Crazy4reading attempts 11 in 11 (Crazy Monica)

Well I must be crazy to attempt this again. I know I will not read 100 books this year unless I decide to do nothing but read for the next 5 weeks and not do any shopping etc. I don't know how many books I will attempt to read in each category. I would like to read 11 in each but my goal is to read at least 1 in each category. I am going to stick with my categories from last year for now. I may decide to change before the new year. Here are my categories for now:

1. Books to Screen
2. Recommendations from friends, LT and other places/ ER Books (finished 5/21/11)
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) (finished 9/24/11)
6. Johanna Lindsey books
7. From when I was a youngin' (YA/Children) (finished 8/12/11)
8. It's been in the mountain for too long... (Books from my TBR pile for years.) (finished 7/8/11)
9. Books from the Library (Goal is to borrow more books instead of buying them right away) (finished 10/4/11)
10. Books from series..
11. Comics/Graphic Novels/Anime

Here is my ticker:




edit: I have added a new ticker. I would love to read 121 books this year but if I don't that is still fine with me. I will add numbers to the categoriess as I finish a book in that category.

I so hear you! I too will not make my 100 book challenge unless I drop everything for the next 5 weeks! I haven't decided what to do next year, yet...

You still have time to figure out what to do next year. I am still deciding what I am going to do exactly in this challenge.

I just love doing the challenge.

Hiya! Found you and starred you. :)

You're taking such a sensible approach to the challenge! & I love your ticker.

Thanks cammykitty. I have learned to know my limits but to still challenge myself.

I am thinking of changing my last category to Comic books. Not sure yet. I just don't know if I want to re-read any books this year. If I decide to re-read any books I am sure I can get them to fit into one of the other categories.

I think Comic Books/Graphic Novels/Anime would be a great category. You're right. The rereads can fit somewhere else. I used to reread a lot, but there are so many books in the world, if I reread, it's been ten years since the last time.

Okay I thought about it for a few days after reading your post cammykitty and I have decided to make the last group Comic Books/Graphic Novels/Anime. Now I just need to find some Graphic Novels and Anime to try. I have a few comic books and I read one in 2010.

Any suggestions on Graphic Novels or Anime would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Books To Screen

1. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay (finished 2/13/11)
2. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (finished 4/23/11)
3. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (finished 8/6/11) TIOLI August 2011 Challenge #11
4. Arthur and the Lost Diary by Marc Brown (finished 8/11/11)
5. Arthur and the Poetry Contest by Marc Brown (finished 8/11/11)
6. Certain Prey by John Sandford (finished 11/4/11 TIOLI November 2011 Challenge #1)

ER Books/Recommendations from LT and Other places

1. Damaged by Alex Kava (finished 1/19/11)
2. Dead Center by Joanna Higgins (finished 1/27/11)
3. Aftermath: A Snapped Novel by Tracy Brown (finished 2/26/11)
4. For One more Day by Mitch Albom (finished 3/6/11)
5. The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro
6. Good Cop, Bad Cop by Barbara D'Amato (finished 4/7/11)
7. Original Sin by Beth McMullen (finished 4/21/11)
8. Eyes Wide Open by Andrew Gross (finished 5/21/11)
9. Defending Jacob by William Landay (finished 10/23/11)
10. A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve (finished 11/7/11)
11. The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman (finished 11/19/11)

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

1. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (finished 6/7/11)
2. Searching for David's Heart by Cherie Bennett (finished 9/8/11 TIOLI September 2011 challenge #3.)

1001 books to read before you die...

1. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (finished 6/24/11)

What have I been missing (Authors new to me)

1. Blind Man's Alley by Justin Peacock (finished 1/24/11)
2. Gone With a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West (finished 3/14/11)
3. Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan (finished 6/12/11)
4. Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith (finished 7/2/11)
5. Silent Enemy by Thomas W. Young (finished 7/22/11)
6. Paper Towns by John Green (finished 7/24/11)
7. That Day in September by Artie Van Why (finished 8/2/11)
8. Book Lust by Nancy Pearl (finished 8/18/11 TIOLI August #16 challenge)
9. All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen (finished 9/4/11 TIOLI September #5 challenge)
10. The Diplomat's Wife by Pam Jenoff (finished 10/11/11 TIOLI October #10)
11. All I Did Was Shoot my Man by Walter Mosley (finished 12/30/11)

Johanna Lindsey books/E-Books

1. Love Only Once (finished 5/15/11)
2. Tender Rebel (finished 5/22/11)
3. Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine (finished 9/24/11 TIOLI September #1 challenge)
4. The Undertaker by William Brown (finished 9/28/11)
5. A Spy at Home by Joseph Rinaldo (finished 9/30/11)

From when I was a Youngin (YA/Childrens)

1. Forever Amber Brown by Paula Danziger (finished 3/20/11)
2. reaching Dustin by Vicki Grove (finished 5/24/11)
3. Attack on Pearl Harbor by Shelley Tanaka (finished 6/5/11)
4. Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli (finished 6/6/11)
5. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (finished 7/23/11)
6. The Quiet Little Woman: Tilly's Christmas, Rosa's Tale: Three Enchanting Christmas Stories by Louisa May Alcott (finished 7/14/11)
7. Hansel and Gretel (finished 8/5/11)
8. Cam Jansen and the Ghostly Mystery by David Adler (finished 8/12/11)
9. Follow the Dream by Peter Sis (finished 8/12/11)
10. The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry (finished 10/6/11 TIOLI October #10 Challenge)

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

1. So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson
2. The Privilege of Youth by Dave Pelzer
3. The Guide to Owning a Beagle by Andrew Vallilla (finished 5/22/11)
4. Motherhood the Second Oldest Profession by Erma Bombeck (finished 5/30/11)
5. At Wit's End by Erma Bombeck (finished 6/5/11)
6. Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon (finished 6/10/11)
7. The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts by Lilian Jackson Braun (finished 6/25/11)
8. Cat's Cradle: A Book of String Figures by Anne Akers Johnson (finished 6/26/11)
9. A House is Built at Pooh Corner for Eeyore by A.A. Milne (finished 6/26/11)
10. Ricky Martin:Backstage Pass by Kimberly Walsh (finished 7/8/11)

Books from the library (borrow more then buy)

1. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (finished 1/18/11)
2. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (finished 2/5/11)
3. To Hold the Crown by Jean Plaidy (finished 2/22/11)
4. Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez (finished 3/5/11)
5. Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner (finished 3/31/11)
6. One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus (finished 5/12/11)
7. Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (finished 5/30/11)
8. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (finished 9/14/11)
9. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (finished 10/4/11)
10. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls (finished 10/29/11)
11. The Lacuna by Barbara Kinsolver (finished 12/26/11)

Books from series

1. Abby Cooper Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie (finished 7/4/11)
2. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris (finished 7/9/11)
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (finished 8/7/11) TIOLI August Challenge #2
4. Genies Don't Ride Bicycles by Debbie Dadey (finished 8/12/11)
5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (finished 8/25/11 TIOLI August Challenge #2)
6. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban by J.K. Rowling (finished 8/30/11 TIOLI August Challenge #2)
7. Racing The Devil by Jaden Terrell (finished 12/27/11)

Comic Books/Graphic Novels/Anime

1. Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman (finished 12/31/11)

The Watchmen is a very literary graphic novel. I'd start there. Maus is very popular, but I haven't read it. It's about the holocaust, so not your standard comic book fair. If you go to the ala website, "yalsa", I'm remembering a new graphic novel being on the top 10 for teens list.

The Watchmen is one that I do want to read. I keep wanting to purchase it but I never have enough money. I will check out the website to see what I can find.

Our local library has The Watchmen but it is checked out so frequently that you have to put it on reserve. They cary anime too, but it's the same story. The popular series are always out, and quite ratty. Hopefully, you've got a good library near you, but I prefer owning the books too. Bad habit when I worked in a bookstore.

I will have to check out my library to see what there selection is for anime and graphic novels. I really want to buy The Watchmen just because I like to own most of the books I read too. I will be going to borders tomorrow to spend a gift card I received and to also use my border bucks before the end of the year since that is when they expire. Now I know what I will be buying tomorrow. I never worked in a bookstore when I was young. I was more into the clothes then books. My sister worked in a bookstore but I don't remember her buying a lot of books.

Thanks for the idea of using the library to try the graphic novels.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy New Year to you too! Someone on another thread mentioned Persepolis. I never read it, but there was a movie made after it and it was a big seller in my bookseller days. I tried not to buy a lot of books, but once or twice a year, they doubled our employee discount. It was hard to be good on those days!

I know if I worked in a book store I would spend a lot of money on books. I bought The Watchmen and I hope to start reading it in January. I looked at the other manga, graphic novels but I just wasn't sure if I wanted to read them. I almost picked up some comic books but stopped myself because I didn't want to bye something I may have already had.

Now going to start reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel for my Library book club read for January. I now only have about 2 weeks to read it.

I spent more than I thought I was! I know you'll enjoy The Watchmen though.

Happy Dance!! I finally finished Wolf Hall. I was really hoping to have finished this book earlier but I just kept putting off reading it. Now I need to start on my ER books from July and Aug that I just received. Hopefully they will be faster reads then this last one.

Will work on my review and post later, hopefully today.

#1. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

This book is a book that I usually wouldn't choose to read myself. I enjoyed learning about something new. Wolf Hall is a story based on Henry VIII from about 1500 till 1535. As I was reading the book I started to get confused about who was who because there were so many men named Thomas. My son and I started talking about the show the Tudors and that helped with my understanding more of the Tudor period.

Wolf Hall deals with Henry VIII deciding to get out of his marriage to Katherine of Aragon, later known as Dowager Princess of Wales and marrying Anne Boleyn. Henry wants to marry Anne because Katherine has not bore him an heir to the thrown and Anne 'will'.

Some of the things I read about in Wolf Hall were the trials of some of Henry VIII's underlings. Some of the trials were very brief on what really happened or why this was happening. (Or maybe I just started skimming some of the information) It was interesting to see how one man Thomas Cromwell manipulated people, things and events to advance him.

I cannot say I loved the book nor can I say I hated the book. I enjoyed the book and was thrilled to discover more information about England's history and now I am interested in possibly trying to learn more.

3 stars

Now I plan to start reading Damaged by Alex Kava

Congratuations on getting through such a chunkster of a book, expecially since you weren't totally blown away by it. It's sitting on my TBR shelf and although I keep looking at it, it's size rather intimidates me.

Thanks. I will say that when I read the first chapter of the book I was really interested in the story but then it just got monotonous to me. The story starts out with Thomas Cromwell being beaten by his father. I was so concerned about him that I wanted to see what happened.

Now I just started reading Damaged last night and already I am on chapter 30 out of 62 chapters. I would love to finish the book tonight.

I just finished my second book of the year. All I have to say is it was a great read. It felt nice to read a nice light read this time. I went to my library book club meeting tonight and only 2 of us finished the book,Wolf Hall. Everyone disliked the book they felt it was very drawn out and boring. I am glad I finished it. I also picked up 2 more books at the library. I picked up The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory and To Hold The Crown by Jean Plaidy. These were both recommended by someone from the 75 books challenge. I decided to find out more about the Tudors or at least learn a little bit more about them. Maybe sometime I will decide to get an actual history book on them. Here is my review for my second book of the year:

#2. Damaged by Alex Kava

This was my ER win from July and I have to say the wait was worth it. I don't know if it was because I just read a very long and difficult book on the Tudor period or if I just needed a nice light read.

