AnneKiwi's 50 book challenge

Well, I was going to try and read 100 (and that's still my goal), but I have to be realistic. I have a 3 year old and a demolished house. I was doing great on my reading and then Jan. 17 a broken water pipe drenched my house for 3 hours and drenced my library as well. I currently don't have ceilings or floors in my house and have to live in my mother and younger sister's house with the 3 year old and the husband. Very stressful and not nearly enough downtime for reading! So here's what I've read so far this year...

#1 Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
#2 Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
#3 Persuasion by Jane Austen
#4 Fish Out of Water by Mary Janice Davidson
#5 If You Could See Me Now by Cecila Ahern
#6 The Burnt House by Faye Kellerman
#7 Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff
#8 Atticus: A Novel by Ron Hansen
#9 Evil Without a Face by Jordan Dane
#10The Woman Who Walked Into Doors by Roddy Doyle
#11Royally Jacked by Niki Burnham
#12The Royal Pain by Mary Janice Davidson
#13Enchanted Inc. by Shanna Swendson

I'm working on SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN, another one by Dane Jordan, and THE BATTLE OF THE VILLA FIORTA (which I don't think I've spelled right). I'm not going to put books into touchstones until I've finished them. So that's where I am. Hopefully, I'll get to add some more classics to my list. I'm going to include young adult books (I wasn't going to originally), but I enjoy them so much that I think they're going to count as I read them so often.

Hi, annekiwi!
Good luck with the house repair! I think you are doing well with your reading. Have a great day!
--BJ

Welcome annekiwi. You are really off to a great start considering all you have had and have to deal with. I think you're doing wonderfully well. Here's hoping your house makes a quick recovery. I once had a hole 6' by 2 1/2' down the middle of my bathroom floor for 4 months!~! And my husband (who was doing the fixing) finally got the base flooring in and that is how it has remained these past 13 years. I do love that man!~! I hope your books didn't get too wet to save. **sob sob**
Happy reading and blessings on your day.
N/B

Hi Billie Jean and N/B,
Thank you for the warm welcome. The house is coming along S-L-O-O-O-W-L-Y, but when it's done, it should be great. Just another 8 weeks or so (that sound you hear is me pulling my hair out). And luckily for me, my husband isn't doing the work. Like yours, mine (God love him) is Mr. Fixit, but it takes him years. After he dug up the backyard to make a patio I walked over warped plywood for 3 years before we finally hired someone to put the patio in and I'm still waiting for my porch (started 5 years ago) to be finished.

Unfortunately, it rained right down on my library. It soaked the bookshelf of cookbooks the worst (weep), and destroyed my complete works of Dickens published in 1868 (sob), but the others were mostly only dampened. The worst part is that I have to be away from the books while all the repairs are done (can't have the boy in the house with all that insulation and plaster dust). So while I would love to be reading all the classics that I missed in my misspent youth, I am forced to grab whatever I can find. Thank heavens for libraries. Hard to get there before they close, but at least it is someplace the boy and I can go together and enjoy ourselves. And it's free, so bonus!

Can I ask for book recommendations? I always like to find out what others like and what good books I have missed.

Thanks again,
Anne Kiwi

There are several group reads going on if you are interested. One that started last Monday is The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I haven't got my book yet, but hope that it arrives today. That is with the Highly Rated Book Group. Two others are Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov (supposed to be funny) and The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy (long, and apparently the first in a trilogy of trilogies!) with the Group Reads -- Literature group. If you are interested, I could try to give you a link. I haven't read any of these books yet.

Lately, the best books that I have read are The Princess Bride, The Old Man and the Sea, A Raisin in the Sun. Also, funny was The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

I have a bathroom that I need to work on . . . . But I will go back to The Brothers Karamazov. It is strange, so not sure if you would want to read it with everything else going on. lol. Have a great weekend.
--BJ

BJ,
Thanks for the ideas. If you could give me the links I would appreciate it. Sometimes my computer doesn't really like LT and gives me a bit of a fit when I try to navigate around.

Anne

OK, I am going to try to put in the links, but I seem to have more trouble with group ones than topics. Wish me luck!

For The Blind Assassin, there are two links. One is to the group read for this particular book. One is to the group that gathers to read these groups, called The Highly Rated Book Group. So you would want to join both so you would find out about future group reads.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/theblindassassinear

http://www.librarything.com/groups/thehighlyrated bookgr

The next one is for the Group Reads -- Literature Group which is currently reading The Forsyte Saga and Pale Fire. The discussions of the previuos group reads are still there, too.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/groupreadsliterature

I have not started any of these three books yet, but I still plan to read them all. I will post this and hope that it works. If not, I'll see if I can try something else. :)
--BJ

ETA OK. The Group Reads -- Literature link worked. I will retry the first two.

Let me try this:

http://www.librarything.com/groups/theblindassassinearlyspring2009readinggroup

http://www.librarything.com/groups/thehighlyratedbookgroup

Crossing my fingers!
--BJ

ETA No luck! I will try to link to a single thread on each group.

