I'm jumping in a little late and I'm a little off pace to make the challenge this year, but I'd like to try anyways. I enjoy reading a mish-mash...historical fiction, mystery, chick lit, romance, and biography and memoirs to name a few.

I've been keeping track of the books I read since 1997 and I average about 60 books a year but I don't keep track of Romances and I won't for this challenge either. I've also recently started reading books off the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list, so I imagine that will slow me down a bit depending on how many tomes off that list I choose this year!

Without further ado, the list so far this year:
1. Dangerous Admissions:Secrets of a Closet Sleuth by Jane O'Connor
2. The Surgeon: A Novel by Tess Gerritsen
3. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
4. The 19th Wife: A Novel by David Ebershoff
5. Annette Vallon: A Novel of the French Revolution by James Tipton
6. Love you to Death by melissa senate
7. Bicycle Shop Murders by Robert Burton Robinson
8. Hideaway Hospital Murders by Robert Burton Robinson
9. Illusion of Luck by Robert Burton Robinson
10. Pixie O'Shaughnessy by Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
11. Prophecy: Caelestis and Auorea (A Vampire Realm Novel) by F.E. Heaton
12. Prophecy:Child of Light (A Vampire Realm Novel) by F.E. Heaton
13. The Horseman(Lands of the Morning #1) by Kristina O'Donnelly
14. Ammie, Come Home by Babara Micheals
15. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane
16. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
17. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
18. Oblomov by Ivan Aleksandrovich Goncharov

Currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien.

After listing them, I'm further behind then I thought.....better start reading faster.

Hi Amy-Sue, some good books among your list. I have The 19th Wife on my TBR pile, what did you think of it? Any of your reads you would recommend?

Welcome! Never too late to start!

Hello, Amy-Sue,
So, I see lots of Robert Burton Robinson books; what are those like?

The 19th Wife was really good. It tells the story of one of Brigham Young's wife who helps raise awareness for the abolition of polygamy. It is interwoven with a murder case of a modern day polygamist. It was a little difficult to get into because of the two story lines, but once you were into it there was no putting it down.

I really enjoyed Annette Vallon for historical fiction. Love You to Death and Plum Spooky were romps and I really enjoyed Oblomov. I had no idea that Russian Lit could be so readable.

The Robert Burton Robinson books are a mystery series. There is one left in that series I have yet to read. I enjoyed his books too and they were quick and entertaining. The books were free downloads for my kindle at www.manybooksnet. You can also get them (and one other book he has written) as free PDF downloads from his website www.robertburtonrobinson.com.

Thank you so much!

Welcome to the group!

I was considering buying Oblomov. What did you think of it?

Thanks alcotacre!

I really enjoyed Oblomov. It was the first piece of Russian Literature I have read and I found it very readable and modern. I found it to move very quickly and well worth the time. I posted a short review if you want to take a peek at it. I'm always afraid to say too much because I don't want to give away the book!

19. The Shiksa Syndrome: A Novel by Laurie Graff

A so-so Chick lit book about a Jewish girl who pretends to be a Shiksa (gentile) to catch a Jewish man.

I'm enjoying The Count of Monte Cristo but I'm finding I need to break it up a little bit and I'm finding any excuse in the book to avoid picking up The Two Towers....

#10: A so-so Chick lit book about a Jewish girl who pretends to be a Shiksa (gentile) to catch a Jewish man.

I just find that wrong on so many levels. I think I will give this one a pass.

Why are you avoiding The Two Towers?

It was so wrong. It was a train wreck of a book that once you started reading it was too gruesome to put down out of morbid curiosity.

I keep putting down The Two Towers just because I'm not a fantasy person and I've had a personal bias against it for years. My husband loves Tolkien and I promised him I would read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy this year. I did read 2 chapters this morning and it didn't kill me so I guess the secret is to keep plugging away. I was able to get through Fellowship of The Ring easily, but The Two Towers has been tough so far.

Maybe just set a goal of 10 pages a day or something like that. You will make progress on the book, but not overwhelm yourself in the meantime.

10 pages a day is a good idea. I tend to set goals that are way too high, get overwhelmed and then just quit. I should have more time to devote today. Monday is my day to stay at home with the kids, so I should be able to sneak in another chapter or two at naptime. As long as I ignore the more temping pile of books waiting to be read or The Count of Monte Cristo which was ignored over the weekend and is now calling my name loudly!

This week I finished 3 books that I am reporting here and a few guilty pleasures that I am keeping mum.

20. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien. I finally finished it. I ended up not hating it once I got into it, but I didn't love it and I don't see myself ever reading it again. Now to the final book in the trilogy.

21. Miss Fix It by L.C. Monroe and Nicolette Derens. A Christian Historical book that was blah. I don't usually read Christian Fiction but it was a free download for the Kindle so I read it.

22. The PMS Murder by Laura Levine. Despite it's cheesy name, this was a fairly good mystery with a good amount of humor thrown in.

I still need to get back to The Count of Monte Cristo, but as we are going away this week I am not bringing that tome with me. I think I'm going to stick with mostly kindle books.

Hi amy-sue - welcome to the challenge and I'm glad that you persevered with The Two Towers. I had a similar thing with Italian Folktales earlier this year and set myself a task of reading 10 tales every two days (about 30pages) and I flew through the book once I did this.

This past week we went to Disney, so I didn't get to do too much reading! I did read 2 Mary Balogh romances and one other book.

23. The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. I enjoyed this book although I found it a bit too long and really depressing. Both of which I knew before I started seeing it was a Wally Lamb book. I would recommend this book.

I still haven't decided what I will pick up tonight to read next.