Damaged is a novel about Maggie O'Dell, a criminal profiler for the FBI. I have watched the show Criminal Minds and know that I really enjoy the intricacies of the thought processes of criminals and how the profiler is able to conclude those thoughts.

Maggie is recruited by a friend from the Department of Homeland Security, Charlie Wurth to help with profiling due to the discovery of a cooler with body parts in it. The cooler is found in the Gulf near Pensacola Beach Florida by the Coast Guard. The catch is that Maggie is going down to Pensacola when a hurricane is predicted to land in Pensacola.

I found myself not wanting to put the book down. The chapters moved quickly and always wanting to know what would happen next. I read this book in less then one day.

5 stars

Now I will start on my other ER book Blind Man's Alley by Justin Peacock. This was my August win which I just received this month. I hope it is as good as I think it will be. Then I will start one of the books I picked up at the Library today.

Happy Reading all!!

Monica

Damaged sounds interesting. Thanks for the review!

#3. Blind Man's Alley by Justin Peacock

Awesome!! Blind Man's Alley is a book that kept me riveted to my seat and my eyes glued to the pages. Blind Man's Alley is a book with so many twists, turns, story lines, character plots and interaction to ultimately come to the final conclusion of this book.

Blind Man's Alley is a novel about corruption, murder, back stabbing and just all around total human nature. While reading this book I could see this being true and plausible. I am not current on all laws for New York or even laws in general. I have an understanding of the most basic and layman ideas of the laws.

The main character is a lawyer, Duncan of a huge corporate law firm in NY. Also there is a reporter for the Journal, Candace who plays an integral role in this plot. Duncan works for Blake and Wycott who represent Roth Properties. Blake and Wycott take on a pro bono case to help with their image. Duncan is the lawyer assigned to this case. This case is just an eviction case and is the beginning of the end for so many people.

People are being evicted from low income housing for their children supposedly possession of drugs. These are properties that the Roth family own and are changing over to better income housing. Are the kids being set up by the security guards that Roth Properties use? This is where the trouble begins for Rafael.

Then there is murder, conspiracy, racketeering and so much more that just keeps you riveted to the book. I found the ending to be more then I expected. I was pleasantly surprised as to how Justin Peacock was able to summarize the story and not make you feel like everything always works out.

5 stars

#4. Dead Center Joanna Higgins

I enjoyed this book. This is the story about a murder that happened 20 years ago and Dr. Weber is now on trial for this murder. The interesting thing about this plot is that the man that he murdered was a friend of his and Dr. Weber was having an affair with Pete's wife. Ultimately Dr. Weber (Ben) and Karen got married.

Karen's daughter's Lin and Laura are confused between fact and fiction. Their emotions are torn between wanting to believe their 'dad' is innocent to feeling that his story just doesn't add up. I did find myself getting a little confused during the trial because the writing was of the words that were being spoken and sometimes thoughts of the person hearing them.

All in all I enjoyed the book even with the little undertones of religion. I felt that the religion part was well placed and brought up. People that have a strong faith prior to something traumatic happening begin to question their faith in God. The ending was okay but not what I was really expecting.

4 1/2 stars

I finished my first book in February. I have to say that the read-a-thons in the 75 challenge group are being very helpful in my reading so far. Here is my review

#5. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

This is my second book on Henry VIII. I enjoyed this book a lot more then Wolf Hall. The Other Boleyn Girl is a wonderfully written story about the girl in the shadow of Queen Anne. Mary I found very interesting because she was not knowledgeable about the workings of the English court. She grew in this book.

Mary was the narrator of this story. So you saw things through the eyes of a young child, young women and then a mature women. Mary was very innocent and listened to what she was told to do by her family, which consisted of her mother, father, uncle, brother (George) and her older sister (Anne).

I learned a lot about how the English court worked/works. Not sure if it is the same now as it was back then. I do feel that some of what happened still goes on in this time period now. Women are still viewed as items that can be bought and sold for the pleasures of men. At least some women can be or men just feel that way. I also feel that all men think about is themselves when it comes to marriage. They want to be pleased, waited on and to have the women pregnant and be able to have sex with other women while the wife is pregnant. And once the woman is unable to bear any more children she is just tossed aside for a younger one. Men never seem to learn that the younger ones are only after them for the money and nothing else. Then I think that the men don't look at it that way. They are only concerned with having a boy or many boys.

Okay I guess I should stop with the soap box about men. I really enjoyed the book and did see similarities in the world of today. Just seeing how the King was able to toss aside his wives when he is done with them. What a pity. If only all men thought like William Stafford and married for love and not stature or riches. I loved how Mary triumphed in the end.

5 stars

#6. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Sarah's Key brought to light things that I did not know about the deportation of the Jews during the Holocaust from France. I have read books on this subject but mainly from the Poland and Germany. I never knew the French were involved in the 'round-up' of Jewish men, women and children.

Sarah's Key is the story of a Jewish girl named Sarah, whom is awakened on July 16, 1942 by the French Police. Sarah does something for her brother, thinking she is protecting him. She has her brother, Michel, go into their secret hiding place and promises to come back and get him.

You follow Sarah, her mother and father to a stadium where they are kept in awful conditions. They are given no food, or water for days. People die and some actually commit suicide. During this time Sarah thinks about her brother and let's her parents know what she did. You also meet a journalist, Julia Jarmond, from present day France. She is doing a story about the Vel' d'Hiv for the newspaper she works for in France.

Julia learns about this roundup and she is surprised by the treatment of the Jewish people and also the children. I felt myself yearning to know more about the incidents and actions on that fateful day in 1942. Julia learns how her in-laws have a connection to a family from the past. Julia is driven to learn so much and when she does discover the truth she is both saddened and intrigued. She becomes closer to her father-in-law.

Tatiana does a fantastic job of drawing you into the story and yearning to learn what happened and what will happen. I even find myself thinking about how the story continues even after the end.

5 stars

Oh, Sarah's Key looks vair interesting. I'll have to look for that one sometime. Thanks! :)

36> I've had that one on my wishlist for awhile. I was watching a documentary on WWII with my brother last night, and got confused as you did. They were talking about "The Free French" forces and "Vichy French" forces. A lot of people cooperated with the Germans once France was occupied. My brother said the "Vichy French" forces were known to surrender pretty quickly though. I'm sure many people were afraid to not cooperate.

Sara, Sarah's Key is a book you will really enjoy, especially if you like to read about WWII.

Cammy, I was talking to my daughter about this book and she now recommended a book to me that is a memoir I believe the title is My Name is Renee (not sure of the spelling or the title) She is going to let me borrow it so that I can learn even more. There were also books listed in Sarah's Key for reference and recommended reading. I will be looking for them at the Library this week.

I had asked my son and daughter if they knew anything about the envolement of France during WWII. My son did know. My daughter didn't learn about it until she took French in college.

I will be doing the read-a-thon tonight. Look for updates here.

Happy Reading all!!

Well, saying WWII is my favorite topic to read about would sound kind of macabre, but yes, I definitely love reading about lesser-known events that happened during that time. I knew a little bit about France during WWII, but only from historical vampire fiction (*snorts*), so I never really knew what to believe. I'm sure Sarah's Key will be eye-opening, whenever I can find a copy of it.

Should be a fascinating readathon. My discussion with my brother made it really clear that WWII was far more complex than any of our high school history teachers led us to believe. I liked Marge Piercy's Gone to Soldiers. It followed several different characters who were active in the war effort in areas that we don't usually hear about. One character was French Resistance.

I will have to add that book to my wishlist. If I can find it at the library I will try to read it. The read a thon went nicely for me. I only got to read a few pages because the hours just to don't fit perfectly into my schedule.

I know. That happens with time. :(

Your library should have it. She's one same major awards so libraries tend to have everything she has ever written.

Sarah's Key is going on my wishlist as well, thank you!

Bcteagirl thanks for stopping by and hope you are able to get to read Sarah's Key

#7. To Hold the Crown by Jean Plaidy

To Hold the Crown was an enlightening view of King Henry VII and his wife Elizabeth. This is the first book I have read solely based on King Henry VII. It was interesting to learn new things about the Tudor's.

This book lets you see how Henry VII reacted when people tried to usurp his power, when he didn't have the children that he really wanted. Seeing Henry worried almost all the time. He was always thinking of every possible outcome and scenario.

4 1/2 stars

#8. Aftermath: A Snapped Novel by Tracy Brown

This is my first time reading Tracy Brown and I have to say she did not disappoint me. I really didn't know if this book was going to be a mystery, thriller, suspense or a Christian book. There was thrills and suspense and sex. Aftermath also has some Christian content but not an overwhelming amount. Just some comments like some one saying a prayer and forgiving someone for their past. I felt it was portrayed in a pleasing way and not over bearing.

Aftermath is the story of Misa, Camille, Toya, and Dominique. Misa and Camille are sisters and Toya and Dominique are their friends. The story opens with Camille coming home to her house and knowing something isn't right. Her sister's car is there and yet all the lights are off. When she walks into the kitchen she sees her brother-in-law on the floor in a pool of blood. Camille goes looking for her sister thinking and worrying that the person who did this could still be in the house. When she finds her sister she is surprised to see her covered in blood and realizes that her sister shot her brother-in-law (BIL).

The story mainly focuses around Misa's crime and how it has affected everyone from her family to her friends. Her sister's marriage is in shambles and the death of Steven (BIL), does not help. Toya and Dominique have their own demons and problems they are dealing with. All find strength from each other and grow during this novel.

As I was reading Aftermath I was able to bring some of the story into my own life. My marriage is going through a similar one as Camille's. I related well to her as being hurt by a cheating husband. I was also able to relate to Misa and wanting to kill Steven from a mothers point of view. Toya and Dominique were two that I related to as some of my friends in real life. Being there to help me when I feel sad or hurt.

Aftermath shows you how having family and friends and god in your life can help you through the rough spots of your life. Family and friends are there to support you and comfort you. The language is at times vulgar, yet I know how sometimes people will talk when they are angry, frustrated, hurt etc. I was able to picture the women talking and the gestures they would use or even their facial features.

5 stars

#9. Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

This is my first book about Afghanistan. This book is about a woman who decides to help the women of Afghanistan to better their lives. Deborah Rodriguez goes to Afghanistan with a mission group and feels that she cannot offer much since she is just a hairdresser from the states. She slowly realizes that the women are ones that do love to style hair for special occasions.

Deborah decides to open a Beauty School to help teach the women the correct way to do things for beauty and to also help them with learning new things. Kabul Beauty School goes through Debbie's trials and tribulations while in Afghanistan and when she first goes back to her home town.

5 stars

#10. For One More Day by Mitch Albom

This book made me think about my mother. If you have lost some one close to you this book will make you think about things you wish you had known or asked your loved one before they died. If you haven't lost a close one to you then it will make you think of what to ask your loved ones now before it is too late.

After my second time reading this book I still feel the same way. The only new thing I learned in reading this book is how you can feel closer to your lost loved ones when you need them the most. Whether you are dying or just in need of their guidance.

5 stars

#47: For a second, I thought you were talking about The Beauty Academy of Kabul, a documentary I saw years back. It sounds about the same (the titles are eerily alike), but I'm sure they're not. I'll have to look for that one sometime. Thanks! :)

#49: They may be the same. Kabul Beauty School is the story of a woman that goes over there to help out. That would be cool if it was the same just different titles.

