2. Laina at YA Blog Newsletter

3. Penny at Penny's Pages

4. Jenny at Jenny Loves to Read

5. Sharazad at The Dangerous Pages Review

Ginormous Vegas II Celebration Contest

2009-04-11T19:34:00.003-04:00

Grand Prize: $100 GC to Amazon.com
Runner Up: $25 GC to B&N and a box of surprise paperbacks and other goodies (like chocolate, bath goodies, ect). This is going to be a NICE prize!
Runner Up: $25 GC to B&N and a box of surprise paperbacks and other goodies. (same as above)

Plus chances to win books (almost) every day for a month!

Go to http://www.anyabast.com/blog/ for details on how to enter.

Blood Lite

2009-04-04T18:27:00.002-04:00

3 stars

Blood Lite is an anthology of short stories from some of today's most prominent horror writers. The stories in Blood Lite all have a dark humor edge to them which I think makes them more enjoyable than just pure horror. Some of the stories were really good but some were just okay. That's pretty typical of the anthologies I've read. My favorite stories in the book were "Day Off" by Jim Butcher (I'm a huge Dresden Files fan), "Hell in a Handbasket" by Lucien Soulban, "Elvis Presley and the Bloodsucker Blues" by Matt Venne, and "Dear Prudence" by Steven Savile. I was really looking forward to Charlaine Harris' contribution since I like her other work, but I was a bit disappointed with it.

The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury

2009-03-29T18:58:00.001-04:00

4 stars

Four horsemen dressed as Templar Knights raid the Metropolitan Museum of Art during an exhibit of Vatican artifacts. Out of all the artifacts, many jeweled and priceless, the horsemen leave with an ancient encoder. Tess Chaykin, an archeologist, was looking at the encoder when the horsemen stormed in. While hiding nearby, she overheard one of the horseman say something in Latin while he was holding the encoder. Thanks to that phrase, the Templar costumes, and the look on the horseman's face while he was holding the encoder, Tess and FBI Agent Reilly are sent on an amazing adventure across the world trying to solve the case all the while digging into Templar history to find out what the horsemen could be after.

This was a fast paced, exciting adventure story. I've seen the reviews comparing it to The Da Vinci Code, but I didn't feel that way at all. As a matter of fact, I think I enjoyed this book more than The Da Vinci Code. It seemed to be a faster read and it flowed better for me than The Da Vinci Code did. If you're looking for great literature, you won't find it here. If you're looking for a fun adventure story, this would be great. I had a hard time putting it down.

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay

2009-03-28T21:09:00.002-04:00

3 stars

Fourteen year old Ned Marriner finds himself in Aix-en-Provence on a shoot with his famous photographer father. While his father and his team are shooting photos of an ancient cathedral, Ned meets Kate, an American exchange student about his age. While Ned and Kate are hanging out together in the cathedral, they meet a very strange man with a knife that threatens them. After the confrontation with the man, Ned gets a very disturbing feeling that overwhelms him while he's looking at a carving of what's supposed to be The Queen of Sheba on a pillar inside the cathedral. These two events set in motion a story that's been going on for centuries and Ned and Kate are now in the middle of it.

I found Ysabel to be a quick, interesting read. I thought the story was quite good, but for some reason, I just felt it could be a little better. Maybe I felt that way because the story had such a young adult feel to it but there were so many elements that could have made it an even better adult story had the author chosen to go in that direction. I would recommend the story to fans of historical fiction with a fantasy or supernatural element to it.

Splash: Making an Impression

2009-03-27T19:59:00.003-04:00

Thanks so much to Black_Eyed Susan's for awarding me my first award, The Splash Award!

The Rules:
1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress, or inspire you.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom your received your Splash award.

I will be passing this award on to the following bloggers:

1) Mary at Books, Gardens, and Dogs
2) Monie at Reading With Monie
3) J. Kaye at J. Kaye's Book Blog
4) DeSeRt RoSe at DeSeRt RoSe Booklogue
5) Andi at Radiant Light
6) Kristi at Books and Needlepoint
7) Carrie at Books and Movies

Lisa Jackson Read-a-Fest

2009-03-27T10:20:00.008-04:00

I've decided to join the Lisa Jackson Read-a-Fest hosted by J. Kaye over at J. Kaye's Book Blog. The idea is to read as many Lisa Jackson books as you want between April 1st and June 30th. Did I mention there are prizes??? I've never read a Lisa Jackson book before, so I'm looking forward to trying out a new author. I just won an ARC of Malice, which is really convenient. As much as I hate to start reading a series out of order, I think I will have to this time as I have a review to write. I plan to read the following books:

1. Hot Blooded

2. Cold Blooded

3. Malice

If I like this series, and I think I will, I hope to finish it before the Read-a-Fest ends.

UPDATE

Ugh! I did horrible! It was my intention to read three books and I only managed to read Malice. I did enjoy it and I still intend to read the other two, but my reading just seemed to slow down over the past couple months. I've read way less at this point this year than I did last year.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

2009-03-21T21:33:00.002-04:00

4 stars

Oryx and Crake is told from the point of view of Snowman. All we know in the beginning is that Snowman is the last known human alive and he's watching over a group he calls "The Children of Crake". Snowman tells us the story of what happened to the rest of humanity and how The Children of Crake came to be through flashbacks starting in his childhood.

I am a fan of dystopian literature. Brave New World by Huxley and The Stand by Stephen King are two of my favorites. Although this novel starts out a bit slow, it does turn into a very interesting, eye opening story. The best dystopian novels are the ones that you can actually imagine happening and Atwood managed that with Oryx and Crake. I look forward to reading more of her work.

Memory and Dream by Charles de Lint

2009-03-15T19:57:00.002-04:00

5 stars

Isabelle Copley gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she's invited to study under famed artist Vincent Rushkin. The reclusive Rushkin has never been seen in public, much less taken on a student. Isabelle soon finds out the reason Rushkin chose her. He teaches her that she has the ability to bring the characters in her paintings to life. After this life changing discovery, Isabelle finds out that there's much more to her mentor than meets the eye.

This is the first book I've read by Charles de Lint, but I can tell you it will not be the last. De Lint divulges just enough information as you go along to keep you needing to know what happens next, but not allowing you enough to be able to completely figure it out and ruin the mystery of what's to come. Once I was about a quarter of the way through the book, it became nearly impossible to put down. It's been a long time since I found a book that drew me in as completely as this one did. De Lint manages to take a purely fantastical story and make it believable. This is definitely the best book I've read so far this year and I wouldn't be surprised if it stays on my favorite list for a long time to come.

Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks

2009-03-08T16:42:00.002-04:00

4 stars

Year of Wonders is the story of a small English village invaded by the Plague in 1665 and 1666. The villagers quarantine themselves in order to stop the Plague from spreading to surrounding places. Told from the perspective of Anna, a young widowed maid for the rector and his wife, the story follows the village from the first case of the Plague until the infection and two thirds of the population are gone.

This book captivated me from the very beginning. The fact that it's loosely based on a true story is a big reason that I found it so interesting. Brooks made you feel what it would be like to be there and to be one of those people. I felt their fear, their sadness, and their grief. My one complaint about the book, and the reason I didn't give it five stars, is the ending. I felt it was unrealistic and it seemed tacked on almost as an afterthought.

Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener

2009-03-06T13:42:00.002-05:00

4 stars

Tales of the South Pacific is a book of interconnected short stories that take place during World War II. Each story is told from the perspective of a different military officer. Some of the characters make repeat appearances in other stories later in the book. It was a nice touch because we were able to find out what happened to them after the stories they were featured in were over.

I must admit when I read the first few stories, I was pretty sure this book wouldn't warrant a very high rating from me. First of all, I tend to avoid books about war. They just don't appeal to me. Secondly, these early stories didn't grab my attention. As I kept reading, I found myself totally immersed in the lives of these soldiers. I really felt for them and the situation that they were in. I think my favorite story in the book was "Fo' Dolla". It was longer than the other stories, the character development was deeper, and the emotional impact was higher. Overall, this was a great read. I can see why it won the Pulitzer. The only reason I didn't give the book a five star rating is because I just didn't feel those first few stories. It took me a bit to warm up to them. This was my first book by Michener, but it won't be my last.

Duplicate Keys by Jane Smiley

2009-02-26T10:41:00.004-05:00

4 stars

Duplicate Keys is the story of a group of friends that moved from Minnesota to New York together. The main character, Alice, walks in one morning to find two of her friends shot to death. The police think someone used a duplicate key to get into the apartment. The problem is, keys to the apartment were handed out to a lot of people and no one is sure exactly who may have keys.

I'm a huge fan of character novels and that's what this one is. The characterization in this book is excellent. The whodunit part of the story is interesting and there are some really chilling scenes, but how the murder affects the group of friends is the true center of the story. If you're looking for a good mystery/thriller, I wouldn't recommend this book, but if you like a good character novel or psychological story, I would definitely recommend reading this one.

Crazy Book Slut's 100th Post Giveaway

2009-02-22T14:46:00.003-05:00

Tena at Crazy Book Slut is honoring her 100th post by giving away a book. What book is she giving away you might ask??? Well, she will allow the winner to choose any book that she has posted a review on thus far. That's right! It's the winner's choice! Click here to be taken to the contest page and find out what you need to do to enter. Good luck!

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich

2009-02-20T20:23:00.002-05:00

4 stars

Synopsis from Amazon

Turn on all the lights and check under your bed. Things are about to get spooky in Trenton, New Jersey. 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 über 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.

My Review

First off, let me say that I was very disappointed with Plum Lucky, the last between-the-numbers book in this series. Fortunately, Evanovich is back on her game with this one. This book had the magical/paranormal element that the between-the-numbers books are known for and of course, Diesel is back. Not only do we have Diesel, but we are introduced to his cousin, Wulf. Wulf is a very interesting character and I would like to see more of him in future books. This one definitely had it's laugh out loud moments, which I loved. Morelli and Ranger both made their appearances, but they didn't play very large roles in this one. That's okay because Diesel made up for it. The parts of the story concerning Lula and Tank were great. I can't wait to see what happens there. Overall, a very fun read in the series.

