picklechic's 50 book challenge

I don't really know how much I read a year because I haven't really kept track of it before. But I'm interested in seeing how much I read. So here goes!

1. Mommies behaving badly - I was partway through this on January 1st. So I'll include it as my first book read in 2008. It was a somewhat predictable bbok about a girl who's husband cheats on her. She is an author, mother of 3, and a funny, but not very endearing character. The book was light, but seemed to be trying too hard to be funny and trendy.

2. Barefoot : a novel by Elin Hilderbrand - I am reading this now so I'll update more about it when I finish.

ETA to add: Finished 1/11/08, It was really good! About 3 ladies all going through life crises and their summer on Nantucket. 4 stars.

ETA: I don't know how to do the touchstones or they must not be working for me. :???:

3. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella - This is just the prologue and first 3 chapters (40 pages of reading). A free sampler they had a B & N. I can't wait to read the full book. The sampler was really good! I normally love Kinsella's work.

I hope I didn't skip any. I forgot to post my recent books. So I'm trying to catch up now...

4. The Belles of Charleston by Steve Brown - A truly awful book with no real plot line and a story which never really began or finished. I do not recommend this. read from 1/12/08 to around the beginning of Feb. 08

5. The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn - Pretty good book. It was a funny, easy read. The main character wasn't easy to like for me because she was dishonest, but I wanted to like her so I tried to overlook her character flaws. read from 2/1 ?/08-2/12/08

6. Suburbanistas by Pamela Redmond Satran - read 2/13/08 to 2/23/08 - This book is a little slow starting, but once you get into it, it isn't too bad. The characters are not people I can identify with and seem to be sterotypes of certain personalities. But it was a pretty easy read and the overall story was pretty good.

7. What a girl wants by Kristin Billerbeck - reading now (began reading 2/24/08)

repeated from above....

7. What a girl wants by Kristin Billerbeck -(read 2/24/08-3/1/08) A really cute book! I enjoyed the main character's morals, values, sense of humor and sense of style. I really enjoyed the humore and in depth personalities of the characters in this book and the cute storyline. The characters reminded me of people I know. I liked that this was a Christian fiction book even though I haven't read one of those in a long time. It was a breath of fresh air. I'll definately read the sequel and any subsequent sequals to this book. A good read!

8. Double Down by Tess Hudson - (read 3/1-3/5) I wasn't expecting too much out of this bargain book from an author I'd never heard of. The blurb on the back really did not describe too much, but I decided to take the "gamble". It was a really good book! The main character was really easy to relate to, likeable and easy to forgive for her shortcomings. The other characters had a lot of depth and demension. The story was a really unpredictable, good romantic story. I really enjoyed this book. I'll be looking for other books by this author.

9. The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer - (read 3/5-3/11) I really enjoyed this book! It was a really cute story about learning to like yourself for who you are. The main character goes through a major weight loss transformation which leads to major change in her personal life. I liked her character and could identify with her weight issues. The romance was very sweet as well. Overall, a really good book. I'll be on the lookout for others by this author.

10. True Believer by Nicholas Sparks - (read 3/11-3/16) I really enjoyed this book. It was a really simple, sweet story with complex, yet likeable characters. I enjoyed the mystery and romance involved. I was a tiny bit dissappointed that the end wasn't less predictable and I wish it had more plot resolution. Overall, a pretty good book, though.

11. Everlasting by Kathleen Woodiweiss - (read 3/17-3/25) I was somewhat dissappointed that this book didn't have more romance. I rarely read true romance novels so when I did decide to try one, it was lacking in that department. It was a long book with a slow, drawn out (but really simple) plot. The language was a little too melodramatic and flowery for me. It wasn't terrible though and it did keep my interest until the end.

12. What do you do all day? by Amy Scheibe - (read 3/26-3/28) This book was a really funny romp through the good, bad and ugly sides of motherhood. Often times I was rolling at how hilarious and right on target the anecdotes about everyday life as a mother. The actual storyline was a little slow and meandering, but I was distracted by that, and therefore didn't mind, because the book was so funny. I really enjoyed this book.

13. Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella - (read 3/29-3/31) I loved this book. I always love Kinsella's books and this was no different. It was funny and cute and a really good story. One of the best books I've read in a long time. A satisfying read.

14. The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan - (read 4/1-4-12) I really enjoyed this book. It was a little slow moving but I really enjoyed the mystery once it sped up. I was intrigued by the claims in the book and am interested in reading the next books in this series and researching the validity of the sentiments. I don't usually read religious fiction like this, but I do like history and I found the book very interesting.

15. Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club by Maggie Marr - (read 4/13-4/21) (ARC book) This book was about a group of friends all living and working in the movie industry in Hollywood. This book is the sequel to a previous book about the same characters. I wish I had read the first book first because I did not know the history or back story between all the characters and I didn't feel that it was properly explained in this book. I had to guess at the relationships and history at first. The storyline was kind of jumbled and meanering, but I did enjoy the overall story. I liked most of the main characters, although a few of them I didn't feel I knew enough about so they seemed kind of one-demensional. I cared enough about them to find out what happened and I was satisfied with the resolution at the end of the book. The book was not bad, but it requires work from the reader who has to peice together what is happening in the story so they know what is going on. 3 stars.

16. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory - (read 4/22-4/29) (June 07 mom's book club book) I loved this book! This has to have been one of the best books I've ever read. I seriously could have read another 600+ pages about this family. I am so fascinated by everything that went on during this time period and all the intricasies in the relationships. I loved that the book was written in a more modern language, less flowery then most historical fiction. I could not put it down. I was not very familiar with this time period and I couldn't remember my history well enough to remember whathappened to Anne Boleyn. So the ending was a surprise to me. I am now starved to read more of Gregory's historical fiction novels. 5 stars!

17. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory - (read from 5/4-5/11) This was the second book I have read by Gregory. I absolutely loved The Other Boleyn Girl, so I was excited to read this book. This book focuses on Jane Boleyn, the wife of George Boleyn (Anne Boleyn's brother); Anne of Cleves, Henry VII's 4th wife; and Katherine Howard, Henry VII's 5th wife. Gregory does a good job showing each of the women's characters for who they really are. They are each very different with distinct personalities and depth of character. Katherine Howard is a silly, young, very shallow girl who became queen at a very young age, only to be put to death a short time later by a power hungry king. Anne of Cleves was a good queen and a strong woman . Jane Boleyn was a scheming woman who betrayed her husband and others in the hope of gaining more fortune and power for the Boleyn family. Seeing how these three women interact with each other and how their story plays out to make their mark in history is very interesting. Henry VII also has changed since I first "met" him in The Other Boleyn Girl (TOBG). He is now in very bad health, overweight and much older and all of these things cause him to be more tempermental and at times he appears to be mad with power. Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was interesting to find out what happened to the other characters in TOBG. I didn't quite like it as much as TOBG because there wasn't a character I liked or identified with as much as Mary Boleyn. But I did enjoy the book and I do look forward to reading more about the Tudor period and more of Gregory's other books. A solid 4 stars.

18. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult - (read 5/11-5/20) This was a good book with a good story and characters that were likeable and believable. It was about a high school shooting done by a bullied student and about victims, perpetrator, and their families. The story was quite slow moving for most of the book. I enjoyed the story, but I feel that the book could have been shorter and faster. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I normally do books by Picoult., because it was so difficult to get through. But it was overall a good book.

19. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton - (read 5/20-5/25) The Wednesday Sisters is the story of 5 women and their friendship over the years. This book started off a little rocky. There are 5 main characters and not much of a description of each one or introduction to the story. It seems like you are just thrown into the story right from the first page and that was confusing to me. But once I learned more about the characters and got to like them and became interested in their lives, the book grew on me. One thing that bothered me was the historical references in the book. It seemed like Clayton was trying to chock the book full of references to things that happened throughout the 60's and 70's in order to give the reader a better sense of the time period. But to me, that didn't work and seemed to be "trying too hard". But once I overlooked that and began to care about the characters, I really enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the characters' plights to maintain strong friendships, raise families, and their efforts to become published writers during a time when women were considered inferior to men. I wanted to know more of what happened to these women over their lives up until the present. I wanted to know more at the end of the book. I recommend this book to women, mothers and people that enjoy writing with the hope of being published someday. A good, quick easy read. 4 stars.