OK, lets try this. I will post a link to a thread in The Blind Assassin Early Spring 2009 Reading Group. In the first post, there is a link to The Highly Rated Book Group. From there, there is a link to The Blind Assassin Group Read. Sorry so convoluted. I am not that great at computers.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/59680

Still hoping . . .
--BJ

Sorry to take so long on this. I always have problems with links to groups, but they work ok to posts. Can you follow this at all? I am afraid to go back and edit, in case I mess it all up.

Thanks Billiejean! I followed along no problem. I joined both groups but with all that's going on I don't know if I'll be able to keep up. I'm not putting any pressure on myself however. If I can't keep up, I'll just enjoy the posts (I always love a good book discussion) and use the info for when I manage to read that part of the book.

Hi Anne,
I am so sorry about your house! I hope the repairs go smoothly, and things get back to normal soon. We had a fire in our house last week: our dryer caught fire, and did some damage that is pretty minor, all things considered, but we are in the midst of repairs and a huge clean-up. No damage to books, though -- your story breaks my heart!

Here are some books I've read recently that I've really enjoyed (I apologize if you've read these already -- I haven't visited your library yet):
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (a children's book, but a wonderful one)
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh
Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish

Hope that's enough to get you started. Good luck with everything.
Anne (nice to see another "Anne with an e")

Anne (so funny to write that to someone else!),
Thanks for the suggestions. We're going to the library on Saturday so while Dad and the boy are in the kids books I'm going to sneak away and see if i can't find some of these for me to read. The titles are very intriguing.

Anne

#14 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Wow, what a great book. I can't wait for the sequels. The part that I liked best was how pragmatic Katniss, the heroine, was. There were so many ways that the author could have made her weaker or soft, but that wouldn't have been in keeping with her character of the life she was being forced to live. Not an uplifting book, but action packed and almost impossible to put down.

#15 No One Left To Tell by Jordan Dane

Okay, but not that great. I need more backstory and closure than this author usually gives. I'm going to get the next book (I don't know the name of it, but it's got the character of Jasmine and Christian in it) to see if I can get any more finality. If not, I think I'm going to give up on this author.

#16 Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda

I think my son will enjoy this when he gets older, but I didn't find it all that thrilling. It had all the earmarks of something that I would enjoy, but even though I fully enjoy and relish reading young adult, middle school, and "children's" lit, this one didnt' do it for me. The premise was good, but it didn't hit home to me.

#17 Beige by Cecil Castellucci

While a good book, I don't think I would recommend it to any young adults. There is a very disturbingly real scene at a party involving drunkenness, "promiscuity" and giving in to peer pressure.

At first I didn't like Katy (Beige). She was very whiney in her mind while presenting a very shallow and false persona to the world. I guess that part disturbed me because I related to it so well. Especially the smiling while being miserable inside. Parts of the book were great, but other parts didn't delve deeply enough. When Katy gets the first revelation from her mom and is so gracious and accepting it just seemed unreal. When she got the second one it seemed like she should have spoken explicitly to her mother or had a bigger tantrum. It didn't seem genuine to me. Still, again I would have done similar things and wish I could have acted out more.

I would say this book is more young college adult than high school book.

#18 An Assembly Such As This by Pamela Aidan

Great book! I am enjoying getting Darcy's side of the story very much. It adds a lot of depth to both Pride and Prejudice the book and movie starring Colin Firth. Can't wait to start the next one, DUTY AND DESIRE

You are really zooming along, Anne! I am enjoying your reviews. There are so many books spun off of P&P. I am going to have to read some of them. :) Have a great weekend!
--BJ

#19 Austenland by Shannon Hale

While this is essentially a romance novel it had a nice twist to it. Instead of being simply about romance novel it addresses the issues of many thirty-something woman ... what exactly are they looking for in relationships. It explores the thin edge between fantasy - what we think we want - and reality - what we really want and maybe even need. It's a quick read and entertaining to those of us who enjoy Jane Austen novels (or movies featuring Colin Firth in a wet shirt :)

I just went and counted - I'm on #19!! WooHoo! Maybe I will make my goal after all. I feel inspired. Going to have to stop goofing off and get down to business on those classics.

#20 Who Killed My Daughter? by Lois Duncan

This one is really hard to review. I don't know how to critique it without giving away the ending. Let's just say that I found the ending disappointing, I had issues with the whole "psychic" aspect, and I didn't connect with the author because she just seemed too objective. I know the whole objectivity thing comes from being an author, but for me, if I lost a child I would be a basketcase. For years. And I know that everyone grieves differently, but that just led to a disconnect for me. Anyone who wants to read this ... I'm putting it back on BookMooch.

#21 Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan

This was an okay book, but again, I don't go in for the whole astral projection out of body experience thing. Not my cup of tea.

#22 Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde

Great middle grade story. Wonderful twist. I never saw it coming. It all made perfect sense to me in the end and was a wonderful mix of fantasy and reality.

