Jasmyn9's 2009 Books

I will keep a list of books I've read this year by editing the first message. I'd like to branch out into different subjects this year instead of reading all of my normal "sword and sorcery" style fantasy, perhaps even some non-fiction mixed in. My profile and library doesn't look like much yet, but that will be changing as I start getting everything added over the weekend.

Read:
1. Sorcery Rising by: Jude Fisher
2. Burning Water by: Mercedes Lackey
3. Children of the Night by: Mercedes Lackey
4. Jinx High by: Mercedes Lackey
5. Wild Magic by Jude Fisher
6. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
7. Full Moon by Jim Butcher
8. The Coffee Trader: A Novel by David Liss
9. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
10. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
11. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
12. Lady Susan by Jane Austen
13. Sandition by Jane Austen finished by Juliette Shapiro
14. The Kicker of St. John's Wood by Gary Wolf
15. Communicate by: Rudolph Verderber and Kathleen Verderber
16. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
17. The Preacher by Julie Fritz
18. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber
19. The American Promise: A History of the United States: Volume II: From 1865
20. Mistress of the Art of Death
21. Shotgun Grooms
22. The Mackintosh Bride by Debra Lee Brown
23. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit Daniel Quinn
24. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit Daniel Quinn (read it again)
25. The Gunslinger's Bride by Cheryl St. John
26. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
27. Tomorrow's Sphinx by Clare Bell
28. Chaos Demons
29. The Serpent's Tale bu Ariana Franklin
30. Just Friends by Robyn Sisman
31. The Sleeping Beauty by Jacqueline Navin
32. My Lady's Trust Julia Justiss
33. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
34. Call of the White Wolf by Carol Finch
35. Gold Rush Bride by Debra Lee Brown
36. One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw by Witold Rybczynski
37. Dragons of Autumn Twilight byMargaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
38. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
39. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
40. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
41. Dragon's Dower by Catherine Archer
42. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
43. Red Sorghum by Mo Yan
44. Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin
45. Dragons of Winter Night by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
46. House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
47. Lucky in Love by Carolyn Brown
48. Dark Side of the Morgue by Raymond Benson
49. Songbird in My Heart by Mark Steven Rhoads
50. Carpetbagger's Wife by Deborah Hale
51. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
52. Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin
53. Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell
54. The Epic of Gilgamesh translated by Andrew George
55. Lysistrata by Aristophanes translated by Sarah Ruden
56. The Farthest Shore by Ursule K LeGuin
57. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
58. The Host by Stephanie Meyer
59. Spring Drive: A North Country Tale by Chuck Guilford
60. The Rapture by Liz Jensen
61. Making Sense of Movies: Filmmaking in the Hollywood Style by Robert Henry Stanley
62. The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini
63. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
64. Ring of Fire by P.D. Baccalario
65. Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz
66. Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz
67. Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz
68. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
69. Detectives Don't Wear Seat Belts by Cici McNair
70. The Doctor's Homecoming by Kate Bridges
71. Dragons of Spring Dawning by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
72. Dead Days of Summer Carolyn Hart
73. Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley
74. The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview
75. The Message of the Sphinx by Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval
76. Wisdom of Kittens compiled by Franchesca Ho Sang

Welcome to LibraryThing, Jasmyn!

I've had the Diana Tregarde books in my library for many years--back before they were reprinted--and have always enjoyed them. Let me know what you think!

Welcome to the group, Jasmyn9!

We have threads set up for Nonfiction, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, as well as Science Fiction/Fantasy. Take a gander through them as you have time and perhaps you will be able to branch out as you would like through the coming year.

Hi jasmyn9,

I've read several of the books on your non-fiction list. I enjoy Graham Hancock's books and Supernatural: Meetings With the Ancient Teachers of Mankind is especially interesting if a little weird. I'll be very interested in learning what you think of it.

Thank you all for the welcome! I love discussing books and trying new ones, but have drained most of my friends recommendations over the years. I read too darn fast for my own good I'm told. I'm glad to know you've heard good things about some of the books on my to do list! I look forward to talking with all of you.

Sorcery Rising by: Jude Fisher

The book starts quickly. You are instantly thrust into the story and the character's lives. The world is a meshing of 3 very distinct cultures during a time of uneasy peace. While a bit confusing at first with many characters being introduced at once, they quickly gain their own distinct personalities and have you cheering for the good and desperately hoping the bad get what they deserve.

Katla becomes endearing and frustrating, and makes a great central character. She has a strong personality that effects all of those she comes in contact with. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

#7: Sounds like a book I might enjoy. I will have to see if my local library has it. Thanks for the recommendation!

Burning Water: A Diana Tregarde Investigation by: Mercedes Lackey

Occult meets real life crime solving....and it worked! A great mesh of supernatural witchcraft and good old fashioned detective foot work creates a intriguing and captivating story. Diana is an "average" girl that just happens to be a witch. While her witchcraft plays an important role in helping to track down a murderous cult, she would not have been able to do it by those means alone. With an ending that at first leaves you a bit upset, Mercedes Lackey ties everything up quite neatly and satisfactorily in the last few pages without giving the reader a rushed feeling.

While some of the occult references aren't quite accurate to historical accounts, the story is written in a way that makes it easy to forgive and accept the slight inaccuracies.

Sorry, double post.

3. Children of the Night by: Mercedes Lackey

Diana Tregarde is a guardian who is sworn to protect those who ask for her help. She finds herself caught up in a complex series of what at first appears to be coincidence, but with the help of her friends and a man she just met, she puts the pieces together to find that many of the strange things happening were really linked together.

Diana experiences every possible emotion in this book and Lackey is there to show them to us in a detailed way that leaves the reader grinning at her jokes, wishing we could give her comfort as she cries, and wanting to go hide in the corner with her fears.

Overall, quite a good book. The story was engaging from the beginning and had enough twists and turns to keep you interested without confusing or muddling the chain of events. Personally, I would have liked to see the characters of Lenny and Keith, who in their own way played quite an important, if small role, expanded on a little more as they seemed a bit flat. At times the story began to turn towards a romance novel, but before it could get to far Lackey reigned it in and got back on track.

4. Jinx High by Mercedes Lackey

Diana Tregarde comes to the rescue again when her college buddy's son comes under supernatural threat. What she doesn't realize is how ancient the threat truly is. The book explores high school drama of the type I can still remember watching as I walked down the halls of my own high school 11 years ago.

Throw in some sex Magick (no graphic details, more along the lines of they kissed.....and three hours later), a sorcerer that feeds on violence, all combined with high school puberty and hormones and you have quite a deadly mix as several nonmemorable character found out the hard way.

The main characters of Deke, Alan, and Monica are incredible. They scream teen-age drama in just about everything they do which only draws the reader deeper into their lives as the author happily leads you by the hand to what could have been their doom.

The only draw back to this book is the lack of a sequel. The book resolves the story of the teen-agers, but leaves not just one, but two cliff-hangers on the last page that left me somewhat disappointed and looking for a next page/book that doesn't exist.

3/5 stars (if you took out the last five pages I'd give it 4/5)

>9 jasmyn9:,11,12 I enjoyed this series quite a bit. Back when I read it, the first printings were out of stock and publishers hadn't started reprinting the books yet. I'm glad they are more available now. I found the body count in Jinx High to be a little high for me, but very much enjoyed the character of Diana throughout! An oldie but goodie.

>13 ronincats: It was the first books of hers I've read that weren't your traditional fantasy genre, and I really enjoyed them. It was a great introduction to "Urban Fantasy" as my friends refer to it.

Let me recommend another oldie but goodie in that genre, then. War for the Oaks by Emma Bull.

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll be adding it to my wish list when I get home.

Started reading Devil in the White City today for my History class. I'm only a little ways in, but I am already quite happy with how it is holding my attention. The author's description of Chicago in the late 1800's is amazing.

#17: I really like the books by Erik Larson. I think I have read all of his to date. I hope you continue to enjoy the book.

I placed an order for 4 more books today so I'm adding them to my currently reading list. I'm making my way slowly through Devil in the White City. It is holding my interest, and showing me the past to a city I live practically next door to that I never knew. However, it is for a class so I'm having to force myself not to devour it.

#19: You are a better person than I am then. By now, I would have devoured it and turned around for a second helping!

Wild Magic by Jude fisher
Book 2 of Fool's Gold

While still a wonderful tale, the second book in this series dragged a bit for me. The main character of Katla does not tie the story together as she did in the first, and is not portrayed as the main character at all in the second. The book revolves much around ship building and sailing, which bogged it down a bit with vocabulary that I was not familiar with (but kudo's to the author for making it realistic). Overall it was a good continuation of the story that still left me wanting to know what happens in the third.

3.5 stars

6) Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden is the only wizard you can look up in the phone book. When Monica Sells calls him up and asks for his help the same day he is dragged into a double murder investigation things start to get interesting.

A wonderful combination of modern scenes with fantasy happenings. Harry isn't afraid to rely on the modern means (at least the ones that won't short circuit around him) to assist him in his investagtion. It's his clever mix of new technology and old magic that take him to the right place and the right (maybe?) time.

The book ends a bit quickly, much like a TV show would in the last 5 minutes, which I usually don't like. However, Jim Butcher seems to be an expert at closing the story quickly and leaving just a bit of a hook in case you're interested in reading the next book.

5 stars

Hmmm. I think that is the one Butcher book that I own. Probably ought to read it some time . . .

I've picked up the first three that he wrote about Harry Dresden, called The Dresden Files. I should be starting/finishing the second one over the weekend.

