Cataluna's 100 Books in 2010 Challenge

I'll also start posting in 2010. I've a faint, yet scary feeling in the back of my head that I've bought more than I can read, (story of my life), my TBR pile never seems to go down! I've got a number of challenges going for 2010, hopefully I can keep up with all of them :)

January

1. The Third Day, The Frost by John Marsden

2. Deep Black by Andy McNab

3. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

4. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

5. Darkness Be My Friend by John Marsden

6. Burning For Revenge by John Marsden

7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You by Brian K. Vaughan and Joss Whedon

8. King Arthur: Excalibur Unsheathed by Jeff Limke

9. Ghost Rider by Daniel Way

10. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

11. Thor & Loki in the Land of Giants by Jeff Limke

12. Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Guilty Pleasures Volume One by Laurel K. Hamilton

13. Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Guilty Pleasures Volume Two by Laurel K. Hamilton.

14. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

February

15. Dear Me: A Letter To My Sixteen-Year-Old Self edited by Joseph Galliano

16. Came Back To Show You I Could Fly by Robin Klein

17. The Secret lives of men and women: a PostSecret book by Frank Warren

18. Simon’s Cat by Simon Tofield

19. Demolition Angel by Robert Crais

20. The Usborne Book of Famous Paintings by Rosie Dickins

21. Water Baby by Ross Campbell

22. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L. J. Smith.

23. Before the Storm by Diane Chamberlain

March

24. Nauti Intentions by Lora Leigh

25. Speed Bumps by Ken Caspar

26. In the Groove by Pamela Britton

27. Post Secret by Frank Warren

28. Love Vintage: A Passion for Collecting Fashion by Nicole Jenkins

29. The Other 51 Weeks by Lee Welch

30. Fundamentals of children's services by Michael Sullivan

31. Total Control By Pamela Britton

32. The Ghost’s Child by Sonya Hartnett

33. Burnout by Rebecca Donner

April

34. Area 7 by Matthew Reilly

35. Male Call: Hot Zone 1 by Denise A. Agnew

36. Unconditional Surrender: Hot Zone 2 by Denise A. Agnew

37. Private Maneuvers: Hot Zone 3 by Denise A. Agnew

20. Close Quarters: Hot Zone 4 by Denise A. Agnew

38. In Her Defense by Denise A. Agnew

39. Under His Protection by Denise A. Agnew

40. Within His Embrace by Denise A. Agnew

May

41. Ice by Linda Howard

42. My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent

43. No Longer Mine by Shiloh Walker

44. Always Yours by Shiloh Walker

45. Colters’ Wife by Maya Banks

46. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (Book Club - May)

47. The Successor by Ismail Kadare (Book Club - Jan)

June

48. How to Ditch your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

49. Fry’s English Delight presented by Stephen Fry.

50. Isis & Osiris: To the ends of the earth by Jeff Limke

51. Angel: Autumnal by Christopher Golden

52. Lenore: Noogies by Roman Dirge

53. Shoot to Thrill by Nina Bruhns

54. Avalon High 1: The Merlin Prophecy by Meg Cabot

55. Avalon High 2: Homecoming by Meg Cabot

56. Avalon High 3: Hunter’s Moon by Meg Cabot

57. Fractured by Karin Slaughter

July

58. Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

59. If Looks Could Chill by Nina Bruhns

60. A Kiss to Kill by Nina Bruhns

61. Stormwalker by Allyson James

62. Shift by Rachel Vincent

63. My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent

64. Beautiful Girl by Shiloh Walker

65. Love in the Time of Zombies by Paul Gude

66. My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

67. Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud

August

68. The Brazen Bride by Stehanie Laurens

69. Back in Black by Lori Foster

70. Fantasty Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon

71. 13 more Tales of Terror ed. by A. Finnis

72. Night Game by Christine Feehan

73. Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon

74. Indigo Slam by Robert Crais

75. Stalking the Angel by Robert Crais

76. Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais

77. Baby Bonanza by Maureen Child

78. Bucked: Studs in Spurs by Cat Johnson

79. Her Best Friend's Lover by Shiloh Walker

80. Kate's Crew by Jayne Rylon

81. The Peculiar Superpowers of Eleanor Armstrong by K. A. Schloegel

82. Understood: Unbroken by Maya Banks

83. Overheard: Unbroken by Maya Banks

84. Undenied: Unbroken by Maya Banks

85. Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl

86. The Wicked West by Victoria Dahl

87. Chosen by P.C. & Kristen Cast

September

88. Dragon Prime by Lora Leigh

89. Jack Said by Paul Tanter

90. Exclusive by Sandra Brown

91. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

92. Strange Angel’s by Lili St. Crow

93. Billionaire’s Contract Engagement by Maya Banks

94. Take me if you Dare by Candace Havens

95. Sweet Surrender by Maya Banks

96. Sweet Persuasion by Maya Banks

97. Sweet Seduction by Maya Banks

98. Sweet Temptation by Maya Banks

October

99. Garfield Weighs his Options by Jim Davis

100. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

101. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

102. Spike: After the Fall by Brian Lynch; art by Franco Urru

103. Betrayals by Lili St. Crow

104. Big Girl by Danielle Steel

105. The Grey Man by Andy McNab

106. Never slow dance with a zombie by E. Van Lowe

107. Jelousy by Lili St. Crow

108. The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod: Eight Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

109. One Summer by Nora Roberts

110. Lessons Learned by Nora Roberts

I loved Marsden's Tomorrow series! The followup series, The Ellie Chronicles, isn't quite as good, but you've inspired me to request the last book in that series from the library.