Great list of books so far!

Austenland was such a cute book, sort of the ones you like to curl up with when it's raining outside. The fact that it was dedicated to Colin Firth was priceless.

#23 The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

A really fun read. For Harry Potter fans, I highly recommend it. It has the same sort of feel of kids being in charge. I think it speaks to those of us who wish we had been as intelligent, intrepid and quick-witted as these kids are when we were young. My only criticism was I didn't like the twist at the end regarding Constance. Requested the sequel from the library as soon as I had finished the first book.

#24 Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci

I liked this book SO much better than BEIGE (#17)! I could really identify with Victoria/Egg. I remember being that age and being so angy and trying so hard to find my identity. I even remember changing my name to Cassandra (my older brother still gives me a hard time over that). I wouldn't recommend it for younger readers, however. Victoria's defiance of her mother is something that I wouldn't want younger readers emulating and I don't think that they would be mature enough to understand the resolution of that relationship at the end of the book. In addition, I found the drinking scene over the top. But for older readers, 18+, I think they could pick up the subtle nuances of the behavior changes and how Victoria matures (hatches from her "Egg" if you will) from an angry, clueless adolescent to a thinking young adult. It might also resonate with the slightly older crowd because Victoria is also stuggling with decisions about what to do after high school. All in all an enjoyable read.

#25 Savvy by Ingrid Law

This book didn't live up to my expectations. It wasn't bad, but I think it was just not as great as I expected. There were long parts that were tedious and I found Mibs 'Savvy' not near as exciting as I had expected. Good book for the 13 - 16 year old crowd.

Half (or 1/4th) way there!

#26 Graceling by Kristin Cashore

What an exciting book! Not for the under 18 crowd (the sex descriptions weren't too graphic, but the implications of what the king of Monsea wanted ... well, not to spoil anything, but I don't think it would be appropriate for younger readers). I loved this book. Plenty of excitement as well as character development. I can't wait to read FIRE by the same author (according to the author it is prequel-ish) and a semi-sequel is coming out later called BITTERBLUE, another added to my watch for list. Really a great book and I LOVED LOVED LOVED the heroine's grace.

#27 The Rivers Run Dry by Sibella Giorello

Good book. I enjoyed that it wasn't some sort of romance novel in hiding, but an actual book about a woman who is focused on her family (mother and aunt) and career and not obsessed with her love life. It was good story with an unexpected ending. I would never have suspected the bad guy.

#28 An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris

I thought this book was the best in the series so far. I like how the relationship between Harper and Tolliver developed but it seemed like it came out of thin air, at least on Tolliver's part. I have to say that there were some great twists in this book and some unanswered questions, most especially about Chuck. I would like to have them answered. And I would like to see more about Harper and Tolliver's family. All in all, however, a good book and I look forward to reading more in the series.

#29 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Cute book, pretty predictable. Very much like Groundhog Day, but for a younger audience. I like it a lot and would let my younger kids read it.

#30 Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford

I don't know if I should even count this book toward my total. It may have 30 pages of text, maybe. Mostly it's pictures and titles. The story is not very compelling, but then again, it's directed toward really young readers, maybe kids just starting chapter books.

#31 The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

Really quick read. Does a novella count as a book? Either way, I read it in about 2 hours (would have probably been shorter, but I had to do the bedtime routine) and enjoyed it. Anyone who is addicted to books will totally get this book. It resonated with me. Even, especially?, the part about my closest people being resentful of my reading and the fact that I would prefer to read over doing most of my duties. Quick and enjoyable. Probably for the younger crowd.

I would definitely count it! I just counted a book that I read yesterday of comic strips (which, by the way, I loved). This sounds like a good one. Everyone seems to like it. Have a great day!
--BJ

#32 The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Oh Wow!! Oh Wow!! Think of thick, rich, dark, hot fudge melting in your mouth. Delectable. That's the only way to describe this book. The phrasing, the descriptions, paragraphs describing minute things ... I can't do it justice. The whole book was like a full body massage only for my brain. I walked languidly away from it. Think of the most luxurious, decadent thing you can, something that makes you feel boneless when you're done, and that is this book. I cannot rave about it enough. Honestly, I didn't like the character of Paloma initially. She was a pathetic rich girl with cheaply justified suicidal tendancies, but over the course of the book I grew to love her. I loved Renee from the outset. The decription of those timeless moments that are so rare in this fast paced world was brilliant. It took me back to the few with which I've been blessed. I can hear a Puccini opera and see a red sunset over an ocean as if the world had stopped .., the silence of the car, only the noise of the tires over the pavement, the haze of purple around a redbud tree waiting to spring into bloom... I could go on and on. But I won't. Go read this book. It is definitely worth it.

great review - I've never read the book but obviously I need to rectify that! Thank you for your wonderful descriptions of what the book felt like to you...

ditto gug.
Awesome review. Your descriptive words make The Elegance of the Hedgehog sound like the best sex in the world. Everyone will be reading this book after your review. Good going!~!