24. Desert Heat by J. A. Jance. Great book! This was my first book by Jance and I loved it. I definitely will be reading the rest of the books in this series and then exploring the other series by this author. I am so excited to find a new author!

25. Everywhere That Mary Went by Lisa Scottoline. It was good but a little bit of a let down after Desert Heat. This is the first book in a series too and a new author for me as well. I will continue reading this series as this author has been recommend to me by several people and I did enjoy the book.

I just realized I'm only 4 books off pace and that's with not counting the romances I'm reading. Not too bad! Now to catch up....

#18: I really like Jance's J.P. Beaumont series. I hope you enjoy all of her series - I think she has at least 4.

Thanks Alcottacre. I'm looking forward to reading more of Jance's books. I'm so excited to find a new author.

Okay. I have slacked off and now I am really off pace. I am an avid needle worker too and sometimes I go through phases where I do a lot of needle work and not much reading. I just had one of those phases!

#26 Just Breathe By Susan Wiggs. I enjoyed this book, but not as much as her others. Some of the major characters were not well developed and one of the major story lines was left hanging at the end.

I wanted to add that I'm still chugging along through The Count of Monte Cristo.

By the end of June I should be at 37.5 books to be on pace. Now I'm quite a bit behind. Looks like I really need to start picking up the slack!

#27 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I finished this book last night and I'm enjoying it more in retrospect than I did while I was reading it.

#28 The Testament by John Grisham. I really enjoyed this book. I have given up on Grisham and not read any of his newer material. I'll have to go back and re-discover his later works now.

Wiadomość zmieniona przez autora, cze 19, 2009, 1:06pm.

I was just away for a week on vacation and I read 3 books while I was away. A good reading week.

29. Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg. A good story, nothing terribly exciting but a nice read.

30. Valkarie: The story of the plot to kill Hitler by it's last member by Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager. It was really good, now I'm going to have to see what else I can find on the subject.

31. Mating Rituals of the North American WASP by Laura Lipton. Another chick lit book gone wrong. Honestly the title should have turned me off, but I'll never learn.

Hopefully I can get in another book before the end of June so I don't fall too far behind.

32. Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox. It was good but there was a little too much politics in it for me to fully enjoy it.

33. Tombstone Courage by J.A.Jance. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait until the next one in the series comes in for me at the library. I should probably stock up and put the next few on hold to feed the growing addiction!

I should finish another book tonight which will only put me 5 behind when I calculate it out week wise. Catching up.

34. While My Sister Sleeps by Babara Delinsky. It was sad, but good. I've never read anything by Babara Delinsky before. I may need to check out some of her other titles.

Only 5 behind. Woo Hoo!

35. A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy by Thomas Buergenthal. A fascinating book about a man who survived Auschwitz against all odds as a 10 year old. I could not put this book down. My poor family ate raw carrots as their veggie for dinner because I was too engrossed to cook a veggie to go with the rest of the meal!

Only 4 behind! Hopefully I can catch up in the next 2 weeks. I took out a ton of books from the library this week, so lack of material is definitely not an excuse.

36. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane. I found this title tucked into my notebook from when I went away and realized I forgot to record it. This was a historical novel that took place mostly in Boston shortly after the turn of the last century. I enjoyed reading it because I am from the Boston area, but I did find that it dragged at times.

Only 3 behind! Maybe I can catch up this week.....

Okay, forget that last post. My record keeping is better than I thought and I already recorded The Given Day. I got all excited over nothing. Still on number 36 and still 4 behind....

You are moving right along!

Thanks alcottacre!

36. The Breakup Club by Melissa Senate. A good Chick-Lit book about 4 singles who form a "break up club" for support and to share their woes. I enjoy Melissa Senate's books. They are light reading, but well written with unique topics.

37. Newport Summer By Nikki Poppen. A light book about the rich summering New Yorkers in their Newport Cottages and a British Aristocrat who crosses the pond for a Newport Season.

I met my "quota" for this week. Everything else is gravy for the deficit!

38. Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street By Micheal Davis. When they say the complete history, they are not kidding! It includes complete biographies of not only the founders but the principle writers, actors, producers, muppeters, and directors. It was a little much for me. The book was very long. They didn't even get into the filming of the show until about 2/3 of the way through the book. At that point the book became more interesting and redeemed itself for me.

I'm on a roll this week. 3 behind....

Okay, I've decided to include some romances in my totals. Not the bodice rippers or harlequins but some of the others. I've decided that the line between romances and chick lit is so fine, why not. Besides, I've cut down on reading romances, which I really enjoy, to fill my 75 book quota which really isn't the point of this challenge. I think this will keep me refreshed and willing to branch out to more genres. So, I'm adding a few titles from earlier on in the year.

39. First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh. The first in a quartet of books. I love her romances.

40. Then Comes Seduction by Mary Balogh. The next in the series.

41. Vision in White by Nora Roberts. The first in a new series. It was so-so. Not sure if I'll pick up the next one when it comes out.

42. Once Click Buy September 2008 Harlequin Blaze. I said I wasn't going to count harlequins, but this was every book published buy harlequin blaze (6) in one volume for the month of September in 2008. For it's heft, I'm counting it as one book!

I feel better counting the books I enjoy and I'm sure I'll have no problem exceeding 75 books now this year.

I'm also now caught up!

I am a Mary Balogh fan, too. I have not read the series you are referring to though, so I better start tracking them down.

It's brand new. The fourth one just came out a few weeks ago. I just finished the third one today and I can't wait to start the last one. So far the series has been very enjoyable.