Have you read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins? It has the same kind of feel as the Tomorrow series - technically Science Fiction, but more like a survival story with some romance mixed in.

>3 BookLizard:

I honestly don't know why I've never read them before, I love Marsden's other work, just never got around to it. It's a pity about the second series, I think Ellie is one of my fave characters, so it'll be disappointing if the second series isn't as good.

I'm looking foward to reading The Hunger Games, lots have people have been recommending it. It's made it onto my TBR pile, but I've been reading other stuff instead, I'll have to make it one of my next books. Have you read the second in the series yet? I'd be interested to know if it's as good.

It's been a little while since I read The Ellie Chronicles (the first 2 books). Parts of them were good, but I think the first part of the second book was kind of slow. They weren't a complete letdown, just not as good as the original series.

I just read Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games this weekend. It was pretty unputdownable. I'd say it's as good as the original. It feels like a natural continuation of the same story, if you know what I mean - like The Lord of the Rings is one story that can be broken into three parts.

I didn't think I'd like The Hunger Games - it's not the type of book I normally read - but I'd heard so many good things about it, I had to see for myself. I hope you enjoy it!

Looks like I'll have to add Catching Fire to my TBR pile as well. I definately have lots to keep me out of mischief this year!

I'll have to have a break between the tomorrow series and Ellie Chronicles - perhaps absence will make the heart grow fonder and I'll enjoy them more :)

1. The Third Day, The Frost by John Marsden

I'm enjoying the series more as it goes on, Marsden is a brilliant writer. I like how one of the characters is 'writing' the books. It helps to put the reader in among the story. This time Ellie and Co are further afield, trying to stay alive, planning more missions, with one in Cobblers Bay their biggest yet.

2. Deep Black by Andy McNab

Nick Stone’s future has never looked so bleak. The only person he’s ever loved has died. The only people who might give him a reason not to join her have turned their backs. Until a chance encounter with a man he saved ten years ago appears to throw him a lifeline. But on the bullet and bomb scarred streets of Baghdad, second chances are in short supply. A simple quest becomes a journey to the heart of a chilling conspiracy.

This is the seventh book in the Nick Stone series and I again enjoyed it a lot. McNab certainly has a way with words and his thrillers are fast paced and action packed. I’ve now come to the conclusion any characters other than George (Nick’s boss) or Nick, suffer from the JCVD effect, (they tend to die).

McNab is ex-SAS so I’m sure he would understand the positive effects humour has in tense times, which I’m guessing is where all the dark funnies come from. Some things really shouldn’t be, but the way they are written, you can’t help but laugh. There are a number of times when I’ve been reading one of the series and I’ve laughed out loud. I think that is why I like reading them so much.

3. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

From her first moment at Merryweather High, Melinda Sordino knows she’s an outcast. Her old friends won’t talk to her and people she doesn’t know glare at her. If only she could explain…but she just can’t find the words.

The writing really captures the experience of high school (for some). Anderson has done a fantastic job, I think having the whole story told first person by Melinda illustrates the loneliness she feels. She’s so altered by an event (which she describes near the end), that she shuts down, doesn’t speak and hides in closets, both at home and school. It’s not until the end that she is able to tell someone what has happened and her relationship with her art teacher, Mr. Freeman is elemental in this – (I loved Steve Zahn’s portrayal in the movie, he was brilliant).

I also enjoyed the humour in Speak, I thought the whole frozen turkey on Thanksgiving hilarious and Melinda herself is quite funny, which helps to lighten some of the darker moments in the book, without making it all seem trivial.

4. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Will Tiny Tim live to see another Christmas? Can Scrooge recover his humanity and learn to love the fellow men he seems to despise? Dickens will make you laugh and make you cry as you follow Scrooge’s supernatural adventures on Christmas Eve…

This is the first time I’ve read the original story, I’ve read or watched the Disney (Mickey Mouse), adaptation. Finally reading the original version I thoroughly enjoyed it. A Christmas Carol was funnier than I thought it would be. Dickens has a beautiful way of writing, describing the drabness of London perfectly. I haven’t read much of Dickens’, but I know have more of an understanding of why my Poppa loved his books so much.

5. Darkness Be My Friend by John Marsden

Touchstone not working.

After spending time in New Zealand, Ellie and Co are returning to Wirrawee to help the NZ Army to coordinate an attack on the air force base there. I love the emotion Marsden puts into his characters, even though these kids are in the middle of a war he still allows them to be kids – make stupid mistakes, be petty with each other. The great thing is – they don’t know everything, they don’t have all the answers, they’re just trying to live.

6. Burning For Revenge by John Marsden

After the debacle with the air force attack the gang is still in Wirrawee after asking to be picked up by the NZ army, (they’re told they can’t spare the resources). So they have to sit tight until the cavalry comes. But rather than playing it safe in Hell, they decide to head to back into Wirrawee to try find the NZ Army people that have disappeared. After they are forced to flee to Stratton, the book gets even more exciting, with a very scary truck riding ending in the opportunity for the group to pull of the biggest attack they’ve attempted so far,

7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You by Brian K. Vaughan and Joss Whedon.

