Cazy Monica's 1010 Challenge (Crazy4reading)

Okay I have been thinking about this challenge for a very long time. I think I have some of my categories figured out. Here is a list of what I have so far:

1. Books to Screen
2. Recommendations from friends, LT and other places/ ER Books
3. Required reading (books my children have had to read for school)
4. 1001 books to read ??
5. What have I been missing?!? (authors new to me)
6. Johanna Lindsey books
7. From when I was a youngin' (YA/Children)
8. It's been in the mountain for too long... (Books from my TBR pile for years.)
9. Books from the Library (Goal is to borrow more books instead of buying them right away)
10. Books from series..




Those are my categories so far. I don't know exactly how many I plan to read in each category. I may aim for 10 right now but I am not sure. Category 4 is one that I am not sure of yet. I need to first get the 1001 book to really do this category. I may use some of my categories from my 999 challenge. I will be working on my other categories for this challenge later. I am just at a loss of what I want to read right now. My recommendations category is open for ideas. So please start submitting them. Any ideas for categories I am also open to suggestions. Thanks for stopping by I look forward to seeing all the other threads in this 1010 challenge.

Update: Added some new categories # 7, 8 & 9. I feel that I spend money on books instead of borrowing from the library first. My goal is to borrow at least 10 books and to read them from the library that is why I created that category. Thanks for the ideas remusly and AHS-Wolfy!!

Update #2: I don't know if I will be able to read 10 books in each category. Right now that is my goal. The Books from the Library I should be able to do since I am in the Library book club and get a new book each month. The others we will just have to see. Plus I am starting this on the 1st of January which is new for me. I will also be posting some of these books in my 999 challenge if they fit since that doesn't officially end until Jan. 14th.

Update#3: To Add my Ticker

Update #4: To modify my number 2 category to include ER books that I have won and they don't fit any place else.

Here is what I have read so far this year by month:
January
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
You did it for me by Robert Hug
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

February
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

March
When the Phone Rang by Harry Mazer
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Final Target by Iris Johansen

April
Genoa Bay by Bette Nordberg
The Soloist by Steve Lopez
The Broken Blue Line by Connie Dial

May
Down River by John Hart
Flash Terminal Velocity by Mark Waid
Someone Is Out There by Carole Standish
Sidney Sheldon's After the Darkness by Sidney Sheldon
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

June
Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

July
Blind Faith by Ben Elton
Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion by Mark Cotta Vaz
In Harm's Way by Ridley Pearson
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn

August
Snagged by Carol Higgins Clark
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey (8/15/10)
Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks (8/19/10)

September
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell (9/11/10)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (9/21/10)

October
Cape Refuge by Terry Blackstock (10/3/10)
Open by Andre Agassi (10/7/10)
Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo (10/14/10)

November
Pooh Goes Visiting by A.A. Milne (11/9/10)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet By Jamie Ford (11/7/10)
Outside Wonderland by Lorna Jane Cook (11/18/10)
Richard Scarry's ABC's by Richard Scarry (11/22/10)
The Ugly Duckling by Landoll (11/22/10)
What's for Lunch? by John Schindel & kevin O'Malley (11/22/10)
Cinderella by Henry W. Hewet (11/26/10)
The Reckoning by Howard Owen (11/28/10)

December
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (12/1/10)
Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag (12/22/10)
King Lear by William Shakespeare (12/31/10)

Welcome to the challenge!

You have a great budding category list! Perhaps you could add a category for books from a specific genre that you enjoy (romance, science fiction, historical fiction, etc)? I also peeked at your library and saw that YA/children's authors are among your favorites, so maybe a Young Adult category?

I would recommend books but I'm not certain what you'd be interested in, haha.

I would definitely recommend that you check the Category Compiler thread put together by chrine. You should be able to get some good ideas from there.

Other than that all I can suggest is that you look at your library and see how you can fit those pesky tbr's into a category. No matter how loosely they tie together it's always a good way of killing two birds with one stone.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Thank you remusly and AHS-Wolfy. I am thinking of doing a YA/children's category. I have one over at my 999 challenge and I haven't read any books for that yet. Thanks for the Category Compiler Thread link Wolfy. I have looked at it but nothing has grabbed my attention for a category yet or I should say so many of them that I like I just can't decide which ones to include.

Remusly, don't worry about recommending books and me not liking them. I don't know if I have a certain genre that I will only read. Any book that has a good story line, character developement and where I feel like part of the story are books that I enjoy.

I should just do a TBR category just to make it easy on myself. I also want to try and read books that I get from the library. I will be updating the list soon...

Thanks again, :)

Monic'a

Welcome, your category list is coming along nicely.
Your category #3 Required reading (books my children have had to read for school) - I should have done this one. I can't decide which one of my categories I can swap this one for?!

I just thought of all the books my kids have had to read for their classes in high school and now that my daughter is in college I figured I may as well really start broadening my reading. My son is taking British Lit this year in High school and he has to read certain authors that I have never thought of reading before. I have to see what my daughter will be required to read over the next four years or more. She is studying to be a Spanish Teacher so I want to see if she will have to read books by spanish authors or anything.

I don't know which category to suggest for you rosemeria. I actually have so many books in my TBR pile that fit into multiple categories that I am hoping to just dwindle that pile down.

I am tossing up ideas for my last category from either being a specific genre such as either romance (kinda don't want that because of Johanna Lindsey category), sci-fi/fantasy, mystery or just make it books that I just wanted to read...

Well I finally chose my last category. I am doing one with books from series. Just to read them and if they don't fit into another category.

Hi, Monic'a!
I am finally looking over your thread here. I like the category of books your kids had to read in school. I have been doing that starting about last Christmas and there have been so many wonderful books there! I still have quite a few to go. I hope to start a thread sometime after Thanksgiving. I am just too busy to do it now. But I have been thinking about it. Have a great weekend!
--BJ

Hi BJ,

Sorry for the late response. I am hoping I can remember the books my kids had to read in school. I will have to ask my son and daughter to write down the books that they read for school and then choose from them. My son was taking Honors British Lit and had some books from that class to read. Will be starting this challenge soon, only about 3 more weeks before the New Year!! Happy Reading!!

Monic'a

I started reading 2 books today and they are: American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. American Wife will go into the Books from the library and The Picture of Dorian Gray will be under the Required Reading.

Books to Screen

1. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (finished 1/18/10)
2. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (finished 2/26/10)
3. Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King (finished 6/6/10)
4. Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen (finished 7/16/10)
5. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn (finished 7/31/10)
6. Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks (finshed 8/19/10)
7. Julie and Julia by Kathryn Stockett (9/11/10)
8.
9.
10.

Recommendations from friends, LT and other places/ ER Books

1. Genoa Bay by Better Nordberg (finished 4/1/10)
2. The Broken Blue Line by Connie Dial (finished 4/25/10)
3. Flash Terminal Velocity by Mark Waid (finished 5/9/10)
4. Sidney Sheldon's After the Darkness by Sidney Sheldon (finished 5/22/10)
5. In Harm's Way by Ridley Pearson (7/28/10)
6. Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo (10/14/10)
7. Outside Wonderland by Lorna Jane Cook (11/18/10)
8. The Reckoning by Howard Owen (11/28/10)
9. Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag (12/22/10)
10.

Required reading (books my children have had to read for school)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

1001 books to read...

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

What have I been missing?!? (authors new to me)

1. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (finished 1/11/10)
2. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen (finished 1/23/10)
3. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (finished 2/3/10)
4. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (finished 5/29/10)
5. Blind Faith by Ben Elton (finished 7/2/10)
6. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (9/21/10)
7. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (12/1/10)
8.
9.
10.

Johanna Lindsey books

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

From When I was a Youngin' (YA/Children)

1. You Did it for Me: Friendship and Kindness by Robert Hug (finished 1/12/10)
2. Pooh Goes Visiting by A.A. Milne (finished 11/9/10)
3. Richard Scarry's ABC's by Richard Scarry (11/22/10)
4. The Ugly Duckling by Landoll (11/22/10)
5. What's for Lunch by John Schindel (11/22/10)
6. Arthur's Christmas by Marc Brown (11/23/10)
7. Manatee Winter by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (11/23/10)
8. Arthur writes a story by Marc Brown (11/23/10)
9. The Elves and the Shoemaker (11/23/10)
10. Cinderella by Henry W. Hewet (11/26/10)

It's been in the mountain for too long (books from TBR for years)

1. When the Phone Rang by Harry Mazer (finished 3/20/10)
2. Someone is out There by Carole Standish (finished 5/12/10)
3. Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion by Mark Cotta Vaz (finished 7/09/10)
4. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey (finished 8/15/10)
5. Snagged by Carol Higgins Clark
6.
7.
8.
9.
10

Books from the Library (goal is to borrow more books instead of buying them right away, + books from library book club)

1. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (finished 01-09-10)
2. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman (finished 2/16/10)
3. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (finished 3/7/10)
4. Final Target by Iris Johansen (finished 3/15/10)
5. The Soloist by Steve Lopez (finished 4/10/10) (I may move this to the Books to Screen category)
6. Down River by John Hart (finished 5/7/10)
7. Open by Andre Agassi (10/7/10)
8. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (11/17/10)
9.
10.

Books from Series

1. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (finished 1/15/10)
2. Club Dead byCharlaine Harris (finished 2/20/10)
3. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (finished 6/12/10)
4. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris (finished 7/11/10)
5. Cape Refuge by Terri Blackstock (finished 10/3/10)
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

1. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

American Wife is a book I don't feel I would have read on my own. This book was chosen for my Library Book Club. I was quite pleased with the story. American Wife chronicles the life of a girl, Alice Lindgren, whom has become the First Lady. American Wife is written in 4 parts, each part represents where she was living at that time. The story takes place from the 1950's to about 2007.

The first part is her young childhood through about her college years. She gos through a lot during her young life. She discovers her grandmother is a lesbian, has an abortion and is involved in an accident that kills the boy she has feelings for at this time. The story starts with Alice and her grandmother running into a child from her class and her grandmother thinks the child is a girl when actually the child is a boy. The boy's name is Andrew Imhof. When Alice travels to Chicago with her grandmother is when I really felt the story had drawn me in. I wanted to know what was going to happen next from that moment on.

The next parts are defining moments in Alice's life. She is a librarian at an elementary school and loves to read. It was wonderful to see so many books mentioned throughout this novel. You are introduced to the men that she dates and ultimately her husband. I loved how their romance blossomed in a very short time and they knew how much they loved each other.

4 1/2 stars

I am still reading The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. I can place that in either required reading or the 1001 category. I am still not sure where I am going to place it. Or I may decide to move it around later when I have more books read.

Hey, Monica! :) Glad you're doing the 1010 Challenge too. I've been wanting to read some of the "1001 books...", but either I don't own some of them (I'm trying to just stick with books I own) or I keep finding trashier stuff to read instead. :D Anyway, best of luck! I'll have to stop by again and see what you're reading.

Hi Sara! I know what you mean about the 1001 books. I am trying to read the books that I own first and then I will either borrow books from the library or buy the book if I really want it. I finished my first 1001 book but I placed it under the Required reading for now. I may move it as time goes by. I also finished a childrens book this morning. Just started reading Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris. I really need to finish that book I have started it 3 times and then I have to stop because of either an ER book or book club reading had to get done first.

I will look for your thread Sara if I haven't already starred it and forgot.

I just realized that The Picture of Dorian Gray was the first book I ever read by Oscar Wilde so I moved the books to Authors new to me.

2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Wow is all I have to say about The Picture of Dorian Gray. I didn't think I would like this book and I was pleasantly surprised with this book. This is the first book I have ever read by Oscar Wilde.

The writing in the book was wonderful. The characters words just flow like music as you read the book. I found myself not wanting to put the book down as I was reading. Dorian, Lord Henry and the Artist Harry interact so well with each other. There is a different relationship between all 3 of them and to see the relationships change through the book was enthralling.

The ending of the book was quite a surprise to me. When I read it I laughed at how well written the story was and the fact that I never realized the ending until the very last second.

I can't wait to read more books written by Oscar Wilde!!

5 stars

3. You Did it for Me: Friendship and Kindness by Robert Hug

This is a very cute book. If you are interested in teaching your young children about friendship and kindness then this is a great book. The story shows how when one young boy helps others they in turn help him when he is sick.

4 1/2 stars

If you enjoy reading drama, Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest is a classic (and it's a very fast read).

Thanks wrmjr66 for the recommendation. I will look for the book.

#22: lol @ stopping/starting Living Dead in Dallas 3 times. I know how that goes.

I own Living Dead in Dallas too, but I haven't read it. Strange, since I've watched the entire first season of "True Blood". :D (Now that I think about it, I wanted to read the books in order. I'm still trying to find the first book: Dead Until Dark.)

Oh, and here's my 75 Books thread, just so you don't have to hunt for it: http://www.librarything.com/topic/80762 . Funny, I thought you'd already posted on it, but I'm still thinking it's 2009. Little slow here. :)

Just wanted to mention that I like your category choices. I agonized over mine and hope that they work out ok, but then the first book I read this year did not fit any category! Yikes!
--BJ

Oh I hate when I choose a book and it doesn't fit in anywhere. I had a hard time figuring out my categories too. I really didn't want to repeat any from last year but I did just because I know I have the books to read. Now I just have to make sure I read books for those categories.

Sara,
I finally made it past chapter 2 in Living Dead in Dallas. I may have an extra copy of Dead Until Dark. If I do would you like to have it?

Monic'a

I finally made it past chapter 2 in Living Dead in Dallas.

