I've started the 50 book challenge as usual, but since I have so much free time I think I'll easily manage to read at least 50 books this year. So maybe 75 might be a better goal for me this time. I'll just post a list of the books I've read so far with a (short) summary.




Got to 15000 pages sometime in May and decided I'm not going to keep counting my pages anymore this year.




01. The Mist by Stephen King // 230 pages.
02. A Faint Cold Fear by Karing Slaughter // 499 pages.
03. Because I'm Worth It by Cecily von Ziegesar // 239 pages.
04. Be Cool by Elmore Leonard // 292 pages.
05. The Book With No Name by Anonymous // 383 pages.
06. Just After Sunset by Stephen King // 398 pages.
07. Satanism by Reender Kranenborg // 139 pages.
08. The Caller by Alex Barclay // 424 pages.
09. The Vampyre by John William Polidori // 63 pages.
10. Chickenfeed by Minette Walters // 121 pages.
11. From Dead To Worse by Charlaine Harris // 359 pages.
12. Nobels Testament by Liza Marklund // 445 pages.
13. Een Dag Van Schaamte by Bob Mendes // 316 pages.
14. Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker // 252 pages.
15. Zwarte Magie: Door Demonen Bezeten by Roué Hupsel // 301.
16. De Mooiste Van Shakespeare by William Shakespeare // 215 pages.
17. Sign Of The Cross by Chris Kuzneski // 414 pages.
18. Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes // 300 pages.
19. Charley's Web by Joy Fielding // 405 pages.
20. De Zoon Van Dik Trom by C.J. Kieviet // 132 pages. Ebook.
21. Meesterwerken Van Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn by G. Kielder // 82 pages. Ebook.
22. Shadow Of The Wolf by Andrew Matthews // 170 pages.
23. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerarld // 31 pages. Ebook.
24. I, Robot (part of Overlocked: Stories Of The Future Present) by Cory Doctorow // 47 pages. Ebook.
25. Dear Cain by Ignacio García-Valiño // 351 pages.
26. Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko // 363 pages.
27. Follow Me! by Mark Tinney // 34 pages. Ebook.
28. The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving // 29 pages. Ebook.
29. 2BR02B by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. // 12 pages. Ebook.
30. Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko // 351 pages.
31. Oesters Of Merguez by Omar B. // 136.
32. No One Writes To The Colonel by Gabriel García Márquez // 79 pages.
33. Eeuwig Zwijgen by Guy Didelez // 111 pages.
34. Zoete Wraak by Guy Didelez + Joke de Vloed // 156 pages.
35. Twilight Watch by Sergei Lukyaneko // 317 pages.
36. Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison // 285 pages.
37. The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney // 270 pages.
38. Pig Island by Mo Hayder // 352 pages.
39. Hearts In Atlantis by Stephen King // 497 pages.
40. Verschroeide Ossobuco by Margherita Pasquini // 193 pages.
41. The Colour Of Magic by Terry Pratchett // 200 pages.
42. Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen // 350 pages.
43. Seven Up by Janet Evanovich // 300 pages.
44. Memories Of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel García Márquez // 108 pages.
45. To The Nines by Janet Evanovich // 255 pages.
46. Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane by William Peter Blatty // 208 pages.
47. The Ancient Irish Goddes Of War by WM Hennessey // 36 pages.
48. Is Shakespeare Dead? by Mark Twain // 74 pages.
49. ... Early Life Of The Pennsylvania Germans by A. Monroe Aurand // 32 pages.
50. Jane Eyre (short, children's version) by Charlotte Brontë (retold by Ann Ward) // 47 pages.
51. Cry For Help by Steve Mosby // 287 pages.
52. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende // 391 pages.
53. Folk-Lore Of The Pennsylvania Germans by W.J. Hoffman // 41 pages.
54. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time by Haddon // 287 pages.
55. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie // 233 pages.
56. Help! Ik Ben Veel Te Dik by Marie-Claire Thijsen // 62 pages.
57. Door De Hel Van Anorexia by Martine de Vries // 95 pages.
58. Nachtwerk by David Baldacci // 91 pages.
59. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy // 945 pages.
60. Carmilla by Sheridan LeFanu Joseph // 79 pages.
61. Graven In De Nijldelta by Willem van Haarlem // 127 pages.
62. The Willows by Algernon Blackwoord // Via email from DailyLit.
63. Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis // 229 pages.
64. The Pit And The Pendulum by Edgar Allen Poe // Via email from DailyLit.
65. The Black Poodle: And Other Stories by F. Anstey // Read online.
66. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll // Read online.
67. Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich // 256 pages.
68. Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich // 287 pages.
69. The Boy In The Striped Pyajamas by John Boyne // 215 pages.
70. The War Of The Worlds by H.G. Wells // 222 pages.
71. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells // 160 pages.
72. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee // 310 pages.
73. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells // 90 pages.
74. The Phantom Of The Opera by Gaston Leroux // 87 pages.
75. The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame // 72 pages.
76. A Darker Domain by Val McDermid // 382 pages.
77. De Retoucheur by Dmitri Stachov // 187 pages.
78. One For The Dough by Janet Evanovich // 177 pages.
79. Two For The Money by Janet Evanovich // 200 pages.
80. The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson // 80 pages.
81. Three To Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich // 212 pages.
82. Blood Of My Blood by Åke Smedberg // 250 pages.
83. Procession Of The Dead by Darren Shan // 351 pages.
84. Gone For Good by Harlen Coben // 363 pages.
85. The Secret Friend by Chris Mooney // 319 pages.
86. Not The End Of The World by Kate Atkinson // 268 pages.
87. Case Histories: A Novel // 319 pages.
88. The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly // 413 pages.
89. De Duisternis Valt by Karine Giébel // 287 pages.
90. Collision by Jeff Abbott // 365 pages.
91. Innocent Blood by Elizabeth Corley // 526 pages.
92. Long Lost by Harlan Coben // 333 pages.
93. Zuidwal by Sytze van der Zee // 284 pages.
94. 1222 by Anne Holt // 303 pages.
95. Genesis by Karin Slaughter // 515 pages.
96. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer // 434 pages.
97. De Moedervlek by Kristien Dieltiens // 294 pages.
98. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer // 563 pages.
99. American Youth by Phil LaMarche // 221 pages.
100. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer // 628 pages.
101. Stuk by Judith Visser // 302 pages.
102. The Stand by Stephen King // 7.. pages.
103. Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan // 222 pages.
104. The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan // 205 pages.
105. The Seventh Sacrament by David Hewson // 431 pages.
106. The Road by Cormac McCarthy // 176 pages.
107. The Snowman by Jo Nesbø // 477 pages.
108. Tunnels Of Blood by Darren Shan // 202 pages.
109. Vampire Mountain by Darren Shan // 187 pages.
110. Swimsuit by James Patterson // 358 pages.
111. The Last Darkness by Campbell Armstrong // 602 pages.
112. The Fire Gospel by Michel Faber // 204 pages.
113. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer // 754 pages.
114. Never Say Die by Tess Gerritsen // 286 pages.
115. Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo // 205 pages.
116. Blood Runs Cold by Alex Barlcay // 373 pages.
117. The People Of The Book by Geraldine Brooks // 438 pages.
118. Lost Sould by Lisa Jackson // 415 pages.
119. Portobello by Ruth Rendell // 287 pages.
120. The Good, The Bad, And The Undead by Kim Harrison // 430 pages.
121. Trials Of Death by Darren Shan // 185 pages.
122. Hunters Of The Dusk by Darren Shan // 187 pages.
123. Allies Of The Night by Darren Shan // 200 pages.

Message edited by its author, Dec 23, 2009, 11:19am.

01. The Mist by Stephen King // 230 pages.

The storm rolled across Long Lake in Maine with a fury, leaving David Drayton and his family with fallen trees, downed power lines, and no electricity. At his wife's request, David heads to the local supermarket to stock up on supplies, taking his young son and neighbor along for the ride. But the strange white mist that lingered on the lake has followed them to town, stranding them all in the store. Because something in the fog is taking people--and you can hear their screams...

02. A Faint Cold Fear by Karin Slaughter // 499 pages.

Sara Linton, medical examiner in the small town of Heartsdale, is called out to an apparent suicide on the local college campus. The mutilated body provides little in the way of clues - and the college authorities are keen to avoid a scandal - but for Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, things don't add up. Two more suspicious suicides follow, and a young woman is brutally attacked. For Sara, the violence strikes far too close to home. And as Jeffrey pursues the sadistic killer, he discovers that ex-police detective Lena Adams, now a security guard on campus, may be in possession of crucial information. But, bruised and angered by her expulsion from the force, Lena seems to be barely capable of protecting herself, let alone saving the next victim...

Welcome to the group!

03. Because I'm Worth It by Cecily von Ziegesar // 239 pages.

Blair and Serena have managed to repair their fractured friendship and are now leading a peer group at their high school. During a peer group session Jenny confesses that she's considering breast reduction surgery to decrease the size of her double D's. Blair makes the mistake of admitting she's considering breast augmentation surgery, a story which hits the school rumor mill as soon as the meeting concludes. Serena is head over heels in love with Blair's stepbrother, Aaron, and announcing it to the whole world. Blair is quite annoyed with Serena's happiness since she still isn't over her relationship with Nate. Dan and Vanessa finally make love. Minutes later Vanessa discovers that she has gotten into NYU, which makes Dan feels insecure about his own college applications. Blair makes a drastic hair decision and cuts her hair into a pixie do in order to resemble her idol Audrey Hepburn. When Blair finds out that Aaron got early acceptance to Harvard, she goes into total bitch mode. Blair is desperate to get into Yale and a bit steamed that she has to wait until April to find out her fate. Nate heads into a downward spiral of drinking and drugging. While shopping Serena is discovered as a model and asked to be in a fashion show in Bryant Park. When Blair arrives at her Yale interview she is instantly smitten with older man Owen Wells, who may just determine whether or not she's going to Yale.

04. Be Cool by Elmore Leonard // 292 pages.

Mobster turned Hollywood producer Chili Palmer has got another idea for a movie. This time he's checking out L.A.'s other big business, the music industry: a world full of wannabe stars, run by crooks and hustlers - it's got plenty of potential. Chili's found his characters, trouble is, now he needs the plot. In an industry where every two-bit punk will do anything to be a big shot the story should take care of itself - with a little help from Chili, that is.

05. The Book With No Name by Anonymous // 383 pages.

Detective Miles Jensen is called to the lawless town of Santa Mondega to investigate a spate of murders. This would all be quite ordinary in those rough streets, except that Jensen is the Chief Detective of Supernatural Investigations. The breakneck plot centres around a mysterious blue stone - 'The Eye of the Moon' - and the men (and women) who all want to get their hands on it: a mass murderer with a drink problem, a hit man who thinks he's Elvis, and a pair of monks among them. Add in the local crime baron, an amnesiac woman who's just emerged from a five-year coma, a gypsy fortune teller and a hapless hotel porter, and the plot thickens fast. Most importantly, how do all these people come to be linked to the strange book with no name? This is the anonymous, ancient book that no one seems to have survived reading. "The Book With No Name" is a fast-paced, cinematic page-turner shot through with black humour, which will hold you rapt from its intriguing opening to the dramatic climax. There's only one way to find out what happens when you read the book with no name...A book with no name - by an anonymous author. Everyone who has ever read it has been murdered. What can this mean?

06. Just After Sunset by Stephen King // 398 pages.

Stephen King delivers an astonishing collection of short stories, his first since Everything's Eventual six years ago. As guest editor of the bestselling Best American Short Stories 2007, King spent over a year reading hundreds of stories. His renewed passion for the form is evident on every page of Just After Sunset. The stories in this collection have appeared in The New Yorker, Playboy, McSweeney's, The Paris Review, Esquire and other publications.

Who but Stephen King would turn a Port-a-San into a slimy birth canal, or a roadside honky-tonk into a place for endless love? A book salesman with a grievance might pick up a mute hitchhiker, not knowing the silent man in the passenger seat listens altogether too well. Or an exercise routine on a stationary bicycle, begun to reduce bad cholesterol, might take its rider on a captivating-and then terrifying-journey. Set on a remote key in Florida, "The Gingerbread Girl" is a riveting tale featuring a young woman as vulnerable-and resourceful-as Audrey Hepburn's character in Wait Until Dark. In "Ayana," a blind girl works a miracle with a kiss and the touch of her hand. For King, the line between the living and the dead is often blurry, and the seams that hold our reality intact might tear apart at any moment. In one of the longer stories here, "N.," which recently broke new ground when it was adapted as a graphic digital entertainment, a psychiatric patient's irrational thinking might create an apocalyptic threat in the Maine countryside . . . or keep the world from falling victim to it.

07. Satanism by R. Kranenborg // 139 pages.

In this book Dr. Kranenborg writes about the origin of Satanism, what this religion exactly represents, what kind of Satanic groups there are and how their believes can be different from one another. This book gives a great deal of information and shows that Satanism isn't about child sacrifices or anything like that.

08. The Caller by Alex Barclay // 424 pages.

NYPD Detective Joe Lucchesi is on the trail of a killer locked into a dark fantasy world that has come crashing into reality with devastating result …and a rising body count. People are being murdered in their own apartments, their faces savagely beaten, their bodies discarded in their hallway for a loved one to find.
Back on the job after a year out and a terrifying ordeal at the hands of a psychopath, Joe finds himself the reluctant lead in another high-profile investigation. And his problems don't end there, battling with physical pain and overwhelmed by friction in the task force and at home, Joe throws himself into his work. But just when he feels close to making a breakthrough, the investigation is rocked by tragedy and another victim's life is hanging in the balance.

09. The Vampyre by John William Polidori // 63 pages.

The story has its genesis in the summer of 1816, the Year Without a Summer, when Europe and parts of North America underwent a severe climate abnormality. Lord Byron and his young physician John Polidori were staying at the Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva and were visited by Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin and Claire Clairmont. Kept indoors by the "incessant rain" of that "wet, ungenial summer," over three days in June the five turned to telling fantastical stories, and then writing their own. Fueled by ghost stories such as the Fantasmagoriana, William Beckford's Vathek and quantities of laudanum, Mary Shelley produced what would become Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. Polidori was inspired by a fragmentary story of Byron's and in "two or three idle mornings" produced "The Vampyre".

10. Chickenfeed by Minette Walters // 122 pages.

A body is found in a chicken run ...Based on the true story of the 'chicken farm murder' which took place in Blackness, Crowborough, East Sussex in December, 1924. Norman Thorne was found guilty of the murder of Elsie Cameron, but even at the time of his execution there were doubts about his guilt. Still swearing his innocence, Norman Thorne was hanged on 22 April 1925. Bestselling author Minette Walters brings a thrilling story to life in this gripping new novel.

11. From Dead To Worse by Charlaine Harris // 359 pages.

After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina and the manmade explosion at the vampire summit, everyone human and otherwise is stressed, including Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who is trying to cope with the fact that her boyfriend Quinn has gone missing.

It's clear that things are changing whether the weres and vamps of her corner of Louisiana like it or not. And Sookie's Friend to the Pack and blood-bonded to Eric Northman, leader of the local vampire community is caught up in the changes.

In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death, and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood finished flowing, her world will be forever altered.

12. Nobels Testament by Liza Marklund // 445 pages.

Reporter Annika Bengtzon is covering the glamorous Nobel Prize Dinner, traditionally held in Stockholm’s City Hall, for the first time. The world’s notabilities are enjoying themselves on the dance floor when suddenly gunshots break through the music. Annika is pushed down on the floor by someone escaping the scene. Soon she is caught in the middle of an intricate drama with links to Alfred Nobel, not just as a reporter but also as a key witness.

13. Een Dag Van Schaamte by Bob Mendes // 316 pages.

About terrorists who are planning a big attack during the final between Liverpool and Juventus on May 29 1985 in Brussels. Terrorists from different countries work together on this but when one of them decides to help APESA (security services) it all starts to go wrong.