Vampire Knight, Volumes 1-5 by Matsuri Hino

2009-02-13T19:17:00.003-05:00

5 stars

Cross Academy is separated into day students and night students. The night students are vampires led the by the mysterious pure blood, Kaname, whereas the day students are human. Yuki and Zero are the school guardians. They basically protect the day students from the night students. This is really all I can say about the story without giving away important plot points.

This is my first manga and the series is fantastic! I really can't say enough about it. With each volume, the character development just gets deeper and deeper. The artwork is so amazing. I really hated finishing the fifth volume knowing that the sixth wasn't available yet. Reading from back to front and from right to left took a little bit to get used to, but not as long as I thought it would. I highly recommend this series and I can't wait to find out how the story progresses!

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett

2009-02-12T20:24:00.002-05:00

5 stars

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents is a very witty version of The Pied Piper. Maurice, a talking cat, his stupid looking kid (that's what Maurice refers to him as), and a group of very smart talking rats with names such as Dangerous Beans, Sardines, and Hamnpork, go into towns and trick them into thinking they have a rat infestation. Once the town believes this, Keith (Maurice's stupid looking kid), comes forth as a rat piper and gets money to draw the rats out of town. When they come into the town of Bad Blintz, they quickly realize this town isn't like the others. Something fishy is going on and they're determined to find out what it is.

This was my first Discworld book by Pratchett. I thought starting out with the children's book in the series would be the best introduction for me. I think it was the right thing for me to do. Pratchett is a really good writer and he is very funny. I was surprised at some of the issues brought up in a funny book about rats. I look forward to continuing the series with the books aimed at adults.

Black History Month Writers' Contest

2009-02-01T20:42:00.002-05:00

In honor of Black History Month, Color Online is proud to host a contest celebrating the contributions of black women writers. Submit a book review or biography sketch of a black woman writer you admire. We’re looking for YA writers, adult fiction and nonfiction writers alike. Writers may be contemporary or historical figures.

Submissions must be a minimum of 300 words not to exceed 750. Send your work in the body of your email to cora_litgroup@yahoo.com . Subject line should read: Black History Month Writers’ Contest. Include your full name, and contact information above your review. Deadline for submissions is February 25th. Winners will be announced February 28th. If we choose to publish your entry, you will be contacted prior to publication. You can check out our blog at coloronline.blogspot.com.

Selected submissions will be published throughout the month of February. Readers are encouraged to leave comments throughout the month. A panel of judges will select the final winners. First prize- $15 Amazon gift certificate and a book from Color Online, Second prize- $10 gift card and a book, third prize- free book from Color Online.
To encourage participation and to give contributors an idea of those writers we enjoy, we are providing the following list of writers. You are not required to use the list. It is a recommended list only.

YA

Jacqueline Woodson
Sharon Draper
Lori Aurelius Williams
Rita Williams-Garcia
Sharon G. Flake
Angela Johnson

Adult Fiction and Poetry

Audre Lorde
Sonia Sanchez
Gwendolyn Brooks
Camille Dungy
Tracy K. Smith
Jessica Care Moore
Elizabeth Alexander
Black Artemis
Toni Cade Bambara
Gloria Naylor
Octavia E. Butler

Nonfiction

Bell Hooks
June Jordan
Pearl Cleage
Nancy Amanda Redd

2009-02-01T09:56:00.002-05:00

Synopsis

Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful Japanese businessman. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening -- until a band of gun-wielding terrorists breaks in through the air-conditioning vents and takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different countries and continents become compatriots.

Without the demands of the world to shape their days, life on the inside becomes more beautiful than anything they had ever known before. At once riveting and impassioned, the narrative becomes a moving exploration of how people communicate when music is the only common language. Friendship, compassion, and the chance for great love lead the characters to forget the real danger that has been set in motion and cannot be stopped.

My thoughts:

***Possible Spoilers***

I thought the writing was very good and I did like the premise of the story, however, some things just seemed a little too unrealistic for me. I've heard of Stockholm Syndrome and understand that there are instances where captors and their hostages bond, but with so many people cooped up in the same house together for that long, it just seems like someone at some point would try to escape or cause some problems. If their were fewer people in the house, it would have made more sense to me. I know the captors had guns, but when they slacked off on guard duty, you would think someone would take advantage of that. Also, I can't see any government letting a hostage situation go on that long. They would have came up with some type of resolution much sooner. My last complaint is about the epilogue. I think I would have enjoyed the book way more if the epilogue wasn't included. It just didn't feel right to me at all.

I do get the whole "see how music brings people together even when they can't communicate" thing and it's an interesting premise, I just didn't buy the whole captor/hostage family-like relationship. Add a few believable confrontations and I think this book would have been amazing.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

2009-01-25T20:40:00.003-05:00

4 stars

Summary from the book description on Shelfari:

Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in remote northern Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home. When Edgar's father dies suddenly, Claude insinuates himself into the life of the farm—and into Edgar's mother's affections.

Grief-stricken and bewildered, Edgar tries to prove Claude played a role in his father's death, but his plan backfires—spectacularly. Forced to flee into the vast wilderness lying beyond the farm, Edgar comes of age in the wild, fighting for his survival and that of the three yearling dogs who follow him. But his need to face his father's murderer and his devotion to the Sawtelle dogs turn Edgar ever homeward.

My Review:

It's taken me three days of thinking about this book to decide what rating to give it. In the three days since I've finished it, the story has stuck with me and that doesn't happen often. There are so many things I loved about the book. I loved the writing. I loved the characterization. I loved the story. So, why didn't I give it five stars? Well, as much as I loved all that, I had a few issues. ***Spoilers Ahead*** First of all, I wish the author had finished the part of the story about Forte. He was brought into the story making you think he had an important part to play and then that part of the story didn't really go anywhere. Also, why was Claude the way he was? What started all the problems between him and Gar? We were told about the dogfights, but that was it. I just feel like I needed a little more back story there. I felt the story was just a little too slow paced. I like long books, but this one took me way longer to read than other books I've read the same size. And last but certainly not least, I was a bit let down by the ending. I know it's a tragedy and I didn't expect a happy ending, but I still feel a little let down. I guess I expected more of a confrontation between Edgar and Claude or something.***End Spoilers***

In the end I decided to give the book 4 stars since I did enjoy the story so much. I think this is one story that will stick with me for awhile. Overall, a great debut. If you've heard the rumors about the similarities to Hamlet, they are definitely there and not subtle either.

Win Carrie Vaughn's "Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand"

2009-01-13T19:57:00.003-05:00

Want to win a copy of the fifth book in the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn, "Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand"? Head on over to Bitten By Books for your chance to win! There are multiple ways to enter and fifteen copies of the book will be given away. Good luck!

Win "Sundays at Tiffany's" by James Patterson

2009-01-06T17:38:00.002-05:00

Want to win a copy of "Sunday at Tiffany's"? My friend Andie is giving away five copies on her blog, Radiant Light. All you have to do is click here and leave her a comment to be entered. You have until January 13th to sign up! Good luck!

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

2009-01-04T21:17:00.002-05:00

4 stars

Schuyler Van Alen, always the outcast at her upscale private school, suddenly finds out that she's a member of an elite "family" of vampires, The Blue Bloods. The Blue Bloods came to America on The Mayflower trying to escape the one thing that can kill them. For centuries they've lived in peace. But now the danger is back.

This was definitely a different take on vampires. I enjoyed the story. It managed to keep my interest throughout. I really loved the way that the author took real historical events, like the disappearance of the original Roanoke colony, and made it such an intriguing part of the story. There was a period in history where people actually did equate consumption with vampirism. I thought that was a nice touch. I've heard a few different people say this was better than Twilight. I don't agree, but I did enjoy the story and look forward to the next in the series.

Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley

2009-01-04T09:44:00.005-05:00

4 stars

President of the United States, Donald Vanderdamp, is trying to curb government spending. He rejects every single bill that Congress puts his way. Needless to say, Congress isn't happy about this. When one of the Supreme Court justices suddenly has to retire, the Senate Judiciary Committee refuses to accept the first two nominations that the President sends forth. Both are men that are extremely qualified with no skeletons in the closet. The President decides to bite back by nominating Pepper Cartwright for the job. Pepper is the star of the nation's number one reality show, Courtroom Six. America loves Pepper and the Senate Judiciary Committee knows that if they hang her like they did the last two well qualified candidates chosen by the President, America will not be happy.

This is my first book by Buckley. It's a biting, very funny political satire. I will be reading more of Buckley's books in the future.

Elisabeth Naughton's Fortune & Glory Contest

2008-12-28T09:19:00.003-05:00

Elisabeth Naughton is giving away a $100 Visa gift card on her website! This contest is really fun because you can type in your name and get a personalized adventure created just for you! Here's my adventure:

Your quest is for the Fountain of Youth.
You'll be guided on your journey from South Carolina by that legendary treasure hunter, the sexy Will Turner!

Ready to begin your adventure? Read on for a snippet of your quest. Where you go from there is up to you

"There are creepy-crawlers down there!" Jennifer cried.

Will Turner's rugged jaw flexed. "That's why it's called a catacomb. creepy-crawlers, noxious gas, ectoplasm, treasure. Are you the only woman on the planet who hasn't watched Pirates of the Caribbean? Now quit yaking and get in there so we can find that damn Fountain of Youth!"

Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him over her shoulder. Sure, he was easy on the eyes, but he was also the most despicable man she'd ever met. "I've had just about enough of your sass. If I didn't need your help finding the Fountain of Youth so I could cure my father, I'd have ditched you a long time ago."

"That can be arranged."