LOL! Way to go. You're almost done. ;)

Actually, I'm headed to Half Price Books after work, so I'll probably find a copy then, but thanks anyway. That was super sweet of you!! :)

Lol. Yes I finished Living Dead in Dallas today. I was thrilled with the book and couldn't put it down. Everytime I did put it down I would pick it up as soon as I had a free moment.

Okay I have to post reviews sometime this week. I finished another book today. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. That makes 5 books read so far. I am now reading The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen. That is a book I received as a present from my Secret SantaThing. So far the book is interesting.

Can't wait to see what you thought of The Lovely Bones. I read it a few years back and really enjoyed, just not the ending so much (so unresolved with the killer!!). Anyway, I heard it was made into a movie, and it's either out already or soon to be out. I'm patient enough; I'll wait for the DVD.

I've always wanted to read a Tess Gerritsen book, but just have never got around to it. Tsk on me. :)

I hope to post my reviews today, that is if I feel up to it later. I am headed out to the doctors to have a procedure done and don't know how I will feel later. I also hope to be able to read The Surgeon and possibly finish it today. I don't think I would have just picked up Tess Gerritsen if I had not received it as a gift from my SantaThing on here. So far I am loving the book and don't want to stop reading it.

I am off for a while until maybe later...

Reviews:

#4. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

The second book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris is a very interesting read. The story starts with Sookie discovering a dead body in the police chiefs car that was left in Merlot's parking lot since he was too drunk to drive home last night. The body turns out to be the cook from Merlot's. There are new characters introduced as Sookie and Bill travel to Dallas to help out other vampires who are looking for a vampire that has been missing.

While in Dallas, Sookie meets another person who is a telepath, finds others who transform into other animals just like same. I found the story one that I couldn't put down. I enjoyed seeing Sookie learn more about her powers and to also try communicating with the other telepath when she needed help.

5 stars

#5. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Lovely Bones is the fictional story of a girl who is brutally murdered and raped. The story starts with her stating she is dead. She then goes on to tell you how it happened. The girl is named Susie and is only 14 when she is murdered. You will not be able to put the book down when you are reading it.

Susie explains how her rape and murdered happened. You know who the culprit is from the very beginning of the story. Susie is the narrator through the whole book. You see things through her eyes. Seeing how her family is dealing with her first missing and then learning she is most likely dead when her elbow is found by a neighbors dog. Her family consists of her sister, Lindsey who is a year younger, her brother Buckley who is only 4 at the time, her mother and father. Her Grandmom comes to help the family cope with the problems that arise during the years after Susie's murder.

Susie's father takes her death hard because they are very close. Her mother deals with Susie's death differently and hurts the whole family in the long run. Lindsey senses that when everyone looks at her they see her sister and closes herself from certain people and also changes. Susie longs to be back with her family and wishes she was on earth with them.

The story is one that pulls at your heart strings. As I read the book it made me think about the people I have lost in my life and how I have always felt that they are with me even when I don't realize it. Susie's father concentrates on finding the person who has done this to his little girl. It starts to consume him and he is always contacting the police to give them advice and to tell them he knows who did it even when he has no evidence.

This is a nice, quick read and one that I highly recommend.

5 stars

I hope it wasn't anything serious (your doctor's visit, I mean). You're much braver than I am to be reading something called The Surgeon before going in. ;) Btw I'm glad you liked The Lovely Bones. Everything I've read by Alice Sebold has been very good so far.

The Lovely Bones is the first book I read by Alice Sebold. I will be looking for her other books in the future. I just don't know if I will buy them or borrow them from the library. The procedure wasn't that bad. They said I was a star patient, so calm and relaxed. I can't remember the name of the procedure, it just sounds worse then it really is when I say what they did to me. It was either that or a hysterectomy. As you can tell I didn't want the hysterectomy, yet. I would rather try this first and if it takes then I should be okay. I was actually reading the book as I was in the doctor's office. It was weird because of what The Surgeon cuts out of the women in the book. Okay now onto my review:

#6. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen

The Surgeon is mystery, suspense novel. It is based in Boston Massachusetts and Savannah Georgia. The woman Catherine Cordell is a doctor whom was raped 2 years earlier in Savannah Georgia. She has kept the past in the past and doesn't talk about the rape. She has made her life so that she feels secure and is always on the alert for possible things to happen. Dr. Cordell now lives in Boston and the murders start again. It is believed that Catherine has killed the man responsible in Savannah.

The detectives involved in this case are, Thomas Moore and Jane Rizzoli. When the first murder happens in Boston Tom and Jane have to talk to Dr. Cordell. Jane is a woman working in a mans field and always feels that she is judged differently then the men. Tom is known as Saint Thomas because he seems to never do anything wrong.

I found myself wanting to read when ever I had a free moment. I would hide the book under my desk and read while everyone else was working. I found myself thinking about the story as I would fall asleep at night. The Surgeon is a well executed mystery book. Tess Gerritsen kept me on the edge of my seat during the whole book. If you are looking for a new mystery writer then give Tess Gerritsen a try.

5 stars

Well I finished another book last night, finally. I was on a real roll there for awhile and then I hit a few bumps. I will post later my review and add it to one of the categories.

Hoping for some big snow this weekend so that I can just sit, read and relax on Friday night and Saturday. I just wish we would get snow during the week so that I can get a day off from work.

Here is my reveiw for book #7:

#7. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

The Daughter of Time is a mystery book, yet not the type of mystery book I am accustomed too. Inspector Alan Grant from Scotland Yard is recuperating from a broken leg. While he is in the hospital one of his friends brings in portraits of famous mysteries. Yet he is not fascinated by any of them except for the one portrait that he first thinks is a picture of a person of credit then finds out that it is a 'known' murderer.

This is the first book I have read by Josephine Tey. I enjoyed the book. I found myself at times getting confused by all the names of the Princes and Queens since the names were either the same with just numbers after them.

The Daughter of Time was interesting and I found myself wanting to know the truth about Richard III and also when Inspector Alan Grant would be up and moving again.

3 1/2 stars

Getting out early from work so I hope to be able to read more books today... Yeah for snow..

#37: You were reading it in the doctor's office?? Ha! That's guts for you. Yeah, a hysterectomy isn't exactly at the top of my want-to-have-done list either! ;) Hopefully this procedure'll take so you don't have to go back. I don't know about you, but going to the doctor's at least once a year is one visit too many.

#38: Yeah, royal families aren't exactly the most creative when it comes to naming their kids. I can't keep track of 'em either.

And yay for snow! Or rather, yay for getting out of work early so you can goof off. I'm not a big one for snow, especially since we've been spoiled so far with such a warm winter up here.

Hi Sara. Yes I think I was reading to take me away from thinking about what I was having done. Yeah we have lots of snow now. I am headed out to shovel some now because we have over a foot already and it is still snowing. Then I think I will sit down and try to finish my other book The Zookeeper's Wife Hopefully the book will get better as I get further into the story. I like snow when it comes and then leaves in a day or two. This snow will be be here for awhile and we are due to get more on Wed. Could I possibly have some delays getting to work... that would be great or better yet get some snow days and get to stay in the house. How nice that would be... Have a great day and happy reading!!!!

I like snow when it comes and then leaves in a day or two.

Same here! Maybe Wednesday will be your guys' lucky day, so you can stay home and relax. It's funny, but every time it snows here, I'm always happy to hear schools and libraries are closed, because I work in a library, so we get paid anyway, but also because I loved snow days as a kid, so I'm sure that news makes quite a few children happy as well.

Btw, The Zookeeper's Wife sounds really good. At first I took it by title alone, and even though I love animals, thought, "Naw, I'll pass," but I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for that one. Hopefully one of our patrons will donate it to our book sale. (fingers crossed)

I didn't get any reading done this past weekend and I was off on Monday because of the snow. We are due to get an additional 12 to 18 inches of snow again starting tonight so I think I will have at least one day maybe 2 days off. I plan to read tonight while I am at the gym and then hopefully read some more at home. The township that I live in has issued a state of emergency starting at 7 pm tonight so that makes me feel it is going to be messy out and nothing will be open.

I am enjoying The Zookeeper's Wife I am just not in the mood to read it. I have to finish it by next Wed.

I love snow days too. I work in the local school district so when there is a snow day I love it because I am also off and I get paid for it. I am looking forward to having off and getting some reading done.

A state of emergency?? Yikes! How'd that turn out?

I haven't been doing much reading either. I try to read app. 50-60 pages/day (around 1 hour), but that just hasn't been working out. Too much "other" stuff (work, sleep, pets, cleaning house, etc) keeps popping up.

Hope you can finish The Zookeeper's Wife by then. :)

The State of Emergency was fine. Stayed in the house all night and just watched the snow and shoveled before going to bed. We got an additional 1 to2 feet of snow over Tues into Wed. I have only had work one day this week and you would think I would have read the whole book, but no, I keep putting it off to either clean, shovel, check my Facebook apps or watch a movie. I am off till next Tues. so I hope to do nothing but read this whole weekend in between all the cleaning.

I usually try to read for about an hour a day but lately I just haven't and I have all this time, go figure. I will finish The Zookeeper's Wife I am determined too. It is a good book I just don't care for the writing style. I feel that it rambles at times which is making it hard to pay attention when reading it. I notice that I will be reading and I can't remember what that paragraph was about or is about. I am going to read today and also watch season 1 of True Blood. I just can't believe I have off again today.

I always said that if I had a snow day I would be able to read all day, I really need to read more then usual on days like this.

Glad you survived The State of Emergency! :) Your work week for this one and next sounds just like mine. I'm off sick because of a mild cold (feels more like allergies than anything else), and I don't go back until Tuesday, too.

Sorry to hear The Zookeeper's Wife is sucking so badly. :( Maybe you could take a breather from it? Some books are like that. And if it still doesn't get any better, I'd move on to something else. Life's too short to get caught reading books you don't want to, imho. Just a thought.

Hope you like season 1 of "True Blood"! I still haven't gotten around to reading the Sookie Stackhouse series, so I don't know how well the show relates to the books. Let me know what you think, ok? Hopefully I'll get around to watching the second season at least.

Yeah!!! I finally finished The Zookeeper's Wife I will post my review later tonight. I have taken breathers from the book but I knew I had to finish it for the book club.

Now I am reading Club Dead and Dear John. Maybe I can finish those two books in about a week to 2 weeks.

I have enjoyed the True Blood season 1 so far. I have only watched about 3 to 4 episodes. It is really hard when there is only one room with a DVD player and everyone wants to watch tv in there. I should have taken this past week and watched all the episodes but I always found something else to do.

I was off work for a whole week and I should have taken advantage of it by reading books and watching True Blood. I had been asking for snow like this for so long just so that I could take time to read and relax and I didn't do that. Plus with the Olympics starting that has taken my attention too.

I had to make some adjustments to my lists. I noticed I was missing a book in my list, just couldn't live with that. Here is my review for

#8. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

I love to read books about the Holocaust. I thought I would really enjoy The Zookeeper's Wife. I have to admit that I enjoyed the book but I wasn't drawn into the whole story. I felt that in parts the story dragged on or was repeating things about Jan and Antonia that had already been mentioned.

Jan and Antonia are husband and wife who run the Warsaw Zoo prior, during and after the war. The Zookeeper's Wife tells of how the zoo was used to hide Jews and was part of the Underground. The book is written in third person which after awhile became monotnous.

Diane Ackerman quotes from Antonia's diary and other personal writings of those that stayed at the zoo during the war. At times I found it confusing as to what she was trying to get across.

Towards the end the story became interesting because Poland was being bombed near the zoo and Jan had been ordered to serve and fight. Everyone that had been at the zoo at that time had to be moved to Germany. I felt closer to the characters at this point then I did through out the whole story.
Overall the story was adequate. I do not feel that this is a book I would have picked it up on my own to read.

3 stars

#46: Yay, finally! :) I'm sure I don't have to say I hope you enjoy Club Dead, but you know what I mean. I'm sure it's nice to go back to Charlain Harris's series after plodding through The Zookeeper's Wife. And I'm sure you'll get through that one and Dear John fairly quickly. I've heard Nicholas Sparks books are a breeze to read. I've never read any, but I've seen a lot of the movies based on his books.

It is really hard when there is only one room with a DVD player and everyone wants to watch tv in there. -- I know how that goes! When we first bought our DVD player, there was quite a bit of fighting between my sister and me over wanting to watch a movie and some sitcom airing at the same time. Now I live alone, so that's kind of fixed itself. And as for the Olympics, I'd totally forgotten about them. :D Goes to show how much I pay attention to current events.

(Hopefully the touchstones are working now. They weren't before.)

You are right Sara, I quite enjoyed Club Dead. I finished it early this morning. I loved it and want to start reading the next book but I am going to finish or I should say start reading Dear John. You are lucky not to get caught up in the Olympics. I am finding myself staying up late to watch them and then having trouble falling asleep because I am so tired. I wish I could say I want to live on my own but I love my hubby and didn't like it when I was alone late last year. (That is a whole other story). I hope to try and watch some of True Blood tonight or tomorrow possibly. Now for my review of Club Dead.

#9. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Club Dead is the third book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I loved this book. I couldn't put the book down once I started reading it. I found myself just picking the book up and reading when I should have been cleaning, or even working while at work. Charlaine Harris captures you right from the beginning of the book.