While Buffy is busy trying to uncover the mysterious new Big Bad known only as ‘Twilight’, Giles takes on a mission of his own that will require a Slayer who can handle a little dirty work. He recruits the notoriously rebellious Faith for an undercover job that demands her well-known penchant for violence. She must infiltrate the estate of a rogue Slayer and put a stop to this girl’s evil deeds no matter the cost.

This second volume has issues 6-9 of BtVS Season 8. The volume I had also included issue #10 “Anywhere But Here”, written by Joss. I’m glad that it was decided to have a season eight of Buffy, I’ve been a fan for a long time so I’m always happy to have more, even if it’s only in print.

I love the illustrations, they have fantastic colours and the illustrator has really captured the essence of the characters, from little things like facial expressions to the whole package. The writing is solid, I enjoy the different stories that are coming about now that Sunnydale no longer has a Hellmouth and it will be interesting to see where he takes this season’s Big Bad and what he does with the tension between Buffy and Faith.

It’s also great to be able to see more of Faith, she’s often pushed aside in favour of Buffy and while she may not be the most moral of characters I really like her. I also liked being showed a different side of her with this story.

7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You by Brian K. Vaughan and Joss Whedon.

While Buffy is busy trying to uncover the mysterious new Big Bad known only as ‘Twilight’, Giles takes on a mission of his own that will require a Slayer who can handle a little dirty work. He recruits the notoriously rebellious Faith for an undercover job that demands her well-known penchant for violence. She must infiltrate the estate of a rogue Slayer and put a stop to this girl’s evil deeds no matter the cost.

This second volume has issues 6-9 of BtVS Season 8. The volume I had also included issue #10 “Anywhere But Here”, written by Joss. I’m glad that it was decided to have a season eight of Buffy, I’ve been a fan for a long time so I’m always happy to have more, even if it’s only in print.

I love the illustrations, they have fantastic colours and the illustrator has really captured the essence of the characters, from little things like facial expressions to the whole package. The writing is solid, I enjoy the different stories that are coming about now that Sunnydale no longer has a Hellmouth and it will be interesting to see where he takes this season’s Big Bad and what he does with the tension between Buffy and Faith.

It’s also great to be able to see more of Faith, she’s often pushed aside in favour of Buffy and while she may not be the most moral of characters I really like her. I also liked being showed a different side of her with this story.

7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You by Brian K. Vaughan and Joss Whedon.

While Buffy is busy trying to uncover the mysterious new Big Bad known only as ‘Twilight’, Giles takes on a mission of his own that will require a Slayer who can handle a little dirty work. He recruits the notoriously rebellious Faith for an undercover job that demands her well-known penchant for violence. She must infiltrate the estate of a rogue Slayer and put a stop to this girl’s evil deeds no matter the cost.

This second volume has issues 6-9 of BtVS Season 8. The volume I had also included issue #10 “Anywhere But Here”, written by Joss. I’m glad that it was decided to have a season eight of Buffy, I’ve been a fan for a long time so I’m always happy to have more, even if it’s only in print.

I love the illustrations, they have fantastic colours and the illustrator has really captured the essence of the characters, from little things like facial expressions to the whole package. The writing is solid, I enjoy the different stories that are coming about now that Sunnydale no longer has a Hellmouth and it will be interesting to see where he takes this season’s Big Bad and what he does with the tension between Buffy and Faith.

It’s also great to be able to see more of Faith, she’s often pushed aside in favour of Buffy and while she may not be the most moral of characters I really like her. I also liked being showed a different side of her with this story.

8. King Arthur: Excalibur Unsheathed by Jeff Limke

Young Arthur spends his days toiling as a squire – feeding the horses and hauling his big brother’s armor. Around him, England is in turmoil, left without a King. But all that changes in one day, with one pull on the mysterious Sword in the Stone. Guided by Merlin the Magician, Arthur takes his place as the rightful heir to England’s throne. He receives the sword Excalibur and wins the loyalty of the Knights of the Round Table. But can the young king win peace and freedom fro England?

This is another of the Graphic Universe titles, the use of modern english in this comic seems less out of place than previous titles I’ve read. I quite enjoyed reading it, the comic itself has nice use of colour and I like the illustrations.

The other thing I like about this series is that there are further reading resources at the end of it. So if there’s something that you liked about the story, e.g.: the Knights of the Round Table, they have info on some other books and a website.

9. Ghost Rider by Daniel Way

Once upon a time, Johnny Blaze made a deal with the Devil – and to no one’s surprise but his own, he got shafted. Now trapped in Hell, with the Spirit of Vengeance bonded to his immortal soul and weighing him down, Johnny may have finally found a way out. But at what cost?

This is the first five volumes from Ghost Rider. I enjoyed it, even more that the movie I think. The movie was the first time I had seen anything to do with the character. I didn’t mind the movie, but I got more out of the comics, which could have a lot to do with Nicholas Cage and less than stellar CGI, reading the graphic novel, the character had more menace, whereas in the movie, the Ghost Rider seemed played for more laughs. Plus Nicholas Cage’s hair is distracting…just sayin’.

The illustrations are lovely, and the colour is great, the scenes in Hell really pop. I often go on about a graphic novels ‘colour’, which is because I don’t like to read them if they’re only black and white. The story/illustrations have to be really good for me to read without colour.

10. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Touchstone not loading.

