fantasia655's '09 reads part two!

Here is my new thread since the other was one away from being 200!

These are the books I'd like to read:
Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Kim by Rudyard Kipling
All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein
Oneprince by Bill Hand
Runaway Mistress by Robyn Carr
Not Exactly Eden by Linda Windsor
Angel of Mercy by Lurlene McDaniel
Angel of Hope by Lurlene McDaniel
Dates From Hell by Kim Harrison
Prince of Kisses by Colleen Shannon
The Whitney Chronicles by Judy Baer
The 8.55 to Baghdad by Andrew Eames
The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn
Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
Graceling by Kristen Cashore
Die For Me by Karen Rose
Count to Ten by Karen Rose
Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain
Sea Wolf by Jack London
The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt
Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Third Heiress by Brenda Dworman Joyce
Meet the Austin's by Madeleine L'Engle
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Jack Absolute by C. C. Humphreys
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter
The Alcheymst by Michael Scott
Pride and Predjudice by Jane Austen
Fire Bringer by David Clement-Davies
I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason by Susan Kandel
The Reincarnationist by M. J. Rose
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
A Dance Through Time by Lynn Kurland
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Everworld by K. A. Applegate
Love Letter by Cathleen Schine
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Green
Victoria and the Rogue by Meg Cabot
Something Dangerous by Penny Vincenzi
Caught in the Middle by Gayle Roper
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
My FBI: by Louis J. Freeh
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Night Swimming by Robin Schwarz
Hindenburg:1937 by Cameron Dokey
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
East of Eden by John Steinbeck Putting on the shelf for awhile
Animal Farm by George Orwell
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
A Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
A Year of Disappearances by Susan Hubbard
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Airman by Eoin Colfer
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr Postponed

Here is my pic from my besties birthday in case anyone did not see it!



I am standing in front of the Harry Potter and the sorcerers stone poster.

I have read 2 more books tonight!

Book Number: Shadowland by Meg Cabot I seriously love reading this series so I am giving this book a 4.5/5.

There's a hot guy in Susannah Simon's bedroom. Too bad he's a ghost
Suze is a mediator - a liason between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetary, and surfing instead of spectral visitations. But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it's not that easy. There's a ghost with revenge on her mind..... and Suze happens to be in the way.

and

Book Number: She Said Yes by Misty Bernall
A very hard and very emotional read for me but I continued to read it.
I give this book 5/5 stars.
Cassie Bernall, a 17 year old junior at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, was a typical teen having a typical day, when two rampaging classmates put a gun to her head and asked her if she believed in God. She said yes. With that simple word, the story of Cassie's courage in the face of death was catapulted into the consciousness of an entire nation. Around the world, people were quick to call her a martyr. But with all the talk about Cassie's final moment, a far more remarkable story has been left untold. In this book, Cassie's mother breaks her silence to recount the dramatic transfomation of a daughter who had once started down a troubled path similar to that of her killers, and how as parents, she and her husband risked everything to save her, only to lose her again. Drawing on her own memories, on Cassie's letters and notes, and on interviews with classmates and friends, Bernall has created a loving but unflinchingly honest portrait of a young woman whose struggle to find meaning and purpose in life is sure to resonate with people everywhere.

I read She Said Yes a few years back. What an emotional read. My heart bleeds for her parents and to all who were affected by the tragedy.

She Said Yes sounds like an interesting read (I nearly said "good" but somehow that doesn't seem like the proper thing to say). On to the virtual pile it goes.

Your picture is lovely, btw!

#4: Cal, I brought home Rachel's Tears too, but I don't know if I will be able to read it. My heart bleeds as well for all the families that were affected.

#5: Amber, It was interesting (for lack of a better term) and very emotional but I am glad that you have virtually piled it on your TBR, :).

Oh, Thank you! The pic was huge at first and so I went to photobucket to make it smaller. My dress was black on the top and white on the bottom. Its my favorite dress.

Catey

I haven't that one I'll have to find it.

Cal, it was actually not the book I wanted to read, I wanted to read The Journals of Rachel Scott but my library did not have it, but they did have Rachel's Tears so I guess I will try to read it this evening.

More books were added to my Island TBR, I got these from the library today, since they were on hold

Letters From Rifka by Karen Hesse
Dear Great American Writers School by Sherry Bunin
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
P.S. Longer Letter Later by Paula Danziger
The Glass of Time by Michael Cox
Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

I like the Stephanie Barron mysteries, where Jane Austen is the central figure. May I assume you've read Jane's 6 novels? Barron does a good job of imitating her style.

Sadly Roni, I have only read Emma, Mansfield Park, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility but thats it, I will try and read Persuasion and Northanger Abbey this year sometime :) But its good to know that Stephanie Barron is good at imitating Jane Austen. Because I do love Jane Austen.

Well, four of the six is enough to give you a good sense of Austen's style. Didn't I see another Barron on your list earlier? So have you already read any of hers?

You did, but I thought that I had the first two books out, but it turns out that they were 8 and 9 so I returned them to the library unread and now I have got the first one out.

Attention

My mom and I will not be on very often today because we are under a tornado watch and it will be storming very badly soon. I just thought everyone should be aware our computers will be down and any comments and messages to us will have to wait..

I will probably break out A Wrinkle in Time to read, since my fear of storms is great and I will need to calm myself. (I tend to have panic attacks.)

Catey

I hope the tornado passes you by. Stay safe.

Catey - I'm sending you good wishes and hope that the storm passes quickly.

Well, nothing has happened so far, so I think we are in the clear! Thank you for your good wishes. :)

How scary. I'm glad you and your family are OK.

Yea, it was kinda scary but no tornado just a bad storm. Thank you, we are A-OK. :)

I never did read A Wrinkle in Time, I just watched X-Files with my sister.

>3 fantasia655:: the Bernall sounds like quite a harrowing book, but one I think I may look for. I read Hey Nostradamus a couple of years ago, which I think is loosely based on Columbine - not my favourite Coupland, but thought-provoking.

Beautiful pic too.

It was very good considering what it was about. I haven't heard of Hey Nostradamus before and it doesn't sound like something I'd read just yet. But I will keep it in mind for future reads.

and thanks!

Catey

>21 fantasia655:, no indeed - I wasn't really recommending it, more explaining my own past history in the area. Should have been a bit clearer there!! Sorry.

Well, you see, I was recommending it for myself, it was not in anyway your fault, I just tend to get a little freaky* around books.

*(meaning I' like to read every book in the world, but alas do not have enough time to do so.) *sigh*

Catey

Book Number

On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above The Village Blend, her cat Java by her side, and plenty of coffeehouse redecorating ideas, Clare Cosi is thrilled to return to work. Until she discovers the assistant manager unconscious in the back of the store, coffee grounds strewn everywhere. Police arrive on the scene to investigate. But when they find no sign of forced entry or foul play, they deem it an accident. Case closed. But Clare is not convinced. And after the police leave, there are a few things she just can't get out of her mind... Why was the trash bin in the wrong place? If this wasn't an accident, is Clare in danger? And... are all detectives this handsome?

A very good book, first in a coffehouse mystery. I have this obession with coffee, all flavors of coffee. So when I found out about this series I just had to get my hands on it and I loved every moment of reading it. It was funny and suspenseful and just plain 'coffee' which to me is awesome!
Definitely have to read the second in this series. 5/5 stars. (mostly because there are recipes and tips in the back) the best recipe that sounds good to me is Clare's Cappuccino Walnut Cheesecake, Yummy right? I need to make it but I do no have an expresso machine to my dismay.

Catey
Next up on the agenda: Finish East of Eden and Catcher in the Rye

ETA: I have updated my ticker to 365 since I seem to read more than I thought. :)

>24 fantasia655:: totally non-book-related, drip coffee then? Or French press?

Still find it hard to remember that the average American kitchen doesn't have a kettle...

25: Rachael, We have an electric kettle but I do not know if I can make that cappuccino on there. In the recipe it says to have expresso if I can just use plain coffee instead I'd make it.

Wait the recipe says I can make it on the stove... I guess I can just make it with plain coffee.. It will probably be easier anyway. :)

ETA: I feel like such an idiot, I thought it was a drink but instead it was actually a cake, I really should stop reading at night! Now I don't want it as bad. I wanted to make a drink not a cheesecake. LOL

Catey

:-) Coffee's not good late at night anyway... anyway, I thought you guys were tea-drinkers??

edit: oh. It's not that late over there, is it...

