Ti99er's 50 Book Challenge - Stepping down in 2010

I went for the 75 book challenge in 2009, and fell short. I guess life got in the way of my reading. So this year I have decided to pull it back a bit and shoot for 50. Hopefully the new year will allow for more reading. Additionally I received an Amazon Kindle for Christmas (quite a surprise!) Now I just wish I could upload all the books on my bookshelf onto it; no dice.

Happy New Year everyone and happy reading as well!

-Ti99er

I will list all of the books I have read to date in this 1st post. The review for each book will be in the posts below.

1. Held Hostage: A Serial Robber's Road to Redemption by: Ken Cooper

2. Keepin' it Real: A Young Teen Talks with God by: Sandra McLeod Humphrey

3. What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by: Malcolm Gladwell

4. Death Troopers by: Joe Schreiber

5. The Day Donny Herbert Woke Up by: Rich Blake

6. HELP! A Bear is Eating Me!

7. Level 26: Dark Origins by: Anthony Zuiker

8. Soulless by: Gail Carriger

9. Life's Journeys According to Mister Rogers by: Fred Rogers

10. Boneshaker by: Cherie Priest

11. You Suck by: Christopher Moore

12. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by: James Patterson

13. Bite Me: A Love Story by: Christopher Moore

14. Hundred Dollar Baby by: Robert Parker

15. Making Rounds with Oscar by: David Dosa, MD

16. Breathless by: Dean Koontz

17. Shadow Hunter by: Michael Reaves

18. The Rule of Nine by: Steve Martini

19. Rooms by: James L. Rubart

20. Fight Club by: Chuck Palahniuk

21. The Overton Window by: Glenn Beck

22. Such a Nice Guy by: Phil Torcivia

23. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by: Jeff Lindsay

24. Skin by: Ted Dekker

25. Coyote Blue by: Christopher Moore

26. The Professional by: Robert B Parker

27. The Dead Janitors Club by: Jeff Klima

28. The art of racing in the rain by: Garth Stein

Oh how nice!! Wouldn't it be nice if we could just twinkle our noses and get those books into a reader :) I have a few that are falling apart I'd especially like to do that with.

Anyway -- here's hoping you have a super year of reads no matter the #! I didn't achieve my goals of last year for books either (did I achieve any of them? LOL). Here's to 2010 :)

Good luck Ti99er!! I just made 50 this year so I didn't want to attempt 75 books just yet. I am doing the 1010 challenge with no set number of books in the categories. I would love to do 100 but I am not going to get upset if I miss it.

You are lucky to have gotten a Kindle for Christmas. I may ask for one for my birthday, just not sure if I want a Kindle or one of the other E-Readers out there.

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!!

Monic'a :)

Just saw a few folks @ 75 who didn't make it last year and decided to continue there just cause they like the company :)

I do like the company there, and will continue to follow their adventures. But joining the 50 allows me to meet some new people as well. So it is good all around.

:) I like "good all around"!

ETA: thought of you when I read the following from LInda aka Whisper1

Message 104: Whisper1
Holiday Inn by Kevin Kling

Touchstone not working, so here is the link:
http://www.librarything.com/work/9124413...

This is a delightful book of wonderful, down-home, folksy tales of love, laughter and family. If you like Garrison Keillor of Prairie Home Companion fame, then you will enjoy this book as well.

Kling is a commentator on NPR's "All Things Considered."

He writes so poignantly of Minnesota with a humor and love of the state and the people that you can almost feel the crystals forming on the lake and hear the sound of the fish as they are pulled up from the ice. You can smell the summer blueberry pie and taste the country ham while sitting at the table laughing with the crazy, loving and lovable relatives.

If you want to laugh out loud, this is a book to read! It is a keeper!
Message edited by its author, Today, 4:37pm.

1. Held Hostage: A Serial Robber's Road to Redemption by: Ken Cooper

This is the story of Ken Cooper, a man who lead a double life as a family man and a bank robber. Ken didn't rob banks because he was hard up for money, but rather because of the adrenaline rush he got from being reckless. During his last robbery, Ken was shot by a police officer and was sent to jail. Later he was sentenced to 99 years in prison. During his time at "The Rock" in a Florida State correctional institution, Ken found God and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. This is the story of his transformation from non-believer to evangelist.