There isn't much written about all the people who died that day when the wall collapsed. This is only mentioned in the last few pages.

14. Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker // 252 pages.

You hold in your hands not a book at all, but a terrifying embodiment of purest evil. Can you feel the electric tingle in your fingers as you are absorbed by the demon Jakabok's tale of his unintentional ascent from the depths of the Inferno? Do you sense the cold dread worming its way into your bloodstream, your sinews, the marrow of your bones as you read more deeply into his earthly education and unspeakable acts? The filth you now grasp has been waiting patiently for you for nearly six hundred years. And now, before you are completely in its thrall, you would do well to follow the foul creature's admonition and destroy this abomination of ink and paper before you turn a single leaf and are lost forever.

15. Zwarte Magie: Door Demonen Bezeten by Roué Hupsel // 301 pages.

In order to escape his poor life, a lonely man in the first part of the book Black magic (possessed by demons), makes a pact, one with dark forces. When years later finds out that he must sacrifice his firstborn as payment for services rendered, it is too late. Paying this price pushes him to the limits of insanity, but there is no turning back ... In the second part of the book Circle of Evil (The book Zhann), she follows its path through the wild mysterious rainforest to undo the curse on her family alone. A terrible battle with demonic forces brings her to a spot in a gray past. Her ultimate battle for good over evil seems to end with her dying ... but she gets help from those who deliberately let her reincarnate at this time.

16: De Mooiste Van Shakespeare by William Shakespeare // 215 pages.

Compilation of some of Shakespeare's best sonnets. First time I ever read something like this but I must say I was quite surprised by how much I actually liked it. Luckily they have some more Shakespeare books at my library.

17. Sign Of The Cross by Chris Kuzneski // 414 pages.

The first vicim is abducted in Italy when crucified over a thousand miles away. The next day, the sme crime repeated - this time in Asia and Africa. Three different continents but one brutal pattern: someone is reenacting the execution of Christ.

While visiting Spain, Jonathan Payne and David Jones are arrested for crimes they commited during their military carreers. Fortunately, the CIA brokers a deal on their behalf.: all charges will be dropped if they help catch Dr. Charley Boyd, a master thief who has stolen some of the finest treasures in Europe.

With little choice, the duo begins their pursuit, only to realize that Boyd is more than a criminal. He is one of the world's top experts on Ancient Rome and is close to making a discovery that threatens to rewrite the basis foundations of Christianity.

18. Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes // 300 pages.

They're ravenous. They're ruthless. They live in a strictly hierarchical, alpha-dog, eat-or-be-eaten world. No, it's not a rerun of Wild America; it's the world of dressed-to-the-nines Park Avenue heiresses, aka Bergdorf Blondes, botoxed to within an inch of their barely-into-the-third-decade lives. Our unnamed London-born heroine is New York's favorite "champagne-bubble-about-town" and just as effervescent and exhilarating as a fine bottle of Dom Perignon. Blissfully self-interested and flush with the cheeriness that comes from being, well, flush, Miss Disposable Income 2004 sashays her way through New York society in search of the perfect P.H. (Potential Husband)-"Have you any idea how awesome your skin looks if you are engaged?"-and the perfect butt-shaping pair of Chloe jeans. Despair occasionally strikes when her latest prince turns into yet another toad, but it's nothing an invitation to an uber-exclusive Hermes sale and a gallon or so of Bellinis can't fix. She's got the crème de la crème along with her for the ride, including her best friend, the fabulously wealthy heiress Julie Bergdorf, who is tres supportive of her nervous breakdown=You'll be able to dine out on how crazy you went in Paris for months-and a posse of chattering, Harry Winston-bedecked clones with whom to limo around New York. Tacky? Absolutely. But it's impossible not to be massively entertained by a woman who refers euphemistically to oral sex as "going to Rio" in memory of the first man who suggested she get a Brazilian bikini wax, considers vodka a food group and who holds up glamour as the first of the commandments.

19. Charley's Web by Joy Fielding // 405 pages.

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Joy Fielding tells the story of an ambitious journalist whose foray into the mind of a killer puts her own family in jeopardy.

Charley Webb is a beautiful single mother who writes a successful and controversial column for the Palm Beach Post. She's spent years building an emotional wall against scathing critics, snooty neighbors, and her disapproving family. But when she receives a letter from Jill Rohmer, a young woman serving time on death row for the murders of three small children, her boundaries slowly begin to fade. Jill wants Charley to write her biography so that she can share the many hidden truths about the case that failed to surface during her trial. Seeing this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Charley begins her jour-ney into the mind of this deeply troubled woman.

Her path takes a twisted turn, however, when the anonymous letters she's recently received from an angry reader evolve into threats, targeting her son and daughter. As Charley races against time to save her family, she begins to understand the value of her seemingly intru-sive neighbors, friends, and relatives. As she discovers, this network of flawed but loving people might just be her only hope of getting out alive.

20. De Zoon Van Dik Trom by C.J. Kieviet // 132 pages. Ebook.

Dik Trom book used to be very famous here in The Netherlands. First time I read one and I must say it was quite fun to read.

21. Meesterwerken Van Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn by G. Kielder // 82 pages. Ebook.

I decided to read something very different from my usual thriller and horror books and stumbled across this ebook yesterday. There's a little bit about Rembandt his life in there, but mostly there are explanations about his most popular works.
At first I was quite excited to read this, but in the end it nearly made me fall asleep. If there would've been more pages I don't think I'd have bothered to finish it.

22. Shadow Of The Wolf by Andrew Matthews // 170 pages.

At first Danni doesn't think anything of it. After all, people get wrong numbers all the time...

But as the mysterious phone calls continue, she starts to get the feeling she's being watched.

When her old school friend, Leah, turns up out of the blue, Danni is glad of the distraction. But Leah's strange behaviour starts to drag up disturbing memories that Danni has long hidden from herself.

She is haunted by the half-remembered... until finally she is forced to confront the nightmare.

23. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerarld // 31 pages. Ebook.

The curious tale of a man who begins his life as an apparent septuagenarian and grows younger every year - much to the bewilderment and consternation of he and his family.

-

I must say that I had never heard of this before the film was made. It's a short story, but it was great to read. If you have some spare time I recommend to give this a try. :)

24. I, Robot (part of Overlocked: Stories Of The Future Present) by Cory Doctorow // 47 pages. Ebook.

I, Robot is a science-fiction short story by Cory Doctorow published in 2005.
The story is set in the type of police state needed to ensure that only one company is allowed to make robots, and only one type of robot is allowed.
The story follows single Father detective Arturo Icaza de Arana-Goldberg while he tries to track down his missing teenage daughter. The detective is a bit of an outcast because his wife defected to Eurasia, a rival Superpower.

25. Dear Cain by Ignacio García-Valiño // 351 pages.

Thriller Debut of the Spanish psychologist about a very young psychopath. Carlos and Carol have two children, Diana and the 12-year-old Nico. An intelligent boy, but he seems to have no feelings, not even for his family and he has a cruel mind. One day Nico's parents found their dog bled to dead on their bed.

Currently reading Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko. Didn't have much time to read last week because I had to study. Will be same until Wednesday this week unfortunately. After that free to read again! :)

Has anyone read good books with a supernatural theme lately? My library hasn't got many of those and I think I'm going to make a list of books I want to have for when I go to Waterstones again.

--

Next books:

* Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko.
* Twilight Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko.

welcome Tamara

with 25 books within 3 months you'll probably get to read 100 books this year :-)

Anita

Welcome! I loved Night Watch and sequels. You've got a few on your list I need to check into!

Tammie, you mean you read all these books this morning? Gosh that was quick :)

Welcome to the challenge. As FAm said with 25 in three months, I think you will far exceed your goal from last year. What were your thoughts on The Mist? I saw the movie.

By the way FAM, how are ya? I can't seem to find your thread this year. Are you on here?

#31: Trish, Anita's thread is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/51321

Thanks for welcoming me! :)

#30: I'll probably finish Night Watch tomorrow, and still loving it! Can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

#31: Haha I wish I could read that quick. ;) Well, to be honest The Mist wasn't quite what I expected, but it wasn't really bad either. Personally I don't think it's one of King's best books. But if you have some spare time, give it a try, it's quite a short book. :)

26. Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko // 363 pages.

Set in modern day Moscow, Night Watch is a world as elaborate and imaginative as Tolkien or the best Asimov. Living among us are the "Others," an ancient race of humans with supernatural powers who swear allegiance to either the Dark or the Light. A thousand-year treaty has maintained the balance of power, and the two sides coexist in an uneasy truce. But an ancient prophecy decrees that one supreme "Other" will rise up and tip the balance, plunging the world into a catastrophic war between the Dark and the Light. When a young boy with extraordinary powers emerges, fulfilling the first half of the prophecy, will the forces of the Light be able to keep the Dark from corrupting the boy and destroying the world?

#26: Oh, sounds very good. I will look for it. Thanks for the review and recommendation!

#35: Hope you enjoy it! I still need to read the rest of the stories in that books, but I think those will be great to read too. :)

27. Follow Me! by Mark Tinney // 34 pages. Ebook.

Mark Tinney explores the impressions of his first season as a tour manager in 1976, in an industry where surprise, excitement and challenge are constant companions. If you are thinking about a career as a tour manager or just interested in life “on the road” in the tourist world, then this book is for you.

--

I'm currently studying tourism and reading this once again showed me why. Unfortunately I can never work as a tour guide, even though that was the reason I chose this study. Still a fun book to read, too bad it was so short.

28. The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving // 29 pages. Ebook.

The chief part of the stories, however, turned upon the favorite specter of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman, who had been heard several times of late, patrolling the country; and, it was said, tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the churchyard. The story was immediately matched by a thrice marvelous adventure of Brom Bones, who made light of the Galloping Hessian as an arrant jockey. He affirmed that on returning one night from the neighboring village of Sing Sing, he had been overtaken by this midnight trooper; that he had offered to race with him for a bowl of punch, and should have won it too, for Daredevil beat the goblin horse all hollow, but just as they came to the church bridge, the Hessian bolted, and vanished in a flash of fire. All these tales, told in that drowsy undertone with which men talk in the dark, the countenances of the listeners only now and then receiving a casual gleam from the glare of a pipe, sank deep in the mind of Ichabod.

29. 2BR02B by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. // 12 pages. Ebook.

2BR02B is a science fiction short story by Kurt Vonnegut, originally published in the pulp digest magazine Worlds of If Science Fiction, 1/1962. The title is pronounced "2 B R naught 2 B", referencing the famous phrase "to be, or not to be" from Wm Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. In this story, the title refers to the telephone number one dials to schedule an assisted suicide with the Federal Bureau of Termination.

30. Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko // 351 pages.

The second book in the internationally bestselling fantasy series, The Day Watch begins where The Night Watch left off, set in a modern-day Moscow where the 1,000-year-old treaty between Light and Dark maintains its uneasy balance through careful vigilance from the Others. The forces of darkness keep an eye during the day, the Day Watch, while the agents of Light monitor the nighttime. Very senior Others called the Inquisitors are the impartial judges insisting on the essential compact. When a very potent artifact is stolen from them, the consequences are dire and drastic for all sides. The Day Watch introduces the perspective of the Dark Ones, told in part by a young witch who bolsters her evil power by leeching fear from children’s nightmares as a counselor at a girls’ summer camp. When she falls in love with a handsome young Light One, the balance is threatened and a death must be avenged.

31. Oesters Of Merguez by Omar B. // 136.

With a father who was sergeant in the Moroccan army Omar has an adventurous, but not an easy childhood. When the person to whom he looks up to disappear from his life, the 19-year-old Omar is in a deep crisis. He emigrates to Belgium to get on with hisd life. Initially everything runs smoothly, but then he starts a secret double life. He must avoid his secret coming out. It would mean an unacceptable outrage in the Moroccan community where he belongs and for his family in his home country.

--

In this book there are some events that contain gay sex and also a little bit of self-injury. Just so you know. ;)

32. No One Writes To The Colonel by Gabriel García Márquez // 79 pages.

The novel, written between 1956-1957 and first published in 1961, is the story of an impoverished, retired colonel, a veteran of the Thousand Days War, who still hopes to receive the pension he was promised some fifteen years earlier. The colonel lives with his asthmatic wife in a small village under martial law. The action opens with the colonel preparing to go to the funeral of a town musician whose death is notable because he was the first to die from natural causes in many years. The novel is set during the years of "La Violencia" in Colombia, when martial law and censorship prevail.

33. Eeuwig Zwijgen by Guy Didelez // 111 pages.

Fifteen year old Jane is in a psychiatric institution, by her own choice. She’s not ready to talk to anyone though.. Nobody knows what's really going on. Janne would prefer to remain silent forever ...

Suddenly there is a boy sitting at my table. And while there are so many other free tables. He looks right at me.. He is not handsome, but he has something. Is it perhaps because of his dark, mysterious eyest?

It immediately clicked between Sam and Jane. Sam’s gentle jokes and small surprises make Janne happy. But it also confused her. Would he be the one person she could talk to?

34. Zoete Wraak by Guy Didelez + Joke de Vloed // 156 pages.

Hester's new at school and looks different, they call her gothic. This is not appreciated by some classmates. If the new trainee seems to like her, one of her classmates wants revenge. Along with two others they decide to kill Hester's only friend.. Hester has also had a tough time trying to process the death of her mother and fears that she will find her father dead. This causes her to react strangely to some things, which doesn't help her at all.

--

This was a very well written book for teenagers. It really shows how much harm you can do when you bully others, how much impact it can have on their lives.

35. Twilight Watch by Sergei Lukyaneko // 317 pages.

Three years have passed since the events of The Day Watch. His wife and daughter spending the summer on a dacha not far from Moscow where Anton is working when his boss Gesser reveals he has received an anonymous note. An Other has exposed the truth about their kind to a human, and now intends to convert that human into an Other.

The note has been sent to Zebulon and to the Inquisition’s offices in Berne – a place whose address only the highest level of mages and sorcerers know. Now cooperating, the Night Watch and the Day Watch, along with an Investigator from the Inquisition, seek to unmask the culprit. Anton will represent the Night Watch, while the Day Watch is sending High Vampire Kostya Saushkin, once Anton’s teenage neighbour.

Installed in the apartment complex to which the letter writer has been traced, Anton begins to investigate the residents one by one. Reviewing the dossiers of the building’s inhabitants, Anton comes across a familiar – albeit much younger – face. Could Gesser be trying initiate his son as an Other?

- - -

I still remember how hard it was for me to finish the first book in this series. When I was told it would get better I kept reading. Both the second and third book are indeed better in my opinion, even though it took me some time to really get into it both times. I still find the story fun and interesting, but somehow it's just not as good as I expected it to be. If my library ever gets the last book I'll read it, but I won't buy it to find out what happens next.

Message edited by its author, Apr 1, 2009, 3:02pm.

36. Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison // 285 pages.

Helene Zaharis’s politician husband keeps her on a tight leash and cancels her credit cards as a way of controlling her. Lorna Rafferty is up to her eyeballs in debt and can’t stop her addiction to eBay. Sandra Vanderslice, battling agoraphobia, pays her shoe bills by working as a phone-sex operator. And Jocelyn Bowen is a nanny for the family from hell (who barely knows a sole from a heel but who will do anything to get out of the house.)

On Tuesday nights, these women meet to trade shoes and, in the process, form friendships that will help them each triumph over their problems---from secret pasts to blackmail, bankruptcy, and dating.

- - -

This was fun to read, but certainly not one of my favorites. What I liked most is how different types of people get together through one thing they all love, which results in new beautiful friendships.

37. The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney // 270 pages.

A wonderful and terrifying series by a new writer about a young boy training to be an exorcist. Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son and has been apprenticed to the local Spook. The job is hard, the Spook is distant and many apprentices have failed before Thomas. Somehow Thomas must learn how to exorcise ghosts, contain witches and bind boggarts. But when he is tricked into freeing Mother Malkin, the most evil witch in the County, the horror begins..