7) Full Moon by Jim Butcher

Harry Dresden is again called in to help Murphy investigate a brutal killing...by wolves? While it may appear to be obvious where this book heads, Butcher throws in loup gorou, hexenwulfs, werewolves, and even the FBI. What are the differences? Well it's all in the magic, which Harry must quickly unravel in a night that brings him as close to the end as it seems to get.

To top things off, Dresden and Murphy have a fight and she loses her faith and trust in him. Can they pull it together in time to save the day and each other?

A great book, and I was quite annoyed when the cats insisted I stop reading by laying across the pages.

4 1/2 stars

8. The Coffee Trader: A Novel by David Liss

Miguel, a Portugese Jew, is nearly ruined. He owes money to many, and has little hope of making it back on the Excange in Amsterdam. Approached by a Dutch woman named Geertruid about a new fruit called coffee, they hatch a wild scheme to make them both rich.

All of Amsterdam seems to be against the scheme, including Miguel's own brother. Without giving too much away, let's just say things don't go as planned, and many get caught in the cross fire of the trade.

Wonderfully developed characters that make you want to shake the book and yell "What are you doing silly!" as if there were really in front of you. I found myself feeling sympathy for the oddest sorts of folk and cheering for the "bad" guy at times. A definate must read.

5/5

Ordered The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood for a book discussion last night. Sounds quite interesting.

9) Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

Ghosts and unhappy spirits are popping up everywhere across Chicago and it's up to Harry Dresden and Michael Carpenter to send the spirits back the Nevernever where they belong. But the big question is....what is causing the spirit world to manifest itself so violently and frequently of late?

The story unwinds and throws quite a few "usual suspects" at the reader that manages to keep them off the real trail while effectively laying the groundwork for the epiphany you experience with Dresden as he realizes the truth.

A more unusual cast of characters than pervious Dresden File books. Faith magic abounds and our co-star Michael Carpenter, reminescent of the Knights Templar, plays an integral part in unraveling the mystery. Throw in a vampire masquerade ball, a egotistical sex vampire, and a bi-polar crazy girl to contribute to the overall hectic atmosphere.

A worthwhile read. However, it is the first book to end with a hook to compel you to read the next to finish the story, which I don't own yet and it's driving me crazy.

4/5 stars

Finished The White City by Erik Larson late last night. It was an amazing book. The architectural terms and engineering terms threw me a bit in the middle as the World's Fair was build, but they were in integral part of the setting. I'll write more of a review after I finish my history paper on it.

4/5

11. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

A wonderful book documenting a true war against terror. Education is a key component, not just for other countries, but for ourselves as well. This book is a great way for people to begin to understand the lives and beliefs of the majority of the Middle East. They are people like us, who are just looking to make the world a better place for their kids.

I gave the book 4/5 instead of 5/5 only because the book tended to "hero worship" a bit a times.

12. Lady Susan by Jane Austen

A wonderful tale told through letters between friends and family. Lady Susan is hunting for a new husband by tricking the eligible (and non-eligible) men into thinking she is the perfect woman. The ending is a bit abrupt as the letters no longer need to be written. However, the story kept me happily occupied for a night.

3.5/5

31: I read Lady Susan last year after seeing it mentioned on Cariola's thread. The book I got from the library was from the late 1800's and I was enraptured. I just love the smell of old books :)

I agree, though, it is definitely not Austen's best.

It seemed like it was an experiment for her (I am no Austen authority, just enjoy her writing). The letters did get better as the story went and the personalities showed through more as well. The ending seems like she got tired of writing it and wrapped it up as quickly as she could.

#33: I think it was an experiment for her - just a young writer trying out her wings and finding her best style - but I would take weak Austen over just about anybody's best.

I just wish I knew what happened to the daughter, Fredericka.

I need to start actually reading books on my TBR list. I keep going to buy them and picking other things up on a whim that happen to be nearby.

I went to pick up The Blind Assassin and the Austen shelf was nearby. I ended up buying Lady Susan and Sandition while I was there.

Re: #35
Jasmyn9,
****SPOILER ALERT*****
Doesn't the book say that the family was arranging for Fredericka to marry the man she loves in the last chapter or two? It didn't actually take place in the book, but I thought they alluded that they were going to 'bring him around' to returning her love.
I read this book a few months ago and forgot some of the details!!

Angela

Yes it did allude to that in the last couple page that "summed it up" at the end. I just wanted to read all the fun details.

Yeah, I probably would have enjoyed that as well. It's not as satisfying this way.

Sandition: Jane Austen's Unfinished Masterpiece Completed by: Jane Austen, complete by Juliette Shapiro

Jane Austen's unfinished story of a seaside town by the name of Sandition is a wonderful look into a diverse grouping of people that manage to get along quite well. Involving many of Austen's common themes of confused love, the story tells itself naturally as events seem to flow from one to the next. Wonderfully finished, it was hard to tell where the second write took over.

4/5 stars.

Seeing how I have hardly read any of the non-fiction on my want to read list, I'm going to be picking the first one up and getting started on it tomorrow.

On another note.....do textbooks count???

I totally count textbooks, as they make up roughly about half of what I read.

What counts is your own criteria--there are plays, articles, children's, young adult, short stories, novels, biographies--all of it somewhere in these threads. Just enjoy!

You have some nice selections in there.

Ok, so I'll add my text books in once classes are over based on how much of the book we finished.

Received my members giveaway book of The Kicker of St. John's Wood by Gary Wolf in the mail over the weekend. I'm already about half way through it. It's a great read that so far has really drawn me in.

I am still waiting for my ER book that I was promised several weeks ago. It is the first one for me . . .

This is the first one I've received as well. The time frame might be different since it's a member give away perhaps? The author was great and I had the book within a week of being notified.

14. The Kicker of St. John's Wood by Gary Wolf

At first the book appeared to be simple story of the New Mexico Coyotes professional football team in the year 2020. When the NFL announces that there will be a woman playing at the Super Bowl with them that year, the conflict begins to emerge. The book jumps from humorous romantic interludes, to falling in love; political debates on freedom, to race/gender stereotypes, using a multinational organization with a rather humorous acronym (I really don't want to ruin the moment and give it away).

While the book maintained a somewhat lighthearted feeling to the story, it touched on many important issues from angles that I had not fully considered in the past. At times quite serious, we follow the life of the kicker of the Coyotes, Jayesh Blackstone, as he grows and changes quite naturally and smoothly as the situation quickly escalates to more than just a football game with the introduction of the before mentioned multinational organization.

The book progresses quite naturally without any sudden jumps that jar the reader back to reality. Gary Wolf wrote of many situations that rang as familiar without causing the story to become predictable.

The ending was quite unexpected in many ways and I wish the author had continued the story (I always long for the perfect "The End" with everything wrapped up). However, in other ways the ending was perfectly fitting as the story that was presented in the beginning had been told.

I highly recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a fictional view at what today's issues may develop into, and all from the views of a group of mostly ordinary people.

5/5

eta: rating

what an unusual story! Super Bowl in 2020: I wonder how the writer's editor reacted when she told her that's what the book is going to be about :)

The Super Bowl is really just a way to get the story started. It introduces many of your primary characters and gives you a brief look into their belief systems (which are about to get tested). I think it might also be a way to catch the eyes of the boys out there that might not read a book about gender/racial equality and the fine balance needed.

I finally found a couple of the books in my non-fiction to be read list at the bookstore (I've started to not trust the mail after the last two I ordered were stolen). I'm only about 30 pages or so into The Message of the Sphinx by Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval, and it has already caught my interest. I will have to move fairly slowly through it so that I make sure to follow all the various theories and trains of thought, but I've always been a fan of Egyptology.

The Message Of The Sphinx seems very interesting! I've always loved reading things about Egypt, especially the piramides etc. :) Really hope I can find this one in a bookstore here.

Hope you enjoy reading it! :)

15. Communicate by: Rudolph Verderber and Kathleen Verderber

Read this book for my speech class. Had some rather interesting chapters on how to combat speech anxiety. The topics of the persuasive speech and the best ways to organize them were also nice. Not much to say for a textbook though.

Glad I found your thread :)

After quite an interesting conversation (I learned a lot) on AlcottAcre's thread, thank you for letting us hijack it for a bit, on tea, I purchased my first "starter tea set" from Adagio Tea. I'm excited and nervous for it to get here. I've been looking for a way to help ween myself off soda and cut back on my caffeine, and some of the caffeine free teas sound quite tasty. Thank you to everyone that participated in the conversation, especially aethercowboy who seems to know way too much about how to make tea.

You're welcome.

And thanks for the compliment. I used to be one of the best tea baristas in SE Houston, to which I attribute part of my tea knowledge. The rest I attribute to reading too danged many books on tea, and to drinking far too much tea when compared to other folk.

#56: I hope you enjoy the tea!

16. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

I'll have to write a review and add it later this weekend since I'm a little short on time right now.

Wow! I feel like I haven't read in ages! Finals weeks are kicking my butt at the moment, but they will be done after tomorrow. I have The Message of the Sphinx just about finished and will be picking up Mistress of the Art of Death and The Crimson Petal and the White to start reading during my two weeks of relaxation before we move into a new house and start summer classes.

can't wait to see if you like The Crimson Petal as much as I did...

And I can't wait to see what you think of Mistress of the Art of Death!

Oh, summer school. I do hope they're fun courses. :)

ETA Hope the move goes smoothly too!

I'm taking Environmental Biology. I'm just glad I'm done with the science labs for awhile. I always hated those classes.

I started The Crimson Petal and the White and so far it has been excellent. Very rarely do I find an author that can address the reader directly and not only make it work, but make it spectacular. I'm finding it hard to put down.

I did manage to put it down to read a member giveaway book called The Preacher. While there are a few typos that stopped the flow of the read, overall it was a fairly good book. I'll be writing a more complete review later this evening when I get home from work.