43. At Last Comes Love by Mary Balogh. This is the third in the above mentioned series. I have the fourth waiting for me, but I have two other books started, so alas I need to finish those books first.

I read 4 books in 4 days this week! Woo hoo! Of course, my laundry pile shows it! According to my calculations I should be at 40.32 books this week. I'm using Friday as the end of my "week", so I am 2.6 books ahead. Yeah! I have no aspirations that this reading pace will keep up as there are several tomes in my pile and several "heavy" books, but that is why I want to build a little bit of a cushion for myself.

I have 2 books I am looking forward to finishing this weekend so that way I can read the last book in the Mary Balogh series.

Finished one of my books for the weekend.

44. The Outsider by Ann H. Gabhart. It was a book about a woman who is a Shaker in the early 1800s and is tempted to leave the community by a doctor who befriends her from the outside. I picked it up because I was interested in learning more about the Shakers and I realized not too far into it that it was a Christian Romance novel. I'm not really a fond of Christian romance novels. This one wasn't too bad and the Shaker history was interesting. However, seeing it was historical fiction I don't know how much of it was factual. This should push me to pick up a book on the shakers to learn more about their history.

I probably won't finish my other book until Monday. Reading time is scarce this weekend and the book is going a lot slower than I though it wood. Still shooting for 4 books this week.

I was able to get some good ideas from alcottacre's list this week. Hopefully she doesn't mind that I pilfered a few books off!

I love when people pilfer books from my list! I just hope you enjoy the ones you chose.

I'll let you know. One of them will be a re-read that I was thinking about last week and I couldn't remember the entire title, so I almost fell over when I saw it on your list!

45. Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster. A lot of my friends love her books. They are satirical memoirs and unfortunately I didn't find it too funny. Maybe it had too much build up or it just wasn't as good as her earlier books.

Met (and exceeded by a little) this weeks quota already. So now I'm working on the gravy. Started another book this morning. Right now I have 2 going. One real book and one on the kindle. the one on the kindle is a 6 pack of harlequins in one, so the real books will definitely be finished first!

I have Pretty in Plaid on my TBR mountain. I'm hoping it's good. I LOVED her other books, but I'm afraid this one won't be as good because it's about her childhood. Her other books made me laugh til I cried. If you want to give her another shot, my favorite was Bitter is the New Black.

I'll have to put Bitter is the New Black on hold at the library. I have heard really good things about that book. I just felt that she was trying too hard to be funny in Pretty in Plaid and that it didn't always work. I checked at my library website and it was given a 3/5 star review, so I guess I'm not the only one who felt that way.

I decided to trash the harlequin pack because I only have until Friday to read 6 books which is a pretty tall task for me, even for Harlequins. It's a digital library copy so I can't renew it. I'll put it on hold again and attack it again at a later time. Instead I'll focus on another digital book that's due on Sunday and my MOUNTAIN of library books. I'm ashamed to admit how many books I have out on my card right now. A bunch of them are childrens books, but still the amount is staggering. All my holds are coming in at once.

Just wanted to add that a book I won't be getting anytime soon is Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich. I'm number 156 on the wait list. At least I'm not the poor soul at 656.

#42 - I consider Jen Lancaster's adult books to be a more mature version of the Shopaholic series. Jen had to learn to control her spending and to be more thrifty - and she did, and she made fun of herself the entire time! She seems to have ended up a wiser, better person. She worked hard - no one gave her a magic wand and made all her problems go away. In the Shopaholic series, I felt like she kept getting bailed out of her problems and it frustrated me.

Jen also has a book about her attempts to lose weight. I enjoyed it since I can relate to her struggle.

I recommend all her other books. I started Pretty in Plaid and it does not seem to be quite as good. I can see where you might think she was trying too hard to be funny. Well, if you don't like 'Bitter', than her style of writing probably just isn't for you. At least it will be free from the library!

#44 -I love the Shopaholic series so I will definitely have to check out the other Jen Lancaster books. What's the book about her struggling with her weight? Unfortunately that is the story of my life too. I already put Bitter is the New Black on hold at the library, so we'll see how long it takes to come in!

It's called Such a Pretty Fat. I hope you enjoy it!

HI Amy-Sue.I don't read romances so I had no idea that a christian romance category even existed. You learn something new every day.
>#43 I hate when the wait list at the library is so long. A few times I've figured that if everyone in front of me has the book for 1 week , then my 2 years time limit on the wait list would be over and I'd have to start at the end of the list again. Ugh. Sometimes though, a book I was #215 on the list for would suddenly show up as being ready for pick up. When the numbers get big some people drop themselves off the list. The NYPL just changed their catalog system over the July 4th weekend and as of now they no longer tell you how far back in line you are for a certain book. Very frustrating. Well, I hope your wait isn't too long.

#46 Thanks! I'll have to look for that one too. I love the title!

#47 Luckily I haven't had to put myself back on the wait list for anything because I've been bumped off. This past week I did get a book randomly that I was #73 at the day before. So I have no idea how that happened. The NYPL digital collection does still let you know where you are in line because I have an out of state card that I use to it's fullest! That stinks that they took away that feature on their regular system.

Finished another book.

46. Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh. This was the last book of a quartet which I fully enjoyed. I can't wait until her next series comes out.

Right now I am reading two books, but I'l not sure if I'll finish either one by tomorrow to make my goal of four by Friday night.

Double posted.....

47. Fear and Trembling by Amelie Nothomb. It is a book of the 1001 books you must read before you die list and it was excellent. It was about a woman of Belgium descet who was born and spent some of her childhood in Japan. She then went back to Japan to work as an adult and had less than a stellar experience. I would highly recommend this book.