It would be. :) I popped over to IMDb and found out the book you read will be made into a movie (in . . . 2013!). Here's the one I saw: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0439130/ , in case you were curious.

Thanks, I did notice that about the book I read. Now I will have to see if I can find that Documentary anywhere.

Yes another book done. I really need to speed up my reading if I want to read over 100 books this year.

11. Gone With a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West

Another great ER book!! Gone with a handsomer man kept me interested until the very end. This is a mystery, thriller and a little romance mixed in.

Teeny is the main character in this story. Her life is turned upside down when she finds her fiancé playing naked badminton with a couple of girls. Teeny doesn't go running she throws peaches at all of them. She gets arrested and a restraining order is put in place.

While she is not allowed to be near Bing, Teeny receives a text message from him asking her to come back because he loves her. Teeny being Teeny goes to Bing's house and finds her puppy covered in red stuff which turns out to be blood. Teeny finds Bing's body and while she is getting out her cell phone to call 911 she is either tazed or knocked unconscious.

Teeny is a little bit too innocent in this story. She seems a little to childish in her thoughts. Yet sometimes that was when she was remembering back to her childhood.

When I got to the last 10 to 15 chapters I didn't want to put the book down. I needed to find out who committed the murders. Who set up Teeny and if Teeny and her childhood sweetheart, Cooper O'Mally would be together.

All I can say is I hope Michael Lee West plans to write a sequel to gone with a handsomer man.

5 stars

12. So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson

I feel like the title of the book; So Many books, So Little Time. I have so many books I would like to read and sometimes wonder if I will ever finish a quarter of them.

Sara Nelson decides to read a book a week for a whole year. Reading 52 books doesn't seem so hard but she runs into a problem of trying to find books each week.

Sara's friends would ask her " How do you choose your books?" She learned in the very beginning that she didn't always choose the books; sometimes the books choose her. I do agree with that statement. I sometimes start out wanting to read a book and then get side tracked by another book that just calls to me.

Sara talks about how when a book gets overhyped that a lot of readers get mad and that we are a funny, cliquish group, we book people. I know I have felt that way about some books when they are first released and I may hold out on waiting to read them. I did that with the Harry Potter books when the first few books were published. I just didn't see how a children's book could be so interesting. The movie is what made me read the first book. Once I heard that movie was being released I went out and read the book and then continued with the series until it was finished.

Mrs. Nelson also talks about how recommending books to your friends and how that can possibly cause a strain on the relationship. You may love a book that some one else hated. I can see that happening but I also feel that everyone interprets books differently. There are some books that I enjoy but would never call it a literary icon.

I found it interesting to learn about books that I have wanted to read but have put off reading for sometime. Even seeing some of the books listed that she started and didn't finish.

She includes at the end of the book three appendixes. One for what she had planned to read, two for what she actually did read and the third for what is on the must read pile of the following year.

3 1/2 stars

13. The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro

This book was given to me by one of my son's friends. She figured I would enjoy it because the woman is close to my age and some of the things she talks about I would understand. I did enjoy the book. Yet I wasn't as bad as her with some of her behaviors.

Laurie is writing about her own personal experiences. Some are funny and some are just unbelievable. She talks about her drinking binges and her escapades that follow. The one time she gets pulled over because a woman is in her window yelling at her friend. She gets pulled over because she held up traffic and then is given a sobriety test. She fails yet she is sober. That is something I am always afraid of happening to me.

I found the one story about the revenge of the bra girl very funny. I could just picture her yelling at the manager for yelling at the girls for talking while working. Sometimes management doesn't realize that people can multi-task.

The book was entertaining and a nice book to read in between the longer books I have been reading.

4 stars

14. Forever Amber Brown by Paula Danziger

This is a very cute story. Amber Brown is a girl who is 9 years old and talks her life. Her parents are divorced and mom is thinking of getting engaged to Max. She doesn't want things to change or does she.

I found it interesting because it deals with an interesting situation that many children have to deal with. Some not always at a young age.

5 stars

I think I have The Idiot Girls Action-Adventure Club . . . somewhere. I just haven't read it yet. Looks hilarious, though. Glad you enjoyed it. :)

I thought I owned Forever Amber Brown, but after searching my catalog, I found out I'm missing that one and Amber Brown Is Feeling Blue from the series. Oh well. I'll get around to them all . . . eventually.

15. Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

Fly Away Home is a book I didn't think I would enjoy reading at first. When I started reading I realized that this book is hitting close to home and I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish the book. Fly Away Home is about a woman Sylvie, her husband, Richard and their 2 daughters Diana and Lizzie.

Sylvie is the wife of a politician. She has lost herself in her marriage even though she didn't realize it. Richard is the husband and person that I felt anger towards the most. Sylvie learns through her friend Ceil about Richard's affair. She learns more when she is at a rest stop and sees the CNN news report about the incident. I know exactly the feelings that Sylvie was having at that moment. She hated her husband, hated the people talking about it and wondering what she did wrong for this to happen.

Sylvie worries about her daughters, especially Lizzie since she is a recovering drug addict. She worries about Diana but not as much because she is like the rock of Gibraltar. Lizzie still loves her father and she wants to know why. Diana is confused about what her dad did because she is doing the same thing. She is married and is having an affair with a younger man.

Fly Away Home follows the three women and how they deal with the reactions of everyone around them and also what they have done. I found myself loving and hating the book all at once. I mainly disliked the book because of the affairs going on. I loved the book because it didn't solve everything like a fairy tale ending. It was long and over months after the incident was made public and I felt that made it more true to life then ending it any other way.

4 stars

16. Good Cop, Bad Cop by Barbara D'Amato

Good Cop, Bad Cop is about the Chicago PD. The story is based on a true event that happened in 1969, The Panther Raid. The story start out in 1969 during the raid. Then goes 28 years later. Barbara D'Amato does a fantastic job of keeping your attention.

Your main characters are Nick and Aldo Bertolucci. They are brothers who have a very interesting past between the two of them. Nick is the youngest brother and is Superintendent of the Chicago PD. Aldo is the oldest and a police officer. Aldo was a detective at one point but blew it by doing something wrong. He has a gambling problem and has gotten in over his head. His brother has helped him and still does care about him.

Their father was Superintendent during the raid of the Black Panthers. His name was Nico. You learn throughout the book how mean their father was and that he was a very controlling man and would do things to protect you and then use it later to hurt you if he could. Nico dies and Aldo is asked by his mother to clean out his father's things. Aldo finds incriminating stuff on his brother and decides to use it to his advantage.

This is when the story really got interesting. You have blackmail, burglary, thievery and much more. I found myself torn between who I wanted to win in the end.

5 stars

17. Original Sin by Beth McMullen

Original Sin is the introduction of a spy Sally Sin turned mom. Sally Sin is her spy name. Lucy is her name once she left her job at the USAWMD. USAWMD stands for United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction. She left the USAWMD for love. She met her husband Will while still a spy and decided to leave to try and live a normal life.

When Lucy was a spy she met Ian Blackford who once worked for USAWMD and turned bad. During her time as Sally Sin she was abducted or kidnapped by Ian. He always threatens to kill her and yet he doesn't. Sally's boss Simon Still has been after Ian forever. He is never happy when she is kidnapped and Ian escapes.

During the book you get glimpses of her past. This helps with understanding her character and also the background between Sally, Ian and Simon. Lucy's friends and husband do not know her true past life. Would anyone really believe her if she told them she was a spy before? Lucy has a son named Theo who is just adorable. I felt that there is more to him and that he could possibly follow in his mom's footsteps.

Lucy's new life is upturned when Simon Still comes back into it to let her know that Ian is still alive. Simon wants to use Lucy/Sally to bring Ian out into the open. Lucy is not willing at first but realizes she has no other choice. Lucy does what she is told up to a certain point and decides to look out for herself and her family.

The ending of the story is one that has me wanting to read the next book in the series. Who is Sally Sin, really? What does Simon and Simon's boss Director Gray have to do with Sally's past? What is Sally's true name? Ian seems to know the answers to these questions.

4 stars

18. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

I don't know where to begin in writing a review for A Clockwork Orange. I have heard of this book before and of the movie. I have not seen the movie and didn't read anything about the book prior to deciding to read the book.

The language in the book makes it very difficult to read A Clockwork Orange at first. The language is made up teenage slang. The story takes place in a world of poverty, violence and in the near future. Once I got past the language and started to understand the usage the book started to make sense.

Alex is the main character of A Clockwork Orange. He is the somewhat leader of a group of teenage thugs and yet he is the youngest. The story is written in 3 parts. The first part is where you really get to know Alex and what he does that gets him into trouble. Part two continues with him being in prisoned for his crimes. Part three wraps up the whole story.

I would consider A Clockwork Orange a book of a coming of age type. All teenagers go through a period of rebellion and some grow and change and others don't change as much or as fast. This book is the one written in America but with 3 parts and 7 chapters in each part. The original work written in America was missing the last chapter and the movie is based on that same book. I was given this information right up front in this book. While reading the book I had decided to really think about having the book end on 20 chapters instead of 21 chapters and I have to say I am glad to have read the one with 21 chapters.

4 stars

Glad to hear you liked A Clockwork Orange. I watched bits and pieces of the movie years back and was pretty turned off from wanting to read the book. But I'll try and flip through it sometime next time I'm at work.

Now I just need to see the movie.

I finished another book. My first for May. Here is my review:

#19. The Privilege of Youth by Dave Pelzer

The Privilege of Youth is the fourth book that I have read by Dave Pelzer. This book focuses on one street that Dave lived on in a foster home. The name of the street is Duinsmoore Way. This is the time just before he reached adulthood.

You get to hear what Dave thoughts are during this time. He is living in a foster home in a nice community in California. Duinsmoore is the place where he really feels he belongs and actually gets to live his first time as a child. The one thing that Dave never really got to do or feel before he finds it all on Duinsmoore Way.

4 stars

I am currently reading:

Love Only Once by Johanna Lindsey
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith (e-book)

I just started Love Only Once. I have to find Their Eyes were Watching God. My son cleaned up a long time ago and I haven't been able to find the book. I also have to find my copy of the Kite Runner. I want to start reading it for a different challenge. Stuck in the Middle I read when I am waiting for some one or at a doctor's appointment.

Happy Reading all.

Monic'a

Here is my newest review:

#20. One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

I enjoyed reading a fiction book mixed with facts about the Native Americans and the White men. This is one subject I am very interested in since my children are part Native American on their father's side.

One Thousand White Women is a work of fiction about if white women were given to the Native Americans mainly the Cheyenne's. The belief of the Native Americans is that all babies belong to the woman's tribe. The American Government decides that this is a great way to assimilate the Indians to the white man's world.

As I read this book I found myself getting very interested in the characters. You meet many different white women. I found them very interesting. You have some that are very independent, some shy, some different and some just crazy. The characters are well dimensioned. As the story progresses you learn a lot about the women and how strong they really are. Some of the women really start to discover themselves.

It was interesting to learn some customs of the Native Americans. Some were a little scary. I also found the similarities between the white man's thinking and the Indian's thinking very interesting. The Indian's feel that the man is superior to women and are left out of a few things. Their is one women who realizes this and dose some things to enlighten the Indians. The women is May Dodd and these are her journal entries.

5 stars

I am still reading the books listed above and will be starting my newest ER book Eyes Wide Open by Andrew Gross

Another book down. My first romance book of the year.