She screeched as he picked her up and held her over the opening in the floor that led to the catacomb. "You wouldn't dare!"

A wicked smile spread across his face. "Don't ever challenge me, sweetcheeks." Then he dropped her.

Wasn't that fun? Here's the link to the contest page:

Good luck!

The Midnight Twins by Jacquelyn Mitchard

2008-12-14T20:40:00.003-05:00

4 out of 5 stars

A big thank you to Ms. Mitchard for sending me a copy of this book!

Meredith and Mallory Brynn are thirteen year old identical mirror twins. They've always led a rather charmed life up until they're caught up in a house fire. They manage to survive, but after the fire, they discover that Meredith has the ability to see into the past while Mallory has the ability to see into the future. Thanks to their gifts, they soon discover that someone in the neighborhood isn't at all what he seems. Will they be able to save the town from danger without everyone thinking that they're crazy?

I really enjoyed this book. I have identical mirror twins of my own, so the characters of Merry and Mally really appealled to me. I think Ms. Mitchard did a great job of capturing the closeness of identical twins. The book was a fast read and it held my attention throughout. The ending of the book was a good setup for the next in the series which I'm looking forward to. I would definitely recommend the book to fans of the young adult genre.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

2008-11-10T19:00:00.003-05:00

The animals of Manor Farm stage a revolution against Farmer Jones and the humans that run the farm. They are successful, rename the farm Animal Farm, and decide to work together for themselves and be free of humans forever. For awhile, everything goes as planned, but little by little greed and the love of power corrupt Napolean, the pig that everyone looks up to as leader, and things begin to change.

"Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely". I don't remember who said this, but George Orwell definitely managed to get that point across in Animal Farm. I think everyone should read this book at least once.

5 stars

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

2008-11-09T00:10:00.002-05:00

At the age of eight, Scout Finch is an entrenched free-thinker. She can accept her father's warning that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird, because mockingbirds harm no one and give great pleasure. The benefits said to be gained from going to school and keeping her temper elude her.

The place of this enchanting, intensely moving story is Maycomb, Alabama. The time is the Depression, but Scout and her brother, Jem, are seldom depressed. They have appalling gifts for entertaining themselves—appalling, that is, to almost everyone except their wise lawyer father, Atticus.

Atticus is a man of unfaltering good will and humor, and partly because of this, the children become involved in some disturbing adult mysteries: fascinating Boo Radley, who never leaves his house; the terrible temper of Mrs. Dubose down the street; the fine distinctions that make the Finch family "quality"; the forces that cause the people of Maycomb to show compassion in one crisis and unreasoning cruelty in another.

Also because Atticus is what he is, and because he lives where he does, he and his children are plunged into a conflict that indelibly marks their lives—and gives Scout some basis for thinking she knows just about as much about the world as she needs to.

***This synopsis borrowed from Barnes and Noble***

This book is truly deserving of it's classic status. It was so well written and easy to read. The themes addressed were so important to the time when it was written. The characters were loveable and you get to feel like you know them. I can very easily see why this book was voted as the best book of the century by the ALA. I'm just sorry it took me so long to get around to reading it! Definitely a five star read!

The Giver by Lois Lowry

2008-11-07T18:57:00.003-05:00

At 12 years old, kids in the community, a "perfect" society free from pain, suffering, emotion, color, etc., are given their assignments to train for the jobs they will have for the rest of their lives. Jonas gets a special "honor" rather than an assignment. He is to be trained to hold all the memories from all time for the community and he soon learns just what the community members have had to sacrifice to live this "perfect" life.

I can see this book staying with me for a long time. It was not only an excellent story, but it gives you a lot of things to think about. I think Lois Lowry did a great job writing this book in a way that the target age group can understand the issues brought about. I would have liked to know a little more at the end, but it was a great read nonetheless.

5 stars

Reading With Monie's Book Giveaway Carnival

2008-11-03T20:13:00.003-05:00

Check out Reading With Monie's Book Giveaway Carnival. Monie's giving away a copy of Flat Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy, a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card, and a Reading With Monie tote bag. All you have to do is sign up for a chance to win, but there are other ways to get entries. Check it out by clicking here or on the link above.

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle

2008-11-03T18:43:00.002-05:00

I first read this book in the fifth grade and I remember this being one of the first books that really made me want to read. I loved it back then and I loved it this time! It was almost like reading it for the first time again because I had forgotten so much. The only things I remembered from the story was the names of Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who and what "IT" was. It's such a timeless, magical story and I'd recommend it to anyone.

Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Meg Murry and her friends become involved with unearthly strangers and a search for Meg's father, who disappeared while engaged in secret work for the government.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

2008-11-02T22:05:00.001-05:00

Coraline discovers a locked door in her home that appears to open only to a brick wall. Turns out that sometimes there's more behind that door than just a brick wall!

I just discovered Neil Gaiman this year and I must say I am now a fan! Coraline is an excellent book! It's quite creepy and scary, so I'd be careful about letting kids prone to nightmares read it. That being said, I think this would be a fantastic book to read with the kids around Halloween. This is a five star read for sure!

#100 - Holes

2008-10-18T23:31:00.002-04:00

Stanley Yelnats has a tendency to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of these instances leaves him with the choice of going to jail or going to Camp Green Lake for "bad boys". He and his family choose Camp Green Lake. Once there, Stanley finds out that the boys are made to dig holes five feet deep and five feet in diameter each day "to help build character". Stanley soon learns there's more to the digging than just "building character".

I thought this was an excellent book for the target age group. It was a very quick read, and it held my interest throughout.

This completes The 100 Book Challenge! I'm going to continue the list for the rest of the year just to see how far I can make it!

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages
90. Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts - 316 pages
91. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende - 396 pages
92. Valley of Silence - Nora Roberts - 323 pages
93. Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey - 264 pages
94. A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin - 835 pages
95. The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie - 547 pages
96. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro - 245 pages
97. Atonement - Ian McEwan - 613 pages (large print)
98. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J. K. Rowling - 734 pages
99. The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick - 533 pages
100. Holes - Louis Sachar - 233 pages

#99 - The Invention of Hugo Cabret

2008-10-16T22:20:00.002-04:00

This book is completely deserving of the Caldecott Medal it received! Some parts of the story are literally told with illustrations only and they are fantastic! Several of the illustrations held my attention for quite a time. The illustrations aren't the only great part of the book though. The story is interesting as well. Part juvenile fiction, part graphic novel. The combination is genius! Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages
90. Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts - 316 pages
91. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende - 396 pages
92. Valley of Silence - Nora Roberts - 323 pages
93. Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey - 264 pages
94. A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin - 835 pages
95. The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie - 547 pages
96. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro - 245 pages
97. Atonement - Ian McEwan - 613 pages (large print)
98. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J. K. Rowling - 734 pages
99. The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick - 533 pages

#98 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

2008-10-16T22:09:00.002-04:00

This was a reread for me. I really think I enjoyed this book even more the second time around. Instead of being in a rush to finish it, I already knew what was coming and was able to savor the story as well as pick up on a few details that I missed the first time around. Part of the beauty of having read the story before is being able to catch those little nuances that foreshadow what's to come. Once again, a five star star read. Here's a synopsis (copied from Amazon) for those of you not familiar with the story:

Even without the unprecedented media attention and popularity her magical series has attracted, it would seem too much to hope that Rowling could sustain the brilliance and wit of her first three novels. Astonishingly, Rowling seems to have the spell-casting powers she assigns her characters: this fourth volume might be her most thrilling yet. The novel opens as a confused Muggle overhears Lord Voldemort and his henchman, Wormtail (the escapee from book three, Azkaban) discussing a murder and plotting more deaths (and invoking Harry Potter's name); clues suggest that Voldemort and Wormtail's location will prove highly significant. From here it takes a while (perhaps slightly too long a while) for Harry and his friends to get back to the Hogwarts school, where Rowling is on surest footing. Headmaster Dumbledore appalls everyone by declaring that Quidditch competition has been canceled for the year; then he makes the exciting announcement that the Triwizard Tournament is to be held after a cessation of many hundred years (it was discontinued, he explains, because the death toll mounted so high). One representative from each of the three largest wizardry schools of Europe (sinister Durmstrang, luxurious Beauxbatons and Hogwarts) are to be chosen by the Goblet of Fire; because of the mortal dangers, Dumbledore casts a spell that allows only students who are at least 17 to drop their names into the Goblet. Thus no one foresees that the Goblet will announce a fourth candidate: Harry. Who has put his name into the Goblet, and how is his participation in the tournament linked, as it surely must be, to Voldemort's newest plot? The details are as ingenious and original as ever, and somehow (for catching readers off-guard must certainly get more difficult with each successive volume) Rowling plants the red herrings, the artful clues and tricky surprises that disarm the most attentive audience. A climax even more spectacular than that of Azkaban will leave readers breathless. The muscle-building heft of this volume notwithstanding, the clamor for book five will begin as soon as readers finish installment four.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages
90. Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts - 316 pages
91. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende - 396 pages
92. Valley of Silence - Nora Roberts - 323 pages
93. Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey - 264 pages
94. A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin - 835 pages
95. The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie - 547 pages
96. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro - 245 pages
97. Atonement - Ian McEwan - 613 pages (large print)
98. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J. K. Rowling - 734 pages

#97 - Atonement

2008-10-12T19:44:00.002-04:00

Atonement is the story of a young girl's lie and how that lie dramatically changes the lives of everyone around her.