- - -

When I started in this book yesterday it all seemed a bit familiar. After finishing it today I'm 90% sure I've read it before when I was much younger. Still liked it though. :)
Great to see how the boy tries to make up for his own mistakes instead of asking for help right away.
Delaney's writing style also made me want to keep reading, I'm looking forward to reading more of his works.

#47: I have read all of the Spook's Apprentice books thus far, and I think they improve over the course of the series, so you have more good books ahead of you if you decide to read them all.

Re message 11, book 9, The Vampyre

That same situation inspired Tim Powers' book, The Stress of Her Regard, a truly fascinating book. It would be interesting to compare the two.

#48: Thanks for telling me, always good to know the books get better. I'm hoping my library has all the books. :)

#49: I've never heard of it before, but I'm definately going to try to get my hands on it sometime. Thanks for the tip!

Books I'm definately reading this week:

- The Stand by Stephen King :: 64/520 pages = 12% done.
- Pig Island by Mo Hayder :: 125/352 pages = 36% done.
- Witch's Fire by James Clemens :: 399 pages. Not started.

Might start in Hearts In Atlantis by Stephen King too if I manage to finish both Pig Island and Witch's Fire

38. Pig Island by Mo Hayder // 352 pages.

Journalist Joe Oakes makes a living exposing supernatural hoaxes, but when he visits a secretive religious community on a remote Scottish island, everything he thought he knew is overturned. On the trial of a strange creature caught briefly on film, so deformed it can hardly be human, Oakes crosses a border of electrical fencing, toxin-filled oil drums, and pigs’ skulls to infiltrate the territory of the groups’ isolated founder, Malachi Dove. Their confrontation, and its violent aftermath, is so catastrophic that it forces Oakes to question the nature of evil—and whether he might be responsible for the heinous crime about to unfold.

- - -

4/5 *

This was an amazing book! The story is really interesting and also written very well, exciting until the end. Especially love the characters in this one.

#52: Sounds like an interesting book and one I may try. Thanks for the recommendation!

#53: Have fun reading it if/when you pick it up somewhere! :)

Going to the park in about 30 minutes with my mom, my aunt and her dog.
Taking a book with me ofcourse: Wit'ch Fire by James Clemens. It's very cloudy but I see the sun taking a peek more and more, so I hope I'll be able to actually read at least a few pages. Oh well, as long as it doesn't rain I'll be happy. Also hope the dog will be able to leave me alone for awhile and that he won't run off with my book. He always runs off with random things when he's really happy or playing. :P

Message edited by its author, Apr 7, 2009, 4:32am.

I really hate my library sometimes. *sighs* As I said I just started in Wit'ch Fire but apparently they have the whole series, except for book 3. Idiots. So I'm just going to return the one I have tomorrow, because I don't want to read this now.

So I'm going to start in Hearts In Atlantis by Stephen King, that's the only one I have to return next week now. :)

Message edited by its author, Apr 7, 2009, 11:11am.

Am currently on page 87/497 of Hearts In Atlantis and I think this will be great book to read. Already find it very interesting and am very curious to see what's going to happen! I can't believe I've never read it before, I've seen it in my library for years but somehow I never picked it up.

#55: I understand exactly how you feel! I started reading Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series through my local library only to discover they have books 1 & 2, but not book 3, books 4 & 6, but not 5 . . . Frustrating!!

#57: When I'm going to my library next week I'm going to ask them why they always end up having incomplete series, it really annoys me. This is not the first time I found out I couldn't finish a series because they didn't have all the books either. I don't know if anyone has ever complained about this before, but I'm going to tell them that I think they really should pay more attention to this in the future. I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds this annoying.

Started in Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King on Tuesday and I've read quite a lot already.

Tuesday: 86 pages - 86/497 pages.
Wednesday: 262 pages - 348/497 pages.

Will probably finish it tomorrow, or rather today cause it's already Thursday now here. :)

* * *

Also really feel like going to my library and just sit there, read some short books that won't take longer than 2 hours to finish. It's just that I still have 8 books that I have to return this month:

- Hearts In Atlantis needs to be returned on the 16th, which won't be a problem.
- 5 books need to be returned on the 23rd, 1364 pages to read.
- 2 books need to be returned on the 28th.

I'm pretty sure I can manage this, because I still have 2 weeks now (because I'm racing through Hearts In Atlantis) instead of 1 to read those 5 books. But it just makes me feel a bit pressured somehow. Makes me feel like I have to rush through at least a few books, you know? Don't like it.

That's exactly the reason I never borrow books from the library (well, that and having a crappy library where I live). Just reading about this worrying about dates and books that need to be read and returned makes me nervous.

I usually don't have that many books at home in one month either. I don't even remember why I took all those books with me in the first place. xD Guess I was a bit too enthousiastic at that time. ;)

I'm just going to read at my own pace and see how many I'll read. Can always borrow the ones I didn't manage to read later this year. :) I don't have any school/work so I can read as much as I want every day, so I'm sure I can read quite a few anyway. :)

But after this month I'm going to read more books from my TBR pile, so I won't have this 'problem' again.

39. Hearts In Atlantis by Stephen King // 497 pages.

"Hearts in Atlantis" comprises of five brilliant, interconnected, sequential narratives, each deeply rooted in the 60s and haunted by the Vietnam War: In "Low Men in Yellow Coats", 11-year-old Bobby discovers that adults are sometimes not rescuers but at the heart of the terror. In the title story, a bunch of college kids get hooked on a card game, discover the possibility of protest and confront their own collective heart of darkness. In "Blind Willie" and "Why We're in Vietnam", two men who grew up with Bobby in suburban Connecticut try to fill the emptiness of the post-Vietnam era. And in "Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling", Bobby returns to his hometown where one final secret, the hope of redemption, and his heart's desire may await him.

- - -

3.5 *

The first part of the book was the most fun to read, at least I think so. I really enjoyed reading about Ted and the low men. The rest was written very well too, but somehow the stories just didn't seem as interesting to me as the first.

Overall I guess I'll give it a 3.5 stars. As I said the writing was good, but apart from the first story I didn't find it exciting.

Currently reading Verschroeide Ossobuco by Margherita Pasquini. I like the story so far, but it's a bit hard to read sometimes because of the words she uses. There are also quite a few lines in other languages in this book. The English ones I understand, but my German + Italian are non existent. It's a bit annoying when these lines just randomly pop up on a lot of pages.

It's only 193 pages, so I'm going to try to finish it.

40. Verschroeide Ossobuco by Margherita Pasquini // 193 pages.

Margherita, Mad Margy Coconut, Ulrike de Beauvoir and the priestess of Armageddon as she also wants to be called does not trouble her aversion to the creation of mankind. She does not tend to love people. But of course she still loses herself in some passions. Ultimately, Margy Coconut, the so sympathetic academica cross between a gangstergirl, becomes nothing more than a mass murderess, a cruel woman. She laughs at everything that is sacred and profane.

- - -
2.5/3 *

I quite liked the story, all the chaos. It was a bit hard to read though unfortunately, because of the words she uses. I guess it's just the way she writes. There are quite a few lines in other languages in this book. The English ones I understand, but my German + Italian + French is practically non existent. It's a bit annoying when these lines just randomly pop up on a lot of pages, because most of the time I have absolutely no clue what it means and what it adds to the story.

#47 I read The Spook's Apprentice a week or so ago and really liked it. I'm glad you enjoyed it as well. I've ordered the rest in the series and plan on reading them soon.

#65: I'm going to my library again next month to see if they have the rest of this series as well. :) How many books are there in this series actually?

Anyway, hope you enjoy reading them! :D

#66: Currently there are 5 full-length novels and 1 novella in the series: The Spook's Apprentice, The Spook's Curse, The Spook's Secret, The Spook's Battle, The Spook's Mistake, and The Spook's Tale (evidently the Touchstone for the last will not work).

BTW: I know you do not live in the States, Tammie, but for anyone else interested: They are entitled differently in the US. The US titles are: Revenge of the Witch, Curse of the Bane, Night of the Soul Stealer, Attack of the Fiend, Wrath of the Bloodeye, and Clash of the Demons.

There is another book coming out in June called The Spook's Sacrifice. No idea what it is going to be called in the States.

Message edited by its author, Apr 11, 2009, 8:50am.

#67: Thanks so much for the information! I'm pretty sure I've seen a few of those titles in my library luckily. :)

Oooh and a new book in June, awesome!

The US titles are good to know too for some people indeed, nice of you to mention them also.

Book 41: The Colour Of Magic by Terry Pratchett // 200 pages.

The main character is an incompetent and cynical wizard named Rincewind. He involuntarily becomes a guide to the naive tourist, Twoflower. Forced to flee the city of Ankh-Morpork to escape a terrible fire, they begin on a journey across the Disc. Unknown to them, their journey is controlled by the Gods playing a board game.

They visit Wyrmberg, an upside-down mountain which is home to dragons that only exist in the imagination. They nearly go over the waterfall on the edge of the Disc, only to be rescued and taken to the country of Krull, a city perched on the very edge of the Discworld. The Krullians wish to discover the gender of Great A'Tuin, the giant turtle which carries the Discworld through space, so they have built a space capsule to launch over the edge. They intend on sacrificing Rincewind and Twoflower to get Fate to smile on the voyage. Instead, Rincewind and Twoflower hijack the capsule in an attempt to escape and are launched off the Disc themselves.

- - -

3.5 *

This is the first book I've read by Terry Pratchett and it is quite good! The story is interesting and written well. Took me a few pages to really get into the story at first. I had to read a few parts twice though because the sentences were a bit too long for my liking, took me a bit longer to really understand it what I had just read. But I didn't mind that at all. Will probably read some more book by him later this year. :)

This book is on the following lists I'm working on:
- BBC's The Big Read - Top 100 books.
- 501 Must Read Books.

Message edited by its author, Apr 11, 2009, 3:17pm.

If you liked this book, you'll be glad to know that Pratchett's work just gets better and better after this. This book and The Light Fantastic were the first two Discworld books and basically satires on familiar fantasy tropes. After these, the characters and situations on Discworld really start to develop depth and a broader interest.

#70: That's great to hear! I'm really looking forward to reading more. :) My mom has read a few of his books before and told me that she really liked them. I'm definately going to see if I can get the rest of this series at my library. :)

Tammie, to see how the books link up, go to this link at lspace.org

http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/the-discworld-reading-order-gui...

#68: Glad you can use the info. I hope you can find them all in your library!

#72: Wow, that is really useful, thank you! :D

Book 42: Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen // 350 pages.

In a remote Hertfordshire village, far off the good coach roads of George III's England, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet -- a country squire of no great means and his scatterbrained wife -- must marry off their five vivacious daughters. At the heart of this all-consuming enterprise are the headstrong second daughter Elizabeth and her aristocratic suitor Fitzwilliam Darcy, two lovers in whom pride and prejudice must be overcome before love can bring the novel to its magnificent conclusion.

- - -

3.5/4 out of 5 *

When I started this book, I knew I was going to read something that isn't something I would normally love. I must admit it took me quite awhile to really get into the story, but once I did I was surprised that I actually did find it a pleasant read. Even though it's not one of my favorite books because I'm simply someone who loves thriller/horror stories, I can understand that this is a classic.

>

This book is on the following lists I'm working on:
- BBC's The Big Read - Top 100 books. 2/100.
- 1001 Books. 2/1001.

Message edited by its author, Apr 13, 2009, 9:12am.

Book 43: Seven Up by Janet Evanovich // 300 pages.

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's got a lot on her mind. How does cigarette smuggler Eddie DeChooch, a fugitive so geriatric that even the hot-to-trot Grandma Mazur won't go out with him a third time, keep giving her the slip? How did a woman who died of a heart attack end up in DeChooch's garden shed with five bullet holes in her chest? Who stole a rump roast from Dougie and Mooner, the two lovable potheads who have decided to be crime fighters in Spandex bodysuits? Can Stephanie's perfect sister Valerie make it as a lesbian single mother without driving her family crazy? And--oh yeah--what should Stephanie do about that damn wedding dress on hold at Tina's Bridal Shoppe, waiting for her to decide whether vice cop Joe Morelli's really the one for her?

To complicate matters further, Stephanie's made a reluctant deal with the devil: if she can't bring in DeChooch by herself, her sexy but dangerous cohort Ranger is willing to help--for a price that a girl who's not-exactly-engaged is uncertain whether she should pay. But when Dougie and Mooner disappear, Grandma is kidnapped, and a crazy widow starts taking pot shots, no one who hides her .38 in a cookie jar is going to turn down a little friendly assistance.

- - -

4 out of 5 *

Because my library sucks they don't have all the books in this series. So I randomly picked a book to start with, since I can't read them all anyway. I heard so many good things about the Stephanie Plum books and I must say I absolutely loved this book! Evanovich her writing style is good. Combined with how well she describes the characters and the way she combines humor, crime and mystery makes it an awesome read. :) I'm starting in To The Nines tomorrow and I'll read any other books my library does have.

Message edited by its author, Apr 14, 2009, 7:38am.

#76: Tammie, the earlier books in the series are the best, IMO. Of course, that does not keep me from reading them all otherwise, how would I know what Grandma Mazur is up to all the time?

#77: Thanks for letting me know! I'm going to read the first 3 books of the series as soon as the library has them ready for me! :)

I love Grandma Mazur already, after one book. She really is one of my favorite characters. ;)

Book 44: Memories Of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel García Márquez // 108 pages.

On the eve of his ninetieth birthday a bachelor decides to give himself a wild night of love with a virgin. As is his habit–he has purchased hundreds of women–he asks a madam for her assistance. The fourteen-year-old girl who is procured for him is enchanting, but exhausted as she is from caring for siblings and her job sewing buttons, she can do little but sleep. Yet with this sleeping beauty at his side, it is he who awakens to a romance he has never known.

- - -

3 out of 5 *

Just a short book I read today. Nothing too interesting, just a quick, fun read. :) I read No One Writes To The Colonel a while ago, but that one was quite boring to be honest. Glad this one was a bit better.

Still loving Anna Karenina so far. :) Am currently on page 247, almost finished with part 2 already.

I'm also going to read a bit in The Stand again soon, because I'm still only at page 65 now. The finish date for this group read is somwhere in December if I remember correctly, so I have enough time to catch up. My edition is only 520 pages long, so I can finish it within a few days if want/need to.

Started in To The Nines by Janet Evanovich earlier this evening. Will finish it tomorrow. Or tonight if I can't sleep. It's still quite hot here in my bedroom unfortunately, was hoping it would start to rain today. But we only got a bit of lightning and thunder.

Read To The Nines by Janet Evanovich last night. Also read a few pages in Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane by William Peter Blatty this morning, I can't read it in one go. I started this book sometime in January or Februari, but I just can't concentrate on the story for long. Might be because of his writing, because I do like the story.

Book 45: To The Nines by Janet Evanovich // 255 pages.

Stephanie Plum may not be the best bounty hunter in beautiful downtown Trenton, but she's pretty darn good at turning bad situations her way...and she always gets her man. In To The Nines, her cousin Vinnie (who's also her boss) has posted bail on Samuel Singh, an immigrant who becomes an illegal alien by violating his Visa and extending his stay in the United States. When the elusive Mr. Singh goes missing, Stephanie is on the case. But what she uncovers is far more sinister than anyone imagines and leads to a group of killers who give new meaning to the word "hunter..."

In a race against time that takes her from the Jersey Turnpike to the Vegas strip, Stephanie Plum is on the chase of her life.

- - -

3.5/4 out of 5 stars

Even though I still liked this book, I think it's not one of the best books in this series. There was a bit more violence and murder this time, while there was less humor. Not that that is bad, but I'd probably love it more if there was more humor in this one.

So many people read Evanovich...perhaps I should give them a try some day.