Club Dead starts with Sookie visiting Bill at his house and her getting the cold shoulder from him, no pun intended. He is doing research on his computer and Sookie has become second best to the computer. Sookie learns that Bill will be going away for awhile and he if any thing should happen to him that she is suppose to put herself under Eric's protection. As soon as I read the first chapter I knew I was in for a wonderful and adventurous story.

As the story progressed I realized I was not liking Bill as much as I was before and that there is more to these Vampires and Supernaturals then meets the eye. I find it interesting how Sookie is a telepath and is able to read some Sups minds more then others. I hope to Sookie learns more about using her telepathy in this series. I feel she has so much more potential if she really learns more about using her gift.

Sookie learns from Eric and Pam that Bill has been lieing to her about their 'relationship'. Sookie is confused about her feeling for Bill when she learns that he has lied to her and is planning to leave her for another woman, who just happens to be a Vampire. Sookie feels obligated and threatened when Eric tells her that Bill has been abducted. Eric persuades and threatens Sookie that she must use her powers to find out who has taken Bill.

Alcide (pronounced Al-see) is the man that Eric hooks up with Sookie to help search for Bill. As soon as you meet Alcide you will like him. I found myself wanting Alcide and Sookie to hook up just because he seemed like a great guy. Alcide is a Werewolf with manners. Alcide and Sookie go to Jackson Mississippi as a couple and run into problems as soon as they step into Club Dead, where the elitist vampires chill out and drink some blood.

Sookie does everything she can to find Bill and when she finds out where he is she is determined to rescue him even though she is torn between loving and hating Bill. There are injuries for Sookie in this story and also a chance for her to be pampered by Alcide's sister. Sookie gets attached by Alcide's ex-girlfriend, is accosted by another were and winds up getting staked to help vampires. That just tells you the adventures Sookie had in Club Dead.

5 stars

I can't say it enough. I LOVED this book. I see now why so many people are reading Charlaine Harris. I think I will have to try some of her other books now.

#10. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the words Dear John? Well for me I thought about a guy receiving the break up letter from their girlfriend. I will say that is exactly what Nicholas Sparks' book Dear John is about. I read this book in 6 days and I enjoyed the story.

The two main characters are John Tyree and Savannah Lynn Curtis. The main secondary character is Tim. John and Savannah meet each other while John is surfing at the local beach he lives near. Tim is a long time friend of Savannah. Tim, Savannah and a few other college students are in North Caroline to build houses for Habitat for Humanity.

I have heard great things about this book and have to say that it was a good book but not one of my most faves this year. I felt that most of the book was predictable and that I knew what was going to happen before it happened. If you are looking for a nice easy some what relaxing read then Dear John is just the book you are looking for.

3 1/2 stars

Now I am going to start reading The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

#49: It's funny you mentioning not liking Bill as much in Club Dead. I don't know how close the books and TV show are to each other, but I didn't really like Bill in the TV series, or at least I wasn't really rooting for him and Sookie, I guess I should say.

Yeah, I suppose it would be kind of hard to live alone when you're married, because what's the point of being married then, right? However, I did work with someone who claimed her marriage would be absolutely perfect if she and her husband had separate houses. :D

Anyway, I hope those Olympics aren't keeping you up! (How long are they on for?) And let us know how the other Charlaine Harris books turn out. I have An Ice Old Grave, but I really want to start her Sookie series before that.

Sometime I feel the same way about my marriage. If we lived separately it could be perfect, at times. I like it when he goes away for a while because it is like a vacation for me. I will let you know what I think about the other Charlaine Harris books. I am going to finished my current read The Art of Racing in the Rain and my other library book by Iris Johansen, I can't remember the title right now.

Today, Sunday is the last day of the Olympics. So I will be able to concentrate on reading and getting things done around the house and getting my usual sleep at night. Watching the hockey game between USA and Canada for the gold medal.

#11. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
The Art of Racing in the Rain is told from a dog's point of view which I found very captivating. As I was reading this book I found myself visualizing the expressions of the dog and of the people interacting with the dog. I also found myself thinking of the times I have been around dogs and how they were behaving/interacting with the humans.

The Art of Racing in the Rain is a delightful relaxing read. From the very start of the story I found myself both laughing and crying. The prose is entertaining that you just fall in love with the characters.

Enzo, the dog, is telling you his story and his owners story from his point of view. His owner is Denny Swift, who is an up and coming race car driver.

I don't want to give too much away about this book so all I can say is if you need an inviting and relaxing read then pick up a copy of The Art of Racing in the Rain.

5 stars

Now I am reading Final Target by Iris Johansen. Now hopefully I will get more books read now that the Olympics are over. I am happy with my progress so far 11 books in 2 months is decent.

Happy reading all!!

I finished Final Target tonight. Look for review tomorrow. I just started reading When the Phone Rang by Harry Mazer. I hope to finish that book in a few days. I have already read over 50 pages tonight.

#12. Final Target by Iris Johansen

Final Target is an egaging book of suspense thriller. Iris Johansen does a superb job in creating a story of unique problems and gifts for the characters that just keep you wanting more.

Final Target is about a child that survives a robbery turned murder. Cassie is a seven year old girl who runs to the safety of the Wind Dancer when she is attacked and almost killed by a robber. Cassie becomes a comotose girl living in her dreams/nightmares.

Jessica is the doctor who is trying to get Cassie to come back to reality just like Jessica did for her sister Melissa. The twists and turns of the story keep the pages turning of this suspensed filled thriller.

I enjoyed the story and the personalities of the characters. I found myself rooting for Melissa to reveal to her sister the truth about Cassie.

3 1/2 stars

#13. When the Phone Rang by Harry Mazer

When the Phone Rang is about a boy and girl home alone and they receive a phone call to inform them that the plane there parents were on has exploded and there are no survivors. Right off you know this book is going to be a tear jerker. When the children first receive the phone call they believe it is a joke until extended family start calling and showing up and also when you start receiving calls from TV news stations.

Kevin who is the oldest is away at college and comes home when he hears the news. Billy is the one who answers the phone when they received the phone call. Lori is the youngest and the one most affected by the loss. Kevin, Billy and Lori decide to live as a family. Keven quits going to school full time and decides to get a job and attend school part time. They run into trouble and are afraid of actually being separated from each other.

I cried and worried with them as I read the story. I was afraid of them being separated but also wanted Lori to be happy, like when she was with her grandmother. When the Phone Rang is a suspenseful book that keeps you glued to the pages. I highly recommend reading this book.

4 1/2 stars

#14. Genoa Bay by Bette Nordberg

When I won this book I was delighted and excited about reading the book. I liked and disliked the book. The writing was great and interesting. The story is about a widow, Brandy Beauchamp, who inherits a bed and breakfast in Canada from a woman who took her in as a teenager after she had runaway from home.

The characters you meet in the book are Brandy, her daughter Gabby (just adorable), Eve (Brandy's friend from Florida), Cliff, and Herbert Karras. Brandy's 'adoptive' mother, Maggie, dies and leaves Brandy the old Bed and Breakfast. Brandy receives this inheritance at a time when she is trying to figure where she really belongs since her husbands death. Gabby is a lovable little girl of 7. Gabby is what keeps Brandy going and also questioning everything she does. Brandy decides to try and resurrect the Bed and Breakfast again after much debating in her head. She is afraid of the money she doesn't have to fix the place up. She worries about her daughter not liking the place at first. Brandy also doesn't enjoy feeling needy which makes her stubborn when offered help from the Marina Manager, Cliff.

I found most of the story predictable and boring. The reason the story was boring is when Brandy would always mention god and over analyze everything. I usually don't mind God being mentioned in a story in subtle terms. With Genoa Bay at times I felt that I was being preached to about God, which was a turn off. I then decided to just read the book without thinking about the God references, which made the story more enjoyable.

Towards the end of the book, at about Chapter 20 the story became interesting and I had difficulty putting the book down. I found myself wanting Brandy to win against all the trouble and misfortune that came her way. I felt that Brandy was a fighter but also very vulnerable and unsure of herself. I can not say that this book is a book that I will highly recommend to people. I will say to give it a try and form your own opinions about Genoa Bay.

2 1/2 stars

Finished Genoa Bay last night. I had finished When the Phone Rang in March but forgot to post that and my review.

#56: I don't think I've read anything by Harry Mazer, though I have one unread book he coauthored with his wife, Bright Days, Stupid Nights. Have you read that one?

I think I'll pass on Genoa Bay. ;) I'm not a big fan of Christian romances. And I'm still waiting on 3 Early Reviewer books, one waaay back from January. Somehow I think it got lost in the mail.

No I never heard of that book by Harry Mazer and his wife. Wow what is the name of the book from January you are waiting for? I am waiting for a Member Giveaway book but I don't think I will be getting it either. I just won a book from March. This is the first time I have won 2 books in a row. Have you checked out the Early Reviewer threads to see if anyone else has received the book from January.

I thought I would like Genoa Bay because I have read other Christian style books and enjoyed them. Not this one.

One of my missing wins was La internacionalització de les universitats by Diversos autors. I had to look back at my ER wins page to remember the title; and it was actually back in November, not January, not that that really matters, since I don't speak or read Spanish (I think it's Spanish anyway; might be Portuguese). :D I was just going to donate it at work; we have quite a few Latino patrons.

I haven't tried the Member Giveaway. Is it kind of like PaperbackSwap or something? Which one are you waiting for, btw?

I am supposed to be receiving Devil's Food Cake by Josi S. Kilpack. I think I will actually message the member to see if the book has been sent and let them know that I haven't received it as of yet.

The Member Giveaway is on here where members can give away a book that they don't want to keep. If you are a member of the ER program then you can also win books from the MG program. Here is a link to the Member Giveaway list: http://www.librarything.com/er/giveaway/list

I hope that helps.

Well I finished another book yesterday during the ReadaThing. I finished reading The Soloist by Steve Lopez. I am working on my review hopefully later today I will have it done. I am currently reading my March ER book The Broken Blue Line by Connie Dial. This is the first time I have won 2 books in a row and received them so fast. I am hoping to finish this book this week since I hope to get back to the gym on a regular basis. Happy Reading All!!!

#15. The Soloist by Steve Lopez

I have been pondering exactly what to write for my review since I finished this book. I enjoyed the book because of the music and the homeless man that finds solace in playing his instruments. Steve Lopez is a journalist who is in search of a story for his column and he finds a homeless man playing a violin. Mr. Lopez is enthralled by this man and decides that this is what or who his next column will be written about.

I found the story well written and a wonderful enthralling read. Steve captures the essence of Nathanial Ayers and his love of music. The relationship that builds throughout the story, between Steve Lopez and Nathanial Ayers is wonderfully conveyed. At times I felt like I was there with them in the story listening to the music that Nathanial was playing.

As I read the story I reflected on how I was when I played the violin and my love for music. Music has always been away for people to express themselves and to lose the demons that sometimes feel like they are controlling your life. The Soloist brings forth this in so many different ways as Mr. Lopez learns more about the classical music that Nathan plays and the many different instruments he attempts to perform with while Nathan is out on the streets.

5 stars

#62: I didn't realize the book you just finished, The Soloist, was the same one made into a movie, until I saw the cover. I haven't seen or read it, but I'll look for it at work. Thanks for jogging my memory. :)

Hi Sara,

I too didn't know this was the book when we received it. I was thrilled when I found out it was.

I just finished my ER book this past weekend and I am posting my review now:

#16. The Broken Blue Line by Connie Dial

The Broken Blue Line is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I love mysteries with suspense, and a little bit of romance thrown in for some smiles and laughs. I have to say that The Broken Blue line did not disappoint me. I found the characters very endearing and able to appreciate them. I did find myself confused when I first started reading the book. I was getting the characters confused.

The Broken Blue Line is about Internal Affairs and crooked cops. Those styles of books are always very interesting reads. When I read books like this I always visualize it in real life and not just being fiction. Most of these books I feel are based on some actual facts.

Turner is a memeber of IA and soon becomes the focus of an investigation. I found it interesting how the members of his squad were divided about him. Turner's partner and friend, Reggie and Miller are the ones who want to help Turner prove his innocence and at the same time capture the real cop that is their prime suspect.

Reggie is the one that doesn't mind breaking the rules and circumvention authority to get to the truth. Miller is the wise craking one that doesn't like authority. Turner, Reggie and Miller work well together and make the best IA team even though the one boss hates them.

I hope to read more books by Connie Dial.

4 stars

Just wanted to drop by and say thanks for reminding me about the Sookie Stackhouse books. I just found the first book, Dead Until Dark, yesterday and have started it already. I have several of the others, so I may finish most of the series this year. So far, so good. Thanks again for recommending the series to me! :)

I thought The Soloist must be so much better for readers who play musical instruments, themselves. The book was good for showing that it's not so easy to help someone who's crazy, and homeless because of it, but that it's very worth doing. Too bad for all the rest of the people sleeping on the streets who don't have some amazing talent to draw someone like Lopez in.

edit. to fix touchstone

Sara,
Great to hear you have started reading the Sookie Stackhouse books. I plan to read more of the series this year too. I have been watching the True Blood series on HBO that is based on the Sookie books. You are welcome on the recommendation.

Bonnie,
I think having played musical instruments helped me understand the draw of how music helps calm people. I am not on the level of Juliard but none the less love music and love to see how it affects everyone differently and especially those that are so talented such at Nathanial.

I am still reading my library book club book, Down River by John Hart and I am quite pleased with this book. I actually plan to read the book for a few hours tonight, if possible. Then I have to decide what to read next. I have so many books to choose from and I just found out that I won another ER book and will be reading that as soon as it arrives.

Happy Reading All and thanks for stopping by!!