Well, I am a coffee and tea drinker, I have the best of both worlds, I guess. :)
It was only 5:44pm when I posted earlier so nope not that late.

Book Number
The Witches by Roald Dahl This is not a fairy tale. This is about real witches. Grandmamma loves to talk about witches. Real witches are the mos dangerous of all living creatures on earth. There's nothing they hate so much as children, and they work all kinds of terrifying spells to get rid of them. Her grandson listens closely to Grandmamma's stories - but nothing can prepare him for the day he comes face to face with the Grand High Witch herself - the most evil and terrifying witch of them all. Well, this book was good and very intriguing as to learning about real witches. I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5. Because I did not particularly care for the ending.

I thought I should tell you guys I am giving up East of Eden for awhile until I get my own copy. Because once again I am getting headaches from tiny print. I would read it online if I had the time but I don't (what with tax returns to fill out and a whole bunch of schoolwork to accomplish before I graduate sometime this year). So yep, I think I should stick to smaller books for now anyway. :)

Catey

Catey

I'm on a mission to read all of Dahl's books in the next few months. I'm curently reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and it is oh so much better than the weird movie with Johnny Depp.

Glad you liked The Witches and I agree with you. regarding the ending.

I hope you enjoy all of them! I remember reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory several years ago. I haven't yet seen the weird movie with Johnny Depp in it and I don't believe I am keen on watching it anyway. :) I do however like the old movie of it, made way back when, it was good.

I did like it, the witches kinda creeped me out though. Nice to know you agree with me. I believe he should've gotten fixed out of his current state (I don't want to give anything away for those of whom haven't read the book yet) :)

Catey

agreed!

Book Number The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes Be Warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever. Needless to say, I doubt you'll believe a word of it. So begins the story of this book.
Once the toast of good society in Victoria's England, the extraordinary Edward Moon no longer commands the respect or inspires the awe that he did in earlier times. Despite having previously unraveled more than sixty perplexing criminal puzzles (to the delight of a grateful London constabulary), he is considered something of an embarrassment these days. Still, each night without fail, he returns to the stage of his theatre to amaze his devoted, albeit dwindling audience with the same old astonishments - aided by his partner, the silent, hairless, hulking, surprisingly placid giant who, when stabbed, does not bleed... and who goes by one apellation: The Somnambulist. On a night of roiling mists and long shadows, in a corner of the city where only the most foolhardy will deign to tread, a rather disreputable actor meets his end in a most bizarre and terrible fashion. Baffled, the police turn once again in the direction of Edward Moon - who will always welcome such assignments as an escape from ennui. And, in fact, he leads the officers to a murderer rather quickly. Perhaps too quickly. For these are strange, strange times in England, with the srangest of sorts prowling London's dank underbelly: sinister circus performers, freakishly deformed prostitutes, sadistic grown killers in schoolboy attire, a human fly, a man who lives backwards. And nothing is precisely as it seems. Which should be no surprise to Moon, whose life and livelihood consists entirely of the illusionary, the unexpected, the seemingly impossible. Yet what is to follow will shatter his increasingly tenuous grasp on reality - as death follows death in the dastardly pursuit of poetry, freedom, utopia... and Love, Love, Love and Love. I don't know what to give this book. I guess I will give it 4/5. It was a very strange book (as it says in the summary above) but a very good book nonetheless. I do believe it was made for male-oriented crowd but still I guess women can read as well. I do recommend it to anyone who will give this book a whirl. It was a interesting read and I will probably read more of Jonathan Barnes' books.

Catey

Catey
One of the things I love most about LT is the sharing of books and learning about authors I previously did not know.

I'm adding your book #35 to my tbr pile.

35? 35? Wow! You are really clipping along. Congrats!

Catey's review matched up with my thoughts on The Somnambulist pretty well. I liked the book, especially for it's weirdness and especially for the reveal at the end, and Barnes pulls in a hint of steampunk in the mix that's right up my alley. But I read weird things that sometimes aren't for everyone. 8^}

#34 Linda, So true, also I have added so many books from other peoples threads, I have lost count. :) Thanks!

#35 DrNeut, Nice to know you have read it too! I liked it for its weirdness too, but also because I love magicians or rather, conjurers, in this case, so to me it was a very interesting read. Glad to know you enjoyed it as well.

Catey

If you like stories about magicians, try The Prestige. It was awesome! For something with a bit more fantasy twist, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is pretty good.

Thanks! I will see if my library has them!

Catey

Book Number Letters From Rifka by Karen Hesse
Rifka knows nothing about America when she flees from Russia with her family in 1919. But she dreams that in the new country she will at last be safe from the Russian soldiers and their harsh treatment of the Jews. Throughout her journey, Rifka carries with her a cherished volume of poetry by Alexander Pushkin. In it, she records her observations and experiences in the form of letters to Tovah, the beloved cousin she has left behind. Strong-hearted and determined, Rifka must endure a great deal: humiliating examinations by doctors and soldiers, deadly typhus, separation from all she has ever known and loved, murderous storms at sea, detainment on Ellis Island - and as if this is not enough, the loss of her glorious golden hair.

This book I give a 4/5. It was a good, sad and an inspiring book to read. Recommended to young adult readers or people who like to read books in the form of letters (like me). :)

Catey

Book Number Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons by Bill Watterson.

Laugh out loud funny comic strips, I love Calvin and Hobbes. They are the perfect team. 5/5 stars. Highly Recommended for anyone who needs a laugh.

Catey

add me to that mix. I'm looking for laughs...big, hearty laughs!

I'm adding book number 37 to my list...

I LOVE Calvin and Hobbes, so I get dibs on the book next!

Hey, Catey, your thread looks to be just as interesting as your mom's, and we seem to have a lot of the same favorites! I see you read The Tao of Pooh earlier. Did you like it? If so, I'd recommend The Te of Piglet, which IMO is even better!

Adding Letters from Rifka to my list!

#41 It was so funny, Miss Linda, I just couldn't stop laughing even after I had finished it!

#42 Yes Mom, I will bring to you on the double *salutes*

#43 Thanks Marcia, I really liked actually and right at this moment in time I have The Te of Piglet home from the library so I might read that next. Letters from Rifka was very good, I think you will enjoy very much. :)

Catey

For those who enjoyed The Somnambulist, I just learned that Barnes has written a second book in the same world - The Domino Men. I've seen a pretty good review of it, and it's now on order for me at the library!

Thanks DrNeut, thats good, let me know how it is when you get the chance to read it. My library does not have it... yet :)

I'm going to have to get Attack of the Deranged Mutant etc etc etc based on the title alone!

I know, I mean, seriously who could pass up a title like that? Lol!

Thanks, DrN. I enjoyed The Somnambulist. It was as much fun to read as listening to the poor librarian call and let me know that it was in. She couldn't quite get her tongue around the name. I'll be on the look out for his new one.

Book Number Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill Aminata Diallo was kidnapped at the age of eleven from Africa. Then enslaved on a South Carolina plantation, Aminata works in the indigo fields and as a midwife. When she is bought by an entrepreneur from Charleston, she is torn from friends and family. The chaos of the Revolutionary War allows her to escape. In British-held Manhattan, she helps pen the Book of Negroes, a list of blacks rewarded for wartime service to the King with safe passage to Nova Scotia. During her travels to Canada, Sierra Leone and England, Aminata strives for her freedom and that of her people - even if it comes at a price.

Here is an excerpt that interested me: "In the earliest days, when I was free and knew nothing other, I used to sneak outside our walled compound, climb straight up the acacia tree while balancing Father's Qur'an on my head, sit way out on a branch and wonder how I might one day unlock all the mysteries contained in the book. Feet swinging beneath me, I would put down the book - the only one I had ever seen."

This book was distressing, intruiging and brilliant. I hereby give this book 4.5/5 stars. I don't know what else to say about this book other than it was captivating. The violence was disturbing to me but it was not uncommon during that time period. It was a hard read but I believe that one should read this book before they part from this earth. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Catey

ET: Fix spelling errors.

Thanks for your review Catey...