I started reading her books because I saw a lot of people here on LT love her books and I wasn't disappointed. You really shoud give them a try if you have the time. :) Hope you'll like them as much as I do!

Book 46: Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane by William Peter Blatty // 208 pages.

From fantasticfiction.co.uk

A grotesque old mansion that once belonged to a silent horror movie star, and now was home to shrieking terror. A group of weirdly assorted human beings enslaved by a force they could neither comprehend nor resist. And the smiling, kindly, all-knowing man who was their master. You will never know the ultimate meaning of evil until you read--Twinkle, Twinkle 'Killer' Kane

- - -

3.5 out of 5 stars

Even though it took me quite a while to get through the first part of this book, I enjoyed reading it and found it fascinating.

Book 47: The Ancient Irish Goddes Of War by WM Hennessey.

"The Morrígan is usually interpreted as a "war goddess": W.M. Hennessey's "The Ancient Irish Goddess of War," written in 1870, was influential in establishing this interpretation.

The Morrígan ("terror" or "phantom queen") or Mórrígan ("great queen") (aka Morrígu, Morríghan, Mor-Ríoghain) is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.

She is usually seen as a terrifying figure. She is associated with war and death on the battlefield, sometime appearing in the form of a carrion crow, premonitions of doom, and with cattle. She is often considered a war deity comparable with the Germanic Valkyries, although her association with cattle also suggests a role connected with fertility and the land.

She is often interpreted as a triple goddess, although membership of the triad varies: the most common combination is the Morrígan, the Badb and Macha, but sometimes includes Nemain, Fea, Anann and others." (Quote from wikipedia.org)

- - -

2.5/3 out of 5 stars

I remember reading a story about the Morrígan a few years ago, which I found quite fun to read. That was more of a fairy tale I think. So when I saw this I was curious to read about the explanations of what the Morrígan really is. Unfortunately is was a bit too hard too read for me, sometimes it felt like I was reading through a random clutter of words.

I hope your next read is better for you!

Thank you. I'm currently reading another ebook, Is Shakespeare Dead? by Mark Twain and I find it really interesting! :) I'm almost finished with it unfortunately and I'm pretty sure I'll read it again sometime.

Book 48: Is Shakespeare Dead? by Mark Twain.

"Is Shakespeare Dead? is a short, semi-autobiographical work by American humorist Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. It explores the controversy over the authorship of the Shakespearean literary canon via satire, anecdote, and extensive quotation of contemporary authors on the subject.

In the book, Clemens clearly states his opinion that Shakespeare of Stratford was not the author of the canon, and lends tentative support to the Baconians. The book opens with a scene from his early adulthood, where he was trained to be a steamboat pilot by an elder who often argued with him over the controversy." (Quote from wikipedia.org)

- - -

3.5/4 out of 5 stars

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this, but I found it really interesting. And I must say I'm inclined to agree with him after reading all the arguments. It just sounds logical.

I've been feeling pretty sick since yesterday morning, so I didn't feel like reading at all. Have really annoying cramps which makes it impossible to focus on any book unfortunately. Have eaten a few crackers today, but that's all I can eat. Had to force myself to eat them this morning. Feel really weak now because of the lack of food. Going for a short walk later this evening, hope it'll make me feel a bit better.

Here's hoping you feel better real soon!

Sorry to hear you are not feeling well, Tammie. I join Roni in hoping you feel better very soon!

Thank you both! :)

Unfortunately I'm feeling worse now, had to cancel all my appointments. I'm just going to relax on the couch and in bed until my intestins are acting normal again. Hope my medication will start to work soon, but it's probably going to take another week before it gets better.

So I probably won't be reading much. Might finally catch up with all the threads now though! So I'm going to have quite a lot more books on my wishlist/tbr list I think. ;)

Book 49: ... Early Life Of The Pennsylvania Germans by A. Monroe Aurand.

"This gives some historical background on the early Pennsylvania Germans, including details of their religious composition." (Quote from sacred-texts.com)

- - -

3.5 out of 5 stars

A quite short, but fun book. Was interesting to read how everyone got their family names. Was disappointed that there was so little about their relegion mentioned.

Book 50: A short, children's version of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, retold by Anne Ward.

I only read this because my library decided to give me the children's version instead of the normal one. I'll read the full book sometime next month I think, because it seems to be an interesting story. :)

Message edited by its author, Apr 22, 2009, 10:48am.

#94: That book intrigues me because my parents were both born in Pennsylvania, as was I, but my mother's family was established up there forever (America's forever, that is - she has ancestors whose names are on Plymouth Rock as well as Native American stock in the family tree). I will have to look for that one!

#95: Do try and get the 'adult' version of Jane Eyre. It remains one of my favorites. I just finished another of Charlotte Bronte's books, Villette, in the wee hours this morning and recommend it as well.

#96: I read it as a free ebook from http://www.forgottenbooks.com. There's also a book on that site that's called Folk-Lore Of The Pennsylvania Germans by W.J. Hoffman. You might like to check that one out! I'm planning on reading it myself too sometime. :)

Thanks for the recommendation, am definately adding to my list! Sounds interesting.

Book 51: Cry For Help by Steve Mosby.

Dave Lewis is a man with a history. Haunted by his brother's murder when they were children, and scarred by his parents' grief, he's built a bitter life denying everything they ever stood for. He spends his time working as a magician, running a cynical magazine that derides his parents' New Age beliefs, and drowning his sorrows over his lost love, Tori. He's trying to convince himself the past is the past. A promise he made to Tori has got him into trouble before, and Dave's determined to move on and not let that happen again. Detective Sam Currie is a man with a past. His failure to prevent his son's death has ended his marriage and cast a shadow over his life and career. He's directed his hatred towards the one man he sees as responsible, but he has other priorities right now. A killer is stalking the city, abducting girls and sending texts and emails to their families before he kills them. When Dave Lewis appears to connect both investigations, it's an opportunity Currie can't resist.

- - -

3.5 out of 5 stars

Another good book by Steve Mosby. It was 287 pages long but it feels like I kind of raced through it. I quite like his writing style, it's easy to read and he kept me curious.

#97/98: Thanks for the link! I will definitely check that one out.

I will also look for some of Steve Mosby's books. I have never read anything by him. Thanks for the recommendation.

Am currently on page 277/391 of The Neverending Story. Took me quite some time to really enjoy the story, I was only on page 33 this morning so I'm making good progress now. It's a nice story, but I don't think it'll be one of my favorites though.

Book 52: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.

A little boy named Bastian comes across a book called The Neverending Story, which tells a tale of Atreyu and his quest to save Fantasia. The land of Fantasia literally has everything you can imagine, since it is the land of human imagination. As Bastian reads, he discovers that he himself is the one to save Fantasia, and by doing so, he gets lost in the book and must find his true identity in the real world.

- - -

3.5 out of 5 stars

I wasn't quite sure I was going to like this book at first, but once I really got started it did kind of pull me in. The story was nice to read and eventually I managed to read almost the entire book in one day. I'm glad I decided to keep reading and that I finished it, but it's not one I'm going to reread sometime.

- - -

This book is on the following lists I'm working on:
- 501 books. 4/501.

Book 53: Folk-Lore Of The Pennsylvania Germans by W.J. Hoffman.

"This is a two-part article from the Journal of American Folk-lore which covers a miscelleous range of folklore items from 19th Century rural Pennsylvania, including folk-magic, home remedies, superstitions and the supernatural." (Quote from theology101.org)

- - -

3 out of 5 stars

This was a nice, short ebook I read today. After reading ... Early Life Of The Pennsylvania Germans I decided that I had to give this one a try too. It wasn't quite as good, but still a nice addition to that book. :)

I'm currently reading The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time and find it really interesting so far. It's very easy to read too. I'm familiar with autism because my little nephew is autistic, though he only has a light form. But it might help me understand this book better. :)

I think I'm actually going to buy it sometime, because I'm pretty sure I'll want read this book again.

it is very easy to read, isn't it? I think I finished it in one or two sittings...all the images and the way Christopher talks - they make the book so straightforward, but no less lovable for that :)

Book 54: The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time by Mark Haddon.

Fifteen-year-old Christopher has a photographic memory. He understands maths. He understands science. What he can't understand are other human beings.

When he finds his neighbour's dog, Wellington, lying dead on a neighbour's lawn, he decides to track down the killer and write a murder mystery novel about it. In doing so, however, he uncovers other mysteries that threaten to bring his whole world crashing down around him.

- - -

4.5 out of 5 stars.

Everyone told me this book would be amazing, and I can't help but agree. Even though it's nothing like any 'normal' novel, it's a book you can't put down once you've started. Both the story and the writing really pulled me into the book. You don't have to be familiar with autism to understand it, but I found it quite helpful myself. :) Definately a must read!

I can't go online because our internet connection is kind of dead for the next 5 days or so. Not fun. Will use my aunt her computer until then to check my email etc. But I won't be able to post anything here unfortunately. So I'll be back next Wednesday if everything works out. Have a nice weekend everyone!

*waves*

I'm back again, finally! :D

Will update sometime today or maybe later this week. Haven't really read many books, because I'm trying to finish Anna Karenina. I was reading it for a group read, but I have to bring it back to the library at the end of this month. Oh well, I'll just join the discussion anyway when something comes up that I remember. :)

I'll catch up on the threads this week, will be slow though because there are so many haha.

Thank you alcottacre! I'm glad to be back again. :)

Book 55: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie.

Join Wendy, John, and Michael Darling as they follow Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up, to a world where fairies live and children can fly. But beware -- danger abounds in this magical land of mermaids, Indians, and fairy dust. Captain Hook and his pirate crew want all children to walk the plank, especially Peter Pan.

There is always an adventure to be had in Neverland. So come along with the Darling children as they soar into the night sky -- second to the right and straight on till morning!

- - -

2.5 out of 5 stars

I really thought I'd love this one, but unfortunately I just couldn't get into the story, didn't like it. Some parts were easier to read, but I was glad to finish it. Maybe it's because of the translation, I read it in Dutch. But I don't think I'll ever find out if the English version is better, don't want to read it again.

I liked Peter Pan when I read it a few years ago, mostly because I found it hysterical the way Tinkerbell kept swearing like a sailor. She was definitely not a Disney fairy, that's for darn sure!

#111: Tinkerbell was quite fun indeed. She just kept swearing and she was quite mean. I always thought she was nice haha. :P

Book 56: Help! Ik Ben Veel Te Dik by Marie-Claire Thijsen.

Written by a mother who's daughter is anorexic. Everything is told from her point of view, how she experienced everything: From how she found out, how living with an anorexic daughter is, to going through the process of getting help and getting better.

- - -

3.5 out of 5 stars

Quite an interesting book, probably because I've been struggling with eating myself for about 2 years now. The fact that this book is written from the mother's perspective makes you understand what it's like for someone to have to see a loved one go through that hell.

Book 57: Door De Hel Van Anorexia by Martine de Vries.

A girl who has struggled with anorexia for only a relatively short period of of time, explains how she experienced those weeks and she talks about the aftermath. One thing that I still remember, was that she said that the problem is not solved once you start eating again. And that is so true, even though many people do think it works like that. There is so much more involved than just food.

- - -

3.5 out of 5 stars

Another interesting book about anorexia, which has details about her daily life. I liked that she included some of her diary entries too, it really makes you understand how desperate she felt at times. She was strong enough to start eating again, to get on the road to recovery by herself with only help from her family and friends. I admire her for that.

Book 58: Nachtwerk (Office Hours) by David Baldacci.

Written for Holland's Year 2000 "Month of the Thriller" : A short book about a serial killer who kills women. Some of it is told from the serial killer's perspective, but you don't really get a feel for him. It's more about his final female 'victim'.

- - -

3 out of 5 stars

This was book I just read to pass a few hours. It was a nice read, but nothing spectacular.

Book 59: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. 3.5 *

From Amazon:
Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Tragedy unfolds as Anna rejects her passionless marriage and must endure the hypocrisies of society. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, the novel's seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing out the contrasts of city and country life and all the variations on love and family happiness.

-

It's been quite a while since I read book that has so many pages (945), but this one was well worth the time! I started it because I joined a group read here on LT, but since my mom has to read it too and I have to bring it back to the library, I had to finish it already. I'm glad I did though, it was a good story with a lot of interesting characters. It was fun to read about so many different people. :) I was a bit disappointed by the last part of the book unfortunately, don't know why.

a storm of 3-and-a-half star books lately - here's hoping your next one is even better than that! :)

Thanks! I don't mind reading books that I end up rating 3.5 *, but I'm looking forward to one that I really love indeed. :) Still reading The Stand by Stephen King, which is amazing!

Book 60: Carmilla by Sheridan LeFanu Joseph. 3*

"Carmilla" is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. First published in 1872, it tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire named Carmilla.

*

A short vampire story that was fun to read in a day. :) Wasn't really scary, but still fun.

Book 61: Graven In De Nijldelta by Willem van Haarlem. 3 *

Story of a Dutch archeologist who works in Egypt, digging up graves/piramids/temples etc. We are told how everything works, which people help them, what instruments they need to make sure everything stays intact.

I've always been interested in everything that has to do with Egypt, but until now I've never really read much about it unfortunately. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment! It will be much appreciated. :)

#121: OK, hang on to your hat for some Egyptology recommendations:

Tombs, Temples and Hieroglyphs and Red Land, Black Land by Barbara Mertz (otherwise known as Elizabeth Peters, she also writes the Amelia Peabody series, but actually has a degree in Egyptology)

Development of Religion and Thought in Ancient Egypt and A History of Ancient Egypt: From the Earliest Times to the Persian Conquest by James Henry Breasted

The Rape of the Nile by Brian Fagan

Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization by Barry J. Kemp

Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt by Nina Burleigh

That should get you off to a good start. If you want any more suggestions, I am more than willing to oblige. I love the study of Egyptology!

Oooh that's a nice list already, thank you! :) Definately putting them on my wishlist. Will look for them when I'm able to buy new books again. Thanks!

You are quite welcome :)

ETA: The Mertz book Tombs, Temples and Hieroglyphs was revised in the past couple of years, so if you can find the revision, it will be the most current of the books listed. I highly recommend the Breasted books although they will be dated. James Henry Breasted was a very well-respected scholar of Egyptology and primarily responsible for the Oriental Museum in Chicago.

Message edited by its author, May 12, 2009, 6:23am.

Yes, yes! Those are excellent ones to recommend, Stasia. Brian Fagan is a spectacular author as well, and my Near Eastern archaeology professor constantly referred us to Rape of the Nile as "recommended reading".

I could also recommend a number of more subject-specific works (ie. art from particular dates, excavation reports, and the like), if that interests you at all...?

#124: Thanks for the extra info, will look for the revision. :) I had never heard of Breasted before, but his works seem really interesting!

#125: It does interest me, yes, thank you. I'm not picky about the subject, I like to read new things too, so any recommendation is fine. :)

Book 62: The Willows by Algernon Blackwood. 4 *

Perhaps his most celebrated story, was influenced heavily by Blackwood's own trips down the Danube River. It tells the story of two campers who pick the wrong place to sleep for the night, a place where another dimension impinges on our own. H. P. Lovecraft considered this the finest supernatural tale in English literature.

It was also written very well, loved the descriptions of the surroundings and how both campers experienced everything that happened on and around their little island. Really liked this one!

#127: It does not sound like my cup of tea, but I am glad you enjoyed it!

Book 63: Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis. 3.5 *

The story is a re-telling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche, from the point of view of Orual, Psyche's ugly sister.

Till We Have Faces explores Queen Orual's lifelong battle to reconcile her religious heritage with her Greek tutor's agnosticism, brought into conflict when her beautiful sister, Psyche, believes she has become the sacrificial bride of the Wind-Spirit and loses him, when Orual demands proof. In old age, Orual writes and then appends corrections to her telling of the story, sure some day that wise Greek readers will judge between her and the gods.