#17. Down River by John Hart

WOW was my reaction to John Hart's novel Down River. I found myself reading this book when I should have been doing my job and cleaning the house. I just couldn't put the book down. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time that I read this book.

Down River is a mystery book that is different then what I have read in the past. The main character, Adam Chase was acquitted 5 years ago for a murder he did not commit. Adam is exiled by his family and the population of Rowan County after his acquittal and he doesn't want to go back when he receives a call from one of his friends, Danny Faith asking him to come back. Adam had pushed his past out of his head until he received that call from Danny, begging him to come back. Adams return is one filled with many different emotions. Some people have missed him and are happy yet angry to see him back in town.

No sooner is Adam in town and dead bodies start showing up again so everyone begins to ponder what is happening again in their town. Everyone believes Adam is the one who has committed the murders. The cops, judges and even some family members think he is responsible for the past murder and the new ones that happen in Down River. The twists and turns in the pages of this story kept me trying to figure out who was the murderer. I have to admit that I would read a chapter and then try to figure out who dunnit. I was pleasantly surprised by the actual ending and will be thinking about this book for awhile.

Looking for a wonderful mystery to read then I recommend Down River by John Hart!!

5 stars

I now have to figure out what to read next. I think I may just finish my comic of Flash then pick up a book. Just not sure at this moment. I may decide to place this book in the What have I been missing category. Happy Reading and Happy Mother's day to all Moms out there.

Monic'a

Down River looks good. I haven't read anything by John Hart, let alone heard of him, so I'll have to look him up when I'm at work next week. Thanks!

Sara, I had never read John Hart before and I know I will be looking for more of his books to read.

Now I just finished a book, or more like a comic book. Yes I had a guilty pleasure and read an easy read, just something to enjoy at my leisure. This is the second comic book I have ever read. I didn't include the first one just because I read it at the spur of the moment. I may decide to add it later. Here is my review for

#18. Terminal Velocity by Mark Waid

Well this is the second comic book I have ever read yet the first Flash I have read. I will admit I loved the story. The afterword was really enlightening and brought the whole story together just in case you didn't realize what Flash Terminal Velocity was about.

Flash Terminal Velocity is about true love and how you can over come certain things when you have true love. I just loved that about this story.

5 stars

Now I am thinking of reading a Stephen King book. Just not sure because I also have to read my April ER book when it arrives. I am going to go look at my books and see what jumps out at me.

#19. Someone is Out There by Carole Standish

Someone is out there is a delightful story of mystery, intrigue and a little bit of love. The main characters are Marcie and Peter. You meet Marcie in the very beginning and Peter after about 3 chapters. Marcie is saddened because she has to leave her hometown to visit her grandmother over Christmas. There are so many plans for her high school during the Christmas break that she argues with her mother at first. Finally she concedes to go since her grandmother is unable to visit them this time.

When you meet Peter at first you don't know what to think of him. He is a handsome young man that Marcie has mixed feelings about. She doesn't know if it is anything to worry about or if it is just because of the fog in Cape Cod. I found the budding relationship between Peter and Marcie very sweet and a nice distraction for both of them.

This is a great book for a fast easy read when you need a little break from all the tomes you have read lately.

4 1/2 stars

#20. Sidney Sheldon's After the Darkness by Sidney Sheldon

Sidney Sheldon's After the Darkness is a wonderfully written story of suspense, intrigue, mystery and betrayal. The principle character in After the Darkness is Grace Brookstein. Her character goes through so many changes and growth from the start of the story. Grace is the wife of Lenny Brookstein, who died while out on his boat and the death is ruled a suicide. Lenny is the financial wizard behind an investment company called Quorum.

After the Darkness starts out with Grace on trial for theft of billions of dollars through Quorum. She is innocent and feels that she will be cleared of all charges. Her trusting nature is what causes her many problems and heartbreak through the story. Those who she thought were her family and friends turn on her and don't want to help her during her trial and even after her day in court. She is surprised by her family's reaction. This is when Grace starts to go through a change. She is a lady that is used to things always being easy for her. Grace goes from a trusting, innocent child like woman to a woman of strength and realizes her true worth and that she can stand on her own two feet without the help of a man. I found myself eagerly hoping for her to survive every obstacle and hardship she encountered during the story.

Once you start reading After the Darkness you will not be able to stop. After the Darkness is a page turning novel of intrigue and suspense. I loved how the story was summarized at the end of the book. The ending for Grace is one of pure surprise. You may like it or you may feel jilted.

5 stars

I loved Down River. Great book. I didn't enjoy his other two as much, but maybe the 'newness' wore off.

>72 crazy4reading: I was confused by your review, since I thought I'd read everything that Sidney Sheldon wrote, and this didn't sound familiar. I gather, though, that this is a recent publication -- perhaps finished by another writer? In any case, I want to read it!

Yes Ivyd. The book is by Tilly Bagshawe. It was from the LTER program. I have read many books by Sidney Sheldon and had never heard of this one. I was quite pleased with this one.

VictoriaPL, I still haven't read his other books. I hope to read them during the summer if the library has copies of them available.

#21. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

Is your life real? Could you be living in your own reality? Those are some questions I thought of after reading Shutter Island. Shutter Island is a superbly written novel of mystery, and suspense. Once you begin reading you will not be able to stop until you finish reading. I know I lost sleep over this book, yet it was well worth it.

Edward (Teddy) Daniels is a U.S. Marshall who goes to Shutter Island, to find a missing patient named Rachel Solando. Shutter Island is home to Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Teddy and his partner, Chuck Aule arrived by ferry from Boston. Teddy and Chuck meet with the patients and the staff during their investigation into how Rachel Solando was able to escape from her room while locked in and also past guards that were on duty at certain check points. I found myself wondering who was not being totally honest during the questioning and discussions. Teddy and Chuck ask to see patient and staff files and are denied access to them because the Chief of Staff does not feel they are pertinent to the investigation.

The twists and turns in Shutter Island will have you wondering what is really going on at Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. You will be on the edge of your seat while you immerse yourself in the wonderfully crafted thrills of Shutter Island. Your mind will start racing with questions and answers at the same time.

I will definitely be looking to read more books by Dennis Lehane.

5 stars

I read this book for my Library Book Club. I think this is the first book that I have read in about 7 days that wasn't a thin book. Now I can't wait to see the movie. Shutter Island could be listed in the following categories: Books to Screen, Recommendations, What have I been missing, and Books from the Library. Right now I am placing this book in the What have I been missing category. I hope to borrow more books this summer from the library. I like it when I have a book that can be used in many different categories. I would love to be able to read 100 books this year but if I don't oh well life goes on.

I hope to read some more of Dolores Claiborne tonight before bed.

Happy reading all!!

Monica - Yours is the first review that made me think I might want to read Shutter Island. Thanks!

You are welcome and Thanks. I just read some of the other reviews and I am glad I didn't read them before reading the book. I don't know if I would have wanted to read the book after reading some of those reviews.

I don't know if I'll ever get around to reading Shutter Island (LT predicts I won't like it, but then LT is oftentimes wrong....). The movie looks good, so I may try that first.

Good luck with Dolores Claiborne! I think that's one of Stephen King's that I own and have watched the movie; I just need to read the book now. Kind of backwards, I know. :)

There's been a couple of well regarded movies that stem from Dennis Lehane books that have put him on my radar to check out at some point. I think I'll move Shutter Island onto my wishlist so thanks for your comments.

Thank you for visiting Sara and Wolfy. I know that LT usually predicts wrong for me too. I usually watch the movies after I read the books. This time I actually watched some of Dolores Claiborne last month and that is when I said something about needing to read the book once I bought it. My son informed me that I actually had the book but gave it to him because he loves Stephen King's books made into movies.

I am glad to hear that my comments have brought Shutter Island to your wishlist AHS-Wolfy.

Now once I finish Dolores Claiborne I will try to read a fluff piece since I will be recieving Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo from the ER program. This is the most books I have won in a year. I won't complain either since I have only been a member for only 1 1/2 years.

Happy Reading all!! Time to get to work!!

#80: Yep, I agree: a lot of Dennis Lehane books have made great films!

#81: No problem. I try to keep up with my friend's threads when I can. :)

I prefer reading the book first, too. But sometimes it's so much quicker to just watch the movie.

My son informed me that I actually had the book (...) -- I've done that--been on a search for a certain book and then realized I already bought it. Major blonde moment there! :D

At first, I thought you meant Pray for Silence was going to be the fluff piece you were going to read next, and I was going to say, "Um, Monica, it might be a little more intense than you realize." ;) Looks very interesting, though! I just can't imagine the Amish being as murderous as lot of mysteries make them out to be. I've only read a couple in that setting: one by Tami Hoag and another one I can't for the life of me remember the title or author. Both were pretty good though.

This is the most books I have won in a year. -- I know what you mean. You're always good about posting your reviews on the book's page, but I never review books and still win ER books every other month or so. Doesn't seem quite right to me, but I do still read most of them.

I finished another book this past weekend. I will be trying to post my review later today if I can get on the Wii since my computer is at the shop being fixed. I won't post it at work since I can't access FB so that the review can be posted there too.

I decided to pick up Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris and I also have Blind Faith by Ben Elton which I received from a BC member for a book ring/ray I joined.

Now back to work... :)

Here is my review for Dolores Claiborne. I was able to post it from my Wii so that it would also post on Facebook.

#22. Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King

This was my first Stephen King book and I have to say I was quite pleased with the story. I have heard how scary his books are and that has been one of the reasons I have avoided reading his novels. I am glad that I finally took the time to give Stephen King a try.

Dolores Claiborne is the story of a woman who reveals the truth about her husbands death years latere because the woman that she has been caring for the past years dies and people in the town start talking about her having murdered the woman. Dolores is a very interesting character in the novel. As I was reading the story I could actually hear her voice in my head just by the way the story was written.

Dolores was straight forward and very blunt when she spoke, which I found very entertaining. I found myself not wanting to put the book down. The only thing I didn't care for about the book was the fact that there were no chapters so it was difficult to find a good place to stop while reading the book.

4 1/2 stars

I know I will be trying some of his other books just not sure when. Still reading Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris and Blind Faith by Ben Elton. Hope to finish them this weekend if I have time to read since I need to get ready for my son's graduation party this month. And I have alot of work to do still.

I decided to enter this book under books to screen since it was made into a movie. I could also have placed it under WOW What have I been Missing (Authors New to Me) since this was my first Stephen King book. I will leave it open to change if I can't fill the other categories...

Happy Reading All!!

Monic'a

#23. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

In the fourth book of the Sookie Stackhouse series you are introduced to more supes then you may have thought were in this series. Dead to the World introduces Witches and Wiccans to Sookie's life. Will Sookie be able to keep her New Year's Resolution to not get injured this year?

Bill and Sookie are no longer dating and Bill leaves to go to Peru at the beginning of the story. Bill tries to explain to a jilted Sookie about why he left to go with Lorena before he leaves for Peru. I was not too fond of Bill after the last book so I was thrilled to see him missing from most of this story. Even though he was thought about and mentioned a few times.

The adventure truly begins when Sookie is leaving Merlotte's after working New Year's Eve. As she is driving home she sees a talk man only clad in blue jeans running for his life. Being Sookie she decides to stop and offer help and as she talks to the man she realizes it is Eric, the Vampire. When Sookie calls him by name he looks at her with fangs out. She realizes that Eric doesn't know who she is and seems very different.

You can't help but fall in love with Eric in this book. His memory is totally erased by a curse that a witch placed on him since he would not listen to her requests of love and money. Since Sookie finds Eric she has to keep him safe while the witches decide to hunt for him and reek havoc on Shreveport and Bon Temps. In the mist of all this Sookie's brother Jason goes missing and you wonder if the witches have anything to do with his disappearance.

Sookie learns that there are more Shape Shifters around Bon Temps and also learns that one fancies her and wants to court her. Alcide from the previous book is still interested in her but is torn between his old flame Debbie Pelt, even though she tried to kill Sookie in book three. I loved what happened to her in this book and I am not going to reveal it. You will just have to read Dead to the World to find out.

The adventure and suspense in Dead to the World will keep the pages turning. I found myself reading late into the evening and at every free moment just to finish the book. If you are looking for a book for some light fluff then I suggest you start reading the Southern Vampire Mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse Novels).

5 stars

I am still reading Blind Faith. I will not be picking up another book until I finish Blind Faith. Happy Reading All!!

Monic'a

#84: A Stephen King virgin, eh? Well, congrats! :) And I'm glad you liked Dolores Claiborne. I own that one but haven't read it yet. I guess I've seen the movie so many times, it feels like I already have.

#85: I don't know why, but it's taking me f-o-r-e-v-e-r to read Dead Until Dark. Not that it's bad (just the opposite), but I already know what happens from watching the TV show. That's probably the only downside to watching it first.

Oh, and good luck with your son's graduation! I forgot it was that time of year and was wondering why nobody was in school. (Funny, when I was a kid, I lived for summer vacation. But now that I'm an adult, I wish school was year-round so I didn't have to listen to them. Man, I am getting old and cranky! :)

Yes I am no loner a Stephen King virgin!! Now my sister and I will have more books to discuss besides Harry Potter.

Dead Until Dark is a good book and I understand about going slow. I always feel when I start a new series the first book always feels like it takes forever to get through it; and I think that is because you are first getting introduced to the characters. Now I will tell you the beginning of the next book will surprise you (if you don't already know)

Thanks for the good wishes on my son's graduation. Only 4 days left to get ready!! So far the weather looks good.