You make TCPatW seem most intriguing!

It has started off quite good! I was hooked by the writing style after just a couple sentences, and so far the style has continued to impress.

I'm so glad you're enjoying it so much! ♥ :)

17. The Preacher by Julie Fritz

The Preacher opens with several stories of young men. The men, or in some cases boys, have decied to join the army or were drafted into the army. The majority of the characters are quite believable. However, there are a couple that are a bit beyond belief. The young men all meet at boot camp and serve through world war two together, forging bonds that most of us will never be able to understand. Eventually, the boys come home to what they left behind, to find it the same or drastically changed.

The story is captivating and as a reader I was able to understand many of the characters motives and beliefs. There were a few that were a bit beyond beilef for me. Either too perfect or too bad. I know that there are people like this in the world, but the chances of finding more than one in a group is slim. If these couple characters had slightly different personalities, I may have given the book 4 stars instead of the 3 1/2.

Overall, the book pulls the reader in, showing the horror of war while at the same time showing the everlasting bond that is formed. This bond is often all that hold the boys together through the terrible things that will happen in war. It shows how background, education, and wealth all fade to background. The ending was especially touching to me and added quite a twist to the story that I did not see coming, which always helps the book end on a great note. I hope that Julie Fritz continues to write because I will definately read them.

#69: I will look for that one. Sounds like something in which I would be interested. Thanks for the review and recommendation!

You are very welcome alcottacre. It's nice to see me adding to someone else's book pile instead of just finding more to add to mine!

On a different topic. I've been wanting to start a blog to help myself keep track of my own reviews of books and concerts. Does anyone have a recommendation?

oh I know there are a lot of folks here at a bookish type blog... hmmm.... putting on the thinking cap and if it comes to me, I'll edit this note.

I'm on multiply (http://suslyn.multiply.com) which has a section for reviews et al and have found it more than adequate for my needs and also put stuff on facebook, but I know there is one more slanted toward books....

Thanks for sharing your blog Susan. I like that it is not focused on books alone. It's much more interesting.

Well I still haven't found the others... :)

19. The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber

This is a story that I picked up after seeing that its form of storytelling debated on librarything.com . It is the story of Sugar the prostitute. A reasonably famous specimen, well known for never saying no. It is the story of how she works to pull herself out of the slums and make a better life for herself. I was hooked to Sugar's story within the first chapter and would have read non-stop the entire 900 or so pages if life had allowed me that luxury.

She pulls many people into her life, and actually works to help them whether she realizes it or not. As the primary "friend" of William Rackham, she eases herself into his life, seeing him as her first shot to leave her poor life behind her.

The primary debate about the book was it's sexuality and the language used. I did not see any descriptions that I would consider to be unnecessarily repulsive. The language used is the language that was actually used in the time period instead of the flowery language that is used in fiction written during the era. I did not detect any scenes where the author used sex for the sake of writing about sex. Each scene in the book was an important step in Sugar's journey to her new life, for better or worse. Overall it was a story that balanced the ups with the downs, and gave enough detail of the many places and people to bring the book to life. While this book should be reserved for a mature reader that can handle the subject matter of prostitutes and sex with respect and an adult attitude, as a 29 year old adult female, I was not offended.

5/5 stars a memorable read for this year

#75: IMHO, The Crimson and the Petal is Faber's best. Glad you enjoyed it.

Thx for the visit :)

Well, we are into the house now, and the boxes upon boxes of books are stacked helter skelter about. I've gotten through the first two boxes and part of third. I'm actually able to take the time and put them up in order and get them cataloged on librarything.com which makes me a whole lot happier. I'm curious to see the grand total for how many I have once I'm done. I'm up to 141 so far.

Congratulations on getting into the house. I will be doing lots of cataloging in the upcoming weeks, too, and like you, am curious to see just how far my obsession with books has taken me, lol.

Well, I just uncovered about 3 more boxes full of books so it looks like I'll be addding more this weekend.

I'm farther behind in my reading where I want to be. In a three person department we had two retire within a month of each other, so between training and preparing for year end financial statements (any accountants out there will know how hectic that can be), I have been working mucho overtime and my reading has suffered because of it. I'm hoping I can dig in and get a bunch read once our close out is done and August is here. I'm also consoling my myself for my lack of books read by realizing that the pages read is a fairly high number since the textbooks are mostly at least 1000 pages or more. They just aren't as fun as the other stuff.

I would also like to say thank you to the LibraryThing community at large, especially you guys from the 75 group for letting me slip in and feel welcome my first time here. You are all wonderful people with such a variety of reading interests that have broadened my horizons so much I don't know where to start next at times!

I hope things ease up for you soon so that you can tackle some more books!

Broadening of one's reading horizons is one of the best things about LT I have found. Glad to see that you think so too.

20. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin}}

Adelia has been placed in an interesting situation. A female doctor in England trying to hunt down the killed of several children from a small village. The prime suspect, at least according to the villagers, are the Jews. The king has requested Adelia to proved the Jew's innocense and find the real killer.

Mistress of the Art of Death follows Adelia as she tracks the killer and tries to prove the Jews innocent. The book is fast paced and held my interest throughout. It has a little bit of everything, from mystery, historical fiction, action, and a bit of romance. A variety of characters that evolve and change as the story progesses keep you guessing as to the identity of the killer.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

4/5 stars

#82: It seems that for the most part, everyone in the group who has read Mistress of the Art of Death has liked it. I have the second book in the series home from the library now, but I have heard that it is not as good as the first book.

I'm picking it up this weekend for a group read that starts on Monday. I've also heard it was good, but not as good but I really want to see what happens to Adelia. I also really enjoy that time period.

#84: Well, if the second one disappoints, I have heard that the third one returns to form, so there is hope yet!

That's good news. It seems like a lot of series struggle in book two to keep the momentum going, and then continue in great form in the future installments. I have a personal policy that if the second book of a series isn't up to par, to at least give the third book a chance before calling it quits on the story.

21. Shotgun Grooms

Lucas and his brother Jackson, both carrying emotional scars from the war, have been left in a predicament by their Uncle Simon. In order to receive their inheritance, they must both find a wife.

A "typical" romance in my opinion. Two head strong, above the norm females tackle scarred and distant men in an attempt to find true love. While, not overly original the story-telling was done well enough to keep me from putting the book down.

3/5 stars

I have several of Mallery's books - I may give that one a shot, too.

22. The Mackintosh Bride by Debra Lee Brown

Alena has a secret. The secret she hid for the Mackintosh when they were but children shortly before he disappeared. Will they ever find each other agian, and if they do will the realize who they are?

Alena also has a decision to make. She can either marry the man she hates or watch as her family is cast out of the clan. The story unfolds around multiple mysteries to be solved and main characters that evolve more and more with every page.

A novel set in the Highlands, the scenery and historical background captured my attention quickly. It is written in dialect, lots of lasses and lads and bluidy hell, but in a way that draws you in instead of making it difficult to read. The wonderful writing and the strong characters stay with you after the book is finished. I normally would not rate a romance over 3 stars, but I have to give this one 4.

4/5

Since I'm a bit behind in my goal for the year, I've been pulling books from the shelf of Harlequins that someone decidedd to give me in pristine condition. I have to admit I'm a bit suprised at the fact I like them. Never a big romance fan, the writing a characters draw me in where the plot sometimes fails to do so.

23. & 24. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit Daniel Quinn

Ishmael is looking for a student, a student that wants to change the world. He finds one in our author and together they delve into the history of man, the universe, and our current culture. They cover everything from why we do the things we do, to how things got to be this way, to how we are living against the laws of nature. We follow the author through not only a quest for knowledge, but an emotional quest that teaches him about himself and makes him take a close look at what he believes. This is one of those books that stays with you forever, and has the potential to change how you think about the world around you.

This is definitely a book that is going to make my own personal list of ‘Must Reads”. If I could give a book 6 stars, then I would give this one 6/5. I read it twice, back to back and was just as awed when I finished the second time as I was the first.

It’s given me a new motto in life “You can’t change how people act without first changing how they think.”

5/5 only better

#90: Must be some book! I will have to see if I can find a copy. Thanks for the recommendation.

25. The Gunslinger's Bride by Cheryl St. John

I didn't particulary enjoy this one. Perhaps I've read too many romances in a row but I just didn't see anything interesting in the characters. The part of the story that seemed like something I wanted to read was glossed over in a few paragraphes.

1/5

26. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Ash has the extremely rare ability to see faeries, and she must do everything she can to make sure they never find out. But when a fairy of sun court takes a special interest in her, it becomes more and more difficult to keep her secret. Ash must find out why they have taken such an interest in her before she can return to her normal life, but will the faeries let her?

A great book and a very quick read. Every main character (with the exception of one) is very dynamic and as events unfold, they personalities and reactions change which made me latch on and cheer for the good guys and want to yell and scream at the bad guys. The only downfall to the book was that the ending is slightly predictable, which is why it's only 3.5 instead of 4 stars. A worthwhile read that is the first tale of Faerie, and I look forward to reading the second.

3.5/5

27. Tomorrow's Sphinx by Clare Bell

An interesting futuristic tale of what happens to the animals of Egypt after people leave.

3/5

Hmm... Wicked Lovely is on the reading list for the year, but I've heard mixed reviews about it... interesting to see you sitting right in the middle.

Wicked Lovely is worth reading, but it's just not a book that is going to stick with me. I enjoyed it enough to want to read more of the series, but not enough to rush out to the store and buy it next.

Since the next book in The Wheel of Time series should be out this fall, I think I'm going to re-read them. It's been so long, for good reason, waiting for this book that I'm afraid I've forgotten potentially important details.