I'll try to find this book at my library.

Thanks for the great review, Catey! Someone Knows My Name sounds really good. Onto the TBR list it goes!

Your Welcome, Miss Linda and Marcia! I am halfway through The Te of Piglet so it will be my next review. :)

Catey

or not.. Book Number

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

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

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

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

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

I have two favorite characters in this book and they are: Jem and his father Atticus. I really enjoyed this book. Recommended by one of my best friends and my mom. I give this book 4.5/5 stars. Definitely going to reread again. This book reminds me of a song by Declan Galbraith called Tell Me Why. It kept popping in my head while I was reading and it kept distracting me as well.

Catey

I am so glad you liked it, Catey!

Me too. Now what should I read? *looks around TBR Island for something to read* :P

#56: Whatever is due at the library next? Might be a good place to start any way . . .

Hmm, that would be.. Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange and Jane and the unpleasantness at scargrave manor and Love, Stargirl and last but not least P.S. Longer Letter Later, which to choose?

Whatever you are in the mood for, I would think :o)

Indeed. (=^I^=)

I have to reread To Kill a Mockingbird one of these days. I read it for class when I was in high school and had all of the joy sucked out of it by having to write essay after essay. There's a good classic film version, too, which I caught recently on cable and enjoyed.

That's too bad, Marcia. I had never before read it until just yesterday. But my best friend raved about it so I thought I'd read it this year. I'm glad I did for I really liked it a lot.

I haven't yet seen the movie but maybe it will come on tv again and I will get to see it.

Essays are the worst, aren't they?

They are! I love to read, I love to write, but essays... *shudders* Unfortunately I'm an English major, so as much as I would like to just talk about literature all day long, I'm forced to write way too many of them.

If you do get a chance to see the movie, Catey, I highly recommend it.

Book Number

The Moon Opera by Bi Feiyu

In a fit of diva jealousy, Xiao Yanqiu, star of The Moon Opera, disfigures her understudy with boiling water. Spurned by the troupe, she turns to teaching. Twenty years, a rich cigarette-factory boss offers to underwrite a restaging of the cursed opera, but only on the condition thst Xiao Yanqiu return to the role of Chang'e. So she does, this time ultimately believing she has fully become the immortal moon goddess.

I thought that I would enjoy this book more but I didn't, although very lyrical and dramatic, it's missing something, I just don't know what. At the back of the book it does gives you english translations of the chinese words throughout the book, it got frustrating going back and forth. 3.5/5 stars

Catey

Oh, man! I just mooched The Moon Opera from Bookmooch recently and was really looking forward to it! Hopefully I'll like it better than you did... Thanks for the review, Catey!

I really do hope you like it better than I did! ^_^ It starts out very well but fades a little (for me) in the middle to the ending.

Your quite welcome!

Catey

Book Number Austenland by Shannon Hale

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her life. No real man can compare. When a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentlemen suddenly become realer than she could have imagined. Decked out in empire-waist gowns, stripped of her modern appliances, Jane throws herself into mastering Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen - or maybe even, as she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to vanish. Is she about to kick the Austen obession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

I absolutely, positively LOVE this book!! 5/5 stars.

I would love to do what she did, dress up in day gowns and evening dresses and waltz at balls. *sigh* This book has humorous scenes and also its a very charming book, I know that I will read and reread over and over again. Like all of Jane Austen's books (except the ones I haven't read yet.) I love Jane Austen, everything about her! All her books, all about her... :D

ET:I spelt absolutely wrong, too many ''O's''

Austenland sounds fun! I'll have to add it to my TBR pile. Another Jane Austenesque book that I've read and enjoyed was Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. If you haven't read, it you might enjoy it.
Happy reading!

Thanks, Kittybee! I actually got Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict for my birhtday this year and loved it as well.

Yay, I'm glad you loved Austenland! It's another one I can't wait to read. Shannon Hale is fabulous.

I'm not much of a chick-lit reader, but I adore the A&E production of Pride and Prejudice, and so Austenland tickled my funnybone no end! I originally picked it up to look at the blurb because I had already read some of Shannon Hale's juvenile fantasy, and had to get it when I realized the heroine was obsessed with that video (which I JUST went ahead and re-purchased in DVD format).

Me too, Marcia! I might pick up Goose Girl at the library on tuesday.. You're absolutely right, she is fabulous! :D

Roni, Glad to hear you bought it on DVD, I haven't actually seen that version, just the newer one with Keira Knightley in it. But I will look out for it on tv or watch it here on my laptop. I am a chick-lit reader but its not my favorite genre, just one I pick up now and again. I am more of a romance/fantasy type person. :) I really love BBC adaptations of everything. *happily sighs*

Interesting about Austenland, I'll be putting it in my TBR pile as well. I usually use recommendations for P&P-related stories after I read the horror that was Darcy's Story.

Catey, I already had P&P on VCR, but I no longer have a VCR player in my TV, and wanted the longer lasting format. The neat thing about the A&E version is it is a mini-series, 6 hours long, and actually fits the entire book in. I haven't seen the Knightley version, but at 2 hours I KNOW they had to cut a lot. And the characters are so perfectly acted by the A&E cast--you NEED to see it. Try the library or video store.

Ok, I will find it! :)

Book Number

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey
Alfred Kropp is the last person you'd think could save the world. But when this oversized underachiever gets roped into a suspicious get-rich-quick scheme, his life takes a turn for the extraordinary. Little does Alfred know he has been tricked into stealing Excalibur - the legendary sword of King Arthur - and the most powerful weapon ever wielded by man. With an ancient order of knights in hot cars, ans a mysterious international organiztion called OIPEP (which throughout most of the book Alfred tries to figure out what it means, my favorite is when he calls it, 'Operatives Investigating Powerful Evil Persons', but I cannot tell you what it really stands for, you have to read the book to find out) following his every lumbering step, Alfred undertakes a modern-day quest to unravel a thousand-year-old mystery and return the sword to its rightful place

Although this book started out weird, it got really good toward the middle to the end! In this book there are lots of beheadings and deaths but nothing too gory.. I really enjoy books about Arthurian plots and such. I give this book 4/5. I already have the sequel on hold at the library.

And Piyush will be happy to know I made it to chapter 3 in The Fellowship of the Ring this weekend and will continue to read it during breaks in school. :)

Yes Catey, I am so very proud of you, you couldn't have utilized your school breaks better :)

Enjoy The Fellowship of the Ring! I love The Lord of the Rings, and I think the first book is my favourite.

Ah, Catey, memories! One of my friends brought the first paperback edition in this country back with her from Chicago to central Kansas at the beginning of my senior high school year. She took a week to read The Fellowship of the Ring. I took one day, reading it right through my HS classes (the old slip the paperback behind the textbook trick). She took a week to read The Two Towers. I took one day, again reading throughout the school day. So for The Return of the King, I TOOK it, read it in one day (same methodology) and gave it back to her to read. And I've enjoyed many rereadings since, with my own copies.

#77Well, today I do not have school, Piyush so guess what I am going to do?

You got it, read more of the Fellowship of the Ring!

#78 Cait, I will indeed! That's awesome, I have high hopes of liking The Return of the King but I don't know yet since I haven't gotten that far. :)

#79 Roni, Way to go! Reading them all in one-day spurts is awesome! I would do that if I didn't have so much stuff to do, like cook and schoolwork and studying. I cannot wait to get to The Return of the King. (It was my favorite out of the movies lol).

Catey

Lucky you! I am so very tempted to re-read the trilogy, but that would be bad for my TBR :(

Aww, well maybe just read it in chapter spurts, like one chapter here and two chapters there. :D

That is very cruel of you to tempt me like this! One more word and I will be off my schedule and guess what, it would be The Artemis Fowl Series that would suffer :D

Well darn it! Fine, I take back what I said and now Artemis Fowl will not suffer! :P We wouldn't want you to get off schedule now, would we?

Much better, I knew you would see it my way. :D

LOL. Well, just know I am still rooting for you to get Artemis Fowl series done.

ROTFL. Good one!

Hehe.. Thanks!

