Chelle's 75 in 2012 Challenge (take #7)

Welcome to my June thread!


Bay of Fundy near Digby, Nova Scotia. May 2012

Planned reads for June
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (12 categories in 2012: #8 Such a Rebel: Banned Books)
They Thirst by Robert McCammon (12 categories in 2012: #1) Birthday Books: From the year of my birth 1981)
Seizure by Kathy Reichs (12 categories in 2012: 4) Oh to be young again: YA Lit)
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon (12 categories in 2012: 9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long)
Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstong (novella, not counting for 12 in 2012)
Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill (12 categories in 2012: 6) Who?: Authors I have not read before)
Prisoner of Tehran: A Memoir by Marina Nemat (12 categories in 2012: 3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (If my library hold comes in on time -(12 categories in 2012: 9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long)
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

(I'm only planning 8 as 3 of them are over 500 pages. If I have extra time I will pick from my TBR pile at random :)

Currently Reading:


My Threads:
12 in 2012
Orange January/July
Booker Prize
1001 Books to Read Before I Die

Books Read in 2012


June
58) The Color Purple by Alice Walker (288 pages, 4.5*)
59) Kat & Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong (novella)
60) Becoming by Kelley Armstrong (Graphic Novel)
61) Counterfeit Magic by Kelley Armstrong (novella)
62) Hidden by Kelley Armstrong (long novella, 216 pages ebook)
63) Gideon's Sword by Preston & Child (4*, 342 pages)
64) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (4*, ebook 152 pages)
65) Seizure by Kathy Reichs (3*, 491 pages)
66) The Coroner's Lunch (4.5*, 272 pages)
67) Red, White and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth (383 pages, 3.5*)
68) They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon (4*, 531 pages)
69) Gideon's Corpse by Preston & Child (3.5*, 355 pages)
70) The Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat (4.5*, 280 pages)
71) The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (4*, 163 pages)
72) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (3.75*, 651 pages)
73) A Visit From the Goon Squad (4*, audio 10 hours 8 minutes)

Pages Read in 2012



Books I own and need to read!
Wolves of the Crescent Moon by Yousef Al-Mohaimeed
Tempting Evil by Keri Arthur
Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur
The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Flashback by Nevada Barr
No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
I am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden
World War Z by Max Brooks
The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr
Echo Burning by Lee Childs
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Cold Moon by Jeffrey Deaver
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner
The Magician King by Lev Grossman
Ape House by Sarah Gruen
Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons
The Case of the Man who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall
Horns by Joe hill
Cider House Rules by John Irving
The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Solar by Ian McEwan
The Shimmer by David Morrell
Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson
Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
1984 by George Orwell
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M Pirsig
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steg Larsson
The Girl who Played with Fire by Steg Larsson
Seizure by Kathy Reichs
Lasher by Anne Rice
Merrick by Anne Rice
New Tales of the Vampires by Anne Rice
Blackwood Farms by Anne Rice
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
Taltos by Anne Rice
The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice
Lost Boy Lost Girl by Peter Straub
Dead Watch by John Sanford
Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink
Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

And as ebooks I own:
Little Women by Louissa May Alcott
Dead to Me by Kelley Armstrong
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Pay Me in Flesh by K. Bennett
The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon
Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon
Game of Thrones by George R Martin
The New World by Patrick Ness
Sovereign by CJ Sansom

Audio Books
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Books Read in 2012
January

1) Lord John and the Hellfire Club by Diana Gabaldon 3* (ebook, novella, 73 pages)
2) The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht 4.5* (338 pages)
3) Hurricane Story by Jennifer Shaw 3.5* (92 Pages) (ER book)
4) The Drop by Michael Connelly 3.5* (388 pages)
5) Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson 4* (364 pages)
6) Dead Cold by Louise Penny 4* (405 pages)
7) Eragon by Christopher Paolini 3.5* (ebook, 509 pages)
8) The Hangman by Louise Penny 3* (ebook, 99 pages)
9) Cannery Row by John Steinbeck 4* (ebook, 301 pages)
10) The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai 2* (324 pages)
11) The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny 4*(454 pages)
12) The Murder Stone by Louise Penny 4* (422 pages)
13) The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny 4.75* (384 pages)
14) Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny 5* (470 pages)
15) A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny 4.5* (339 pages)

February
16) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 3.5* (232 pages)
17) Hells Angels: Into the Abyss by Yves Lavigne 3.5* (339 pages)
18) Bay of Fundy: A Natural Portrait by Scott Leslie 4* (167 pages)
19) The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck 4* (261 pages)
20) Blood Red Road by Moira Young 4* (459 pages)
21) Dissolution by CJ Sansom 3.5* (400 pages)
22) 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz 2.5* ( 451 pages)

March
23) Darkest Powers Bonus Pack by Kelley Armstrong 3* (eBook, 3 novellas 287 pages)
24) I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore 4* (440 pages)
25) The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley 4*(304 Pages)
26) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith 3* (319 Pages)
27) A Century of Policing: The Ontario Provincial Police 1909-2009 3.5* (128 Pages)
28) The Power of Six by Pitticus Lore 4*(406 Pages)
29) Night of the Living Dead by John Russo 4.5* (144 pages)
30) Return of the Living Dead by John Russo 3.5* (161 pages)
31) Dark Fire by CJ Sansom 3.5* (384 pages)
32) Cinder by Marissa Meyer 3.5* (387 pages)

April
33) If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won't) by Betty White (audio: 2:17) 4*
34) Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (533 pages, 3.5*)
35) The Night Eternal by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan (371 pages, 4*)
36) The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck (188 pages, 4*)
37) I'm Starved for You by Margaret Atwood (74 pages ebook novella, 3*)
38) Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez (4*, 348 pages)
39) We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (eBook (no page count), 5*)
40) Heat Wave by Richard Castle (Audio, 6 hours 23 minutes) 3*
41) The Calling by Kelley Armstrong (326 pages, 3.5*)
42) The 39 Clues: Cahills vs.Vespers Book One: The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman (Audio, 5 hours 22 minutes, 2*)
43) Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton (3.5*, audio 9 hours 46 minutes)
44) The Mask by Dean Koontz (140 pages novella 3.5)
45) The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King (Novella, audio 3 hours 57 minutes, 4*)

May
46) Stiff by Mary Roach (audio 8 hours even, 3*)
47) Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye (414 pages, 4*)
48) Bodily Harm by Margaret Atwood (3.5*, 301 pages)
49) Calico Joe by John Grisham (3.5*, 198 pages)
50) Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong (3*, 95 pages novella)
51) Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (455 pages, 5*)
52) The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King (3.5*, 309 pages)
53) 11th Hour by James Patterson (3*, 391 pages)
54) The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz (3*, 366 pages)
55) Insurgent by Veronica Roth (525 pages, 4*)
56) Rabbit, Run by John Updike
57) Lover Reborn by JR Ward (4*, 572 pages)

Oh boy I get firsties twice in one day!

Hi and congratulations on reading 57 books.

I love the quote regarding reading and what it teaches us regarding how to be alone! In the hustle and bustle of a noise filled world, a quiet corner with a book is solace for a weary soul.

Thirdsies!
Hi Chelle, nice quote, GREAT picture. Love it.

Hi Chelle Great quote and a beautiful opening image.

Chelle - the opening photo is an absolute stunner. Not sure I agree with Franzen's comments at all. I always have company with my books and am therefore never alone.

Beautiful photo up top..just beautiful!
I sort of miss the light house though... lol
I loved that one so much!

Nice new thread, Chelle! Love the photo and the quote, although Paul does have a good point. Books are great company, aren't they?!

Oh, I LOVE the photo of the Bay of Fundy, Chelle!

Elevensies. Beautiful photo, Chelle. I need to get to Nova Scotia some day.

HI Richard! Thanks for being the first to visit me! I think you would be proud of me as today I am officially Pearl Ruling David Copperfield. Isn't Dickens one of your faves? ;) hehe

Hi Linda! I love reading at night when there are hardly any cars going by and Nate is in bed for work and the house is silent. It's very relaxing

HI Megan! From my last thread I may have led you astray with my comment on "vampire porn". I don't remember if you like paranormal books but JR Ward writes The Blackdagger Brotherhood series. It's actually quite good but it's considered Paranormal Romance (which had I known that I probably wouldn't have read the first one as I despise romance novels!). There some heavy duty sexy scenes which is why I call them Vampire Porn, but it's really not that bad :) If you like paranormal books then you should give the first one a shot and see if it's something you would like. This is Ward's website about the books
http://www.jrward.com/bdb/index-books.html

Thanks Calm!

Well Paul you would be correct in that, but I think Franzen kind of meant alone as in no other humans around! lol I am never alone with my books as I usually have a dog and a cat trying to squeeze me off the couch!
I had a roommate many years back that never understood why I would sit and read with no music on and no tv on. She couldn't handle being in a silent room alone. I don't much enjoy background noise when I am reading

Thanks Kath! Here is another lighthouse photo for you. This picture will be the view from our cottage deck that we are staying at during the wedding.


HI Mamie! I agree, books are great company! I would be so sad if I had a house without any books in it!

Thanks Nancy!

I agree Joe, you DO need to visit! :0
***

It's official, I dislike David Copperfield. I know some of you will say "but it's a classic" and to that I say so what! It's boring. I tried listening to more today while I was running errands and I found my mind wandering all over the place. I am about halfway through and just can't continue. I invoke the Pearl Rule. Sigh. I so dislike giving up on books, but 36 hours of listening time is too much for a boring book. No offense to all of you who loved it.

But it's a classic...

OK, couldn't resist! Actually you have bravely stated what I have been thinking, and so I will join you in laying the book aside. I read it many, many years ago and hated it, and was really hoping that I could change my mind by rereading it now. But no. I still don't like it. And I have a feeling that it's going to end the same way it did last time...So thanks, Chelle, for saying it first.

Maine is my favorite vacation spot...away from the tourists and relaxing in Princeton Maine. Ah, the sound of the loons late at night, the sunsets and the sheer beauty of nature.