I've been going back and forth with what rating to give this book. I've finally settled on three out of five stars. The book started off pretty slow for me, but it didn't stay that way long. I had a little trouble liking most of the characters. Honestly, the only character I truly felt for and liked was Robbie. That's not to say that the rest weren't well developed. They most certainly were. I just didn't like them. The author's description of the war scenes were amazing. I could picture everything vividly. As for the "surprise twist", I didn't find it much of a surprise, but it didn't hurt the story. Overall, a pretty good book. I just wish it had moved a little faster.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages
90. Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts - 316 pages
91. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende - 396 pages
92. Valley of Silence - Nora Roberts - 323 pages
93. Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey - 264 pages
94. A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin - 835 pages
95. The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie - 547 pages
96. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro - 245 pages
97. Atonement - Ian McEwan - 613 pages (large print)

#96 - The Remains of the Day

2008-10-09T00:22:00.002-04:00

I think the book was beautifully written, but I found the story itself rather boring. I kept losing focus and wanting to read something else. I was hoping the book would redeem itself for me toward the end, but unfortunately, that never happened. Here is a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

A tragic, spiritual portrait of a perfect English butler and his reaction to his fading insular world in post-war England.

Hehe. I guess that wasn't much of a synopsis, huh?

Oh well. Here's my progress in the 100 Book Challenge:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages
90. Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts - 316 pages
91. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende - 396 pages
92. Valley of Silence - Nora Roberts - 323 pages
93. Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey - 264 pages
94. A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin - 835 pages
95. The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie - 547 pages
96. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro - 245 pages

#95 - The Satanic Verses

2008-10-06T19:49:00.002-04:00

Gibreel Farishta, one of India's most famous movie stars, and Saladin Chamcha, the man of a thousand and one voices, find themselves the only survivors of the flight "Bostan" when it is hijacked and then blown to bits midair. As the story progresses, a halo of golden light forms around Gibreel giving him an angelic presence. Saladin, on the other hand, begins to grow horns, his feet turn to hooves, and he gets hairier. Which of the two is good? Which is evil? Is there really much of a difference? The stories in this book show that it's not always black and white.

This was a brilliant look at good vs. evil; an amazing story of faith and the lack thereof; but most of all, a story of metamorphoses. This was not an easy book to read. I had a rather difficult time gaining interest until around page 60 or so, but once I got used to the author's writing style, the story flowed quite well. There were a few times I had to look stuff up in a guide that I found online just to better understand some of the references the author was using. For the most part though, it wasn't as difficult a read as I expected. I will probably reread this book at a time when I can sit down and browse the guide along with it. I think that will open my eyes even more to the points that Rushdie was trying to get across. Some of the reviews I've read say this is not one of Rushdie's best books. If it's not, I can't wait to read his others!

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages
90. Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts - 316 pages
91. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende - 396 pages
92. Valley of Silence - Nora Roberts - 323 pages
93. Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey - 264 pages
94. A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin - 835 pages
95. The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie - 547 pages

#94 - A Game of Thrones

2008-09-30T19:08:00.003-04:00

An absolutely fantastic book! I cannot wait to read the next one! This book has everything - adventure, betrayal (lots and lots of betrayal), romance, and the characterization is excellent! I didn't feel like this book read like fantasy either. Aside from talk of dragons and The Others, it felt more like I was reading historical fiction. My favorite thing about the book is the way that each chapter is told from the viewpoint of a different character. It gave so much more insight into the characters and their way of thinking. Characterization is a very important part of a book for me. Also, no matter what I thought was coming, I was surprised! Sometimes, not pleasantly. It appears that Mr. Martin doesn't have a problem with letting you get attached to a character and then killing them off. That's okay though. It made for a very interesting read. Here's a synopsis copied from Amazon.com:

In a world where the approaching winter will last four decades, kings and queens, knights and renegades struggle for control of a throne. Some fight with sword and mace, others with magic and poison. Beyond the Wall to the north, meanwhile, the Others are preparing their army of the dead to march south as the warmth of summer drains from the land. After more than a decade devoted primarily to TV and screen work, Martin (The Armageddon Rag, 1983) makes a triumphant return to high fantasy with this extraordinarily rich new novel, the first of a trilogy. Although conventional in form, the book stands out from similar work by Eddings, Brooks and others by virtue of its superbly developed characters, accomplished prose and sheer bloody-mindedness. Although the romance of chivalry is central to the culture of the Seven Kingdoms, and tournaments, derring-do and handsome knights abound, these trappings merely give cover to dangerous men and women who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. When Lord Stark of Winterfell, an honest man, comes south to act as the King's chief councilor, no amount of heroism or good intentions can keep the realm under control. It is fascinating to watch Martin's characters mature and grow, particularly Stark's children, who stand at the center of the book. Martin's trophy case is already stuffed with major prizes, including Hugos, Nebulas, Locus Awards and a Bram Stoker. He's probably going to have to add another shelf, at least.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages
90. Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts - 316 pages
91. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende - 396 pages
92. Valley of Silence - Nora Roberts - 323 pages
93. Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey - 264 pages
94. A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin - 835 pages

#93 - Dragonsinger

2008-09-21T19:58:00.002-04:00

This is the second book in the Harper Hall trilogy. At the end of the first book, Menolly was discovered by Master Harper Robinton and taken to Harper Hall to study music. This book is about her first few days in Harper Hall. Anytime you get teenage girls together, especially if there is a reason to be envious of one of them, there will be drama. It's no different in the Harper Hall.

Overall, a good, quick read. This book lacks some of the excitement of the first book, but I liked it better. I felt I got to know more about Menolly and I really liked the characters of Piemur, Sebell, and the Master Harpers. I'm all about the characters, so I look forward to reading the final book in the trilogy. I may also explore some of the other Pern books in the future.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages
90. Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts - 316 pages
91. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende - 396 pages
92. Valley of Silence - Nora Roberts - 323 pages
93. Dragonsinger - Anne McCaffrey - 264 pages

#92 - Valley of Silence

2008-09-18T23:12:00.002-04:00

The final book in The Circle Trilogy. As the final battle between humans and vampires approach, Moira, Queen of Geall, and Cian the vampire find themselves falling in love. Both know that this is a relationship doomed from the start because Moira is mortal and will age and die, while Cian will live forever and never age a day. I found this to be the best book of the trilogy. It was a little predictable, but that didn't stop a few tears from falling out of my eyeballs and rolling down my cheeks. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Having traveled through the Dance of the Gods to the land of Geall, the circle finds themselves convincing then training the people of Geall to defeat Lilith's vampire army. The Valley of Silence is a forbidding place for the battle of all battles, but the circle continues to prepare through magic and a few early stakeouts that test their strength individually and as a team.

Moira finds herself playing the roles of warrior and royal, as she follows the tradition of her people and prepares to take the crown before leading them into battle. And if that isn't enough, she finds her thoughts turning to Cian more often than not.

So what's a chaste and intelligent young woman to do when given less than a month with the man she loves, who's not a man, but a vampire? And how will the people of Geall fare against an army of blood-thirsty vampires who have had centuries to prepare?

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages
90. Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts - 316 pages
91. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende - 396 pages
92. Valley of Silence - Nora Roberts - 323 pages

#91 - The Neverending Story

2008-09-14T23:41:00.002-04:00

This is the story of ten year old Bastian. Bastian's mother died, his father is grieving and not paying him any attention, and he gets bullied all the time by kids at school. Bastian uses reading and making up stories as an escape from his life. One day, running from bullies from school, Bastian finds himself hiding in a bookstore. There he discovers a book called "The Neverending Story" that transports him to another world literally. Bastian finds that in this new world he is able to be the person he always imagined himself being. But, is that the person he really wants to be?

I have loved the movie version of this book since I was a kid, so needless to say I was looking forward to reading it. The book was great! I was quite surprised to find out the movie only covered the first half of the book though. After that, the story was all new to me! I thought it was neat that my copy of the book is written in red when the story is taking place in the human world and in blue when the story is taking place in Fantastica. The story actually became quite a bit darker in the second half and the movie would never lead you to believe that. I did start losing interest in the last few chapters, but all in all, it was a pretty good read.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages
90. Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts - 316 pages
91. The Neverending Story - Michael Ende - 396 pages

#90 - Dance of the Gods

2008-09-11T23:16:00.002-04:00

I think this book is much better than the first in the trilogy. I understood and liked the characters a lot more. The first book was about the circle of six coming together so that they can take on Lilith's army of vampires. In this book, the circle trains together and moves on to the next world where the final battle is to take place. I will definitely read the third and final book to find out how the story ends! Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Raised in a family of demon hunters, Blair Murphy has her own personal demons to fight - the father who trained, then abandoned her, and the fiancé who walked out on her after learning what she is. Now she finds herself training a sorcerer from 12th century Ireland, a witch from modern day New York, a scholar and a shape changer from the mythical land of Geall, while trying to keep herself from staking the sixth of their circle and host: a vampire sired by Lilith, the vampire queen they've been charged with defeating on Samhain.

No stranger to butt-kicking, Blair finds herself taking a good whipping when it comes to that handsome and flirtatious Geallian, Larkin. And a couple of run-ins with Lilith's right-hand gal gives Blair more than she reckoned for, mentally and physically. But will she be able to stay afloat long enough to defeat Lilith's loyal in pre-battle bouts? Or will she find herself falling for the one thing she vowed never to give in to again? If the vampires don't do her in, Larkin is certainly up to the task.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages
90. Dance of the Gods - Nora Roberts - 316 pages

#89 - The Appeal

2008-09-07T20:20:00.002-04:00

This is my first Grisham book. While I didn't exactly hate it, I didn't like it much either. I honestly could have tossed it to the side and picked up something else and never cared enough to pick it back up. It was very reminiscent of Erin Brockovich, but darker. As well as Grisham's books have sold, I hope his past efforts are better. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

In a crowded courtroom in Mississippi, a jury returns a shocking verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste into a small town’s water supply, causing the worst “cancer cluster” in history. The company appeals to the Mississippi Supreme Court, whose nine justices will one day either approve the verdict or reverse it.
Who are the nine? How will they vote? Can one be replaced before the case is ultimately decided?