#21. Love Only Once by Johanna Lindsey

Love Only Once is the story of Regina Ashton and Nicholas Eden. This is also the first book in the Malory series. The first book I read by Johanna Lindsey was a Malory Novel. I cannot remember exactly which one it was. I just know that I didn't read the series in order. I have decided to read these books from the beginning instead of mixed up.

I knew the story of Regina (Regan or Reggie) and Nicholas Eden from the previous book that I read. Even though I was familiar with the story it was nice to read the actually book that started this wonderful introduction to the Malory family. Johanna Lindsey is a fantastic writer and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Regina Ashton has been looking for a husband for about a year in London and in Europe. She is tired of looking and having her uncle's decide that the ones she decide on are not the ones they want her to marry. She finds her husband under very unlikely circumstances. She is abducted by Nicholas Eden when he thinks she is some one else. Nicholas is known as a confirmed bachelor and wastrel.

I loved this story for many different personalities of Regina's uncles. They are very protective of their sister's daughter, their niece, Regina. They have raised Regina since her parents died in a fire. They treat her as if they were all her father and not just an uncle. That is one thing I love about the Malory family. The may tease each other but they truly do love everyone of their family members.

5 stars

This review finishes one category!! I am thrilled with this.

#22. Eyes Wide Open by Andrew Gross

I loved this book. Once I started reading Eyes Wide Open I couldn't put it down. Eyes Wide Open captures your attention in the first few pages.

Eyes Wide Open is a thriller, mystery and so much more in a very quick moving novel. The main characters are Jay Erlich, his brother Charles, his wife Gabby and their son Evan. Jay receives a call from his brother's wife Gabby informing him about their son's death. Is their son's death a suicide or was he murdered? is the question that Jay comes to when he goes to California to be with his brother and his wife.

Has Charlie's past caught up with him? Does this have anything to do with what Charlie did when he was strung out on drugs? are some of the other questions that Jay starts asking himself. The ending of the story did not surprise me as much as I thought it would. I kind of had a feeling that the story wasn't over.

5 stars

#23. The Guide to Owning a Beagle by Andrew Vallilla

I picked this book up at a yard sale because my daughter has a beagle and I was interested in learning more about the breed. I learned about the history and possibly how long the breed has been around. I also learned about how to tell if you have a winning dog for a dog show. I am not interested in this aspect of owning a dog yet I still found it interesting as to what makes a dog better then another dog.

My daughter's dog is not a typical beagle. She is actually a mix of a beagle and basset hound. She is adorable. I did learn about training the dog and when you should start and some ways to go about doing it. This is a nice easy fast read.

5 stars

We had a basset growing up, and my brother has a beagle now. If you can train a basseagle, you can train any dog. ;)

#68: This is going to sound totally stupid, but is there such thing as a basseagle?

I don't know but I do know that she has been call a Bagle which is a mix of a beagle and basset. I don't know if that is the correct spelling or not. I had never heard of a Bagle before. I will have to get a picture of her on here at some point.

Bagle works as well as basseagle. I just made that up. It's just I've known pure bred beagles named bagel, so that one would confuse me. Basseagles can fly, ya know.

#70: Bagle? :D I haven't heard of that, but I have seen Chiweenies in real life; they're adorable. I'd love to see pics of her.

#71: Gotcha, but somehow I doubt even those ears would get them off the ground. :P

I don't post pictures too ofter so I hope this works.
This is a picture of my daughter Samantha and her puppy Samantha. The puppy was named when they got her so they didn't change her name.


This is a picture of my son Brandon giving the dog a face lift and calling her Joan Rivers.


Here is Samantha and Blokus in her cage. Those two have become friends.


Here they are sleeping together.


Here she is just looking out side at something.


I hope they aren't too big. Enjoy.

I finished another book this weekend. Here is my review:

#24. Tender Rebel by Johanna Lindsey

I love Johanna Lindsey!! Her books always make me smile, cry, laugh and just really enjoy my time reading. This is book number 2 in the Malory novels and once again Johanna does a great job in making you love the Malory men and hate them at the same time.

This is the story of Anthony Malory and Lady Roslyn Chadwick. Roslyn needs to marry in a rush so that her cousin doesn't marry her and steal the Chadwick fortune. Roslyn does not have Anthony Malory on her list of possible candidates but when he first sees her across the garden at one of the parties he is smitten and decided that she will be his next conquest.

The story is entertaining because Roslyn is Scottish and when her temper is up she breaks into her Scottish Brogue and that turns Anthony Malory on even more. You are once again seeing Regina and Nicholas Eden, James, Jason, Edward, Jeremy Malory and the whole Malory clan.

The Malory brothers are surprised when Anthony Malory decides to ask Roslyn to marry him. Their marriage is one that Roslyn doesn't want because Anthony is a rake and she knows that her heart will only be broken because you can never change a rake. I loved how Roslyn would make rules for their marriage expecting Anthony to be thrilled with them. Such as letting him still have mistresses.

5 stars

Omg, those are cute pics! :) I wish my mom's dogs got along with my cats so well, but they don't. Thanks for sharing; and no, they're not too big.

Thanks Sara. She gets along with Blokus but not Whiskers. Whiskers just hisses at her and won't even come down stairs. Samantha just gets scared and runs away when Whiskers starts hissing.

Aawww, poor baby. My mom had a Great Dane/Lab that was scared of my cats, too. Funny how intimidating cats can be to dogs.

Great pics - I wish my dog liked the camera - she runs and hides. Plus she's mostly black so she doesn't photograph too well either.

Thanks dudes22. My son loves to take pictures and the animals seem to behave for him.

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

#25. reaching Dustin by Vicki Grove

This is a story about 6th graders Dustin Groat and Carly. Their class is to do interviews of each other. They chose their partners and Carly is supposed to interview Dustin and Dustin is interviewing Carly.

Dustin is the one student that no one really likes at the school. He seems lazy, annoying, dirty and just plain childish. Carly has complained about Dustin to her parents and her father said to walk in his shoes and maybe you will feel different.

I enjoyed the story because Carly grew up in the book and realized that some things she did when she was younger to Dustin were wrong and apologized to him. This is a nice easy weekend read.

4 1/2 stars

Very cute pictures! My brother has a beagle too, so I know they don't sit still. Your son has quite a talent! Animal magic.

I don't know if it is animal magic or if the puppy just knows that he is the alpha male and obeys him. My son has always wanted a dog and says that he doesn't want this small dog. I personally love all animals and don't see the difference. But since my son is over 6 feet tall he wants one that matches him.

Another book done. Here is my review:

#26. Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

Loving Frank is a work of both fact and fiction. This is a story of Frank Lloyd Wright a well know Chicago Architect and his love affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Mamah was one of Frank's clients wives. She was married to Edwin Cheney. This is the first book I have read about Frank Lloyd Wright. So I went into this book knowing nothing about him or his personal life.

When I first started reading the book I wasn't sure if I would be able to finish the book. This story deals with a very touch personal experience going on in my life. I didn't care for Frank or Mamah in this book because they are both married and decide to leave their respective spouses for their own fulfillment. I found them both to be very self absorbed. This story takes place from 1907 - 1914, and I felt that people were not accepting of Frank and Mamah's relationship.

As I read the story I started to feel for Frank and Mamah and everything that they went through. I just don't know how a mother is able to leave her children for self gratification. Being a mother I felt for both children in the marriages. The children were young, impressionable and not able to understand everything that was happening.

Loving Frank also brings forth the way a woman was viewed during this time period. She was considered her husbands property. I sometimes feel that men in this day and age still believe that once you marry them you are their property and they can do what they want to with you and that you have no voice of your own. That is one thing I felt Mamah was feeling in her marriage to Edwin. I don't think Edwin thought of her as his property but that is just how she felt. She wasn't in love with him any more. She felt bored with her life. Frank was the man that brought forth her yearning and some hidden desires she didn't know she had.

Franks wife Catherine stood by her man and would not give him a divorce. It is some what revealed later as to possibly why she would not give him the divorce. Catherine is the one character I could relate to the most. I am currently in the same situation she was in during this story. I don't necessarily feel that I am like her and would stand by my husband. I feel that since her husband left her and the children for another woman he does not deserve Catherine's support and love. Even if you still love your spouse I don't see how you can ever trust them again.

Those are my thoughts on Loving Frank. The ending was surprising to me and not what I expected. I am now interested in finding out more about Frank Lloyd Wright, his career, life and just general information.

4 stars

Now I just need to decide on my next book to finish up this read a thon...

Well I had decided to read a really short book last night and I finished it before falling asleep. Here is my review:

#27. Motherhood the Second Oldest Profession by Erma Bombeck

Well this book was entertaining. I got a few good laughs out of it. Plus I could see myself in some of the mothers depicted in this book. My son asked me what is the first oldest profession. I honestly don't know, I told him.

This is the first book I have read by Erma Bombeck. I have heard of her before. I heard some of the things my mother has said to me while growing up. I also realize that I have become a little like my mother. Now I just have to decide if I let my sister borrow the book or give it to my daughter when she gets married and has kids.

4 stars

Now I am reading At Wit's End by Erma Bombeck. Hopefully this will be another easy read for me.

So Many Books, So Little Time certainly seems worth a look. There are 66 wanted on BookMooch and a couple available on PaperBackSwap. Strange how that works.... Anyway, I've ordered it from PBS and glad for the recommendation.

82 -- The "oldest profession," colloquially speaking, is prostitution, because it has been common to virtually every era and culture. Just in case you wanted to know. :)

#84 Thanks Christina. I will have to inform my son. I knew it would be something like that.

#83 Marge, I had started the book about 5 years ago and put it down and forgot about it. I am glad I read it. I have seen that with books on BookMooch and PBS. I belong to BookMooch but very rarely post anything on there and if I do I sometimes forget about it. I have to check out PBS.

I'm glad to see such a careful review of Loving Frank. It was a hot seller when it came out. I worked at a bookstore at the time, and the customers I asked about it seemed conflicted over what they thought about the work. I've toured his house in Oak Park, IL. Absolutely beautiful, but they also told us on the tour that he wasn't the easiest person to get along with. They kind of skirted around an issue of an affair, but I believe that part is historically accurate.

#86: Hi cammykitty, I can see how he wasn't easy to get along with. I hated him at times. I felt that his mother created the 'monster' that he was. Thanks for the comment. I would love to see his houses in person. I am sure the pictures don't do the houses justice.

I finished 2 more books early this morning. Here are my reviews:

#28.At Wit's End by Erma Bombeck

I feel At Wit's End very often. Erma Bombeck and her thoughts on the housewife job. Now my book was published in the late 1960's, before I was born. I enjoyed reading this book and remembering some of the things my mother would say.

Erma writes about what most women think when they are married and have children. I enjoyed the laughs while I read and also remembering my mother.

4 stars

#29. Attack on Pearl Harbor by Shelley Tanaka

I love reading about World War II. This is the first book I have read on Pearl Harbor. This book is a childrens/young adult book. I found the pictures fascinating. Some were actual pictures and others were exceptionally drawn.

Attack on Pearl Harbor has the view point of the Japanese and their planned attack. You also learn about some of the people that were there when the attack happened. I nice enjoyable short book.

4 1/2 stars

Now I am off to choose some more books to read.

#30. Fourth Grade Rats by Jerry Spinelli

A cute story about starting 4th grade. There is a school chant about the grades and 4th graders are considered rats. Suds doesn't want to become a rat. He wants to stay a third grade angel. His best friend takes being a rat seriously.