I have an orthodontist appointment today, wish me luck! :)

Good luck! Hope all goes well ;)

Thanks, Eliza! Surprisingly, my teeth don't hurt that bad. The first day I got my braces,(that was last year) I couldn't even chew food, I had to put it in tiny bits and swallow. And I mostly survived on chocolate shakes. Luckily, now I am used to them and can eat better!

chocolate shakessssssss, yumm :)

Yup, I love chocolate shakes! Actually, I love ANYTHING chocolate. Well all except peanuts. :)

Me too! But I dislike mint too, which I know you don't.

Yeah, mints are allright. I mostly like spearmint and wintergreen more than I like peppermint. :)

ET: Correct my spelling

Book Number

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney

Let's face it: Greg Heffley will never change his wimpy ways. Somebody just needs to explain that to Greg's father. You see, Frank Heffley actually thinks he can get his son to toughen up, and he enlists Greg in organized sports and other "manly" endeavors. Of course, Greg is easily able to sidestep his father's efforts to change him. But when Greg's dad threatens to send him to military academy, Greg realizes he has to shape up ... or get shipped out.

Although funny, this one was not as funny as the first two books. But still very good and helped me not to think of my teeth (as they are in much pain). Was very good for a laugh which I really needed. 4/5 stars.

Book Number

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

Born in 1875, the great German lyric poet Rainer Maria Rilke published his first collection of poems in 1898 and went on to become renowned for his delicate depiction of the workings of the human heart. This book was translated by M.D. Herter Norton were really the first to open Rilke's work to the English-speaking world in accurate, sensitive, modern versions free from both the embroidery and also the slavish adherence to rhyme.

Drawn by some sympathetic note in one of his poems, young people often wrote to Rilke with their problems and hopes. From 1903 to 1908, Rilke wrote a series of remarkable and lyrical responses to a young would-be poet, on poetry and on surviving as a sensitive observer in a harsh world. In the back of the book there is a chronicle of what Rilke was going through in his life while writing to the young poet.

Although I have never even heard of Rilke or his poems, I love books of letters and I adore poetry. There is one of the young poet's, Franz Kappus poems in this book. It is written in German and in English. Rilke says some wonderful things about books in his letters. Here is one I really liked: You will experience the great happiness of reading this book for the first time*, and will go through its countless surprises as in a new dream. But I can tell you that later too one goes through these books again and again with the same astonishment and that they lose none of the wonderful power and surrender none of the fabulousness with which they overwhelm one at first reading. One just comes to relish them increasingly to be always more grateful, and somehow better and simpler in one's contemplating, deeper in one's belief in life, and living happier and bigger. *He is speaking of a book called Niels Lyhne by Jens Peter Jacobsen whom I have never heard of before. Overall, I give the book 4.5/5 stars. :)

Book Number

Days of Tears by Julius Lester

Emma is the property of Pierce Butler and has taken care of his daughters, Sarah and Frances, since their mother left home. Emma wants to raise the girls to have good hearts, like their mother's, as a rift in morals has ripped the Butler household apart: Sarah and her mother oppose the inhumanity of slavery, while Frances and her father believe in the Southern lifestyle and treatment of blacks. Now, to pay off mounting gambling debts, Pierce decides to cash in his "assets" and host the biggest slave auction in American history. He reaps just over $300,000, though the cost is his humanity. For although Butler promises Emma's parents not to sell her, money, desperation, and greed enable him to justify any misdeed, as the skies weep nonstop on the proceedings below. Through flashback and flash-forwards in shifting first-person accounts, you will travel with Emma and other slaves through time and different places as they come to understand the all decisions have consequences, and that the final judgment is handed down not by man, but by his maker.

It's a juvenile fiction book but something bothered me about it, was that there were cuss-words and "nigger" appears quite alot and it just made me think "this book is for kids 10-12?" It's disturbing to me. It would have been better without all that crud. 3.5/5 stars. I cannot rate this any higher or go any lower because it was based on a real event.

>45 drneutron:, I had read good review of Day of Tears, but I thought it was a YA book. Do you think it would be more appropriately classified that way, ie. for high school and up?

Marcia: Yes, it would probably be better over in YA but at my library it was in the juvenile section. It was a good book, it just bothered me that kids were reading it and not someone older. Maybe my library classified it wrong, I don't know.

I think that's a valid point. I actually want to go to grad school for library science and become either a children's or a YA librarian, so the changing and occasionally arbitrary lines between the two really interest me. I'm a big dork!

#100: Marcia, thats cool, I wanted to be a librarian for awhile, but then again I wanted to be a lot of things. :) Nah, I think I am a bigger dork than you, I mean I spend my time reading (don't we all?), playing video games with friends (Mario Party 4) and playing hidden object games on my laptop. (One of my downfalls, I'm afraid, that and books) :P

Catey

Book Number Vampirates by Justin Somper Book 1 of the Vampirates Series.
Twins Connor and Grace never dreamed that there was any truth to the Vampirates shanty their father used to sing to them before he died, but that was before their ship wrecked and separated them from each other. For Connor, who is taken aboard a pirate ship, there's the chance to learnn to sword fight, but for Grace, aboard a mysterious ship of vampires, the danger is great. The lure of the pirate life at sea may be just tempting enough to make Connor forget his past, but without him, Grace will not able to survive.

I really liked this book, it was mostly predictable but has some twists and turns that were not anywhere close to expected. :P I give this book 4.5/5 stars. Definitely going to finish the rest of the series. Recommended. Good for a day in! I love pirates.. *dreamily sighs* vampires are cool too... but pirates are so awesome!! hehehe :P

Book Number Fablehaven by Brandon Mull Book 1 in the Fablehaven Series. For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite... Kendra and her brother, Seth, have no idea that their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven. Inside the gated woods, ancient laws give relative order among greedy trolls, mischievous satyrs, plotting witches, spiteful imps, and jealous fairies. However, when the rules get broken, an arcane evil is unleashed, forcing Kendra and Seth to greatest challenge of their lives. To save their family, Fablehaven, and perhaps the world as well. Kendra must find the courage to do what she fears the most.

I adore this book! 5/5 stars! I love anything mythical and this was perfect, I am so totally going to finish this series soon. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! Perfect for anybody, I bet listening on tape of CD would be nothing short of amazing. But I was spellbound just reading it, so when anyone has time, read this. ..... By order of Catey.... Nah, just teasing...

Up next on agenda: Finish The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien and start reading Airman by Eoin Colfer

:) Catey

#102: Some good reading there, baby. Now finish up Fellowship for some great reading :)

#103: Mom. Oh, I will but not tonight, I am little tired, we had a lot of fun today and did lots of walking (sorta) and I stayed up til 2am last night, so maybe I will get some reading done on it tomorrow. :)

#104: OK. Get some rest - I will let you off the hook for tonight . . .

Mmkay! :)

Oh dear, it looks like I absolutely must try and get my hands on Fablehaven as it sounds brilliant.

I don't know why I persist in reading the start of series! The last two books I've read have been the first books and I don't have the rest of them. One of them, Fuzzy Sapiens I really need to get hold of as Little Fuzzy was so wonderful.

Darn all these series, and darn you for adding another one to the list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Grrrrrrrrrr

Adding Fablehaven to the TBR pile. I love the cover. Is it illustrated?

ETA: I mean is it illustrated inside. Obviously the cover is illustrated!

Catey - Fablehaven sounds great! I've never heard of this series. But based on your recommendation, I'm putting it on my TBR list. I can't disobey an "Order of Catey"!

Thanks for the rec!

#107:Luna, Well, I think you'd like it! And you are most welcome. :)

#108: Lorie, Yes, it is illustrated inside but it didn't have very many illustrations but just enough for me.

#109: Amy, It was really great! I had never heard about it either but 2 weeks ago I went to the library and I saw the the second one there but the first one wasn't so I waited until last week and finally they had it in. And I am so glad I saw it.

I wouldn't want to disobey an "Order of Catey" either, who knows what might happen? :/

Lol, your welcome!

Catey

Ooh, adding Vampirates and Fablehaven to my list! Thanks for the great recs, Catey.

#111: Your Welcome, Marcia! :)

I'm in on the Fablehaven fad, too. I will get a copy from Catey's local library, lol.

Catey
I'm a bit late in catching up on the posts and this morning checked your thread to find that you are reading some great books.

I'm going to get a copy of Austenland. I saw this on the sale table at Barnes and Noble last week and hope it is still there.