The chemical company is owned by a Wall Street predator named Carl Trudeau, and Mr. Trudeau is convinced the Court is not friendly enough. With judicial elections looming, he decides to try to purchase himself a seat on the Court. The cost is a few million dollars, a drop in the bucket for a billionaire like Mr. Trudeau. Through an intricate web of conspiracy and deceit, his political operatives recruit a young, unsuspecting candidate. They finance him, manipulate him, market him, and mold him into a potential Supreme Court justice. Their Supreme Court justice.

The Appeal is a powerful, timely, and shocking story of political and legal intrigue, a story that will leave listeners unable to think about our electoral process or judicial system in quite the same way ever again.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages
89. The Appeal - John Grisham - 358 pages

#88 - All the Pretty Girls

2008-09-04T19:29:00.002-04:00

Excellent debut! I'm so excited because I just found out this is the first in a series. I will definitely add the next one to my wish list! Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

When a local girl falls prey to a sadistic serial killer, Nashville Homicide Lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, find themselves in a joint investigation pursuing a vicious murderer. The Southern Strangler is slaughtering his way through the Southeast, leaving a gruesome memento at each crime scene—the prior victim's severed hand.

Ambitious TV reporter Whitney Connolly is certain the Southern Strangler is her ticket out of Nashville; she's got a scoop that could break the case. She has no idea how close to this story she really is—or what it will cost her.

As the killer spirals out of control, everyone involved must face a horrible truth—the purest evil is born of private lies.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages
88. All the Pretty Girls - J. T. Ellison - 411 pages

#87 - American Gods

2008-08-31T18:32:00.002-04:00

Neil Gaiman is absolutely brilliant! This is only the second book I've read by him, the first being Good Omens by Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Good Omens didn't even come close to being as good as this book. Basically, the old gods from every pantheon immigrated to the United States following the people that worshipped them. As people started losing faith in these gods, the gods started becoming weaker and eventually had to start living like humans and getting jobs, etc. The old gods start feeling threatened by the new gods (the media, computers, cars, etc.) and a big battle starts brewing. I thought this was an amazing book and I look forward to reading more by Gaiman. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

A master of inventive fiction, Neil Gaiman delves into the murky depths where reality and imagination meet. Now in American Gods, he works his literary magic to extraordinary results.

Shadow dreamed of nothing but leaving prison and starting a new life. But the day before his release, his wife and best friend are killed in an accident. On the plane home to the funeral, he meets Mr. Wednesday—a beguiling stranger who seems to know everything about him. A trickster and rogue, Mr. Wednesday offers Shadow a job as his bodyguard. With nowhere left to go, Shadow accepts, and soon learns that his role in Mr. Wednesday's schemes will be far more dangerous and dark than he could have ever imagined. For beneath the placid surface of everyday life a war is being fought—and the prize is the very soul of America.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages
87. American Gods - Neil Gaiman - 592 pages

#86 - Sign of the Beaver

2008-08-27T19:18:00.002-04:00

This is the story of Matt, 12 years old, who went with his dad to Maine to build a cabin for his family. His dad leaves him there to take care of everything while he goes back to get his mom, sister, and new sibling. While Matt is alone, he gets stung by a lot of bees and is saved by an Indian boy, Attean, and his grandfather. The story takes off from there.

I think this is a great book for young kids (about ten or so)! I would highly recommend it! Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Twelve-year-old Matt is left on his own in the Maine wilderness while his father leaves to bring the rest of the family to their new settlement. When he befriends Attean, an Indian chief’s grandson, he is invited to join the Beaver tribe and move north. Should Matt abandon his hopes of ever seeing his family again and go on to a new life?

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages
86. Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare - 135 pages

#85 - Fearless Fourteen

2008-08-27T19:12:00.002-04:00

I found this book a lot better than the last few in the series and I'm glad! I was starting to feel like she was using the same outline for each book and just filling it in with different characters. This one was laugh out loud funny which I missed in the last few (squirrel bombs anyone???). There was lots of Lula in this book and she's always a riot. I do wish there was more Ranger though! Once again, not much of a plot, but it's fluff so there's not supposed to be. Overall, very entertaining. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Personal vendettas, hidden treasure, and a monkey named Carl will send bounty hunter Stephanie Plum on her most explosive adventure yet.

The Crime: Armed robbery to the tune of nine million dollars
Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money, and did the time. His family couldn’t be more proud. He always was the smart one.

The Cousin: Joe Morelli
Joe Morelli, Dom Rizzi, and Dom’s sister, Loretta, are cousins. Morelli is a cop, Rizzi robs banks, and Loretta is a single mother waiting tables at the firehouse. The all-American family.

The Complications: Murder, kidnapping, destruction of personal property, and acid reflux
Less than a week after Dom’s release from prison, Joe Morelli has shadowy figures breaking into his house and dying in his basement. He’s getting threatening messages, Loretta is kidnapped, and Dom is missing.

The Catastrophe: Moonman
Morelli hires Walter “Mooner” Dunphy, stoner and “inventor” turned crime fighter, to protect his house. Morelli can’t afford a lot on a cop’s salary, and Mooner will work for potatoes.

The Cupcake: Stephanie Plum
Stephanie and Morelli have a long-standing relationship that involves sex, affection, and driving each other nuts. She’s a bond enforcement agent with more luck than talent, and she’s involved in this bank-robbery-gone-bad disaster from day one.

The Crisis: A favor for Ranger
Security expert Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, has a job for Stephanie that will involve night work. Morelli has his own ideas regarding Stephanie’s evening activities.

The Conclusion: Only the fearless should read Fourteen.
Thrills, chills, and incontinence may result.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages
85. Fearless Fourteen - Janet Evanovich - 310 pages

#84 - The Bourne Identity

2008-08-27T19:04:00.003-04:00

I thought this was a really good book. It had lots of action and adventure. I went into it expecting something different though. I guess it's because I saw the movie years ago and loved it, but the book was very different. The movie and the book had the same premise, a man is found floating in the water and wakes up unable to remember who he is or anything about his past, but from there on, totally different stories. The book was set in the 70's so there wasn't any high tech gadgetry, etc. like in the movie. Overall, a really good read, but don't be surprised if you've seen the movie and find the two are very different. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Jason Bourne.

He has no past. And he may have no future. His memory is blank. He only knows that he was flushed out of the Mediterranean Sea, his body riddled with bullets.

There are a few clues. A frame of microfilm surgically implanted beneath the flesh of his hip. Evidence that plastic surgery has altered his face. Strange things that he says in his delirium -- maybe code words. Initial: "J.B." And a number on the film negative that leads to a Swiss bank account, a fortune of four million dollars, and, at last, a name: Jason Bourne.

But now he is marked for death, caught in a maddening puzzle, racing for survival through the deep layers of his buried past into a bizarre world of murderous conspirators -- led by Carlos, the world's most dangerous assassin. And no one can help Jason Bourne but the woman who once wanted to escape him.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages
84. The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum - 535 pages

My progress in the Suspense/Thrillers Challenge so far:

1. serial killer - The Missing by Chris Mooney
2. crime thriller - The Quickie by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
3. psychological thriller - The Husband by Dean Koontz
4. legal thriller - Plea of Insanity by Jilliane Hoffman
5. techno thriller - Monkeewrench by P. J. Tracy
6. hard boiled - Diablerie by Walter Mosley
7. private detective - The Bad Place by Dean Koontz
8. cozy - Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris
9. hitman thriller - The Good Guy by Dean Koontz
10. supernatural thriller - Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay
11. medical thriller - The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer
12. religious thriller - 2060:The Newton Prophecies by Keith Katsikas
13. action thriller - The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

#83 - Dragonsong

2008-08-27T19:00:00.002-04:00

This is the first book in the young adult Harper Hall trilogy. I thought it was a pretty good read. I'm still not sure if I will finish the trilogy though. I thought the book had a pretty solid ending and I wasn't left wanting more. I would recommend this to fans of fantasy and young adult books. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

For centuries, the world of Pern has faced a destructive force known as Thread. But the magnificent dragons who've protected this world and the men and women who ride them are dwindling.

As fewer dragons ride the winds and destruction falls from the sky, fifteen- year- old Menolly holds one dream only: to sing, play, and weave the music that comes to her so easily- she wishes to become a Harper. But despite her great talents, her father believes that a young girl is unworthy of such a respected position and forbids her to persue her dreams. Menolly runs away and happens upon nine fire lizards that could possibly save her world... and change her life forever.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages
83. Dragonsong - Anne McCaffrey - 202 pages

#82 - The Kite Runner

2008-08-20T23:11:00.002-04:00

Another great book from Hosseini! I must admit that I didn't like it much at first. It was because I really hated Amir. Early on, I had no sympathy for him at all. I just couldn't understand how he could stand there and let that happen to his friend and do absolutely nothing. I understand fear and I know that was a scary situation to be in, but still...I would have had to do something even if it was only to scream "Help!". I also hated him for the things he did later just because he thought it would make him feel better. He just seemed so selfish and weak to me. I must say I was surprised as the story progressed and my feelings went from hate to pity. It turned out to be a great, but haunting story of friendship, deception, and redemption. I would definitely recommend it. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Taking us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the present, The Kite Runner is the unforgettable and beautifully told story of the friendship between two boys growing up in Kabul. Raised in the same household and sharing the same wet nurse, Amir and Hassan grow up in different worlds: Amir is the son of a prominent and wealthy man, while Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant, is a Hazara -- a shunned ethnic minority. Their intertwined lives, and their fates, reflect the eventual tragedy of the world around them. When Amir and his father flee the country for a new life in California, Amir thinks that he has escaped his past. And yet he cannot leave the memory of Hassan behind him.