Oh so beautiful... sigh. Thank you for posting :)

I did like Copperfield.. but so what if it is a classic?
That just means it's old. We get to like what we like...
That is the best part of reading for pleasure. We get
to choose...

Hi Chelle, some great pictures here on your new thread. How can you miss when you live in beautiful Nova Scotia?

Good for you giving up a book that wasn't doing it for you. There are too many other books out there clamoring for attention. I quit on a book in May for the first time in a very long time and felt okay about it once I got over the initial guilt. It will be easier the next time.

I agree Chelle, if a book isn't working for you why waste your time on it. I'm really enjoying revisiting Nova Scotia through your pictures. It's been a long time - I lived in Halifax in 1953 - 1955, started kindergarden there. We did vacation there in the early 90's and I was actually amazed at how much I remembered from my childhood.

haha Mamie! Smartass! sorry to hear you didn't like it either, but at least we are partners in book crime

Ahh Linda you make it sounds so peacefully wonderful! I hope to visit Maine someday.

Kath you are so right! I've been trying to make my way through the 1001 books list but there are so many on the list that are just not my thing. I'll have to weed through them better

Thanks Donna! I am looking forward to doing some more exploring when we get some sunny days again, it's been kinda rainy lately.

Hi Judy! You are so lucky to have lived in Halifax! We just love visiting there, but we are about 2 hours away. I am enjoying the valley area that we live in, spring has the whole area looking so green and full!

58) The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #8 Such a Rebel: Banned Books
1001 Books to read before you die
4.5*

So good!! Review to be added

I read The Color Purple last year and absolutely loved it. Didn't you just fall in love with the part where she says that when we miss the color purple it pisses God off? I also loved when she said that the only God she ever felt in church was the one she brought in with her. Really, really powerful book - I borrowed it from the library and then bought my own copy as soon as I was finished reading it because I couldn't imagine NOT having it on my shelves.

I remember when the movie or miniseries came out for The Color Purple. I picked up the book after watching it, and it was even better than the great movie. I see it isn't in my LibraryThing account, but I think I still have the copy. I don't remember it being in the books I took for the public library's sale before I moved away from Cincinnati. I occasionally find a book around the house that I have failed to enter.

A friend recently mentioned that the movie The Color Purple is her favorite. I read the book years ago. Your posts regarding it invite me to read it again.

Delighted you enjoyed The Color Purple, Chelle!

Love the photos, Chelle. It's making me want to visit Nova Scotia. I've not been there before.

Hi Chelle, great new thread here and you are lucky to live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, just gorgeous. I think Dickens is a love him or hate him sort of guy. I read Great Expectations in high school and that just wasn't the age for it I guess. I wasn't enamoured. But in January I read Bleak House and just loved it so now I will read The Pickwick Papers this month. I hope I like it as much. But I don't see much reason to continue with a book you don't like. There are too many others waiting in the wings.

Hi Mamie! You are totally right. I borrowed that one from the library but I think it's one I might like to own someday. I really loved the cover art

Hi Lori! I haven't seen the movie or series yet, but maybe I should. It was a pretty great read!

HI Linda! I think it would fit into my top 20 books list. I definitely should watch the movie someday

Thanks Nancy! I guess that means you loved it too?

Hi Caroline! In all your worldly travels I find it hard to believe there is someplace that you haven't been! ;)

Hi Bonnie!I agree, I am very lucky to live here! :)
I have a bunch of "classics" that I bought a long time ago and never read. I think the only one I did read wasAnna Karenina but it was so long ago that I don't remember it well. I wonder if I will ever finish them? (doubtful)
***

Well today I didn't find time to write any reviews as I was out book and lobster hunting! I managed to pick up Wolf Hall at the library and of course why pick up just one when I could take home 3! I also grabbed The Lacuna and Gideon's Sword. Then I took the beast to the beach for a while and enjoyed the nice sunny day!


Then I decided that Nate needed lobster as a treat for working hard at work while I relaxed so I went off to Hall's Harbor and bought him some lobsters. He will get lobster rolls for his lunches for the next couple days
Meet Fred and George ... they are about to take a hot bath ;)


And here is a little lobster humour for you

Hi Chelle, just passing through. I have been so busy and things have been crazy lately. I am down to 1 fur kid now. I have posted updates on my kitty and the temporary dog we had here who I wanted to keep so bad, but just couldn't on my thread, if you are interested. I wanted to tell you I love love love your pics.. keep posting them. You live in a beautiful area. :) I hope Fred & George tasted wonderful ;) I love lobster.. Happy rest of the weekend.

Hi Chelle- Wow, I got behind over here. 'Sup with that? I didn't even know you started a new thread. Love the photos, as usual. So beautiful.
I read the Color Purple, way back before the film came out in the mid-80s. I loved both the book & film. I think Spielberg did a great job. And what a fantastic cast!

Hi Chelle!
Beautiful... just beautiful! Thanks for all the great pics :)
The blues and greys of NS - to die for! You are really getting into and enjoying your environment. Good for you :)
We're looking forward to getting to NS in October. You are making it hard to wait ;-)

The Color Purple was great - glad you liked it too!

Chelle - enjoying viewing your locale and it looks enchanting. David Copperfield is very much a creature of its time. I like it myself but I certainly can understand why you might not get it as some of its themes are not especially relevant today and Dickens does have a habit of saying a hundred words when perhaps ten would suffice. Glad that The Color Purple hit the spot subsequently and made your weekend a good one.

I'm having a lack of focus night tonight so I am working through some of my ebook novellas by Kelley Armstrong. She is always good for a little paranormal fun.


59) Kat and Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong (20 pages and 67 pages)

Quick fun reads. Kat is the prequel to Hunting Kat. Both novellas are about Katiana, a 16 year year old vampire that is on the run with her guardian from an agency that had been experimenting with her vampire genes.


60) Becoming by Kelley Armstrong (Graphic Novel)

Graphic Novel telling how Elena became a werewolf at the hands of her lover Clay. This story is told in another of Armstrong's book but it was cool to see it laid out in graphic novel format.


61) Counterfeit Magic by Kelley Armstrong (ebook, 163 pages)
Paige & Savannah take a case investigating a supernatural fight club where fighters keep dying. Could it be natural causes or is a rival club trying to close down the business?

I love the lobster humor!

And, your photos of the beach are comforting.

I'm glad you had such a nice day.

28 Hi Monica! Nate was very happy to have Fred & George join us for dinner, and they tasted very yummy! I'm not usually a big lobster fan (give me fried clams any day!) but I did eat a little last night. They taste better here than back home, which makes a lot of sense! Apples taste better when you eat them right from the tree too!

29 Mark it's normal. If I'm not behind then there is something wrong! lol I don't think I've been properly caught up for more than a day since I moved.

30 HI Cee! You will love it here, no doubt about it! It's too bad you aren't coming during the warmer weather though, October will be right chilly!

31 HI Paul! After listening to 17 hours of it I just found it very boring. I'm not sure what there was to "get"? The Color Purple was the perfect to move on to and now I have moved on to a bit of fluff for a bit to clear my head.

33 Hi Linda! I am hoping to try a new beach and some hiking trails on Nate's next days off so hopefully I'll have some new photos to share! :)
***

Today I woke up feeling very stuffy and lightheaded and with a bit of a tummy ache. Not sure what my problem is but I won't be getting to the list of chores that I had planned for today. Nate is at work today so I might just lay on the couch and read a bit.
Hope everyone is having a lovely Sunday!

Love the photos on your new thread Chelle! Beyond that I have nothing to add at this point except to wish you and Nate a great Sunday!

Thanks Lori! :)


62) Hidden by Kelley Armstrong
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors
4* (long novella)

Clay and Elena take the twins to a cabin near Algonquin Park to celebrate Christmas as a family. Unfortunately they discover that there is a mutt wolf living in town and he poses a threat to their family. Elena discovers that there was an accident with a young man and wolves ate parts of him after his death. Elena must work quickly to find out if it was real wolves or if they have a man-eating mutt on their hands.

I just love Clay and Elena and this novella was pretty good.

Just stopping in to make sure I am keeping up with your thread. Love the pics and the lobster humor!

Chelle, The view from your wedding location is beautiful!
I hope Fred and George were tasty (after their hot bath). I have to admit that tossing lobsters in boiling water was one of those things that the former-vegetarian in me just couldn't do. Or maybe I could. I mean, if there is good melted lemon butter waiting......
I also love your honesty about David Copperfield. I slogged my way through it and even enjoyed the last 200 pages, but sheesh. Just 'cause it's a classic doesn't mean one has to like it!

I wasn't writing my mini-reviews then but I did give The Color Purple a 9 out of 10 stars. I loved it and the movie.

Paranormal fun is good, I'm glad you made some time for it :)

Thanks Mamie! I bought three fridge magnets with lobster jokes on them. I was actually chuckling to myself in the store when I bought them :)

Hi Ellen! I didn't think I would be able to cook them myself as sometimes they sound like they are screaming (which is just the air coming out from their shells, or something like that) but I put the lid on the pot so I couldn't hear it!

Hi Morphy! Glad to see you liked The Color Purple too! I'm glad I finally got around to reading it!

Hi Kath! Paranormal is one of my faves and so is Kelley Armstrong. A lot of her recent books have been aimed towards YA though and although they are decent I miss her adult books.

***
Today I spent sometime going through my books shelves to see what books I own and haven't read yet. Since I am trying to save money I am going to make more of an effort to read through the books I already own. That doesn't mean I won't buy anymore or take any from the library, but I will try and make an effort to work through these ones too.

I am listing them here for myself and on future threads I will try and add this chart at the beginning so I can check them off when I finish them

Here it goes!