I made my goal of 4 books this week, just under the wire at 10:30 on Friday night! Trying for the same next week.

Congratulations on making your goal for the week. Good luck with next week's goal!

Thanks alcottacre!

Moving right along for this week already. One down on Saturday already.

48. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. I really enjoyed this book. I have Gone, Baby, Gone in my pile by him too and I will have to read that one soon also.

49. Malice by Lisa Jackson. Good Suspense story although it was a little on the long side.

Halfway done with number 50. Hoping to finish it tonight or tomorrow morning.

50. Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland. Excellent, excellent, excellent! It is an historical fiction novel about the mistress of king Louis XIV of France who was known as the Sun King. She also wrote the Josephine B. trilogy about Josephine Bonaparte that is just fabulous. If you enjoy historical fiction I can't recommend Sandra Gulland enough.

#55: I have not heard of Sandra Gulland. I will have to look for her books. Thanks for the recommendation!

You are welcome alcottacre! I hope you enjoy her books.

51. The Spy Game by Georgina Harding. I am very eh about this book. It was not what I expected it to be and the writing style wasn't what I was expecting or maybe what I was in the mood for either.

I made my four for the week. Yeah! It's only Thursday and I know I will have at least one more to add by tomorrow because I am almost done with number five. It will be a new record for me ;-)

Congratulations on making another goal!

52. The Fire Gospel:The Myth of Prometheus by Michel Faber. An interesting read about a man who discovers and translates and unkown Gospel. The ramifications of this "discovery" hit the scholar unexpectedly.

I still have time to make 6 before Friday night. It could be a banner week.

53. Shoot Don't Shoot by J.A. Jance. The third JoAnna Brady Mystery and my 6th book of the week. It was really good and I am enjoying this series of books.

I like all of Jance's series, but prefer the JP Beaumont one. Have you read any of those yet? He shows up in a couple of the Joanna Brady books.

I haven't read the JP Beaumont series yet. I've heard it's better, so I figured I'd work my way through the JoAnna Brady series first. Also because it's shorter than the Beaumont series too. I picked up a copy of Killer Bees at our Library's perpetual book sale yesterday, which is a stand alone book. So I'm looking forward to that one too. I'm just tickled pink to find a new author that I love. It seems to happen so infrequently these days that I've racked up so many books under my belt.

I'm so glad I found these boards.

#62: I've never heard of a book called Killer Bees by Jance. Is it new? I know she has one called Kiss of the Bees that is in a short series she wrote.

It is Kiss of the Bees. Thanks alcottacre. I tell you, I'm useless unless I have the book in front of me. I think it's kid-itis.

54. Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg. A good book with a lot of laughs. I think there is only one other of her books I haven't read so I'll need to track it down.

I'm on a slower pace this week. It'll be tough to meet my four book goal but I'm still going to give it a shot. Next week I'll have to lower it to three because we're going to be getting ready to go on vacation and there is no way I'll be able to get four in so I'd really like to have a good reading week this week.

I hope you have a wonderful vacation - maybe you can even sneak in some reading time!

Hopefully. We are going to the beach, but with three kids five and under there is never any time for reading on the beach. Only after they are in bed!

I was lamenting that my pace was much slower this week and I've already polished off two more books and it's only Tuesday.

55. Sweet Life by Mia King. A book about a woman and her husband who both go through mid-life crisises after relocating from New York to Hawaii. I really enjoyed this book. I'll need to see if she wrote anything else.

56. Questions to Ask Before Marrying by Melissa Senate. A chick lit book about a woman who is searching for her past with her twin and trying to find out if her future plans are the correct ones for her.

I'm not sure what's up next. I'm in the mood to read a classic so I'll probably pick something off the 1001 list. For once I don't have multiple books started. I can't remember the last time this happened.

Hey, you are halfway to your goal for the week. Good job!

Thanks!

I was checking my hard copy of books read, and I forgot to record one for last week which brings last weeks total to seven. Whew!

57. Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark. Typical Mary Higgins Clark. I love her books though and look forward to a new one every summer.

58. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I think I may have read it in high school, but I'm not sure. Regardless, It was excellent. I really like Steinbeck. This was off the 1001 books list.

I reached my goal of four books for the week. Yeah! Now I am in the quandry of 3 library books due on the 31st that I haven't started yet. Yikes! One is a digital book, so I'll need to finish that one because I can't keep it late. The others may be a day or two late....

What's a small library fine now and again? Read the books, then return them, lol.

Which is why I didn't return to libraries for many decades! I owed and I owed--LOL! Now I have small fines for keeping books to finish, but I do have to keep the total under $5 or no more books! It's the video overdue that will kill me ($1 per day) as opposed to the book rate of $.35.

Our library fine is only $.05/day and anything under $4 they will continue to let you take out books. The DVD fine is the killer at $1/day, but we belong to Netflix and I hardly watch TV anyway so I don't usually have a problem with that.

Our library also prefers to take food for fines for the town food pantry. Almost encourages overdue books. Lol.

I ended up returning the books because I have 5 that are due next week and we are going away on Friday so I won't be able to keep those late. I just wrote down the titles so I can take them out again when we come back.

59. Ths Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik. Chick Lit. It was so so...I'm really trying to stop reading so much Chick Lit becausefor the most part it leaves me disappointed.

I made five books this week. I'd like to get through my library books next week, but it might be tough with vacation coming up.

Wiadomość zmieniona przez autora, lip 31, 2009, 8:12pm.

60. Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton. A cute romance with some magic thrown in. Perfect for a Friday evening and to finish up on a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee.