The Kite Runner is a novel about friendship and betrayal, and about the price of loyalty. It is about the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of fathers over sons -- their love, their sacrifices, and their lies. Written against a backdrop of history that has not been told in fiction before, The Kite Runner describes the rich culture and beauty of a land in the process of being destroyed. But through the devastation, Khaled Hosseini offers hope: through the novel's faith in the power of reading and storytelling, and in the possibilities he shows us for redemption.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages
82. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - 371 pages

#81 - Drums of Autumn

2008-08-17T18:24:00.002-04:00

I must admit that I'm hooked on this series! I can't seem to get enough of Jamie and Claire. I felt like this book was an improvement over the last one and I'm glad. I think I can say with a fair amount of confidence that this is my favorite series ever now. That says a lot because Lord of the Rings and the Dark Tower series have kind of tied for that spot for a lot of years. I have the fifth book in the series sitting on the shelf waiting for me and I'm going to try and get my hands on the sixth book soon. I hope the series continues to be this good! Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

It began in Scotland, at an ancient stone circle. There, a doorway, open to a select few, leads into the past--or the grave. Claire Randall survived the extraordinary passage, not once buy twice. Her first trip swept her into the arms of Jamie Fraser, an eighteenth-century Scot whose love for her became legend--a tale of tragic passion that ended with her return to the present to bear his child. Her second journey, two decades later, brought them together again in frontier America. But Claire had left someone behind in the twentieth century. Their daughter Brianna...

Now, Brianna has made a disturbing discovery that sends her to the stone circle and a terrifying leap into the unknown. In search of her mother and the father she has never met, she is risking her own future to try to change history...and to save their lives. But as Brianna plunges into an uncharted wilderness, a heartbreaking encounter may strand her forever in the past...or root her in the place she should be, where her heart and soul belong...

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages
81. Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon - 1010 pages

#80 - I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman

2008-08-14T16:56:00.003-04:00

Let me start off by saying that I mostly read fiction (I read to escape) and even though I've read nonfiction books that I've loved, a lot of nonfiction just doesn't appeal to me. I didn't enjoy this book much at all. I did like the essay about reading called On Rapture, but the rest just fell flat for me. I didn't find her funny at all. I also didn't find her insightful or interesting in the least. I feel like this book's only redeeming quality was that it was short and I was able to read it in just a few hours. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

With her disarming, intimate, completely accessible voice, and dry sense of humor, Nora Ephron shares with us her ups and downs in I Feel Bad About My Neck, a candid, hilarious look at women who are getting older and dealing with the tribulations of maintenance, menopause, empty nests, and life itself.

Ephron chronicles her life as an obsessed cook, passionate city dweller, and hapless parent. But mostly she speaks frankly and uproariously about life as a woman of a certain age. Utterly courageous, uproariously funny, and unexpectedly moving in its truth telling, I Feel Bad About My Neck is a scrumptious, irresistible treat of a book, full of truths, laugh out loud moments that will appeal to readers of all ages.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages
80. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman - Nora Ephron - 137 pages

#79 - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

2008-08-13T20:15:00.002-04:00

This book is a true children's classic. I thought it was much better than The Magician's Nephew which I read for the fairy tales tag. One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the very Tolkien like feel it had (although definitely aimed at a much younger audience). I really thought I'd be turned off by all of the Christian symbolism (and this does seem to me to be a biblical allegory), but I wasn't. I felt it was a great, well told story with some wonderful underlying messages. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Four English school children enter the magic land of Narnia through the back of a wardrobe and assist Aslan, the golden lion, in defeating the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages
79. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis - 90 pages

#78 - Breaking Dawn

2008-08-13T11:34:00.002-04:00

This book definitely had a different feel to it than the other three in the series. Meyer was able to tie up all the loose ends and give us an ending, which I am grateful for. I don't like to be left hanging. There were a few surprises along the way too. While this book was not my favorite of the series, I did enjoy it overall and could not stop reading. For me, that's what makes a book good. I'm not one to sit and complain and nit pick at a story for not being perfect if it's good enough to keep me up way into the early hours of the morning. I usually post a synopsis, but even book sites like Barnes and Noble aren't posting them yet so as not to spoil the ending to the series for fans.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages
78. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer - 756 pages

#77 - The Time Traveler's Wife

2008-08-11T12:19:00.002-04:00

What an amazing book! I've had this book sitting on my shelf for well over a year because a friend of mine told me she tried to read it and that she thought it was confusing and didn't live up to the hype at all. So, I was wary about starting it. I guess I need to not listen to what other people think and find these things out for myself because I got sucked into the story right away! I didn't think it was confusing at all because the author puts the date and the ages of the two main characters at the beginning of each section of the story. I found it pretty easy to keep up with. I fell in love with the two main characters, Henry and Clare and even though you know what's coming well before the end, I couldn't help crying. I cried, and cried, and cried. The Time Traveler's Wife is such a well written, emotional, original story and I highly recommend it. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Audrey Niffenegger's innovative debut, The Time Traveler's Wife, is the story of Clare, a beautiful art student, and Henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages
77. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - 536 pages

#76 - Jonathan Livingston Seagull

2008-08-07T21:53:00.002-04:00

This book is inspirational and carries a wonderful message. However, I feel like the book is a bit overrated. I definitely didn't find it life changing like some of the other readers claim to. It may just be the fact that I'm reading it at thirty years old. I imagine had I read it when I was much younger, I would have thought more of it. Overall a wonderful message, but I think it's aimed at younger readers than myself. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is no ordinary bird. He believes it is every gull's right to fly, to reach the ultimate freedom of challenge and discovery, finding his greatest reward in teaching younger gulls the joy of flight and the power of dreams. The special 20th anniversary release of this spiritual classic!

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages
76. Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach - 127 pages

#75 - Tuesdays With Morrie

2008-08-07T21:49:00.002-04:00

This is a short, simply written book. That being said, it still manages to pack a powerful message. Morrie's words are truly words to live by and I feel like the world would be a better place if more people felt the way Morrie did about life. He was an amazing man and I'm glad someone was able to share his story. This book is the definition of inspirational. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher. Someone older who understood you when you were young and searching, who helped you see the world as a more profound place, and gave you advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of your mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you?

Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college.

Tuesdays With Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift to the world.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages
75. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom - 192 pages

#74 - Memoirs of a Geisha

2008-08-06T23:07:00.002-04:00

When I started reading this book, I thought I knew exactly what a geisha was. I've found out there's a lot more to it than I thought. Even though this is fiction, the author spent a lot of time researching and has supposedly portrayed the geishas and the time period accurately. The book was very detailed and the characters were very interesting. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

An epic on an intimate scale, Memoirs of a Geisha takes the reader behind the rice-paper screens of the geisha house to a vanished floating world of beauty and cruelty, from a poor fishing village in 1929 to the decadence of 1940s Kyoto, through the chaos of World War II to the towers of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, where the gray-eyed geisha Sayuri unfolds the remarkable story of her life.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages
74. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - 503 pages

#73 - Big Stone Gap

2008-08-03T13:15:00.002-04:00

A nice, light hearted story about a woman's search for happiness. I really identified with the area Trigiani wrote about because I grew up only a hop, skip, and jump away (about an hour or so from Big Stone Gap). She had the language of the area and a lot of the characterizations spot on. Even though the story is fictional, it felt right. I know Powell Valley High School and areas such as Coeburn and Norton. I know the coal mines seeing as my dad worked in one for 25 years before Black Lung set in and eventually killed him. Heck, my sister and her family actually still live back in one of the "hollers". Anyway, it was a nice little story that brought back memories of the area I grew up. I will continue the series. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the tiny town of Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state. Ave Maria Mulligan is the town's self-proclaimed spinster, a thirty-five year old pharmacist with a "mountain girl's body and a flat behind.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages
73. Big Stone Gap - Adriana Trigiani - 269 pages

#72 - Morrigan's Cross

2008-07-31T23:11:00.002-04:00

I tend to really enjoy books about vampires. While this was a decent book, it wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. I did get more interested in it toward the end though. I will also definitely finish the trilogy because it wouldn't be right to read this far and not know what happens. :) For those interested, this is the story of a power hungry vampire, Lilith, and the circle of six (a witch, a sorcerer, a magician, a scholar, a shapeshifter, and a vampire) that come together to try and stop her and her army of vampires from taking over the worlds (yes, that's supposed to be plural). Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Standing on the cliffs of 12th century Ireland following the disappearance of his twin, Hoyt Mac Cionaoith is visited by the goddess Morrigan and is charged with the ultimate of tasks: saving his and all future worlds. His enemy, the beautiful but deadly vampire queen Lilith, has had over two thousand years experience in cruelly killing and changing humans into one of her own - including Hoyt's brother, Cian.

Now, Hoyt, a sorcerer, must travel across the world and through time to find and train the five others Morrigan has prophesized will join him as a circle and do battle against Lilith's army of vampires on Samhain in the land of Geall. But just who is the witch, the shape-changer, the scholar, the warrior and the vampire? How will this unlikely band of six prepare and become one with less than three months until the possible end of the world?

Following the arrival of Glenna Ward - a modern day witch with a knack for making her own kind of magic, the kind that makes his heart melt - Hoyt must find the strength to save the world, and a love that knows no bounds.