20. The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child by Robert Sears - (read 5/26) As a mother, I sometimes feel overwhelmed with all of the decisions I make as a parent on a daily basis. It is so hard to make the best decisions for your children and you just want them to be happy and healthy. Choosing whether/and how to vaccinate your kids is no easy decision. There is so much biased literature out there and the debate can be very heated. The possible (unproven) risk of autism connected to vaccinating is scary to me. So I chose to read this book because it is written by a well-known doctor, Dr. Sears, and he is neither anti- or pro-vaccination. He describes each vaccine, what it's made of, how it's made, the risks and side effects of it, and much more. He lays out all of the options in a clear, way that any parent could understand. The book also includes 2 alternative vaccination schedules. After reading the book, I have a good idea of which vaccines I want to have administered to my children and when. I now understand which vaccines should not be given together also. This is a book I would recommend to any parent who is struggling with decisions regarding vaccinations. 5 stars.

21. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan - (read 5/26-6/4) I really enjoyed this book. It is about a teenage girl, Kim, who goes missing and what happens to her family following her disappearance. Her mother, father, friends and younger sister each have different responses and ways of dealing with losing Kim. I found all of the characters very real and easy to identify with. The story was a bit slow moving but was very well written. I knew from the excerpt on the back of the cover that Kim would most likely not be found, that the book wasn't really about that, but about the other characters' journeys in coming to grips with life without her. But I was a bit disappointed that the ending wasn't tidier. I do understand that that was exactly the point the author was trying to make, that not everything has a satisfying resolution. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. 4 stars.

22. Dr. Rob's Guide to Raising Fit Kids by Robert S. Gotlin - (read 6/4-6/6) This book is a very good book for parents of serious, competitive athletes and amateur coaches. To me, it wasn't a book that was extremely relevant to parents of regular kids that aren't athletic that need help staying fit. There was a small exercise section that did have some exercises that children who do not participate in sports could do, but overall I'd say the book is geared towards parents of children who participate in team sports. That said, the book is very detailed and gives great advice on many things. There is a breakdown of each age group and what that age child gets from their sport experience. Dr. Rob tells the best age to start sports, gives a guide to buying sports equipment for each sport, and includes a section on healthy menus and yummy recipes that can benefit all children. The section for coaches and the section on how to manage injuries both were very detailed and would be very beneficial to the parent of a competitive athlete who is also a coach of their child's team. Overall, I would recommend this book to any parent who has a child that participates in team sports. I think it's a worthwhile book that can teach any parent about keeping their little athlete safe and healthy both mentally and physically. 4 stars.

23. Better Than Chocolate by Susan Waggoner - (read over a 2 month period, finished 6/9) Better Than Chocolate by Susan Waggoner seemed like an interesting story in which a woman's husband invents a "chocolate zero" type product and becomes famous turning their family and lives upside down. However, it was a dissappointment to me. I was looking forward to reading it. It The book took me a long time to get through. I started it and stopped to read something else, picked it up and tried it again several times before I finally forced my self to finish it. It was slow moving and dragged on. The writing was actually good and I liked the characters, but the story was not believable. It was almost a fantasy, and I was not expecting that. The story dragged without much happening and when the story finally resolved, it just left me, as a reader, hanging. Overall, I don't think I'd recommend this book. It left me unsatisfied and sorry I had wasted my time on it. 2 stars.

24. The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir - (read 6/10-6/17) I really enjoyed reading The Lady Elizabeth: A Novel by Alison Weir. The book is about Elizabeth I's early life from the time of her mother Anne Boleyn's death to the time she becomes Queen of England. I did not know anything about Elizabeth's life and it was so interesting reading about all she survived in order to become Queen. I thought the book was very well written. I would have really liked the book to keep going so that I could more about Elizabeth's life as she reigned. I will definitely be looking into Alison Weir's other novel and into more fiction and non-fiction works about Elizabeth I. 4 stars.