June’s first husband was killed in a car crash. Against all the odds, her daughter was uninjured and, in another miracle, June found love again with the policeman who rescued them. Six years on they are a happy family. But now June’s second daughter is dying without the new heart she so urgently needs. And her first daughter, along with her husband, is dead, killed by Shay Bourne, an itinerant workman they welcomed into their home. The crime was so heinous that Shay has been given the death penalty. Shay is going to die, and he is looking for redemption. He wants to give June’s daughter his heart.

Essentially I enjoy reading Picoult’s books, they make for intriguing reading, as she always seems to write about some true story you’ve read in the paper. Her stories are good for book club, we read Nineteen Minutes last year, which incited lots of interesting conversation. Her characters are well thought out and believable, although I guess in this story, (which has a religious background to it), you do have to suspend logic on occasion. This story kept me interested and while it wasn’t my favorite of hers, I did enjoy it.

One thing that annoys me about her stories is that she does sometimes have a tendency to sensationalise the story, or go for the whiz bang, which I do find manipulative, I found that with My Sister’s Keeper and a little with Nineteen Minutes also. Overall, I enjoy her writing, it’s a thinking book, when you don’t want to think too hard. If that makes sense at all :)

11. Thor & Loki in the Land of Giants by Jeff Limke

Thor, the powerful God of Thunder and his brother Loki, the Trickster, were eager to resolve an argument: Does strength always win or do brains always beat brawn? To find an answer, they travel to the strange and forbidding Land of Giants. There they will face a series of challenges that will prove once and for all which God is right. Or will it?

This is another of the Graphic Universe, it was interesting not knowing anything about T or L. Again it is funny that an old myth has the modern treatment, but I still enjoyed it.

12. Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Guilty Pleasures Volume One by Laurel K. Hamilton

In a world where vampires, werewolves and other supernatural creatures are legal citizens of the United States, Anita Blake is an animator – someone who literally raises the dead for a living. But she moonlights as a vampire hunter, called in to resolve situations that are too much for conventional police to handle. Now a series of murdered vampires are turning up across St. Louis, and Anita Blake has been recruited to bring the killer to justice. But it’s not just the police who want her help this time. It’s the vampires themselves!

Great colours and the drawings are fantastic. I really enjoyed this, I have Vol. 2 which I should be starting in the next few days.

13. Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Guilty Pleasures Volume two by Laurel K. Hamilton.

The hunt for the St. Louis vampire murderer continues, as Anita Blake finds herself trapped between Nikolaos, the malevolent Master Vampire who has coerced her into investigating the case; Edward, the assassin targeting Nikolaos, who wants Anita’s help locating his mark, willingly or otherwise and the killer, who plans to eliminate Anita permanently before she identifies him. Can the woman who even the undead dub the Executioner survive this case?

14. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…’

The novel begins with some of Dickens’ best known words, setting the scene for this heart stopping historical adventure that dashes back and forth between London and Paris during the worst excesses of the French Revolution. In this epic story of love, madness, revenge and sacrifice, two men, Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay, must face their destinies amidst the violence, brutality and social upheaval of ‘the Terror’.

I enjoyed this a lot, although it was considerably more involved than A Christmas Carol, after reading this I wouldn’t mind reading more about the French Revolution and the times that this was set – it would make for fascinating reading. Dickens’ has a way with words, managing to bring beauty to what was such a depressing violent time.

15. Dear Me: A Letter To My Sixteen-Year-Old Self edited by Joseph Galliano

If you were to write a letter to your 16 yr old self, what would it say? In Dear Me, some of the worlds best loved personalities have written just such a letter. These range from the compassionate to the shocking via hilarity and heartbreak but they all have one thing in common: they offer a unique glimpse at the teenagers who would grow up to be…I really enjoyed this book, it was fun to get a glimpse of the writers in their youth. There were quite a few people who I had no idea who they were, but I still enjoyed their letters. It was an easy read, and a great way to spend an hour over a coffee or two!

16. Came Back To Show You I Could Fly by Robin Klein

It’s the summer holidays and 11 year old loner Seymour, lodged with a fussy guardian in an inner city suburb, is bored and unhappy in his confined world. By chance he meets Angie – beautiful, charismatic Angie. He is bewitched and his world is opened as she takes him on unexpected holiday outings and shopping sprees. Angie, however, is not what she seems. Far from being extrovert and carefree, she too is lonely and trapped in her own unhappy world. Angie is using drugs…

I remember reading this when I was in school a long time ago. I can't remember what I thought about it back then, but now I was impressed by Klein's writing, she nailed the helplessness of Angie's situation. I loved the character development between Seymour and Angie. He's her anchor, the one thing that gets her through. This is a beautiful, bittersweet tale of growing up.

I've been so slack adding my finished books, so I thought I better get started. Now I just have to try and remember everything!

Male Call: Hot Zone 1 by Denise A. Agnew

This is my first Kindle book and even though I still prefer actual books, I'm quite enjoying being able to carry my phone around and have a bunch a books with me. This is the first book by Denise Agnew I've read and I really enjoyed her writing (so much so I ended up buying the other three in in the Hot Zone series and another trilogy of hers).