Right now my current read Blind Faith is taking me forever to get through. There are about 42 chapters (I am on chapter 16) and I read about 1 chapter a day or night. I will try to do some reading tonight.

Happy Reading!!

Harry Potter! That's one my sis's been trying to get me to read for years now. I don't know why I keep putting it off, especially since I own most of the books. I guess it's the size of 'em that's so intimidating. Thanks for the reminder!

I finally finished Dead Until Dark a few days ago and gave it a 5/5, even though I knew what would happen (one of the downsides to seeing the show or movie version of a book). I really like the Sookie character, so I may start the second one soon. Hmm, I don't think I'm aware of any surprises in book #2, so don't tell me yet! :D (plugging ears) La la la la....

4 days... not that you're counting or anything! ;) Yep, it's officially summer here as well, though the sun was only out for a couple hours. Typical NW weather!

Good luck with Blind Faith. I know how that goes having to plod through books. Sometimes it's the books fault; more often my own (eg, I started a V. C. Andrews book a few days ago that's only 160+ pages long--and I'm only 1/3 through it!). Darn reader's block. :/

I am still reading Blind Faith and I have about 20 chapters left. This weekend was graduation party weekend so I didn't get as much reading done as I had hoped too.

Now that my son's party is over I should be able to relax and get some reading done during the week.

Happy reading!!

Here is my newest review:

#24. Blind Faith by Ben Elton

I have been thinking about how I to write a review for Blind Faith since I had started reading it. Every time I was reading I would think about how this book related to some events or similarities between our real world and the world depicted in Blind Faith.

Blind Faith is a novel about a world that has been punished by the "Love" aka "God". Everyone in this world has Blind Faith in "The Love". They believe that God gives you things, such as life, food, air, children etc and yet will also take it away if you don't worship the Love.

The people are 'ruled' by the Temple that sets all the rules. You are not allowed to keep secrets or have privacy. Everything you do is always being filmed. People walk around barely clothed. Women are told to get Breasts implants. If a woman doesn't get breast implants then they must not love the love. Because the Love wants you to love your body by making it sexy with fake boobs. Everything on the Earth is created by the love.

Some of the similarities I related to in the book to the real world is the fact that the people are always being filmed. That made me think about how so many people will create videos and upload them to their web pages, blogs, youtube etc. In Blind Faith you need to post videos of you having sex with your current wife, the birth of a child and other things. If you don't then you must not love yourself and you can be punished for all this. The temple preaches that marriage is not meant to be you get married once and you last with that person until you die; the temple preaches that you are supposed to be married multiple times. When I read about the idea of marriage it made me think about how some people will get a divorce instead of trying to either work things out and possibly save the marriage.

I found the story entertaining and quite laughable with the contradictions with in the Temple beliefs. When the Children died they were sent to a better place. Yet the Children that live on the Earth are blessed and in a better place too. Just seeing how people can be easily manipulated to believe things when professed over and over again.

I am glad that I was able to read this book and be introduced to another new author.

4 stars.

Now I just have to decide what to read next. I have a very long weekend so maybe I should choose some nice easy reads so that I can just relax and get some more books done. Happy Reading all!!

Blind Faith sounds very amusing. I don't think I've heard of Ben Elton before, so I'll have to look for him next time I'm at work. Thanks for the rec!

91> If you like British TV, you might be more familiar than you think with Ben Elton. Check him out at IMDB.

#92: Woah, you're right! I love The Thin Blue Line and Blackadder, and I vaguely remember watching The Young Ones too. Thanks for the link! :)

Wow I didn't realize who the author was, thanks for sharing the link. Now I just finished another book today and here is my review:

#25. Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion by Mark Cotta Vaz

I had started reading this book back in November of 2008 and never finished it because I had put it down and couldn't find it until just this past month so I decided to pick it up again and to finish reading it. The book was interesting but not so much that I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed reading about how they created certain things in the movie Twilight, such as the fight scene at the ballet studio, the baseball game etc.

The book also tells about how the weather didn't help while filming Twilight. I found out about how they chose the costumes for the characters and how some of the actors even helped with suggestions on their characters wardrobe.

If you are one that is interested in learning more about how Twilight the movie was created then this book is for you.

3 stars

I am now reading book #5 from the Sookie Stackhouse series: Dead as a Doornail. I started reading that on Wed. Maybe I will be able to finish the book this weekend if I get some free time to read. I am a quarter of the way done with this challenge if I really do try to read 100 books this year. I am pleased with that so far since I am now half way done my 50 book challenge. Happy reading all!!

#94: I had started reading this book back in November of 2008 and never finished it because I had put it down and couldn't find it

LOL, you sound like me! I'm still picking through a few final chapters in some books I forgot about from last year, never mind the half dozen or so I'm currently reading. Sheesh. I need to focus. But sometimes when a story starts to get boring, I start flipping through other books. Or the worst temptation is when I go book shopping and convince myself I just have to read one of my new books right way, and voila! I'm neck deep in books again. :)

Anyway, back to Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Compantion... I think I checked that one out at work a long time back. I don't remember reading it so much as looking at the photos. Another Twilight companion book I checked out was Twilight: Director's Notebook by Catherine Hardwicke, which was pretty good. Very artsy, if you're into that. I'm sure there are a TON of others out there, but those were just a couple I remember flipping through and really liking. I think I got most of my Twilight behind-the-scene fix from watching the bonus features on the DVDs. And yes, I remember them complaining about the rain and about how the locals walk around like it's nothing, no umbrellas, nothing. That's definitely true. I've lived here about 20 years, but I always carry an umbrella with me, even on certain summer days (ya just never know).

Oh, another good movie companion book I checked out was New Moon: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Mark Cotta Vaz, which I'd recommend as well.

Sorry for turning this post into a "Sara's Read This and That and This" list! :) I'll let you get back to Dead as a Doornail. Enjoy!

#26. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

The Sookie Stackhouse books get better and better with each new book I read. I love the characters, the dialogue, the mystery and all the fantasy in these books. I find myself laughing at the interaction of Sookie with Eric, Sam, Bill and almost everyone she comes in contact with.

Dead as a Doornail takes us again into the world of Sookie Stackhouse and the town of Bon Temps. Sookie is a cocktail waitress at the local bar Merlottes. The owner Sam is a shapeshifter and has had feelings for Sookie. Sookie is special in her own way because she is a telepath. She is able to read other people's thoughts, which can sometimes be helpful, intruding and dangerous all at the same time.

There have been shootings in Bon Temps which have led to one death, one in the hospital and one wounded in the leg. This opens up the story in Dead as a Doornail, who is shooting people, who happen to all be shifters, in Bon Temps. Sookie's life is also threatened by someone setting fire to her house while she is asleep inside. Thanks to her 'fairy' godmother, Claudine, Sookie's house is the only thing that is partly destroyed in Dead as a Doornail.

Sookie finds herself being dragged into Alcide's world when the pack master dies. She doesn't like being used and has now qualms in letting Alcide know this. The events for choosing a new leader for the pack is very interesting, to say the least.

There is so much happening in this book, with the Weres, Shifters, Fairies, Vampires and so many more supes to discover. I enjoyed this book immensely and am looking forward to reading the rest of these books.

5 stars

Now I just need to decide what to read next, should I read a romance, mystery, book made into a movie, maybe something my kids needed to read for school... The choices. Please feel free to make suggestions!!

Happy Reading all!!!

I might start another Sookie Stackhouse book this year, but we'll see.... I have so much I'm still reading, it's starting to feel more like a chore than fun.

I'm bad at suggestions, so I'll just go by your challenges. Looks like "Required reading", "1001 books to read...", and "Johanna Lindsey" are needing to be filled. Maybe you could find a book that overlaps one or two of those categories? I'm not sure what level your kids are at, but some schools make their students read anything by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, etc, or books like To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, etc etc etc (all of those make the "1001 books to read..." list as well). My best suggestion: try LT's recommendations feature. Sometimes it's pretty reliable. Good luck! :)

I actually have all of those books on my TBR pile this year. I just haven't picked them up yet. I read The Catcher in the Rye book when I was in high school many years ago but don't remember to much about it. My kids are 19 and 18 yrs old. I figure I can read any books from when my kids were really young to what they are reading in school now.

I am currently reading Girl Interruped for the book to screen category. I will pick up one of those books you suggested tonight. I am leaning towards To Kill a Mockingbird. So far most of my books have been able to go into more then one category. The only one I think that can't go into any other category are the Johanna Lindsey books, since she is just romance.

Thanks so much for those suggestions. Happy Reading and I will check out the LT recommendations too.

I know what you mean about this feeling like a chore more then being fun. I am only hoping to at least read one book in each category which I know I can do.

Girl, Interrupted: that's one I've been wanting to read and watch. Why I haven't done either, I don't know. Hope it's good! :)

The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird are both books I wish I had read by now, but I haven't found copies of them yet. I don't remember having classic books assigned in my high school English classes, though we had to study the Bible once (bad idea! I nearly flunked that class). I think most of my peers were so adverse to reading classics, our teachers were happy to see us read anything (I think I was going through my Anne Rice phase about then). If you read To Kill a Mockingbird, I can't wait to read your review. I doubt I'll be able to fit it in this year, so I'll read it vicariously through you. ;)

I don't even know if I will be able to fit To Kill a Mockingbird this year. I didn't even pick it up like I had told myself I would.

I know we read some Shakespear books in high school. I also went to a Catholic High School so we read more classics then those who were in the public school system.

Not a problem. There are a TON of books out there to choose from. I'm sure you'll find one that looks interesting.

I think we read one or two Shakespeare plays in middle school (A Midsummer's Night Dream was one), but I don't remember much about them except we had to read it out loud (ugh).

You're right about schools--private ones tend to stick to an advised reading program; public ones not so much. One of our high school reads was Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan (probably not a good idea to give to certain students with anger problems ;), which was pretty good. I still plan on reading more by her.

I read a ton of Lois Duncan back in school. That was the early 80s so my memories of specific titles are fuzzy but I do recall that I thought Down a Dark Hall was the most interesting (maybe just because it was in a boarding school and I loved those) and Daughters of Eve was by far the creepiest. I Know What You Did Last Summer was rather different than the movie, of course.

I don't think I have read any Lois Duncan books. I will have to add her to my list of authors to look at.

Well I finished another book this morning and I was hoping to be able to start another book right away. I am now dog sitting, which really isn't hard except my one cat comes in meowing and is dragging his hind legs. I need to take him to the vet but I can't because I have my daughter's dog here. I don't know if my cat is injured, sick or dieing. Of course I text my hubby to see if he could take the cat to the vet for me and his response is no. I am just so angry because he is being such a PIA with this relationship of ours. I don't want to burden everyone with my problems but I just need to vent. Now I am waiting for my son who had plans to come home so that he can watch the puppy while I take the cat to the vet and try to figure out how I am going to pay for this bill, since hubby most likely won't give me any money towards it. I guess his girlfriend comes before his own family anymore. Okay enough about that.

I finished reading Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. I will be working on my review and hope to post it later today. I now need to go and choose another book to read... and to still go to Borders to spend my gift card.. I can't believe I have held onto it for this long, I believe since April I have had this gift card. Happy reading all.

Thanks for stopping by Kristenn and saraslibrary!!

#102: Oh yes, the movie and book versions of I Know What You Did Last Summer were really different (the book was set during the 70s, the movie in the 90s; the killer was different, etc.), but now I can't even remember which I liked better; it's been too long. Lois Duncan had some great ideas for her books, but if I remember right, my biggest problem was how dry her writing was at times.

Hmm, I think those were the only two Lois Duncan books I've read so far (I Know What You Did Last Summer and Killing Mr. Griffin), even though I own several others. I'm not sure I own Down a Dark Hall and Daughters of Eve; I'll have to check.

#103: Uh oh. I'd probably take your cat into the vet asap. Something might be broken or twisted. Poor kitty. Hope everything goes well for him! And may your husband fall into a bottomless pit (that's me being nice ;).

Well I am sorry to say that the prognosis for my cat was not good. He either had a broken spine or a heart embolism and that caused a block which caused him to be paralyzed in his hind quarters. There was no guarantee that he would walk again. Plus he would probably be in pain for the rest of his life. I had to make the hardest decision to have Lucky put to sleep. I really hate having to make those decisions. I am just glad to know that I was able to take care of the problem and not incur a huge expense. I now also got insurance for my other cat so hopefully I won't have to worry about unexpected expenses for her health. Thanks for that comment. I have wished a lot worse to my husband recently.

Also Sara sorry to hear about your dog. It is hard to make those decisions at any time. I remember all my cats that I have had since I was a little girl.

I am also now reading my ER book In Harm's Way by Ridley Pearson.

Now here is my review:

#27 Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

Girl Interrupted is the story of a woman, Susanna Kaysen's time spent in a mental institution for just over a year in 1967. Susanna voluntarily admits herself into McLean Hospital when she is 18 years old. She is sent there by her doctor because she is depressed and has also tried to commit suicide.

While she is in the hospital you meet some very interesting, Lisa, Daisy, Polly, Cynthia and more. Each one is at their own level of mental illness. I felt as I was reading the book that sometimes these girls knew more about the difference between reality and that which was not real.

It was interesting to see how they argued with their inner demons. Some of the girls receive special privileges such as being able to go out side the hospital for ice cream, coffee or just to go shopping. The author talks about the different privileges she is rewarded with and how some of the girls will escape when they have a chance.

I now want to see the movie Girl Interrupted starring Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie. The book is a very fast read and made me wonder about how our brains and minds really work.

4 stars.