Aged Queen Orual writes to eventual Greek readers asking they judge between her and the gods over how she has been mistreated. Orual begins her story the day her mother dies, and a slave shears her plain locks and younger sister, Redival's, golden curls. A Greek slave, the Fox, becomes their tutor while waiting for a half brother, who turns out to be another.....

*

Lately I've decided to read more books that I normally wouldn't even look at. This one of them. I read it as part of a group read here on LT and I must say I'm glad I joined in. The story is interesting and I just wanted to keep reading. I also like his writing style, it's easy to read and he pulls you into the story. :)

Book 64: The Pit And The Pendulum by Edgar Allen Poe. 4 *

The narrator begins with a disjointed account of what appears to be his sentence at the hands of the Inquisition. He drifts in and out of consciousness, pondering how restful death would be. He then describes parts of his trial, remembers a period of feeling and thinking nothing, then of forgetting.

When he is seemingly in his right mind, he begins by saying that now that he is in his place of punishment, he has not yet opened his eyes. He is not tied up, and he is lying on his back. When he does open his eyes, his worst fears are realized - he can see nothing. He is lying in complete and utter darkness. He does not know or cannot remember his sentence, but he knows that those condemned.....

*

I read this one because it's on the list of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. It was a very small book because this actually is a short story, as everyone probably knows. I quite enjoyed this one, when reading it, it felt like I was actually there watching it happen.

Book 65: The Black Poodle: And Other Stories by F. Anstey. 3.5 *

- The Black Poodle
- The Story of a Sugar Prince
- The Return of Agamemnon
- The Wraith of Barnjum
- A Toy Tragedy
- An Undergraduate's Aunt
- The Siren
- The Curse of the Catafalques
- A Farewell Appearance
- Accompanied on the Flute

This is a collection of short stories. All the stories are quite different and can be placed in different genres. Even though I'm not a fan of them all, I must admit that all the stories are written well and it was fun to read. :)

Message edited by its author, May 16, 2009, 11:18am.

Book 66: Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. 2½ / 3 *

A girl named Alice is bored while on a picnic with her sister. She finds interest in a white rabbit, dressed in a waistcoat and muttering "I'm late!", whom she follows down a rabbit-hole. She drops into a dream underworld of paradox, the absurd and the improbable. As she attempts to follow the rabbit, she has several misadventures. She grows to gigantic size and shrinks to half her original height; meets a group of small animals stranded in a sea of her own tears; gets trapped in the rabbit's house; meets a baby, which changes into a pig, and a cat, which disappears; goes to a never-ending tea party; plays croquet with an anthropomorphised deck of cards; goes to the shore and meets a Gryphon and a Mock Turtle; and attends the courtroom trial of the Knave of Hearts, who has been accused of stealing some tarts. Eventually Alice wakes up underneath a tree back with her sister.

*

I have tried to watch the movie a very long time ago and I hated it. I still do. So now I decided I'd give the book a try, but unfortunately I didn't like that either. Forced myself to finish it because I hate stopping in the middle of it. Some parts were alright, but it's just not for me I guess. The writing was good though.

Today I dumped a few books at my library and went shopping with my mom. The weather was lovely, made me feel better too. Sunshine always cheers me up a bit. Ended up buying a new shirt and 8 books for €3:

1. Larry Collins/Dominique Laperre – The Fifth Horsemen.
2. Eric van Lustbader – Black Heart.
3. Christopher Nicole – The Sun Rises.
4. Raymond E. Feist/Janny Wurts – Daughter Of The Empire.
5. Brian Moore – Lies Of Silence.
6. An Anthology Of Enlish Prose, arranged by S.L. Edwards.
7. Phyllis A. Whitney – The Glass Flame.
8. Lawrence Sanders – The Third Deadly Sin.

I have no idea when I’m going to read them, cause I have a lot of books on my shelve that I still need to read. And I keep taking books from the library instead of reading my own. Not smart.

Book 67: Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich. 4 *

In Hard Eight, Stephanie Plum picks up a case a little nastier than anything the wisecracking bounty hunter's seen before. Evelyn Soder and her young daughter have gone on the run, leaving an angry ex-husband who's planning to collect on a child custody bond that will leave Evelyn's grandmother homeless. Stephanie's first clue that there's more to it than that comes in the form of Eddie Abruzzi, a shady local businessman who warns her to butt out of the case. Stephanie doesn't scare easily, but when Abruzzi's henchmen leave a bag of snakes on her doorknob and tarantulas in her car, she has no choice but to call Ranger, the hunky man of mystery whom she already owes too many favors. Steph knows that Ranger will soon be calling in his marker, but with her ex- fiancé Joe Morelli out of the picture, that should be OK--shouldn't it? In the meantime, she's got other fugitives to catch, aided by the usual band of misfits, plus a bumbling correspondence-school lawyer who's developed the hots for Stephanie's sister, Valerie. And Steph's in for a surprise from her mother, who proves she's not above wielding a dangerous weapon to save her daughter's life.

*

Another great installment! I really like Ranger is this one. =)

#133: And I keep taking books from the library instead of reading my own. Not smart.

I can relate! It happens to me all the time, lol. I swear my personal library is where books go to remain unread.

#135: Haha exactly! I've decided to read a few books of my tbr pile after I've finished the library books that are currently on my shelf. ;)

I've been in a reading slump for quite some time now. I started a pain progam at my hospital and am currently talking with a social worker & psychologist. It's all a bit intense and tiring, so I can't really concentrate on books. Planning to start reading more again sometime next week though, because I also have to start with fysiotherapy soon. The first few days (or weeks) will be very hard, so I don't think I'll read much then either.

>135 Stasiia: "I swear my personal library is where books go to remain unread." I have been thinking the same thing lately. I made a comprehensive list of books to read from my library at the beginning of the year and after a brilliant start in January, I have since competely ignored my list and have been pursuing every wiil-o-the-wisp as inclination takes me. Every time I go to the public library to find a particular book I end up with something else I hadn't planned to read! Good fun though!

~ TT

>136 Tammie, sorry to hear you are still unwell, I hope your pain control programme is effective.

~ TT

#137: Every time I go to the public library to find a particular book I end up with something else I hadn't planned to read! Good fun though!

I am the absolute worst at that! I go in to the library to pick up 3 and come out with 7 or 10 or 12 . . .

#136: I join with TT in hoping that all goes well for you!

#136 & #140: Thank you! :) I'm doing a bit better now. Might hear when I can start with fysiotherapy tomorrow and have to do a blood test too. Still have cramps in my stomach and can't eat properly, so they want to make sure I don't have some sort of infection/parasite.

Started reading again yesterday, but I just noticed I have to finish The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas before the 18th, so I'm going to read that one first. Heard so many good things about it. :)

Also completely forgot to post about a book I read in May, will do that in a few minutes. My memory isn't too great haha.

Hope everyone is doing great!

Book 68: Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich. 4*

She's living with a vice cop, she's partnered with a retired hooker, her mother's hitting the sauce, her grandmother's a swinging senior, and she's tracking a woman who hijacked a Frito-Lay truck and ate the evidence. But the fun shifts to fear when Plum is the lone witness to a gang executed robbery and cop shooting. There's a contract issued for her head and a California-based killer looking to fill that contract. The tenth Stephanie Plum novel is filled with Evanovich's trademark high stakes, high adventure, high wit, and sly comedy.

*

It's been quite a while since I read this (sometime last month), so I don't really remember what I liked the most in this one. Grandma Mazur was great though if I remember correctly! ;)

Message edited by its author, Jun 10, 2009, 4:45pm.

#142: Grandma Mazur is the only reason I continue to read that series. I love her!

Book 69: The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. 4*

Berlin 1942

When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.

But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

- - - Contains spoilers!

My mom asked me download this movie for her some time ago and that was the first time I ever heard about it. She like the movie and she read the book a few weeks later. Other people also told me story was interesting so I finally had time to read this one and I wasn't disappointed! I really like how nice and innocent Bruno is. Especially compared to the rest of his family. Really feel sad about how it ended for him, but I think his father deserves the pain he's feeling because he lost his son. Don't have any sympathy for such a horrible person.

Message edited by its author, Jun 11, 2009, 12:06pm.

I'm currently reading War Of The Worlds by H.G. Wells and I like it so far! Am only on page 54 of 222, but I think I'll like the rest of the book too. I've never read anything of H.G. Wells before and I'm surprised by how much I like his writing style to be honest.

Might have some extra reading time this evening! I was supposed to go for a walk earlier today, but I stayed inside watching tennis. Decided I was going out tonight, but it started raining and it doesn't look like it's going to clear up soon. Going to watch Charmed & House tonight and spend the rest of the time reading. :) I need to catch up and finish my library books haha.

hmmm I read War of the Worlds this year as well and while I liked and was impressed by Wells's imagination - especially at the time he wrote it - I must say I didn't care for his writing style at all. So interesting how different tastes can even between us LT users :) I ended u giving it 3 stars and I hoe you like it even more than that! Enjoy!

Book 70: The War Of The Worlds by H.G. Wells. 3.5/4 *

From Amazon:

This is the granddaddy of all alien invasion stories, first published by H.G. Wells in 1898. The novel begins ominously, as the lone voice of a narrator tells readers that "No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's..."

Things then progress from a series of seemingly mundane reports about odd atmospheric disturbances taking place on Mars to the arrival of Martians just outside of London. At first the Martians seem laughable, hardly able to move in Earth's comparatively heavy gravity even enough to raise themselves out of the pit created when their spaceship landed. But soon the Martians reveal their true nature as death machines 100-feet tall rise up from the pit and begin laying waste to the surrounding land. Wells quickly moves the story from the countryside to the evacuation of London itself and the loss of all hope as England's military suffers defeat after defeat. With horror his narrator describes how the Martians suck the blood from living humans for sustenance, and how it's clear that man is not being conquered so much a corralled.

***

This is the first book I've read by H.G. Wells and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I liked the first part of the book the most I think, wanted to keep reading and find out what was going to happen. To be honest the ending was a bit dull. I had hoped for something spectacular to end the story, but it was quite the opposite, so I was disappointed by that.

Book 71

Title: The Invisible Man
Author: H.G. Wells
Pages: 160
Read: June 2009
Rating: 3 stars

From Amazon:

With his face swaddled in bandages, his eyes hidden behind dark glasses, and his hands covered even indoors, Griffin—the new guest at the Coach and Horses—is at first assumed to be a shy accident victim. But the true reason for his disguise is far more chilling: he has developed a process that has made him invisible and is locked in a struggle to discover the antidote. Forced from the village and driven to murder, he seeks the aid of an old friend, Kemp. The horror of his fate has affected his mind, however, and when Kemp refuses to help, he resolves to wreak his revenge.

***

I was a bit disappointed with this one. The story was great, but somehow it felt like he didn't make the most of it. A story about an invisible man could've been so much more exciting. Got through this one quite slowly.

Book 72

Title: To Kill A Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Pages: 310
Read: June 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

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.

***

I really enjoyed reading this one. It is quite a thought provoking book with serious subjects, like racism. Love that it's told through the eyes of a child, who doesn't care if people are black, white or poor. It keeps the book from being a too depressing read. Did seem like the story was a bit slow at times. But still a great book!

Book 73

Title: The Time Machine
Author: H.G. Wells
Pages: 90
Read: June 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

From Amazon:

When a Victorian scientist propels himself into the year a.d. 802,701, he is initially delighted to find that suffering has been replaced by beauty, contentment, and peace. Entranced at first by the Eloi, an elfin species descended from man, he soon realizes that these beautiful people are simply remnants of a once-great culture—now weak and childishly afraid of the dark. They have every reason to be afraid: in deep tunnels beneath their paradise lurks another race descended from humanity—the sinister Morlocks. And when the scientist’s time machine vanishes, it becomes clear he must search these tunnels if he is ever to return to his own era.

***

I started in this book sometime last year, but just couldn't get into it at that time. So I tried again because it's on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die and I'm glad I did. It was a fun, short read. Got through this a bit slow though, not sure why.

I'm glad you enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird. It's one of my all time favorites.

It's been a while since I've last been online, so I have some catching up to do. ;)

I've read a few books this month, not as much as I wanted though. Hope I'll have more time to read next month.

I'm currently reading De Retoucheur by Dmitri Stachov. Not sure what to think of it yet. Might be just the translation, but I don't like the way this one is written.

Book 74

Title: Phantom Of The Opera
Author: Gaston Leroux
Pages: 87
Read: June 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

From Amazon:

When the new managers of the Paris Opera House ignore their predecessors' warnings about the hideous 'Opera ghost' stalking the theatre, it is a fatal mistake. Tortured by unrequited love for the beautiful young singer Christine Daae, the mysterious figure living in the depths beneath them has been awaiting his chance to strike. And when Christine suddenly disappears after a triumphant singing performance, it becomes clear that the phantom's time has come.

***

Saw this one on a table at my library and thought it was time I finally read this one. I never knew it was such a short story to be honest. Had expected to like it more, but it was a fun read. :)

Message edited by its author, Jun 28, 2009, 10:04am.

Book 75

Title: The Wind In The Willows
Author: Kenneth Grahame
Pages: 72
Read: June 2009
Rating: 4 stars

Mole, Water Rat, Badger, and the mischievous Toad live a quiet life on banks of the River Thames with the rest of their animal friends. But Toad tends to get into trouble, and his passion for cars eventually results in his being caught and kept a helpless prisoner in the remotest dungeon of the best-guarded castle in all the land. Dressed as a washerwoman—and with some help from his friends—Toad manages to escape the castle and begins his journey home to Toad Hall.

***

I knew this was a book that I just had to read, because everyone kept telling me so. But I never once asked what it's about, so this time I started a book without knowing anything about it. Must say I was a bit surprised at first, but now I know why it's recommended so much. It really is a lovely story and I think I'll buy it sometime! :)

Book 76

Title: A Darker Domain
Author: Val McDermid
Pages: 382
Read: June 2009
Rating: 3.5/4 stars

From Amazon:

1984. The National miners' strike is dividing the country, and in a struggling coal-mining town, the miners and their families are living at the edge of their resources. They have no money, and there is no food or heating. On the 14th of December, five miners break ranks to travel to Nottingham and work. For those who stay behind, this is an unforgivable betrayal, and the men are branded as scabs. 23 years later, a young woman is asking the police to trace her missing father: miner Mick Prentice vanished, never to be seen again, although money has been sent to his family; he was widely considered to be one of the scabs. Soon, D I Karen Pirie and DS Phil Parharta find themselves investigating a forgotten disappearance.

This is the provocative premise of Val McDermid's latest novel, A Darker Domain, and this utterly compelling book is further proof that McDermid is determined to stretch the parameters of what crime fiction is supposedly capable of. McDermid has always been prepared to freight serious issues into her work, and this novel -- which, in many ways, is an examination of the conditions that produced the Britain we live in today -- demonstrates the continuing high level of her ambition.

In fact, Karen Pirie, when taking on this new assignment, is already involved in a case of kidnapping that took place 22 years earlier (in which a woman was killed during a bungled handover of money). Journalist Bel Richmond makes a startling discovery concerning the MacLennan kidnapping while on holiday in Tuscany, and as the three protagonists dig deeper into ever-more labyrinthine mysteries, they are to make some remarkable discoveries -- discoveries which throw light not just on the crimes involved, but on the whole of British society.

***

I didn't really know what to expect at first, but I quite liked this one. Some things were a bit predictable and the ending wasn't as good as I hoped it would be, but it was a great read. :)

Glad you liked The Wind in the Willows, I read it last year and loved it too.

I am a big Wind in the Willows fan, too!

It's been a while since I last was online. Have been really busy with my program at the hospital and I've been more active, which means that I have less time to read unfortunately. Also been pretty sick last week and didn't feel like reading at all, so I really need to catch up. ;) I'll try to catch up with all the threads too, sorry for the lack of comments.