Unconditional Surrender: Hot Zone 2 by Denise A. Agnew

Private Maneuvers: Hot Zone 3 by Denise A. Agnew

Close Quarters: Hot Zone 4 by Denise A. Agnew

In Her Defense by Denise A. Agnew

Under His Protection by Denise A. Agnew

Within His Embrace by Denise A. Agnew

I think this year I've totally fudged the book review part of this list, I'm so far behind, I don't think I'll ever catch up! So I've decided to do reviews for some of the books I've read, that way I won't feel totally useless! So first up in my new way of thinking is...

The Brazen Bride by Stephanie Laurens
Before I went away I was lucky enough to receive a proof of one Stephanie Laurens new titles from the lovely people at HarperCollins, yay twitter!! So here's my review - late as usual, but that's just how I roll.

The Brazen Bride (Black Cobra Quartet, book three). 432 pgs of swashbucking adventure, saucy excapades and smexy behaviour!

This was released in July, so Laurens readers would most likely have already read this, but if you're one of the uninitiated - I definately recommend giving this book and the rest of the series a closer look. As per my usual lazy self I've used the blurb from the HarperCollins website

They're bold, courageous, resolute . . . ex-officers of the Crown united against a deadly traitor known only as the Black Cobra.

Shipwrecked, wounded, he risks all to pursue his mission—only to discover a partner as daring and brazen as he.

Fiery, tempestuous, a queen in her own realm, she rescues a warrior—only to find her heart under siege.

Bound by passion, linked by need, together they must brave the enemy's gauntlet to win all their hearts' desire.
I haven't read many of Stephanie's books, but I liked this. I hadn't read the first two books in the series, but I was mostly able to follow what was happening with the plot and storylines. Linnet Trevission is not the typical romance heroine. She's Captain of the Esperance, sometimes in the employ of the English Navy. She is living at Mon Coeur, with her rag tag family when the lucious Logan Monteith is literally swept onto her doorstep.

And so begins the next chapter in the Black Cobra quartet, with Linnet's help, Logan may just manage to to complete his part of the mission to bring down the Black Cobra. Sounds dramatic, I know, but it is rather. There's lots of action, with sea battles and sword fights in dark alleys with nasty assassins. All in all it's lots of fun. One thing I didn't like about the story, (without going into too much detail), was how easily Linnet changed her mind at the end. She's all whiny about her independence and not needing a man. Which will totes make sense when you read the book for yourself!! The other thing I'm still not sure about is the relationship between Alex and Daniel (the bad guys), half brothers, lovers??? Far be it from me to deny anyone some bum fun, but I'm not sure what it has to do with the story and it's a bit incesty, which gives it an ick factor. Maybe it makes more sense having read the first two books in the series.

Overall, an awesome time was had by me, it was the perfect way to start my holiday reading. It was a nice change of pace from the other books I'd been reading. Looking forward to reading the rest in the series.

There Cataluna, that wasn't so bad :)

Hi cataluna, just passing through. Quite an interesting lot of books on your thread. I have to say I really loved the JOhn Marsden books and devoured them some years ago. I am looking forward to seeing the movie.

Hi Judylou I really enjoyed the movie, I thought it was a pretty good adaption. Hopefully they end up making another movie.

Well it's just under 3 months and I've made it to 100! I might aim for 150 as I now have 3 months to finish my 1010 challenge.

Sadly I've found too many other boooks to read and haven't bothered to keep to my lists. Sometimes I wish the misconception that librarians read all day was true - I would love it!

Not sure what's up with the touchstones - they used to be there for most of the books, maybe I should've broken the list up (which I will do next year) and it would've registered them properly.

Congratulations on reaching 100! I only have the faintest hope of getting there before January, myself.

Congratulations on making the 100 book goal!

Congratulations from me too! And it looks like you've had some good reads.

Thank you! Glad I managed to finish one of my challenges. It always helps if you can have a nice long holiday - I managed to read quite a bit while I was away :)

Congratulations on achieving your goal! And on the holiday, too. :)

Thanks Wookie! I've had fun with my reading this year, although I didn't make much of a dent in my Mt. TBR - I keep adding to it.

I'm already planning the next holiday, fingers crossed I'm going to the USA next year for the IFLA conference - Puerto Rico here I come!

I stopped buying books for three months (fell off the wagon twice, but both for good reasons), and my "TBR" count here still continued to grow!! I think I have now officially given up on ever conquering Mt TBR. :)

(It grew because of people lending me books, library books, and I never finished cataloguing the books in the house so if I chose a book to read off an uncatalogued shelf, I had to add it into LT first, because I'm fussy that way.)

Puerto Rico! How fabulous!! I'm thinking of a holiday next year, but I doubt we'll go much further than the Gold Coast and all the tacky theme parks for the kids (and then a caravan park near a quiet beach for some parental recuperation). :)

Gold Coast sounds great. We used to go there a lot when I was younger, would love to visit the Worlds again. I've got very fond memories of screaming my head off on the pirate ship in Sea World.

I did stop buying books before I went on holiday, but I discovered Book Depository when I got back, which has been my downfall, I went a little crazy with all the free shipping. Although I've cut myself off again (I managed to buy three different books twice this year). Now I get to 'buy' free kindle books, but that's it.

65. Love in a Time of Zombies by Paul Gude

I got this for a couple of dollars through my kindle app. A bargain! And well worth it, it was a lot of fun.

Sex and zombies. That's all you really need to know. (That's the very helpful product description on Amazon).