Thanks for all your great descriptions.

Hiya Miss Linda! Good, Austenland was great! I think you'll enjoy it too.

Your welcome! :)

Catey

Book Number

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie.

Agnes Crandall's problems are roiling to a boil. First, a dog-napper invades her kitchen, seriously hampering her attempts to put on a wedding that she's staked her entire net worth on. Then a man climbs through her bedroom window to save her. "Shane" (no last name) may be Agnes' hero, but he's also a professional hitman - so he's no stranger to trouble himself..
Between a rival who wants to take him out and an uncle who may have lost five million dollars in Agnes' basement, Shane's plate is plenty full. Soon Agnes and Shane are tangled up with the lowlifes after the money, a gang of Southern mob wedding guests, a dog named Rhett, and - most dangerous of all - each other.

I guess this book would have been better if the "F" word was not on every single page.. But still I liked it, it was funny, it had good characters, and a good plot. I give this book 3 and 3/4 stars.

I have been in a book funk lately and just haven't felt like reading all that much. I read this because it was light and fluffy (nothing I have to put much thought into) and it sounded funny and it was, in parts. Hopefully I will be better by this weekend and get more read... Maybe my Cookies N' Cream ice cream will help. :)

>116 fantasia655:, I have Agnes and the Hitman, but I haven't read it yet. Jennifer Crusie is one of my all time favorite comfort read authors. Hope you're out of your book funk soon, Catey! I, too, have experienced them, and they are no fun at all.

#117: Marcia, I really like Jennifer Crusie too.

Me too! I think I am a little better now, I think I will read something tonight... (maybe)
I dislike book funks, I wish I didn't have one, as I feel like I should read but I cannot get the energy to pick one up.. I should read one tonight, maybe just a few pages..

Catey

YAY!! I GOT A BOOK READ!!

Book Number

The Year of Secret Assignments* Jaclyn Moriarty (Yes, the asterisk is in the title) :)

Lydia, Emily and Cassie have always shared everything - guy problems, skipping school, even Significant Secret Assignments. But when they're given pen pals at rival Brookfield High, they write forth in individual styles. Here are the examples:

"Lydia: Dear Person at Brookfield: I am a fish. You wouldn't know it, what with the uniform and all that. But its true. I am a fish."

"Emily: My interests: Don't get me started about chocolate! My nickname might be 'Em', but it's also 'Toblerone'! I think this is an angiogram of Thompson, which is my last name."

"Cassie: I always think it's funny when a teacher tries to be cool. I want to sit them down and say 'It's okay, you're a grown up, you're allowed to be a nerd,' and they will look up at me confused but also relieved and teary-eyed."

It turns out that their pen pals are just as distinctive. Sebastian is a sensitive artist with a major soccer obsession. Charlie is a part-time car thief and a completely sweet guy. But Matthew... well, he's either a psychopath or a figment of Cassie's imagination, neither of which is a good thing. And what starts out as a simple letter exchange leads to spy missions, false alarms, lock picking, legal drama, parental edicts, mistaken identities, and an all-out war between the schools - not to mention Dates with Girls and some really excellent kissing.

This book is told through the characters' notes, letters to each other, diaries, and e-mails, which, I love to read books in this form. I really did not want this book to end, that's how engrossed I was. I related with the characters (mostly the chocolate parts) :) I loved the Secret Assignments and although I dislike Matthew, the rest of the characters are superb. I really and thoroughly loved this book, I give it 5/5 stars (I seem to be handing those out lately).

I need to go to sleep now as it is after 3:30am here


So Good Night all who are still awake, and Good Morning to those early risers! :)

Catey

Good night Catey (I am surprised you are still up!)

Mama

Ooh, I have a copy of The Year of Secret Assignments floating around somewhere. I'll have to get on it and read it!

I know you like epistolary novels and YA books, and I was wondering if you had read Letters from the Inside by John Marsden. It's disturbing, but very, very good.

My favourite John Marsden is So Much to Tell You which is a fantastic YA novel. Letters from the Inside is also good but I much prefer the former.

#120: Mom, I was caught up in my book and did not realize the time.

#121: No, Marcia, I haven't yet but since you recommended it (I think), I put it on hold at our library, so I will get it and read it soon! :)

#122: There goes another book on my tbr island. *plop* Yep, there it is... Right on time... Thanks Luna! :P

Book Number

The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones

Anita was living an ordinary life. Until an elegant stranger pulled her into another world. Swept away into a court of magic and beauty, she discovers she is Tania, the lost princess of Faerie: the youngest daughter of Oberon and Titania. Since Tania's mysterious disappearance on the eve of her wedding five hundred years before, Faerie has been sunk in darkness and gloom. The courtly Lord Gabriel Drake, whom Tania was to marry, has found her and brought her back. With Tania's return, Faerie comes alive again as a land of winged children, glittering balls, and fantastic delights. But Tania cannot forget Anita's world, or the boy she loved there.
Torn between two loves and two worlds, Tania slowly comes to discover why she disappeared so long ago. she possesses a singular magic ability and she must use it to stop a sinister plan that threatens the entire world of Faerie.

I tore through this book like no tomorrow. I really enjoyed it! It was predictable but still I loved it, here is a passage I really think is cool:

"This is not so extraordinary. We each have bedchambers that give us joy and heart's ease at the day's end. Sancha's walls have endless words flowing across them, telling never-ending stories and tales for her. Rathina's is a ballroom filled with tireless dancers. Hopie's chamber is a woodland thick with herbs and healing plants. And Cordelia's room teems with the animals that she loves."

I so want Sancha's room, maybe a cross between hers and Cordelia's!
I give this 4.5/5! I have the sequel here with me as well and I shall read it soon!

Sorry about all the deleted posts but for some reason when I pushed my enter button, it posted them instead of scrolling down my post page for me.

Catey
WOW! 50 books read thus far this year. Now that is quite impressive!

#124 Your enthusiasm for The Faerie Path has resulted in yet another book added to my TBR pile. Thanks for the rec!

#126: Miss Linda, having never before written down how many books I read, 50 is very, very impressive to me!

#127: Miss Lorie, You are quite welcome! :) I hope when you read it, you will like as much as I did.

Book Number: 51 (it doesn't deserve a pretty number!)

Smart Girls Marry Money by Elizabeth Ford and Daniela Drake, MD (no touchstones, yet since technically the book's not out yet)

Excerpt on the back: Why does society applaude a girl who falls for a guy's "big blue eyes" yet denounces one who chooses a man with a "big green bankroll" After all, isn't earning power more a reflection of a man's values and characters? This craptastic book (my words not theirs) challenges the ideals and assumptions women have blindly accepted about love and marriage - and shows how they've done so at their economic peril. In this nastylicious manifesto (once again my words), the women who wrote this here book, use cold hard facts, real science, and true stories to present a compelling case for why mercenary marriages make the most sense for future happiness. Smart Girls taps into a growing collective suspicion that the post-feminist world isn't all its cracked up to be. Ford and Drake think its high time that women get their heads out of the clouds and start caring about their own security - the kind that can be measured in dollars and common sense.

I bet you're wondering why I happen to read this. I got it as an ARC and it looked okay, but it wasn't in any way shape or form of 'okay".

It was the most crude book I have ever read, I didn't even finish it, it was that bad!
I mean the quotes from famous people was nice and the pictures of XX and XY chromosomes were interesting as well as the pictures of brain on and off love. But when it got to talking about porn and masturbation, it was disturbing and I couldn't finish it especially since one of the chapters as I was looking through it at the end just to see how it ended was called, "Go F@#$ Yourself". It was disturbing, crude and just plain disgusting.

This freaking book gets 1/5 stars! I do not under any circumstance recommend this book to anybody!! Unless you want to subject yourself to it.

And how did you really feel, Catey? Lol. That's one I will definitely avoid. Doesn't sound like it would be my cup of tea, anyway, even if you hadn't hated it. The premise itself is enough to curdle my little feminist stomach.