Now time to go to bed. I am tired...

#105: Oh, Monica, I'm so sorry! I kind of thought it might have been his spine, but I'm no vet, so I didn't want to say anything. I hope you're doing ok. At least your other kitty is well, right? Hang in there!

Monica, I'm so sorry about your cat. What a heartbreak. And I'm sorry about your goofy husband too.

Thank you Sara and cmbohn. I am doing better about the cat. The hubby thing is just something I have to deal with until I get my finances in order so that I can afford a lawyer. My other cat Whiskers seems to be taking it okay. We showed her Lucky's body and her reaction was to hiss at him. She did 2 different hisses one was I hate you and the other was that she didn't like the way he smelled and she knew something was wrong. I believe she will be fine. I think I miss him more then anybody else does. Thanks again for your sympathy.

I'm glad you're doing better. I also let my pets sniff whoever's recently died, although they're usually uninterested or mildly curious enough for a sniff or two. I'm guessing your two kitties didn't get along? :)

Sara I want to say thanks for this post. I stole it from your thread. I may even decide to post it on my blog after I answer them. I will look them over first before I answer them.

1) Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Sometimes, it depends on my mood and what I am reading. Sometimes I will snack on cheese curls, I know not the best thing to eat while reading a book. Some other things I will eat while reading are nutz, fruits, such as watermelon, apple, grapes. I usually like some sort of finger food.

2) What is your favorite drink while reading?
This one is very easy. I always drink water because it wakes me up and keeps me focused.

3) Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
Now this is a hard question to answer. I don't like to mark books but I have done it. Now if it is a text book then yes I will mark it. I have marked books when I am finding mistakes in them especially if they are ARC/ER books. I have also marked books for some favorite passages or when I find something interesting.

4) How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ear? Laying the book flat open?
I now use a bookmark or bookclip for marking my place. I have layed the books flat and then regretted it after wards because of how it ruins the spine of the books. I used to dog-ear the pages when I was younger. Now I can't stand doing that because I feel it ruins the book.

5) Fiction, Non-Fiction, or Both?
I read both. I think I own more Fiction books then Non-Fiction.

6) Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?
I have to read to the end of a chapter. If I don't think I can finish a chapter I won't start it. I have sometimes stopped in the middle of a chapter only if it is on a page that ends with a period. I usually stop in the middle if I am out somewhere for an appointment and get called in before I finish the chapter.

7) Are you a person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?
This question makes me laugh. I think there is only one book that I did this to and that was because it was such a poorly written book.

8) If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?
Yes I have done this, if I have access to my computer I will look it up right away otherwise I hope I remember to check it later.

9) What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading my June ER book In Harm's Way by Ridley Pearson

10) What is the last book you bought?
Wow, I don't think I can remember this.. Oh wait the last books I bought were From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris and a Mary Higgins Clark book which I happened to already own.

11) Are you a person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?
Depending on the book. If it is an HP book usually I just concentrate on that book. Right now I am concentrating on my ER book. I have read more then one book at a time.

12) Do you have a favorite time/place to read?
I love to read any time. I enjoy reading while listening to my music because it helps me concentrate. I love to read just about anywhere. Just give me a comfy chair and blanket if needed.

13) Do you prefer series books or stand-alones?
Hmm. This is hard to say. I read just about anything. I have enjoyed reading books in series because of getting to know the characters longer and possibly seeing them grow through the series. Stand alones are just as good. You get a quick fun filled read in one book.

14) Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?
No, I don't think I recommend books to often.

15) How do you organize your books? By genre, title, author's last name, etc?
Wow this is something I have been working on for awhile. I have tried organizing my books by author, and genre. The problem with doing the author is that I have limited shelf space and I am always buying new books and then need to rearrange them. I have all my HP related books on one shelf. Anything about the actors, characters, the books etc. are on that shelf. I also have a shelf for my Vampire books. Then the rest of my books are usually organized by author's last name. I also try to have them separated by genre but then I run into a problem when I have an author that writes in more then one genre. That is why I have been trying to organize them for over a year now. I just need to find away that I like.

Well those are my responses to the questions. I didn't think it would take me over an hour to answer these questions, yet I had fun doing it. Thanks again Sara for the questions. Anyone is more then welcome to borrow this for their threads. Happy reading!!

Always interesting to read other people's responses to these questions. I've been ignoring my thread while trying to catch up with everyone else's, but when I get back there, I'm going to answer these questions too. Happy reading to you too!

#110: No problem, Monica. :) I stole mine from LauraBrook, and I think she stole hers from Linda. So we're all just a bunch of online thieves. :D I think your answer to #1 (finger foods) is probably the same for a lot of people, because I'm constantly finding bits of chips, chocolate (god, I hope that's chocolate!!), candy, etc., in between pages at work and at used bookstores (though the latter is usually really good about keeping their books clean).

Yeah!! I finished my ER book last night and started writing my review. I will work on it at home tonight since no one will be there and hopefully I won't get called away for a nice ride. I posted a very short review but I still need to finish it.

I then picked up Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and Snagged by Carol Higgins Clark. I would love to finish one of those books this weekend.

Look for my review of In Harm's Way later tonight.

#28. In Harm's Way by Ridley Pearson

This is the first book that I have ever read by Ridley Pearson and I have to say I find his work pleasantly enticing. I love reading mysteries and was thrilled to win this book from the Early Reviewers program. I started reading the book as soon as it arrived in my mailbox.

In Harm's Way is the 4th book in the Walt Fleming Novels. I am honored to say that I was able to enjoy the book even though I was not familiar with the characters in the novel prior to reading this book.

Walt Fleming is sheriff in a small town in Idaho who is raising two twin eleven year old girls. I found Walt Fleming to be a complex character while still being interesting and entertaining. He has a small staff of deputies and a photographer whom is the love interest of Walt. I found some of the characters of little interest and didn't create a bond towards them while reading In Harm's Way.

In Harm's Way is a well crafted story of intrigue and suspense. As I read the book I found myself getting more and more drawn into the story and thinking I knew who did it before I finally reached the end. It is enjoyable when reading a book and not being able to figure out who committed the crime before the end. I was getting to the point where I started to actually talk back to the characters while reading the book. When that happens you know I am drawn into the story.

4 1/2 stars

#29. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is a charming young adult book about relationships, love and music. I loved the book and found it very entertaining. Nick is a bassist in a Queercore punk band and he is straight. Norah is a girl whose father is a music executive and is usually very straight laced and doesn't do anything wrong or out of the ordinary until she meets Nick.

I loved how they met in the book. Nick's band has just finished performing and he sees his ex with another guy and it hurts him. So he asks Norah is she will be his girlfriend for the next 5 minutes. The way Norah answers him is just so not typical most girls, she decides to kiss him. Both of their reactions to the kiss are so real that I just continued to root for them as a couple.

The chapters are written from both Nick and Norah's point of views, alternating, which I found very charming. You got to see how they each felt about the things that happened. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is about their whole night together in New York. Both have past baggage that they keep bottled up and have hurt both of them in trying to get into a new relationships. Their friends are the ones that see the truth of their feelings and play an underlying role in getting them to realize it.

This is a nice quick easy read for a nice relaxing summer evening, afternoon, or day. So if you need a nice enjoyable, relaxing read then pick up Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

5 stars

Great review, I have added Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist to my infiinite wishlist!

That one sounds like something I'd read, but I don't own it, so I'll watch the movie instead. :)

Hi Delta and sara!! Glad to see you both here. I still have to see the movie don't know when that will be. I am glad you liked the review Delta. Sara if you see the movie before I do let me know what it was like.

Okay well I finished another book this morning. Here is my review:

#30. Snagged by Carol Higgins Clark

I realized as I was reading Snagged that I had started reading this book once before. I don't remember ever finishing the book the last time and I don't know why. I believe it had belonged to someone else and I think I had just picked it up and started reading it at my old job a few years ago. Now that I have my own copy I was able to read it through.

Snagged is number 2 in the Reagan Riley mystery series. When I read this one I didn't feel that you needed to read the first one prior to reading the next one. They are not as a true series just that the main character is always Reagan Riley as the detective. In Snagged you also have the supporting cast of her mother, Nora, who is an author of mysteries, her father Luke, who is a mortician, Richie Blossom who is Reagan's Uncle.

Snagged is about Richie and his newest invention of the perfect pantyhose (now if only this was true!!) His pantyhose are run proof, snag proof, fit perfectly with out bagging at the ankles etc. You name it these hose are what every women dreams of owning and the pantyhose industries worst nightmare. The story takes place in Florida, There is a pantyhose convention and a mortician convention going on at the same time. Richie is trying to sell his pantyhose to save his retirement home the Fourth Quarter. So when Reagan and Richie are almost run over while crossing the street Reagan begins to think that someone is out to kill Richie so that he can't sell his pantyhose to the highest bidder.

I found the book very interesting and easy to follow. The story is well written and very engaging that I felt myself getting excited and nervous at the right moments. I will be picking up more books written my Carol Higgins Clark.

4 1/2 stars

I am going to pick up Act like a Lady, Think like a Man by Steve Harvey. I saw him yesterday on Dr. Phil and I am quite interested in reading the book now. I may need some of this information in the near future and I may as well get prepared. Happy reading all!!

Hi Everyone!! I just wanted to let you know that I am without a computer at home so I won't be posting any reviews right now since I am not able to access Facebook at work and I don't have the time to spend writing my reviews at work. I will be updating my threads at work with books that I have finished just so that I can remember to post the reviews later.

I finished my current read and added it to the TBR category. Look for my review soon.

I hope to have a computer by Sept. 1. That is when my new one should be delivered. Or hopefully my other one will be back from being repaired.

I am currently reading Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks and hope to finish that book tonight. I have noticed that since I don't have a computer at home I am taking more time to read then I usually did at night.

Happy Reading All!!

You're handling having no computer better than I would! :D Even though mine's sloooooow, I love my cheap little laptop and would probably have a stroke if it broke. Here's to holding out til the 1st of September! See ya around then. :)

Good News!! I was able to get a computer to work on but it is extremely slow so I haven't had time to post too much. I finally got my IMac back last night. I think I may have my son set it up for me sometime today so I will have my wonderful computer back and hopefully it won't break again. Then I will hopefully get my new PC by September 1st.

Look for my reviews to be posted soon!! Doing Happy dance!!! :) :)

I think the reason I am handling not having a computer so well is because my hubby complained when he lived here that I spent too much time on the computer and never cleaned the house, yet when he was here he never lifted a finger unless family or friends were coming over to visit. He would sit an watch tv or sleep. So if I don't get on the computer oh well I always find something else to do, like play a game with my son, go out shopping (oh the fun there) or just spend some time with a good book or friend.

Okay here is my review for book number 31

#31. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey

This book has been sitting on my TBR pile for about a year and I decided to read this book now for a few reasons. One of the reasons is I had seen Steve Harvey on the Dr. Phil Show promoting this very book. Reason number 2 is with the problems I am currently having in my marriage I thought this book could possibly enlighten me about men. Now you know there is a third reason, always a third reason. The third reason is because I had read Maria Bastillo's book Act Like a Gentleman, Think Like a Woman, (Absolutely wonderful book), which was written in response to this book. Those are the reasons I decided to read Act Like a Lady Think Like a Man.

So far I have to say this book is funny, informative and is proof that women are superior to men. Okay now that I have your attention you maybe asking yourself why I say women are superior to men. I will just say that is my opinion. The reason I feel that way is because from just reading 50 pages, I feel that men have no depth to their personalities. Women can handle a lot while a man can only handle 3 things and that is to Profess their love for you, (possibly only once in a blue moon), provide for you and protect you and that is it. Men think that is all that matters, those are important yet a true man can grow and learn to add more to their personalities. Women are able to achieve those 3 elements and also include nurturing, listening, friendship and we can also make sure you get the best damn "cookie" in the bedroom without thinking of ourselves. Yes that is how I feel from reading 50 pages.

Now this book is written in 3 parts. Part 1 is the Mind Set of a Man. My first two paragraphs about sum that section up. Part 2: Why Men do What they do. I could say a few choice words or statements to answer this question but I will wait till late to voice them. Part 3: The Playbook: How to win the Game (Do we really want to?). By winning the game Steve is implying that all women want is the ring.

So I have read part 2 and still I believe that women are superior to men. I also feel that men are very self centered. Now part two discusses Why men are the way they are. Well I will try to say this as nice as possible,Men don't think with their brains, they think with their... you know what they think with. In this book Steve Harvey "enlightens" women to the fact that men do what they do because they can. I have to say that is true, or better yet I will say me do what they do because they think they can. This section informs us that men only want one thing from women and I don't have to tell you what it is. Men also think about women in two ways either a Keeper or a Throw back. Also covered in this section is Why Men Cheat. From personal experience I have to say men cheat because they are a**holes, idiots, and only care about themselves. I do have to say that I found the cheating chapter informative and did help me in realizing that I don't want to be with a man who cheats. Once a man cheats he is always going to be a cheater. Even after being married for 21 years, he will always be a cheater. This section can be helpful if you are open to actually realizing that things about yourself, men and how you handle relationships.

Now onto the Playbook, so that us women can win the true man of our dreams!!! I have to tell you I wrote in this book. Don't get mad or angry, I usually don't write in books but this section allows it and so I decided to do it. So that I can set my standards and get the respect I deserve from a man.

The third section tells us how to get the final prize of the ring. Steve Harvey reiterates over and over again that men are simple beings. They don't think as much about commitment as women do. I found this section very informative in telling women what to do and not to do to gain the commitment they want. Women should not get into deep with a man before asking questions. Steve mentions 5 questions we should ask over a period of time and before giving up the cookie.

