bohemiangirl's 75 for 2011

I read way more than I expected to for 2010. I've already completed 101 books with a few weeks left to go. Woo hoo! However, I read for fun and don't want to feel pressured, so I'm aiming for 75 again in 2011. :)

Welcome back, Sacil!

Hey, Stasia! Thank you! Did you see my 2010 thread...101 books so far! Not bad, huh? How are you?

101 is very good! Yes, I have been to your 2010 thread tonight too.

The bubble ticker is very cute, Sacil...glad you're aiming for reasonable, and expecting extraordinary, again this year!

"Bubble" ticker? I thought they were balloons?!

Welcome back!

Happy St. Stephen's Day! Or Boxing Day! Whichever you prefer, Sacil, may it be a happy, happy occasion!

Hi, everyone! Thanx for the big welcome back!

I guess you can tell I took a break from librarything. I actually took an unplanned break from the computer and t.v. in addition to work, reconnected with some old friends (and some new ones) and showered my family with attention and spent time meditating. Woo! It was so good. Well, it's back to work and usual habits now! :)

I hope you all had the best Christmas and New Year's ever! Mine was low-key but fun.

#5 - thanx! I love bubbles!
#6 - be creative! they can be whatever you want them too be! :)
#7 - thank you!
#8 - Dec. 26 is actually the first day of Kwanzaa, and yes, it was very happy. Thank you. I hope yours was, too.

My book selections for this year are not starting off great.

1. Precious Blood by Jonathan Hayes was good, but not great. I liked the story, but one of the main characters was a stereotypical dumb college girl who whines too much but proves to be smart in the end. I liked her when she was smart, but her whining and drinking and drugging and acting stupid just irked me. However, I liked Jenner, the main character who may end up in another novel and his neighbor across the hall Jun, an Asian man who is very, uh, creative! :) The narration by Kirby Heyborne was pretty good. He sounds very young. lol!

2. I'm working on Last Witness by Jilliane Hoffman. Ummm...yeah, it's not that great. Weak women again. Grrrr. Pretty grotesque crime scenes, too.

3. I'm almost finished with This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti. I've been reading this one a few pages at a time for a few months now because it has scared the crap out of me. The language in the story is pretty goofy (you can tell it was written in the 80's), but my imagination has just gone wild with this one, so I've had to take it slow. I should finish by the weekend, though.

Ah, there you are! Glad that your break has helped recharge your batteries!

When I read This Present Darkness years and years ago, I had to stop reading it before bed because it was giving me nightmares and/or I wasn't able to fall asleep because, as you say, my imagination was going crazy. Finish it in the morning with the lights on!

#11 I did! I finished it this morning before going to work!

2. Last Witness was about as bad as I expected. Hoffman did an excellent job explaining the legal system, but the story was weak. CJ Townsend is a rape survivor and an ADA who takes down bad guys left and right, but she spends the whole book being a wimp and whining. I'm not sure if the book was supposed to be a gritty crime novel with some romance or a romance novel with a mystery. Either way, I won't be reading anything else in the series. Y'all know I do not do romance novels! :)

3. This Present Darkness was great. It definitely has an 80's feel and is a little hokey, but it was good. I can see why it's credited with ushering Christian fiction into the mainstream and opening the door for books like Left Behind. It freaked me out.

If you are interested...I'm participating in a new Zentangle Weekly Challenge started by I am the diva. I'm posting mine on my blog.

Hello and Happy New Year! I send all good wishes for a great year of reading, happiness and good health!
Congratulations on reading three books thus far in 2011~!

#13: I like that Sacil!

>13 bohemiangirl35:: Love the design, Sacil. You are very creative. Do you find that meditating helps your art?

I see that you're off to a fast start in your reading. I remember that you like audio books. My husband and I listened to The Defector by Daniel Silva on our New Year's trip. I recommend the Gabriel Allon series to you if you haven't already read it.

#14 Thanx! I could use all three! :)
#15 Thank you! Have you zentangled, yet?
#16 Thanx! Cool, I haven't read anything by Silva. I'll look him up. Yes, meditating helps with everything in my life. :) It's so much easier to not criticize myself as I work when I'm calm. Are you an artist?

#17: I do not call it zentangling. I call it doodling - I have been doing it for a long time now - since I was about 15 or so.

I read This Present Darkness, oh, years ago (and I think there are one or two others in the series, right?) - loved them, and I'm glad you did too!

4.

Pegasus Descending comments here

5.