I've read De Retoucheur by Dmitri Stachov and One For The Money by Janet Evanovich. I'll post about them a little later. :) Am now reading Two For The Dough by Janet Evanovich and after that I'll start in Three To Get Deadly. I really need to get my hands on this series sometime, when I have money haha. My library only has 5 books of the Stephanie Plum series.

Message edited by its author, Jul 12, 2009, 7:50am.

As far as Evanovich goes, I find the first several in the series pretty good - gotta love Grandma Mazur - but the most recent books are not very good at all.

#159: I've read books 7, 8 and 9 earlier this year, my library doesn't have any newer ones. I did like those. The first books do seem to be better though. Grandma Mazur is my favorite character, you gotta love her. :)

I've heard others say the same as you, so I think I'll just see if I can borrow the books from someone or get them for a very low price. They have quite a few bookstores here that sell English books for €0,25 - €2,00. Might be lucky and find one sometime.

Book 77

Title: De Retoucheur
Author: Dmitri Stachov
Pages: 187
Read: June 2009
Rating: 3 stars

There are strange things happening in the life of the successful Moscow photographer Genrich Genrichovitsj Miller. People who he deleted from pictures, disappear under mysterious circumstances. Genrich has a strong sense that these deaths have something to do with him. The key to the terrible truth about his life is in the history of his family.

***

Loved the idea of this book, but I didn't like it unfortunately. Only finished it because I hate leaving books unfinished. Might be the translation, but the way it was written was pretty annoying.

Book 78

Title: One For The Money
Author: Janet Evanovich
Pages: 177
Read: June 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

Trenton native Stephanie Plum is out of work, out of money, and her car's in repo-hell.So how does a hardly working girl turn to when the going gets tough? Meet cousin Vinnie, bail bondsman. Stephanie figures it's nice work if you can get it -- shagging bail jumpers for $10,000 a pop. So she joins up. Not that she knows the first thing about it. But hey, beggars can't be choosers.
But now the bad news -- there's a cranky ex-prize fighter dogging her, unfinished business with Maestro Morelli himself, and a nasty habit she has of leaping first and looking later. If Stephanie doesn't wise up fast, the first dead body she sees could be her own.

***

Finally read the first book of the series last month. I've been told the first few books are the best and I think I have to agree. Really enjoyed it.

Message edited by its author, Sep 29, 2009, 4:47pm.

Book 79

Title: Two For The Dough
Author: Janet Evanovich
Pages: 200
Read: June 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is still learning the ropes at her cousin Vinnie’s bail bond office, so when she sets out on the trail of Kenny Mancuso—a suspiciously wealthy, working class Trenton boy who has just shot his best friend—the stakes are higher than ever. That Mancuso is distantly related to vice cop Joe Morelli—who is trying to beat Stephanie to the punch—only makes the hunt more thrilling….

Taking pointers from her bounty hunter pal, Ranger, and using her pistol-packing Granda Mazur as a decoy, Stephanie is soon closing in on her mark. But Morelli and his libido are worthy foes. And a more sinister kind of enemy has made his first move…and his next move might be Stephanie’s last.

***

This is definately my favorite of this series so far! Grandma Mazur is just awesome. :)

Message edited by its author, Sep 29, 2009, 4:47pm.

Book 80

Title: The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Pages: 80
Read: July 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

Imagine a scientist who has concocted a potion. With an act of excitement the man tests this potion on himself. With one gulp, he experiences an amazing transformation. And thus, a disturbing creature has arises. This is a story following the lawyer (Mr. Utterson), who tries to discover who this thing is and what is the relationship has between it and his friend, Dr. Jekyll. As he looks deeper and deeper into things, Mr. Utterson uncovers something so horrifying, even he can't keep it inside

***

A short, but quite fascinating book. Read this for the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list.

Book 81

Title: Three To Get Deadly
Author: Janet Evanovich
Pages: 212
Read: July 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

Stephanie Plum, the brassy babe in the powder-blue Buick, has been given the unpopular task of finding Mo Bedemier, Trenton's most beloved citizen, arrested for carrying concealed and a no-show for his court appearance.
She's got big, blonde, black Lula, a former hooker turned file clerk -- now a wannabe bounty hunter -- at her side, sticking like glue. And Lula's itching to get the chance to lock up a crook in the trunk of her car.
Joe Morelli, the New Jersey vice cop with the slow-burning smile
that undermines a girl's strongest resolve, is suddenly being polite. What gives? Might he be manipulating Steph, using her in his investigation, counting on her curiosity and competitive Jersey attitude?

***

Took me awhile to finish this one, had read a bit too much of the series. I noticed that even though I love to read about Stephanie Plum, it's more fun to read one of the books every few months. But I'm glad I finished this one now, cause I was curious about the ending and I just really liked Lula in this one.

Book 82

Title: Blood Of My Blood
Author: Åke Smedberg
Pages: 250
Read: July 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

John Nielsen follows the coffin of his best friend, Lasse Henning, to the grave. Bound up with his grief is a sense that he has somehow been abandoned, let down. A friend has simply gone off without a word of farewell, without so much as leaving a message. But soon he is quite unexpectedly confronted with a question: what does he actually know about his friend? And was it really a case of death from natural causes? A photograph of a younger Lasse Henning with his arms around a mysterious young woman, and a series of messages on his mobile, set John Nielsen off on a trail that leads him back in time.
This book, the third in the series with freelance journalist John Nielsen as its main character, is a closely woven narrative, where events from the past rise to the surface with a fateful power, bringing with them a wave of violence and death. Suddenly Nielsen is drawn into the hunt for a shadowy figure whose menacing presence lurks in the background. But the question is – who is hunting whom?

***

I randomly picked up this book at my library a few weeks ago and finally had time to read it today. Must say I quite enjoyed it. Books by Swedish authors always seem so much alike to me somehow, but that's me being weird. I just don't know why. I found this one interesting though and I'm definately going to try to get my hands on more books of this author.

Book 83

Title: Procession Of The Dead
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 351
Read: July 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

The Cardinal is the City. He knows everything that happens there, between sewer and skyscraper top, from east to West. They are joined at the soul. When the the young gangster Capac Raimi arrives in the City he has great hopes of carving out a life of criminal greatness, afterall there is always room for one more gangster. He little suspects that his past present and future are tied to the Cardinal. And he is a jealous master.

***

My mom picked this one and I loved it! I've been planning on reading a book by him for some time now and I'm really happy that I finally did. This is the first book in The City trilogy and even though my library doesn't have the other two books (ofcourse), I'm looking forward to reading them. Might even buy the whole series sometime, because I think I'd want to read this again in a few years. I just find the whole idea of the story fascinating and the way he wrote it was really interesting. From the moment I started reading I knew that I needed to keep reading until the end. I was really pulled into the story and the characters. It's been quite some time since I last was so curious about the ending of a book. In this story you slowly learn what's happening until finally everything comes together, instead of being kept in the dark and having everything explained in the last few pages. And I guess that's what made me want to keep reading.

Today was a good reading day for me. Read two books, Blood Of My Blood and Procession Of The Dead. A total of 601 pages, not bad at all. I definately need to catch up and this is a good start. The weather was lovely, so I sat outside all day with my books and ipod. Wish I could do the same tomorrow, but I really need to clean up my room and get some exercise. Think I'll go for a walk, I always love to walk by the river and enjoy the view. Might bring a book with me so I can read a bit before I go back home.

Looks like you had a good day, Tammie. I hope you had a lovely walk.

#167 Hi Tammie, the 2nd one Hell's Horizon might be worth checking out to, I didn't find it amazing as the Procession of the Dead but it was still enjoyable.

I have these Darren Shan books lined up to read, I loved his teen books.

#170 Thanks for letting me know, will try to get my hands on it sometime. :)

#171 I've never read any of his teen books, but I think I'll give them a try. They seem fun. :)

Book 84

Title: Gone For Good
Author: Harlan Coben
Pages: 363
Read: July & August 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

From Amazon:

On October 17, eleven years ago, Julie Miller was found brutally strangled in the basement of her house in the township of Livingston, New Jersey. On that day, Will's brother, Ken Klein, became the subject of an international manhunt accused of the crime. He has not been seen since. Will has tried to get on with his life in the intervening years. He has a beautiful new girlfriend, Sheila, and a job working with the homeless. But when his mother reveals, on her deathbed, that Ken is still alive, and shortly afterwards Sheila disappears, the cracks start to show in his landscape again. But it is only when he finds that Sheila herself is wanted for a savage double-murder that his life actually starts to fall apart...

***

My first book by this author and I'm glad I enjoyed it. It's a good book, interesting story but I still think the ending was a bit abrupt. Just bought The Innocent today, hope I'll like that one too. :)

I went to the book fair here in Deventer again this year, it's always amazing. Was quite rainy today though, but it wasn't too cold.
Said that I wouldn't buy anything because I really need to save some money, but ended up with some books ofcourse. ;)

- Lie To Me by David Martin.
- The Ghosts Of Sleath by James Herbert.
- The Innocent by Harlan Coben.
- Imajica by Clive Barker.
- Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King.
- The Devil's Cat by William W. Johnstone.
- Emma by Jane Austen.
- American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.
- Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule.
- The Memory Game by Nicci French.
- Killshot by Elmore Leonard.
- Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard.
- Maximum Bob by Elmore Leonard.

My mom also bought 7 Stephen King books which I'm definately going to read sometime. And my tbr pile just keeps on growing haha. I really need to stop taking so many books from my library.

That's a great selection of books. I went to a bookfair recently as well and came away with far too many books.

#174: Wow! Nice haul.

#175: I always end up with quite a few more books than I imagined buying at first too haha. No matter how big my tbr pile is.

#175: I'm really looking forward to reading them! The most expensive one was €5 this time, can't complain. Emma by Jane Austen was only €1! Don't think I would've found it cheaper anywhere else. Reading English books saves me a lot of money sometimes. :)

Book 85

Author: Chris Mooney
Title: The Secret Friend
Pages: 319
Read: August 2009
Rating: 3 stars

When Judith Chen is found floating in Boston's harbour, links are made with the murder of Emma Hale, a student who vanished without trace, only for her body to wash up months later.

CSI Darby McCormick is assigned to the case and uncovers a piece of overlooked evidence from the Hale investigation - which brings her into contact with Malcolm Fletcher, a former FBI agent now on the Most Wanted List after a string of bloody murders And when a third student goes missing, Darby is led into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with deadly links to the past - and a man who speaks to the Blessed Virgin. A man who wants to be a secret friend to the girls he abducts.

***

I don't have much to say about this one. It was a nice read, but I won't remember this one for long. Think I would've liked it more if the focus had been on the serial killer for most of the book, because his motivations were interesting enough.

Book 86

Autor: Kate Atkinson
Title: Not The End Of The World
Pages: 268
Read: August 2009
Rating: 2.5 stars

From Charlene and Trudi, shopping madly while bombs explode outside, to gormless Eddie, a cataloguer of fish, and Meredith Zane who has discovered the secret to eternal life, each story brings to life a startling cast of characters. Linking the stories is an exploration of the infinite variety of ways in which people attempt to change the world around them, and themselves.

***

I'm sure a lot of people will love this, but it just isn't for me. I had to wrestle through this one. It's not a bad book, but her writing style didn't appeal to me at all, found it a bit annoying.

Book 87

Author: Kate Atkinson
Title: Case Histories: A Novel
Pages: 319
Read: August 2009
Rating: 3 stars

From Amazon:

In Cambridge, Jackson Brodie, a private investigator and former police detective, is quietly contemplating life as a divorced father when he is flung into the midst of three resurrected old crimes: a child who mysteriously disappeared from a tent in her back garden; an unidentified man who marched into an office and slashed the throat of a young girl; and a young woman found sitting in her kitchen next to the body of her husband, an axe buried in his head.

As he launches into his investigations, and becomes immersed in the demands of the victims’ families, Jackson has the sinister feeling that someone is following him. As he begins to unearth secrets that have remained buried in the past, he is assailed by his former wife’s plan to take his young daughter away to live in New Zealand. At the same time his stalker becomes increasingly malevolent and dangerous. In digging into the past Jackson seems to have unwittingly threatened his own future.

***

I liked this one more, was able to get into the story. But still not something I really enjoyed unfortunately. I'm glad I finished it, but I probably won't be reading any of her books anymore.

Book 88

Author: Michael Connelly
Title: The Scarecrow
Pages: 413
Read: August 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

From Amazon:

Forced out of the Los Angeles Times amid the latest budget cuts, newspaperman Jack McEvoy decides to go out with a bang, using his final days at the paperto write the definitive murder story of his career.

He focuses on Alonzo Winslow, a 16-year-old drug dealer in jail after confessing to a brutal murder. But as he delves into the story, Jack realizes that Winslow's so-called confession is bogus. The kid might actually be innocent.

Jack is soon running with his biggest story since The Poetmade his career years ago. He is tracking a killer who operates completely below police radar--and with perfect knowledge of any move against him. Including Jack's.

***

I quite enjoyed this one. The story is interesting and made me want to keep reading. The characters were good too, I really got a feel for them, you know? I liked how Jack and Rachel worked together so well.

Message edited by its author, Aug 20, 2009, 11:47am.

Book 89

Author: Karine Giébel
Title: De Duisternis Valt
Pages: 287
Read: August 2009
Rating: 4 stars


When inspector Benoit Lorand wakes up, he doesn't know where he is. Unknown walls and odors. A basement. He is a prisoner. A beautiful woman comes to visit him. Then the memories come back: her car was broken, he had brought her home. He had embraced her. And then ... a black hole. Who is she? Why is she keeping him locked up in her basement? He thinks of his son. His wife. Will he ever see them again? Slowly the terrible reality gets through to him. The woman tells him about her sister, raped and murdered several years ago. She is ready for him to confess to this crime. How can he convince her that he has nothing to do with the murder?

***

A great book! I stumbled across this one the website of my library and I'm really glad I borrowed it. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm not going to talk about it. Just keep in mind it's not a happy book, but I do recommend it!

Book 90

Author: Jeff Abbott
Title: Collision
Pages: 365
Read: August 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

Collision is the story of two men living very different lives—one, a successful corporate consultant who is mourning the murder of his new bride; the other, a former CIA agent known only as "Pilgrim," whose current assignment for a fringe espionage agency is so treacherous he doesn't trust even his own boss. When they are thrown together in a violent, unexpected event, the two men realize that they've been framed in an elaborate setup. Unsure who to trust and who may just be trying to draw them into the open, the unlikely partners have no choice but to work together. But with everything at stake, Ben has no idea that Pilgrim is harboring some shocking secrets of his own—secrets that will soon force Ben to confront just how blurred the line has become between best friends and bitter enemies.

***

I love reading Abbott his books, but I wasn't too sure about this one. I'm not a big fan of people constantly trying to shoot each other, but I'm glad I gave it a try anyway. Not one of my favorites by him, but it was interesting enough. :)

You have done some nice reading, Tammie. I am adding several to Planet TBR.

Hi, Tammie!
You have done lots of great reading this year. And you have really done a super job with your reviews. Hope that all is well with you, and I am glad that I finally got caught up on your thread. Have a great day!
--BJ

Thanks for stopping by BJ! :) I haven't been reading much lately unfortunately, but I hope I'll have more time next month. Now I first need to add a few books I've read, before I forget about it haha.

Book 91

Author: Elizabeth Corley
Title: Innocent Blood
Pages: 526
Read: August 2009
Rating: 4.5 stars

From Amazon:

Major Jeremy Maidment, former service man and pillar of the community, only wants to help when his neighbour Mrs Pennysmith is robbed by local con man Luke Chalfont. Appealing to DI Bob Cooper, Maidment is on a mission to help police trap the subject. But the arrest goes rapidly awry when Chalfont threatens Bob with a knife and Maidment's 'shoot first, ask questions later' policy lands him in deep water. With a suspect near death and Maidment's possession of an unlicensed gun raising questions it's time for the Sussex force to draft in their Secret Weapon, Sergeant Nightingale; young, dynamic and determined to find answers...DCI Andrew Fenwick is also up against a tough case.The Choir Boy investigation, a project outside of ordinary police jurisdiction, aims to expose an infamous and increasingly powerful paedophile ring. The pressure is on as Fenwick's refusal to play by the rules means the prospect of new assistant commissioner Harper-Brown taking the case from him looms heavily. Moreover, with thirteen-year-old school boy Sam Bowyers missing, every second counts. But is the investigation more complex than it initially seems? And could something buried alongside a child's corpse, twenty-five years ago, hold the key? As tension mounts between the two cases, a question comes to light: Is innocence in the eye of the beholder?