So Catey, whats it going to be for you, "big blue eyes" or "big green bankroll"? :P ducks under the table as Catey throws that book at me

#131: You are in very grave danger, Piyush. She has a very good arm :)

#131: Piyush, more like I am going to throw my biggest book at you! :P

Lol. :D

Book Number 52

Ok so I tried to read a book called Dinner With Anna Karenina by Gloria Goldreich but I couldn't get into it. I really couldn't connect with the characters and I think I should like it but I just can't. Here is the summary:

"And the worst of it is, you understand, that I can't leave him: there are the children, and I am bound. Yet I can't live with him..."
Immediately the words from "Anna Karenina" take on a significance for the women who have gathered over good food and good wine for their first book club meeting of the year. These six very different women are not quite friends, not quite strangers but, bonded by their love of literature, they share a deep understanding of one another - or so they think. On this night they are stunned when the most envied and privileged member of the group announces that she is divorcing her perfect husband for reasons she cannot, will not share. That such an idyllic marriage could be so vulnerable mystifies them, leaving them to speculate what happened - and what, iin their own imperfect relationships, would constitute the ultimate betrayal. Over the course of a year, through cathartic discussions about their favorite novels, they reveal the burdens, bitterness and painful truths they have so long been hiding, and in doing so, try to find the courage to open up a new chapter in their lives.

It sounds really good but I just couldn't get into it very well, I couldn't get past the first 50 pages. I just think the characters were a little too impersonal - for want of a better word - I might try another of Gloria Goldreich's books, maybe it is her writing and not the characters I don't like. I cannot seem to come up with an appropriate rating since I only read 50 pages but I think (now) I will give it a 0/5. for now and in the future, if I try to read it again, might give it a higher rating.

Catey

just stopping by to say hello to you.

Thank you, Miss Linda! Hello to you too! :)

If I was unable to finish a book it would definitely get a 0/5 from me. Surely not being able to complete it is the ultimate in a poor recommendation! Things I give 3/5 to are books that are reasonable but not great.................this one sounds not even that!!

Just my two cents :)

I understand what you are getting at, Luna. And I will change it, I feel a little guilty not finishing the book but like Mom says, "Not every book is for every body" and she's right. I couldn't read it for the obvious impersonalization of the characters. But I tried.

Thanks for your two cents, chip in any time you want.

Book Number Thorn in My Heart by Liz Curtis Higgs

In the autumn of 1788, amid the moors and glens of the Scottish Lowlands, two brothers fight to claim one father's blessing, two sisters long to claim one man's heart.

"Leana slipped beneath woolen covers, leaving one taper burning high on the dresser where it would not disturb her slumber. Clouds had moved in and blotted out the moon, for the window was dark, and her whole room, except for the tiny flame remained pitch black. "As dark as Yule midnight," as Neda, their housekeeper would say. Darkness was nothing to fear. Far greater fears gnawed on Leana's soul. A life without love, without a husband, without children. For her it was no life at all. But what if that was the life the Almighty had chosed for her? If it pleased him, could she bear it?"

This book was very moving and it is filled to the rim with love, deception, faith and hope. I could not put this book down.

In this book, Leana and her sister, Rose, both pine for the cousin who comes to visit them, Jamie, who came to marry one of them after he deceives his blind father into thinking he was his older brother, Evan, asking his father for his blessing to inherit the castle they live in. When his older brother finds out, he threatens to kill Jamie for stealing his birthright. So Jamie goes to visit his cousins and uncle Lachlan, under his mother orders to escape and marry one of the sisters, for surely, Evan would not threaten Jamie and his new wife. Jamie falls for Rose, but Leana is deeply in love with Jamie. Rose went away for awhile to visit an aunt but gets caught in a snowstorm, when her wedding was going on, so Leana went in her place, as a proxy, but Leana under her father's orders, betrays her sister. Lachlan, makes it seem that Jamie married Leana instead of Rose, so now Jamie must work for Lachlan, for seven months and if Leana is not pregnant by that time, he may divorce her and marry Rose, but if Leana is pregnant then he must still be married to her.

I really enjoyed this book, I give it a 4.5/5 stars. It's a great read. Highly Recommended!

Your review registered in my mind thus:

Plot full of complications and twists and intertwined stories and just-the-way-I-like-it messed-up lives?? Hell yeah! :D

Obviously a retell of the story of Jacob and Esau, Leah and Rachel, from Genesis. Sounds interesting.

Ronincats, I was thinking the SAME thing, but was too shy to say it!! :D

#143: Roni Liz Curtis Higgs is a Christian author, so she could've based her book on them. I am hoping to read the second one in the series soon. :)

I, too,, loved this book. Have you read Whence Came a Prince, (which I believe is the first book in the series) yet?

#146: Charlotte, no, not yet but I am going to the library tomorrow and I know they have it there, so I will get it while I am getting Fair is the Rose, I have no idea which order they go in... I looked on her website and it looks like Thorn in my Heart is first, Fair is the Rose is second and Whence Came a Prince is third and the new one she wrote Grace in Thine Eyes is last. :)

So my mom and I went shopping and bought me a new bookshelf for my room!!! here are the pics:







I love it!!

Nice bookcase. looks like you need another one! 8^}

oh my! a new bookcase and still there is one huge pile of books next to it! serves you and your mom well for reading soooo many books and making all of us jealous :P

heh. I don't really mean that. Hope you enjoy your new bookcase, Catey!

#149: Yes, Dr. Neut, I probably do. :P But maybe just a small one, my room's crowded as it is, with all my library books and the books I am borrowing from other people and with all my books placed sporadically throughout my room.

#150: Eliza, LOL. I didn't really think you meant it. :P I do so love my new bookcase, right next to it (although you cannot see it in the pictures) is my built-in bookcase which came with our house. I just ran out of room in it so I had to put some of my books on the floor.

Catey

looks good Catey

I think the bookcase would like a twinbrother in some time ;-)

Anita

I've seen this circulating around here on LT so I decided to try it out myself:

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien - Currently reading!!
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling - I just don't like them that well.
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare -
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger - Tried to read it but what-his-name is so annoying!
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck Got to chapter 8 and stopped reading it because of other books shouting at me to be read.
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis - Read most of them!
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - Isn't this the same as #33
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne - Read when I was younger
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth.
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon - Working on reading it
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce -
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt.
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White - Going to read it this year
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

15 read

and

4 couldn't finish

and

81 unread

I got my work cut out for me.. :)

#152: Anita, you are correct but I have no other room for another bookcase in my room. *sigh* Unless I stick it on my bed and I sleep on the floor. :0)

maybe you can hang it from the ceiling??? ;-)
Anita

Maybe you should pile them up and lay your mattress on top.

*off to find a picture*

#155: Anita: That would be kinda cool. I do have a 12 foot ceiling, but knowing me I would hit my head on it in the middle of the night. :P

#156: Carrie: That could work as well. My bedframe is very old and kinda rickety. :0) But one wrong move in my sleep and it will all come crashing down. Sounds kinda painful actually. :)

I found this in one of my e-mails today so I thought I would try it out. :)

On your nightstand now:
More like beneath my night stand.. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein and The Lucifer Gospel by Paul Christopher and Tied to the Tracks byt Rosina Lippi

Favorite book when you were a child:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Your top five authors:
Madeleine L'Engle, Dee Henderson, Shel Silverstein, Karen Rose, Brenda Joyce

Book you've faked reading:
Well I told my mom I read How the Irish Saved Civilization half-way through but seriously I couldn't get past the first chapter. Sorry Mom!

Book you are an evangelist for:
War Letters:Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars by Andrew Carroll, seriously I think everyone should read this.

Book you've bought for the cover:
The Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, it was greenish blue and had all kinds of designs on it.

Book that changed your life:
Probably Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace, he helped me to understand how to save and use my money during that class my family took.

Favorite line from a book:
"To sleep, perchance to dream." Love this line from Hamlet.

Book you most want to read again for the first time:
There's actually 2 I would want to read again, A Wrinkle in Time and Artemis Fowl

Book you wish you had written:
Probably Twilight, I would help it more to reach adult realm more and still be a great teenage novel. :) Although I do really like it now, I think it could have been much better.