Tin Roof Blowdown was a difficult read for me because of the descriptions of the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Also, some of the phrases that I thought were unique and amusing in the two previous books I've read by Burke are starting to sound old since he keeps using them. I absolutely loved that Det. Robicheaux's daughter is so independent and is not a damsel in distress. She's overconfident like a college student would be about her ability to deal with the bad guys, but not to the point where it feels fake. Go Alafair!!

6.

Panic - Clichéd, amateurish writing and L. J. Ganser, the narrator, didn't do the book any favors, either. But I guess his reading fit in with the style of the writing.

#19 I know there's at least one that follows, Piercing The Darkness. I'll wait before tackling that one! :)

I only ever read one book in the James Lee Burke series. I wonder if it is time for me to give it another try. . .

7.

Play Dead by Harlan Coben. Review here.

#22 - You should definitely give James Lee Burke another try! Rain Gods is the best of the three I've read.

Doing a happy dance because my book cover and links worked the first time I posted them. No editing! Woo hoo!

A reading update:
I tried to listen to The Left Hand of God, but only got through about 3 disks. I think the story was so-so, but the monotone narration got in the way. I might try to read it when I have time.

I also tried to listen to Picture Perfect, but it was a soap opera-ish, love story-ish, boring thing that I just could not get into. So not Jodi Picoult.

I tried to read Relic, but the beginning was like so many movies and books - a group of western archaeologists are murdered in the jungle...someone is killed while trying to steal the mysterious objects the westerners managed to send to a museum...what next? I didn't care so, I put it down and moved on to something else.

Went to the library tonight! Yay! Started listening to The Messenger by Daniel Silva tonight. Very promising. Thanx for the author recommendation Donna!

8.
The Metamorphosis was awesome! Comments here.

9. Edge by Jeffery Deaver The cover of this audio book and The Messenger look a lot alike so I accidentally took this one with me on my trip to Charlottesville instead of the other. However, I was not disappointed. This is a stand alone novel with a new main character, Corte, who is a shepherd (short term bodyguard) for people targeted by lifters (people who will torture them for information) or killers. Corte is a little boring; he doesn't joke, rarely smiles and keeps his work and personal lives totally separate. But he's good at his job and completely devoted to it. He loves games and is very analytical. The story had plenty of twists and turns. I didn't guess the ending. Some of it was unbelievable as in "How could he miss that clue?" but it was worth the read. Others have pointed out the same quirk that I noticed. Corte was constantly pausing in the action to speak directly to the reader to explain things. It was a little weird, but it didn't irritate me like it did some other readers.

While in Charlottesville, I came across a cute little book store - Oakley's gently used books. These were on the display table. So are these for under achievers? People who only want a little success, a little romance and little bird watching?

I haven't read The Metamorphosis, your comments prod me to do so.

Hello to you!

#28: *snork!*

10. Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King: short comments here

#29 Thanx! It's quick short read.
#30 :)

11. Santa Fe Edge by Stuart Woods: comments here

Adding Edge to the BlackHole. I enjoy Deaver's books a lot.

Congrats on mastering the art of importing book covers. One of these centuries, I will too.

12. Wicked Prey comments here

#34 Thank you! :)

Hi all, I'm asking for prayers and any suggestions. Funding for the not-for-profit that I run is being pulled, so I'm being laid off. The good thing is that I have 3 months to plan. April 30 is my last day. I want to get out of community/media/public relations and event planning fields, and I'm trying to figure out how those skills transfer to something else. Any suggestions?

13. 13 1/2 by Nevada Barr was okay until the end. The wrap-up was pretty lame.

#37: Too bad about that one!

14. Dead Connection by Alafair Burke was a great beginning to Alafair Burke's second series. I really liked Ellie Hatcher and the fact that Burke was able to surprise me a few times. I'll be looking for the rest of the series and checking out her first books as well!

#39: It looks like my local library has that one. I will have to give it a try. Thanks for the recommendation, Sacil!

15. Storm Prey by John Sandford was pretty good. It was a quick and easy read, but I don't understand why the series is called "Prey"

#41: I am trying to recall if the reason is mentioned in the early books of the series or not, but it has been so long since I read them that I cannot remember.

16. The Messenger by Daniel Silva - Good read! Christopher Lane does an excellent job with the narration, differentiating accents and male and female without making the characters sound cartoonish. I will definitely be looking for other books by Silva and for earlier books in the Gabriel Allon series. Thanx again, Donna, for the author recommendation!

17. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley
Loved it! Comments here.