First in a trilogy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages
72. Morrigan's Cross - Nora Roberts - 326 pages

#71 - The Secret Garden

2008-07-27T20:58:00.002-04:00

I know this book is a classic and most of my friends that have read it love it. I, on the other hand, was very bored and wanted to stop reading. It did pick up toward the end, which is why I ended up rating it a three. I saw one of the movie versions a few years ago and loved it. I was looking very forward to the book, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. Here is a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

In this beloved children's story, Mary Lennox, an ill-tempered orphan is sent to live in England with an uncle she has never met. While there, she discovers a spoiled cousin and a long-abandoned garden. Working to restore the garden, she finds she also cures her own ill temper and reforms her cousin as well.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages
71. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett - 230 pages

#70 - Naked

2008-07-27T10:19:00.002-04:00

I've been told this book was laugh out loud funny. The back cover says "sidesplitting". While there were a few laugh out loud moments, I thought it fell somewhat short of all the great things I'd heard. Some essays were just downright sad, like the one where his mom gets cancer. My favorite was probably "A Plague of Tics" where he develops these "tics" in elementary school. Everytime his teacher would turn her back, he'd get up and lick the light switch. Overall, it was a decent read, but definitely not as funny as I expected it to be. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

In Naked, David Sedaris's message is pay attention to me. Whether he's taking to the road with a thieving quadriplegic, sorting out the fancy from the extra-fancy in a bleak fruit-packing factory, or celebrating Christmas in the company of a recently paroled prostitute, this collection of memoirs creates a wickedly incisive portrait of an all-too-familiar world. It takes Sedaris from his humiliating bout with obsessive behavior in 'A Plague of Tics' to the title story, in which he is finally forced to face his naked self in the mirrored sunglasses of a lunatic. At this soulful and moving moment, he picks potato chip crumbs from his pubic hair and wonders what it all means. This remarkable journey into his own life follows a path of self-effacement and a lifelong search for identity, leaving him both under suspicion and overdressed.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages
70. Naked - David Sedaris - 291 pages

#69 - Voyager

2008-07-25T20:52:00.003-04:00

This is the most amazing series I have ever read! I can't get enough of Jamie and Claire. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

In this rich, vibrant tale, Diana Gabaldon continues the story of Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser that began with the now-classic novel Outlander and continued in Dragonfly in Amber. Sweeping us from the battlefields of eighteenth-century Scotland to the exotic West Indies, Diana Gabaldon weaves magic once again in an exhilarating and utterly unforgettable novel....

Their love affair happened long ago by whatever measurement Claire Randall took. Two decades before, she had traveled back in time and into the arms of a gallant eighteenth-century Scot named Jamie Fraser. Then she returned to her own century to bear his child, believing him dead in the tragic battle of Culloden. Yet his memory has never lessened its hold on her ... and her body still cries out for him in her dreams.

When she discovers that Jamie may have survived, Claire must choose her destiny. And as time and space come full circle, she must find the courage to face what awaits her ... the deadly intrigues raging in a divided Scotland ... and the daring voyage into the dark unknown that lies beyond the standing stones.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages
69. Voyager - Diana Gabaldon - 1059 pages

#68 - Dragonfly in Amber

2008-07-25T20:46:00.002-04:00

Wow! I am completely hooked on this series. I cried a lot more through this one, because the 20 year seperation between the two main characters was hard to deal with considering how in love they are and what happens in that 20 year period. I can't imagine what it would be like to think the one person you've ever loved was dead and then find out 20 years later he isn't. Anyway, here is a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

From the author of Outlander... a magnificent epic that once again sweeps us back in time to the drama and passion of 18th-century Scotland...

For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to Scotland's majestic mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones ...about a love that transcends the boundaries of time ...and about James Fraser, a Scottish warrior whose gallantry once drew a young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his ....

Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna, as Claire's spellbinding journey of self-discovery continues in the intrigue-ridden Paris court of Charles Stuart ...in a race to thwart a doomed Highlands uprising ...and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves....

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages
68. Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon - 947 pages

#67- What Dreams May Come

2008-07-17T20:04:00.002-04:00

Richard Matheson is an amazing writer and his talent shines bright in this book! What Dreams May Come is a love story that takes place not only in life, but afterwards as well. Chris was killed in an auto accident and moves on into the afterlife. For some reason, he's unable to let go of his wife as he should and has terrible dreams about things happening to her. Turns out, the dreams were prophetic. His wife, unable to live with the grief she feels after he dies, kills herself thus making it impossible for them to ever be together again. Chris can't deal with that though and he begins a journey into the depths of hell to try to save his wife. This was a wonderful, well written story. It also became a movie starring Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding, JR. I've seen the movie, but don't remember it well enough to say whether or not it was close to the book. Here is a synopsis copied from Powell's Books:

What happens to us after we die? Chris Nielsen had no idea, until an unexpected accident cut his life short, separating him abruptly from his beloved wife, Annie. Now Chris must discover the true nature of life after death.

But even Heaven is not complete without Annie, and when tragedy threatens to divide them forever, Chris risks his very soul to save Annie from an eternity of despair.

Can love bring together what Heaven and Hell have torn asunder?

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages
67. What Dreams May Come - Richard Matheson - 278 pages

#66 - Night

2008-07-14T23:03:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe such a short book (my copy only had 83 pages but contained pieces of other stories after that also relate to the holocaust) could be so powerful and eye opening. It's difficult to sit and read the details of what these people had to suffer through everyday just to try and stay alive. I completely understand why Wiesel started questioning his God that he was always so loyal to. Who wouldn't in his situation? It's really frightening to know that this actually happened and could happen again someday. I just hope it doesn't. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Night is Elie Wiesel’s masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie’s wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author’s original intent. And in a substantive new preface, Elie reflects on the enduring importance of Night and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never forgets man’s capacity for inhumanity to man.

Night offers much more than a litany of the daily terrors, everyday perversions, and rampant sadism at Auschwitz and Buchenwald; it also eloquently addresses many of the philosophical as well as personal questions implicit in any serious consideration of what the Holocaust was, what it meant, and what its legacy is and will be.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages
66. Night - Elie Wiesel - 83 pages

#65 - Outlander

2008-07-13T21:39:00.002-04:00

Wow! What a book! I've had it on my shelf forever and really kept putting it off because it's 850 pages. All I knew going in was that it had been highly recommended to me by a lot of my friends on Shelfari and FrugalReader and that it involved time travel. Because of the time travel aspect, I expected it to be really sci-fi and it wasn't. This book is probably the best love story I've ever read. The characters were absolutely amazing. The adventure and suspense were awesome. The detail in the writing was stunning. I just can't say enough good things about this book! I'm not a big fan of historical fiction or romance and I still loved this book! Highly recommended. Here's a synopsis copied from Amazon.com:

Absorbing and heartwarming, this first novel lavishly evokes the land and lore of Scotland, quickening both with realistic characters and a feisty, likable heroine. English nurse Claire Beauchamp Randall and husband Frank take a second honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands in 1945. When Claire walks through a cleft stone in an ancient henge, she's somehow transported to 1743. She encounters Frank's evil ancestor, British captain Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall, and is adopted by another clan. Claire nurses young soldier James Fraser, a gallant, merry redhead, and the two begin a romance, seeing each other through many perilous, swashbuckling adventures involving Black Jack. Scenes of the Highlanders' daily life blend poignant emotions with Scottish wit and humor. Eventually Sassenach (outlander) Claire finds a chance to return to 1945, and must choose between distant memories of Frnak and her happy, uncomplicated existence with Jamie. Claire's resourcefulness and intelligent sensitivity make the love-conquers-all, happily-ever-after ending seem a just reward.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages
65. Outlander - Diana Gabaldon - 850 pages

#64 - Curves

2008-07-08T22:25:00.002-04:00

I joined Curves at the end of February this year. It has worked wonders for me, so I felt like it was time to read this book. The first chapter made me feel like they were just trying to sell Curves to me and that was a bit of a turn off. After that chapter, the selling theme stopped and the book was packed with loads of interesting information. It goes over the at home version of the Curves workout which requires no equipment besides one of those stretchy tube things that you can get at Wal-Mart. There's also a really detailed diet plan (complete with weekly meal plans and shopping lists) that is supposed to boost your metabolism so that you eventually only have to diet two days a month and can consume 2500 to 3000 calories a day for the rest of the month and not gain weight. According to the test you have to take to see which diet plan is right for you, I should do the high protein, low carb plan and that just burst my bubble because I love pastas and fruits! I do know some people on this diet at my local Curves and they swear by it. I guess I'll have to break down and give it a try sometime. Anyway, there's lots of good nutritional information in this book and there are also sections for people with diabetes, arthritis, menopause, pregnancy, etc. Overall, very informative. Here's a synopsis from Barnes and Noble:

The power to amaze in 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week.

Two million women have discovered Gary Heavin's secret to permanent weight loss at more than six thousand Curves fitness and weight-loss centers around the country. In thirty minutes, three times a week-and without a restrictive diet-many have been able to take off the weight and keep it off for good.

The Curves Promise:

- A unique three-part nutrition plan that produces results quickly and shows how to maintain weight loss in order to eat normally for 28 days, and only monitor food intake two days a month
- A Metabolic Tune-Up helps deter yo-yo dieting and shows how to lose weight by eating more, not less
- Simple self-tests determine calorie or carbohydrate sensitivity, helping women individualize their food plan
- Shopping lists, meal plans, recipes, food and supplement guides, and charts to track progress and guide users through every phase of the nutrition and exercise plan - A complete Curves At-Home workout, combining strength training and aerobics and taking only thirty minutes a day-no more than three times a week

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages
64. Curves - Gary Heavin & Carol Colman - 334 pages

#63 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

2008-07-07T22:31:00.002-04:00

This was a reread for me. It had been a few years since I'd read it and found myself pleasantly surprised. It was so much lighter and directed more toward children than the rest of the books in the series. I much prefer the later books, but this was an excellent start and perfect for my soon to be 11 year old stepson if I can ever manage to get him reading! Anyway, I picked up on so many details that I couldn't remember or just flat out missed the first time around. I guess that kind of goes along with knowing what's going to happen though. :) I may just have to reread the rest of them now. Here is a synopsis (as if everyone doesn't already know what these books are about) copied from Barnes and Noble:

Orphaned as a baby, Harry Potter has spent 11 awful years living with his mean aunt, uncle, and cousin Dudley. But everything changes for Harry when an owl delivers a mysterious letter inviting him to attend a school for wizards. At this special school, Harry finds friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, as well as a great destiny that's been waiting for him...if Harry can survive the encounter. From an author who has been compared to C. S. Lewis and Roald Dahl, this enchanting, funny debut novel won England's National Book Award and the prestigious Smarties Prize.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages
63. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling - 312 pages