4 stars

#88: I really should hurry up and read something by Jerry Spinelli. I don't own Fourth Grade Rats, but I'll keep my eyes open for it.

Well I finished another book last night. Another Jerry Spinelli book.

Here is my review:

#31. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

I remember my children having to read this book in school. They never talked about it. This is the story about a young boy who becomes an orphan and is left with an aunt and uncle who don't love each other any more.

You follow Maniac Magee around as he runs away from his 'family'. He feels that anytime he gets close to having a home that something happens to prevent it from lasting. Maniac meets a family of blacks that he feels like one of them. The child Amanda of the family wonders why he is on the wrong side of the tracks. She keeps telling him to go back to where he belongs.

I enjoyed Maniac and his wild ways and the people that he met along the way. Maniac's real name is Jeffery Magee. He got the name Maniac because of the stuff he did.

5 stars

I am currently reading:

Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Nightlight A parody by The Harvard Lampoon
And I will be starting my ER book Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan.

#90: Yes, that's the Jerry Spinelli book I have. Glad you liked it. :)

Awesome, you have Nightlight: A Parody too. I plan on reading that one soon (it's sooo much smaller than the Twilight books). Can't wait to see what you thought of it. :)

Oh my, if you want a Twilight parody, go to youtube and google Alex reads Twilight. He does read it, all the way through and complete with commentary, such as "Guys, don't get dating advice from this book. Don't break into your girlfriend's house so you can steal her car keys and pick her up."

#92: LOL! He reads entire book?? Wow, that's a little much. I think I'll take your word for it. :)

That was my reaction. I don't know if I could listen to the whole thing. Here is my review of the parody.

#32. Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon

I love the Twilight books and figured this would be a nice humorous read. I was a little surprised that I wasn't laughing constantly. Nightlight is a spoof on Twilight and just over exaggerates Bella and her feelings for Edward. There is a play on the names which were just a little annoying.

I found myself chuckling every so often but nothing overly funny. I was rolling my eyes because this Belle was more annoying then the one in the original book. I know they were trying to show you how annoying she was in Twilight. This Belle is obsessed with non vampire Edwart.

3 stars

I am still reading Their Eyes Were Watching God and Very Bad Men.

I enjoyed the book I just think I was expecting more. I just didn't find it overly funny. I guess I was hoping to be laughing more then I was. Now I just need to go off and read for a few hours and maybe I will finish another book this weekend.

Oh yeah, Belle Goose and Edwart Mullen; I forgot about that. :) Too bad it wasn't all that funny. Now I understand why I was able to find a copy on clearance. I'll still try it, though. Thanks for the input, Monica! :)

I think you will enjoy it. It is a nice easy read. I was just hoping for more laughs.

As for Alex reads Twilight, he does skim over bits and does it only two chapters at a time. & now I can tell kids I *read* the whole book. Too bad the Lampoon version wasn't that good. Their Eyes Were Watching God should make up for it though in quality, not in laughs.

#33. Very Bad Men by Harry Dolan

This is my first book by Harry Dolan and I have to say I was enthralled from the very beginning. I found the story to move along at a good pace.

Very Bad Men is about a serial killer trying to make amends for something he feels that he didn't do for one of his friends when he was younger. The way the story unravels is what kept me interested from the beginning. The main character is David Loogan, the editor of a mystery magazine. He received a manuscript and it isn't fiction. He realizes this as soon as he reads it.

I found the characters engaging at times. David Loogan is involved with a detective named Elizabeth which adds a little intrigue to the story. Anthony Lark is the man with the list of names to be murdered. There are many different characters that add to the mystery of who is the real criminal here.

I found the ending a little disappointing only because you are not sure exactly what happened and if everyone will find out the truth that they have been searching for. Otherwise it was a great book and I look forward to reading more books by Harry Dolan

4 1/2 stars

Now I need to start reading Their Eyes were Watching God again. I am going to start over because I haven't read it in about 6 months or more.

Very Bad Men looks real good. Thanks for the rec! :)

You're welcome for the rec. I have to stop by your thread again, Sara.

#34. Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

I decided to read this book because my son had to read it when he was in high school, which was only last year. Their Eyes Ere Watching God was an interesting read. I really don't know what I was expecting when I saw the title. I don't know if I would have read the book if my son didn't have to read it for school.

I found the language to be difficult to understand at first. I found myself reading aloud to really understand some of what the characters were saying. The story is being told by Janie to her friend Phoeby. Janie had been married when she was very young and this is the story of her marriages and life.

Everyone in Janie's original town is talking because she comes back after running off with a younger fellow after she becomes a widow. Her friend Phoeby tells her everyone is talking about her and they want to know where Tea Cake is. The story was interesting to see how Janie grew up during her marriages.

4 1/2 stars

#35. The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts by Lilian Jackson Braun

I decided to try another book by Lilian Jackson Braun and I was pleasantly surprised. The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts was entertaining. Again you are introduced to Jim Qwilleran. He is just a local guy who writes for the local paper and has two Siamese cats, named Ko Ko and Yum Yum. Ko Ko and Yum Yum seem seem to have an uncanny knack for sensing trouble and solving crimes.

Qwilleran receives a phone call from his old landlady, Mrs. Cobb. She is in a panic about noises she is hearing in the night. When he arrives at her place the house is dark. When he walks into the place he finds Mrs. Cobb's body in the kitchen. It is ruled a natural death due to a heart attack. Jim Qwilleran has mixed feelings about her death.

The story was interesting in the fact that there is no formal investigation just Jim Q doing the solving by asking questions and just being nosy. I think I may try reading The Cat Who ate Danish Modern again.

3 1/2 stars

#36. Cat's Cradle: A Book of String Figures by Anne Akers Johnson

I remember playing these games when I was a youngster. I bought this book so that my children would grow up knowing the games I loved playing. I just decided to read the book to refresh my memory.

5 stars

#37. A House is Built at Pooh Corner for Eeyore by A.A. Milne

A cute story about Pooh and his friends again. Pooh heads out for a walk to see Piglet. Piglet isn't at his house and as Pooh knocks waiting for an answer he things of a song. Pooh heads home and finds Piglet in one of his chairs. Pooh and Piglet head out to find Eyeore in the snow and sing him the song.

5 stars

#101: It's been a few years since I've read a Lilian Jackson Braun book, but I'm fairly sure I liked the one I read. I should look for more by her.

#103: Every time I seen a Winnie the Pooh book at work or here on LT, I keep thinking of the omnibus I have hidden somewhere in my home, and that I really need to read it. Thanks for the reminder! :)

104> I have only read two of Lilian Jackson Braun and I don't remember liking the first one I read which was The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern but I am thinking of giving the book another try. The only reason I had read it was because I was working in the school district and a teacher was concerned that one of her students was reading the book. The child was a 4th grader and the teacher just felt the book was too old for her and that she really didn't understand it. I am glad to help you with Winnie the Pooh.

Now here is another review:

#38. Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith

I really enjoyed the story line for Stuck in the Middle. I have read a few Christian Fiction books and I have enjoyed I believe one of them. The story line for Stuck in the Middle is 3 sisters all with very different beliefs about Christianity.

Allie is the oldest, Jane is the middle one and Tara is the youngest. Allie is married and her husband is not religious and has been known to speak this. I didn't really feel Allie was the same way. I think she has more belief than her husband knows. Tara is one that just goes to church because she feels that she must. Jane is the one who is trying to figure out her beliefs.

A doctor moves in next door to Jane, her mom and grand mom. Jane meets him (Ken) and feels he is very handsome, nice and seems to be a religious freak. This is the part of the story I found the most interesting. Jane is afraid to admit that she has a stronger urge about her religion then her sisters and yet she is drawn to the possibility.

I didn't feel like I was being preached to while reading Stuck in the Middle. I felt this story was very similar to real life as to how every one believes differently.

5 stars

Now I just need to pick up some books and really just read the rest of the night away.

#39. Abby Cooper Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie

I decided to read this book on a recommendation of a fellow Library thing member. I saw part of their review and felt it was a book I could enjoy. Glad to say it held true and I did quite enjoy the book.

I love mysteries and cozy mysteries are ones that I love to read on nice long weekends. This was a perfect choice.

Abby Cooper is a Psychic or an Intuitive as she likes to call herself. I found the beginning of the book slow moving since you were introduced to her, her friends and other acquaintances. Once you meet all the characters the story really starts moving and gets very interesting.

Abby is a nice woman who is afraid of what others think about her Psychic ability. Her sister Cat is very successful and is like a mother to Abby. Abby and Cat are very close. Abby is also single and meets a man in this opening book. His name is Dutch.

I loved this book because you couldn't figure out right away who committed the murders. When you finally do find out it is a surprise.

5 stars

#40. Ricky Martin Backstage pass by Kimberly Walsh

I am a huge Ricky Martin fan so any book written about him is one that I will love. Reading this book brought back memories of when Ricky was in Menudo and when I saw him in concert. This is an unauthorized biography.

This book chronicles his time in Menudo and when he finally broke out in the USA.

5 stars

Touchstones are not working for this book.

I just finished another category. Happy dance.

#41. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

The sixth installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series. I enjoyed the book and the stories. Sookie again is mixed up with trouble and she tries to figure out who has made her a target again. I did get tired of being reminded of what happened in the previous book.

There wasn't as much romance in this book as in the previous books. There was one scene where Sookie and her newest supe interest were fully clothed and both were sexually satisfied. I found that scene interesting because it made me think of two teenagers having sex for the first time and not being able to get undressed before having an orgasm. Sookie's newest interest is a weretiger by the name of Quinn.

Sookie also learns why she has so many supes interested in her. She finds out that she has very special blood and vampires are very in tuned to it. She also learns the truth about Bill and begins to question their whole relationship.

Sookie meets a new witch named Amelia. Sookie and Amelia become friends by the end of the book. Amelia asks Sookie if she could join her in Bon Temps for awhile. Now I just wonder what the seventh book has in store for Sookie and possibly Amelia.

4 stars

#42. The Quiet Little Woman: Tilly's Christmas, Rosa's Tale: Three Enchanting Christmas Stories by Louisa May Alcott

I have not read any works by Louisa May Alcott before and found these three stories quite enchanting. This book is short stories that once appeared in a newspaper. The Quiet Little Woman is Patty's Christmas story. She is an orphan who is eager to be adopted. When she is adopted she is treated as a servant. She bonds with the aunt of the family and reveals things to her that she doesn't reveal to her adoptive family.

Tilly's Christmas is the story of a poor girl Tilly and how she keeps a happy disposition by believing that you should treat others the way you would want to be treated.

Rosa's Christmas is the story of a horses life told by the horse herself. When the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve all animals are endowed with speech for one hour.

The stories are heartwarming and have morals that you don't see to often any more.

5 stars

I am giving my self an additional Challenge for the remainder of the year. I just saw the last Harry Potter movie and I have not re-read the books since Deathly Hallows was released. My goal is to finish all 7 books in the next 6 months. To some this may not seem like a big deal but to me it is. I don't read very fast nor do I get a lot of time to read. I just felt like sharing this with everyone.

@ 109 -- If you liked The Quiet Little Woman, I think you will definitely like Louisa May Alcott's other books! Little Women is one of my childhood favorites, and Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, and An Old-Fashioned Girl are also very good.

I will have to look for those books while I am at Borders today. Thanks for the recommendation Christina.