I tried to listen to 2666, but the playaway I checked out of the library was damaged. I made it through the first of five sections fine, but then it started messing up and I heard pieces of the second and third sections before I returned it for the library to repair.

I don't quite get the hype over the book based on what I heard so far, but I will probably give it another try. Maybe I'll read the print version after May 1 since I'll have some time on my hands.

36: Do you have any ideas for what fields you'd be interested in? The skills are very transferrable to about anything you wanted to try in the white collar sector, since organization, communication, coordination are very necessary everywhere. You could be a project coordinator, administrative assistant, logistics, etc. This can be in the public sector, such as a university or local agency, or it can be in the private sector.

I can't really comment on any of the books because I'm unfamiliar with all of the authors except Nevada Barr, and I read only a handful of her books. They were okay and do a great job portraying the subculture of the NPS, but I also have friends who are not happy with her sometimes too true-to-life portrayals seasoned with unsavory fictional traits, at least in her early books. Some people were hurt in the making of this story, as they say.

18. Pleading Guilty by Scott Turow comments here

@46: Thank you! I've been looking at universities for positions and I do think I want to try the private sector since my whole career has been nonprofit and local government. After administrating a $3/4 mill federal grant and coordinating 90 organizational partners and even more individuals, I'm thinking I want something a little easier.

19. More Twisted by Jeffrey Deaver
Some stories were totally predictable, but some were pretty fun and surprised me!

@48: There's something to be said for less stress and being able to quit at the end of the workday, put it all behind you, and relax. Good luck.

In the meantime, it looks like you're making steady progress on reading/listening.

I'm so glad you liked the Daniel Silva book. I'll be listening to the most recent one on our next road trip if and when my husband can ever get our schedules together to go somewhere. Our most recent trips have been by air to save time.

Sacil, you asked way upthread if I was an artist. I wish! Alas, I can only appreciate what others do in that arena.

>36 bohemiangirl35:: So sorry you are being laid off. Good luck with shifting gears. I am thinking of taking an art appreciation course at the local university in the fall. There is so much to learn.

20. Known to Evil by Walter Mosley comments here.

21. Diablerie by Walter Mosley comments here.

Hi everybody! Been busy with winding things down at work so I haven't bee on LT. Hope everyone is doing well.

#50 For sure! My next job will be one I like but don't love so I can focus on my personal life. :) Things are going very well, though. Thanx.

#51 Cool! Let me know how you like it. I may add it to my TBR pile. I am looking forward to taking some art classes soon, too! And thank you.

I've been trying to get through The Book of Spies by Gayle Lynds, but it's not happening. I'm moving on to something else.

22. Swan Peak by James Lee Burke - Dave Robicheaux is the southern version of Dirty Harry. Clete Purcel is the perfect best friend. And Will Patton's narration is the best!

23. Measuring Time by Helon Habila - comments here.

#57: That one sounds good! Looks like I found you in time to pick up a good recommendation. Hopefully I can keep up with you from here on out, Sacil.

Hi Stasia! Hope all is well with you. Glad I could recommend something you want to read. I hope to be able to log on more often starting in May.

24. Getting Permission by Richard Stim - comments here.

Nice review of Measuring Time, Sacil; I've added it to wish list.

#59: Thanks, everything is fine here. I hope all is well with you.

#61 Thank you. :) Hope you are well.
#62 I'm so glad. Yes, it is. Thanx.

25. Freedomland by Richard Price - comments here.

The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster - The premise sounded good...two genetically modified thugs kill and rob a man who turns out to be either important or connected. One of the murderers disappears and the other one connects with a natural human to figure out what is so important about what he stole and how to make a profit and get away. But the dialogue is stilted and the author seems like he phrases things oddly just to be different, not because it adds anything to the story. Not gonna finish it.

#65: Too bad about that one! I hope your next read is an improvement for you.

26. Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy - comments here.

27. Born to Run by James Grippando - Eh *shrug*, not much to say. Comments here.

28. Power Down by Ben Coes - comments here.

>67 bohemiangirl35:: Hi Sacil, lots of good reading going on with you. It sounds like Lords of Discipline was just an okay read for you. I'm a big Pat Conroy fan so I'm expecting to really like it - when I get around to reading it. I think I've read almost everything else he's written. I loved his recent memoir on reading because he has such a passion for it. I think I remember him saying that he reads 200 pages a day. I wish I had that kind of time!