Let me also add: Wonderful Review!!
--BJ

#33 The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

I don't know why, but this book was not nearly the enjoyable read that the first was perhaps because it was the first book rewritten? Aside from a new locale and a missing (as opposed to hiding-in-the-shadows) Mr. Benedict, the plot is the same from one book to the next. Also, there was not the curious way that they all met and the introduction to their quirks which were already mostly well defined from the first book. There was definitely more character development for Sticky and Constance, but for the most part it wasn't even close to being as interesting as the first installment.

And after all the nice things you all said about the previous review, I'm feeling a bit like I'm letting you down with this and any future reviews. But what can I say? Not all books can be like HEDGEHOG.

Right! But how wonderful that some of them are!
--BJ

> 33 You had me with the first line of your review. It's going on the TBR.

#34 The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I went to visit my Godson this weekend for his First Communion. He shares my love of books. He is only 8 years old and had read all the Harry Potter books already. In fact, he read one of them in a single day. For an 8 year old that's pretty impressive. What was even more impressive to me was not only that he read it, but that he read and remembered it and could have a discussion about it with me (in detail). He reads everything he can get his hands on. THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER, THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, ROLL OF THUNDER HEAR MY CRY, etc. He's read those and more, not for school (which is why I read them) but because they were there and he was interested. He amazes me. So he suggested I read #34 and so I did. And I really liked it. Very Harry Potter-esque. Basic premise is that a middle schooler finds out he's the son of one of the Greek gods and finds out that there's more kids like him and that the gods are still alive and well and working in our world. Very creative and well written. Of course, it's the beginning of a series (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) and now I have to read the rest of the books! Luckily for me, my Godson had the first 3 books (and lent them to me) and I bought him the 4th book (which he's going to lend me after he reads it) and the 5th book comes out today, so I have to go and buy it for him so that he can lend me that one too. Part of his gift for making his First Communion was an all-expense paid trip to the bookstore with me. That means we buy out the young adult section and split it between the 2 of us. I think he ended up with 10 books to my 8, but since he's lending them to me, who can complain?

#35 (really read before #34, but I forgot) Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

WINTERGIRLS is the story of an 18 year old girl, Lia, struggling with anorexia, her parent's divorce, the death of her best friend, and about a dozen other problems. Lia and her best friend suffered together for a long time, she from anorexia, her friend from bulemia. While Lia is in the hospital for the 2nd time, her friend "dumps" her and doesn't want to hang out any more. But this same friend calls her the weekend she dies and Lia doesn't pick up the phone. So on top of everything else she had to deal with that guilt. It's a steady downward spiral and all too familiar of young women today. As a member of a family with one of us suffering from anorexia this story really struck home on some levels, but not on others. I thought it was extremely well written and very thought provoking. I especially liked how contradictory thoughts were written and then crossed out to show what Lia was thinking and how she was trying to fight herself. The lengths she went to to hide her disease and her thinking were very illuminating. I would recommend this book to anyone who even thinks someone they know may be slipping into or stuggling with this disease.

Hi, Annekiwi!
Congratulations to your Godson on his First Holy Communion! And how wonderful that you have such a close relationship with him! :)
--BJ

#36 The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

How do you know that you've read a really good book? You can't stop thinking about it. You think about it while you're reading it, in fact, you can't really concentrate on other things you're doing. You are going along doing whatever, and it just creeps into your mind. You think about it when you're done reading it and wonder what happens to the characters after everything is over. And you keep eagerly awaiting the sequel although you're sure that it won't live up to the original.

This is one of those books. It keeps you guessing the whole way through. I don't really like extra sensory perception, alternative religion stuff, but I really liked it in this book. It fit so well. Some authors use metaphysical stuff almost as one of the characters, in this book, it was just a subtle background element. This allowed more character development with the metaphysical stuff as part of the main characters' personalities without overwhelming the story itself. And the metaphysical stuff was an important element to the story, kind of like a subtle spice in a complex stew.

Romance was a part of the story, but not the main focus. The major focus was on the history and healing of the main character, Sophya "Towner". The book is told in the voice mainly of Towner, with occasional tidbits by other main characters. There is mystery as well, was Eva killed or was it an accident? What was "the accident"? It pulls you in and keeps your interest.

An unusual book with a unique heroine, I highly reccomend it.

Regarding your review on The Lace Reader;
Your whole analogy of "how do you know when you have read a really good book" sounds just like "how do you know when you are falling in love" to me.
I have never heard of this book nor the author but your analogy and review sold me. It is already on my list so thank you annekiwi.
Happy reading.
belva

#37 Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

I know I said I don't like extra sensory perception stuff, but I really like the Sookie Stackhouse novels. I guess what makes these books different is that they are SO unrealistic while still being based in the "real" world. The heroine has telepathy, there are shapeshifters, vampires, and fairies, people get tortured and the next day they are fine. No one suffers from PTS disorder in these books. There are certainly aspects of this particular novel that I find very disturbing. The crucifiction of a pregnant werepanther, a little off to the side incest to name just a few. But they were supposed to be disturbing, so I guess that worked.