I love that your library takes non-perishable food items as late fees - what a fantastic idea!

It's a great way to help keep the food pantry stocked. Especially with the $1 DVD and video fines.

61. Knapp's Last Cassette by Anne Argula. A private eye investigates the existance of a child. It was pretty good.

62. The Wedding Girl by Madeline Wickham. She is my favorite chick lit author and I enjoyed this book very much. I can't wait until her other book written under Sophie Kinsella to come in for me at the library.

Wiadomość zmieniona przez autora, sie 4, 2009, 4:17pm.

Back from vacation. I didn't get to do as much reading as I would have liked, but that's what happens when you go to the beach with 3 children 5 and under. We did have a lot of fun though.

63. Rabbit Run by John Updike. I read this when I was in high school and despised it but I really enjoyed it this time. It's amazing how your perspective changes.

64. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. This was also a re-read for me from high school. This book I loved both times I read it.

65. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. What a phenomenal book! Loved it, loved it loved it!

All three books are from the 1001 books you must read before you die list. I'm trying to make some headway into that. I also want to try reach my 75 books by Labor Day. Only 10 books left, I think I can do it.

Welcome back!

Thanks alcottacre. It's nice to be back.

I forgot to add a book. This is also on the 1001 list.

66. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson. I really enjoyed this book. It took place in the 1930s and was about a woman interviewing for a maid position who ended up being a companion to a "wealthy" socialite.

So far I have really enjoyed all the books I have finished from the 1001 list. I'm still struggling through the last Lord of the Rings book, so that is the one black mark on the list so far for me. I'm sure I will hit my share of duds along the way. But so far I am having a lot of fun expanding my reading horizons.

67. Disquiet by Julia Leigh. It was a short novella that was a bit disturbing. It had an odd ending. I haven't decided if I liked it or not.

#80: so far I am having a lot of fun expanding my reading horizons

Library Thing does that, too!

I need to check out more people's book journals. I'm always so short on internet time I just post on mine and check out yours, alcottacre. I would love to get more ideas for books so I'll just need to find the time to explore around Library Thing a little more.

There are so many in the group that it is impossible for everyone to keep track of everyone else's threads. Just choose a few and keep up with those - I bet you still get your reading horizons broadened that way!

I will try to do that. Now it will just come down to who to choose. I think it will just be random...probably a few people who have a lot of post because that will mean they will probably have a lot of books to choose from. I have already gotten a lot of great suggestions from your list alcottace.

68. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming. The first James bond book was a little bit dated for modern times as it was written in 1953, but it was still good. I think in some ways the movie was better than the book because all the spy apparatus was updated. But, it was a good story and worth reading. This was also on the 1001 list.

#85: I am glad you have been able to find something to your taste on my thread! One of the things I really appreciate on LT is finding books that I might not have otherwise ever picked up without the recommendation of the people in this group.

Your thread is a wealth of information alcottacre and has added to my TBR pile quite a bit. I'll have to explore some more now too. DH won't be too happy, lol.

69. The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert Parker. This is the first book in the Spenser series. I was excited to be able to lay my hands on it and I am hoping to be able to read most of them somewhat in sequence.

Only 2 books this week unless I finish one by midnight, but I was sick and I am halfway through 3 others so next week should be a good week. Still hoping to make 75 by Labor Day.

Made it under the wire to finish book 3 for the week on Friday night.

70. Infidel by Ayaan Hirisi Ali. This was a great memoir about a woman who escaped absolute poverty and fundamental Islam to come to the West against all odds. She then risked her life to raise awareness of the plight of women in fundamental Islamic countries. Highly recommended.

71. Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling. It was good, but no Harry Potter. It was nice to escape back into that world for a little while again though.

Goal for this week is four again, so one down and three to go.

72. Paths of Glory by Jeffery Archer. An historical fiction account based on George Mallory's attempt at climbing Everest. It was good, but a little slow in some spots.

73. The Fifth Vial by Michael Palmer. This was a good medical suspense thriller. I've been looking for another medical suspense author other than Robin Cook now that I've exhausted his books and I may have found one.

Book three for the week is done. Reaching the goal of four is looking good. I may even reach my 75 this week too! We'll see.

74. Going Home by Wanda Brunstetter. A romance set among the Amish culture. It was good. Not terrible exciting, but entertaining.

I made it!

75. The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick. I usually really enjoy Amanda Quick (Jane Krantz) historical mysteries set in Victorian England, but this one really did not hold my attention. I hope it was just my mood because I really look forward to a new book by her every year.

My new goal for this year is 150 books. I've been reading on average 4 books a week and if I keep up that pace it will bring me to 150. Not too shabby seeing that as of April 16th I had only read 18 books. I would love to hit 175, but I would have to read 5.6 books a week and that's not going to happen on a regular basis.

I've started thinking about my goals for next year. I joined the 1010 challenge to keep me a little more focused in my reading and to help clean out the book shelves. I'm hoping I may be able to hit around the 200 mark for books too....maybe shoot for 150 and anything over that is gravy. I still have plenty of time to think about that seeing it is still only August.

Congratulations on reaching 75 books Amy-Sue!!

Congrats!

Thanks guys! I am a little euphoric after reaching my first goal. Especially because I've read so many good books along the way. I hope there are good things to come in the next 75 as well.

76. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. I really enjoyed this take on the vampire tale and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I already have it on hold at the library. Yet another series that has a lot of books I can catch up with. Yeah!

77. Sleeping Arrangements by Madeleine Wickham. Definitively not the chick lit book I was expecting. A rather stress provoking book about relationships put under stress during a holiday oops. It was very good, but not a relaxing read.