Another book done. My 43rd review:

#43. Silent Enemy by Thomas W. Young

Silent Enemy is the story of Major Parson and Sergeant Gold. We were first introduced to these two characters in Young's previous book The Mullah's Storm. I am not familiar with that book yet I still found Silent Enemy easy to follow.

Major Parson is pilot in the Air-force and Sergeant Gold is from the Army working as a teacher in Afghanistan to help train those who want to become police and make Afghanistan a better place. Her school/police office is bombed and students and staff are injured. Gold and her friends and colleagues become patients of Major Parson's aircraft.

Parson's aircraft is now considered an Air Evac mission. The story doesn't get interesting until the Air Evac is in flight and they learn of a bomb threat to all aircraft that left Bagram Air Base. Parson's is left with trying to figure out what to do to protect his crew and the patients. The most logical thing is to find the bomb and to try and diffuse it.

Parson's crew search the aircraft and don't find a bomb. During the search Parson learns of 2 planes that had left Bagram have gone down. Now the threat of a bomb is more prominent then first thought. One place on the plane they didn't look is a place you usually don't go into during a flight. Parson decides that section needs to be checked and he has to depressurize the plane to search it.

The intricacies of the story are sometimes long and drawn out as you are reading. Parson's character sometime remembers his last time with Sergeant Gold and how they handled that crisis. Some of their pasts are brought up and how they are reacting to the current situation.

So will Air Evac survive or go down like the other planes that have left Bagram Air Base? You will need to pick up your copy of Silent Enemy to discover what happens.

4 stars

#44. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Now many may be surprised to learn that I never read this book as a child. I have heard of it but wan never one to read books just because everyone said they were good or that I should read them. I could be very defiant when it came to reading.

I am glad that I did finally read this book. I have seen parts of the movie but never from the beginning. This is a very nice story of a girl, two boys and a secret garden. The names of the children are Mary, Dickon and Colon.

Mary is quite contrary is what children from India called her when she lived there with her parents. When her parents and everyone she knew had died she was sent to live with her uncle. At first she was not happy to be in England. She is very thin and looks ill but once she starts venturing outside and getting exercise and fresh air everyone notices how she grows and changes.

She meets Dickon and those two start taking care of the Secret Garden. One night Mary hears some one crying and is determined to find out who it is. She finds a boy in his room crying. This is her cousin Colon that she did not know existed. The bonds that are formed between all three children is quite remarkable and believable.

4 stars

My second review from this weekend:

#45. Paper Towns by John Green

Have you ever heard of Paper Towns? I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book by John Green. This book was recommended by an online friend from my website. I am glad I finally read it. I found the story very entertaining. The story made me think about my time in high school.

Paper Towns is the story of teenagers and just them discovering things about themselves and their friends. How would you react if you just learned that your boyfriend and best girl friend were hooking up? Your friends knew but didn't bother to tell you? Would you just snap or would you do something like Margo Roth Spiegelman does in Paper Towns.

Paper Towns follows Quentin Jacobsen and Margo Roth Spiegelman on an adventure and mystery. Q is the good kid and doesn't do anything wrong. Margo is the adventurous type. Two different personalities that were friends when the were young yet have grown apart like so many of us do over time.

I suggest taking some time and pick up Paper Towns and just enjoy the adventure.

A little tid bit I learned while reading the book is that Paper Towns were created so that cartographers could protect against copyright infringement. So if you ever come across a place on a map and you are unable to find it then it most likely does not exist.

5 stars

Now I will be picking up the first Harry Potter book and reading that along with what else I do not know.

Thanks for your review of Silent Enemy. I enjoyed The Mullah's Storm earlier this year so I'll probably read this one too.

You are welcome! I need to see if I can find The Mullah's Storm at my library.

My newest review:

#46. That Day in September by Artie Van Why

I want to thank Mr. Artie Van Why for giving me a chance to read his story on the events of September 11, 2001. That Day in September is the first book I have ever read about that fateful day. I do have a fascination about actual events and to have the chance to feel what it was like to be there through the words of someone that was there is one that I will never pass up.

That Day In September had me tearing up right from the beginning. I know what I was doing when the attack happened and it touch me then and it touch me again reading this book. Yet to read a first hand experience makes me realize how much different it was for me then for everyone in New York. I cannot even start to say what it was like to be working right next to the World Trade Center and hearing a loud boom.

Mr. Van Why writes from the heart as he recounts his steps during the attack on the World Trade Center and the days and months that follow. Most of us may have suffered for a few days but those who live and work in New York saw the damage for months after the incident. They had a reminder of all the lives lost every day. There are parts of the book when Artie talks about strangers comforting each other and how he felt like New York had become like a family to him.

Everyone of us should reflect and remember September 11, 2001 especially with the 10th anniversary so close upon us now. Take the time to read That Day in September and remember those lives lost.

5 stars

I finished two books this weekend. Which isn't too hard to do since one is only about 20 pages long. Here are my reviews for both books:

#47.Hansel and Gretel

A cute story on a classic fairy tales. This is a very short version of Hansel and Gretel. A brother and sister who are lost in the woods when their stepmother leaves them.

4 stars

#48. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

I read this book again just because I love it so much. Plus I really want to watch the movie. I am just not paying $3.00 to watch it. I cried as soon as I started reading the Outsiders. I think this is one book that everyone should read.

The Outsiders is the story of the Greasers and Socs. Ponyboy is the one who narrates this story. Ponyboy is 14 years old and lives with his two brothers, Darry and Sodapop. Their parents are dead and Ponyboy is always afraid that Sodapop and him will be put into a boys home if they get into trouble.

The other members of the Greasers are: Dally, Johnny, Two-bit, and Steve. The Socs are: Bob and Randy, there are 2 Soc girls named Sherry Valance (aka: Cherry) and Marcia. Johnny, Dally and Ponyboy go to the movies. Dally teases the two Soc girls Sherry and Marcia. Johnny tells Dally to stop picking on them and he leaves. Ponyboy and Johnny sit with the girls and watch the rest of the movie.

After the movie is when the problems start. Johnny, Two-bit and Ponyboy decide to walk the girls to Two-bits house so that they can drive them home. Cherry and Marcia's boyfriends drive by and almost start a fight with them telling them never to pick up their girls. Cherry and Marcia stop the fight from happening.

Johnny and Ponyboy are the two that get jumped later by the Socs and are almost killed. They run to Dally for help. This is when Johnny and Ponyboy really do start to grow up and learn things about themselves and life. I am not going to reveal to much more because I feel this is a book everyone should read.

5 stars

I am still reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Book Lust. I hope to finish one of them today since I am doing nothing but read today.

Another one down this weekend. I love these long weekend read - a - thons. I need to do more of them.

#49. Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the beginning of the life of an ordinary boy until he receives some mysterious letters. His aunt and uncle are determined not to let Harry receive these letters.

The story is slow at first just so that you can be introduced to the many characters. You meet Dumbledore, Harry, Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, Dudley, Hermione, Ron, Hagrid and many more. I love all the interesting descriptions of these characters this helps with being able to connect with them on a very personal level.

Harry is surprised to learn that he is a wizard and that his parents were great ones. I loved the part when Harry learns that he is a wizard. Hagrid is a huge lovable character. He is like a big teddy bear.

Harry learns a lot about his new world before he even starts at Hogwarts. Harry doesn't know anything about the Wizarding World and he is afraid of making a total fool of himself. While Harry is shopping for his supplies he meets his young nemesis Draco Malfoy. Harry is very alert as to not trusting him from the start.

I could go on and on about this book even though it isn't my favorite. It is great for being the first book in the series but not the best.

4 1/2 stars

I am still reading Book Lust and will most likely start reading The Chamber of Secrets

#50. Arthur and the Lost Diary by Marc Brown

I just needed to read an easy book today. Cute story about a girl that looses her diary while at the library and she is afraid that someone will read it and all her secrets will be revealed.

When Arthur and her friends discover the diary is missing they all daydream about what she has written about them. They were interesting stories and you can see how when we are young we have wild imaginations. Some adults can still do that and I think I am one of them.

5 stars

Yes I took an easy book to read today. Just trying to clear my shelves and decided to read this so that I can get rid of it by donating it to goodwill or to a daycare.

#51. Cam Jansen and the Ghostly Mystery by David A. Adler

Cam is a girl who is known for having a photographic memory. When ever she looks at something she closes her eyes and says 'click'.

This is the ghostly mystery that she solves by remembering things while waiting for tickets to a concert. She helps the police by telling them what she remembers.

#52. Genies Don't Ride Bicycles by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones

Do Genies exist? I'm sure we all wish they did at sometime. This is the story about four kids that find a bottle and open it. The smell is awful and they throw the bottle in this empty yard.

They are walking away and one of the girls wishes the place was as clean as all the other houses and had lights for Christmas. The wishes the kids ask for are some that every kid would love but then realize how difficult it is to still do things when they are up all night, eating nothing but junk etc.

#53. Arthur and the Poetry Contest by Marc Brown

Another children's book just for fun. I am trying to clear out all the books my children read while in school. Arthur's friend Fern loves poetry and decides to enter the poetry contest at school. Mr. Ratburn is not happy that only one student has entered.

Fern bets all the children in her class that they cannot write a poem. If they don't write one than they have to join the poetry club. Mr. Prelutsky who is a poet will be doing a reading and then judging the contest.

I enjoyed reading the poems the children were trying to write. Some of the poems were a little gross but the person who wrote them enjoys that kind of stuff.

all 3 books received 4 stars

Now I am still reading Book Lust and would like to finish it soon. Maybe I just need to take some time off from work and do nothing but read. I also finished another category. Moving along slowly but surely.

#54. Follow the Dream by Peter Sis

A nice easy read about Christopher Columbus and his dream for his voyage to the new world.

Peter Sis chronicles the steps that Christopher did to finally be able to make his voyage. Christopher was denied for years to be able to make the voyage.

4 stars

I moved some things around. I placed one of the Arthur books in Books to Screen since it has been made into a tv series. I needed room to add this book to the children's category.

#119: I didn't know Cam Jansen was a girl. That's good to know, so I don't accidental call Cam a "he" if/when I'm talking to a patron about the series. That'd kind of make me look stupid(er). :)

Good luck with finishing Book Lust. I know how hard it is to find time to read, but you seem to be doing very well. I'm sure you'll make it to 75 in no time.

The only reason I know Cam Jansen is a she is because her real name is Jennifer Jansen. Cam is her nickname because she has the photographic memory which is like a camera.

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for the info! :)

No problem.

#55. Book Lust by Nancy Pearl

So do you need some more books to read? Then check out Book Lust. Or you may find some books that you read that you didn't think anyone else read. While reading this book I did learn about some new authors.

Nancy Pearl covers many different genres, some I had never heard of. I learned about so many different ways that genres are broken down. I always thought there were just your typical genres like, fiction, nonfiction, romance, mystery, horror, etc. Now they main genres are being broken down even farther. To me that can be a little daunting especially when you don't consider your self a connoisseur of Literature.

I enjoyed the book and finding new authors to check out. Some of the authors I learned about are: Mary McCarthy, Helen Fielding, Ian Mcewan and too many to mention.

4 stars

This sounds very interesting to me. Besides the ones you've mentioned and some other obvious ones, I often wonder what genre a particular book belongs in. One of the reasons why I made my categories this year based on the title of the book rather than the genre. I may end up doing the same thing next year too.

HI Betty and thanks for stopping by. I am still interested and confused with so many different genres out there. I usually just stick with the basic genres of romance, mystery and sci-fi.