ETA: I missed one of the them. :)

Catie, here's how I got around limited floor space in my 9X12 back bedroom office. Look at the left side of the shelves. See that thick bar up at the top. That metal bar is screwed into the wall studs at the top, and everything else hangs from it above the couch. Except for the books (my pb TBR's) and cats on the back of the couch. Richard has permission to avert his eyes. I got my system at the Container Store (Elfa, 30% off sales in January and July), but Home Depot and Lowes have similar systems. Gave me an extra 42 linear feet of shelf space! I'll post the other half of the wall on my thread so I don't load yours up, but the shelf behind the door in that one, I built of 1x6 just for paperbacks to hide behind the door.

That's so cool, Roni! Thanks for the info.

Is there a thread where group members can post pictures of their libraries? I always like the pictures! Should I start one?

#161 I don't believe there is but I would love to see them, and see people take pics of their bookshelves etc

Yes, start one!

Sure, I will do it after I take a picture of my library and upload it!

>158 fantasia655:: Catey, did you actually read Labyrinth? Have to say I was not mightily impressed with that... about the best I could say is "probably better than the Da Vinci Code".

#165: Not yet, I was planning on read the Labyrinth this year sometime. Glad to hear it was better than The Da Vinci Code although I haven't read it yet either and I don't really think I want to. :)

Catey.

Book Number 54: Eat This, Not That! by David Zinczenko

Synopsis from Amazon:

Eat what you want, when you want--and watch the pounds disappear!
Americans spend more than $400 billion a year eating out, and behind each burger, turkey sandwich, and ice cream sundae is a simple decision that could help you control your weight--and your life. The problem is, restaurant chains and food producers aren't interested in helping you make healthy choices. In fact, they invest $30 billion a year on advertising, much of it aimed at confusing eaters and disguising the fat and calorie counts of their products.

All of that has changed with EAT THIS, NOT THAT!. This book puts the entire food industry under the spotlight, and arms you with the savvy tricks and insider information it takes to eat well no matter where you are. With EAT THIS, NOT THAT! you're the expert in every eating situation, from the frozen food aisle to your favorite fast food joint to your local sports bar. You control your food universe--and lose the pounds you want--because, unlike every other customer, you'll know the smart choices to make--instantly!

EAT THIS, NOT THAT! is jam-packed with secrets the restaurant industry doesn't want you to know. For example: * Burger King doesn't want you to know that a BK Big Fish® Sandwich and fries have a whopping 1000 calories--nearly half your daily caloric intake! (Fish is usually healthy, but not this kind. Find out why with this book.) * Pizza Hut doesn't want you to know that a standard pizza in Italy contains 500 to 800 calories, but the same meal at Pizza Hut can top 2,100 calories! (You'd need to ride a stationary bike for more than three hours to burn off this mistake. Instead, eat all the pizza you want by making smart choices. EAT THIS, NOT THAT! shows you how.) * Macaroni Grill doesn't want you to know that a single serving of their Grilled Teriyaki Salmon has more than three times your daily allowance of sodium! (Cut your risk of high blood pressure by making smart choices at the same restaurant. You'll find them inside.)

If only you knew the industry secrets, you could eat at any of your favorite restaurants--or chow down on everything from the company vending machine to your kids' Halloween buckets--and know that every decision you made was smart, healthy, and the best possible choice for you. For example, did you know: * At McDonald's, an Egg McMuffin® is actually a healthy choice, with just 300 calories. (The Hotcakes pack more than double that amount!) * At Krispy Kreme, all you need to do is order the Very Berry Chiller instead of the Mocha Dream Chiller, and you'll save 500 calories! (Do that once a week and you'll drop more than 7 pounds this year--without trying!) * At Chipotle, you can cut 570 calories out of your Chicken Burrito just by ordering it as a bowl (without the tortilla) and asking them to hold the rice. (Same great taste, but with 94 fewer carb grams!) * Choosing a cinnamon roll at Au Bon Pain over Cinnabon will save you 463 calories and 20 grams of fat! * In the freezer section of your local supermarket, a turkey pot pie from Swanson's has 610 fewer calories than a turkey pot pie from Pepperidge Farms. * In the produce aisle, you'll get twice the vitamin C--and nine times as much vitamin A--simply by picking red bell peppers over green ones. (Who said eating healthy was difficult?)

And that's why EAT THIS, NOT THAT! is going to change everything. It's time to level the playing field. We're all tired of sneaky calories adding to our waistlines, and having to starve ourselves or spend hours on the treadmill trying to burn off the damage. Now--for the first time--you're in charge. With this simple illustrated guide to thousands of foods--along with the nutrition secrets that lead to fast and permanent weight loss--you'll make the smartest choice every time!

4.5/5 stars.

Very cool take on what to eat at restaurants and what you shouldn't eat.

Cool. I bought this yesterday.

Every time I go into the bookstore, I pick up Eat This Not That but I haven't bought it yet. For some reason those photos just grab my attention.

I finally did it! Upload your sweet bookcase here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/62782#1214464

#168: OOH OOH Roni! I almost forgot I borrowed the Pride and Prejudice set with Colin Firth in it from the library and I am planning on watching it this weekend!

#169: You really should read it, it gives some very good insight on what to get at a restaurant and some of the stuff you think will be healthier really isn't, which surprised me quite a bit.

#170: Goody, guess that's where I am going to post next! I will mosey on over later.

Welcome, welcome, to my first ever haul on LT.

Up first is... Books I bought at our library book sale today:
#1: City of Dreams: A Novel of Nieuw Amsterdam and Early Manhattan by Beverly Swerling

#2: The Illusions of Love by Kasey Michaels

#3: Of Tangible Ghosts by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

#4: A Thin Dark Line by Tami Hoag

#5: Heritage (no touchstone) by Mary Davis

#6: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

#7: Everything's Coming up Rosie by Kasey Michaels

#8: All The Rivers Run by Nancy Cato

#9: Night Sins by Tami Hoag

and #10: Animal Farm by George Orwell

Now for... Books I Bought At Goodwill Today:

#1: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

#2: Light Can Be Both Wave and Particle by Ellen Gilchrist

#3: A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

#4: Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve

and last but not least.. The Book That Came In The Mail For Me Today:

#1 Scratch the Surface by Susan Conant A Cat Lover's Mystery, Book 1.

Thank you for joining me this fine day, feel free to comment. :)

I love Animal Farm and Island of the Blue Dolphins! You've had a great book day, that's for sure!

Wow! Lots of new books to read! Beware A Walk to Remember - it is a real tearjerker. I was crying so hard I had to read the book in my bedroom - I didn't want my family to think something was wrong with me! LOL It was a great read though, better than the movie.

Great haul, but I'm most excited by your viewing Pride and Prejudice--do share your reaction,please!

I went crazy and bought more books at Goodwill, they were having a buy-one-get-one-free deal and my mom and I couldn't pass it up so here is another addition to the haul. :)

Suth's Story by Peter Dickinson

Silver Wedding by Maeve Binchy

Night Song by Susan Plunkett and Krysteen Seelen

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

The Second Thief by Travis Thrasher

#175: I sure will, Roni! :)

Catey - I love Island of the Blue Dolphins too! Isn't it fun to come home with a load of new books? The library book sale in my little town is next Saturday, and I'm planning to be there when it opens.

#175: Roni, in all seriousness I think I am in love with the movie/show just as much as you are. I watched all of it last night and immediately wanted to watch it again but I got really sleepy so I didn't watch it again last night but perhaps will watch it again tonight. Oh, how I despise Mr. Wickham but Mr. Darcy or Colin Firth as I should say, was magnificent!

In other news, has anyone seen the musical Camelot, for I wish to audition for a role in it, but have never even seen it? Do you perhaps know of a place I could see it online or order it online somewhere? For I have tried looking for it at our library and they neither have it on video cassette or DVD.

Thanks,
Catey

Very interested in what you think of the Peter Dickinson book, as his YA fiction was some of my favourite as a teenager and going back to them, they read well. I have 3 of his and would highly recommend all of them, if for different reasons. A VERY good writer.

Yay! That was a long night of watching! I have to break it into parts--haven't the attention span to watch it in one go, but I do love it.

Point of info--on a discussion somewhere, somewhen, someone was saying, why did everyone make such a point of how beautiful Jane is, when Elizabeth, to most of us, is just totally enchanting! And it was pointed out that the actress playing Jane represented the ideal of beauty at that time and place, which is different from our modern standard. I thought that very interesting.