I love this book, so far it's been my favourite zombie book to date. I know the above Sex and Zombies sounds kinda eww, and while there is some boomchica it's mostly between the non infected. (Y'all can rest easy now ;D).

I don't know if it was supposed to be as funny as it was. At the time I was reading this I was playing Zombie Farm on my iPhone a lot. When the zombies are running round the farm they yell out "brains? brains?" All in a tiny high pitched voice. So that's the voice that all the zombies in the book had while I was reading it - the zombies in the book all run around asking "Brains". They stop at crossings, drive cars, anwser the phone and in general - just want hugs! Not quite the usual zombie, but still just as creepy.

The story centers around Roy and Kim, exes who are trying to get outta Seattle without getting dead. They do this with lots of sarcasm, witty banter, violence and some shop lifting. I think it also helps that they're both a little crazy. In fact, most of the characters that you meet along the way are a little skewed.

The whole infection part of the story is kinda hazy, it's explained a little, but not in any depth. I think this part of the story could've been expanded and the correlation between the infestation and Roy's dreams.

But overall, this was fun, perfect for some breezy holiday reading. And really - who doesn't love some crazy zombie capers.

102. Spike: After the Fall by Brian Lynch; art by Franco Urru

It was great to be able to see what had happened to the rest of the gang, post apocalyptic Angel & Co. Vs Wolfram & Hart fight to the death. This takes off after the fight, LA has been transported to Hell, Wesley is dead, Spike and Fred/Illyria have teamed up and are fighting the big bad in Hell, there are cameos from Gunn and Connor/Stephen (I always wondered if the name was picked intentionally with the ‘I know my first name is Stephen’ movie in mind - sorry, tangent!). Angel doesn’t appear (he’s got his own After the Fall series). But I’m assuming that there will be crossover. I don’t love the illustrations, but it was great to see Spike back to his tally ho bad guys days and I like the Fred/Illyria characters slipping between each other. It adds a nice dynamic to the character. And what’s this – could there be romance budding between our two heroes?? Which could be kinda cool, but I don’t know 100% about that yet, cause even though he's dead I'm still a fan of the Fredly combo. I read this over the weekend and was then 'forced' to watch the last episode of Angel, the one where Fred gets infected by Illyria and the puppet episode (just for giggles). Needless I was all a bit crying at the end, remembering the good old days, both Buffy and Angel are still favourites of mine and it’s nice to visit Whedonverse every now and again. I've been constantly impressed with the Buffy/Angel comics, they don't let fans down, IMO.

101. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

I actually really enjoyed this novella, I felt that it was slightly better written and I liked the Bree character, I enjoyed her more than some of the other characters introduced in Breaking Dawn, it's a pity that she gets dead as I think she would've added a nice dynamic to the last book. And although they barely take off, I enjoyed her relationships with both male vampires that befriend her.

This is written as one long chapter, which made for easy reading and gave a nice insight into the newborns and how they were manipulated, it further touched on the dynamics of their group, that you only saw glimpses of in Eclipse. For those that liked the Riley character, it also has a tiny bit more about his relationship with Victoria, (although the character is only referred to as 'She' throught the novella). Although I felt like he was manipulated by Victoria in Eclipse, in the novella it seemed like he knew more about what was happening, so it made me like the character less.

The alternate story unfolding around the events in Eclipse flesh out the original story and compliment it well. Although there is nothing to say this couldn't be read as a stand alone if you didn't want to read the rest of the series.

Obviously, if you like the original series, you'll end up reading this, if you don't continue to feel free to hate on it. I know that this series is wildly popular in both love and hate camps. But when all's said and done, I enjoyed this just like the others, not as anything literary or spectacularly written, just as another wee slice of fun and frivolity and for a change there's no mooning, brooding, creepy stalking and sadly no smexy abs *sigh* (Okay maybe a little brooding, but it wouldn't be Twilighty goodness without it! )

I'm going to split my list of books into monthly lots, hopefully the touchstones will work that way.

January Cont...

11. Thor & Loki in the Land of Giants by Jeff Limke

12. Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Guilty Pleasures, Vol 1 by Laurel K. Hamilton

13. Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Guilty Pleasures Volume Two by Laurel K. Hamilton.

14. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

February

15. Dear Me: A Letter To My Sixteen-Year-Old Self edited by Joseph Galliano

16. Came Back To Show You I Could Fly by Robin Klein

17. The Secret lives of men and women: a PostSecret book by Frank Warren

18. Simon’s Cat by Simon Tofield

19. Demolition Angel by Robert Crais

20. The Usborne Book of Famous Paintings by Rosie Dickins

21. Water Baby by Ross Campbell

22. The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening by L. J. Smith.

23. Before the Storm by Diane Chamberlain

So far so good, just fiddly, will have to organise this better next year.

March

24. Nauti Intentions by Lora Leigh

25. Speed Bumps by Ken Caspar

26. In the Groove by Pamela Britton

27. Post Secret by Frank Warren

28. Love Vintage: A Passion for Collecting Fashion by Nicole Jenkins

29. The Other 51 Weeks by Lee Welch

30. Fundamentals of children's services by Michael Sullivan

31. Total Control By Pamela Britton

32. The Ghost’s Child by Sonya Hartnett

33. Burnout by Rebecca Donner

109. One Summer by Nora Roberts

A summer spent travelling across America with cynical, brooding photojournalist Shade Colby was not celebrity photographer Bryan Mitchell’s idea of a dream assignment. But Bryan will have to manage for an entire summer if she wants the fabulous cross country photo shoot for a book, which they’re both salivating over. However, Bryan and Shade disagree about everything…everything, that is, except the fierce attraction they have for each other.