I always said I would wait until they were all out to read them... I should probably start now though! By the time all 3 of the last books are out, I should be... oh... halfway through the series and thoroughly confused... LOL. Do they really get as tedious in the later books as I've heard they do?

At times, yes the can be tedious. There is a point when I tire of descriptive words. But I find the story overall so intriguing that I really want to see how it ends and where all the characters finish up at.

The only thing I would recommend is skipping the prequel. It didn't help the reader understand things that were important to the current story, and it seemed to have been written in a rush. The beginning starts out quite nice, but its all wrapped up in about 5 pages and left me feeling lost.

28. Chaos Demons

Read to catch up on the new rules for a table top strategy game I'm thinking of starting again. It actually has some nice little stories and descriptions to make things more interesting.

Aww too late! I read the prequel several years ago, "just for fun"... I liked it, but that could be because I hadn't read the rest of the series before the prequel, unlike pretty much everyone else who bothered with it!

PS: You play WH? I'm a Warmachine/Hoardes girl myself... but it's been so long since I've had a chance to get to my LGS and play, my armies are collecting dust... *sadness*

Yep, I played with a group in High School a few years ago but we all went in different geographical directions after graduation so we stopped. I recently found out that some of the people in my current "hang-out group" played a few years ago as well. Some played 40k and some played fantasy. So we decided to grab some figurines and see if we could remember how to do it.

I little behind in reviews this week. Actually got through more than one book! It's nice to be inbetween semesters at school

#29 The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin

The second book in the Adelia mystery series tells the story of the death of Rosamund, the King's mistress. It is generally believed that Queen Eleanor played a part in her death and Adelia is sent to get to the bottom of it. Along the way she stumbles upon another set of murders that may or may not have to do with Rosamund's. It's quite a tangle to try and unravel for her.

This book does not quite live up the first. While the mystery(s) were intriguing they did not quite unfold in as smooth a manner. The books opens with a scene that does not involve Adelia, and it disappointed me a bit to have part of the killer's identity given away in such a manner so early on.

Adelia continues to grow as a character and we see how she reacts to motherhood and the potential danger to her child as she comes closer to finding the killers. I throroughly enjoyed the characters of the King and Queen, they are written in a way to be larger than life but done so in a way that makes them believable and natural.

Overall a good read, but I hope the third book is more in the style of the first.

3.5/4

#30 Just Friends by Robyn Sisman

I orignally picked this book up soley for the cover, three adorable flying pigs soaring through the middle of a dark purplish blue background. As an avid collector of flying pigs it has been sitting in my curio cabinet for several years. I finally decided to read it.

The book shows the story of two friends, Jack and Freya. When Freya hits a downspot in her life and finds herself without a place to stay, Jack lets her sleep in his guest room for awhile.

Needless to say, this causes many good as well as quite a few not good things to happen with their friendship.

The characters are everyday people, with mostly everyday problems that don't get solved miraculously, but with a lot of pain, sweat, and tears by the characters.

This was a great read, and I wish I had decided to pick it up out of the curio cabinet long ago.

4/5

#104: I hope the third book is more in the style of the first.

Me, too!

#105: That one looks like one I would enjoy. I will look for it. Thanks for the recommendation, Jasmyn.

#31 The Sleeping Beauty by Jacquelin Navin

Adam Mannion needs money and Lady Helena Rathford has it. He sets out to marry her for her fortune and ends up with a whole lot more. A Victorian era romance, which is a timeframe that I enjoy reading in, it is also a murder mystery thrown into the mix. The mystery is well written and adds a nice twist to the romantic tale that just may help the two fall in love.

Overall, a good read.

3.5/5

#32 My Lady's Trust by Julia Justiss

I was pleasantly suprised by this Harlequin Historical Regency. While the story of Mrs. Laura Martin seemed very familiar (perhaps I have already read and just don't remember) which caused the story to be very predictable, the characters stole the show and make it a very enjoyable read. We are shown the various types of "upper class" personalities and how Mrs. Martin and the Earl of Bieulieu handle their attitudes, good or bad, gave the story some humor.

4/5

I have read several of Justiss' historicals in the past, but do not recall that one. I will have to see if I can find it.

I just picked up yet another of my Harlequin Histricals. This time another Western. I'm bound and determined to find one that I like. I have so many that I should eventually.

School has started up again...my last semester before getting my Associates degree. I made a vow to myself to do my best to allow time for non-school reading. I feel like my TBR is growing exponentially with nothing ever being taken off lately.

I have two reviews that I'm behind on, and another that I should have finished by the end of the week. My birthday is coming up and I'm really looking forward to all the books and book store certificates that usually come my way from relatives and gives my check book a break for a little while.

Happy early birthday, Jasmyn!

33. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Ink Exchange, the second book of Melissa Marr's Faerie series tells us about the Dark Court of faeries. They are a fearsome bunch that feeds off the negative emotions of the faeries around them. But lately there's been a problem with that. With the seasonal faerie courts in a new truce, there isn't enough to feed the Dark Court, they must find a way to feed off the emotions of the humans around them in order to survive.

We follow Leslie as she tries to avoid her shattered and dangerous home life. Ash, Seth, and Keenan from the first book, make just enough of an appearance to allow the two stories to flow together very nicely, but they are distant enough that this book could be easily read without having read the first.

As this book tells the story of the dark court, it is a much darker story than the first filled with pain and suffering that the dark faeries surround themselves with. However, the descriptions and scenes keep the "bad parts" of the story covered in a layer of fog so the reader does not have to get to close and see the gory details if they choose not to.

With a very nice twist at the end that I hadn't entirely expected (same result totally different path to get there) the book left me satisfied with just enough curiosity to go pick up the next book in the series, but it was wrapped up enough that I could move on without feeling the urgent need to rush to the store so I could find out what happened.

I rated the book 3.5 stars. There were a few scenes in the story where the words did not quite flow correctly that made me have to stop and read over it again to understand what she was talking about.

3.5/5

I'm intrigued enough by the Melissa Marr books to add them to my wishlist :)

34. Call of the White Wolf by Carol Finch
Finally a Western Romance that I could get into. The story of John Wolf and Tara Flannigan could have taken place anytime and anywhere. It relates the harsh world containing outlaws, animals, and murderous siblings. There were a few pleasant surprises in the plot and the characters were wonderful. Carol Finch describes the area in such a way that you feel yourself there.

4/5

35. Gold Rush Bride by Debra Lee Brown

Kate Dennington is an Irish immigrant with a big problem on her hands. She arrives in America expecting to help her father, only to arrive too late and find him dead. Not only that, but she is stuck in a frontier town with no oney, no house and no way home. Her only hope lies in Will Crockett (such a great Western name I think). Will he help her, or will her plans blow away in the wind?

I admire the way Debra Lee Brown really brought the west to life. The situations in the book revolved around problems that really did exist in the "wild wild west". It showed a time where women were though little of, and immigrants even less...and if you were a female immigrant...well you were pretty much nothing. This is not just a romance, but a story of people considered lower for no reasonn but their gender and race, stood up to the status quo and made a change. It wasn't easy, but what was back then? If it had been easy then I would not be giving this book 4 stars.

A book worth reading for the historical part. While there was a definate romance (it is a Harlequin after all), the way I read it almost put the romance as secondary to the story line. There were still sections that were typical of Harlequin romances it seems, or at least the ones I've read recently. But this was definately one of the better ones.

4/5

36. One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw by Witold Rybczynski

I'm not quite sure where this book came from. I reached into a box while unpacking, looked down and though "Now why would I ever have this?" I still don't know, it's one of the few mystery books that have shown up over the years. It is a short book, less than 150 pages, with several well drawn diagrams and even a picture glossary of tools to refer to as you read.

I was surpisingly drawn into it, considering its about tools, and I don't have much of a fit-it-up bone in my body. I'm more of the tear it down and look pleadingly at my boyfried to put it back together type.

The author starts by giving us a reason why he felt compelled to research the screw and screwdriver of all things. He then walks us through a good chunk of his research as he looks for the origins (which was suprisingly tricky). Finally, he walks us backwards through time through all the various stages and uses of the screw(driver). I would have prefered to start at the beginning and work our way to modern times, so it was a bit confusing for me jumping backwards but I can understand why he wrote that way.

An interesting book to keep mmy occupied for an afternoon...lovely sketches throughout as well.

3/5

37. Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

The story of a group of friends reunited after 5 years. Hoping for a peaceful homecoming and reunion they are shocked to find trouble literally on their doorstep. Enter some entrancing new friends to add plenty of extra story and crazy magician to liven things up. Throw a few dragons, and plenty of icky baddies into the mix for an epic tale of good vs evil, where the difference isn't always so easy to see.

The characters all take turns being your favorite, they are not just fictional names, they are brought to life in full color. The good, the bad, and the parts we just aren't sure about yet. They interact with each other and people outside the group in ways that only enhance their personalities. Characters are dynamic, constantly changing, but doing it slowly enough that the reader is able to follow and understand every new trait that emerges. Even the dragons, while each is only shown for a short period of time, scream into the story larger than life (which they should be).

This is a series I come back to every couple years and each time I read it I find myself locked to the pages in suspense, devouring words to see what is going to happen next.

This is a must read for any fan of high fantasy and epic tales. I'll be starting book 2, Dragons of Winter Night, as soon as I can find my copy!!!! I must be in one of the "lost" boxes that are still in my car trunk.

5/5

38. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I didn't read this book until after I saw the movie, and I must say that it is much better (big surprise). I have read several reviews that criticized Meyer's writing style, but I found that it fit the story and the target audience quite well. Yes, there were times it was choppy, but any high school aged person tells stories that way.