Wolves of the Crescent Moon by Yousef Al-Mohaimeed
Tempting Evil by Keri Arthur
Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Flashback by Nevada Barr
No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay
The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
I am Half Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden
World War Z by Max Brooks
The Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr
Echo Burning by Lee Childs
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Cold Moon by Jeffrey Deaver
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
Pier 21 by Trudy Dulven
The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner
The Magician King by Lev Grossman
Ape House by Sarah Gruen
Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons
The Case of the Man who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall
Horns by Joe hill
Cider House Rules by John Irving
The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Solar by Ian McEwan
The Shimmer by David Morrell
Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson
Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
1984 by George Orwell
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M Pirsig
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steg Larsson
The Girl who Played with Fire by Steg Larsson
Seizure by Kathy Reichs
Lasher by Anne Rice
Merrick by Anne Rice
New Tales of the Vampires by Anne Rice
Blackwood Farms by Anne Rice
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
Taltos by Anne Rice
The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice
Lost Boy Lost Girl by Peter Straub
Dead Watch by John Sanford
Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink
Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

And as ebooks I own:
Little Women by Louissa May Alcott
Dead to Me by Kelley Armstrong
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
Pay Me in Flesh by K. Bennett
The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon
Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon
Game of Thrones by George R Martin
The New World by Patrick Ness
Sovereign by CJ Sansom

Wow, I can't believe I own 63 books unread! Do I ever have a lot of reading to do! ;)

(ETA Found 2 more in my bedroom...)

OK, WOW!! You have a lot of great books there! I was thinking about doing that myself because it is nice to have a handy reminder of books that are already sitting around - but don't fret about having 63 unread; I have way more than that! We have quite a few in common actually.

>12 ChelleBearss: thanks for seeing me straight on vampire porn :)

How about 1984, I have that one to knock off too...

You have quite a few Anne Rice there, does that mean you like her or dont? :)

Love your list, Chelle! You DO have a lot of reading to do : ).

HI Mamie! Nate is always harassing me to spend less on books so I figured I should do an inventory and see what I actually have to read. I didn't realize I had that many

Hi Megan. I really liked Interview with the Vampire so I went out and found all the rest of The Vampire Chronicles thinking I would love them all too but the second book The Vampire Lestat wasn't really all the great. So I have kinda put off reading anymore. I will get back to them though.

I know eh Nancy! Hopefully I can read a chunk of them this year

63) Gideon's Sword by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before
4*

As a young boy Gideon Crew witness his father gunned down and he grew up not knowing the truth behind the incident. After visiting his mother in her final moments of life she confides in Gideon the truth and makes him promise to avenge his father's death.
After 10 years of planning Gideon's day has come, but someone else knows about what Gideon has done and puts Gideon in a position to take a job that he doesn't dare refuse.

This is the first book in the Gideon Crew series and I will be looking forward to reading the second!

Woot, a new series on the go, Chelle! Nice! I'm in awe of how much reading you're managing to do lately with all wedding stuff on the go. Awesome : ).

Thankfully this new series only has two books in it so it will be an easy one to finish! ;)

I haven't been feeling well this week so I haven't been doing anything wedding related. Darn cold has given me an excuse to stay in my jammies and read, so sad eh ;-)

64) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #8) Such a Rebel
1001 Books to read before you die
4*

George and Lenny are farm workers who travel together, Lennie is "slow" and George takes care of him. They were forced to flee from the last farm they worked on because Lennie had an incident with a girl that could have got him in a lot of trouble.

The two men dream of having their own land and Lennie constantly wants George to tell him about the crops they will have and the rabbits that Lennie will take care of as Lennie has a passion for furry things.
Lennie and George get a job working on a new farm and right off I got a feeling that things were not going to go well for them. The farm has a rich cast of characters and while Lennie and George's dream bring hope to the book, the background of the novel speaks of great depression.

This was a relatively short novel but it packs quite an emotional punch. I have yet to find a Steinbeck novel that I didn't feel strong emotions while reading and I just love how straightforward his prose is.

Just dropping by with a hello - I've never cooked a lobster before, but I'm quite partial to eating them...

Chelle, glad you loved Of Mice and Men; agree it packs an emotional punch. The movie (Gary Sinise and John Malkovich) is really well done, too.

Good review, Chelle. Yeah, I still feel Of Mice and Men many years after having read it.

LOVE the review of Of Mice and Men! And also thrilled, naturally, that you binned that Chuckles the Dick book last month.

#41: There are some great books on your list, but you sound like a lot of us, always distracted from what you should read by the new and shiny from the library etc.

Hi Chelle, Of Mice and Men is one of my favorite stories of all time, so I was glad to read that you had an emotion connection with it. I re-read it last year for the first time in about fifteen years and was still blown away by it. My favoirte Steinbeck is Grapes of Wrath but Of Mice and Men comes a very close second.

HI Amber! I have never cooked a lobster before either, it has always been my dad's job because he grew up in the Maritimes and "knows stuff" (as he says ;) I boiled it but I'm sure there has to be other ways to cook them too

HI Nancy! I've never been a big fan of short stories and novellas (although a few of my favorite paranormal writers are doing novellas lately and I read them, but it bugs me) but I find Steinbeck's novellas and short novels pack a pretty big punch. I still favor his full sized novels better though

Hi Joe! Are you partaking in the Steinbeckathon too?

Thanks Richard, I figured you would approve! Now go read Divergent! ;)

Hi Kerry! One thing I know about myself is that I lack consitency! I will say that I will read more of the ones I own but as soon as I see one I want/need/must have then I'll go get it!

Hi Judy! I really enjoyed Of Mice and Men but I think I liked East of Eden and Grapes of Wrath quite a bit more! I might skip rereading East of Eden but I'll keep an eye out on the thread about it though

**
Well today I am still feeling crappy and it's still raining. Figures.
I have been a little more productive today and got a few things checked out my to-do list for the house and now I'm back in my jammies on the couch reading.
Hope you all are having a sunny day!

You have never read Little Women? I still love it. Hope you do, too!

I've been seeing favorite lists on tons of thread lately and it got me thinking of what would be on mine. I wish I could say that it would be full of literary masterpieces but it won't be since I prefer murder mysteries and paranormal fiction. So here is my list (in no particular order)

21st Century
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (2002)
We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver (2003)
11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011)
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (2006)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Other Faves
The Stand by Stephen King (1978)
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)
A Time to Kill by John Grisham (1989)
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (1937)
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844)

and I can't forget the Harry Potter series! Snob away book snobs but I can read those 7 books over and over again :)

Nope Kath, I never got around to reading Little Women but I have it so I really don't have a good excuse not to read it!

Great lists, Chelle! I'm with you on many of these. I wanted to like Middlesex but didn't. However, The Count of Monte Cristo is al ALL time fav!

Hi Chelle- You are not supposed to make Mr. Crabby Pants (RD) happy by abandoning DC. And he's returning Divergent to the library UNREAD.

I like your List(s). I loved Middlesex too and I NEED to get to Bel Canto.

>49 ChelleBearss: my Lenny has got not one, but two cousins called George :) Lets hope he doesn't live up to simple Lennie from the book :|
I'll be reading this one this year, yes, I emphatically state that I will have time.

Hi Nancy! I agree that The Count was super, and I even loved the movie too!

Sorry Mark, I just couldn't like it. I think it's mostly because so many of the characters are long winded and by the time I figured out what they were trying to say it lost it's enjoyment.
I can't remember but did you read Jeffrey Eugenides' second book The Marriage Plot? It was good but not as good as Middlesex.

haha Megan I'm sure your Lenny won't be anything like Lennie from the book, I would put that at a 99.9%!
I KNOW you can fit Of Mice and Men in this year as it's a mere 103 pages long! (I had the ebook edition which had more pages, but I think that has something to do with the size of font I choose? I dunno)

Wow, I've read all of those in #58 except for 11/22/63 and only because I haven't gotten to it yet. It's on Mount TBR.

The Help and The Stand are on my favorite lists, too.

Great lists Chelle - book snobs are officially banned - it's about which books you enjoyed the most, which made the most lasting impression on you and everyone's picks are as valid and worthy as anyone elses. Some real gems on your all time list.

Great list, Chelle. I have We Need to Talk About Kevin on my TBR shelves, and Bel Canto, The Glass Castle and 11/22/63 on my wishlist. I simply need more reading time!

book snobs are officially banned is a good plan
I am one of a few who didn't like Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides , and in fact will probably not read him again. I don't have the stamina for Kevin... ahhh books... good thing there are so many to choose from :)

Love your lists, Chelle.

I'll sign the petition if you draft one up for banning book snobs too! :-)

64 ahhh Mount TBR! I completely understand Morphy, although I do recommend getting to 11/22/63 sooner than later!

65 Hi Paul! I am finding some gems by going back further into the decades and reading older stuff. I am really enjoying my 12 in 2012 category from the year I was born. There are some good ones from the 80's!

66 Hi Judy! You have some great books on your TBR and wishlist! I completely understand about needing more time to read, I find Nate's days off I struggle to find any time at all to read!

67 Hi Kath! There are many amazing books out there so you won't even miss Kevin or Eugenides!

68 Thanks Caro! I think on LT we are pretty lucky as I haven't seen many book snobs at all! Everyone is pretty great about being positive about what others read

LT might need to change its name to LLT (LibraryListsThing).
I love your list up in 58.

Yes, Chelle, I'm popping in and out of the Steinbeckathon. I read Cannery Row, Grapes of Wrath and The Moon is Down and loved them (the first two were amazing), and I'll be back for Sweet Thursday and one or two others.

#67 I am one of a few who didn't like Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides , and in fact will probably not read him again. And I am another, Kath. I wanted SO much to like Middlesex. Oh well, not the first time I've been caught swimming upstream ...

HI Ellen! It does seem like we like making lists around here eh!

Hi Joe! I missed The Winter of our Discontent but I'll try and read it at another time. I'll be skipping East of Eden as I've read it before, but I plan on trying to read the rest.

Hi Nancy! I think Eugenides is one of those authors that you love his stuff or hate it. I really liked Middlesex but I've heard from a lot of people here on LT who really didn't like it.

65) Seizure by Kathy Reichs
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #4) Oh to be young again: YA Lit
3*

Second book in the Virals series, Tory Brennan and friends are still learning how to deal with their new powers. When they get some bad news, the LIRI centre may be shut down and they all could be faced with moving away, they become desperate and determined. Tory figures out a plan to find enough money to save the centre and keep her pack of friends together.