The basic plot is that Sookie and Eric are going to work out their relationship, the were-animals come out to the public, and there is a war in faery that spills over onto Sookie (as per usual). I did enjoy the book. I enjoy Charlaine Harris' writing. I find her subtle humor and the interior voice of Sookie very funny .... I guess entertaining would be a more appropriate word.

If you've enjoyed the previous books (with the possible exception of the one right before this ... it was so below par that I can't remember its name) in this series, then you will probably enjoy this one. I know I did.

#38 Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

This was an extremely well written book. I enjoyed the character of Moose, but even more so, I was drawn into the family dynamic surrounding a mentally disturbed family member. Matthew "Moose" Flanagan moves to Alcatraz Island with his family so that his mentally disabled sister (who is perpetually 10 years old - something his mother does to cope) can attend a special school in San Francisco. It was fascinating to see how the entire family and their life, right down to moving to another city, getting new jobs, etc. revolved around the one family member. Never having lived with someone with autism (and I think that is what Natalie has - the book takes place in the late 1920s or early 30s and I don't know when autism became an official diagnosis. I also base thinking she has autism on the author's note at the end of the book) I can't say how authentic the scenes were involving Natalie and her family, however, the author apparently based this character on her sister who had a severe form of autism. But whether it is autism or some other disease families do revolve around the most needy members, to the detriment of some of the other members. It was a really interesting book and I intend to read the sequel AL CAPONE SHINES MY SHOES.

#39 If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Do you like tear jerkers? If you don't, don't read this book. I cried through a great deal of it, especially the end. I think that some of the more orthodox religions will have a problem with this book, but I found it fascinating. The main plot is that a young girl goes for a car ride with her family and winds up in a coma. There is not ulterior message. This isn't about drunk driving or teen age sex or God or religion or the afterlife. This book imagines what it might be like to be in a coma and what if the decision to live or die is up to the comatose. Mia, the 17 year old heroine, knows what is going on around her, can see herself but isn't in her body. She can see what's happening to her "real" body, but doesn't feel it. She can hear what everyone is saying, can see them, but can't communicate with them. She also is limited by her physical body, meaning that her "spirit" form can't do anything that her physical body can't do. She can't walk through walls, but she can press the button for the elevator. I found the whole thing fascinating. She didn't see angels, she didn't see "the light", nothing that anyone usually associates with the afterlife. But as she goes through the next few hours, she realizes (with the help of the ICU nurses) that the decision to stay (live) or go is up to her. This part gets "teen-agey" romantic, but still very interesting to see how it all ends up. I cried like a baby, but then again, I'm a sucker for the tear jerkers.

11 more and I reach my goal!

I don't like tear-jerkers (I don't like to cry at all, it makes me feel like such a girl LOL) but that book sounds really interesting. Just curious, and I don't want to get all personal or religion-y but when you say that "more orthodox" religions might have a problem with it, is that just because it is saying that she gets to choose whether she lives or dies, or was there another reason?

I guess the reason I think more orthodox religions would disapprove is that it doesn't address any sort of judgement. There are no angels, no one to meet her, nothing to suggest that there is any afterlife. I know the fact that she's basically a spirit might suggest to some that there is a soul involved, but I didn't get that feeling. It was her consciousness and it was incorporeal but nothing was even slightly suggested that it was in any way her soul. And she didn't think over things in her past, mourn her sins or have any sort of penance.

Thanks for the clarification. I think I will see if our public library has this book.

#40 The Titans' Curse by Rick Riordan
#41 The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
#42 The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

So as you can see I have been off finishing Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I really enjoyed it. I had to take a course in mythology (oh so long ago) and while it was interesting, I liked these books better. The gods were really funny in that they were the manifestations of their gifts. Aphrodite was the goddess of love, but not necessarily soul-mate, long term love. She tended to be shallow and vain. And so did her half-blood children. Ares, the god of war was a fierce warrior, but also given to trickery and cunning with a bad temper. So the gods personified all the good and bad of their stereotypes. It was really entertaining. Poisiden was the only one who wasn't more fleshed out.

Another thing I enjoyed was that the heroes and heroines were all ADHD and dyslexic. That sounds strange I know, but it was a really good idea. All the half-blood kids' brains were wired with battle reflexes (which made them ADHD - couldn't slow down and concentrate because they were hyperaware) and for reading Ancient Greek (so that reading English was like reading a foreign language). I liked that the good guys were kids that kids who would have a hard time reading these books could identify with. I think it would be inspirational for real kids with those same problems. And it's mentioned frequently in every book so that it wasn't something that was used in the first book and forgotten, it was an important part of the story.

I also liked learning the basis for some of the words in our current lexicon. In the second book Tantalus works at the camp. He's the guy down in Hades who is tormented by having food and drink just out of his grasp. And I realized reading that that it was basis for "tantalize" - to want something just out of reach. And the god Janus, the god of doorways and new beginnings, his name was the basis for January - the first month, the doorway to the new year.