If you are looking for a story that shows an in-depth inside look at how a bank robber does his job, with a blow-by-blow narration of each crime he committed, then you have come to the wrong place. There is a brief description of some of his crimes in the early chapters, but it doesn't encompass the entire book. If on the other hand you are interested in seeing another person’s transformation and redemption into God's loving embrace, then you will enjoy this book.

3 Stars

2. Keepin' it Real: A Young Teen Talks with God by: Sandra McLeod Humphrey

This is a nice book written through the eyes of a teen who is discovering and expanding her relationship with God. It is written in a conversational style through the letters (Leslie) writes to God. She discusses her daily problems and learns that her relationship with God becomes stronger as she talks, or rather writes to Him.

This is surely an interesting read that I plan on sharing with my daughter when she gets older.

Hey there,

I'm reading a Nicolas Linnear novel (The Kaisho) right now by Eric Lustbader. Have you read anything by him? This is something like the 5th in the series, the only one I have available to me. It's pretty good, but I understand the earlier novels are even better.

No I have never read anything by Lustbader. Looks interesting though, I will have to take a look. Thanks for the suggestion.

well I should have also said it's fairly raw and sometimes more explicit than I care for, but it seems to be really well done to me.

Just saw he wrote the Bourne books. I encountered him in the fantasy realm where he was superb.

Hope all is well with you and yours!

This evening I came across your thread. Don't feel bad for not making your 75 book challenge last year I never made my 50. I enjoy what I am reading and in the end that is what really counts.

I would am interesting in following your thread.

Have a good 2010

Welcome along for the ride Jacx. Hopefully you will find some interesting reads from my list. I'm not too distressed about coming up short on the 75 book challenge but it is nice when you meet your goals. I went all religious in my first two reads, but my range will vary quite a bit. I have been trying to figure out the whole 1010 Challenge. I think I will certainly hit at least 1 book in 10 different genres, we shall see.

I just added your thread to my frequent reads.

Here's to great books in 2K10!!

(Can I borrow '2K10'? Love it!)

Thank you for adding my thread.

Of course you can Suze!

3. What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures by: Malcolm Gladwell

I will admit that I have never read an issue of the New Yorker, but I can now say I have read stories from the New Yorker. What the Dog Saw is a collection of stories from Gladwell's articles spanning the last 10 or so years. I enjoyed reading The Tipping Point so felt I would like these stories as well. Typically I find when an author republishes his/her short works in book form to be a bit of a put-off (just a personal thing, when I become a famous writer I will probably capitalize on my works the same way). In this case I borrowed from a former NBC ad campaign for reruns, If you haven't read it it's new to you. I am glad I did as I enjoyed the book immensely. Gladwell is adept at exploring the human condition and describing it from an engrossing layman's perspective.

5 Stars

I look forward to reading it Jacx.

FYI I liked my van Lustbader book less than previewed. too explicit and I didn't enjoy the emphasis on the supernatural (tribal). Finally, while it read like one in a series, he did a great job not making you feel left (and, I suspect, not boring the loyal readers with too many details). That's good. But he didn't end it well.... g'zillion cliffhangers. gack. :)

Hi Ti99er, I also moved from the 75-book challenge to this one. I followed your thread over there, and picked up some good recommendations, so I look forward to seeing what you read over here as well.

I decided to try the 1010 challenge as well, here is the link for anyone interested 1010 Book Challenge

Love those categories! :)

Have you read Paul Brand? http://www.librarything.com/author/brandpaulw&norefer=1
Some of his titles repeatedly catch my interest but I've never made it to actually reading the books. One of my fav biographies is of his mother, Evelyn Brand, who was a missionary in India. I expect that's part of my reason for interest in his works...

I haven't read any Brand, I will have to check him out sometime.