I will be posting another review soon. I just finished reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Just not ready to write my review yet.

I also want to share some very interesting news with everyone. I have a blog that I post all my reviews for books and movies. I have always posted about authors and publishers to email me about reading a book for a review. Now I have had the blog for a few years and I had let it fall to the wayside for awhile. Well I just checked my email and see that an author has emailed me to review his newest e-book. I am thrilled to do that the thing that has me overly excited is the fact that he also said that he would also participate in an interview and a giveaway. I have never done either of those and I am just blown away by this chance. I would love any and all ideas for questions and the such. I will be contacting him possibly tonight or tomorrow. Who knows what I will say when I am in this state of mind.

I just wanted to share this with everyone. Also the link to my blog is on my profile page and please feel free to check it out and to follow if interested.

I am finally adding my review for Chamber of Secrets and also Prisoner of Askaban.

#56. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

I love the Harry Potter books and decided to re-read them all since the very last movie was released. I hope to finish them all by the end of this year (2011).

I still enjoy this book after reading it for the 5th time or more. The Chamber of Secrets is where we meet many more characters such as Ginny, Colin, Gilderoy Lockhart and more. You learn about phoenixes and their wonderful loyalty and abilities.

You also learn more about Lord Voldemort and exactly who he is. This is who Harry meets in the Chamber of Secrets, when he goes to rescue Ginny Weasley.

I still find myself comparing the book to the movie even now. Somethings I enjoyed being added to the movie and somethings I missed not being in the movie. I know I will be reading these books for years to come.

4 stars

#57. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban by J.K. Rowling

This is the first audio book that I have ever listened to. I was leery of audio books. My fear was that I would have to really pay attention and not comprehend much of the book. I didn't think I could do it while driving. I was pleasantly surprised as to how enjoyable it was to listen to a book.

I loved Jim Dale's narration of this book. I have read this book and enjoyed it. Hearing Jim Dale read the Prisoner of Askaban just turns the book into a wonderful story. His inflection for all the different characters is astounding. I was shocked as to how versatile his voice is.

The Audio version has made the Prisoner of Askaban one of my favorites in the Harry Potter series. Parts of the book made me tear up even though it wasn't that sad. The tone of voice just made those parts more emotional then just the words in print.

I highly recommend listening to the Prisoner of Askaban if you ever get the chance. I will be looking for more copies of the Harry Potter books on audio just to experience them in a different way.

5 stars

Now I am reading All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen and I hope to finish the book this weekend if possible.

#58. All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen

I am not familiar with Leonard Rosen nor his main character in this book. The main character is Henri Poincare. He is an Interpol agent. All Cry Chaos is centered around Henri, his family and his cases.

Poincare is given a case after a mathematician, James Fenster, is murdered on the eve that he is supposed to give a speech at the World Trade Organization meeting. I am no math wiz and found this story interesting and confusing at the same time. When math was being discussed I sometimes found myself reading it again just to make sense of it and other times remembering my times in school and just wanting to get the answer quickly.

Poincare has a long list of suspects. You follow Poincare through all the interviews. Sometimes you were left hanging and felt there was something missing after the interview. There are a few sub-plots in this book. Poincare had caught a high profile murderer and he has threatened his family. Interpol is there to protect him but that is not enough. This is one plot that I found very interesting because of how it affected Henri and his ability to perform his job.

Another sub-plot was the story of 3 orphans. The 3 children became orphans when their parents were killed in a car accident many years before. As the story progressed I found myself trying to figure out who the orphans were. When the end of the book is reached all my questions were answered and some I had figured out before.

If you want a book with intricate story/plot lines, interesting characters with depth then I suggested trying All Cry Chaos.

5 stars

I am currently reading The Goblet of Fire and two e-books. I cannot remember the titles.

Happy Reading All!

#59. Searching for David's Heart by Cherie Bennett

Even though this book always makes me cry when I read it, I still love it. My daughter had to read this book when she was in 5th or 6th grade.

Searching for David's Heart is the story of a twelve year old girl who decides to go searching for her brother's heart after he dies and the heart is transplanted. Dee Dee is also hiding something about the night her brother died. During the whole book it is eating at her.

Dee Dee's best friend Sam goes along with her to search for David's heart. Sam is a true friend to Dee Dee during this whole book. Sam also helps Dee Dee realize a lot about herself and her family.

5 stars

I am still reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Undertaker by William Brown and The Spy at Home.

Happy reading!!

Hi Monica - You have intrigued me with your review of Searching for David's Heart. I have never heard of that book before now. Will add it to my continually growing YA TBR list.

#130: I haven't read a Cherie Bennett book in years--and I can't believe I actually have Searching for David's Heart and haven't read it yet! Thanks for reminding me about it. :)

Hi Lori, Glad to have intrigued you with my review. My copy is actually my daughter's and she didn't want it I took it from her.

Hi Sara, I believe that is the only book by Cherie Bennett I own and have read. I will have to look for some of her other books and give them a try. I hope you enjoy Searching for David's Heart as much as I did.

Thanks for stopping by!! Happy Reading!!!

Just wanted to let everyone know that we are planning another read-a-thing for November. Please visit this link to cast your vote as to when this read-a-thing should be.

We are looking to do 100 hours or something along those lines. Check it out and vote and then mark your calendars!!

I am finally getting around to writing my review.

#60. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

This was a very interesting book to listen to. The narrator was interesting but didn't always keep my attention.

The Paris Wife is a fiction book about Ernest Hemingway and his first marriage to Hadley. I did not know much about Ernest Hemingway when I started this book. Listening to this book did make me interested in doing some research and learning more about him.

I didn't enjoy parts of the book. Especially when Ernest was having the affairs. I felt sorry for Hadley and how he was treating her. I also felt that this book made it seem that us as women need to have a man in our lives to feel whole.

Over all I liked getting a glimpse as to what life was possibly like in Paris during Hemingway's lifetime. I don't think I would have chosen this book on my own to read.

4 stars

I am still reading the following books: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Undertaker and A spy at Home. I hope to finish them this month. Just have to wait and see.

Another book finished.

#61. Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine

I don't even know where to begin with this review. My emotions were thrown for a loop while reading this book. I found myself wanting to learn more again about history.

So this is a work of fiction which includes a bit of history from the 1200's. I am not too familiar with history that far back. I never found it interesting or something I wanted to learn. I have realized that as I read these types of books I want to do research and learn more about the history.

Joanna is the main character of this book. Some of the other important characters are Nick, Judy, Tim, Sam, Dr. Bennett and many more from their pasts or not. Joanna is doing an article on hypnosis and reincarnation. She doesn't believe in reincarnation. She also doesn't believe that being hypnotized can make someone go back to a previous life, especially her.

She soon discovers that her first thoughts are not exactly correct. Jo also learns about the first time she was hypnotized and what happened. Did she really live a life in the past? Or is it just something that someone suggested and put in her mind? Those are the questions that she needs to figure out.

I found the characters so diverse and interesting. Jo is a strong woman that can be intimidated or scared at times. Judy I felt was very self absorbed at first but then her character seemed to grow and mature. Nick was just a lost soul, confused about who he really was. Sam was the one character that I found very manipulative, self absorbed, jealous and so much more.

By middle of my book I found myself wondering about hypnosis and reincarnation. Wondering if it was possible to hypnotize yourself.

5 stars

I am still reading 3 other books. I hope to finish them soon but not sure if I will be able to include them in any of the categories still open. I may have to do some shifting of books if I can't. These are the books I am still reading:

The Undertaker
A Spy at Home
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Happy reading all!!

I have made some changes to my list so that some of my current reads are able to fit into some of the categories. I changed the Johanna Lindsey category by adding E-books. I may make more changes just not sure yet.

Here are my reviews for my previous books read:

#62.The Undertaker by William Brown

I want to thank Mr. William Brown for giving me the opportunity to read his newest suspense novel The Undertaker. I will be looking at more works written by William Brown.

The Undertaker is a suspenseful on the edge of your seat novel. I found myself reading whenever I had a free moment. When I was at a red light I had my phone out and was reading The Undertaker while I waited for the green light. I think you can say I was hooked from the beginning.

Peter Talbott is a man who was married to Terri. Peter became a widower when his wife Terri became ill and died. Terri's death hit Peter hard and he hit rock bottom. His friends thought he died in a car crash in Mexico.

Peter is brought into trouble when a guy named Gino shows Peter his obituary and his wife's from an Ohio newspaper. Peter is very much alive and wants to know why someone is impersonating him and his dead wife.

Mr. Brown does a fantastic job of keeping you guessing as to who is really the good guy until the very end. He keeps your eyes glued to the pages and your heart racing till the climatic end.

4 stars

#63. A Spy at Home by Joseph Rinaldo

I received this book from the author requesting a review. I enjoy reading and will try any book and post a review.
A Spy at Home is the story about a retired CIA agent, his wife Louisa and their son Noah. You learn how Garrison and Louisa met and how they finally have a son. Their son Noah is not biologically theirs but a child that is rescued from a neighbors house after a fire. Noah has Downs Syndrome and most likely would not be adopted. Louisa has fallen in love with the baby and they decide to adopt him.

This story is about their life and raising a child with Downs Syndrome. You have a husband who has pretty much been out of the picture most of the time because of his job. The story does jump around a lot and that can be confusing.

I didn't care for how the book ended. I didn't feel satisfied when I finished the book. It left me hanging and wanting to hear more about Noah and how his life continued with Alzheimer's disease.

Otherwise I enjoyed the book and did tear up a little while reading the book. I don't believe I have ever read a book that focused on Downs Syndrome before. I had a neighbor growing up who had Downs Syndrome and am familiar with some of the characteristics with them. I enjoyed reading a book that did cover them in a good way and how endearing people with a disability really are.

3 stars

This one I read for my book club. I am also going to start reading the book The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls. The Glass Castle is the book about another of Jeannette's relatives. I am currently drawing a blank on her name.

#64. Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

I love horses and learning about horses and learning about how things were in the past. I found it interesting to read about ranch life for a young girl.

This is the story of Jeannette Walls' grandmother, Lily Casey Smith. Lily was a very resourceful growing up. She took care of her younger siblings and helped her father on the ranch. She was an excellent student when she wanted to learn something new. She was also an excellent teacher.

Jeannette does a great job of writing about her grandmother and her mother. I found myself laughing and crying at times.

5 stars

More reviews:

#65. The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

The Willoughbys is a delightfully written book. I found myself laughing at the characters. I love all the Willoughbys, Tim, A&B, and Jane. They are the children of Mr. & Mrs. Willoughby.

Tim is the oldest and does all the bossing. A&B are twins and they are known as Barnaby A and Barnaby B. Jane is the only girl and the youngest of the family.

I loved the story because the kids didn't care for their parents about as much as the parents didn't care for their children. The children had a bond with each other that the parents never knew about. The children and the parents both try to get away from each other and that made the story entertaining.

I also loved all the little mentions of old fashioned books. When The Bobsy Twins were mention I chuckled to myself because my sister had all those books growing up and I always wanted to read them. She was very protective of her books and was afraid I would destroy them.

If you just want a quick, fun read then I suggest you read The Willoughbys!!

5 stars

#66. The Diplomat's Wife by Pam Jenoff

This is my first book by Pam Jenoff and it won't be my last. I decided to read the Diplomat's Wife because I had seen a notice at my local library that she was going to be there for a signing or question and answering. I didn't make it to the engagement but I am very glad that I decided to pick up her book.