The books themselves were well written. There was plenty of action and just a bit of romance to keep things interesting on a personal level. In his end note the author also indicates that this series is the first and that he's going to have more "Camp Half-Blood" books or series. So something to look forward to.

I think this is a great series of books and I plan to keep them so that my son can read them when he's older.

#44 Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
#45 The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
#46 Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath

#44 was an interesting book. The basic premise is that when you die, you take a ship to a place called Elsewhere where you proceed to age backward until you are a week old and then you're sent down the river (which is in the middle of the Ocean) back to Earth as a baby and you start over. A very interesting concept of the afterlife, even if I totally disagree with it. Again, no judgement, but you are met in the afterlife by your closest relative where you live. There are Observation Decks where the deceased can look down on their living loved ones. There is a place called the Well (forbidden) where the deceased can attempt to contact the living. It was an okay book, however, the character development really needed to be fleshed out more. Still, I did enjoy it.

#45 was a typical "orphan girl" book. The heroine is mad at the world, steals, lies, mistreats everyone especially the kindly foster mother and brother who take her in because of her need for her "real" mother. The story was okay, but it could have been more developed. I don't understand why authors write down to kids. The Harry Potter phenomenon has shown that a more complex plot and highly developed characters really appeal to kids. Granted this book was written in 1978, but it was like a speed boat, skimming along the surface, when it could have been a submarine, exploring the depths of the human experience. In addition, I didn't get closure at the end. I don't know what happened and I always like to know the direction the author intended us to go - did she go back to the foster family or did she end up with her "real" family.

#46 was cute, but really shallow. The heroine's parents are lost at sea and she alone thinks they are still alive. The cast of characters was interesting and well developed, the plot however, was shallow and could have been more. The one thing that REALLY made me mad was the presentation of the heroine's parents. The book starts out with a storm at sea and her dad is out fishing (he's a commercial fisherman) and his ship hasn't come in so her mother gets in their little skiff and goes out in the middle of a storm to find him. LEAVING HER DAUGHTER ALONE!!! That makes me furious. And all throughout the book this is portrayed as some great love, that the mother is willing to die to save her husband. What about the kid? What about the person who is completely dependent on her parents? The child has no real rights and no one to take care of her and her mother leaves her with a babysitter to go find the person who is an adult. I cannot express how awful this is. I love my husband, my best friend, but we both agree that our son comes first. He needs us. And while the idea of someone being your complete other half is wonderful, I cannot even begin to think that I would abandon my child to go and find my husband. My husband can look out for himself, my son cannot. This was my big complaint (among many) about M. Night Shamalan's latest movie - whose name I cannot remember. And now my son is in need of my attention so I must go.

I have to add that I am cleaning and moving back into my house this week and weekend so I won't have much time to read or review.

#43 Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton

I inadvertently skipped #43, so I am going back and adding it in.

I didn't think this was up to usual standards. I know that lately the Anita Blake series has just been erotica, lacking substance in the way of character development and plot. But I am a diehard fan so I keep buying and reading them. What I dislike most from the last 2 (maybe 3) books in this series is the lack of some favorite characters. I miss the leopards and wolves. Except for Jason, none of them have really been in the last few books. I miss Jean-Claude, Asher, Micah, and Nathaniel (but I am certainly glad of the lack of Richard - boy, he was tiring). I miss Zebrowski and the continuation of Anita as working with the police. I was very glad that there was resolution to the Mother Dark plotline, but it seemed very sudden, almost as if the author was tired of the plot so quickly ended it. Bizarre. And I guess the thing I really miss is Anita using her necromancy to defeat either the vampires or the werewolves. I really liked how in many of the previous novels she would open herself to her power and in a moment when she should have been defeated, her own power (not something from one of the males in her life) would save her and make her more powerful.

I'll keep buying and reading these books because I am a loyal fan, but I think I may start getting them from the library when they first come out and then buying them in paperback later.

#47 Duty and Desire by Pamela Aidan
#48 These Three Remain by Pamela Aidan

Well, back at #18 I reviewed An Assembly Such As This and I really liked it. I cannot say the same about Duty and Desire. It was a traditional gothic novel, replete with castle, evil, and a betrayed hero. But I didn't like it. It describes what happens with Darcy between the time he and Bingley leave Hertfordshire and the time when he leaves with Fitzwilliam to go to Rosings to visit his Aunt Catherine de Burgh. I liked how hard Darcy was struggling to forget Elizabeth, but I didn't like how easily he was swept away by Lady Sylvanie. It seemed disingenuous and distracted from the general plotline.