***

This really is an amazing book! It's a bit disturbing but I just couldn't put it away once I started reading. The most horrible thing about this is that you know that stuff like this actually happens in real life.

Book 92

Author: Harlan Coben
Titel: Long Lost
Pages: 333
Read: September 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

Myron hasn’t heard from Terese Collins in years. Not since their affair ended with no explanation. There had been no contact since, so her call catches him off guard. She’s in Paris, she says, in trouble, and only Myron can help. She tells him a sad story she’s never before revealed: a good marriage, her struggles to get pregnant, the happiest moment of her life when her only child was born, the day everything she’d ever loved was taken from her. In the years since, Terese has had no contact with her ex-husband, until the phone call that brought her to Paris.

When she gets there he’s been murdered, and she’s a suspect. But then comes a startling piece of evidence that turns the entire case upside down, laying bare Terese’s long-buried family secrets in a most shocking way and leaving Myron nowhere to turn for help. Caught in a foreign landscape where nothing is as it seems, he must tear apart the city—and eventually the globe— fighting for answers to unfathomable questions that will take Myron where he has never gone before.

***

Another great book by Coben. I haven't read that many books by him yet, but this one is my favorite so far. Was always curious about what would happen next and the characters are great. :)

Book 93

Author: Sytze van der Zee
Title: Zuidwal: dossier van een seriemoordenaar
Pages: 284
Read: September 2009
Rating: 2.5 stars

On October 1, 1980 eleven-year-old Edith Post disappeared from Wassenaar. A few days later her body was found. The team investigating the murder, soon end up arresting a 30-year-old man who already has been convicted for more than 50 crimes. This man, Koos Hertogs appears to be a sadistic psychopath, who doesn't make things easy for the detectives after his arrest.

Van der Zee spoke with the detectives who were closely involved in the investigation into the murder of Edith Post and other crimes committed by Koos Hertogs. Zuidwal describes the events from the perspective of the detectives.

***

This book was a big disappointment. I don't know what the author wanted to get across with this. It's just really boring to be honest, even though a story about this man could've been interesting. He just didn't write it well at all.

Message edited by its author, Sep 20, 2009, 8:02am.

#187: I will have to look for that one. It looks very good!

Book 94

Title: 1222
Author: Anne Holt
Pages: 303
Read: September 2009
Rating: 3 stars

During a snowstorm in Norway a train derails. All the passengers are brought to a hotel nearby. Shortly after people are murdered. One of the passengers is Hanne Wilhelmsen. Along with a few other people he tries to find out who the killer is. But since Hanne was shot and ended up in a wheelchair, he's made himself invisible and it's a bit hard for him to suddenly be surrounded by people who want his attention. Especially when they find out he used to be a detective and they want him to lead the investigation.

***

Not a great book, not too bad either. If you're looking for a really exciting read, skip this one. The story is alright, but I had a hard time figuring out if someone was male or female since I'm not famaliar with Norwegian names.

Book 95

Title: Genesis
Author: Karin Slaughter
Pages: 515
Read: September 2009
Rating: 4 stars

Three and a half years ago former Grant County medical examiner Sara Linton moved to Atlanta hoping to leave her tragic past behind her. Now working as a doctor in Atlanta's Grady Hospital she is starting to piece her life together. But when a severely wounded young woman is brought in to the emergency room, she finds herself drawn back into a world of violence and terror. The woman has been hit by a car but, naked and brutalised, it's clear that she has been the prey of a twisted mind. When Special Agent Will Trent of the Criminal Investigation Team returns to the scene of the accident, he stumbles on a torture chamber buried deep beneath the earth. And this hidden house of horror reveals a ghastly truth - Sara's patient is just the first victim of a sick, sadistic killer. Wrestling the case away from the local police chief, Will and his partner Faith Mitchell find themselves at the centre of a grisly murder hunt. And Sara, Will and Faith - each with their own wounds and their own secrets - are the only thing that stands between a madman and his next crime...

***

Another good book by Karin Slaughter. Interesting story and characters. :) Thought it would be quite disturbing, but it wasn't as graphic as I expected it to be. Not that that's a bad thing in this story. ;)

#192: I am going to have to find that one. I am a fan of Slaughter's Grant County series. Thanks for the recommendation!

#193: I really need to read the rest of the series, think I've only read 2 so far, not sure though.. Anyway, hope you'll enjoy it too. :)

Book 96

Title: Twilight
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Pages: 434
Read: September 2009
Rating: 3.5/4 stars (can't decide)

From Amazon:

Bella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear.

***

So, I finally read Twilight. And I must say I was pleasantly surprised. :) I know everyone is always making a fuss about Twilight, but I'm someone who really doesn't care about all that. I've had many people tell me to read this because it's awesome, just as many told me to burn the book because it's too awful. But I don't judge a book until I've read it myself. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did though, not sure why that is. I was a bit scared that I would love the story, but find the writing really poor. Luckily that wasn't the case and I finished it pretty quick (a few hours). I'm used to vampire stories being all about evil vampires and people turning up dead etc. So when I finished the book a little earlier, I was a bit surprised that this one wasn't focused on that so much. Wouldn't have really fit in either with the rest of the story in my opninion, so I'm rather glad it turned out like this.

One thing that I really can't understand though is sparkling vampires. Seriously? That's just wrong haha. I'm going to try to forget someone even thought of writing about that.

Message edited by its author, Sep 29, 2009, 11:05am.

Book 97

Title: De Moedervlek
Author: Kristien Dieltiens
Pages: 294
Read: September & October 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

Sarah has a multiple personality disorder, developed because of sexual abuse and emotional neglect that started when she was very young. Self injury helps her escape the pain. Her treatment slowly starts to make things better for her, partly because of her love for one, also sexually abused boy. But then something happens that makes Sarah do something horrible.

***

Quite an interesting book. Not as good as I hoped it to be though.

Book 98

Title: New Moon
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Pages: 563
Read: October 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

From Amazon:

The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi.

***

Really took me a while to get into this book, felt like the story just started really slow. Luckily it got better. :) Looking forward to reading Eclipse.

Message edited by its author, Oct 4, 2009, 1:24pm.

Book 99

Title: American Youth
Author: Phil LaMarche
Pages: 221
Read: October 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

American Youth is a controlled, essential, and powerful tale of a teenager in southern New England who is confronted by a terrible moral dilemma following a fatal firearms accident in his home. This tragedy earns him the unwelcome admiration of a sinister group of boys at his school and a girl associated with them. Set in a town riven by social and ideological tensions – an old rural culture in conflict with newcomers – this is a classic portrait of a young man struggling with the idea of identity and responsibility in an America ill at ease with itself.

***

A great book, written very well. I was really pulled into the story by the characters.

#198: Sounds very good. I will look for it. Thanks for the recommendation!

Book 100

Title: Eclipse
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Pages: 628
Read: October 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

***

A great read, got through this one very quick. :) Liked this one more than New Moon.

Message edited by its author, Oct 18, 2009, 10:43am.

Book 101

Title: Stuk
Author: Judith Visser
Pages: 302
Read: October 2009
Rating: 4.5 stars

After the divorce of her parents, Elizabeth and her mother moved from Dordrecht to Rotterdam. Because her mother is always at work, Elizabeth spends most of her time alone at home, with her rat Sattnin. She's being bullied every single day by 3 people from her class. They call her fat, clumsy and sometimes even beat her up. One of her classmates, Alec, stands up for her once. She really likes him and is jealous of his beautiful girlfriend Riley, who has everything. Elizabeth would do anything to be like Riley, so she starts losing weight and she also buys a blonde wig. But one day Riley asks Elizabeth is he can go home with her, she's upset and has nowhere to go. Ofcourse Elizabeth says yes and she ends up with a plan that has big consequences.

***

An amazing book that shows how far people can go when they're being bullied and excluded.

Book 102

Title: The Stand
Author: Stephen King
Pages: 7..?
Read: February - October, I think.
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death.

And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides -- or are chosen. A world in which good rides on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abigail -- and the worst nightmares of evil are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the dark man.

***

I finally finished it! A great story with amazing characters. I already saw the movie a few years ago, which was awesome too. If you haven't read this yet, do so sometime! :)

Book 103

Title: Cirque Du Freak
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 222
Read: October 2009
Rating: 3 stars

Darren Shan and his two schoolmates are excited when their friend Steve comes across a flyer advertising the Cirque Du Freak. The boys pool their money but can only purchase two tickets, so they play a game of chance to see who will go with Steve. Darren closes his eyes, and almost as if by magic, the ticket floats into his hand.
Darren and Steve are mesmerized by the fantastic and disturbing show, but when they get caught up in a deadly trap Darren must make a deal with the only person who can save him. And that person is not human and only deals in blood...

***

Have always wanted to read this series, but my library doesn't have all the books ofcourse. My aunt her neighbor was so nice to let me read them all though!

The first book was a nice read. Have the second book here too, but I'm saving that one for next week I think. Otherwise I'll end up reading the whole series in one month, when I have quite a few library books waiting for me. ;)

Nice neighbors! Sounds like a series I would be interested in reading. I will have to look for it.

Book 104

Title: The Vampire's Assistant
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 205
Read: October 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

From Amazon:

Darren Shan was just an ordinary schoolboy until his visit to the Cirque Du Freak. Then Darren joins the powerful vampire Mr. Crepsley as his assistant, and they return to the mysterious freak show. There, Darren makes friends with the snake-boy, Evra Von. As he struggles with his new life as a vampire's assistant, Darren tries desperately to resist the temptation that sickens him ... the one thing that can keep him alive. But destiny is calling ... the wolf-man is waiting.

***

Great second book of the series, a little more intresting than the first one. Was nice to read more about the others who perform at Cirque Du Freak.

Book 105

Title: The Seventh Sacrament
Author: David Hewson
Pages: 431
Read: October 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

In the heat of a Rome summer, a seven-year-old boy vanishes in the dank catacombs beneath the city. Now fourteen years have passed, and in acclaimed author David Hewson’s stunning new crime novel the heart-wrenching case has come back to life as Detective Nic Costa and his fellow investigators search through layers of their city’s history–for a killer leaving a trail of bodies, lust, and revenge.

When young Alessio Bramante vanished, there was plenty of blame to go around. His father, a
charismatic professor of archaeology, inexplicably left Alessio alone near a labyrinth of ancient
tunnels and excavations. Six of the professor’s university students, fueled by booze and bravado, involved the boy in their own bizarre ritual at an altar of the ancient warrior god Mithras. And then there were the police: a commanding officer left Giorgio Bramante alone with the prime
suspect, allowing Alessio’s father to beat the man to death.

After years in prison, Giorgio has been set free and, one by one, those connected to the boy’s
disappearance are dying. As Costa and his fellow detectives scramble to find Giorgio, they are thrust into a darkening web of hidden perversions and secret passions past and present.
Because at the heart of this case–as close and as far away as Rome’s underground treasures–is the unanswered question: what really happened to little Alessio Bramante fourteen years ago–and why was his body never found?

***

Seemed interesting, so I borrowed it from the library. And I'm really glad I did, it was a great read. Quite a few interesting characters, which always makes a book more appealing to me. Would've liked to read more from Alessio's point of view though.

Book 106

Title: The Road
Author: Cormac McCarthy
Pages: 176
Read: October 2009
Rating: 4.5 stars

After a disaster that almost destroyed all life on earth, a father and his son cross the American landscape that has lost all color and warmth. They manage to take a few things with them, like food, some toys, blankets and a gun. They are going south in an attempt to get out of the freezing cold. Food is hard to find. 'Bad people' kill everyone they meet. The father and son are completely dependent on each other, their love keeps them going for a long time. But the father is sick and he might not survive much longer.

***

I don't really know what to say about this. It's such an amazing, sad story. You really have to read it for yourself.

So now you need to try No Country for Old Men and All the Pretty Horses. McCarthy is fantastic in all of them!

#208: I really do need to read those, true! I'm probably going to the library this Wednesday and I'm definately going to see if they are available. :)

You have read lots and lots of interesting books, Tammie! I also liked The Stand -- the first Stephen King book that I have read in ages. Have a great day!
--BJ

Hey BJ, thanks for stopping by! :)

The Stand is a great book, I really enjoyed it. Was glad I didn't read the uncut version though, this one was long enough. ;)

I hope to able to catch up on your thread soon! Haven't been able to go online much unfortunately.

Hope you have a nice day! :)

Book 107

Title: The Snowman
Author: Jo Nesbø
Pages: 477
Read: November 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

The night the first snow falls a young boy wakes to find his mother gone. He walks through the silent house, but finds only wet footprints on the stairs. In the garden looms a solitary figure: a snowman bathed in cold moonlight, its black eyes glaring up at the bedroom windows. Round its neck is his mother’s pink scarf.

Inspector Harry Hole is convinced there is a link between the disappearance and a menacing letter he received some months earlier. As Harry and his team delve into unsolved case files, they discover that an alarming number of wives and mothers have gone missing over the years. When a second woman disappears Harry’s suspicions are confirmed: he is a pawn in a deadly game. For the first time in his career Harry finds himself confronted with a serial killer operating on his turf, a killer who will drive him to the brink of insanity.

***

Have wanted to read this for some time, but it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. Just not as much as I thought I would. Am going to check out more of his books though. :)

Book 108

Title: Tunnels Of Blood
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 202
Read: November 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

From Amazon:

Following his blood-curdling adventures in A Living Nightmare and The Vampire's Assistant, half-vampire Darren Shan is settling into his day-to-day life at Cirque Du Freak, the traveling freak show he has joined. But before he can get too cozy, his vampire master, Mr. Crepsley, whisks him off to the big city for a mysterious mission. Soon, Crepsley, Darren, and Evra the snake-boy are embroiled in a bloody battle of wits between the vampire community and a mad, "vampaneze," a creature from a separate, more murderous race of vampires. Along the way, Darren meets his first girlfriend, and winds up putting her life, as well as everyone else's, in grave danger.

***

Still enjoying the series! The introduction of the vampaneze was interesting.

Book 109

Title: Vampire Mountain
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 187
Read: November 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

In Vampire Mountain, the next gruesome encounter for the vampire's assistant, Darren Shan and Mr. Crepsley embark on a dangerous trek to the very heart of the vampire world. But they face more than the cold on Vampire Mountain- the vampaneze have been there before them. Will a meeting with the Vampire Princes restore Darren's human side or turn him further toward darkness?

***

The ending of this one has left me really curious about what's going to happen next. Unfortunately I'm pretty sick and I can't bring back the books I have and take the next two home. So I'm just going to have to wait for a week or so.

I am sorry that you are not feeling well. I hope that you are much better soon.
--BJ

I have the first book in the Cirque de Freak series home from the library now. I hope I enjoy the series as much as you have, Tammie.

I hope you get to feelng better soon!

Thanks, I'm feeling a bit better now my fever is down. Still have a nasty cold & headache, haven't slept since Wednesday morning. But I can sit home all day reading books, which is lovely.

Hope you enjoy it too Stasia! You'll probably race through the book, it's very easy to read.

Book 110

Title: Swimsuit
Author: James Patterson
Pages: 358
Read: November 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

From Amazon:

Syd, a breathtakingly beautiful supermodel on a photo shoot in Hawaii, disappears. Fearing the worst, her parents travel to Hawaii to investigate for themselves, never expecting the horror that awaits them.