4. Death Troopers by: Joe Schreiber

This is my first dive into the Star Wars universe via the book world. I have always been a huge Star Wars fan, but through the movies and cartoons only. Although I have frequently perused Star Wars novels in bookstores, I always shied away from purchasing them because the Star Wars legacy is so large now that I felt I would be lost. But then I saw Death Troopers and was fascinated by its description on two fronts, 1) it had Storm Troopers in it, I have always loved Storm Troopers, they are my favorite evil army. 2) This book also has zombies, (some of which were former Storm Troopers, yeah!!) The premise is a little different for a Star Wars book, but it was still enjoyable. Schreiber brought his characters to life, and even in far fetched stories, if the reader empathizes with the characters, the story comes to life. Han Solo and Chewbacca make an appearance in this story as well, and the author worked well with them, I could totally envision Harrison Ford acting out the Solo role.

This book has freed me from my fear of delving into Star Wars stories. I will certainly visit the galaxy far, far away again.

3 1/2 Stars

LOL I love that last line. I've enjoyed some of the ones I've read. Hope you find some other good ones.

Storm Troopers and Zombies - what a combo! Way back when, I read the original Star Wars by George Lucas, and definitely enjoyed it. But, never tried another, for some reason.

5. The Day Donny Herbert Woke Up by: Rich Blake

This was a touching story about a Buffalo firefighter who’s was trapped in a burning building when the roof collapsed. He was pinned in such a position that his brain did not receive oxygen for several minutes. At 6 minutes lack of oxygen to the brain will cause extreme and irreparable damage. Donny was without oxygen for at least that long, he also received a severe blow to the head for one of the roof beams as well (a traumatic event all to itself).

After many, days, weeks, months, and finally years Linda Herbert (Donny's wife), and his children had slowly resigned themselves to the fact that Donny would remain severely brain damaged and unable to communicate with them.

Somehow through divine intervention, a miracle of modern medicine, Donny's sheer will, or a combination of all three, Donny came to. He was able to communicate, remember people and some events from the past. It was the miracle that Donny's family had forever prayed for.

This is a touching story about a family man who enjoyed life to the fullest before his accident. It is also a tale about just how precious life is and how quickly it can change, without warning. I was moved by this story and feel it is a worthy read.

4 Stars

6. HELP! A Bear is Eating Me! by: Mykle Hansen

This is a funny, funny, book! I have found a lot of book reviews that claim a book is laugh-out-loud funny and always end up disappointed, not in this case.

For the ladies: The main character Marv Pushkin is a male chauvinistic pig! But if you can get beyond that you may still find it funny.

For the guys: If you want to laugh, than I recommend this book.

While on a company retreat with his team in the wilds of Alaska, Marv gets trapped beneath his top-o-the-line Range Rover. With a cooler full of beer, and mood altering drugs he describes the scene in great detail. Marv has quite the stilted view of life from his perch high up in the ivory tower of his white collared world.

Marv isn't to blame for his predicament, it is everyone else, now just get him the hell outta there, his drugs are wearing off!

5 Stars!!

I think I'll look for #6 while I'm home. Thx for the tip!

7. Level 26: Dark Origins by: Anthony Zuiker

Level 26 is more than a book, it is a multimedia experience. Anthony Zuiker the visionary creator of the TV series CSI wanted to add something unique to the reading experience. So what he and his team did was to create short films that bridged between chapters of the book. Every 20 or so pages you were provided a web address (this never changed) with an unlock code to the next video bridge. Each video bridge was from 30 seconds to eight minutes long, the average of which were about 3 minutes. You don't need to view the bridges to follow the story, but it enhanced the story a bit and added a new element to the reading experience. For instance I didn’t put the book down and rush to the computer each time I reached a video bridge. Most times I watched 2 or 3 at a time.
The story itself is very sadistic, as it follows the exploits of a serial killer. Up to this point the government highest ranking for serial murderers was level 25. John Wayne Gacy was a level 25, Ted Bundy was a 24, now “Sqweegel” the killer with no boundaries had warranted a level all his own. Retired FBI specialist Steve Dark is forced out of retirement in order in order to apprehend this vicious killer whose murders spanned over two decades. If you like serial killer mysteries than this is worth the read. Even with the video bridges, this book doesn’t round out the top of my favorite suspense thrillers, but I wasn’t disappointed with it either. The action keeps moving throughout the book and it is well paced.