I really liked These Three Remain. It is the story from Darcy's point of view (obviously) from his stay at Rosings and proposal to Elizabeth to their wedding. I loved how it delved into Darcy's frame of mind regarding his passion for Elizabeth and his bewilderment when she initially refused him. I never felt in the original book that he "ardently" loved her. He is portrayed as stiff and cold (which is as it should be) but I never could reconcile that behavior with his forgetting his duty to his name and fortune to ask Elizabeth to marry him. In addition, I could never see what was wrong with Elizabeth to begin with (except for her mother). This book really elucidates his thinking and shows his reasoning behind his mental anguish over proposing. It explains so many things and really makes him more human. I really understood his deep desire for Elizabeth and his hesitancy to make her his wife. Wonderful compliment to the original novel. I also liked how it showed how he found Wickham and Lydia when they ran off to London. The part involving Dyfed was contrived, but was really the only weak part of the book in my opinion.

If you are a fan of the original Pride and Prejudice I think these books really compliment it and highly recommend them (except the second in the trilogy - that I only recommend reading to make the complete set).

#49 Undead and Unworthy by Mary Janice Davidson

This was a really good sequel to the first set of books. In the introduction the author acknowledges that this is a new story arc and I have to say that I think I will enjoy it. It had all the characteristics of the previous Queen Betsy books ... romance, sarcastic wit, humor, life and death situations, etc ... but due to things that happen in this book (sorry, no spoilers) Betsy becomes a much stronger character. She's finally becoming more of a ruler and less of a joke. She's coming into her power. If you liked the previous books, you'll definitely like this one as well. Now I just have to wait for more moola to purchase the next book, Undead and Unwelcome.

#50 33 Snowfish by Adam Rapp

Do you like gritty reality involving children? And I mean bitter, ugly, desolate reality? If you don't, PLEASE do not read this book. I know that what these 3 children (10 yo Custis, 15 yo Curl, and 17 yo Boobie) go through could very well be what children in my own city go through, but I pray to God that they don't. The bleakness and lack of hope in this book was overwhelming. It got kudos from other authors for its unflinching reality, but all it made me want to do was wrap my son in cottonwool and try and make sure that he never knows that world exists until he's about 40 ... or 80 ... or never. It was awful. I wish I hadn't read it. I experience enough awfulness at work, I don't want it in my leisure. Maybe that makes me .... unrealistic? an ostrich? ... I don't know, but I'm willing to try and live with that. Only now I'm finding it hard to do.

#51 Leepike Ridge by N. D. Wilson

This is a good adventure story. Think NATIONAL TREASURE (the movie with Nicholas Cage) for teenagers. I don't want to give too much away, but there were a few things that I didn't like. I couldn't see what attraction there was between Tom's mother and Jeffrey. Also, I think I know what the final question was between Reg and Tom and I can't say that it makes any sense to me. It's too soon. But otherwise, I really enjoyed the adventure. I enjoyed the heroics. Granted, things ended a bit neatly, but almost all my questions were answered and I really like that in my literature. Don't leave me hanging.

#52 12 Again by Sue Corbett

Which leads me to this book. It left me hanging and drove me crazy. I can't explain why without giving the ending away (I don't think), but my question is ... how is she going to explain it to the police? What answer could she give without causing her family great trauma and still keep her out of legal trouble. I didn't really care for this book for any other reason that I liked 13 GOING ON 30 (the movie with Jennifer Garner). The movie answered my questions, this book did not. And I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY felt sorry for Patrick.

#53 Sabriel by Garth Nix

This book was a bit slow. I enjoyed it, but I think it could have been more in-depth. There are 2 concepts about which I am still fuzzy. What's the difference between "Charter Magic" and "Free Magic"? Why do some people have "Charter Marks" on their foreheads? I think detailing some of Sabriel's youth in the Old Kingdom would have been useful and even more importantly, that would have made "Abhorsen" more of a character and less a plot element. He was so briefly in the book that his death (which starts the book) was nothing really important. What I mean by this is that there was no emotional connection to him as a character. Granted, the story was about Sabriel and not him, but it would have been more of a draw had we cared about him as a character.

I have to figure out the name of the second book so that I can read the series. Despite any drawbacks I think it is a good series, a little science fiction, a little fantasty, a little horror, and a bit of romance.

#54 100 Cupboards by N. D. Wilson

As a reader, I really liked this book, as a parent, I have mixed feelings. From the parental perspective, why is always necessary for kids to be brave and strong and intelligent without parents? Look at Disney stories, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty (had to leave her parents), Snow White (where was her father in all that?), The Little Mermaid (okay, there was a dad, but where was Mom?) and look at the popular works of fiction for young adults: The Harry Potter series, The Mysterious Benedict Society series (Sticky had parents but ran away from them in the first book), My Side of the Mountain (his parents exist but he leaves them behind). And now 100 Cupboards. I know that parents are supposed to protect kids and keep them from harm, but what about a book where the parents help the kid have an adventure? It would be nice to have more books like the Percy Jackson series where the mother (who granted, isn't in the books that much and father is pretty much absent) helps her son do the things that he must. It would be nice if the parents weren't welcome mats, but someone the kid could count on to help with trouble, a venerable guide, a font of wisdom, not someone to be defied and proven wrong, but someone that recognized the potential of the kid and helped him achieve. It would be nice if the kid succeeded with the help of the parents instead of inspite of the parents (or lack thereof).