29. Day of the Dead by J.A. Jance - comments here.

Stress abounds! My grandfather passed away just a week and a half before my job ended. I've been sleeping like crazy. But I feel much better now that the funeral is done and the drama that accompanied my departure is over. Looking forward to some good reading, some rest and getting to the gym.

Sounds like you have prescribed some perfect ways to overcome a rough patch. Take care of yourself.

30. The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva - comments here.

#73 - Thank you.

31. Just After Sunset by Stephen King - comments here.

Streets Keep Calling by Chunichi - Even though it is a short book (4 disks), I just couldn't get into it. I saw stuff like this every day at work, so it wasn't anything new or interesting for me.

Sorry to hear about your grandfather and your job situation, Sacil. I hope things are much improved now.

I absolutely loved Hour Game and have been looking for another Baldacci book to match that one, but I have yet to find it. Only made it halfway through this one.

Thank you, Stasia. Yes, I am taking two months off to rest and decide on my next move. Working out and reducing the clutter in my life. Focusing on art, my container garden, sleeping and playing. :) I'm a type A personality so resting is not an easy thing, but my body is craving it so I'm going with it.

32. Christine Falls by Benjamin Black aka John Banville - comments here

#81: I have seen mixed reviews of that one. Some day I am going to have to give it a try. Thanks for the reminder, Sacil.

33. Blue Heaven by C.J. Box - comments here.

34. The Man in the Black Suit by Stephen King - comments here.

#83: I rated that one slightly higher at 4 stars, but your comments about the narrator put the book itself a bit higher. I really hate a disappointing narrator and have been known just to stop an audiobook if I do not care for the reader.

#85 - You are absolutely right! I didn't consider that staying with the story despite not liking the narration merited a higher rating, not a lower one. I will up my rating by a whole star! Thanx for pointing that out!

35. Farewell Summer by Ray Bradbury - comments here.

36. Babylon Sisters by Pearl Cleage - comments here.

#87: I agree with you about Farewell Summer, Sacil. Not nearly as good as Dandelion Wine, which I loved.

37. Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva - comments to come later, I hope. I'm really loving Gabriel Allon!

38. The Vig by John Lescroart - Not the best Dismas Hardy, but it was okay. Comments here.

39. Djibouti by Elmore Leonard - comments here. Sorry for taking so long to write the review!

I am glad you are loving Gabriel Allon! I do too!

40. The Witch of Portobello by Paul Coelho - comments here.

>94 bohemiangirl35: Siunds like you were underwhelmed, Sacil. Will not bother myself.

>92 bohemiangirl35: Have the comments forthcame and I missed it?

#94: I think I will give that one a pass. It does not sound like my cuppa. Thanks for the review, Sacil.

Pass.

41. The Suspect by John Lescoart - was okay. Missed Dismas & Abe.

42. The Lovers by John Connolly - comments here.

#95 Hey Richard! Finally got the review up! Yeah, I was pretty disappointed with Portobello.

43. The Defector by Daniel Silva - The story is on point as always! Ready for the Rembrandt Affair!

44. Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell - comments here.

45. Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke - as always, I love Will Patton's narration and Dave Robicheaux and Clete Parcell are crazy as always. I liked learning how Dave and Molly met and married.


46. Exile by Richard North Patterson - comments here.


47. The Day Trader by Stephen Frey - comments here.


48. Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann - comments here.


49. Slipping Into Darkness by Peter Blauner - comments here.


I tried to read The Law of Nines by Terry Goodkind, and even though the story seemed like it would be good, I couldn't get past the writing. For one thing, I can only read/listen to so many simple sentences before it becomes awkward and I want to scream for some variation.

For one thing, I can only read/listen to so many simple sentences before it becomes awkward and I want to scream for some variation.

Heeheehee You tell 'em, Sacil!

#105: I have a similar complaint about Goodkind's writing. I haven't tried The Law of Nines, but I was irritated by his writing throughout the Sword of Truth series (but I loved the characters so much that I kept on going).

I will be giving The Law of Nines a pass. Ugh.

50. Infected by Scott Sigler - comments here.

#104 Richard, :) glad you think my comments are funny.

#105 - Glad to know I'm not the only one who felt that way. If I had stuck with the story enough to get caught up, I may have been in the same boat. Like I said, the premise of the story was good. But if the author's target audience is adults, I prefer that s/he write on an adult level. Lol.

#109: LOL - agreed. I often found myself thinking: "this is a great story; he should have had a better writer polish it for him when he was finished."

Congratulations on hitting 50 books for the year, Sacil!

#111 - thank you! :)

51. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult - comments here.