25. The IBS Healing Plan by Theresa Cheung - (read from 6/1-6/20) The IBS Healing Plan: Natural Ways to Beat Your Symptoms by Theresa Cheung is a fully comprehensive guide for people dealing with IBS and it includes very many ways to treat IBS. The book explains exactly what IBS is and how it is diagnosed. The most interesting sections include how diet affects IBS, stress and IBS and ways to manage stress, and daily living with IBS and all the embarrassing things that go with it. The book discusses traditional ways to treat IBS- from digestive aids and over the counter medicines to prescription drugs- and non traditional ways to treat IBS- including vitamins, herbs, acupuncture, aromatherapy, hypnotherapy, stretching exercises and more. I found the A to Z of IBS symptoms to include many symptoms which a person would not think was related to IBS and it is very interesting all of the ways to treat each symptom. I really enjoyed the personal stories about people dealing with IBS on a daily basis. This book was very well researched and very in-depth at covering all aspects on IBS. I definitely recommend this book to anyone with IBS. 4 stars.

26. Hidden (sisters of the heart, book 1) by Shelley Shepard Gray - (read 6/18-6/24) Hidden by Shelley Shepard Gray is the inspiring story of a young woman, Anna, on the run from an abusive relationship and a life she is not proud of. She seeks refuge with an old friend who is Amish and hides out at her friend's family's bed and breakfast. While there, she adapts easily to their simple ways and their work ethic. Anna falls in love with the Amish way of life and ultimately decides to alter her life's journey and become Amish. There is a touch of G rated romance as Anna also finds love with her friend's brother. The book is a very sweet, simple story and a quick, easy read. While I would consider the book religious fiction, the references to God and praying are relatively few and not overpowering. Reading the book sparked in me an interest in learning more about the Amish and their customs. I look forward to reading more about Anna and the rest of the Brenneman family in the continuation of the series. 4 stars.

27. The New Yorkers by Cathleen Schine - (read 6/25-7/01/08) I was looking forward to reading The New Yorkers by Cathleen Schine. It had a cute dog pictured on the cover and the blurb on the back sounded like it would be interesting: a story about people living on a single block in NY and their dogs. It was a good idea for a book, however there was not enough to the story to make it entertaining. The story was very meandering, slow, and was very hard to follow with little "point". There were very few likable characters, except for the dogs! I did not like the way the book resolved. The story was dragged out so long it didn't make sense for it to have such a neat, tidy ending. Overall, I was very disappointed and would not recommend this book. 3 stars.

28. As Good As It Got by Isabel Sharpe - (read 7/2-7/11) As Good as It Got by Isabel Sharpe is the story of 3 women going through huge changes in their lives and how they make the best of a bad time. The women all meet at a camp for women recovering from the physical or emotional loss of a loved one. They all made life changing decisions during their 2 weeks at camp. I really enjoyed this book. The 3 main characters were very likable and believable. They all had aspects of their personalities and personal stories that I could identify with. The book was an easy read and was easy to follow. Overall, the book was very good and I recommend it to anyone. 4 stars.

29. Safety of Secrets by Delaune Michel - (read 7/12-7/15) I really enjoyed The Safety of Secrets by Delaune Michel. It is the story of a woman, Fiona, who has been friends with her best friend, Patricia, since first grade. They share a secret of something horrible that happened to them as children, but despite that, have maintained their relationship into adulthood. Now their past comes back to haunt them and one of them betrays the other by telling their childhood secret. I really enjoyed the character of Fiona. She was down to earth, despite living among the plastic in LA. I identified with her because she was pregnant after having had a previous miscarriage and, having been in that situation, I felt Michel got the feelings and fear that go along with that right on. I wasn't too fond of Patricia and at times I wondered why Fiona remained her friend, but in the end I understood. Fiona's feelings as a new mother and facing her issues with her own mother were real and I identified with her easily. Overall I thought it was a very good book. It was an easy read and most of it was funny, light material, despite dealing with some serious issues. I would recommend this book to any woman, because I think any woman can identify with the character of Fiona and learn from her mistakes. 4 stars.