110. Lessons Learned by Nora Roberts

Publicist Juliet Trent never mixes business with pleasure, but her newest client, charming ladies man and chef Carlo Franconi, is determined to whet her appetite for love.

These were quite funny, both were originally published in 1986. And I listened to them on playaways, bought out by BrillianceAudio.

In Lessons Learned, there’s smoking on the plane, and lots of talk about Juliet being an ‘80’s’ woman. Overall these are basic M & B: man and woman have feisty, flirty relationship until they both realise they love each other, (cue violins and cherubs), and live happily ever after. These could possibly had a dated feel and I did often have times when I was listening and I'd be all 'huh?' but overall, they translate well into 2010. There was still mention of Juliet and Bryan (confusing yes, but apparently her parents didn't want to seem sexist), being ladies so they can't do all the stuff men can and they need a big strong man to protect them *gag*

But these were fun and they were a nice escape from a hella busy week.

Here's my November reading - hardly finished anything this month - I've got another 4 or 5 books I started in November, but I got sidetracked. I thought I'd put all my reviews in with this post so sorry it's all a bit random :)

November

111. The girl who kicked the hornet’s nest by Stieg Larsson

Wow, I’ve finally finished the Millennium Trilogy. The start was a bit slow in this book, but goodness the story really revved up from the middleish onwards. My fave character was Lisbeth, so I was glad when the story focused on her moreso. I was continually getting confused with characters names - which was frustrating, but I don't think took away from my enjoyment. Despite Mikke’s apparent ‘animal magnetism’ to the ladies *snigger* -- I found his jumping into bed with another lady a bit tiresome, (he's journalisms answer to James Bond) and I'm sure a throw back to Larssons inner 14 year old boy - who wouldn't want 'teh ladies' falling all over them. From now on Mikke shall be called LL Cool M. I'm glad I read the series, even with all the hype, I enjoyed them regardless of what everybody thought. Did I think they were the greatest thing ever - no, and I'll probably not read them again, but I did have lots of fun reading them.

112. The Elusive Bride by Stephanie Laurens

This is the 2nd book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I quite enjoyed this, although I'm reading it out of order it hasn't been hard to follow the story, when I'd finished The Brazen Bride, I remember reading somewhere that there was too much smexy time in it, but this kinda seemed to have the same amount - the difference being, I think, is that in this story the lady isn't so forward about her liking for the horizontal mambo. As with the third book, there isn't a lot of explanation of who the bad guys are, or what it is they've done, just that they're evil, nefarious and wear lots of black - oohh, maybe they're models! But I did enjoy the action, lots of swashbuckling fun and games.

113. Hot Rocks by Nora Roberts

Laine and Jenny reminded me of Sookie and Loralai from Gilmore Girls and the banter bwtween Laine and Max was well written. This was a good fun read. I'm enjoying going through Roberts' stand alone titles, I've read a few of her older titles, they're light and fluffy and perfect for decompressing my brain between uni reading. It’s somehow part of the In Death series with Det. Eve Dallas – which I don’t quite get since that’s set in the future. Apparently this was previously published as Remember When, Part 1. I did try to work it all out but I was in danger of my head exploding.

114. Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

The first in the Alex Rider series, I've read the Spy High series, but this was much more enjoyable. Both in plot and character. Obviously there is total suspension of reality - metal eating paste disguised as acne cream - but it was lots of fun to read. I still hold out hope that they’ll make the rest into movies. Either way, I'll happily be finishing the rest of the series!

"LL Cool M"! You crack me up. :)

"LL Cool M" is awesome. You made me laugh out loud.

I think it's going to be even worse if they end up making the American version with Daniel Craig - all I ever see when I watch him on screen is his pout. I gotta hand it to him though - there's not many men who could rock a pastel blue budgie smuggler and a pout to rival Katie Price.

And here's my final list for December, I managed to complete my 100 in 2010 challenge, I was lucky enought to have some great reading months, and a big holiday in the middle helped a lot! Here they are:

December

115. Call me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber

I thought I’d start December off with some Christmas spirit and my first Debbie Macomber. As expected this is light fluff, enjoyable, but a rather predictable, by the numbers book. It’s the sequel to Mrs. Miracle, both of which have been made into movies. Even though it’s nothing new this is an easy read, perfect for some Christmas reading. I’ve been meaning to try Macomber before this and I’ll end up reading some of the Blossom Street stories, but to be honest I’m not going to be running out because I have to read it ‘right now’.

116. That Perfect Someone by Johanna Lindsey

This is the 10th in the Malory series, set in Regency England. Julia and Richard are the reluctant lovers, who’ve been betrothed to each other since early childhood. The problem being – they detest each other and at their last meeting 9 years ago they both vowed that if they ever saw each other again, they’d kill each other. So it’s no surprise that on their next meeting there’s fisticuffs and just a little bit of seduction, as you do. This was a fun read, I don’t read a lot of regency romance, but I did enjoy Johanna Lindsey’s writing and her characters, obviously explored more in the other Malory novels.