Two books down for the week. I'm setting my goal for 5 this week because I am almost done with another one too. My oldest starts school this week so I may treat myself to a little extra reading time during the little girls nap time. A definite luxury.

I just read Mrs 'Arris goes to Paris by Paul Gallico, it's a nice easy read and on the 1001 books list. I found it to be in a similar lighthearted vein to Miss Pettigrew lives for a day.
#81 I felt the same when I read Disquiet - a quick read that didn't sit well.

#99. I'll have to put Mrs 'Arris goes to Paris on my short list of TBR books. Thanks for the recommendation.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one that found Disquiet a little bit disturbing. It was just, I don't know, a bit of an odd novella. Hard to put into words.

78. No Limits by Michael Phelps. While Phelps is no author (and it was co written by another author) it was very interesting to read about his road to the Olympics and his record breaking Olympics in 2008. He has become very involved in starting swimming programs for children (especially inner city children) since the Olympics and he plans to compete for the last time in the London 2012 games.

Book number three complete for the week.

79. At the Kings Command by Susan Wiggs. The touchstone doesn't work on this one. This is the first in the Tudor Rose Trilogy. I enjoy her romances and I am looking forward to the others in the series. Some nice, fluffy reading.

Fourth book for the week down. Turning into a good reading week.

Arhh...I am so annoyed. I was number 1 on the wait list at the library for a book and somehow I got bumped off the list. The librarian doesn't know how it happened and she refused to put me back towards the top of the list. Now I'm stuck back at the bottom at number 62. What a pain. I wish I had gotten the other librarian on the phone because she is willing to pull a few favors for me because I pull up their circulation so much. Not a huge deal because it's not like I don't have a huge TBR pile, but I was salivating over that book coming in soon.

Okay, hissy fit over.

80. A Case of Imagination by Jane Tesh. A mystery about a P.I. in NC. I'm not really sure what prompted me to take this book out of the library. Maybe because we were going on vacation to NC? I'm not really sure, but it was pretty good. I may see if there are more titles by this author.

Fifth book of the week down.

#102: I own several of Susan Wiggs historical romances, but not that one. I will have to see if I can find the trilogy to which you referred.

#104: I will check that one out, too!

I checked and Jane Tesh has 2 other Mysteries. A Case of Imagination is the first in the series.

81.Finger Lickin' Fifteen By Janet Evanovich. I love Janet Evanovich and while this wasn't the best Plum book, it had me laughing out loud several times and it was well worth the read.

Sixth book down. DH is away, so there is a good chance I may reach seven this week. I have a habit of staying up and reading way too late when he is away. A guilty pleasure that is nice to indulge in now and then.

82. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris. The second Sookie Stackhouse book was great. I'm chomping at the bit to get at the rest of them in the series. I'm curious now to see the show "True Blood' which is based off this series. I'll have to check to see if it's on our cable systems On Demand.

Seven this week. I think that is my record and I don't think that I can break that under any normal circumstances!

83. The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand. I really enjoyed this book, as I have all of her books. Set in Nantucket, four couples who share everything call themselves "The Castaways." One couple tragically dies in a boating accident on their twelfth anniversary. Suddenly there are unanswered questions and the the difficulty to cope with everyday life.

#108: I think I will give that one a try. Thanks for the recommendation.

I hope you enjoy it alcottacre.

84. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie King. I was prepared not to enjoy this book because I don't like it when authors take classic characters and use them in other settings. But, I had heard so many good things over the years about this series of a a young female, Mary Russell, meeting a retired Sherlock Holmes and becoming his apprentice that I decided to give it a whirl. Much to my surprise I did enjoy the book and I can see myself reading more in the series. I know, it's good to keep an open mind!

#110: It's a very good series, IMO. I hope you get a chance to read the rest of them.

#111: I picked up the next two in the series at the library today. The more I thought about it, the more I was wondering what came next. So i guess I am already hooked :-)

85. The Second Opinion by Micheal Palmer. A medical suspense story about a powerful MD involved in a hit in run accident that wasn't an accident. Even though he is in a coma, he has locked in syndrome, meaning he is aware of everything going on and though paralyzed he is able to communicate with his eyes to his daughter who is also a physician. His daughter investigates and the scheme gets deeper. His daughter also has Asperger's syndrome which is explained and demonstrated well in her character development in the book. Overall a good book and I am happy to have found another medical suspense author now that I have almost exhausted Robin Cook's books.

86. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. I had read this in high school or college and really enjoyed this and I really enjoyed it this time too. I don't understand how so many people dislike this work. It's so well written and so poignant. Anyway, this is off the 1001 books to read before you die list. It is the only Hemingway I have read, but I am looking forward to reading other works of his from the list.

Wiadomość zmieniona przez autora, wrz 8, 2009, 1:39pm.

87. Mischling, Second Degree by Ilse Koehn. I had read this in high school and my memory was triggered recently by reading alcottacre's book journal, so I decided to read it again. This is a biographical account of a girl growing up in a suburb of Berlin during Nazi Germany. Because one of her grandparents is Jewish by birth, she is considered Jewish. she is a Mischling, second degree. Her parents divorce and she lives with her mother and maternal grandparents (it is her paternal grandmother who is Jewish) and she is able to go undetected during the war. Her childhood memories are documented in this book. Bombings, interruptions in schooling during the war, and going to school/ Hitler's Youth Camps designed to keep the children safe. It is a great book on many levels.. One because you get a feeling of how difficult it was for the average German to live during WWII. She really captures what it felt like growing up during those uncertain times. I highly recommend this book. She died in 1991.