30. Surviving Ben's Suicide by C. Comfort Shields - (read 7/16-7/20) Surviving Ben's Suicide by C. Comfort Shields is the story of a woman whose college boyfriend and first love committed suicide. Sheilds describes how she met Ben and fell in love with him, and how she dealt with his mental illness and his eventual death by suicide. She illustrates their tumultuous relationship with great detail. Once Ben killed himself, Sheilds describes how it took many years to recover from the suicide and how she went through many phases of grief. I have never known anyone who committed suicide.personally, but I was still fascinated by the intricacies in Comfort and Be's relationship and everything that led us to the suicide. I also thought it was very interesting how Comfort learned to accept Ben's suicide and not blame herself. Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was very honest and raw at times and you could feel the author's pain. I would recommend the book to anyone who has lost a loved one through suicide. 4 stars.

31. Stealing Athena by Karen Essex - (read 7/21-7/26) Stealing Athena by Karen Essex was told through the perspective of two women, one living in ancient Greece as a mistress to Pericles and one living in the 1700s as an ambassador's wife in the same area. The chapters alternated between the two time periods. The stories never seemed to flow together. They were too separate without enough in common to make the book work. I found the story set in ancient Greece to be more interesting than the later story, but both were very drawn out and slow. The end was particularly frustrating, because the two women's stories did not have enough resolution. I think this book had a lot of potential, but it did not live up and fizzled out at the end. I recommend it to anyone interested in ancient Greek history and art because those people may get more out of the descriptions of the art and the time period than I did. Overall, I enjoyed parts of the book and gave it 3.5 stars.

32. Tan Lines by J.J. Salem- (read 7/27-8/1) Tan Lines by J. J. Salem was written from three characters perspectives. Liza, a left wing feminist new talk show guest; Kellianne, a southern bell mistress to a rich old man and aspiring actress, and Billie, a drug addicted pop musician trying to make it big. These women are all old friends and decide to spend the summer together in the Hamptons. The book is about all of the drama that happens to them over the course of that summer. I did enjoy the book. I enjoyed the characters of Liza and Kellianne, but I did not like the character of Billie. I enjoyed the scandal. drama, and romance of the book. It's a good beach read and it was a fast, easy read. I enjoyed the book and I recommend it to anyone who wants a quick "trashy" read. 4 stars.

33. So Long at the Fair by Christina Schwarz - (read 8/2-8/4) Wow! I enjoyed So Long at The Fair by Christina Schwarz right up until the end. The book was written as flashbacks between the past and the present. The present day story takes place of the course on one day and focuses on a wife, Ginny, and a husband, Jon, who is having an affair with a coworker. Jon is conflicted and unsure of whether to leave his wife or breakup with his girlfriend. The past story deals with what happened many years ago, when the Jon and Ginny's parents were young and knew each other. I really enjoyed the writing style, the flashbacks, and the characters. I was really caught up in the characters and wanted to know how it would end. Would Jon choose his wife or his mistress? Unfortunately, the book had a horrible ending with no closure and left me hanging. I could hardly believe that it ended the way it did. I don't know if Schwarz was trying to let the reader choose or if I just "didn't get it", but I was very disappointed. Overall, I did like the book and enjoyed the story, I just wish it had a clearer ending so I wasn't left to wonder what happened to the characters' lives. 3.5 stars.

34. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld follows the life of Alice from girlhood into womanhood. It is the story of how she found love, lost it, found it again, got married and how her husband, Charlie, became the President of the United States and how she dealt with that. Overall, I enjoyed most of this book. I did not realize going in that Charlie was based on George W. Bush. I felt a little turned off by that. There were no clues all along until the story flashed ahead several years to the present and we are clued in that Charlie was the president during 9/11 and has a very low approval rating, along with many other things that make it obvious that he is supposed to be GWB. I felt blindsided by that. I also did not like the way the story ended. Alice betrayed Charlie while remaining true to herself and her beliefs, but we are not made aware of the consequences this has to their marriage and what happens next. I did enjoy the beginning 3/4ths of the book. I really enjoyed the characters, writing and storyline and I thought it was a very good book (minus the GWB aspect). I still think it is a book worth reading and had great potential to be an excellent book. I just wish Sittenfeld had not copped out and had not based Charlie on a real person. Especially a person who is so polar and who many people dislike. I gave the book 3.5 stars.