Note on the video bridges: These were tastefully done and don’t include any blood and gore. Bottom line: the material in the bridges would pass broadcast TV standards.

3 1/2 Stars

8. Soulless by Gail Carriger

The wonderful world of LT lead me to this title. at first I downloaded the sample to my Kindle and that is all it took to draw me in. I had no idea what SteamPunk was but after reading Soulless I have a little better understanding. This book took off with a boom, lulled a little in the middle, and ended with a bang. The character development that Carriger created throughout the story pulled me through the lull, and I am glad I stuck with it. (I have actually pre-ordered her follow-up novel Changeless. If you enjoy werewolves and vampires, then you should enjoy this tale. Carriger was detailed in her descriptions of the dress worn in the times of Victorian England. I was glad to have this one on the Kindle because I needed the builtin dictionary on numerous occassions to get a clearer picture of her descriptions. The characters in this tale are what keeps this book real and makes you want to read on.

4 Stars

Ooh, your remarks on Soulless make me want to stick my toe back into the abandoned pond of werewolf and vampire tales...

It was a pleasurable read. Now I just started reading Boneshaker by: Cherie Priest, another tale in the realm of SteamPunk. I am glad that I was introduced to this sub-genre as I am enjoying the ride.

9. Life's Journeys According to Mister Rogers by: Fred Rogers

This is a book of quotes and thoughts from Mister Rogers that were collected along his journey of life. I can remember watching Mister Rogers as a young child and though I didn't know it at the time, some of the values he taught are with me today.

It was nice to reminisce with Mister Rogers, for old times sake.

One quote that I took away from this book, wasn't even a quote from Mister Rogers but actually from the Dalai Lama: "Someone else's action should not determine your response."

This book is filled with inspirational little tidbits and I am sure has a little something for everyone.

4 1/2 Stars

Thought of you when I saw this today... maybe you also caught the snippet on our home pages today: http://www.librarything.com/work/6052717/reviews/56990888

10. Boneshaker by: Cherie Priest

I've been bit by the SteamPunk bug and am drawn in hook, line, and sinker.

Boneshaker takes place in Seattle in the late 1800's. During this time word has spread that there is gold buried beneath the tundra in Alaska. So begins the mad rush for countries to design a machine that will cut through the frozen tundra so that the gold can be excavated. Enter inventor, Leviticus Blue, he has been fronted the money by the Russian government to design and build their excavation machine. The result of Blue's hard work is the Boneshaker, an encapsulated ride-on machine with a large drill bit design that will cut through the earth’s toughest terrain.

Prior to accepting the machine, the Russians ask Dr. Blue to conduct a test run. The test run yields disastrous results, causing major earth quakes and worst of all releases a deadly gas "Blight" that will kill anyone who breathes it in. And for those very unfortunate souls will reanimate them into "rotters" (or zombies).

Fast forward 16 years later, and you will follow the exploits of Dr. Blue's widow, Briar Wilkes as she tries to get on with life after the accident and to raise and protect her 16 year old son Zeke. Seattle has changed dramatically over those 16 years, as the government has erected a huge wall around the main portion city in order to keep the Blight from spreading over the entire city. Now living in the Outskirts, Briar must face daily torment at work, as nobody will let her live down what her husband did to them. Zeke wants to understand what happened with his father and since his mother isn’t very forthcoming with information, he decides to find out on his own. This leads him to venture to the other side of the wall in search of answers. Briar soon finds out about Zeke’s escapade and ventures over the wall in search of her son. The other side of the wall is no place for a teenage boy, in fact it is no place where anyone should be.

5 Stars

11. You Suck by: Christopher Moore

This is the second book in the soon to be trilogy of Moore's world of vampires. The series started with Blood Sucking Fiends and continues with Bite Me which hits stores on Tuesday March 23rd. All three stories follow the trials and tribulations of Jody and Tommy both newly turned vampires. Jody was first and then decided to turn her minion (Tommy) as well, just so she wouldn't be alone, and oh ya she kinda likes the guy or now undead being.