On to the plot. The plot was somewhat predictable (but I saw the movie first). I enjoy the setting a lot. It's a fitting location for all the characters. The characters seemed stagnant to a certain degree. Bella never stopped getting hurt, never stopped whining about the weather or how much life sucked in Forks. Edward was the typical good guy trying to show he was dangerous.

Overall it was a fun read. I've started the second book in the series, and I'm hoping that not having seen that movie yet, it will leave a more lasting impression. Because even though the story and the characters aren't the best I've ever read about, I still want to know what happens next.

3/5

>104 jasmyn9: jasmyn, are you joining the Highly Rated Book Group's group read of Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin? I've already read and reviewed it...but it would be a great excuse to read it now!

Yes, I'm going to be joining. I won't be able to get the book until next week (I need to cash some birthday checks in), so I may be just a bit late getting started. It shouldn't be a problem to catch up though. I am definitely hooked on the series. I am a fiend for good series. One book just isn't enough for me when it come to excellent characters.

Yes, I saw that you posted to the ST group after I came here. Cheli has the new threads up and roarin'!

Excellent! I just got an invitation from her to join as well, so I'm in!!

This is pure torture!! There is a pile of 6 (six!!!) brand new books sitting next to my computer and I am stuck writing an essay on where the soul goes after a person dies for my humanities class. The books are screaming so loudly that I have only gotten a paragraph written in the past hour, but I know if I cave and say that I'll read "just a chapter" for a break, I will never put the book down and finish my writing. *deep sigh*

writing an essay on where the soul goes after a person dies for my humanities class

Oh faGawdsake. Write, "Who knows? The debate still rages as to *whether* we have souls, so how can I answer such an inane question as where does this possibly mythical thing go after electrical activity ceases in a body?" and go read something worthwhile. Like a Harlequin romance or something. Jeeesh.

ETA: Jasmyn, I hope you know that my impatience is directed at the ridiculous professor, and not you! I think questions like that, as essay subjects, are absurd and teach no one anything useful. One can't even learn good debating/persuading techninques with such an absurd resolution.

Richard, I find the question quite intriguing, but not as a research paper. I would agree with you. How on earth can I find a "reliable" source on a subject such as this? All I'm learning is about ancient and modern religius beliefs regarding where the soul goes. Some of which is interesting while ludicrous (in my humble opinion) at the same time. I'm dreading what the next one may have as a topic.

I know it's a bit late (I've been away for quite a while) but I'm really glad you enjoyed The Crimson Petal and the White so much. I remember having a rather heated argument on my thread about whether the language and writing style is offensive for the sake of it or not (I was definitely in the IT'S NOT OFFENSIVE AND FITS THE NARRATIVE PERFECTLY! camp).

Happy reading!

>126 jasmyn9: Jasmyn, I agree whole-heartedly that the question itself is fascinating and has so many possible answers and so many variables around which so much turns that it's endless fun to discuss. The Divine Miss and I are still going back and forth on several sub-issues to the main one, ot least is, if one doesn't believe in a "soul," can one then believe in ghosts? Are ghosts souls, in other words. I'm just irritated that a research paper could be assigned to a student who needs to learn how to write and what to put in a research paper on such a silly topic.

>127 girlunderglass: Eliza, what? The Crimson etc is lurid and tasteless? Why has no one told me this before now?! I must dash to the liberry and procure it tout suite!

The Crimson Petal and the White made it into my memorable reads for the year...but be warned Richard....it's long. I think just shy of 900 pages. I'd go check for you, but, well I have this silly paper that I'm supposed to be writing and my mother was visiting a few days ago and she would drop dead from shock about 2 pages in so I hid it.

Nine...hundred...*thud*

Never mind.

It's the book my kitten, Billy, is sitting in on my profile picture. And it didn't *seem* like 900 pages while I was reading it....as long as I left it in my lap and didn't try to pick it up.

And that's the crux of the matter for me...I have a really bad case of gout, so I can't hold books that big without a lot of pain and, if I'm stubborn and persist in reading them, causing a flare-up from dislodging all those acid crystals supporting such a weight.

*buzz* Out! Next!

39. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

The continuing story of Bella and Edward....enter Jake. The story picks up pretty much where the first one ends. It, too, fell into the mediocre second in a series category, but it was at least good enough that I have already started the third one. We are introduced to a pack of werewolves and an enemy from the first book returns. There are a few twists and turns that kept the story moving forward, but it did not seem to flow as well as the first.

3/5

40. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

Somehow this series keeps me just interested enough to want to keep going. This book ties up several loose ends that are left gaping in the first and second book. It also forces Bella to make the hard decision between Jake and Edward. The author's style of writing is either getting significantly better, or I'm just getting more used to reading it. The story flows much nicer than it did before. I'll be picking up the fourth book soon. Once I start a series, I just have to finish it.

3/5

41. Dragon's Dower by Catherine Archer

Simon has been accused of being a traitor to the crown. The only way to save his neck is to marry the daugher of his worst enemy. The man that killed his foster father when he was younger.
Isabelle has been raised under her father's thumb and is obedient to him in all things....or else. When she is told to marry Simon she obeys, but will it the marriage be anything she hoped it would?
Simon returns to isabelle's home with her father under the king's orders. But something is not as it seems. Will Isabelle and Simon be able to figure it out before it is too late? Will they learn to trust each other so both can escape from the same man?

I fell in love with characters in the Medieval Harlequin Historical. They are very real and lifelike as the author lets you into their inner thoughts and motivations. They react to each other is a very human way that causes you to start rooting for them to succeed and fall in love from the very beginning.

4/5

#135: Archer has written several historicals that are good. I am not sure I have ever read Dragon's Dower, though. I will have to look for it.

42. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

The final volume in the Twilight Saga was a page turner. There were only a handful of things that I expected and even those happened with an odd little twist. Bella seems to get all she wished for, and then some. Edward and Bella become protectors of a strange little being that no one knew could even exist. The animosity and rivalry between Jake and Edward evaporates as he finds his place with the strange little creature. We see the return of the Volturi and through this situation learn the full extent of the types of devastating special abilites that tend to pop up among the vampires. And the biggest surpise of all is the one Bella herself has.

This series just moved up a level because of this book. It went from mediocre, but entertaining, to suspenseful and so interesting that I read this 754 page book in one afternoon.

5/5

43. Red Sorghum by Mo Yan

This is supposed to be on of the great works by a Chinese author but I could just not get into it. The time line jumped in odd ways introducing people without telling the reader who they were. There was too much graphic violence, which I understand is what really happened, but it made me skip large passages to not have to read it. I couldn't quite finish the book. I put it down about 2/3 of the way through. I only got that far because the reading was for a class. Surprising enough, once the essays were all turned in our professor told us she really doesn't like the book either. Makes me wonder why she couldn't select a more enjoyable title.

1/5 stars

Oh my...you make me want to rush right out and procure one of these deathless contributions to world culture.

*shudder*

My professor swears the next book we are reading will be much much better, so I'm crossing my fingers. I'll be getting started on it later this week.

44. Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin

A wonder third book in the series. As Adelia uncovers one mystery after another as she becomes caught up in the possiblity that the legendary Arthur's bones have been discovered. But this is only the tip of the iceberg, we have at least 4 separate mysteries ongoing that all seem to be related somehow. How Adelia ever figures these things out, I'll never quite know. I was guessing on a couple of them up until the very end.

Even though the reader is presented with a lot of information, Franklin manages to weave the story together in a way where no one mystery really out shines the rest in the end. She shows us yet another side of all the characters, including the young Allie, as her observations actually help solve a mystery.

Adelia and Rowley are thrown together once again as well, with yet a different outcome from previous books. I truly enjoyed the way all the characters are developing. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

4/5

>141 jasmyn9: Me either! Good review.

45. Dragons of Winter Night by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

In the second book off the DragaonLance Chronicles, the companions continue on their mission to find out what has brought the evil dragons back, and try to bring the world's races togethers. This is proving harder than anticipated because of centuries old prejudices and hatreds that have festered causing rifts in any defences that may have been put together.

As the evil dragon army advance across the face of Krynn, the companions are forced to split up. The author does a very good job of staying with both groups without splitting the story too much. Unusual heroes emerge making and acting on the hard decisions that many would never be able to make. The companions continue to grow and develop in unique and often fascinating ways.

We are left with quite a cliff hanger that drives the reader into the next book as if this one had never ended.

4/5

Books that in someway or another made it into my house...three are actually from my TBR list.

Giveaways
Lucky in Love by Carolyn Brown
Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell

From the store (I went a little nuts this week)
Luxe by Anna Godbersen
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
The Rapture by Liz Jensen
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

Now after this week I have had to make a vow to myself to try and make sure that at least every other book (or at least series) I buy is from my TBR list, which has been growing at quite an astronomical rate. I spend too much time perusing when I'm at the book store.

Does anyone know a place where I can get a nice cheap bookcase or six?

Hey Jasmyn -- I'm bummed I've missed so much here! Hopefully I can catch up or at least stay current!

I'm liking your "a little nuts" list -- happiness joy joy

46. House of Spirits by Isabel Allende

A look into the life of a family in Chile. The story covers several generations of the Trueba family, through the highs and lows of finances, political struggle, and revolution. A hint of mysticism runs in the family in the form of speaking with spirits and glimpses of the future.

We see the coutry's stuggling political changes through the eyes of Esteban Trueba and the journals of his wife Clara, who took detailed journals of her life. We see the familly struggles as the times change and traditions are rewritten in the eyes of the younger generation. There is discord and arguments and emotional unconditional forgiveness, there is love at first sight and grudge held through many years that see shocking conclusions.

The story of the Trueba family kept me captivated throughout the entire read. I will putting this book on my list of ones to read again in the future.