117. Private by James Patterson

Mike as a character is not particularly likeable, sure he’s dealing with shit from his past, but he doesn’t treat the ladies in his life very nicely. Over all, I did enjoy the story, it was a fast paced, if slightly predictable, thriller. And what up with all the James Patterson AND ……. I don’t really get the new phenomenon of authors writing with other authors, it can get kinda meh, and at least they’re not related. Don’t get me started on offspring who write. *hulk*

118. Family Ties by Danielle Steel

Ugh. Here's what I learnt from this book:

1. A woman must sacrifice everything for children, you can't have a career AND children - it's too hard.

2. Relationships between different cultures don't work, (the one in this was between a non- practicing Christian and Muslim) - they're just TOO hard.

3. All people who have tattoos and piercing are bad bad people who spread AIDS and Hepatitis.

4. It's ok to be an indiviual and go your own way, as long as you learn your lesson and realise that you have to be the same as everyone else by the end of the book.

Harse I know, but I was really pissed off by the end of this and don't get me started on the repetative, descriptive paragraphs. Enough said, moving along.

119. Burning Up by Susan Anderson

OMG! How awesome was this!! Way awesome I tell you. This was lots of fun to read and my first book by Susan Anderson, but it definitely won’t be my last. I think fire fighters are the new vampire/werewolves. This is the third series I know about featuring fire fighters hot enough to scorch the words right of the page. It features one very bad girl, one super hot fire fighter, a hunky Irish rocker and a not so good primary school teacher *gasp*, with lots of steamy situations, flirting, and fried chicken (very tasty – I made it for tea on the weekend).

120. Obsession by Karen Robards

121. The Ugly Duckling by Martin Powell

122. Don’t Blink by James Patterson

123. Angel: After the Fall by Joss Whedon, Brian Lynch & Franco Urru

124. Dreaming of Dior by Charlotte Smith & Grant Cowan

Beautiful vintage dresses, the downside – I wish the illustrations, beautiful as they are, were photos. I would’ve loved to have seen more detail.

125. Classic Tales of Horror by Various

This was a collection of 19 stories. Some were quite dry, not very scary and a bit meh. I did enjoy The Brazilian Cat by Arthur Conan Doyle – Cousin tries to kill his cuj to inherit the families wealth. The Corpse Light by Dick Donovan – ghost wanting to get his body discovered. The Lame Priest by S. Carleton – warewolves. The Eyes of the panther by Ambrose Bierce.

126. Worst Case by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

127. Mackenzie’s Mountain by Linda Howard

128. Alpha by Rachel Vincent

129. The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

This was fang-tastic and a nice move away from all the vampire novels of late (although I now think 'Angels' are the in thing). It features a group of vampires, trying to survive, aided by two humans.

130. Irresistible by Karen Robards

131. The Other 51 Weeks by Lee Welch

132. Fundamentals of children's services by Michael Sullivan

133. Spellbound by Nora Roberts

134. Orchard Valley Grooms by Debbie Macomber

135. Crazy For Love by Victoria Dahl

This was lots of fun, although the male lead was kinda annoying sometimes (he has a need to take care of everyone), which can get annoying sometimes. But this is full of sext sassy writing, just what I've come to love from Dahl. I also enjoyed the side story between the main characters bestie and brother.

136. No Place To Run by Maya Banks

This was brilliant and I gobbled it up, the second in the KGI series, it's a romantic suspense, rather thatn the usual eotica that I read from Maya, but it still has her trademark Southern charm and alpha male hero's. I'm really looking forward to the other brothers stories (there'll be at least 6 books in the series & if we get lucky, we might get some of the side characters from KGI get theri own story). Well written, fast paced and lots of fun.

137. Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard

This wasnt quite what I expected it to be. It tells the story of Elizabeth, Amarican girl, navigating her way around Paris with her French husband Gwendal. How she adapts to life. I wasn't 100% about this when I started it, it's seemed to move quite slowly, but as I kept on reading I got more and more into the story. I love the relationship food played in the book, bringing the characters together despite language barriers, plus there's the added bonus of the recipes at the end of each chapter. This was our last book club book for 2010 and we had a French night for our breakup. One lady made the mini almond meal and raspberry cakes - devine!

138. Trailer Park Zombies by Jason H. Jones

This was one of the better written zombie novels of the year - but not for the faint of heart, it's quite voilent and graphic in it's description of zombie mayhem. So if gore isn't your thing I suggest you stay away, but I thought this was a well written novel and I like the twist in the zombie ethos.

139. One Hundred Great Books in Haiku by David Bader

And with this - finally - I've started my Popular Penguin category for my 1010. This was a lot of fun and amazingly correct descriptions for some of the books.

140. Poems of John Keats by John Keats

What is more lovlier than Keats, ok so I'm being romantic, there are other fantastic poets out there, but Keats is a delight.

141. Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak by writers famous and obscure

An interesting concept, that works suprisingly well.

142. Secrets of a Proper Lady Victoria Alexander

Regency romance, that had me laughing out loud, I'm going to be tracking they others in the series dwon in 2011, perfect fodder for my 11 in 11 challenge!

143. The Bad Widow by Barbara Elsborg

144. Better Late than Never by Savannah Stuart

Well 2010, you were a fun year for reading (mostly), but I won't hold it against you, hopefully in 2011 I'll be able to finish all my challenges. Life does get in the way, but I do my best to ignore it!