35. First Daughter by Eric Van Lustbader was not the kind of book that I normally read. I do like suspense and mystery at times though so I thought I'd try something different. The book is about a loner investigator, Jack, who had a hard life growing up and has the scars to prove it. He is called to help in the investigation of the president-elect's daughter's disappearance. This book has a lot of plot twists and many characters, which made it a little confusing to follow. It was a pretty good story, although I think it fizzled out at the end. Overall, it was a pretty good book and held my attention despite the many twists. I would recommend the book to anyone who likes suspenseful crime novels. 3.5 stars.

36. Confessions of a Contractor by Richard Murphy brings us into the world of a contractor. Henry is a contractor that sometimes gets involved with his female clients. This time he has gotten involved with two women at once, who happen to be former best friends. Drama ensues. I really enjoyed this book. I was fascinated by the details and hints on hiring and maintaining a good relationship with your contractor. The complex relationship between a contractor and his client is something I had never considered before. It was a very unique idea for a book and very entertaining. The romance aspect told from the man's point of view was refreshing. This was a fairly light read and I recommend it to anyone looking for a something different with a bit of romance. 4 stars.

37. Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall is the story of a popular high school girl, Maddie, who belongs to the cool crowd at school and is forced to bend to the (sometimes evil) will of Kate, the leader of her clique. When Maddie's cousin Cordelia moves to town, Kate and her friends let their jealousy of beautiful Cordelia take hold until something awful happens to tear Maddie and her family apart. The mysteries abound when Cordelia disappears in this small town where whispers of witchcraft fill the air. I really enjoyed this book. The suspense and mystery had me chilled at times, but I could hardly put the book down. Although the book is written from the point of view of a teenager about her life, it did not read like young adult fiction. The mystery of Cordelia continues and I can not wait to read the sequel to this book. I recommend this book to anyone who likes books about high school mean girls and mystery all rolled into one. One of the best books I've read in a long time. 5 stars.

38. Bed Rest by Sarah Bilston is the story of Q, an expectant mother who is put on bed rest after it is discovered the baby doesn't have enough fluid. The book is written from the point of view of Q writing in her diary about all her visitors (or lack there of), marital stress caused by her husband working too much, family and friend drama, and her worry about her baby. Despite the rather serious subject matter, Q is an endearing narrator and her story is funny, light and interesting. I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and I identified well with Q. I am looking forward to reading the sequel, Sleepless Nights. This was a very good book and I recommend it to anyone who has ever been pregnant. 5 stars. (read 8/30-9/1)

39. Beyond the Blonde by Kathleen Flynn-Hui- Beyond the Blond by Kathleen Flynn-Hui is the story of Georgia Watkins, who grew up as the daughter of a hairdresser in a small town in New Jersey and went on to become a stylist to the rich and famous at a top salon in NYC. She runs into obstacles along her journey, from wacky clients to ticked off coworkers and eventually finds love and happiness. Georgia is a likable, refreshing depiction of a hairdresser who is smart and genuine. Her friends, coworkers and customers are also believable characters. The overall story was a light, easy read. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes chick lit. I look forward to further books by Flynn-Hui. 4 stars.

40. Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston is the story of Elinor and Ted, a married couple undergoing problems with infertility. Elinor discovers Ted is having an affair with his personal trainer, Gina, and is unsure of whether their marriage is worth saving. Their lives become even more complicated when Ted, unable to stay away from Gina, develops a friendship with her 8 year old son. Elinor and Ted separate and get back together numerous times over the course of the book. None of the characters are particularly likable, but they were all real and believable. They all have their flaws and I found myself torn over whether Ted and Elinor should stay together or separate. I was able to identify with the feelings of infertility and sadness of miscarriages and I thought those details were true and well written. I felt the end of the book kind of fizzled out and I wasn't really happy with the lack of closure, but overall it was a good book. 3 and a half stars.