This was not quite as good as the first book and a little far fetched but still a good read.

66) The Coroner's Lunch by Collin Cotteril
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before)
4.5*

Dr. Siri is an elderly Doctor that wants to retire but is forced into taking the position of the only Coroner in communist Laos. His normally slightly boring job becomes quite a bit more interesting when a series of suspicious deaths come to his table. With his interesting cast of morgue staff he sets off to solve the suspicious deaths, but someone else plans on stopping Dr Siri in his tracks.

This was a great first book in the series and I plan on reading the next instalment. Thanks to Mark, Joe and Richard (and many more!) who all glowed about this series!

So happy that you loved Dr. Siri!!

Woot! You've got my attention with Dr. Siri, too, Chelle! This is a series that is not familiar to me, but that may have to change.

67) Red, White and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth
Read for 75 books in 2012
3.5*

Nathaniel Cade is a vampire that is more than 160 years old and he is also a Secret Service Agent. He is bound by an oath to protect the President from any creature; human or other.
While working on the election campaign volunteers have been getting horribly slaughtered. Written in blood at one crime scene is "IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK" and Cade knows immediately that one of the worst threats has come back and it's his job to hunt it down and kill it, or die trying.

This was the third book in the series and quite enjoyable. I will be keeping an eye out for any new books in this series

Thanks Mamie! I will continue with the rest of the series, hopefully sooner than later!

Hi Nancy! That's another series that I found through LT recommendations. LT is seriously bad for my bank account though! ;)

Hi Chelle- I'm so glad you loved Dr. Siri! He's a great character, isn't he? I've had Blood Oath in the stacks for nearly 2 years. Is the 2nd book as good?
BTW- I saw that you added Autumn. I read this last summer and was a bit underwhelmed and I have the next 2 books waiting (it might be a LONG time). My cousin passed these on to me.
BTW 2- I also have "Harbour" sitting in the stacks too!

Glad you are managing some reading time :)

Hi Mark! Yes I was impressed with Dr Siri, but I'm not surprised that I liked it since it got such glowing reviews from you and others!
I grabbed Autumn at random at the library, I haven't decided if I'll actually read it though lol. It's like those last second grabs at the grocery store, gum or chocolate bar, that you don't really need but you grab anyway. I do that a lot at the library!
If I remember correctly I have liked all three of the Farnsworth novels. I think I liked the first one best but this last one was pretty good!

Hi Kath! I managed to set myself up with a cleaning and to-do list schedule so that I can find time to read too. I was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed with things to do and not enough relaxing time. Nate's watching a movie tonight that I had no desire to watch (something with screaming monkeys that I can hear from the other side of the house!!) so I've hidden myself in the bedroom with the pets and some books :)

I remember this series! Blood Oath was the first one. For some reason I did not add it but I do remember being intrigued by the whole vampire/SSA thing. Thanks for reminding me! I just might go and add it ;)

something with screaming monkeys
LOL my imagination is running wild right now! one of those planet of the apes movies? maybe?

Hi Kara. I thought they were pretty good books altogether. You should give the first one a shot and see what you think. They make good summer reading

haha Ya I think it was one of the planet of the ape movies. The one with James Franco. He put it on surround sound and the house was filled with the sounds of screaming monkeys, super awesome (sense my sarcasm there? ;-)

*smoochings*

I think I will do that Chelle!
ahhhh surround sound- awesome ;)

fly-by-hi
(off to do more baking to fill the biscuit tins eat all up myself)

85 Smooches for you Sir!

86 ya surround sound is great when both parties are watching the movie ... but sucky when only one is watching screaming monkeys and the other is trying to read ;) Ah well, I love him anyway lol

87 Mmmmm what kind of baking did you do? I'm craving all things sweet lately since I've been dieting! I can't wait until the wedding is over and then I'm going to order a pizza with garlic toast and bake a cake!
***

Well not much book reporting going on here for a bit. I'm currently reading They Thirst which is quite a door stopper at 531 pages. I still have about 300 pages to read and then I hope to start Wolf Hall next which is another door stopper!

I went to my new doctor today for the first time to talk about the hand pain I've been having in my joints. She thinks it might be either rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis (the second one my mom has). I'm going to have some tests done and see what it is. Blood work for me next week :(
The doctor took one look at the large book I brought with me and laughed and suggested I start using my eReader more! I like my eReader but I love reading a normal book so I seriously doubt I'll change that. I am going to have to get creative with my reading and how I hold my book. At least hard cover books I can just flop open in my lap, they don't actually have to be held open. I think my days of buying paperbacks are finished though.

There is a farmers market today in the town we live near so I hope to go pick up some local goodies and tonight Nate and I are meeting some friends to see Dark Shadows. I hope it's as good as the previews make it seem!

Hope everyone is having a great Thursday.

Hi Chelle!

I keep looking for deals on Canadian Atlantic coast for the fall. I found something in Newfoundland which looks awesome. But if we went in Oct/Nov, I fear the ferry may be struggling through rough seas????
Will continue looking for NS - 1st choice.

"I think my days of buying paperbacks are finished ..."
Me too - paperback print usually too small and hard to hold the book open. I prefer hardcover myownself.

I prefer hardbacks and ebooks to paperbacks, too.. for the same reason as Cee..

I'm glad you also enjoyed The Coroner's Lunch. I'm another recent convert and I am looking forward to the second in the series!

Interesting to see two posts preferring hardback books. I almost always prefer paperback, especially trade paperback. I like the lighter weight of them, but the somewhat larger format of trades is more comfortable than the old 4X6" format....

Hi Chelle, just had a look at your latest thread and noticed you listed books you own and need to read, wish i had the courage, and time to put my list on and if i did by the time i had finished i would have to add a p.s list for the books bought whilst compiling the list. You are doing well with your challenge i have just finished book 21 for the year, you and a lot of others are in a different league to me but you never know i might progress to the 75ers club in the next year or so.

Chelle - Just keeping current. Sorry to hear about your hand, although if they figure out what it is then maybe some relief in sight? Love your lists up in 58, and stand firmly with you on the Harry Potter books - I love those, too, and could read them again and again.

Ellen - I love the trade paperbacks, too!

I, too, prefer hardcover books (I just think they look more impressive on the shelves!).

89 Hi Cee! November might be a tad cold in Newfoundland, but I know you love the cold so it might be ok for you. A friend of mine (my old boss actually) is in Newfoundland right now and he put pictures on facebook today of the icebergs that he saw floating by the beach! Lol

90 HI Kath! I love ebooks for the ease of buying them, but I still prefer having books on my shelves. Paperbacks are just getting to be too hard for me to hold open without some pain so I will have to stick to hardcover

91 HI Ellen. I'm glad to liked Dr Siri too! I hope to buy the next one later this summer

92 Hi John, welcome to my thread! :) I'm reading a lot more this year because I am currently not working. I imagine my reading will slow down once I find a new job. Do you have a thread in the 75 challenge?

93 Hi Mamie. Hopefully I will find out what it is sometime in the next month. I have to have blood work taken next week. My mom was telling me yesterday that my uncle (her brother) has rheumatoid arthritis and she has osteoarthritis, so really it could go either way for me! Keeping my fingers crossed that it's neither

94 Hi Amber! I agree that they look nicer! I usually buy hardcovers of any author that I collect because I buy their new books right away but I got into a habit of buying the cheaper paperbacks of older books. I'll be stopping that!

>88 ChelleBearss: I made oaty/sultana/choc chip biscuits. All gone now, a mere 2 days later! Could have guessed that'd be the case....

68) They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long
4*

A true vampire book where the vampires are evil creatures bent on taking over the world. They don't sparkle and they don't want to fall in love with you; you are their dinner.

Mysterious disappearances, murders and grave robbing are only the beginning. The Master has a plan to take over the world, city by city, starting with Los Angeles.
How do you stop a vampire attack when no one believes in them?

Hi Chelle, not got a 75ers thread maybe next year, easing myself into these things with a 50 book challenge and i have only equalled or surpassed that twice in the last eleven years. Not as good as you and the rest of the 75ers or those in the 100 club, maybe you will inspire me, lol.

96 Megan those sound yummy! I haven't been baking lately and I miss it. I did buy some rhubarb muffins at the farmers market this week and they were yummy!

98 hi John. There are lots of 75ers that read less than 75 and some that read many more. I think the group is more about the conversation than how many books get read. You should join up next year (or even this year if you wanted).

yeah, I felt that way once, too. It gave me so much pleasure to see shelves filled with books :)
Then I suddenly began to feel a little claustrophobic and I need them, at least a bunch of them .. to go somewhere else to live :) Old age, I guess..

Hi Chelle, so sorry to hear about your hand problems. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you to get good news. I sometimes get hand cramps when I am holding a thick paperback too long. Hardcovers are definitely the easiest to read. Kindle/Nook works well, but somehow just isn't the same as a real book, although I seem to be reading more and more from my Kindle.

Chelle, my fingers are crossed for you, as well. Osteoarthritis definitely runs in my family and I'm starting to notice it, especially in my right hand. My cousin (whom I'll be visiting in Nashville next month) has struggled with serious RA since young adulthood and it has not been fun. Still, she manages to run her three Dalmatians through agility trials almost every weekend!

Hi Chelle,
Was thinking bout listing all the books I now own to try and read them first. But dont actually want to admit to myself what I have sitting there....and i already have my tbr classics 10 list to knock off this year. Even that is proving difficult!

Hi Chelle, hope you get some good news regarding your hand, you have all my sympathy re the pain you are feeling, unfortunately i have spinal arthritis and am only reasonably mobile with morphine patches stuck on my back that are changed every three days so now Dubai is a no go for me because i would have patches on me and replacements in my luggage and therefore would be classed as a drug carrier becuase they are opiates, not to worry it's Dubai's loss ha ha. Thanks for the invitation to the 75ers, i'll probably leave it till next year but i keep looking in at the group to see what's going on and i will be following your thread.

Hi, Chelle, just checking in to keep up with your thread. Hope you are having a great weekend!