Written in classic Moore style, with more than a few laughs with an enjoyably outlandish cast of characters.

A lot of Moore's characters cross over into different books where reading order doesn't really matter, but this series will be best enjoyed by being read in sequential order.

4 Stars

12. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by: James Patterson

When I started this book, I immediately thought it was one of the YA titles which doesn't expand beyond the confines of the young adult genre. For the first 100 or so pages I wasn't even emotionally attached to the characters, quite frankly I could have cared less what happened to them. As I progressed through the book and even now after I have finished it, I am not certain whether or not I would like to continue on with the series. I guess that in and of itself should answer my question. The book did get better as it went along, as with all Patterson stories it was a quick read so it wasn't overly painful to stick with the story even in the early portion. If I were to rate it as it should be rated as a YA novel, then it was a very good story. Unfortunately since we have been introduced to YA titles such as Harry Potter, we have come to expect generational unity in current YA titles. Fair or unfair, you be the judge. Based on overall merit: 2 1/2 Stars.

hmmm... provocative review.

13. Bite Me by: Christopher Moore

The love story continues in the sequel to Blood Sucking Fiends and You Suck. This time the story is told from the POV of Abby Normal the teenage Goth chick with a slight attitude. As always the characters are engaging and the book is an overall fun read. This volume not only contains vampires but also vampire cats! Where else but from the mind of Christopher Moore could you get a feline (with 9 lives to begin with) becomes part of the undead world? It was a pleasure to continue the journey with the characters I have come to know so well, definitely a fun read. 4 Stars

14. Hundred Dollar Baby by: Robert Parker

I was saddened by the news of the passing of Robert Parker earlier this year. Selfishly I thought, no more Spenser? I can honestly attribute the slow and humble beginnings of my passion for reading to Robert Parker and his Spenser books. Even when I wasn't much of a reader, I always made sure to keep up with the Spenser series. I remember reading an interview with Parker, some years back where the interviewer asked him, how long will you continue to write Spenser? To which he replied, as long as people want to read him. This made me smile, because I never wanted Spenser to die.

Hundred Dollar Baby is another solid Spenser book. I don't think there is a bad one in the lot, if you like Spenser.

Here's to you Mr. Parker. Thank you for all of the memories surrounding the wonderful tales you have spun over the years. May you rest in peace.

4 Stars

What a nice tribute.

Thanks Suze ;-)

Have you read anything by John Kruse?

No do you recommend him?

I don't know. I just read The Hour of the Lily by him. It's about the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Intriguing look at tribal and muslim outlook there. fiction. Occassionally (too?) explicit.

It also captured my attention and kept it. He's not very prolific. (LOL but he's got way more published than I do!)

15. Making Rounds with Oscar by: David Dosa, MD

Have you ever wondered how your pet knows when you or someone in your household is not feeling 100% or is sick? Dr. Dosa had the same questions about a cat named Oscar, who was a resident at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center where he worked. Oscar lived on the 3rd floor of the facility along with 41 late stage Alzheimer's patients. Dr. Dosa was one of the attending geriatricians. After being at the facility for some time, Dr. Dosa began to here stories of how Oscar had this uncanny ability of sensing when a patient was about to die. So this peculiar cat would stay with these patients for their final moments. At first Dr. Dosa couldn't believe it and thought such occurrences where happenstance, but after time he began to see that it was more than that. With his scientific mind getting the best of him, he began his own mini investigation of these events in order to help him understand how Oscar knew death was at the doorstep and why he did what he did.

In this book Dr. Dosa interviews family members of former patients who personally witnessed the vigils Oscar spent with their loved ones. Through these interviews the reader learns a lot about what an Alzheimer patient, and probably as equally important what their loved ones go through as a part of this horrible disease. This was a touching book about a unique little feline and a doctor coming of age in his field of expertise.

3 1/2 Stars

Sounds like I'd cry my way through that one! what a neat cat ... sounds like fiction. No wonder the doc was incredulous.