The Diplomat's Wife is a novel with everything. Mystery, suspense, thrills and chills, and romance. The story is set in the year 1945. Marta has survived a Nazi prison camp and is rescued by an American Soldier named Paul.

You follow Marta through her life of recovery, loss of true love and so much more. I am afraid I might give away too much of the plot if I say any more.

Pam Jenoff does a superb job of keeping the reader enthralled in the story. I give Pan Jenoff five stars for keeping me entranced and going to bed late just so that I could finish the book.

If you need a new author than check out Pam Jenoff!!

5 stars

I am currently reading:

1. Defending Jacob by William Landay
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
3. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
4. Certain Prey by John Sandford
5. A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve

Defending Jacob is my September ER book and I am loving it. I would like to finish it this weekend or this week at the latest.

I am currently challenging myself to read all the HP books again before the end of the year. I haven't read more then about a chapter or two in this book. I will be reading this during the 100 hour readathing in November.

The Glass Castle I am reading because I just read the book about Jeannette Walls grandmother and this book is about the grandmother's daughter which I believe is Jeannette's mother. I am getting confused right now since I am not looking at the book.

Certain Prey I picked up from the Library because I found out that TNT (I believe) is having a movie about this book in November. And I want to watch it so I want to read the book before I see the movie.

A Change in Altitude is my November Book Club book for the library. I don't know if I will enjoy this book. Her last one that we read was okay. I didn't love it or hate it.

Okay now I am going to curl up for the next hour or two and read some of Defending Jacob and maybe some of HP too.

Happy Reading all!!

Monica

I finished Defending Jacob last night. Here is my review:

#67. Defending Jacob by William Landay

I have to say this is one of the best ER books I have received this year. I stayed up late last night to finish reading it and once I reached the end I just sat there thinking and saying Oh My God. The ending was one I would never have thought of.

I love to read mystery, thrillers, suspense, and romance novels all the time. And usually I can figure out the ending or even just a little bit of the ending. This one I kept going back and forth as to whether or not Jacob was guilty of murder.

Defending Jacob is a book that captures so many different dynamics of family life and how being accused of murder can tear the stability apart. Jacob is Andy and Laurie's 14 year old son. He is accused of murdering one of his classmates. Just reading this book made me think of how I would possibly react if one of my children had ever been accused of such a thing.

Andy has no doubts that his son is innocent but Laurie second guesses everything. Now is Andy so sure because of his background of being an Assistant District Attorney or is it just the love of a father and son? Even as I was reading the book I was trying to figure out if Jacob had been acquitted or found guilty. I kept flip flopping back and forth.

This is the first book I have read by William Landay. I will be looking for his other two novels and future books.

5 stars

Now I will concentrate on The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls. I think I could finish that in a few days. Then it will be Certain Prey and my Anita Shreve book to work on.

I'm impressed with all the reading you've been doing! :) I have The Willoughbys and hope to read it soon (not sure when though).

The Willoughbys is a cute easy read. I hope you enjoy it. I finished another book today. Here is my review:

#68. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls

I decided to read this book for two reasons. The book club that I belong to had read this book before I was a member and we had just read Jeannette's other book Half Broke Horses, which was about Jeannette's grandmother. I enjoyed both books for different reasons.

The Glass Castle I found very interesting in seeing how difficult her life was when she was a child. I didn't know exactly what year everything was taking place, I had to guess. I just couldn't believe how her parents, especially her mother treated the children and raised them. How a mother could go without feeding her children for days, not washing clothes or cleaning the house etc. Some of this stuff just made me think of child abuse and neglect.

Jeannette's father was just as bad. He was a drunk and wasted any money on booze, gambling, sex and on impossible dreams. You would think that her parents were possible hippies.

It was great to see how Jeannette and her siblings were able to grow up in that type of lifestyle and still lead a somewhat normal life.

4 1/2 stars

I just started reading Certain Prey by John Sandford. I hope to finish this book in one week because USA is showing a movie about this book staring Mark Harmon. Then I need to start my library book club book by Anita Shreve.

Finished number 69 last night. Here is m review:

#69. Certain Prey by John Sandford

This is my first book by John Sandford and I loved it. I decided to read it because I saw that a movie was coming out on USA and I wanted to read it before I watched the movie. I just hope the movie is just as good as the book.

Lucas Davenport is a detective in Minnesota and is after a murderer. You follow Detective Davenport as he tries to unravel not just one murder but 3 murders that look like they were committed by a professional. Lucas also has it in for a lawyer, Carmel Loan. The twists and turns that this story takes kept me reading until my eyes were closing due to lack of sleep.

Need a little excitement in your reading than I suggest you give Certain Prey a try.

5 stars

Now reading A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve

( tee hee) - He's always after a murderer. I don't remember which # Certain Prey is in the series, and I'm somewhat behind, but I'm surprised they haven't done a movie on him before. Not that I really saw him as Mark Harmon when I read the books. I DVR'd it, and hope to get to it this week.

I didn't picture Mark Harmon as Lucas Davenport either. I hope you get a chance to watch the movie. I didn't realize that Certain Prey was part of a series until I looked on the work page and I saw a number stating it was, I believe #10 in the series. Not postitive on that last part.

#70. A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve

A Change in Altitude was interesting but not one of my favorites by Anita Shreve. The story is about a husband and wife living in Africa. Patrick is a doctor and working with a local hospital in Africa and doing free clinics. Margaret went with him but doesn't have a job to begin with.

I found some of the story interesting and wanting to continue and other parts just wanting to skip over. Patrick and Margaret are living in an adjoining house with another couple. I found that couple to be some what annoying. They decide to climb this mountain and something awful happens that causes a rift between Patrick and Margaret.

I found myself wondering through most of the book if Patrick and Margaret would stay married, if either one had an affair and if maybe they just weren't meant to be together.

3 1/2 stars

I've read a couple of Anita Shreve books and think this is on one of my wishlists, but now I'm thinking I might need to rethink it.

If Certain Prey is #10 then I've probably read it although it doesn't ring a bell right now. Maybe when I get a chance to see the movie.

ETA: Still getting use to my iPad and it filled in her name wrong. Oops!

#148> The one thing I don't always care for with Anita Shreve books is that when I get to the end I don't always feel fulfilled. I sometimes fell like there should be more and not in the sense of a sequel either. Let me know if you do get to watch Certain Prey.

Well I finished another book early this morning.

71. The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman

This is my first book by Laura Lippman. I have a few of her books but I just haven't gotten around to reading them just yet.

The Most Dangerous Thing is about a group of children and their families during the 70's and 80's. The main characters are Gwen, Mickey, and the three Halloran brothers named, Sean, Tim and Gordon or also known as Go-Go. This is back in the time when parents would let their children go outside and not worry about the dangers out there. These five children would hike through Leakin Park beyond where they knew there parents wouldn't let them go if they really knew.

The book goes from the present to the past in the chapters. You would be reading about any one of the main characters in the future and then they would start remembering things from the past. When you start reading The Most Dangerous Thing you read about Go-Go in the present day. He is thrown out of a bar and winds up killing himself either by accident or suicide, no one really knows. This is what begins the story of what really happened to Go-Go in the woods the day of the hurricane.

I enjoyed the book and how you realize that what had happened that one day in the park altered those five children and their respective lives. They lost touch with each other, became jealous of what the other one had and how they thought each one had it better then they did.

4 stars

Now I am going to read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Hopefully I can finish it before the end of November.

I have read just one stand-alone Laura Lippman and I'm also working my way (very slowly) through her Tess Monaghan series. I have enjoyed all that I have read by this author so far and will have to add The Most Dangerous Thing to my wishlist.

Finally #72.

#72. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

Okay I am finally writing a review for this book. I did not finish it. I don't think I will be able to finish it. I was reading this book for my Library Book Clubs December read. The 9 people that were at the meeting only 3 actually finished it. I just didn't enjoy it. I do not like the writing style of this book.

This is my first book by Barbara Kingsolver but I don't know if it will be the last. I know she wrote the Poisonwood Bible and that is the reason our book club decided to read this book. They loved that book (I still have yet to read it), and figured this book would be just as good. I will just be skimming through the book and reading the dialogue.

I am sorry I cannot recommend this book.

1 star

I will give Barbara Kingsolver another go just not right away.

Now I am going to start reading my ER books that I have. Once I find them.

I have yet to read any of Kingsolver's works and as a firm believer that books are not for everyone it is nice to see that this one just didn't do it for you and was abandoned. I did the same thing two years ago with The Children's Book even though at the time there were rave reviews about it. I have been kicking myself that maybe I judged the book too harshly. Whether or not I attempt a second reading is yet to be decided.

I usually never abandon a book. I just couldn't put up with it anymore. I was just glad to hear so many of the members having the same problem and not enjoying the book. I have read mixed reviews about The Lacuna so I don't think it is one of Kingsolver's better books. I don't think I will try to read this book again.

Sorry you didn't like The Lacuna. I really enjoyed it.

It's been on my shelf most of the year just waiting. I put it on my possibility list for this year's 12 in 12, so we'll see. I've enjoyed her other books that I've read, but it's true that not every book is enjoyed by everyone. There have been a couple that I never took to, including The Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway which everyone but me seems to love.

#73. Racing the Devil by Jaden Terrell

Racing the devil is a fast paced book that keeps your attention and wondering if Jared McKean will figure out who set him up for murder. Jared is an ex cop turned private detective who wakes up after a night with a women who is in need of a good honest man.
While he is fighting the charge of murder his ex wife is pregnant with her new husband's child, his nephew is gay and runs away. As Jared tries to solve his own case he worries about his family and friends.
This is the first book in the Jared mmMcKean mystery series. I know I will be looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

5 stars

#74. All I Did Was Shoot My Man by Walter Mosley

Another great win from Library Things Early Reviewers program!! This book started out slow for me but by the 3rd chapter I was interested in learning more about Leonid McGill!

Leonid is the main character in All I did was Shoot my Man. Leonid used to be a career criminal. He was best know for changing evidence in crimes to convict some people that should be convicted and some that were innocent. One of those persons is Zella Grisham. Leonid set her up as having stolen $58 million dollars from this corporation. Now that Leonid (LT) has decided to become honest he gets Zella release from prison for the stolen money. LT is also a private detective.

LT also has a family, a wife and 3 grown children. One boy who works for him, his name is Twill, a daughter known as Shelly and another son called Dimitri. The characters are all very unique and interesting in their interactions with each other as family. This added to my enjoyment of the book

The mystery is finding out who was the master mind behind this money heist and murders. LT and his family actually become targets of the culprits and are attacked in their apartment one night.

The ending was surprising and leaves me wanting to read more about LT McGill!

5 stars

#75. Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman

Well I took the plunge into graphic novels with one of the best authors. Marvel 1602 is a comic book with a twist. Neil takes some of the Marvel characters and places them in the year 1602 in London.

I found it interesting to follow their lives while living in London during the end of the Tudors and when James of Scotland becomes king.

5 stars

Happy New Year all! and please follow me over to the 2012 challenge which can be found here. Or follow my 75 Challenge thread. Hope to see you all there!!

edit to add:

I didn't read 11 books in each category but I am just thrilled that I was able to read a book in each category. That was my ultimate goal.

#158: Oh, that one looks good! :) I love Neil Gaiman and graphic novels. I'll have to look for it. See you on the new 75 thread! :)