AbbyR's going to try for 75

I am our local library's best customer, and I still
have books everywhere - I can't resist a good book. Heck, I can't resist ANY book.

So, to start this year:
#1 Key of Light, #2 Key of Knowledge, and #3 Key of Valor, all by Nora Roberts.

Until this year, I swore I would NEVER read a romance novel. But one day, when I had nothing else to read, I went through the pile and found one of hers. I was surprised, and embarrassed, to find I liked it.
I liked all three of these, a series that tells a sort-of vaguely Arthurian quest tale of three women who search for keys to free the lost souls of three demi-goddesses. Sounds awful, but the books weren't bad at all. While finding the keys to the souls, the women also had to find keys to themselves, and in typical Roberts' style, they found love in the bargain.

#4 Twilight, #5 New Moon, #6 Eclipse and #7 Breaking Dawn, all by Stephenie Meyer.

Again, I was surprised to find that I liked them enough to finish them. I won't bother with a review, as I'm sure there are dozens around. I will say that give a book 50 pages, tops, and if I hate it by then, I don't finish it. (I swore when I got out of grad school that I would NEVER AGAIN read a book that I did not want to read.) These passed the 50 page test.

#8 Promises in Death was a book passed on to me by a friend. I wasn't crazy about it, but did finish it.

#9 Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark was one of my audio books. I have an hour commute each way, and when I'm tired of NPR, I have to have an audio book to listen to. When I was much younger, I liked Mary Higgins Clark, but I don't think I would have gotten all the way through this one if I hadn't needed something to listen to in the car. Kind of dull.

#10 The Burnt House by Faye Kellerman. It was good enough to finish, but the premise was really outlandish. It starts with a plane crash and ends up trying to connect two murders set many years apart. She did it, but it took some literary gymnastics to accomplish.

# 11 Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult - I liked this one very much. A condemned killer wants to donate his heart to the daughter of the man he killed. The story ties in religious, mystical and current headlines to make for a very interesting read. One thing I did not like was the abrupt changes of point-of-view. It got rather irritating after a while.

#12 Trace by Patricia D. Cornwell. I really liked her earlier books, but lately, this author is annoying me. It's not so much the stories, which I generally like, and I love the Richmond, Va., setting, as I grew up there. What drives me nuts is her verb tenses. What's with this present tense usage? It's awkward, hard to follow and vaguely incorrect. I can't figure out what she's doing, but I wish she would quit it! This one also had a rather convoluted plot and tried to pile way too many connections that were absolutely beyond belief.

# 13 Dream When You're Feeling Blue, by Elizabeth Berg, was another of the "I've got to have something to listen to on the commute" books. Really dull, and the ending felt like her editor was screaming "Where's the book, already" over the cell phone.
# 14 Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness is a good introduction to Buddhism. I liked it a lot and will be rereading it.
# 15 Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, and the sequel, #16 World Without End were books that a friend insisted that I read. I'm so glad she did. These are keepers, and are now on my list of favorite books.

#16 Running Hot by Jayne Krentz - The paranormal is normal in this book, which I will be giving away as soon as I can find a taker. I was on spring break and needed something to read, so I picked this, along with #17, Blood Sins, by Kay Hooper. I've just got to find something I WANT to read by summer vacation.

Welcome and good luck with your challenge this year, Abby.

Welcome to the group!

Hello AbbyR! Happy reading.

Hello and good luck getting to 75!

I've owned Pillars of the Earth for quite some time but never got around to reading it. It's size is a little intimidating. But I've been hearing so many good things about it lately that I think I'm going to have to read it soon!

Welcome to the group! Looks like you have made a good start on your reading year.

Pillars of the Earth is wonderful - I did consider chopping it in quarters so I wouldn't have to lift it, but I decided not to. It was worth the effort.

Welcome. :)

I read Never Change and it was okay...not stunning, but an okay read. Read Pillars of the Earth when I was a teen, and can't say I paid much attention to the masonry but er the other bits were exciting at the time. Heh.