16. Breathless by: Dean Koontz

I tried to read Koontz a long time ago and just couldn't get into him. Over the past 6-8 months I have read 3 or 4 of his books and am hooked. Koontz is excellent at character development. I always enjoy getting to know his characters. With all of this being said, Breathless was not one of my favorites (albeit, I have a small repertoire to draw from at this point). The story was okay, and strong enough to keep me reading, but he has created better works.

3 Stars

I haven't read Dean Koontz for a long time. My son has many of his books. I may ask him to lend me one of his. Which would you recommend?

Of his recent work, I liked Your Heart Belongs to Me. And an older work, I liked Tick, Tock.

I'll have to see if I have either of those. Thx.

I haven't heard of any of those. I will have to go down to my son's and sneak a peek in this book cupboard.

17. Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter by: Michael Reaves

This is a decent story about the Sith Lord (Darth Sidious) and his apprentice (Darth Maul) prior to the Clone Wars. It is always interesting to follow characters of the Star Wars series both previous to and following where the movies left off. I am not nearly as impressed with the original trilogy (Clone Wars) as I am with middle three movies of most notoriety (Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi). But one character I truly enjoyed was Darth Maul. I was interested in learning more about him. I didn’t learn as much about him as I had wished but I still enjoyed the story nonetheless.

3 Stars

I've only read a few of the extra books. It's been so long that I can't remember my reactions! LOL At least one of them was by Zahn, and for that I'm grateful. I'm really loving his other works which I picked up because of the Star Wars book(s).

You have had some great reads this year!! I have tried reading the Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment a few times but something always seems to pull me away from really getting into it. I have a few young adult friends who rave about how good they are. Now I am not sure if I am really missing anything.

Now Making Rounds with Oscar is a book I would love to read. I have seen it at the book store and keep passing it over since I am trying to spend less and clean up my house of the books laying on the floor.

56 > I am not rushing to seek out the next MAX book. There is to many other good books out there to read, including others by Patterson.

Making Rounds with Oscar was worth my time and I enjoyed it.

Thanks Suze, another author to add to the list. I assume you mean Timothy Zahn, (judging by his Star Wars titles). I just recently started reading Star Wars Novels. I always loved the movies and wanted to read the books but was overwehlmed by the number of titles and never new where to start. I have decided to jump right in, if it looks interesting, I will read it.

Yes Zahn, sorry for the confusion. I'd really love to see your thoughts on Deadman's Switch should you get the chance to read it.

Hope all is well with you... it's been a while since you've posted.

I'm still alive. I will add Deadman's Switch to the list. Haven't gotten to read as much as I would like. I hope to finish a book tonight and will post the review within the next day or two. What could it be....hmmm??

LOL *My heart skips a beat in anticipation*

The Rule of Nine by: Steve Martini

The Rule of Nine, continues to follow the tales of defense attorney Paul Madriani. This particular story had an interesting premise revolving around a homeland terrorist plot. The characters were engaging and the plot moved quickly. I struggled with believing that our protagonist, a defense attorney, uncovered the plot while the FBI and CIA appeared somewhat clueless. Other than having to suspend my belief a bit, this was a solid read.

3 Stars

sounds good. I've had mixed reactions to his books. Kept one, jetted the other :)

Rooms by: James L. Rubart

Castle in the sand or a Shack?

When I read the accolades on the back cover of this book, there was more than one reference to the book The Shack. My first impression was, no way, The Shack was a phenomenal book, and and it would be hard to top. So I was skeptical at best when I began the story. Let me just say that my skepticism was washed away within the first few chapters. Rubart blew the roof of my expectations, sky high.

This is the story of Micah Taylor, a software tycoon who has the world on a string. Life couldn't be better, his company stock is rising, he and his partner Julie have become romantically involved, and the horizon is even brighter. All of this is about to change when Micah receives a letter from his uncle Archie, whom he has never met. Archie, has had a house built for him on the beach in a town which Micah has tried to bury the grief of a tragic event. At first he isn't sure what to make of the letter and if he should even give it a second thought. After some contemplation he decides to travel from his Seattle home to the Oregon coast to see if this house is for real.