#114: Glad you liked it on your re-read!

I really did enjoy it both times I read it. I wanted to do a oral report on it in high school even though it wasn't an assigned read because I felt that it was such an important book. But neither my History teacher or English Teacher would let me. I was quite annoyed by that.

I have been in a reading funk. I haven't picked up a book for the last two days. Nothing has interested me which is bad because I have a boatload of books that are due back at the library next week. This almost never happens to me. I have no idea what's wrong. I have a digital book that I can't hold over that is due on the 15th that has a million holds on it, so I think I'm going to try that one this afternoon. Hopefully that one will hold my interest. If not I think I'll just try one of the last series I liked at random and see what happens or go to the library and hopefully something will pop out at me.

Still no books here. I tried to get into one by my favorite author last night and it was a no go. I'm actually returning it to the library today and I'll put myself back on the waitlist. Maybe I'll be more in the mood to read it the next time it comes in. I'm going to try the next Sookie Stackhouse book or Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes book next to try to get me out of this funk.

Maybe go back to one of your old comfort reads? Or just give yourself a break and take a day off and not worry about the reading? Both methods have worked for me in getting out of funks.

Finally, two weeks later I have finished a book. I have done a lot of reading in the meantime but as it has been reading books to my 5 year old daughter it doesn't really count in this forum!

88. A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie King. I enjoyed the second book in this series tremendously and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

I'm going to try to pick up a few books that I have due at the library next. I returned 11 unread books in the last 2 weeks. I think that is a record for me!

89. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. This was very good. I have had this on my list to read for about 2 years and I am glad I finally read it. I could never find it at the library until I finally looked in the YA section. Very well written and very thought provoking.

#120: Yes, it was, wasn't it? My local library did not have it at all - one of my LT friends sent me a copy. I thought it very good.

#121 It definitely had me thinking about it a long time after I read it. I was kicking myself because I returned it before DH read it, so I'll have to take it out again for him.

90. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. This is on the 1001 list. While I enjoyed this book and it was definitely unique, I think I could have died without reading it. I do recommend it though.

91. On Her Own by Wanda E. Brunstetter. An Amish Romance. Nothing too exciting....just some brain candy.

I've decided to start my 1010 book challenge on October 10 of this year instead of waiting until January 1st. I figured it would give my reading a little direction for the rest of the year and maybe help get me out of my stagnant funk. Now I need to decide what book to start with....

Just for fun, my 1010 categories.
1. 1001 books to read before you die 2008 list
2. 1001 books to read before you die 2006 list
3. Non-fiction Biographies and Memoirs
4. Non-fiction History
5. Historical fiction
6. TBR pile from bookshelf
7. Mystery and suspense
8. Romance and chick-lit
9. Published in 2008-2009
10. Authors A-Z
11. Bonus Category: Jokers are Wild

The goal is to read 10 books in each category. Obviously in my authors A-Z category there will be 26 books, but that is okay! My goal is to read 150 books next year, so hopefully I should be able to accomplish this challenge. I am hoping to do it in one calender year. October 2009-2010 but it may take me until December. I gave myself the bonus category for anything that doesn't fit into the 10 categories once they are filled.

I am hoping this will help me reach outside of my comfort zone, explore new authors and new genres, and hopefully expand my horizons more. LT has helped me with that and I'm sure it will continue with that next year.

I'm getting excited to kick of a new challenge!

eta. I'm not going to allow double dipping either. For example, Margaret Atwood's Handmaiden's Tale can not count for the A-Z category as well as well as the 1001 category. Hmm...this should be interesting and take some planning.

Wiadomość zmieniona przez autora, wrz 30, 2009, 10:34am.

Looks like you have a nice jump on next year, Amy-Sue!

I'm looking forward to it. I'm chomping at the bit for the 10th to get here. I have my reading all lined up!

Some more reading done for last week:

92. 1st to Die by James Patterson. I'm not a huge Patterson fan but this kept me interested until the end. Enough so that I will probably continue with the series. I think that there are only 9 books in the series as of now. I always like books with strong female characters.

93. The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill. I really enjoyed this book. It was a ghost story and truly haunting. It was hard to put down and I basically finished it in one sitting. I going to look up some of her other works now and I'm hoping that they are as good.

Four books this week. Looks like I'm back on pace and I'm hoping to keep it up. I really enjoyed reading this week again and I'm glad to be back into my grove.

94. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I tried to read it while I was in my slump but I couldn't get into it and this time I was unable to put it down. It is going to go on my list of books that I recommend for friends.

#127: I really like Patterson's Women's Murder Club books. I hope you continue to try the rest of the series.

#128: I made the mistake of picking that one up one morning when I got home from a 10-hour work shift - and did not put it down until I finished reading it!

#129 I already put 2 and 3 on hold at the library in the Patterson series, so I guess I am already hooked!

#95 Intervention by Robin Cook. It was a little bit different from his normal books. It wasn't a medical thriller, but I still enjoyed it. Robin Cook is another author that I look forward to a new book from every year. I missed the last 2 years, so I have a few more to catch up on which I am looking forward too.

#96 Club Dead by Charlaine Harris.

#97 Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

These were numbers 3 and 4 in the Sookie Stackhouse vampire series. They were not as good as the first two in the series, but still they were quick fun reads. I have the next two in the series at home and then it's off to the library for the rest.

I was sick all weekend, still am actually. I think you can tell by the volume of reading I have done. 4 books in 3 days is not my norm.

98. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. This was a really good debut mystery. I was able to figure out the murderer quite early, but the motive and method were more of a surprise. There is another forthcoming with the same bright, juvenile detective and I look forward to that coming out.

99. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris. I think I'm liking this series less and less as I am reading it, but for some reason I am feeling compelled to finish it. It makes absolutely no sense to me except I like finishing what I have started.

I have read 8 books in 5 days. Yes, I am still sick. If this bug goes on any longer I may actually make a serious dent in my library pile.

100. A Letter of Mary by Laurie King. This is the third book on the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series and I am definitely hooked. Laurie Kings writing style is elegant and descriptive and leaves you longing for more as soon as the book is done.

101. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris. This was the 5th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and I did really did like this one so I guess I still do like the series. I'm going to try to finish book 6 in the series today before I start the first book for my 10/10/10 challenge tomorrow.

#134: I am glad you are hooked on the series! I definitely think it is one of the better series around these days.

I love how varied your list is!!!

I'm a big big fan of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series, so I'm very excited to see you're enjoying them. I also really liked The 19th Wife.

#137 Thanks! I have eclectic tastes, although I do get stuck in ruts. LT has helped me not get stuck in ruts so it has been very good for me. I loved The 19th Wife. It was definitely one of my most memorable reads of the year.

102. All together Dead by Charlaine Harris. The next book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I've been whipping through them. Time to take a break for something else.

I started my 1010 challenge. First book up is The House of the Seven Gables. I started it last night and so far so good. I worked there for 6 seasons and never read the book, shame on me. I already know the story so it's like returning to an old friend. It's making me homesick and I am enjoying it immensely so far.

103. The House of the Seven Gables by Nataniel Hawthorne. I can't believe I have never read this book before. I worked there as a tour guide for 6 seasons and I managed to get by on just knowing the story line of the book. In my defense, I knew a ton of Hawthorne history and the history of the home so my tour was really good, just not centered around the book. I think if I had made it past the first chapter I wouldn't have had a problem. I really enjoyed the book this time around.

My thought copied and pasted from my 1010 thread.

Once I finished the first chapter I found it very readable. I enjoyed the story, but I was glad I had the dictionary on the Kindle to look up some of Hawthorne's more obscure words.

I am surprised that Holgrave did not play more into the story seeing how he tied so importantly into the end.

Hawthorne believed that the sins of previous generations were passed down and he used his writing to "absolve" himself of these sins. This was even mentioned at one point in the book. He used H7G to absolve himself of the sins of his ancestor who was a judge during the Salem Witch Trials.

It was a bit slow moving, but I know that Hawthorne was a very descriptive author so I expected this and just enjoyed the ride.

The house was described very well in the book and in some ways is actually one of the characters.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I am sorry I did not read it sooner! I can see myself re-reading it again in the future because of my connection with the house, Salem, and my interest of Hawthorne

104. Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Loclos. This is off the 1001 list. I enjoyed this book tremendously. I never would have believed that I book written 250 years ago could be such a page turner. Highly recommended.

105. Foreign Body by Robin Cook. I somehow missed his new releases the last couple of years so now I'm getting caught up. I enjoyed the book. It was some nice brain candy. A medical thriller about "medical tourism" to India.

106. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover. I think I had high expectations of this book that didn't pan out. It was highly recommended to me by many friends, and as a result I was disappointed at the end. I loved the first half of the book but I felt the second half dragged and I wasn't sorry to see it end. Off the 1001 list.

Wiadomość zmieniona przez autora, paź 16, 2009, 8:53am.

107. Nightwalker by Heather Graham. A good light suspense book with some supernatural elements. Perfect for close to Halloween.

108. Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot. Not much to say...light chick lit. I haven't read one in awhile so it hit the spot.

Wiadomość zmieniona przez autora, paź 17, 2009, 10:27am.

109. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. I really enjoy her books and this was no exception. I did find this book moved a little slow in spots, but was still very good overall. It is the first book in a new series and I am looking forward to the next one now.

110. Red Orchestra by Anne Nelson. This was a very good non-fiction account of the german underground during Nazi Germany. This was a very dense book that took me a long time to read (1 week!), even though I did enjoy it. It was very well researched and I would recommend it highly.

111. The Discarded Duke by Nancy Butler. A light Regency romance. Pure fluff after a non-fiction read. The book was "mooched" and I realized I had posted it without reading it so I needed to rectify the situation.

#146: I already have that one in the BlackHole. I am looking forward to getting my hands on a copy one of these days :)

I think you will enjoy it Alcottacre.

112. The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. A recommendation by Alcottacre about the dustbowl during the Great Depression. Another great read that was well researched and was a pleasure to read.

I seem to be in a non-fiction place right now. I'm really enjoying it, even though it is strange to be reading at such a slow pace. That's okay. I'm really enjoying my books and that's all that matters

#149: I am glad you enjoyed it!

>>>#142 I'm with you on The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver. I expected to love it and found it compelling to start but completely marred by the endless ending.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who felt that way Nancy!

113. Final Jeapardy by Linda Fairstein. The first mystery in a series about an assintant D.A. in NYC who prosecutes sex crimes. I really enjoyed this book. I've been wanting to start this sereis for sometime and I finally came across the first book in the series. I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series.

#153: It's a pretty good series and Fairstein's first-hand knowledge comes in very handy.

I forgot to take out the next book in the series at the library this weekend and I've been kicking myself. I'm going back today because I'm dying to read the next one. Of course I have nothing else I could be reading, lol.

114. A Royal Pain by Rys Bowen. This is the second book in a series about a minor British royal who sleuths for Her Royal Majesty during the time of the Great Depression. Not the best mystery series, but fun and entertaining.

#155: I generally find all of Bowen's books, while not great literature, at least good fun!