#75 - Hi Chelle! I'm glad you liked The Coroner's Lunch. I'll be reading that soon as well. And I hope everything is alright with the hand issue. Take care.

Hi Chelle, just being nosy but why Gogs81 or am just not original enough with my LT name being my true name, just interested as there are some really good member names around.

Swinging by for a visit. Hope the doc has good news about your hand issue. Hope you have been having an enjoyable weekend!

*waves from the other end of Canada*

Chelle - just got myself caught up - joining the list of pals wishing you well with your hand - my mum has arthritis which she has controlled effectively with omega fish oils. Trust that it has not disrupted your weekend.

100 Kath I think they might be my retirement fund! Once I am old enough to need it I could just sell all my books ;)

101 Thanks Judy! I need to go sometime this week for the blood work. Not looking forward to that at all!
And I know what you mean, it just feels better to hold a book instead of an ereader. I finally figured out how to put library books on my Kobo today though, so I guess that's a step in the right direction

102 Hi Ellen. Sorry to hear you are having issues with osteoarthritis too. Hand pain seriously sucks eh

103 Hey Megan! I needed to try and get organize. It's one of my ways to try and curb my spending habits so I can stay home longer instead of finding a job. I've decided I quite like being home! (I didn't include any of my classics in that list though as I know it may take me quite a while to read them!)

104/107 Hi John. Sorry to hear about your spinal issues. Living with morphine must be somewhat difficult. Too bad you can't go to Dubai! lol Is morphine the only thing that keeps you mobile?
Gogs is my nickname (play off my name) and 81 is my birth year. It's a tag that I use on many websites.

105 Hi Mamie! Thanks for visiting. It has been a good weekend. I went shopping and to a bbq with some new friends and today Nate and I just hung around the house together. Hope your weekend went well too!

106 Hi Kerri! I think you will enjoy The Coroner's Lunch! I am looking forward to buying the next in the series sometime later this summer

108 Hi Lori! Thanks for stopping by! How's the weather out there in BC?

Hi Paul, you snuck in there while I was posting!
Omega fish oils eh? Is that in pill form or something she adds to her food? I might have to look into that if it turns out that's what my issues are. Thanks!

69) Gideon's Corpse by Preston & Child
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up
3.5*

Thoughts to be added

Hi Chelle!
Sorry to hear about your hand and hope it turns out there is relief for you.
I was struggling trying to read more and spend less on new books. Something happened a short while ago that I can't account for... I suddenly have a stronger urge to read than buy! Cool, huh? Let's see how long it lasts.
It might have something to do with having all my books organized. The process reminded me of all I have and I don't want to do any re-organizing for quite some time now!

Chelle, I hope your spring has been better than ours. Rumour has it this may become the coldest June on record.... or at least in a really long time. Great for the forest fire season because of the dampness but I really wish I could put my winter wardrobe away! Considering I don't have air conditioning, I will take this weather over an unseasonal heat wave.

Coldest June on record would work nicely for me...

I hope you find some relief for your hand pain..

My mom takes fish oil pills (easily found in any grocery store or pharmacy vitamin aisle, at least round these parts) for her arthritis, too, and says it works wonders. I think it has Omega-3 stuff in it too, which is supposed to be super good for you in myriad ways...

Hi Chelle, I know I am a little late to the party here. I have had an extremely busy week last week. I see you read Red, White and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth. I actually read the first book in that series as an advanced readers copy and I loved it. I am going to have to go back and get this one as well and continue. I get invovled in so many different series and kindly forget some here and there and then find a review like yours and come back to them. Glad you enjoyed it.

adding a *smooch*

Thanks Cee. My new health card came in the mail today (finally!) so I am now fasting and will go in for the tests tomorrow.
That's great that you have more urge to read and less urge to buy! I haven't been buying many but I've been a little library crazy. I think I have about 10 books out right now ... while that might not seem like much to some people it is A LOT for me! Hopefully I can remember when they are all due and not get any late fees!

Hi Lori! It's actually been warmer here than I expected it to be, but I've been overhearing farmers chat at the markets about how little rain NS has gotten this year compared to last. Seems like it's been rainy and gray a lot lately, but no real big storms.
Hopefully your weather stays cool enough that you won't be too overheated with A/C. We don't have it either but I doubt we will need it this close to the water as we get a pretty decent breeze.

Thanks Kath!

HI Amber. Nate has been making me buy the omega3 eggs for a while so I'm good there, but I'll check out the fish oil pills at our pharmacy. Thanks :)

HI Monica! Red, White and Blood was actually the third book. I think it went Blood Oath, The President's Vampire and then Red, White and Blood. If you liked the first one then you will probably like the second and third as they were all pretty good.

Hi Richard!
***

Today Nate and I decided to get out of the house and go for a hike. We hit a trail that was recommended to us and we hiked for a couple hours to a small pond with a waterfall. The hike was worth the view and the dog loved the swim!
I'm a little sunburned now and pretty tired so I'm curled up in bed and going to read for a bit. I have been working on Wolf Hall but it's a rather dense book and I'm too tired to give it the focus that it needs so I'll be starting The Prisoner of Tehran.
Hope everyone had a great Monday!


Crystal Falls. Greenwood, Nova Scotia

That picture makes me smile - Jackson looks so happy! Just about to get off of here, but I wanted to wish you good luck with your tests today. Hope everything goes well.

Oh that picture is so lovely - your thread is really making me want to revisit Nova Scotia.

Yes, good luck with the tests today!

Gorgeous photo! I could jump in there right now! Hope everything goes well for you today!

OH Chelle, I love your photo's Jackson looks so happy to be playing in the water. :) I am glad you and Nate had a nice Hike. It looks so beautiful where you live. :)

I love the photo! Such a paradise for a water-loving dog!

I'm reading Wolf Hall too! I don't think I could do it if I had to read it straight through, but I am reading it every other day, alternating with light, fun science fiction and fantasy.

hah! that is one very happy dog!

Crystal Falls is gorgeous! LOL to wet, happy dog!

Chelle, I love the look of joy on your dog's face! Lovely spot.

I, too, am working my way through Wolf Hall and it will be one I alternate with other reads (although I do worry about losing the thread or forgetting some details....)

Chelle - Amber beat me to it - the omega fish oil can be bought in capsule form. Your pooch certainly seems to have got this relocation thing nailed!

70) The Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography
4.5*

At the age of sixteen Marina is taken from her family and placed in Evin Prison as a political prisoner. She is interrogated, tortured and sentenced to death by firing squad. At the last second she is saved by an interrogator that has used his connections and has gotten Marina's sentence reduced to life in prison. However that kindness comes with a price; Marina must convert from Christianity to Islam and become his wife.

Marina tells the true story of her life before, during and after Evin Prison and the trials and torture that she had to endure to survive. This is a horrible tale of the evils that masquerade as justice. Nemat writes beautifully of maintaining hope, faith and love during the worst time of her life.

120 Thanks Mamie. The dog and I are exhausted today though! Clearly we need more exercise!

121 Thanks Rhian, I guess you should come back and visit then! ;)

122 Thanks Amber

123 Hi Mark! Kids were swimming there when we first arrived. I'm not much of a swimmer but I think next time we go back Nate might wear his swim trunks and go in with the pooch

124 Thanks Monica! I agree, it is beautiful here! I am very lucky to have moved to such a pretty spot

125 Hi Laura! I agree, it is paradise for my pooch! Hopefully if the weather stays warm I will take him to the ocean later this week. The wind has been a tad chilly for me to sit out while he swims.

126 HI Nora! I am enjoying Wolf Hall but it's a bit much to read in a large stretch. I'm still only on part 2 but I should be able to read more tomorrow. Have you been following Suz and Ilana's tutored thread?

127 Hi Kath!

128 Hi Nancy! I was very glad that my friend mentioned that hike to me, it was worth the walk! I'll have to pick her brain and see if she knows of any other good locations

129 HI Ellen. How was jury duty?

130 Hi Paul. I will have to find some of that fishy oil sometime soon! My hands have been pretty good this week but I've been making an effort to hold my book differently. We shall see if that helps in the long run

>132 ChelleBearss: I am trying to keep up with Suz and Ilana, but I'm falling a little bit behind. The "mark as read to here" button for talk threads is a godsend, though!

well Nora I just learned something new, I had no idea there was a "mark as read to here" button haha

Morning Chelle- Good review of The Prisoner of Tehran. Sounds like one I might like.

Chelle, great review of The Prisoner of Tehran. Sounds like one I might like, too.

Hi Chelle. Jury duty ended up being, well, jury duty. I had fantasized about 2-3 days sitting around reading and waiting..... nope. Got called. Got sworn in to a jury. Not done yet. Sigh.

Hi Chelle, Crystal Falls looks like a lovely place. If I'd been there you would have had to fish me out of the water!

I think Prisoner of Tehran looks like a book I would be interested in too, so you are hitting a number of us with book bullets today!

Sounds like a gorgeous walk to the waterfall, and so great to be able to curl up in bed afterwards.
It reminded me of a walk to a waterfall I did with a friend way back when. She was a top level multi-sporter and ultra fit, she kept adding extra bits on to the walk, plus it was pouring with rain nearly the whole walk...we (I) trudged on and on, and at the end of it went back to the house we were renting with a load of other people, and sat in beanbags in front of the fire all the long afternoon supping wine. It was so great.

I hope Wolf Hall eases up on you a bit. I hear its a gem once you're in.

119: Love the Happy Dog photo. I have a wet Lab this morning due to getting caught in a downpour on our walk. It caught us midway but I'm not complaining because we're behind on our rainfall for the year. Plus, I don't have to water plants today!

131: Thanks, Chelle, for that wonderful review of a harrowing story. You told just enough to make me want to seek out the book.

Thanks Mark! That one would fit into your NF challenge

Thanks Nancy! It was a quick read too so you should be able to fit it in somewhere :)

Oh sorry Ellen! That sucks that you actually got put on the jury! Is it going to be a long trial? Hopefully it's something simple and not like a murder trial or something horrible!