When he finds out that house does actually exist, he contemplates selling it for a small fortune and returning to his life in Washington. But there is something that keeps pulling on Micah's heart strings and draws him to this new house.

Over the next few months Micah is forced to make some hard choices in his life. He finds himself dead center in the battle between good and evil. Will he make the right choices and live in God's peace, or will he loose everything?

5+ Stars

Oh, sounds intriguing! I too liked The Shack -- actually haven't finished, but parts of it were very devotional for me. Enjoyed the perspective very much.

Hope you're well and reading something superb!

20. Fight Club by: Chuck Palahniuk

So I’d love to tell you about the book I just read, but the first rule of Fight Club is, “you don’t talk about Fight Club.” So I could disregard the first rule, but the second rule of Fight Club is, “you don’t talk about Fight Club.” So I am kinda screwed now, cause if I tell you anything at all, I am breaking the first two rules.
If you haven’t heard of Fight Club by now, then where the heck have you been? Pick it up, read it, and enjoy it. Great book!

4 1/2 Stars

LOL

Too funny

I love that review. If I read it I won't be able to review it either. I actually thought of NCIS when I started to read your review. Tony always quotes movies and that is one that he quotes a lot. I will be looking for that book at some point..

Thanks for the review... :)

Oh, I wish you had posted this earlier, I just accepted agreed to send this to someone on Bookmooch. Sorry :-(

Oh that is okay. I have been thinking about this book for along time and I have seen it mentioned on FB by a few friends lately. I will have to look on Bookmooch to see if another one is available. I never think of using BM to acquire books.

Thought of you when I finished this one. What fun! Here's what I posted: A Five-Year Plan by Kerr (386 pp) -- Just finished this. Hoping I have more Philip Kerr on my shelves! The Seattle Times says "Great fun... Sparks fly like crazy and multiples deceptions reign." Innocent man convicted of a felony is released from prison and executes the plan he made while in prison.

21. The Overton Window by: Glenn Beck

First the government concocts a plan on where to lead the people. Then it formulates a strategy on how to enact such a farfetched scheme. Enter the Overton Window. Slowly move a previously unacceptable process into an accepted way of life. Let me give you a simple example, before 2001, in depth random searches of both belongings and body would not have been tolerated. Enter the events on 9/11 and now it is an accepted practice.

The Overton Window uses some creative license to get its point across, but Beck paints a very vivid picture of his view on what our government is doing behind the scenes. At the end of the book (story) he devotes a chapter to his source material and challenges his readers to look into it in greater detail for themselves.

An entertaining read, especially for the conspiracy theorists among us.

3.5 Stars

22. Such a Nice Guy by: Phil Torcivia

Such a nice guy, not such a nice book. Ok, maybe that is too harsh. So shall I say it was cute? Probably not the adjective the author portraying a macho 40+ singles-scene memoir wants to hear, but as they say, if the shoe fits....

I felt the author, was trying too hard to be funny, by making light of his dating life after being divorced. The nice thing about the book was that each chapter was only 1-3 pages long. This made it my bathroom read. Unfortunately it still took months to get through. Not the best read so far this year.

2-1/2 Stars

23. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by: Jeff Lindsay

I had often picked up a copy of this book at my local Target, just to put it back again without purchasing it. I finally secured a copy through Bookmooch. My sister and brother-in-law had told me they loved the Showtime series based on the character in the books, so I decided now was the time to give it a go.

I truely enjoyed the book. Lindsay does a masterful job of making the reader sympathize with a serial killer. Well why not, he only kills bad people. In any case the book was fast paced and the ending has left me wanting to read more. I am sure to pick up the next book in the series. Additionally have qued up the tv series on my Netflix account.