There is so much a woman will learn from reading Act Like a Lady, Think like a Man. You will gain a better understanding of how 2 dimensional men really are. Now that I have read Steve Harvey's book I am hoping to try some of his suggestions mentioned in the book. I also found myself analyzing my current relationship which seems on the verge of a divorce. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man is a wonderful book for all women to read.

Remember Women to always act Like a Lady, because it will make your man happy!!!

4 stars

I also finished Nights in Rodanthe and hope to post that review tonight after work. I am currently reading King Lear by William Shakespeare and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

Happy reading all!!

Woo hoo! Glad you're "connected" again. :)

I had almost wanted to read Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man awhile back, but I think it was the book you mentioned above--Act Like a Gentleman, Think Like a Woman--that stole its place, so I'm looking for that one instead.

I have to tell you I wrote in this book.

Gah! The horror, the horror! :O Hopefully it was in pencil.

I am thrilled to be connected again. I am now trying to catch up on my blog, FB and LT.

Yes I wrote in the book and I believe it was in Pencil. I was thinking about copying the pages but then I figured I would have lost those pages and then I would never have remembered what I had written.

Now I am going to post my review for Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

#32. Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

Nights in Rodanthe is another love story by Nicholas Sparks. Adrienne Willis and Paul Flanner are the main characters in Nights in Rodanthe.

Adrienne's husband abandons her for a younger woman and she is heartbroken over it. She is trying to figure out who she is now. Adrienne goes to Rodanthe to look after her friends Inn. Adrienne is hoping to have a relaxing time in Rodanthe except for the major storm that is forecasted. Paul is a doctor who has recently sold his medical practice so that he can go to Ecuador to be with his son and to hopefully repair their relationship.

You can feel the spark between Paul and Adrienne as you read Nights in Rodanthe. With the nor'easter forecast Paul and Adrienne have to prepare the Inn to protect it from the storm. Paul and Adrienne whether the storm together and they get closer very close.

I found myself able to relate to Adrienne in the aspect of having her husband leave her for a younger woman. I was able to understand Adrienne's emotions and her behavior. This made Nights in Rodanthe a pleasure to read.

4 1/2 stars

Just checking in. I have been busy with reading the other threads, work and life. I haven't forgotten any of my challenges nor the books I am reading. I am reading 4 books right now. I hope to finish one by Saturday because it is due back at the library on Saturday.

I would love for everyone to check out my blog at:

http://bookandmoviechat.blogspot.com/

I try to write on there often when I have my internet connection. I know I am not a prolific writer like some people I know that have blogs or even those that just post on here.

Happy reading all and I look forward to reading more comments and threads!!

Note to Self: Visit Monica's blog. :)

I know what you mean about some people being really prolific. I wish I had the time to fit reading and writing in in one day, but I'll settle for just reading for now. Which reminds me, I think I have a neglected blog somewhere out there that I really need to just delete. Thanks for the reminder!

Thanks for stopping by Sara. Yes I don't feel like a writer at all. I just like to write how I feel and not get all prolific and use extremely long words. I have thought about deleting my blog at times but then I just can't do that. I like to have somewhere to vent at times.

I finished a book today. I don't think I will be reaching 100 books this year unless I really start reading every night for a good hour or more at a time. Here is my review:

#33. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

Well I just finished reading Julie and Julia, the book about the blogger that decided to cook all the recipes in Master the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. I don't even know where to begin with this review. I didn't love the book that is one thing. I didn't really hate the book either. I just know that I will never try to Master the Art of French Cooking. I like to cook but I wouldn't want to torture myself or anyone that I am cooking for either.

I had decided to read Julie and Julia since I had seen parts of the movie already. I enjoyed most of the movie that I have seen. I hope to watch the movie from beginning to end at some point then I can give a better review of the movie.

There are a few things that I didn't care for in the book and that was the ramblings of Julie. The book just felt like she did a lot of rambling and whining. She would complain about her real job, her decision to do this project, her friends, her biological clock ticking away, her mother, etc. You name it she complained about it. It was funny at first but after awhile it became annoying and I noticed that I would skim over those parts. Julie also had a very foul mouth during this project, whether this is a reflection of how she really handles stress or her actual personality I really can't say. I just know that saying the 'f' word as often as she did just doesn't make me think of her as a lady or female.

I would love to hear from some of her followers from the blog. It would be interesting to really just see what they found so fascinating about her project let alone how they actually found the blog and decided to stick with her through the whole project.

I can not tell you to read or not to read this book. You have to decide for yourself because it is not something I feel everyone will enjoy reading. I am not one that will only read so many pages before I decide to stop reading. I will read a book to the end so that I can give it a full review. I may soon decide to start saying that if I am not enjoying the book from either 50 to 100 pages in then I should stop reading the book.

If you love to cook you may enjoy reading this book. If you have Master the Art of French Cooking you may be able to enjoy the book even more since you will undoubtedly be familiar with all if not most of the recipes Julie attempts. I have to give this book about 2 stars. Just not my cup of tea...

Another book down!!

#34. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I love my Library Book Club because they always choose the best books to read. I don't think I have had one book that I didn't enjoy reading.

The Help is the story of living in Mississippi during the 1960's. The story is told by a black maid working for a white family. The main characters of the book are Skeeter, Aibileen, amd Minny. Aibileen and Minny are both maids. Skeeter is a white woman who just graduated from Ole Miss.

The story is about change and realizing that there is no difference between the races. Miss Skeeter starts to realize how different she is compared to her friends. She doesn't seem to feel the same about the treatment of the blacks in the south.

I enjoyed the story because I was able to get the feel of what it was like to be a black woman living in Mississippi and working for the white families. I loved seeing how the children behaved so well for the maid more then their own parents. It is hard to visualize how these ladies must have felt seeing the mothers of some of the kids just not wanting anything to do with their own children.

The Help is the idea of Miss Skeeter, she wants to show the black womens point of view.
Aibileen is the maid who is the most helpful to Miss Skeeter. Minny is every white womens biggest fear, she is sassy and sometimes her mouth gets her in trouble. I feel in love with each and everyone of the maids in this book.

As I read the book I thought about how people I know act around the many different races. Sometimes they are nice to the people yet will talk about them when they aren't around. It turns my stomach to think that there are still people with such closed mindedness living in this world today.

5 stars

Happy reading all!! Now I just need to finish the other 3 books I am reading and I will probably be starting another one from the library this weekend.

I keep reading great reviews on LT, including your review above, regarding The Help. I am going to try and work it into one of my challenge reads for next year.

Thanks for the comment. I highly recommend The Help. I hope you are able to work it in for next year.

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading.

The Help is really popular at my library right now too. A couple of my coworkers have read/recommend it, but I doubt I get to it this year. Unless I find a copy to buy, of coure. :) Glad you liked it!

The Help is a great book. I finished 2 books this week. Thank God. I am so behind on my reading and now I have 2 ER books to read and review plus I am still waiting for 3 more to arrive. So I will be reading a lot in the next couple of weeks.

Here is my review for number 35

#35. Cape Refuge by Terri Blackstock

I finished this book over the weekend and have to say that I really enjoyed the story. This is a Christian Fiction book and not the first one I have read. Cape Refuge was well written and was able to keep my attention.

I didn't feel like I was being preached to the whole time. The main characters were Blair and Morgan. Morgan has the faith and Blair questions the faith very often. When reading Cape Refuge I was able to understand how Blair could have doubts about God.

The story is about Blair and Morgan's parents business of taking in the less fortunate. They could be ex-cons, people down on their luck, even runaways. The town of Cape Refuge want to close Hanover House, and Thelma and Wayne are murdered. Now a mystery is added.

This is an E-Book and I got it for free so I was not worried about liking it or not. I figured I will try anything that is free.

5 stars

#36. Open by Andre Agassi

I am not a huge fan of tennis but Andre Agassi is one tennis player I always enjoyed watching and hearing about. I did not realize he had written an autobiography so when our Library Book Club chose this book I was pleasantly surprised.

As I read Open I found myself trying to remember some of his matches and the way he played or reacted to the way he was playing. Andre wrote from the heart about his dislike for tennis and yet he kept playing. He wrote about his relationship with Brooke Shields.

I enjoyed reading the book and realizing how he matured during his career. Andre doesn't hide about how immature he was during his young days of playing tennis. I realized while reading this book how intense tennis can be for some players. How they talk in their heads and sometimes that is what causes them to lose the game. I now look at tennis in a very different way.

I also enjoyed seeing the pictures that Andre included in the book. Pictures of him and his family, etc. I also learned that there is an Andre Academy in Las Vegas. I found that very interesting considering Andre never finished school and in his own words 'what a contradiction he is'.

5 stars

#37. Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo

This is the second book I have read by Linda Castillo and I have to say she didn't disappoint in this book at all. When I had seen the book being offered in the ER program I was thrilled and hoped I would win it. I didn't win the first book in the ER program I won that in the member giveaway and was surprised after reading it that I had not won it in the ER program because it is my type of book.

Pray for Silence is a wonderfully written mystery, suspense, thriller with a little bit of romance mixed in for good measure. We are back in Painters Mills in Ohio; a small town and Amish community. The book starts out with the discovery of a brutal murder of an Amish family. At first glance it looks like a murder/suicide until the coroner explains that the trajectory of the bullet that killed the father was not self inflicted. It is a senseless murder of 5 children and their parents.

Chief Kate Burkholder gets very close to this case, since she was once Amish and she was excommunicated from the Amish Community. This is a help and a draw back for her. She knows the workings of the Amish and is sometimes able to appeal to their certain sense of religion to help the English.

We learn more about why Kate was excommunicated from the Amish and why the case meant so much to her. She feels that this is a little bit of getting revenge for what happened to her. John Tomasetti is back in the picture with is confusing personality. You can feel the romance between Kate and John even as they both try to deny it. They both have stuff in their pasts that they are hiding form each other and they know it.

If you read Linda Castillo's first book Sworn to Silence and enjoyed it then pick up a copy of Pray for Silence. If you haven't read Linda's books then I suggest you run to the nearest book store and pick up your copies!!

5 stars

I will be starting my next ER book Outside Wonderland then I will hopefully be able to finish the books I had started over a month ago.

Congrats on actually winning an ER book you wanted! :) I stopped getting my hopes up after I lost out on a Chelsea Cain book (really love her Heartsick series). Good luck with Outside Wonderland. Hope it's good!

Thanks. I was thrilled with winning Pray for Silence. I was surprised when I didn't win her first book when it was offered on ER. It matched me perfectly. I have won a few books lately and I never really remember if I really wanted it at first. I look at them in the beginning and then I forget about them by the end of the month.
I am enjoying Outside Wonderland even though I am only 25 pages into it.

I have been so busy with life I haven't had enough time to sit down and read as often as I would like. I am still reading Outside Wonderland The book is enjoyable but it hasn't grabbed me like Pray for Silence did. I wrote a short review so far just to at least voice what I thought of it so far.

I just found out I won another ER book for October. I am now waiting on 3 ER books to be delivered. I can see it now, they will all be coming in at the same time and I won't know which one to read first. And they all look so interesting.

I will hopefully do some reading tonight before I go to bed or during the commercials of my shows.

Hopefully I will be able to post another review soon. And I still have to find my library book club book that I am supposed to be reading.

Happy Reading all!

Congrats on more ER wins! :) Which ones are you expecting? You're probably right--they'll all be delivered the same day or week--so good luck figuring out which one to read first.

Hi Sara,

I am still waiting for:

Damaged by Alex Kava from July 2010
Blind Man's Alley by Justin Peacock from August 2010

I did receive my October win The Reckoning by Howard Owen and I am finishing up my September win Outside Wonderland.

I did read a book the other night before going to bed. Here is my review:

#38. Pooh goes Visiting by A.A. Milne

I decided to read this book one night when I just couldn't fall asleep and too also use for this challenge in the YA/Children category. Pooh Goes Visiting is about Pooh going to visit his friend Rabbit. Pooh gets himself in a tight spot after he has eaten too much honey while visiting with Rabbit.

Just a nice easy, light read before bed.

I will be posting my review for Outside Wonderland soon. I am not enjoying the book all that much. It isn't a bad book just hasn't grabbed me like I thought it would.

Oh, wow, that's a long wait for a book. But then I'm still holding out for Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland from the August 2008 batch--lol. I think I can safely say it's not coming. ;) At least you got your October ER book; that's a plus. Sorry to hear your September book isn't working out though. Maybe next time. (fingers crossed)

Btw, I'm glad you liked the Pooh Goes Visiting book. :) It reminded me that I still have an unread collection of Pooh Bear books somewhere around here. Hopefully I'll get to it before the end of the year.

I hope to finish my September book this week. I did finish another book this morning. This one is for my library book club. Here is my review:

#39. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

This book is about the internment of the Japanese in America during World War 2. I read this book for my library book club and again they made a wonderful choice. The book is set in Seattle Washington.

The two main characters in this book are Henry and Keiko and their families. Henry is Chinese and his father is of the belief that the Japanese are all evil and out to destroy China and America. Keiko is a Japanese girl that Henry meets at the white school they both attend. At first Henry is conflicted about Keiko because of his family.

Keiko thinks of herself as an American. She was born in America and speaks English. She does not know any Japanese which Henry learns after he says a phrase to her in Japanese. Keiko is impressed when she learns what the phrase really meant. Henry and Keiko become friends.