The actors and actresses simply play their characters to perfection. I saw the actor who plays Mr. Collins in something else a few years after first seeing P&P, and could not believe how normal he looked and acted! He just had become the epitome of smarmy Mr. Collins to me.

Suth's Story is the first of a set of 4 that go together. If you like it and can't find the others, I can send them to you.

#177: Porchy, How's the eye doing? Better, I hope.
Contrary to everyone's belief, I have yet to have read Island of the Blue Dolphins but having heard such good things about it, I bought it. And since hearing more good things about it, it shall now be raised higher on my Island TBR. :)

#179: Luna, I will post a review of his book when I have read it... When that will be I haven't a clue. :)

#180: Roni, I loved Elizabeth in this movie but I can see how, being compared to her sister Jane, is not all the beautiful. But to me she has her own beauty, in her own way. Elizabeth shall always be my favorite character in this movie (and the book, of course). And I am so glad that Mr. Darcy had a bigger role in this movie than in that of the new one that has come out.

I did not care much for Mr. Collins but the man who played him was perfect and as you say 'the epitome'. I do not think I should care to see him being anything other than Mr. Collins. I suspect if I had seen him in a different movie playing a different role, I would think just as you have. :)

Thanks, if I can find some time to read, hopefully tomorrow will be better suited, for today I am awfully busy, having to finish my schoolwork and take pictures for my mom. Not to mention, I have to cook dinner tonight, so tonight definitely wouldn't do, but when I finish the book, I shall let you know.

Told you I would return the favor!

Sorry to jump in... I always thought that the reason why movie/tv Elizabeths are usually prettier than the Janes was that leading actresses usually don't want anyone prettier than them in the show. Ego and vanity and all that. That's why I tend to give mini-props to Keira Knightley's P&P since it has a truly beautiful Jane in Rosamund Pike.

#183: No problem, jump in anytime! I agree with you on the whole Jane/Elizabeth deal. :)

Book Number

Metropolis Found by New York is Book Country but in actuality is written by a whole bunch of authors. :)

For 25 years the annual festival known as New York is Book Country has created an oasis in the heart of the publishing world for readers and writers alike. Much more than a catch phrase, it has grown into a cherished occasion in the lives of countless book lovers.

A celebration of the 25th anniversary of New York Is Book Country, Metropolis Found offers the personal reflections of beloved authors who have been affliated in some way with the festival - as speakers, presenters, and readers - over the last quarter century. They include prize-winning poets, bestselling suspense novelists, acclaimed children's authors, a pioneering publisher, and a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. United here to celebrate the festival and its place in New York's vibrant community of readers and writers, the selections also touch on subjects at once very local and yet undeniably universal:

Cynthia Ozick recalls in verse the traveling library van that trucked books to her "end of subway line" neighborhood in the Depression- Era Bronx.

We learn of the conversation in a Third Avenue bar that led Nelson DeMille to pen one of the first novels on the Vietnam War

Lawrence Block explores the challenge of writing about the most constant character in his fiction - New York City - in the wake of 9/11.

Donald E. Westlake considers New York's fastest-growing export - books - and the hilarious pitfalls of translation.

Ken Davis recounts his unlikely journey from bookstore clerk to proud author of a series featured at a New York Is Book Country booth (and how the underwhelming his teenage son found the sight)

Robert Lipsyte relives his visits to the Queens Borough Public Library with his father.

Susan Isaas pays loving tribute to her mother's "circle of light" reading santuary.

Edridge Danticat muses on an inquisitive French girl's ability to help her feel as at home in New York as she did in her native Haiti.

Ruth Reichl recalls traveling the world while eating homemade lunches prepared by her schoolmates' mothers.

Amazing book! Highly recommended!

My favorite out of these stories is Ruth Reichl's story of food that her schoolmates mothers made for them, she then wrote a cookbook (15 years later) about the food that she ate. It made me hungry after reading about the food she described. :)

I have found many a quote that I like in this book, this one is my favorite:

"It was at Elmhurst, choosing books and talking about them with Dad, that I came to realize that books, like people, are good and bad, and sometimes both. I learned that there were books to love and books to trust and books to use without necessarily having to love or trust or even judge them. I learned that books lead to books. ... I also learned that books can be dangerous and that books can save you." Robert Lipsyte


ETA: My rating of 4.5/5. stars. :)

#185: I may have to borrow that one from you! I love the quote you chose to share.

>185 fantasia655: this sounds like good fun. I've only ever driven through New York en route to catch a plane (nightmare choir tour during college, 18 states in 21 days...) and it is definitely on my list of Cities I Would Love to Visit, especially as my mum keeps telling me I'd love it.

#187: Rachael, I have actually never been to New York, but I would love to visit it sometime too. I bet it's gorgeous in person, as I have only seen bits and pieces in pictures and in movies. :)

>188 fantasia655:: It is gorgeous in person... do go if you get the chance! My Dad was actually born on Long Island before his family came to Canada, so the city holds a special place for me. :)

#189: Faith: If I get the chance to ever visit New York, I would jump at it, as I would love to go shopping there and visit all the well-known sites!

Book Number:

The Trouble with Tulip by Mindy Starns Clark

Meet Josephine Tulip - definitely a smart chick. She's a twenty-first-century female MacGyver who writes a helpful hints column and stumbles on dead bodies in her spare time.

Meet Danny Watkins, Jo's best friend. He's a talented photographer who longs to have his work appear on a cover of National Geographic but finds himself taking prom photos and pet portraits instead.

Together this mismatched duo works to solve a local murder - much to the dismay of the police, who are hoping for an open-and-shut case. But there's something not quite right about the evidence. Jo knows it and Danny believes her.

Turns out, sleuthing brings out the best.. and the worst.. in their relationship. As Jo tries to solve the mystery in her neighborhood, she realizes she's facing an even bigger mystery - what's going on in her heart?

I really liked this book and the characters and the plot-line! Highly recommended. 5/5 stars.

Book Number:

Blind Dates Can Be Murder by Mindy Starns Clark

Poor Jo Tulip. She's a sassy single woman full of household hints and handy advice for every situation.. except matters of her heart. Her first romantic outing in months is a blind date - okay, the Hall of Fame of Awful Blind Dates - but things go from bad to worse when the date drops dead and Jo finds herself smack in the middle of a murder investigation.

Poor Danny Watkins. He loves Jo but doesn't know how to tell her. They have been best friends since childhood, and Jo considers him only a pal. As Danny helps Jo with the investigation, he waits for the perfect moment to tell her how he feels about her. When that moment arrives, however, Danny is surprised to find that the outcome isn't at all what he expected.

With Danny's help, Jo attempts to solve one complicated mystery while trying to figure out another - what on earth is going on with her love life?

Second book in the series is just as good as the first! 5/5 stars!

book number: 58 All American Girl by Meg Cabot

book number: 59 Letter Perfect by Cathy Marie Hake

book number: 60 Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Books I read while on summer vaction :)

Welcome back!

Did you like Darkfever? I read a couple of her books and I thought they were OK.

I was wondering last night where you'd been... convinced myself you must have started a new thread and hence were lost! Nice to hear you're still reading.

#195: She has discovered boys this summer - not realizing of course, that books are so much more interesting :)

Yes indeed Cal I very much enjoyed reading Darkfever. I love Moning's time travel series abd I thought that I should try this series as well, I really liked it but the "f" word popped up to much for my taste so I'd probably give it a 3.5 or a 4.

And Flossie I am still here lurking sometimes although while
on my summer vacation, I had basically no internet where I was which made me immensely sad. But I got some reading in. :)

and Mom lol that's sort of true but nothing could ever tear me from my love of books! :D

book number 61: First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh 5* 's

book number 62: Annie's Song by Catherine Anderson Excellent book! 5*

book number 63: Sweet Nothings by Catherine Anderson My favorite in the Coulter series, 5* :)

book number 64: Ninth Key by Meg Cabot

book number 65: Ideal Wife by Mary Balogh

book number 66: Letter Perfect byt Cathy Marie Hake

book number 67: Mimosa Grove by Dinah McCall

book number 68 Bethany's Song by Susan Plunkett

book number 69: Alanna by Tamora Pierce

I read these on the trip to and from Louisiana, all are rereads. :)

Almost to 75, Catey! Keep up the good reading :)

I will! :)