#113: I think I will give that one a pass. It does not sound like my cuppa.

52. Betrayal by John Lescroart - comments here.

53. Heat Lightning by John Sandford - comments here.

54. The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly - comments here.

I'm simply stopping by and waving hi. Congratulations on reading 54 books thus far!

*waving* at Sacil

Hi Sacil, I'm writing down lots of titles for my husband to read. He's reading The Rembrandt Affair right now. I'll probably give it a go when he's through with it. I do enjoy those Gabriel Allon stories!

Oops... hubby informed me that he finished the book and it's all mine! I'll try to read it for September Series month in September.

55. The Sixth Man by David Baldacci - comments here.

Hi everybody! Hope you're all doing well! :D

#118 - thank you
#119 - :)
#120 - I loved it! I'm so glad you turned me on to him.

#121: I think the only Baldacci book I have read is Hour Game. Sounds like I can stop there.

I hope you enjoy your next read more, Sacil!

The Accident Man by Tom Cain - Fictional account of how and why Princess Diana was killed. Premise was interesting once I figured out what it was. Unfortunately, it didn't hold my attention, so I didn't finish it. I might try again later.

56. Rough Country by John Sandford - comments here.

57. Don't Blink by James Patterson - comments here.

Nemesis by Philip Roth - Why do I try to read Philip Roth? He's not my cup of tea, so I will leave him alone from now on.

58. Invisible Prey by John Sandford - So so. I like the Virgil Flowers series better than Lucas Davenport, I think. The story was a bit convoluted, didn't grab me.

59. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen - comments here.

Might finish it later, but probably not. Seemed sort of goofy and the characters were caricatures of stereotypical roles.

60. Level 26 by Anthony Zuiker - comments here.

61. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - comments here.

62. Dead Watch by John Sandford - Comments here.

63. Bad Blood by John Sandford - comments here.

Crooked Letter Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin seems like it would be a good book, but I could not get into the narrator's monotone performance. I'll have to read a hard copy or try listening another time.

I don't know why I picked up The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry. I've listened to two of his books before and his style does not suit my taste. Not going to finish it.

64. Eye of the Beholder by David Ellis - comments here.

Do you think you will continue with the Larsson books? The girl who portrayed Lizbeth was excellent in the Swedish movies. They are available from Netflix.

#138 - Yes, I think I will. I really liked the Lizbeth character. My brother told me the movie was really good, but he said the violence took him by surprise. So he said to be prepared if I decided to watch. Have you read them all?

65. The Affair by Lee Child - comments here.

I'm jealous. I'm still 100 out of 152 on my library's reserve queue. :)

#141 :) My brother, my mom and I were #3, 4 and 5 on the list for the book and cd so we all shared. :)

66. Trading Dreams at Midnight by Diane McKinney-Whetstone - comments here.

67. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson - comments here

68. Shock Wave by John Sandford - comments here

69. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - comments here.

Hi Sacil, aren't you sad now that the Larsson books are read? You might like some of the other Scandinavian crime writers out there. I've read a few by Karin Fossum that are decent and less violent than some of the others.

I peeked at the beautiful flower pictures on your profile. You should market those images as a bookmark!

Happy Thanksgiving!

#147 Hi Donna! Yes, I would like to read more about Lisbeth! I'm ready for the movie. My brother said the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was really good, but he doesn't expect the American version to be as good. Thanx for the author recommendation! I'll check her out. If you have any more, send them my way! :)

Thank you! I love my lilies. Other people have said I should sell them as stock images. Lol. :)

70. The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey - comments here.

71. The Time Machine and Other Stories by H. G. Wells - comments here.

72. Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva - as usual, Silva is on point and Gabrielle Allon is an engaging character.

73. Body Work by Sara Paretsky - comments here.

74. Second Nature by Alice Hoffman - comments here.

so sorry you didn't like Second Nature. Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors, but some of her books don't live up to her usual standards.

Hang in there, one more book to go to finish the 75 challenge.

Congrats!

# 154 Thank you! I'm listening to the newest James Lee Burke, Feast Day of Fools right now and I'm only disappointed that I'm almost finished. I love the way he puts words together and the way Will Patton reads them.

75. Feast Day of Fools by James Lee Burke - comments here.

76. Give Me Your Heart by Joyce Carol Oates - comments here.

mistletoe smooches!

Merry Christmas, Sacil! And congratulations on reaching 75 books this year.

Thanx guys! Smooches to both of you! Awwwww, the baby is so cute! Is that your stocking Darryl? :)
A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you both!