Keiko and her family are then sent away to camps. America is afraid that the Japanese who live in America are all spies and are going to help Japan attack the USA. They move all Japanese inland. Henry works in the cafeteria at school and the lady in charge there offers Henry a job on the weekends to help out at Camp Minodaka. Henry knows that this is where Keiko and her family have been sent. He hopes to find Keiko and is relieved when he does find her.

Even though they are both so far away from each other you can see that they truly do love and care for each other a lot. Henry promises to wait for her even if it is years.

I found myself crying and feeling sorry for Henry and Keiko as they struggled during this war time. The story goes back and forth from 1942 to 1986 etc. So you are reliving the events through Henry's memories. The story is wonderfully written and captivates the reader with the heart of the story.

5 stars

Now to go and read my Outside Wonderland by Lorna Jane Cook Then I need to start my October book.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet looks good! There were a few internment camps here in WA, even one a few miles away from where I live. It's now part of the Puyallup Fair, of all things, so it's kind of hard for me to understand everyone's excitment over the fair sometimes. Most people here aren't aware of what it used to be. Even I didn't, until I took an Asian history class in high school. Funny that they don't talk about that in our Washington history class. :/ Anywho, I'll have to look for that book sometime. Thanks! :)

I never knew anything about the internment camps until I read this book. Now I am curious to learn more. I believe there is so much not mentioned in our history books.

I totally agree! Good luck with your search.

Seems like there were a couple of YA books about internment camps. Journey to Topaz is one of them. I read it back in the early 1990s and really enjoyed it. I wish I could think of some of the others I've read over the years.

Hi Thornton, I will have to look for YA books on internment camps and I will definitely look for Journey to Topaz. Thanks for stopping by!!

Here is another review. Yes I finally finished my book Outside Wonderland by Lorna Jane Cook

#40. Outside Wonderland by Lorna Jane Cook

I finally finished the book. It took me awhile to get into the story line.

The story is about 3 children who lose their mother and then they lose their father and are raised by their grandmother. Now the story is following each of them during their lives, while their parents are watching from the great beyond.

As the story progressed I found some of the characters growing on me. The 2 children are Alice, Griffin and Dinah. Their mother died when the youngest Dinah was about a year old. Then the father takes them to Greece a few years later and then he dies. Now the children are left to be raised by their grandmother.

As you read the story you are seeing the children grown up while their parents watch at different times. I really found myself getting into the story by about Chapter 12. By that chapter I felt like I had finally gotten to accept the characters.

I have to say the ending of the book was better then I thought it would be. I did eventually like the book I just can't say I loved the book.

3 1/2 stars

#41. Richard Scarry's ABC's by Richard Scarry

This is a cute book to help children learn the letters. I read the book just to pass the time before bed. I needed something that was light and easy plus it has been on my shelves for so long I figured it was about time I read it.

#42. The Ugly Duckling by Landoll

I love the Ugly Duckling story and love reading all the different versions and re-writes of this classic fairy tale.

This one is retold by Dandi. This is just a story of how not to judge a book by it's cover. Don't take everything at face value. And that we should always accept people for who they are and not for how they look.

#43. What's for Lunch by John Schindel

I remember reading this book to my son and daughter when they were little. I then remember when they were able to read it to me and how proud I was of them.

Just a book about a mouse pondering what is for lunch. When a cat comes along and says to the mouse that I am going to eat you.

It is just nice to see the mouse get his lunch and scare all the other animals away.

Yes you can tell I was bored last night. Plus I figured I may as well try to get through some of my kids books to clear off shelves and to possibly finish a category.

Hopefully I will finish a book over this holiday weekend.

Well, if reading kids books indicates you're bored, then I'm definitely bored all the time. ;) I love Richard Scarry's books (though I don't own one--yet); I love The Ugly Duckling story too (don't own that version, though); and I've never even heard of What's for Lunch, so I'll have to look for it at work this weekend. Thanks! :)

Maybe it isn't so much as being bored but wanting to finish a category that I know is easy and to up my number of books read this year. I read some of my current book and then I just want to read something that I know I can read in 10 to 15 minutes. Well I did that this week. I read 4 books one night before going to bed here are those reviews:

#44. The Elves and the Shoemaker

The story of the Shoemaker who is very poor and about to lose his shop. He has some leather and he cuts it before leaving the store.

When he returns the next day there is a pair of beautiful shoes on the table. The shoemaker sells the shoes and has enough money to buy leather to make two pairs of shoes. He cuts the leather and leave it on the table again.

He returns the next day and there are 2 pairs of shoes better than the ones from the previous day. The shoemaker's wife and himself wonder who is making the shoes. They decide to stay one day to see who is making the shoes.

When they discover who is making the shoes they decide to make clothes for the elves.

5 stars

#45. Manatee Winter by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld

This is a book about how Manatee's survive in the winter. The book describes how Manatee's are almost extinct and how they are now protected. You will learn how Manatee's look for warmer waters to live in during the winter months.

5 stars

#46. Arthur writes a story by Marc Brown

Arthur has an assignment to write a story for Mr. Ratburn's class. Arthur wants to write a story about how he got his dog. When he reads the story to D.W. she says it is boring. So Arthur thinks twice about submitting that story.

He writes another story and shares it with others and he gets mixed reviews. Arthur wants to write the best story and so he creates this whole fiction story that when he reads it in class all the students question him about it.

He finally admits to Mr. Ratburn what his true story was supposed to be and when he reads that one from memory everyone loves it.

5 stars

#47. Arthur's Christmas by Marc Brown

Arthur wants to buy a present for Santa. He is worried about Santa really liking his gift. Arthur puts a lot of thought into his gift and decides to make his gift.

Arthur finds Santa eating at different times and sees what he orders. Arthur then goes home and makes all of Santa's favorite.

D.W. decided to fix Arthur's present and on Christmas day a letter is left from Santa.

Very cute story.

5 stars

Oh, awesome. You're pretty much done with your children's category. Congrats! :)

Yeah I finished my Children's category!! Here is my review for my last book:

#48. Cinderella by Henry W. Hewet

I downloaded this book for free last night and I decided to read the story last night. This was a very enjoyable story and different then the little fairy tale stories you read about Cinderella.

The story starts out with Cinderella living with her mother and father. When Cinderella is 9 years old her mother falls ill and dies. Her father remarries this widow down the street who has two girls that are not as pretty at Cinderella. Her stepmother is jealous of how beautiful Cinderella is and makes here do all the chores.

I enjoyed this story do to the fact that Cinderella goes to two balls and not just one. I am glad to have read a different version of Cinderella.

5 stars

Now I am going up to my bed to try and finish my ER book and to hopefully start my book for the library book club.

#49. The Reckoning by Howard Owen

Wow is what I have to say about this book. When I started reading it I wasn't grabbed at the very beginning. I don't know if it was the style of writing that didn't capture my attention or if it was just moving so slow to begin with.

This is a story about a man and his son. The father is named George Jame and the son is name Jake. George's wife dies in the beginning of the book and you see how their lives have changed. As you are reading the book you are taken to the past life of George James, when he was in college. The reason for this is because George's friend Freeman is staying in their house.

Going into the past is just so that you can learn things about Freeman and the relationship between George and Freeman. Does George really know his friend Freeman or has he turned a blind eye to his misgivings. I found the story slow at first but growing as you continued to read the book.

The ending of the book was very suspenseful and kept me interested that I didn't want to put the book down until I was finished it.

5 stars

#50. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

I finally finished this book. The only reason it took me so long to read this book is because I had some ER books that needed to be read before I could finish this book. I am glad I waited until I finished those books to read this one. I was able to concentrate on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

I really enjoyed the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I had seen a play this summer and that is why I decided to read the book. I wanted to see how the book was compared to the play. The book was just as good as the play I had seen.

I have to say that this story is fantastic and as I was reading it I could tell that it was about the two personalities people have in themselves. The good and the evil that are always fighting inside you. I found it interesting when I read the letter from Henry Jekyll about how this all came about.

The afterword by Jerome Charyn was very well written and informs the reader about the author and some of the possible connections between the characters and Robert Louis Stevenson.

5 stars

I am thrilled to be at the half way mark. I know I won't finish this challenge but I am glad to have tried and will continue to read and do one again next year.

Congratulations! Even though it's not about the numbers, it's nice to hit a benchmark. Glad to hear you'll be around next year!

Thanks VictoriaPL!! I have just been so busy I haven't had much time to set aside to read. I did finish one book today and will be posting my review below.

Here is my review for book #51.

#51. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

I have to say this is not going to be a good review. I did not like this book. It took me until about Chapter 16 to really start getting into the book and there are only 28 chapters. Even after getting that far I still had to force myself to finish the book. I really just skimmed the last few pages.

The Postmistress is set in 1941 and follows mainly 3 women through the whole book. The Postmaster(mistress) Iris, Mrs. Fitch and Frankie Bard. Mrs. Fitch is the local doctors wife of the Massachusetts town of Franklin, where this story takes place. Frankie Bard is a reporter who is reporting from London about the war. Iris is the Postmistress in Franklin.

Mrs. Fitch's husband decides to go over to London after a patient of his dies. The patient was a woman who died while giving birth to her 6 child. He feels he must help some how. So we follow Mrs. Fitch getting letters and the post office. The doctor you see in London where Frankie Bard and him meet up during a bombing and are in a shelter.

I really didn't feel this story at all. The postmistress was supposed to stop sending the mail during the war, that is what I interpreted out of the little synopsis that I had read. It just seems that all she really did was keep a letter from Mrs. Fitch when letters stop coming from the doctor. It is a letter that the doctor gave to Iris before he left, in case he died.

I cannot recommend this book just because I didn't enjoy it.

2 stars

Now I will be starting my December ER book Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag. Hopefully I will finish some of the other books I had started a few months ago.
Happy Reading All!!

Check out my 11 in 11 challenge here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/103263

I also plan to try the 75 book challenge in 2011!! Hope to see some of you there.

Looking forward to next year, I am also going to join the 75 book challenge in 2011 - See you there!

I have been sitting on the fence waffling as to whether I want to read The Postmistress or not - glad to know I can happily come off the fence and ignore the book.

I'll probably do the 75 books challenge, too, next year. Or maybe the 100 one if I can really, really push myself. Best of luck! :) Can't wait to see what you'll be reading next year.

#157: I'm sorry I couldn't give The Postmistress a good review. I love reading books with a little history mixed in but this book didn't excite me or really draw me in. Yes ignore the book. If you get really desperate because you run out of something to read then go for it. ;)

Sara, I hope to see you in the 75 books challenge if not I will look for you in the 100 one. I am actually thinking about what books to read next year. Not making a list but just thinking about what I would like to read.

Now tonight I finished another book. I have now read a total of 52 books this year. That is like reading one book a week.... :) I finished my November ER book Here is my review:

#52. Deeper Than the Dead Tami Hoag

This book is awesome. Deeper Than the Dead grabbed my attention right from the start. Once I started reading the book I couldn't put it down. This is my first time reading Tami Hoag. I have seen her books and have thought about buying them but always decide on something else. Now I know I will be buying or asking for her books from now on.

Deeper Than the Dead is a phrase or description they use to describe the FBI's BSU department. They are in an area Deeper Than the Dead. The story is set in 1985. This is before forensic evidence was able to be examined like it is now. 1985 is about the time when Behavioral Profiles were beginning to be discussed and formed. Behavioral Science was new and police were skeptical in actually trusting Profilers.

Deeper Than the Dead takes place in California. Vince is the FBI man who goes to this town to help one of his past students who took a course at the FBI's National Academy, Mendez. Mendez is Chief Deputy and has a cunning ability and potential to become a member of the FBI. I really enjoyed these two characters and the way they interacted with each other and with the rest of the characters in the book.

Deeper Than the Dead has a murder mystery as the plot. There is a serial killer in this town even though there are at first only 2 deaths. That is why Vince is brought in, to be able to discover more about the UNSUB. I enjoyed this book for the fact that you are given enough information so that you can start forming your ideas as to who the UNSUB actually is.

I realized that I was comparing the book to actually tv shows and movies I have watched involving the FBI. The interesting thing about this book is the fact that it is during a time when there is no DNA analysis, finger printing is done manually and there are no computers or national databases to search for similar crimes. You knew the UNSUB had to make a mistake for the police to be able to solve the crime.

I highly recommend this book for those who enjoy mystery, thrillers and suspense with a little bit of romance thrown in.

5 stars

Now I am going to try and read tomorrow one of the books that I started awhile ago.

I haven't read a Tami Hoag book in years. I'm glad you liked your first by her. :) Her older stuff was a little heavier on the romance than the suspense (which I didn't really like), so I'm sure Deeper Than the Dead will be a better read for me. Thanks! I'll keep my eyes peeled for it.

I loved Tami Hoag and I know I will be looking for more of her works now. I will have to check out her older works just to give them a try.

I finished my last book for the year 2010!! I am thrilled to have finally finished one more book before the new year. Here is my last review for 2010:

#53. King Lear by William Shakespeare

Took me awhile to read this book due to life taking over my reading time. I also just wasn't interested in reading the play for awhile. The Tragedy of King Lear is a well written play by William Shakespeare. I have only read one other work by Shakespeare and that is Romeo and Juliet.

I enjoyed the story of King Lear, I just wish I had a better understanding of his English writing to fully understand Shakespeare's works.

4 1/2 stars

I will be doing the 11 in 11 challenge, 75 book challenge and trying to finish my books off the shelf challenge. I believe that is all the challenges I will be doing in 2011!!

Happy New Year everyone!!