4/5 stars

One of these days I am going to get to Allende's fiction!

One of these days I'm going to find my brain. I am searching the threads to see where I left it. Anyone seen an errant one?

Perhaps both of ours jumped ship and went on vacation together.

147: Read my first Allene this year and - like jasmyn - greatly enjoyed it so yes, you should!

47. Lucky in Love by Carolyn Brown

Milli is cowgirl in the truest sense. She knows cows like the back of her hand, she rides a horse like its an extension of her body, she flies her little plane in stunt shows an to take quick visits to her family, and she's even been known to go bull riding on occassion. This summer finds Milli and her daughter Katy Scarlett (I love that name) helping at her grandfather's ranch while he recovers from hip surgery.

Beau Luckadeau is know for his good luck, in everything but love. He now owns the ranch next to Milli's grandparents. Little does he know that Milli's daugher is the result of a one night stand nearly two years before.

The story is full of real life. Real life issues, honesty, family, and love. We watch as Beau meets Milli for the first time, again (he was too drunk to really remember much of the first time). The story unfolds as Milli tries to keep the identity of her daugher secret, while he lives next door.

I wonderful story full of change and twists. The outcome is predictable, as in most romance novels, but the path there is twisted and very interesting. Well worth reading for people who are wanting to try the romance genre but are afraid of all the mushy stuff, it's a bit toned down in this one.

4/5

#151: I will look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Jasmyn.

48. Dark Side of the Morgue by Raymond Benson

Someone is killing off Chicagoprog (a style of music) band members, and all signs point to a woman who has been dead for nearly 40 years. Spike Berenger, a New York PI that specializes in the music business, is asked to come investigate. Can he figure out who the murderer is before all the band members are gone?

This book took awhile to get into. I had trouble keeping the characters straight since so many were introduced all at once. I'm glad I stuck with it because I got hooked.

I could have swore that I had this all figured out until the last 40 pages or so. Then the dramatic twist took me completely by surprise and I didn't quite get it until Spike himself did. I love books that can do that and still keep the story believable.

It looks like there are a couple more books involving Spike out there, and I plan to pick up another one and see how it goes.

3/5 (would have been 4 if the beginning was a little smoother

>#152 I have found that I can really get into some of the milder romances. Once they start talking in too intimate details I tend to skim entire pages and I don't enjoy it nearly as much.

I finally got around to putting all my little lists of TBR into one big list in excel and I was amazed at how big it was and growing rapidly. My grand total (until I go check the unread threads sitting out there) is 263 plus 12 that I have stacked up at home waiting plus 2 that are on their way equals.....277. I think I'm going to be busy.

277 books - ouch, looks like you have to sign up for 75 book challenge 2010 and 75 book challenge 2011 :) I have my LT wishlist, a Bookmooch wishlist (some of which overlaps with my LT one) and my Bookmooch Save for Later...all of which I could add together and get big sum but I'm terrified of the big number. Seems more like less books this way. I know it's an illusion, but a welcome one!

#155: 277 books is not even a pimple on the face of Planet TBR :) I guess you have to start somewhere, though, lol.

Well I didn't start keeping an actual list until I started reading all the reviews here, so technically, that's only 9 months worth. It was a bit much for me to keep track of all in my head anymore.

The only tbr list I have is the one on here which is actual books owned and logged. I think there are many many more around though, sadly.

#158: I understand - LT can make your wish list go gonzo and trying to keep up with it becomes a part-time occupation!

49. Songbird in My Heart by Mark Steven Rhoads

The first thing that struck me about the book was the pictures. I must say that they are amazing. The author pairs these pictures with words, many times poems, that help you learn to stop and enjoy the right now instead of constantly living the past or present. A wonderful book to read on a lazy day, just like he promises.

3/5

This review need more, because there is reason it did not receive more than 3 stars (which what I rate average). I just can't quite seem to put what I want into words. If I ever figure it out, I'll go back and update it.

50. Carpetbagger's Wife by Deborah Hale

I had to stop reading this book about 2/3 of the way through. I really really tried to finish it, but there were too many "oh woe is me" moments from both the hero and the heroine. It seemed to me that half the story she was whining about falling in love with a yankee, and he was whining about falling in love with her. On to the next book...I'm sure it'll be better.

1/5

ouch - your next one MUST be better!

>161 jasmyn9:.

I know what you mean, Songbird felt like a coffee table book to me, and it really didn't move me. I visualized some people reading passages of it, leaning back in their chairs, closing their eyes and nodding with a solemn "mmm-hmm," and after getting a sip of early grey or celestial seasonings, reading the next passage again to solemnly agree with Rhoads. This wasn't me.

It really, really, really felt uninspired.

And I couldn't get over the whole dichotomy of the book: Author makes millions as a pharma CEO, and is telling us about living simply, and letting nature take care of all of our problems.

>163 girlunderglass: I have the first three books of the Earthsea series by Ursula Le Guin that I've heard good things about. I'm half way through the first and it's going pretty good.

>164 aethercowboy: That's similar to the feelings I had. I thought at first that it was a sweet little story about someone finding themselves, but it never quite hit the mark. While I didn't try earl grey with it, it did start out with a cup of berry rooiboos (did I spell that right).

>165 jasmyn9:.

"rooibos"

I was stuck at my local Hyundai service place when I read it, so I too had to skip Earl Grey. I subsided on service shop mocha instead.

51. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

A great start to a new fantasy world for me. Ged's path starts at the discovering of his power. We follow him through his training to a cataclysmic event that releases an unknown horror on the world that hungers for everthing Ged is. Ged must find a way to run or fight and it is unclear which is the best decision or if Ged is even making the decisions or being driven by yet another unknown force.

This book is a story of a boy finding himself and accepting all that he is before he can become a man and fully grasp his powers. I have the next book waiting to go right now.

4/5 stars

Glad you're enjoying it. I really enjoyed all three of the books (I haven't read the fourth of the 'trilogy' yet) and feel it has a reputation as a stalwart of the fantasy genre for a reason.

I should add that someone from the 75'ers recommended this, but I can't remember who.

#167: Glad to see that you are enjoying the Earthsea books (especially considering the read before this one!).

I read Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness this year and absolutely loved it - so I'm going to continue with the rest of the Hainish cycle - there are 8 of them I think! If that goes well, then maybe one day I'll get to the Earthsea books. Oof. Series can be a pain sometimes.

Yes series can be a pain they add several to the list instead of just one. But if you find a good one, you know you have several good reads ahead of you. I've finished the second the the Earthsea series and I'm on to the third. I'm enjoying the very much and they are shorter stories so they're quick reads as well. I've been needing some nice quick reads lately.

52. Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin

The second book of the Earthsea Cycle introduces us to Tenar, The Eaten One, or the high priestess of the Nameless Ones. Tenar was selected at birth to hold this position and she loves to do so until the wizard Ged appears.

Ged is there to rob the secret vaults of the Nameless Ones to find a ring that is rumored to help restore peace. Tenar discovers Ged when he enters the underground tunnels she loves to be in, wrapped up in their silence and darkness.

A nice second book to the series, and it also sets up the third (almost done with it) quite well. I wish we were able to see more of Ged's life inbetween the books, but the glimpses of his life that the books do show us are fascinating.

I'm a bit behind in my reviews. I have 4 to write currently, but I'm also just a bit behind in homework so that comes first. I should be able to catch up here over the weekend.

53. Perfect Timing by Jill Mansell

This book was a contest win from Source Books and blog, but for the life of me I can't find the page I kept to track who sent it to me.

The book follows the life of Poppy as she meets a strange man in a bar on the night before her wedding and decides she just can't go through with it. Too late, she also realizes she has no idea who this mysterious "Tom" is or where to find him. Now right about here I started thinking this was going to end quite cliche, but the story is full of nothing but surprises.

Poppy moves to London and finds herself sharing a flat with people that you just can't help but love, hate, want to scream at them for being so stupid, and hug when they hurt. Mansell brings these people to life and slowly fills in the side characters that become more important as the story goes on.

I will definately be picking up another of her books and if it is even half as good as this one I'll be completely hooked on her.

5/5 stars

54. The Epic of Gilgamesh translated by Andrew George

The tale of Gilgamesh and how he becomes friends with Enkidu after a horrible fight. Eventually Gilgamesh begins his search for immortality, only to have it stolen right out from under him at the end.

I read this story in my humanities class. Much of it was humorous and I can see how it would be instructive to tell people the mistakes made by Gilgamesh as they eventually teach him to be a better person. However, we've talked the silly thing to death so my brain is a bit fried out to write much more about it. I did rather enjoy it though.

3/5

#175: That one looks like one I would enjoy. Thanks for the recommendation, Jasmyn.

55. Lysistrata by Aristophanes

A humorus tale of how the women of the Greek world unite to try and stop the war that is keeping their husbands away. I'm very glad that I read this, I neve realized that the humor they used would still be fitting for today's society. While some of the context was difficult to understand, such as the references to other writers and historical events, the footnotes provided in the version I read were helpful enough to help me move past it.

4/5

56. Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

The third book in the Earthsea Cycle follows the wizard Ged and young Prince Arren as they search for the reason behind the forgetting of magic. Magic users across the many islands of Earthsea are forgetting the words of magic and going mad, and it seems to be spreading.

This is a great story of conquering your fears and overcoming what appears to be more than you can handle. It show the value of friendship and commitment. This was a wonderful follow up to the first two books. I have the fourth on my soon to be bought list.

My only complaint is again of the large gap with little to no information of what happens between the stories. I'm the type of reader that enjoys knowing even the more boring parts of the characters lives.

3.5/5

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

This review was a long time coming. I just couldn't make my mind up about the book. I kept changing my mind as to whether or not is was even worth reading or not.