Hi Judy! The kids we saw really enjoyed the water so I think Nate will wear his swim trunks next time and go in with the dog. I'm not much for swimming but I could be persuaded to bring a book and read while they swim ;)
Sorry for the book bullets, I guess I'm on a roll lol

Ah Megan the wine and fire part of that story sound great .. not so much the long hike in the rain part!
I'm getting into Wolf Hall ok, but it's huge and not really easy to lug around. I'm actually reading 3 books at once right now (gasp!) as Wolf Hall is huge and complicated, Sea of Poppies is on my eReader which isn't good for sitting in the sun or the bath, and I'm starting Sense of an Ending tonight as it's light and easy to hold in the tub ;)

Hi Donna! My poor plants are wilting so if you could send that rain here it would be appreciated! I bet your lab enjoyed the wet walk though, my dork dog always loves water of any kind (except when I spray him with the hose ;)
I hope you enjoy Prisoner of Tehran if you get to it.

**
Today is another beautiful day here! It's now 25degrees and sunny and the breeze coming over the hill is great! I spent some time cleaning up around here and working on one of the many lists that is going around LT. I'll be working on it for a bit still

Then I hit up the farmers market in town and got a ton of great stuff! Got almost a whole weeks worth of fruits and veggies and 2lbs of haddock for less than $40. I also made a contact with a local fisherman who is going to supply me with tons of lobster and shrimp for when my family comes to visit this summer!

Now it's time to relax :)

I think you live in my version of Heaven ....

I agree Kath, it's pretty great :)

This is my list! I am still working on the list before 1980...

% marks the years that I only had one book that I had read
** marks the years that I had more than 10 to chose from

2011** The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
2010** Room by Emma Donoghue
2009** The Help by Kathryn Stockett
2008** The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2007** Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
2006** Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
2005** Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
2004** The Coroner’s Lunch by Colin Cotterill
2003** (16) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
2002 Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
2001** Bel Canto by Ann Patchett/ Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

2000 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
1999 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
1998 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
1997 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
1996 Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
1995 Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
1994 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
1993 The Client by John Grisham
1992 She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
1991 Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

1990 Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
1989 The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
1988 The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
1987 Outbreak by Robin Cook
1986% It by Stephen King
1985 Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garia Marquez
1984% Thinner by Stephen King
1983 Christine by Stephen King
1982 The Color Purple by Alice Walker
1981 Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

1980% Petals in the Wind VC Andrews
1979 Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews
1978% The Stand By Stephen King
1977 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
1976% Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice
1975% Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
1974% Carrie by Stephen King
1973 --
1972 --
1971 --

1970 --
1969% The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
1968% Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
1967 --
1966 --
1965 --
1964 --
1963 --
1962% A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
1961 --

1960 To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
1959 The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
1958 A Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson
1957 --
1956 --
1955% The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien
1954 The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
1953% Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
1952 East of Eden by John Steinbeck
1951--

Whew! All caught up here. I love your list, Chelle. So much fun to see these from everybody!

Awesome list, Chelle!

Fun list!

Thanks Mamie, Nancy & Morphy!

I've done a bit more listing and have added books to 1951. I plan on going further back over time, but it takes a while to do these numbers!

I am thinking that I might like to introduce this list as a category in next years 13 in 2013 (or whatever it gets named) and hopefully I can slowly start to fill in the years that I haven't read any books in.

Great list!
Doesnt it just make you want to fill in all those gaps? A world of reading awaits. :)

PS I love reading in the bath too.....heaven

That's a fun list, Chelle. Personally, I like seeing the Philip K. Dick and lots of Harry Potter!

Great list, Chelle. It's fun tracking your reading over the years isn't it.

Finally caught up here, Chelle. Great thread.

So, how's the hand issue?

Chelle wishing you a lovely weekend all those miles away and I trust that your hands don't play up and spoil it.

UGH on hand pain

WOW on yearly read list

*smooch* on chilly cheek (25! faugh! 34 here today)

Chelle, I love that you have started your List. Mine has begun -in my head - and I already anticipate the fun of filling in the blanks. I'm happy that you found an author that you love. IAfter reading the first Harry Potter book, it was confirmed that I am a muggle!

Thanks Megan! I actually really do want to fill in some of the gaps. I don't think I'll be going all at the way back to 1800 like some but possibly 1900!

Hi Joe! Harry Potter is my fave! I'm just a big dork, but I've come to terms with that ;) I've been trying some books that are out of my normal comfort zone like Philip K Dick. I was surprised to see I liked it!

Thanks Judy, but it's hard work trying to figure it out though! I plan to keep better track of it

HI Gail! The hand has been ok this week. The heat tends to be better for me. The winter months are brutal. The doctor thinks it is tendonitis in my thumb, so I've been putting some muscle pain cream on it and taking pain killers when it bugs me. I'm still waiting on the results of the other tests to see what's up with the rest of my hand joints.

Thanks Paul! I had a great night last night, just me and the pets and Wolf Hall. Nate is working nights this weekend. Tonight I am going to a party GASP! This nerd is actually going to leave the house and go out with people. ;)
Hope your having a great weekend with your family!

Hi Richard. You would love it here today. It's raining and only 15 degrees! (57 for you) I actually have a sweater on!
**

So very excited to have our first camping trip of the year booked!! Next weekend is Canada Day long weekend and Nate and I are packing up the pooch and going to PEI with some new friends. We will be camping for 3 nights near Cavendish, PEI.
Nate only works until Sunday night and then he has 9 days off! We will be doing a few things around the house, maybe a little bit more exploring in our area and then heading off to PEI!

Today I am heading to a posting party for some guys Nate works with. Around this time of year every year the military posts people out to new bases. One of Nate's coworkers took a posting working at a Canadian Embassy in Beijing and another fellow is moving to Ottawa. I'm heading in with a girl I met through Nate and she is getting promoted to a higher rank tonight. Sounds like it should be a pretty good night. Nate is working but he will be popping in throughout the night to show his support as well.

Hope you all have a great Saturday and don't get the amount of rain that we are getting here!!

haha Donna, at least you liked it enough to use the proper terms! LOL
I would LOVE to be a wizard! I would practice all the time until I could be like McGonagall and turn myself into an animal.

ETA I just realized how much my inner geek was showing there. *runs off to cover it up again ...*

LOL. I think it is completely safe to show your inner geek here on LT. In fact, I kinda thought that was the point! Sorry about the hand thing. Good luck with the tests. Have fun at the posting party, oh, and one last thing--love all the lists!

Agreed. Geek out :)

71) The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT
4*

This was a small book with a lot to say about human nature and the way a person can view their own history. Tony Webster has lived a safe and average life and is now nearing old age. He remembers for the reader his school friends and a past relationship that went sour. When he receives a letter from a lawyer he starts to realize that what he remembers might not be exactly the way history played out.

"What you end up remembering isn't always the same as what you have witnessed.”

I quite enjoyed this book. I may go back an reread it another time as I feel that there are parts that I didn't quite "get". There is a quote in the book where someone says to Tony ”You don’t get it. You never did.” and towards the end of the book that quote could have been aimed at me as there are spots that I feel I clearly missed something.

4* for The Sense of an Ending looks positive, Chelle. I really enjoyed it, too. In fact, it's one I've meant to reread (was short and so thought provoking), but time as always ...

That was my very first read for this year, and I enjoyed it, too.

Uh oh. More lists. I'm toast.

I'm glad to see East of Eden on your list, though, since I'm going to read that next month for the Steinbeckathon.

Hi Nancy and Mamie! I did enjoy it, very much actually. Hopefully I can sit down and review it tomorrow

Hi Ellen, sorry but I have more lists coming. Avert your eyes if you wish :)
I really loved East of Eden! I don't think I will join in and read it again as it's quite long but I will keep and eye out on the GR thread

I needed a brain break from reading Wolf Hall so I decided I would take on the challenge that a few others have been posting about and try and figure out what series I have on the go.
Ok, seriously! I knew I was involved in a lot of series but I had no idea it was actually this bad. These are all the series that I am currently working on ... not including any series that has been completed by the author and I’ve read in full. Oy!

Active Series

Anita Blake Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton (1/21): Finished Guilty Pleasures, next up The Laughing Corpse
Aunt Dimity by Nancy Atherton (2/17): Finished Aunt Dimity’s Death, next up Aunt Dimity and the Duke
Camp Half-Blood by Rick Riordan (5/10): Finished The Last Olympian, next up The Demigod Files
Christopher Snow by Dean Koontz (2/3): Finished Seize the Night, next up Ride the Storm
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (1/7): Finished The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, next up Prince Caspian
Dr. Siri Paiboun by Colin Cotterill (1/8): Finished The Coroner’s Lunch, next up Thirty-Three Teeth
Fallen Angels by J.R. Ward (1/3): Finished Covet, next up Crave
Flavia de Luce by Alan Bradley (1/4) : Finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, next up The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag
Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom by John Updike (1/4): Finished Rabbit, Run, Next up Rabbit, Redux
The Ibis Trilogy by Amitav Ghosh (1/3): Finished Sea of Poppies, next up River of Smoke
The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini (1/4): Finished Eragon, Next up Eldest
The Magicians by Lev Grossman (1/2): Finished The Magicians, next up The Magician King
Matthew Shardlake by CJ Sansom (3/5): Finished Dark Fire, Next up Sovereign
Nick Lupo by W.D. Gagliani (2/3): Finished Wolf’s Gambit, next up Wolf’s Bluff
The Night Trilogy by Elie Wiesel (1/3): Finished Night, next up Dawn
Nikki Heat by Richard Castle (1/4): Finished Heat Wave, next up Naked Heat
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (5/7): Finished The Fiery Cross, next up A Breath of Snow and Ashes
Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink (1/3): Finished Prophecy of the Sisters, next up Guardian of the Gate
Riley Jenson Gaurdian Series by Keri Aurthor (1/9): Finished Full Moon Rising, next up Kissing Sun
Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice (2/9): Finished The Vampire Lestat, next up The Queen of the Damned
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (1/2): Working on Wolf Hall, next up Bring up the Bodies