41. The Manny by Holly Peterson is the story of Jamie Whitfield, a working mother who is trying to navigate life through high society in New York City, while balancing a needy husband, 3 kids and a demanding job in the television industry. Jamie's husband, Phillip, works long hours and rarely spends time with their children, who are beginning to suffer for make attention, especially Dylan, Jamie's oldest son. Enter Peter, a male nanny, who is able to give the children a male role model and the father figure they crave. Jamie finds herself unhappy in her marriage and soon looks to Peter to fulfill her own needs as well. This book was a really easy, enjoyable read. I identified with Jamie's feelings as a mother and found myself pulling for her. The story was quick and all of the characters were believable. I look forward to reading the sequel. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read chick lit or mommy lit and is looking for a fun read. 4 stars.

42. A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity by Kathleen Gilles Seidel is the story of Lydia Meadows, who discovers on the eve of 6th grade that her daughter Erin and her 3 best friends are the most popular clique at school. Lydia is shocked, because she herself was never popular, and unsure how to deal with her daughter's new found popularity. All goes well for Lydia and Erin until a new girl moves to town and turns their lives upside down when she displaces Erin from her group of friends and creates drama and havoc in the school. Lydia and Erin navigate the world of teenage popularity and angst and discover in the end how much true friendship means and how unimportant popularity is compared to believing in and staying true to yourself. This was a very well written, interesting book. I enjoyed the story and found the world of teenage drama fascinating (but also scary to look forward to as a mother of a daughter!). It was a light, easy read and I recommend the book to anyone who likes mommy lit or who has a daughter. A very cute book! 4 stars.

43. The Tenth Case by Joseph Teller is a legal thriller in which a criminal defense attorney, who goes by the nickname Jaywalker, defends Samara Moss, an Anna Nicole Smith type golddigger whose millionaire husband is found murdered. I do not usually read legal thrillers but I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It had many twists and turns, a surprise ending and held my attention. The gritty characters seems very true to life and I could picture the action as if it were a movie. Joseph Teller is a great storyteller! I liked this book so much that I passed it on to my husband, who is not a big reader, and he liked it too! I look forward to reading the next book in the Jaywalker series. I really enjoyed this book! I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good mystery. 4 stars.

44. Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult - Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult is the story of Faith White, a 7 year old daughter whose parents are in the process of divorcing and who, though raised in a non-religious family, is now hearing and seeing visions of God, performing miracles, and experiencing stigmata. It is an intriguing story that makes the character's and the reader question what their religious beliefs are and what is the truth. The mother-daughter relationships in the book are very real and complicated like they are in real life. I really enjoyed the book, although I did find that it was a little slow moving in parts. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Picoult's work or who finds themselves questioning truth in religion and in all aspects of life. 4 stars.

45. Love the one you're with by Emily Giffin - Love The One You're With by Emily Giffin is the story of Ellen, a woman who is a happily married newlywed, or so she thought, until she runs into her ex-boyfriend and can't get him out of her head. Ellen has to decide whether to choose to stay with her husband, a perfectly nice guy who is oblivious to her dilemma, and the one that got away, who is kind of a jerk. The story is meant be light hearted and funny, but, although I wanted Ellen to be happy, her problem had me frustrated with her and uncomfortable with her possibly choosing her ex over her sweet husband. I did enjoy the book and I am a big fan of Giffin's writing, I just was a little disappointed because I had been looking forward to reading the book for a while and felt slightly let down. It was a good book and I did enjoy it, I just didn't feel it was quite as good as Giffin's other books. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys chick lit or books written by Emily Giffin. 4 stars.