#62 - The Gunslinger Born

2008-07-06T13:35:00.004-04:00

This is my first ever graphic novel. I'm a huge fan of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, so I thought this would be perfect place to start. While I did enjoy the artwork immensely, the story itself left a little to be desired in my opinion. The entire book was the part in Wizard and Glass where Roland tells his ka tet about his past and how he became a gunslinger and about his first love, Susan Delgado. I enjoyed the book very much because I know the story, but I really missed being able to get into the characters heads and know what they are thinking which I think is King's greatest gift as a writer. There just isn't enough time or space to do this in a graphic novel. That being said, I still gave it 4 stars because of the artwork and my knowing the story already didn't leave me with a feeling that I missed something that I fear I may have gotten if I hadn't read Wizard and Glass twice in the past. Here is a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." With those words, millions of readers were introduced to Stephen King's Roland—an implacable gunslinger in search of the enigmatic Dark Tower, powering his way through a dangerous land filled with ancient technology and deadly magic. Now, in a comic book personally overseen by King himself, Roland's past is revealed! Sumptuously drawn by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove, adapted by long-time Stephen King expert Robin Furth (author of Stephen King's The Dark Tower: A Concordance) and scripted by New York Times bestseller Peter David, this series delves in depth into Roland's origins—the perfect introduction to this incredibly realized world; while long-time fans will thrill to adventures merely hinted at in the novels. Be there for the very beginning of a modern classic of fantasy literature!

Collects Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #1-7.

My progress for the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages
62. The Gunslinger Born - Stephen King, Peter David, Robin Furth, Jae Lee, Richard Isanove - 240 pages

#61 - The Magician's Nephew

2008-07-05T23:19:00.002-04:00

This book tells the story of how Narnia was created, how the White Witch came to be, and at the end, it tells why the wardrobe is made and what it's made out of. Very quick, very good read. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

First published in 1955, The Magician's Nephew was the sixth book C.S. Lewis wrote about Narnia. It was intended as a prequel to the series, chronicling events that took place before The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Many readers prefer to begin reading The Chronicles of Narnia with The Magician's Nephew.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages
61. The Magician's Nephew - C. S. Lewis - 106 pages

#60 - Good Omens

2008-07-05T16:49:00.002-04:00

A very humorous, intelligently written story of The Apocalypse. I would have given it five stars, but it just seemed to take me a bit too long to get into it. I was expecting it to grab me right away with all the great reviews, but it took a little while. Anyway, this is the story of the quickly approaching end of the world. Crowley, a demon, and Aziraphale, an angel, have been on Earth for centuries just waiting for this. When the time comes, however, they discover that they rather like living on Earth and would hate to see The Apocalypse come and end it. So, they start working together in hopes of saving the Earth. Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages
60. Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - 412 pages

#59 - A Thousand Splendid Suns

2008-07-02T23:20:00.003-04:00

I cannot believe I waited this long to read this book! I've heard people say that Hosseini is an amazing storyteller and now I believe it. Several times I had to put the book down and just cry. It's so hard to believe that women really have to live like that in some parts of the world and reading books like this make me realize how much I take for granted in my daily life. I thought this was a beautifully written, sometimes heartwrenching story of an unlikely friendship forged between two women that really had been dealt a bad hand at life. It was at the same time a story of love, and war, and oppression. Highly recommended. Here is a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years -- from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding -- that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives -- the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness -- are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love -- a stunning accomplishment.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages
59. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 372 pages

#58 - Mordred, Bastard Son

2008-06-26T22:05:00.002-04:00

It does not usually take me this long to read a book of this size (only 260 pages). I found it a little slow in some parts, but it really started picking up later in the book. Also, I thought it was well written.

Being familiar with Arthurian legend, it was kind of hard for me to put aside other stuff I've read and go with what I was reading here. If you've read a synopsis of the book at all, you know that Mordred is gay and his lover is one of Arthur's knights. Very different from the other stories. Anyway, I would rate it 3 stars. I do plan on picking up the next book in the trilogy just to see where Clegg goes with this. It left me hanging too much not to...

Here's a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Stoker Award-winning novelist Douglas Clegg (Afterlife, The Hour Before Dark, and over a dozen other best-selling novels of contemporary horror) sets his rich imagination to the task of reinventing Arthurian legend, and the results are spectacular. A young monk becomes enthralled by the story a mysterious prisoner begins to tell as he tends to his wounds. The prisoner is Mordred, bastard son of King Arthur Pendragon and his half sister Morgan Le Fay, who has been arrested for murder and treason. His story is one of ambition, power, and betrayal, and it will change the monk's life forever. In Clegg's ambitious reimagining of Camelot, Mordred, the traditional villain of Arthurian legend, emerges as a heroic and romantic figure, torn between his powerful mother's desire for revenge against Arthur, his own conflicted feelings toward the father who betrayed him, and his passionate love affair with a knight in King Arthur's court: Lancelot. The first of a trilogy, Mordred, Bastard Son sets the stage for an epic adventure of love, friendship, magic, war, and betrayal, a fresh, dazzling chapter in the Arthurian canon.

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages
58. Mordred, Bastard Son - Douglas Clegg - 260 pages

#57 - White Night

2008-06-22T19:05:00.003-04:00

Another great book in The Dresden Files series! I'm looking forward to the next one even though that means I'll have to wait until 2009 for the one after it. Here's a synopsis of White Night copied from Barnes and Noble:

A sensational addition to the Dresden Files adventures-from a USA Today bestselling author.

Professional wizard Harry Dresden is investigating a series of deaths in Chicago. Someone is killing practitioners of magic, those incapable of becoming full-fledged wizards. Shockingly, all the evidence points to Harry's half-brother, Thomas, as the murderer. Determined to clear his sibling's name, Harry uncovers a conspiracy within the White Council of Wizards that threatens not only him, but his nearest and dearest, too...

My progress in the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages
57. White Night - Jim Butcher - 407 pages

#56 - The Lace Reader

2008-06-19T21:14:00.002-04:00

A good read with an interesting twist at the end. The book wasn't at all what I expected and I was pleasantly surprised. Here is a synopsis copied from Barnes and Noble:

Look into the lace . . . When the eyes begin to fill with tears and the patience is long exhausted, there will appear a glimpse of something not quite seen... In this moment, an image will begin to form . . . in the space between what is real and what is only imagined.

Can you read your future in a piece of lace? All of the Whitney women can. But the last time Towner read, it killed her sister and nearly robbed Towner of her own sanity. Vowing never to read lace again, her resolve is tested when faced with the mysterious, unsolvable disappearance of her beloved Great Aunt Eva, Salem's original Lace Reader. Told from opposing and often unreliable perspectives, the story engages the reader's own beliefs. Should we listen to Towner, who may be losing her mind for the second time? Or should we believe John Rafferty, a no nonsense New York detective, who ran away from the city to a simpler place only to find himself inextricably involved in a psychic tug of war with all three generations of Whitney women? Does either have the whole story? Or does the truth lie somewhere in the swirling pattern of the lace?

My progress for the 100 Book Challenge so far:

1. An Idiot Girl's Christmas - Laurie Notaro - 142 pages
2. The Missing - Chris Mooney - 360 pages
3. All the Numbers - Judy Merrill Larsen - 269 pages
4. The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge - 274 pages
5. The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz - 354 pages
6. Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman - 598 pages
7. When Madeline Was Young - Jane Hamilton - 274 pages
8. Sunshine - Robin McKinley - 405 pages
9. Spying in High Heels - Gemma Halliday - 318 pages
10. I Am Legend - Richard Matheson - 312 pages
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer - 563 pages
12. Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
13. The Husband - Dean Koontz - 415 pages
14. Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
15. Plum Lucky - Janet Evanovich - 166 pages
16. Blood Rites - Jim Butcher - 372 pages
17. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - 245 pages
18. Let the Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist - 513 pages
19. The Spellman Files - Lisa Lutz - 368 pages
20. Little Stalker - Jennifer Belle - 333 pages
21. Watchers - Dean Koontz - 352 pages
22. Lost and Found - Carolyn Parkhurst - 289 pages
23. Dead Beat - Jim Butcher - 396 pages
24. Steve & Me - Terri Irwin - 273 pages
25. Bright Lights, Big Ass - Jen Lancaster - 385 pages
26. Curse of the Spellmans - Lisa Lutz - 407 pages
27. Bleeding Kansas - Sara Paretsky - 431 pages
28. Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison - 416 pages
29. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perrotta - 358 pages
30. The Good Guy - Dean Koontz - 493 pages
31. The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 368 pages
32. Dork Whore - Iris Bahr - 216 pages
33. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer - 629 pages
34. Monkeewrench - P. J. Tracy - 404 pages
35. Diablerie - Walter Mosley - 180 pages
36. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
37. Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 389 pages
38. The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - 246 pages
39. Heart Sick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
40. Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay - 292 pages
41. Ice Trap - Kitty Sewell - 340 pages
42. The Bad Place - Dean Koontz - 381 pages
43. All We Know of Heaven - Jacquelyn Mitchard - 310 pages
44. The Dollmaker - Amanda Stevens - 376 pages
45. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris - 214 pages
46. The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 306 pages
47. The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber - 895 pages
48. Dexter in the Dark - Jeff Lindsay - 303 pages
49. Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips - 293 pages
50. Earthly Pleasures - Karen Neches - 311 pages
51. Proven Guilty - Jim Butcher - 406 pages
52. Such a Pretty Fat - Jen Lancaster - 379 pages
53. Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
54. The Fifth Vial - Michael Palmer - 372 pages
55. 2060:The Newton Prophecies - Keith Katsikas - 338 pages
56. The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry - 392 pages