However, as a story I liked it. Henry moves to live with his aunt and uncle and 3 female cousins in Henry, KS. It's a good adventure, a little dark in some parts, but otherwise well written and easy to follow. The development of Henry's character was interesting, seeing how he was over protected by his parents and now experiencing freedom and a chance to be a kid. In connection with my above rant, I thought the way Henry's parents treated him was interesting. They didn't treat him like a kid, more like a Ming vase which they tried to protect but didn't relate to. Which becomes an interesting story arc that I liked. I'm going to save this book for my son for when he's in about 2nd grade.

annekiwi;
I love how you wrote this review. You put a beautiful parental perspective on it that I have not heard in a very long time. I like that.
belva

#55 18 Seconds by George D. Shuman

The concept for this novel was very interesting, but not, in my opinion, all that well executed. Sherry Moore undergoes some sort of traumatic event when she's 4 (or 5?) that leaves her blind and with amnesia for her past. She discovers she has a weird psychic ability to 'see' the last 18 seconds of a person's life - the last 18 seconds before they die. Sounds good, but the story spends too much time focusing on the romantic tension between Sherry and her friend Detective Payne. Also, there is too much jumping between perspectives of the various characters. The female police lieutenant's marital problems, Sherry and John, the victim - Marcia, the bad guy, the brain damaged guy, etc. So overall, you are left with knowing what's going on, what each character is thinking, but no real depth to any of them.

In addition, I was left hanging again. Darnit! What made Susan change? What made her turn her back on the life she had chosen and become someone else? What caused her to have that moment of pity? Was it pity? What happened?!?!?!? Argh. If you have read this book and think you know what I'm talking about, please let me know. It's driving me crazy.

#56 Remembering Raquel by Vivian Vande Velde

I really liked this book, although, I have to admit that despite its short length, I did cry. The premise is a 15 year old girl (the class fat girl) gets hit by a car and dies. Each "chapter" is how her classmates, best friend, father and family deal with her death. I thought Vande Velde did a great job showing the various takes on how all these people reacted. Most interesting to me was the people in her high school, the shallow, self-interested personalities that ignored her while she was alive and suddenly glommed on to her when she died tragically young. The part that made me cry was her father's chapter.

The book is a really quick read, short but well-written. I wouldn't recommend it for the younger crowd, but older teens might enjoy it.

#57 The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson
#58 Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
#59 Undead and Unwelcome by Mary Janice Davidson

#60 After by Francine Prose

A good but scary YA book about what happens at a high school after a nearby high school suffers a school shooting. Very interesting for conspiracy buffs.

#61 The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
I am a bit obsessed with the whole polygamy thing happening out in Utah/Texas/Colorado/Arizona area. It was really interesting to find out about Ann Eliza Young and to read a story from a lost boys view. Having a son of my own, I cannot fathom how a mother could leave her son by the side of the road for any reason. Even if I was told that would be the way I got into Heaven or that it was for his own good. However, I am biased in that I can look at it from an outsider's perspective, not from the perspective of it being the only thing I knew.

#62 Not as Crazy as I Seem by George Harrar
#63 Letting Go of Bobby James or How I Found My Self of Steam by Valerie Hobbs
#64 Invisible by Pete Hautman
#65 Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern
#66 Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

#67 How Not to Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
#68 If the Witness Lied by Caroline B. Cooney
#69 A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt
#70 Suicide Notes by Michael Ford Thomas
#71 Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega

#72 Tending to Grace by Kimberly Fusco
#73 Tennyson - Lesley M. M. Blume
#74 King Dork by Frank Portman

#75 Dandelion Fire by N. D. Wilson
#76 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

#77 The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

#78 City of Bones
#79 City of Ashes
#80 City of Glass

all by Cassandra Clare

#81 Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson

#82 Dead Girl Walking by Linda Joy Singleton

#83 Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

#84 Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
#85 Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

#86 This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

#87 Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

#88 That Summer by Sarah Dessen

#89 Maximum Ride: School's Out - Forever by James Patterson

#90 It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-Ucci

I'm not counting this one because I only read the sections that interested me. I skipped great big long sections that were about catching the spies and doing computer things.

#91 Speak
#92 Twisted
#93 Catalyst

all by Laurie Halse Anderson

#94 Fire by Kristin Cashore

#95 Deadline by Chris Crutcher

#96 Side Effects by Amy Koss
#97 Vanishing by Bruce Brooks

#98 Target by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson
#99 One Wish by Leigh Brescia
#100 Chloe Doe by Suzanne Phillips
#101 Girls Under Pressure by Dame Jacqueline Wilson

#102 More Than You Can Chew by Marnelle Tokio

#103 Divine Misdemeanors by Laurell K. Hamilton
#104 Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

#105 In the Rooms: the life of a recovered alcoholic by Andy Ray