46. Schooled by Anisha Lakhani - Schooled by Anisha Lakhani is the story of Anna Taggert, a fresh-out-of-Columbia-University teacher who begins teaching at an elite Manhattan private school and finds herself thrown into the world of spoiled rich kids and their parents willing to do anything to get their child an A. Due to the low salary she receives, Anna starts to tutor students on the side and gets caught up in the perks the extra money and popularity with her students provide. Soon she is overcome with guilt that she is letting her students get away with not really learning or doing their own work and she faces a dilemma over whether to continue tutoring or go back to her first love, teaching. I waited to receive this ARC for over 2 months so I was very excited to finally read it. It did not disappoint. I really loved this book! It was fresh, interesting, and I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed all the references to fashionable brands and pop culture. Overall it was a very cute story. I really look forward to reading more books by Lakhani. 5 stars!

47. Chasing Diana by Jack Firestone - Chasing Diana by Jack and Robin Firestone is a screenplay book written by the only American couple to witness the car accident that resulted in Princess Diana's death. I had never read a screenplay before and I was not comfortable with the format. I found myself wondering what the characters were thinking. I found the characters to be very one dimensional and stereotypical. I thought the story was overall interesting, but at times very predictable and the dialogue was somewhat cheesy. I wish there were more details about Diana in the book as well. I chose to read the book because I am interested in the mystery surrounding Diana's death, but none of my questions were answered in this book. I think if the book was an actual book, instead of a screenplay, I would have enjoyed it more. I guess to someone who is used to reading screenplays the book may be a better read. The book was a very quick read. If the book is made into a movie, I would be interested in seeing it because it would be very action packed. I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading screenplays and watching action movies.

49. The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson - The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson is a book of memoirs written by the national advice columnist who replaced Ann Landers after her death. The book is a serious of stories about the author following her early married life through the present time where she is a single mother of an eighteen year old daughter. I really enjoyed the stories. Dickinson's writing is very real and makes you feel as if you are a part of the story. She weaves the stories together easily and paints a picture of life in the small town of Freeville, where she grew up and her family lives. Her description of small town life seems very true and honest, especially her depictions of relationships between women, mothers and daughters in her family. Overall, I think it was a good book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes memoirs or reading about women's relationships.

50. My Husband's Sweethearts by Bridget Asher is the story of a woman, Lucy, whose husband Artie repeatedly cheated on her and who is now dying. Lucy decides to come to terms with her husband's infidelity by meeting and inviting all of Artie's past girlfriends to come help her cope with his death so she doesn't have to go through the whole process alone. Along the way, she makes friendships and learns to forgive Artie for his infidelity and accept his death. The book had it's cute moments and it was well written. However, I just did not buy Lucy's feelings toward Artie and toward the women he cheated with. The light way infidelity was dealt with in the book did not sit well with me. I know the book was meant to be light and funny, but the subjects it covered from death to cheating were hard to take lightly. I just was slightly annoyed at Lucy's relationship with Artie and did not buy that she really loved him romantically. I did enjoy the book and I appreciated the writing. The characters were very real, likable, and had depth to them. I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys chick lit.

51. Big Boned by Meg Cabot - A Heather Wells mystery, very cute, funny, quick easy read. I really enjoyed it! 4 stars.

52. Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble - A good, romantic, easy read. Funny, fairly long, very good book. Best friends test out romance and find love. I look forward to reading more by this author. 4 stars.

53. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks- Kind of sappy, predictable, yet not quite believable ending. A little too cliched and the characters too sterotypical. A Husband looks back on his life meeting his future wife when he's faced with the decision to pull her life support plug after an accident. Not a bad book, but not as good as other Sparks books I've read. 3.5 stars.

54. Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen - A good book about two sisters, one is a famous morning show tv host, who both face big life changes that change who they are and who they see themselves as. A pretty easy read, good characters, interesting story. A good book. 4 stars.

55. The Rest of her life by Laura Moriarty - A family in turmoil when their 16 year old daughter accidently hits another teen and kills her with her car. A pretty good book, believable, fairly easy read but dragged on in some parts. Good characters. 4 stars.

56. The Cure For Modern Life by Lisa Tucker - An interesting store about 3 old friends who are scientists and the love and moral dilemmas they face. Somewhat confusing at times. I'm not sure I ever "got" some parts of the story, but overall I enjoyed it. The end was better than the beginning. 3 stars.

Congratulations on reaching and passing your 50 book challenge goal!
--BJ