The Luxe follows the Holland sisters, Elizabeth (which I didn't enjoy) and Diana (which I absolutely loved), as they discover that their lives will not be continuing in the way they have enjoyed for most of their life. Both girls are put in a position of family before self and while outwardly they react similarly, their inner thoughts are quite different.

I've decided that "most" of it was worth reading. The characters were what was throwing me off at first. They are split about 50/50 between well written, dynamic people, and static, boring words that make up a person. The characters that drew me in were what kept me reading the book, and what also made me put the second in the series on my Christmas list to see if the remaining characters get any better (I'm a sucker for second chances).

The plot had a somewhat predictable path, but the story was very fitting for the time period it depicted, and moved along at a nice pace that kept the story moving forward (at least when it was focused on one of the characters I liked).

3/5

The Host by Stephaine Meyer

Now many I know did not have rave reviews for Meyer's Twilight series, and I generally gave it 3/5 overall. So why am I reading another one of her books?? To be honest, the description of the plot snagged me. I walked away a few times, but then broke down and picked it up.

It is a story of an alien species that call themselvs Souls, in our tongue. The souls require a host to live in to survive and have recently colonized the planet Earth and taken up residence in the humans. Wanderer's human host seems to be something special. Melanie's consciousness won't go away like most human's do once a soul as set up residence. In fact, her will is so strong that she holds complete conversations with Wanderer and talks her into trying to find her family.

I absolutely loved the relationship dynamics between Wanderer and Melanie. They way they interact was fascinating to me. The reactions of otheers to her unique circumstances seemed very fittingly varied and realistic. The plot moves nicely along most of the time. There are a few sections that I had to take a break from because they were slightly drawn out, but to be honest, I'm not sure how you could shorten them up and still make the point needed.

Stephanie Meyer's writing in this book seemed much more fluid and easy to read than her Twilight series and because of this I enjoyed the book much more.

4/5

59. Spring Drive: A North Country Tale by Chuck Guilford

Spring Drive is the story of two Canadian men, the McDonald boys, that travel to Menominee, MI to work in a logging camp. A series of events leads to their lynching by the town. These events are based on a true story.

The book is a great look at how “frontier justice” worked. The story is presented in a way that the reader sees all the facts and cannot help but be outraged at lack of proper procedures in this small town’s jail. This is a shorter story so I don’t want to give too much away. If you have a weak stomach you may want to avoid. While the ending is quite well written and brings the events to life, it is a bit graphic and violent.

4/5

#183: I think I will skip that one. It sounds a little too graphic for me.

60. The Rapture by Liz Jensen

I wish I could remember who recommended this one, I owe them a massive thank you. It is definately one of my memorable reads for the year.

Bethany is troubled to say the least. Currently being treated in a youth mental facility after violently killing her mother. As a last resort the facility begins sessions of ECT, electroshock therapy. Suddenly, Bethany claims she can predict the natural disasters that are plaguing the world more and more often. Her new therapist Gabrielle, who is fighting her own personal demons, is put to the task of getting to the bottom of it, but the bottom is not what anyone expects. Bethany predicts a disaster like none other....one that will be the end of everything as we know it.

Both Bethany and Gabrielle are fighting their demons, and they need each other to fight them off. The characters we both fascinating to me. The way they interact is perfect. Their story unfolds and brings other characters to them in a way that takes you to into the story as well. The story ends in a way that I never quite saw coming, and in a sad way everyone gets what they want (I'm really not giving much away here I promise).

If you can get your hands on this book...do it. You will not regret it.

5/5

I am hoping to get my hands on a copy soon!

I'm not entirely sure I will make it all the way to 75 this year. I have several books that are up next that are fairly helft books - at least 500 pages or so, two final papers to write for school, and 3 final tests to study for. It's really cut back in my reading for the past couple weeks. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I will have absolutely nothing to do over the winter holiday and I might still pull it off.

Sounds like you have your plate pretty full right now, Jasmyn. The 75 books should be the least of your worries!

I'm trying to remain realistically optimistic. I'm fairly certain I can hit 70 once I add the books from school in, so there may be a chance I'll make the 75..all depends on how busy the holiday turns out. It helps that my work shuts down from Christmas Eve through Jan 5, so those could potentially be some good reading days.

I'm trying to remain realistically optimistic. I'm fairly certain I can hit 70 once I add the books from school in, so there may be a chance I'll make the 75..all depends on how busy the holiday turns out. It helps that my work shuts down from Christmas Eve through Jan 5, so those could potentially be some good reading days.

61. Making Sense of Movies: Filmmaking in the Hollywood Style by Robert Henry Stanley

This is a book I read for a Film History and Appreciation class. Had some interesting theories in it, and I loved the history presented. It highlighted many techniques that I had never really noticed before in films that stand out to me now.

62. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner is the story of Ali, how his actions as a child growing up in Afghanistan before the Taliban took over shaped not only his life, but the life of his childhood friend Hassan. Having grown up together they were best friends, they were like brothers, but their social standings prevented them from ever considering themselves as such. A shocking attack splits their friendship apart, driving them away from each other. Ali's response to this sets the stage that overcomes both of their lives.

This book opened my eyes to how life was like in Afghanistan before and after the "bad times". It is a wonderful story of a culture, a people, and a family. I was drawn into their lives from the first page and longed for more of them after I finished the final page. The story is full of harships overcome and losses that are profound, family lost and found, childhood ruined only to be built back up again. I met several generations of Ali's family from different walks of life and different beliefs. The book is well worth all the accolades it has received.

I'm adding Hosseini's book A Thousand Splendid Suns to the top of my to be bought list. He has a skill with words and a way of telling stories that is one of the best I've ever seen.

5/5 (A memorable read for the year)

63. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

The Historian is the story of a hunt for Dracula...the original...Drakulya...Vlad III Tepes. Several generations of scholars, mostly historians, are discovering strange and ancient books. These books spark their curiosity and the search is on....for the true resting place of Vlad Tepes. The majority of the story is told through stories and notes from Paul to his daughter Eva, with small parts actually told through Eva's eyes.

The story is captivating. Kostova has done her research and her description of events, places, and historical documents is fascinating. You can see her love of history and places in every page. The majority of the story moved quickly and I didn't want to put it down. There was a section near the end that started to drag a little for me as the search seemed to go on endlessly...but I'm sure that was the point, to show how long and tiring the characters worked in all their efforts.

The characters were beautifully written and I became attached, especially to the character of Helen, Eva's mother. She is a strong female personality that was more than a match for the men she encountered in her travels.

Overall this was a great book. I would have liked to see the action progess slightly faster, which lowered my rating slightly.

3.5/5

64. Ring of Fire by P.D. Baccalario

Every hundred years four children are selected to take on the task of....something. Even after finishing the book I'm not entirely sure what that task is fully. The four children, Elletra, Harvey, Mistral, and Sheng find themselves thrown together by the oddest of circumstances. It becomes obvious that these circumstances have been set up to place these four key players in the correct position to begin.

And so it does begin...in Rome. The descriptions of the city were quite nice and my version included a few pages of colored photos af some of the points of interest which was nice since I know not much about Rome.

The story itself revolves around the action the four children take once they meet and find themselves in posession of several strange articles. We follow their escapades as they try to solve the mystery of what these items mean and the power they must hold, for a killer has been set on their trail that will stop at nothing to have them. The children are likeable but there is very little depth or growth to them. Their journey is filled with accidental findings to help them continue when there were no apparent clues to help them.

The book ends with an obvious cliff hanger which I feel inclined to add to my TBR list if only to figure out what the task set for the children really is.

3/5

65. Blue Bloods by Melissa da la Cruz

Most people think of blue bloods as the old elite families...but they are more than that. They are an anceint race of Vampires that have been living for generations peacefully among the Red Bloods, or humans. But recently something has begun to kill the young off before they come into their powers. They face the choice of ignoring this threat and hoping it will go away or confronting it once and for all.

Schuyler Van Allen is vampire, a Blue Blood. These vampires are not your traditional vampires. They are nearly invincible...sunlight, stakes, silver...all seem to be myths. So when Schulyer and her friends find that something is out there that is able to kill them off, they set off on a hunt to find what it is. This hunt for answers leads to more questions than they started with.

The teenagers, Schulyer and her Blue Blood schoolmates, are fascinating characters that cover the entire specrum of personalites. There are some you love, some you hate, and some you won't be able to make your mind up about. They are dynamic and adjust their life perspectives as situations change. The story was portrayed wonderfully, revealing enough to keep you reading without giving away the critical information to figure out who the killer is. I'm starting book two later today.

There were some typos and a few times the story jumped in a awkward way as if the author wasn't sure how to segway into the next section. I'm hoping her skills become a bit more polished as she continues with the series.

3/5

66. Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz

The continuing story of Schuyer Van Allen and her vampire (and non-vampire) friends. The story open with Schuyler searching Venice for her grandfather, a man who disappeared from the Blue Blood community long ago. She is hoping he will be able to provide her with answers in her search for the killer of her fellow young vampires.

The characters are written in a way that they are still growing and changing before your eyes. As they adjust to their vampire traditions and realize that there really is something out there hunting them. The not so nice are still not so nice, but in a way that you grow attached to...after all someone has to be the school "mean girl".

I would have liked to see more of Italy, but alas the author quickly takes us back to New York to contiue the story. While the book does fall into what I call the "second in a series curse", the pitfall of second books to be so much development and set up for the third that they are slow and uneventful, this one pulls itself out of it rather quickly.

The ending has a bit of a twist at the end that left me gaping and wishing I was as devoted to doing the right thing as the character was. We see a small portion of the mystery come to a close, only to open an entirely new one...onto book three!