LA Times reporter Ben Hawkins is conducting his own research into the case, hoping to help the victim and get an idea for his next bestseller. With no leads and no closer to uncovering the kidnapper's identity than when he stepped off the plane, Ben gets a shocking visit that pushes him into an impossible-to-resist deal with the devil.

***

A fast, but nice read. I always tend to like books that are about horrible murders. Wasn't too graphic though.

I've heard quite a few people say that they really hate this writer, but I quite enjoyed this book. But since this is the only book I've read so far, I can't really have a good opinion about him.

Book 111

Title: The Last Darkness
Author: Campbell Armstrong
Pages: 602
Read: November 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

Glasgow. December, all freezing rains and sleet that bites like schools of piranha.

I this city of icy pavements and Christmas street decorations battered by arctic winds, the body of a well-dressed man is found hanging from the girders of a railway bridge.

Investigating the case is Lou Perlman, a detective whose idea of a good suit is anything that fits him. Perlman feels that this is no suicide, and that something about the corpse reminds him of his boyhood in Gorbals. For Perlman is a man with secrets of his own and as one death follows another, the hunt for the killer takes him into a territory of deceit and greed - a world of old allegiances that are lethal to reawaken.

***

Great read for a rainy day. Good story and the characters weren't too bad either.

Book 112

Title: The Fire Gospel
Author: Michel Faber
Pages: 204
Read: November 2009
Rating: 2 stars

From Amazon:

Visiting an Iraqi museum in the present-day, Aramaic scholar Theo Grieppenkerl discovers nine preserved parchment scrolls. After smuggling the documents home, he discerns that he has discovered a 2,000-year-old gospel composed by an associate of Jesus named Malchus that throws into doubt the New Testament's narrative of Jesus' last days and final words. Theo approaches (and is rejected by) every commercial publisher in America, eventually taking a $250,000 advance from an academic house called Elysium and undergoing the standard indignities of book promotion: reviews from ignorant readers on Amazon, humiliating interviews by bland media personalities and, of course, the eager attention of disturbed readers.

***

Disappointing, really. It seemed interesting and the beginning wasn't too bad. After that I just struggled to get through the book. If there were more pages I don't think I'd even have finished it.

Book 113

Title: Breaking Dawn
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Pages: 754
Read: October & November 2009
Rating: 4.5 stars

From Amazon:

To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, a tumultuous year of temptation, loss, and strife have led her to the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or to pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fates of two tribes hangs.

Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating, and unfathomable, consequences. Just when the frayed strands of Bella's life-first discovered in Twilight, then scattered and torn in New Moon and Eclipse-seem ready to heal and knit together, could they be destroyed... forever?

***

I'm pretty sure this is my favorite book of the series. I really enjoyed it! Especially the 'new' Bella and Renesmee. But I NEVER want to hear/read about sparkling vampires again. Never. It's too wrong.

Message edited by its author, Nov 9, 2009, 4:56pm.

#220: Too bad about that one. The premise sounded promising.

You are really zooming along with your reading! :) My daughter liked Breaking Dawn, too. I am hoping to read these books next year. Happy Reading!
--BJ

I haven't had any time to update my list unfortunately. Don't have that many too add either, because I don't have time to read. I'm doing a pain program because I have fibromyalgia, which is pretty intense. But I'm trying to get to 120 books before the end of this year! Hope to be able to catch up on everyone's threads too, but not sure I can manage that so soon, sorry!

Tammie, when you have a chance, be sure to sign up for the 2010 group. It is now up and running!

I hope the pain lets up soon for you.

Book 114

Title: Never Say Die
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Pages: 286
Read: November 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

Twenty years after her father's plane crashes in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Willy Jane Maitland is finally tracking his last moves. Willy knows she can't proceed without the help of ex-army officer Guy Barnard. But in a place where truth has many faces, she suspects even Guy has hidden motives. What she is prepared for are the shocking secrets and undeniable attractions.

***

Interesting book, not something I would normally read though. Glad I enjoyed it! But not one of her best books in my opinion to be honest.

Book 115

Title: Johhny Got His Gun
Author: Dalton Trumbo
Pages: 205
Read: November 2009
Rating: 3.5 stars

From Amazon:

This was no ordinary war. This was a war to make the world safe for democracy. And if democracy was made safe, then nothing else mattered--not the millions of dead bodies, nor the thousands of ruined lives...This is no ordinary novel. This is a novel that never takes the easy way out: it is shocking, violent, terrifying, horrible, uncompromising, brutal, remorseless and gruesome...but so is war.

***

Amazing story. Was hard to read because of the writing though.

Book 116

Title: Blood Runs Cold
Author: Alex Barclay
Pages: 373
Read: November 2009
Rating: 3 stars

When an FBI agent is found dead on the white slopes of Quandary Peak in Colorado, a brilliant but volatile agent is drafted in from Denver to lead the investigation. Fighting personal demons, pressure from Washington and dwindling leads, the case stalls and a career falters But as summer comes, Quandary Peak has disturbing new secrets to give up. And as one agent fights failure and hopelessness, another has left behind a trail that leads to a man with a dark past and even darker intentions.

***

The story is quite good, book it isn't written all that well. Was a bit disappointed after reading The Caller, which was much better.

Book 117

Title: The People Of The Book
Author: Geraldine Brooks
Pages: 438
Read: November 2009
Rating: 5 stars

From Amazon:

One of the earliest Jewish religious volumes to be illuminated with images, the Sarajevo Haggadah survived centuries of purges and wars thanks to people of all faiths who risked their lives to safeguard it. Geraldine Brooks, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March, has turned the intriguing but sparely detailed history of this precious volume into an emotionally rich, thrilling fictionalization that retraces its turbulent journey. In the hands of Hanna Heath, an impassioned rare-book expert restoring the manuscript in 1996 Sarajevo, it yields clues to its guardians and whereabouts: an insect wing, a wine stain, salt crystals, and a white hair. While readers experience crucial moments in the book's history through a series of fascinating, fleshed-out short stories, Hanna pursues its secrets scientifically, and finds that some interests will still risk everything in the name of protecting this treasure.

***

I read this one for the group read here on LT and I'm so glad I did. What an amazing book! Still a bit sad that I didn't have time to really discuss it with others, but it was nice to read the views of other readers on it. :)

Book 118

Title: Lost Souls
Author: Lisa Jackson
Pages: 415
Read: November 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

Twenty-seven-year-old Kristi Bentz is lucky to be alive. Not many people her age have nearly died twice at the hands of a serial killer, and lived to tell about it. Her dad, New Orleans detective, Rick Bentz, wants Kristi to stay in New Orleans and out of danger. But if anything, Kristi's experiences have made her even more fascinated by the mind of the serial killer. She hasn't given up her dream of being a true-crime writer--of exploring the darkest recesses of evil--and now she just may get her chance.

Four girls have disappeared at All Saints College in less than two years. All four were "lost souls"--troubled, vulnerable girls with no one to care about them, no one to come looking if they disappeared. The police think they're runaways, but Kristi senses there's something that links them, something terrifying. She decides to enroll, following their same steps. All Saints has changed a lot since Kristi was an undergraduate. The stodgy Catholic college has lured edgy new professors to its campus and gained a reputation for envelope-pushing, with classes like the very popular "The Influence of Vampirism in Modern Culture and Literature," and elaborately staged morality plays that feel more like the titillating entertainment of some underground club than religious spectacles. And there are whispers of a dark cult on campus whose members wear vials of blood around their necks and meet in secret chambers--rituals to which only the elite have access. To find the truth, Kristi will need to become part of the cult's inner circle, to learn their secrets, and play the part of lost soul without losing herself in the process. It's a dangerous path, and Kristi is skating on its knife-thin edge.

The deeper she goes, the more Kristi begins to wonder if she is the hunter or the prey. She's certain she's being watched and followed--studied, even--as yet another girl disappears, and another. And when the bodies finally begin to surface--in ways that bring fear to the campus and terror to the hearts of even hardened cops like Detective Bentz and his partner Reuben Montoya--Kristi realizes with chilling clarity that she has underestimated her foe. She is playing a game with a killer more cunning and bloodthirsty than anyone can imagine, one who has personally selected her for membership in a cult of death from which there will be no escape.

***

Quite loved this one, interesting story and the characters are good too. :)

Book 119

Title: Portobello
Author: Ruth Rendell
Pages: 287
Read: November 2009
Rating: 3 stars

From Amazon:

Eugene Wrenn, who lives modestly despite his wealth, has inherited an art gallery from his father. But Eugene moves to a more upmarket location in Kensington Church Street. He is 50, but looks older than his age, and is plagued by an addictive personality (currently, he finds himself unable to give up an addiction to low-calorie sweets). Despite this, he has a reasonably happy relationship with a GP, Ella, who finds herself able to put up with these quirks -- at least, those she knows about. Eugene discovers an envelope containing money, which he picks up in the street. But instead of doing the logical thing and taking it to the police, he sticks a note on a lamppost near his house, asking whoever lost it to claim the money (but withholding information only known to the real owner) The first to apply is a small-time criminal, Lance (recently thrown out of his house for domestic violence), who is thinking of casing the house of his benefactor -- even if he is initially unable to get the money. But the genuine owner of the money is the disturbed Joel, who lives in a self-induced darkness and shares his life with a phantom companion.

***

I'm still not sure what to think of this one. Didn't like it that much, but something just kept me reading. The characters were really good in this one though.

Book 120

Title: The Good, The Bad, And The Undead
Author: Kim Harrison
Pages: 430
Read: December 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night.

She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pressing the limits.

Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play -- and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.

***

My mom picked this up at the library and I decided to give it a try. She thinks there too much fantasy stuff in this one, but I really enjoyed it. A fun story that held my interest most of the time, so I finished it pretty fast. :)

Nice list of recent reads, Tammie!

I loved People of the Book when I read it last year. I am glad to see it has found another fan.

I'm glad I still managed to read a few books even though I'm really busy. Reading is always so relaxing after a stressful day!

People Of The Book is one of my favorites now and I'm defiantely going to buy it sometime. Would love to to read it again. :)

And I'm signing up for the 2010 group in a moment, thanks for reminding me.

Great! Glad to know you will be joining us again.

I'm already looking forward to seeing what everyone is reading next year. Could you maybe give me a link to your 2010 challenge? :)

Book 121

Title: Trials Of Death
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 185
Read: December 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

The trials: seventeen ways to die unless the luck of the vampire is with you. Darren Shan must pass five fearsome trials to prove himself to the vampire clan - or else face the stakes of the Hall of Death. But Vampire Mountain holds hidden threats. Sinister, potent forces are gathering in the darkness. In this nightmarish world of bloodshed and betrayal, death may be a blessing...

***

Was nice to see something different in this one. Quite interesting and the end has made me really curious! Luckily I have the next book right here.

#236: My first thread for 2010 is here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/78996

#238: Thanks for the link, starred you! :)

Thanks!

Book 122

Title: Hunters Of The Dusk
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 187
Read: December 2009
Rating:4 stars

From Wikipedia:

In the seventh book of this series, Darren is once again visited by Desmond Tiny (the creator of vampires and Little People). He explains that the three hunters(Vancha,Mr.Crepsley,Darren Shan) must find and hunt down the Vampaneze Lord. He announces two of them (Darren and Mr. Crepsley). The third one they must find on their way. They leave and go to Lady Evanna for help. On the way Vancha shows up, declaring that he is the last hunter. They get to Evanna's house who lets them stay with her. She helps them locate the Vampaneze Lord in a nearby city. Darren sees her meeting with the Vampaneze Lord and tells the others. They go after him to try and kill him. They find what they believe to be the Vampaneze lord and kill him, only to realize he was a fake, the real Vampaneze lord escapes with Vancha's brother.

***

Can't get enough of these books!

Book 123

Title: Allies Of The Night
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 200
Read: December 2009
Rating: 4.5 stars

Darren Shan, Vampire Prince and vampaneze killer, faces his worst nightmare yet — school! But homework is the least of Darren's problems. Bodies are piling up. Time is running out. And the past is catching up with the hunters fast.

Darren, Mr. Crepsley and Harkat are back living with humans in the hunt for the Lord of the Vampaneze in Book 8 of the Cirque Du Freak series. As you may have predicted Darren comes face to face with past friends and foes.

Once again Darren is torn between the loyalty of vampires and his human relationships.

***

Getting closer to the end, only 4 more books to read! If I try I might even finish the whole series before the year is over. :)

I completely forgot to post this one, so I'm just gonna add it here. I read this after Trials Of Death.

Book 124

Title: The Vampire Prince
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: ?
Read: December 2009
Rating: 4.5 stars

Only one ally of the clan knows the whole truth. Only one humble half-vampire can prevent an all-out catastrophe. But rather than surrendur to a two-faced would-be Prince, he has abandoned himself to the waters of Vampire Mountain, and faces an almost certain death. Even if he survives his terrifying trip to the heart of the savage mountain, how can he possibly avert the coming calamity -- for he has been declared unworthy of being a vampire, and has been sentenced to death by those he wishes to save ...

***

Was surprised by the ending of this one. :)

I am currently reading that series too. I hope I enjoy it as much as you have!

I hope so too! I was pleasantly surprised by this series and now I can't seem to stop reading it. Very addictive. Looking forward to read what you think of this series. :)

Book 125

Title: Lie To Me
Author: David Martin
Pages: 406
Read: December 2009
Rating: 4 stars

From Amazon:

"He sits in the woods holding her hand." This sentence is the first of many clever ploys that make this book a stand-out among serial-killer novels. You could say it's just one gimmick after another -- missing body parts, lipstick on corpses, sexual obsessions, implications of incest, reek of rotting flesh in a shabby motel room, small children trying pathetically to be brave -- and yet as shameless as Martin is, you'll give him credit for pulling it off with panache. I recommend that you try your darndest to figure out the mystery, too; the answer is deeply weird.

***

I can't remember where I got this book from, but I'm glad I bought it. It's a strange, yet interesting story.

Book 126

Title: Killers Of The Dawn
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 194
Read: December 2009
Rating: 4.5 stars

From Amazon:

Outnumbered, outsmarted and desperate, the hunters are on the run, pursued by the vampaneze, the police, and an angry mob. With their enemies clamoring for blood, the vampires prepare for a deadly battle. Is this the end for Darren and his allies?

***

One of my favorite books in the series, great ending too, once again!

Book 127

Title: The Lake Of Souls
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 246
Read: December 2009
Rating: 5 stars

From Amazon:

"If you step through after Harkat, you might never come back. Is your friend worth such an enormous risk?" Darren and Harkat face monstrous obstacles on their desperate quest to the Lake of Souls. Will they survive the savage journey? And what awaits them in the murky waters of the dead? Be careful what you fish for...

***

Definately my favorite so far! :D Only 2 more now, hope to read them both tomorrow so that I'll be finished with the series this year.

Book 128

Title: Lord Of The Shadows
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 203
Read: December 2009
Rating: 5 stars

From Amazon:

Darren Shan is going home - and his world is going to hell. Old enemies await. Scores must be settled. Destiny looks certain to destroy him, and the world is doomed to fall to the Ruler of the Night...

***

Great book once again. I don't even know what to say about these books anymore.

Message edited by its author, Jan 1, 2010, 12:21pm.

Book 129

Title: Sons Of Destiny
Author: Darren Shan
Pages: 217
Read: December 2009
Rating: 5 stars

From Amazon:

Time seemed to collapse... There was a sharp stabbing sensation in my stomach... Steve crowed, "Now I have you! Now you're gonna die!"

Dead if he loses - damned if he wins. The time has finally come for Darren to face his archenemy, Steve Leopard. One of them will die. The other will become the Lord of the Shadows - and destroy the world.

Is the future written, or can Darren trick destiny?

***

Was surprised by the ending of the whole series. If you haven't read this series yet, do so! It's awesome and very addictive! :)

I am hoping to read more of them in 2010. I have the second one home from the library now.