Series waiting for next installment to be written

Alex Cross by James Patterson (18/18)
All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness (1/1): New release July 10th Shadow of Night
Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward (10/10)
The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett (1/1): New release September 18th Winter of the World
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache by Louise Penny (7/7): New release August 28th The Beautiful Mystery
The Darkest Powers by Kelley Armstrong (5/5): New release April 2013 The Rising
Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth (2/2)
Dustlands by Moira Young (1/1): New release October 2012 Rebel Heart
Gideon Crew by Preston & Child (2/2)
Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly (17/17): New release November 2012 The Black Box
Kay Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell (19/19): New release October 2012 The Bone Bed
The Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore (2/2):New release August 2012 The Rise of Nine
Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer (1/1): New release Scarlet (2013)
Michael Bennet Books by James Patterson (4/4): New release July 9 I, Michael Bennet
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz (4/4): New release July 2012 Odd Apocalypse
The Passage by Justin Cronin (1/1): New release October 2012 The Twelve
Temperance Brennan by Kathy Reichs (14/14): New release August 2012 Bones are Forever
Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong (12/12): New release July 2012 Thirteen
Women’s Murder Club by James Patterson (11/11)

Series that I own a book and haven’t started yet:


Adam Dalgliesh by PD James(own #10 A Certain Justice)
Angelology by Danielle Trussoni
Anna Pigeon Mysteries by Nevada Barr (Own #11 flashback)
The Book of Art by Clive Barker Own The Great and Secret Show
Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness (Own #2 The Knife of Never Letting Go)
Lincoln Rhyme by Jeffery Deaver (Own #7 The Cold Moon)
Lives of the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice (Own all 5)
Lord John by Diana Gabaldon (Own #1 & #2)
Mallory Caine, Zombie at Law by K Bennett (Own #1Pay me in Flesh)
The Maze Runner by James Dashner (Own #1 The Maze Runner)
MIllennium Trilogy by Steig Larsson (Own #1 & #2)
Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (Own #1 Ship Breaker)
Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (Own #1 A Game of Thrones)
Vish Puri by Tarquin Hall (Own #2 Case of the Man Who died Laughing)

I loved your list of books Chelle - might try and do my own soon. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil will probably be my 1994 book too - I was looking at it last night remembering how much I'd enjoyed it.

Looking forward to seeing what you have to say about The Sense of an Ending. I loved it.

Hi Chelle, nice series list! I am struggling with Wolf Hall - I am finding it isn't captivating me, probably because of the data dump of info this book generates. Hope you have had an enjoyable weekend!

9 days off! Great, have heaps of fun together.

Glad you liked Sense of an Ending- Ill get there one day too. I think Ill be in the "like" camp too.

Review has been added in post#160 for Sense of an Ending

Hi Cushla! I remember really loving Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and his other work City of Falling Angels.

Hi Lori! How far are you into Wolf Hall? I struggled with the beginning and found I could only read about 50 pages before I got into brain overload as there were too many things I had to stop reading to look up. I'm about 400 pages in now and finding it's flowing much better now. I would really like to finish it tomorrow but that might be a tad ambitious.

Hi Megan! Well Nate called from work tonight and they are messing with his schedule again, boo urns. He still has his long weekend off for camping (yay!) but he has to work tomorrow and Tuesday now. Just means I'll be organizing the camp gear on my own now, not such a big deal.
I think you will enjoy Sense of an ending. I found it had a good flow to it.

In Wolf Hall I am currently at page 142 and hope to plow through more later this evening. Good to learn you are finding it flows better as you get further into the book. That is encouragement to continue reading it!

Series list ::boggle::

#160 Brava! Very nice review!

xo

I wouldn't even begin to know how to identify how many series I am in the middle of!! Whew...you have a lot!

The thought of a series list is horrifying to me. I'll end up doing it for sure. But dear lord...

165: Haha! Oh dear...well, I guess that's why I avoid series books unless the series is done and I can't read them all consecutively. :P

I am glad that Angelology is on your radar.. I am impatient for book #2

Hi Chelle, love your series lists, we have some in common and i'm always impatient for the next in a series, the problem is that i am building up the number of series i like that it's starting to get in the way of new authors of stand alone books and all the good tips about books that i am picking up from LT members posts. Oh well, i'll just have to read a bit quicker and for a bit longer, not a hardship.

Nice series list! I like how you organized it to separate out series that are waiting for the next installment to be released - might have to reorganize mine to do that. Love that for Wolf Hall you put (0.5/2) - LOL!

>176 johnsimpson: John, I couldn't agree more! I have also been feeling inundated with various series lately, to the detriment of my stand-alone reading. I have vowed to be more ruthless about quitting series when they no longer captivate my attention. I've already done that with the Alex Cross series by James Patterson, and I'm close to doing the same with the Grant County series by Karin Slaughter.

What it comes down is there are too many good books to read, and not nearly enough time!

Hi rosalita, i know what you're saying but you've now given me another author to peruse as i have not read Karin Slaughter before, oh well back to square one. I love reading but too many books come out and seemingly not enough time to read them.

72) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long
Orange January/July
3.75*

I have seen many amazing reviews and glowing recomendations for this novel and if I hadn't seen all those wonderful reviews I probably would have Pearl Ruled this book at page 50. This is very hard novel to get into due to Mantel's choppy writing in the beginning, the dense subject matter and many, many characters to keep straight. Not to mention the way Mantel keeps refering to Cromwell as "he" in places that could be confused with other characters. I think this would be much more enjoyable to someone who has a good grasp on the history behind the novel.

It took much effort and will power (and some peeks at the tutored thread hosted by Chatterbox and Smiler69) that I stuck through it. It took me six days to finish the first three hundred pages but after about two hundred pages the story starts to flow smoothly. I gobbled up the last three hundred and fifty pages in one night. Once I got a handle on the characters and the style of writing then the story really took hold for me. By the end I realized that I had really enjoyed the book and especially the way Mantel makes Cromwell funny in a deadpan sort of way. "If Anne were my wife, he thinks, I'd go out for the afternoon. She looks haggard, and she cannot stay stil; you wouldn't trust her near a sharp knife."

I really look forward to picking up Bring up the Bodies!

170 Hi Lori! I hope you will like the second half better, I did! :)

171 Thanks Richard! xo

172 Hi Kim! If you go to your profile page, at the top you will see "Statistics/memes" and then on the left side of that page about halfway down you can click on "series". It will give you every book in your library (even wish listed books) that are part of a series of two or more books. It's actually mindboggeling to see how many series there are!!

173 haha Morphy, it is horrifying! It makes it even more so because now I want to try and finish them all! lol

174 I know Stephen, but I am still behind on the series that all the books are written! I gave had Game of Thrones for many months and haven't started it

175 Hi Kath! I started Angelology and couldn't get into it. I must not have been in the right mood. I'll try again

176 Hi John! For some of the series (Cornwell, Patterson, Connelly, etc) I grab the new book as soon as it comes out. Others I need to remind myself to read them

177 Thanks Mamie! I can make Wolf Hall a (1/2) now as I finally finished it!!

178 Hi Julia. "What it comes down is there are too many good books to read, and not nearly enough time!" I completely agree!

What a come-from-behind finish on Wolf Hall, Chelle! Thumbs up!

Just playing catch up, Chelle. Lots of nifty lists going on around here. :)

Chelle- Congrats on the Chunky Monkey! You hung in there. I hope to get to it some time this summer. Wish me luck.
I also liked Angelology. It was not a great read but well worth reading.

Chelle I really, really need to do that active series listing that I have seen you and several others do. According to the stats page I have 1209 series so this may take a bit of sorting out as some of the series such as the Levant trilogy, the Cairo Trilogy, The Raj Quartet and the Alexandria Quartet are not really series in the sense that I think is intended in these lists.

haha Thanks Richard! I could tell it was something I would like once I figured out the who's who and the what's what!

HI Micky! Thanks for visiting :)

HI Mark! How was your ride home?
I will give Angelology another chance. I tried reading it at work before and it wasn't a good time for it so I'll give it another shot

Paul that stats thing said I had 175 series, and as you can see I have a lot less (50ish) Hopefully you don't actually have 1200 series on the go! That would be beyond crazy

Thumbs up to your comments on Wolf Hall, Chelle! Thanks for those.

>180 ChelleBearss: I gobbled up the last three hundred and fifty pages in one night
Really? How long did that take you? It would have taken me absolutely hours....I'm not sure I really want to read it anymore, I hadn't realised it had that saga aspect to it.

I have no idea which of my books are part of a series, I barely think about it. Does that mean I dont read those kinds of books (whatever those kinds of books are!) or that I am just unaware....

Nice review of Wolf Hall, Chelle. I have three more chapters to go in River of Smoke, then I will give WH my full attention. I've only read the first two chapters of WH and I'm determined to make it far enough to get into the rhythm of Hilary Mantel's writing.

Chelle, where is the tutored read for Wolf Hall? Just went on the lookout, but couldn't find ... Thanks.

Good review for Wolf Hall.. I have no intention of reading it, but I have
been interested in the reviews for other reasons :)

Couldn't get into Angelology? I just loaned it to our Keith.. I wonder how he will
like it. He is a VERY critical reader. He seems to think that no book should remind
him of any other book, ever. He has one of those memories that hold onto everything. So far I have
not managed to lend him anything that has not reminded him of something else... but some his has enjoyed.

>180 ChelleBearss: after about two hundred pages the story starts to flow smoothly
Oh thank goodness! I'm on page 151 and it's slow going . . .

Thanks Nancy!:) The tutored read is http://www.librarything.com/topic/137481#

HI Megan! I think it took me about 12 hours or so. Nate was working and it was rainy and gross so I just stayed inside all day reading. I stayed up until 4am to finish it but I couldn't do it so I finished the last few pages in the morning.
I think about some of my series books only because they are by my favorite authors and I check to see when their next books are coming out. I took a look at your library and the meme says you have 26 series on the go. Some aren't really series in the traditional sense, but you have a few great ones there!

HI Ellen! I hope you will find that you enjoy it as well!
I am working my way through Sea of Poppies today and hopefully I can start River of Smoke next week

HI Kath! I don't think Angelology reminded me of anything in particular so Keith might be good with that one! I wish I had a memory like him!