3 - 1/2 Stars

"This made it my bathroom read" LOL -- I have those two. Another good one, which is also a good book (at least I found it extremely encouraging) is Too Busy Not to Pray -- excellent for short snippets :) And, unlike most books on prayer I've read, made we want to pray rather than feeling guilty that I didn't do it more or better or something... :)

Lindsay's series sounds intriguing. Thx for the heads up :)

24. Skin by: Ted Dekker

This was a good book, with an interesrting plot line. I have often asked other readers (of horror/suspense novels) if they have ever had the eperience of being unnerved or scared when reading a book. Many people have told me they have definitely had experienced fear when reading certain books. This has never been the case for me, until now. There were a few points in this book where, if I had taken my pulse at the time, I know it would've been elevated. The odd part is that this story is not one which is all that scary. I guess it just goes to the credit of Mr. Dekker's story telling abilities that drew me into the plot. This is the 2nd Dekker book I have read, and I must say I have become a fan.

4 Stars

Gee... my heart races in most of my books! LOL Maybe I should skip this one although you make me wanna read it :)

#77... Not often but I have found that there were books that I just had to close the book for a minute or even afraid to turn the next page. LOL I use to read a lot of horror books. I will have to say that this one,Skin is going on my wish list.

Skin is going in my list as well after these notes! Thanks for the review :)

No problem, I hope you guys enjoy it.

25. Coyote Blue by: Christopher Moore

Another fun read from the crazy world of Christopher Moore. I only have two more Moore books, before I don't have any more Moore books to read. Chris always creates wonderful characters and puts them in some really strange situations. This tale involves a tribal Indian Gods, a biker gang, and a few swindling insurance salesmen to name just a few. Fun characters, funny situations and an overall good read.

3 1/2 Stars

26. The Professional by: Robert B Parker

Another instant classic by the imortal Robert Parker. It was with hardedned hearts that Spenser fans across the globe learned of Parker's death in early January. Parker has brought a lot of joy to this reader over the years. I actually owe my life-long love of reading to him. When in high school I picked up one of his books from my brothers bookshelf, and I haven't looked back since.

This is another fun Spenser novel, Spense doesn't get into too much trouble in this volume, but his wit and commentary on the world are as sharp as ever.

3 1/2 Stars

>83 Ti99er: Oh I loved that story! Thx for sharing, and happy thanksgiving to you and yours.

The Dead Janitors Club by: Jeff Klima

This is the true, if not embellished story of author Jeff Klima's life as an employee of a crime scene clean-up company. I am not sure exactly why I picked this book up, or more accurately, ordered it on Amazon, and waited for it to be delivered to me for my reading pleasure or .... hmm.

Overall, it wasn't a horrible tale, Klima has a good sense of humor and made me laugh at times. It wasn't over-the-top in anyway concerning morbid descriptions of dead body secreations. The descriptions were there, but there was no attempt to make this book into a horror story.

So, the book was ok, the writing was clean and funny at times. There was enough to it to keep me coming back, but I wouldn't label it, a page turner. Would I recommend it, hmmm....depends on my audience. Was it the worst book I have read all year? Not by a long stretch.

2 Stars

Those last two sentences really made me laugh! Glad it wasn't horrible. My last read was.

28. The Art of Racing in the Rain by: Garth Stein

Well, even with a step down I fell well short of my goal of 50 books this year. As long as you are always reading something and enjoying it along the way, I guess that is all that truly counts. To the 3 of you who actually read my posts (Suze, Crazy, and Callmejacx) I want to wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful, Happy, and Prosperous New Year!

Onto the review:

This book was awesome, I couldn't have asked for a better book to close out the year with. A touching story of loss, betrayal, and perseverance told from a dog's perspective.

I didn't know what to expect going into this one, as there seems to be a recent influx of dog protagonist stories over the past few years. Stein really hit a home run with this one. The story was lightly peppered with Formula One racing references (of which I know nothing about) but was done so masterfully and wasn't over done. These references really kept tje story moving forward.

This story identified with the human condition from an outsiders perspective. By humanizing Enzo the dog, Stein provided us with a peephole view of who we are as humans. He also expertly encompassed the our human life cycle by touching on new life, personal hardships, death and dying, and betrayal.

This is a wonderful, touching tale that I highly recommend. 4 1/2 Stars

I have enjoyed your thread this past year and hope to find yours again next year.

I hope you enjoyed Christmas and that next year brings you lots of good reads.

I am looking forward to seeing what you pick up in 2011