3/5

Getting close to 75, Jasmyn! Good going.

67. Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz

The mystery behind the Silver Bloods is finally solved. Many loose ends from the first two books are resolved, but the threat still remains following a dramatic twist of events that ends in discovery and tragedy. The mystery is not so much solved as revealed leaving plenty of room for the next books to work with.

Schuyler continues to develop thoughout the story. She is not a perfect person and faces many tough choices, sometimes she chooses correctly and sometimes not, making her very real. Oliver continues to be Schuyler's best friend and guides her the best he is able. He is one of the few characters that I cannot seem to relate to. He is too perfectly accomodating to Schuyler, doing whatever he can for her.

Many other young Blue Bloods come into their own, and we learn their histories and purposes in this life. Their personalities fill out and so much is revealed, I don't even know how to describe it. This is the book I enjoyed the most of the series so far, and I will be continuing the series soon.

4/5

>197 alcottacre: As a reward for finishing the semester at school, I pushed some of the larger books away and indulged in some good, fast paced stories. Now I'm on to Lost Symbol by Dan Brown.

68. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Another typical Dan Brown book, this time leading us on a 10 hour tour of Washington DC's monuments and their ancient symbology. The capital comes to life as Brown describes in exquisite detail the nation's monuments and the artwork found within. This aspect of the book is always what I have found most fascinating in his novel, and The Lost Symbol did not disappoint in this regard. Langdon's long time friend and mentor, Peter Soloman, has summoned him to Washington to speak at a conference. Much to Langdon's suprise, when he arrives he finds that a mysterious man has kidnapped Peter and was actually the one to invite him, but not to speak at a conference, but to solve an ancient mystery in exchange for Peter's life.

I was disappointed a little by Robert Langdon himself. I'm getting a bit tired of his character. I enjoyed him in Angels and Demons and Da Vinci Code, but he has not grown thoughout these stories and he needs a little something extra added to his character if Brown intends to continue the series.

The journey through the capital is fast paced and draws you in, I had a hard time putting the book down when I needed to. The cast of characters are wonderful, but the suprise twist is was a little too easy to figure out if you paid attention. While I greatly enjoyed the story, the last 50 pages or so seemed more like an addition to the story after the fact. They did not quite fit with the rest of the story and kind of ruined the ending for me.

3/5 stars

Maybe your next read will be better for you than The Lost Symbol was. Here's hoping!

69. Detectives Don't Wear Seat Belts by Cici McNair

Cici wants to be a detective, she loves the idea of tracking the clues and solving the puzzles. Unfortunately the business is run by men...men who are almost all ex-law enforcement, and it isn't easy for a woman to get in the loop. The story is how she manages to not only get into the PI business, but also excel in it.

Cici was a fascinating character. She lived a life of adventure and used the skills she had picked up along the way to help her in her PI career. She was spunky and opinionated, but not in a way that made her overbearing or annoying to listen to.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed the book and the close up look into what a "real" PI works on.

4/5

#202: That on looks fun! I will have to see if I can locate a copy.

Getting very close to 75, Jasmyn!

>202 jasmyn9: I was a little leary at first when I picked it up, but it sucked me in pretty quick.

70. The Doctor's Homecoming by Kate Bridges

Emma has just returned home to Montana for a visit after completing her training to become a doctor in Philadelphia. Her homecoming isn't everything she's hoped however. Her younger brother Cole has gotten Melissa, the daughter of Wyatt who was once the love of her life, with child. Wyatt is furious and an old feud betweent he families has resurfaced. Emma is thrown into the middle of things when Melissa goes into early labor and the Doc is out of town buying supplies.

I loved the character of Emma, she was such a strong figure to have persued her love of medacine in a time where women doctors were practically unheard of. She sticks to her beliefs throughout the story and I love how she interact with Wyatt.

Wyatt is a typical pig-headed, stubborn rancher. He knows best so things are going to go how he says they should....until Emma arrives and everything he things gets turned around in a few of their firey arguments.

The story of Emma and Wyatt, Melissa and Cole kept me interested throughout, even though you know with Harlequin it's all going to turn out alright in the end, I found myself wondering how it was going to be pulled off. A great story, but many of the secondary characters had me rolling my eyes because they were so "standard" and unoriginal.

3/5

71. Dragons of Spring Dawning by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

The final book in the Chronicles Trilogy. The epic battle of gods, dragons, and the humans whose choices will decide the outcome and fate of all. The characters will make their final choices of good or bad...each with their own personal reasons driving them. Some will suprise us, while others seem inevitable. We lose some friends, gain others, and are suprised by the identities of a few.

I cried, I laughed, and even though I knew the outcome from past readings, I held my breath and prayed the good guys would win.

After finishing this book, I remembered why it is one of my all time favorite series. There have been more stories written in this world, I plan on rereading those as well.

5/5

I have read one of Margaret Weis' series, but it was not one she wrote with Tracy Hickman. I will have to look for the Chronicles Trilogy. Thanks for the recommendation, Jasmyn.

>207 alcottacre: I revisit this series every couple years and it still continues to be a favorite. I don't think it will ever get old for me.

#208: I checked my local library, and wouldn't you know it, they have all the books but the first! ARRRRRGGGG . . .

It figures. If I remember correctly...I started with the second (way back in 1995) because my library didn't have the first either. They ended up having to order it in for me. I'll never understand why libraries stock the second and third when they don't have the first.

72. Dead Days of Summer by Carolyn Hart

A nice little mystery is the best way to describe this book. Annie's husband, Max, has been accused of murder, but she knows that he couldn't have done it. So she decides to find out what really happened and track down the actual murderer. At first the case seems pretty bad, all evidence points to Max and the little bits that could point in another direction can be easily explained away. As Annie rounds up all their friends to help investigate you are introduced to a tight knit and interesting group that seem willing to do just about anything for each other.

As wonderful as the characters were, I had a bit of a hard time really getting into the story. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something just seemed a bit off. It kept me entertained enough to give the next one a try and see how it goes.

3/5

I cried, I laughed, and even though I knew the outcome from past readings, I held my breath and prayed the good guys would win.

Ah, I've only ever had that with Harry Potter and I SO want to have it again with another series.

72. Supreme Courtship by Christopher Buckley

Pepper Cartwright is a popular television show judge that has just been nominated for the Supreme Court by a President that doesn't seem to want to be president anymore. In fact, he plans on not running for a second term. Pepper's nomination is in response to the Senate Judiacary Committee turning down two highly qualified nominees just because Senator Mitchell, commitee chair, doesn't like the President. Pepper's nomination sparks a media uproar and some very suprising results in an approval polls.

This book is probably one of the most humorous I've read this year. I'm not doing it any justice from my description. Pepper is a fiesty young Texan that brings a new atmosphere to the dignified Supreme Court. She tells it like it is and doesn't care what you think about it. Currently the Supreme Court is divided 4 -4 and Pepper's vote will become critical in the nation's most important case in decades.

A leak in the office, an inter-judiciary romance, and a President that is running just to prove a point add up to quite a collection of situations that all show just a little bit of the flaws in our system could be manipulated given the correct alignment of events.

4/5 (a little too much legalize...but what can you expect in a book about the Supreme Court)

For Christmas, my Grandmother was wonderful enough to give me one of my late Grandfather's old books (published 1912). Apparently it was a book he used to read to me over and over when I was little. I am having a very hard time adding it since there is no ISBN and no library of congress catalog number. Any ideas on how to get it into the system?

#214: Jasmyn, you can do a manual entry of the book, just entering all the pertinent details yourself. I have had to do that with several of my books.

74. The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview

Caroline is distraught. She is in alone and sobbing as "her" Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy marries Elizabeth Bennet. Little does she know that she is being watched...by the other Mr. Darcy...the American cousin, Robert.

I adored this book. The characters were represented perfectly and they grew in ways that allowed us to love them. Caroline and Robert have a very difficult time relating to each other. She does not feel he is a proper English gentleman, and he thinks she's too guarded and doesn't share her thoughts enough. They are tossed together by Elizabeth Bennet (now Darcy) taking ill and sending for her friends for comfort.

Seeing all the characters again was like catching up with old friends and hearing their new stories. I fell into the story and didn't come up for air until it was finished.

4/5 stars

75. The Message of the Sphinx by Graham Hancock and Robert Bauval

This is the second book on Egypt that I have read by Robert Bauval. I would recommend reading the first, The Orion Mystery, before starting this as it occassionally references back to topics written there, and I found it very helpful to have the background on the pyramids discussed in The Orion Mystry.

The Message of the Sphinx moves away from the Great Pyramids a bit and centers on the meaning, purpose and age of the Great Sphinx. Newer theories (1996) suggest that the Sphinx is much older than originally thought and also suggest a new purpose for the anciet monument. These discoveries are based in science and lead to a very compelling argument for the writers' theories.

If you are interested in Egyptology, this book should be on your must read book. Even if we choose not to believe the authors' theories, it shows a new picture of the ancients that helps piece together how and when they lived, specifically their religion and funeral rites. The writing gets a littel overly scientific for easy reading so I've been picking it up on and off all year.

4/5

#218: Since I am very interested in Egyptology, I will definitely be checking out Bauval's books. Thanks for the recommendations, Jasmyn.

76. Wisdom of Kittens compiled by Franchesca Ho Sang

A cute little book of kitten pictures with words of wisdom to go along with each. The pictures were wonderful, especially the ones that looked like twins to one of my own little furballs. The words of wisdom were cute. Not too much to really say about this one.

4/5

Congratulations on hitting 75, Jasmyn!

Thank you! I was getting a bit worried there that I wouldn't be able to. It's so much easier to sit and read a book when you have 11 days off work for the holiday.

Congrats!