Hang in there Nora, it does get easier :)

ETA fixed my mistakes

Oh cool, I am reading 26 series books! And I never knew, thanks for doing my homework for me :)

Reading for 12 hours straight!!?? heaven

haha Megan, I find that happens quite often when Nate works nights. I don't do chores at night so after he leaves for work I usually read late into the night. Especially during poor weather and it has been raining here for days now!
***

Yay, I scored a book in the ER program Hunt The Wolf by Donn Mann! I think this might be one that I can share with Nate too! I am still waiting for the one that I won last month to arrive Pulse by John Lutz.

stopping by and waving hi.

Hi Linda!

For any of you Louise Penny addicts out there she has posted a link to an excerpt from her next book The Beautiful Mystery on her blog. Or the direct link right to the excerpt is here

I agree with Megan, Chelle - us mere mortals would struggle with 350 dense pages in a night, but I can certainly identify with books like that that simply don't allow you to put them down.

Chelle, I hope you're enjoying Sea of Poppies. Many have said they enjoyed it more than River of Smoke but I'm not sure. I felt like I got a deeper understanding of one of the main characters (Bahram) in RoS and I liked that.

I always think that I would enjoy reading for twelve hours straight, but I suspect I would actually get restless.

Popping in to say Hello Chelle. :)

Morning, Chelle - just checking in over here. I am really liking River of Smoke. I liked your review of Wolf hall - agree with you completely, takes about the first third of the book to get into the rhythm of Mantel's writing and her quirky pronoun usage, but then it really takes off.

Yes Paul, but you see I am unemployed and have no children and that basically equates to having too much free time ;) I only read like that when Nate isn't home though and only when I'm in a good book.

Hi Ellen! I am enjoying Sea of Poppies. I'm only about halfway now and I was really hoping to finish it before we go camping this weekend as I didn't want to bring my ereader but I seriously doubt I'll finish it. I'll probably still be working on it next week
I get restless if I'm not completely loving the book. For example instead of reading like that last night I put the book down and went to bed early.

Hi Monica!

Hi Mamie! Her writing is quite different to anything I have read before. I'm a big fan of historical fiction and I enjoyed the historical aspect of her book but it was so much to learn before it made much sense. Suzanne and Ilana's thread helped me a ton in the beginning of the book
***
Today I am puttering around and waiting for the phone guy to show up and install our new house phone (We don't get cell reception on the mountain here). Trying to get the house tidied up before we leave for camping and I'm trying to figure out a way to de-furr my dog! I can't believe the amount of hair that is falling off him this week. My allergies are going crazy. I furminated him yesterday and I've vacuumed him and it's still falling out. Other than shaving him I am at a loss but I am tired of vacuuming the house every day :(

Hopefully I can read a little this afternoon. It's a rainy, dark day here. Hope it's sunny wherever you are!

Chelle - I am also about halfway through SOP and really enjoying it, after finally getting used to the seafaring slang in parts of it. Bet you finish before me.

I don't know about that Paul! I am struggling with the seafaring slang parts. I really like Deeti's story though!

73) A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT
4*

Not quite a novel but not really short stories, A Visit From the Goon Squad is a series of chapters written as different characters during different times of their life and different years. Ranging from past and future it tells the story of how time can be a bitch. "Time's a goon, right? You gonna let that goon push you around?" Each chapter tells the tale of six degrees of separation of a sort, each new character has been part of a past story in either a major or minor role in the previous characters life.

I quite enjoyed this book but one chapter was written as a series of power point slides and it did not translate well into audio format! I think I will find a paper copy to check out that particular chapter.
Recommended :)

Checking in Chelle!
Hope your allergies are better :) and fur kid still has his fur ;)

Hi Chelle! Glad you are enjoying SOP and I'm happy you liked Goon Squad. I loved that book!

Chiming in to say I'm glad you're enjoying SOP, Chelle. It was one of my favorite books last year. I've got ROS in my TBR Tower but missed doing the GR.

Where are you going camping?

Hi Kara! My allergies are not so great but I've picked up some meds that seem to be helping some. The dog still has fur ... for now ;)

Hi Mark! I really enjoyed Goon Squad but I listened to it and I think that format may have missed some effect in the 12th chapter. I must not be a deep enough person but I though the chapter with the child giving stats about the songs and pauses was quite annoying. I actually fast forwarded the last minute.

Hi Caro! I'm about 3/4 now in SOP and I'm loving it. I hope to finish it next week as I won't be bringing my ereader with me this weekend. We are heading camping on Prince Edward Island near Cavendish. We are all packed up and heading to bed soon and will be heading out early tomorrow morning

Hope everyone has a great weekend! and for all my Canadian LT Friends Happy Canada Day weekend!

LOL, love the dog! Happy Canada Day to you, too, Chelle!

>204 ChelleBearss: Im with you on Sea of Poppies Chelle, I loves Deeti's story, but the rest I just wasnt. And the strange words just irritated me.

Have a great camping trip. Im off on holiday too tomorrow, 4 nights away, taking three books which is hopeful :)

ha! happy happy dog :) Love seeing pics in the threads :)

Yeah.. keith has a fabulous memory, really. But now and then he "remembers" wrong, and there is
no convincing him.. lol.

Chelle, it's been a while since I read Goon Squad, but I bet that 12th chapter was the one that was presented as a series of Powerpoint slides in the paper book. I cannot imagine how that would have translated to audio; no wonder you were confused!

OMG... a ton of messages to catch up on here. You have been busy with fun!
I so love to see when people explore their environment (whatever it is) and love where they live. The pictures are wonderful - there's nothing like a happy dog! And I'm with Jax - I love Canada too!

I'm going to borrow your format for the lists above and someday see how my own reading fits in. Maybe when I go on vacation later in July.

You've done some great reading - and great reviews too.
How are the wedding preps going? Seems you are able to take a break at the moment I'm getting excited for you ;-)

Happy Canada Day, Chelle. Enjoy your camping trip. We are planning on a quiet weekend, hopefully lots of reading time and just kicking back on the patio.

Canada Day is Sunday, isn't it? Well, anyway, have a happy celebration weekend!

#205 and 213 - Hi Chelle! Yeah - the PowerPoint chapter was great. I cried real tears. I loved that novel. It's been one of this year's favorites for me.

Chelle - I didn't know about Canada Day if I'm honest but I trust that it will cap off a lovely weekend for you. Your comment about the impact of the audio book on your enjoyment of the Jennifer Egan book is one of the reasons (apart from the crazy prices) why I don't get any - I expect the experience would be different and I like the experiences I get from my reading.

210 Thanks Nancy! Hope you have a good weekend!

211 Hope you enjoyed your holiday too Megan! Did you manage to finish all three books? I ended up taking my ereader and managed to finish a little bit of Sea of Poppies but I still have a ways to go

212 HI Kath! He is a tired happy dog now! Swam in the ocean all weekend and now he is passed out!

213 Hi Julia! Yes the 12th chapter was the powerpoint one. I went and looked at some reviews and some mentioned the weirdness of that chapter. I didn't translate to audio very well at all

214 Hi Cee! We love to explore the area. With Nate being in the military and the possibility of us having to move again hanging over our heads I've been trying to explore as much as possible before we leave again. Especially if he decides to leave the military and go to a municipal police agency, then we would be moving even sooner. Next trip will probably be to see Cape Breton. Maybe at the end of July

215 Your weekend sound wonderful too Judy! You probably got more reading done than me!

216 Thanks Richard! It was yesterday and we had a great day. Nate and the dog went swimming with our friends and we had a fun day!

217 Hi Kerri! I think I should reread that book in the written format as the 12th chapter was too odd for audio. Or at least reread the 12th chapter only! I didn't have an emotional response to that book although I did enjoy it and thought it was quite different. I don't usually enjoy short stories but the way that was written made it almost novel like

218 HI Paul, Canada Day is the celebration of basically the creation of Canada. It's 145 years old this year and it's one of our best celebrated statutory holidays (other than Christmas).
I actually joined Audible.com as I have been listening to some books when I clean and work around the house. I guess I just need to do a bit more research into what books I pick.

Happy Canda Day celebration.

Thanks Linda! Hope you have a pain free day tomorrow!

June 2012 Reading Statistics

The Color Purple by Alice Walker (288 pages, 4.5*)
Kat & Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong (novella)
Becoming by Kelley Armstrong (Graphic Novel)
Counterfeit Magic by Kelley Armstrong (novella)
Hidden by Kelley Armstrong (long novella, 216 pages ebook)
Gideon's Sword by Preston & Child (4*, 342 pages)
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (4*, ebook 152 pages)
Seizure by Kathy Reichs (3*, 491 pages)
The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill (4.5*, 272 pages)
Red, White and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth (383 pages, 3.5*)
They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon (4*, 531 pages)
Gideon's Corpse by Preston & Child (3.5*, 355 pages)
The Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat (4.5*, 280 pages)
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (4*, 163 pages)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (3.75*, 651 pages)
A Visit From the Goon Squad (4*, audio 10 hours 8 minutes)

Number of books read: 16
Average rating: 3.9
Number of pages: 4124
Audio time: 10 hours 8 minutes

Fiction/Non-Fiction:
• Fiction: 15
• Non-Fiction: 1

Owned/borrowed (from human)/library:
• Owned: 10
• Borrowed: 0
• Library: 6

Format:
• Print book: 9
• Ebook: 6
• Audiobook: 1

Length:
• Short Story/Novella: 4
• Full Length: 12

Wow, you'd have to move again? When? I thought you bought that house or are you just renting? With that number of moves it would be impossible to buy here in the states. The housing market is just too awful.

HI Morphy
It's not a for sure thing, but the military tends to move people every 3-5 years and if he were to take a promotion it would most likely mean moving. He is also thinking of getting out of the military after his contract is done and going to a busier police service and that would mean a move too.
Thankfully the housing market is better here than in some states, but we still have lots of work to do to the house to make it presentable ... mostly landscaping