LadyViolet's 75 Books and more Challenge (Thread #3)

So since my 2nd thread finally reached 250 posts (aided and abetted by my education crisis), even though there's only one month left of 2010 I though why not go for a final thread eh?

For anyone interested in 2009's reads link is here

For my First 2010 thread link is here

For my Second 2010 thread link is here

I'm also a book blogger so if you fancy having a read of that link is here

LadyV's List for 2010
January
1. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (2/1/2010 AM)
2. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris (3/1/2010 AM)
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (5/1/2010 AM)
4. The Gift by Alison Croggon (6/1/2010 AM)
5. The Maps of Tolkien's Middle-earth by Brian Sibley (7/1/2010 AM)
6. Darke Academy: Secret Lives by Gabriella Poole (9/1/2010 AM)
7. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (9/1/2010 AM)
8. The Marsh King's Daughter by Elizabeth Chadwick (11/1/2010 AM)
9. Dingo by Charles de Lint (11/1/2010 PM)
10. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (13/1/2010 AM)
11. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (16/1/2010 AM)
12. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (17/1/2010 AM)
13. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (20/1/2010 AM)
14. A Place beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick (21/1/2010 AM)
15. Pagan's Vows by Catherine Jinks (22/1/2010 AM)
16. Alanna: L'Epreuve by Tamora Pierce (23/1/2010 PM)
17. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (27/1/2010 AM)
18. Fallen by Lauren Kate (28/1/2010 AM)
19. The Secret Circle vol. 1 by L.J. Smith (28/1/2010 PM)
20. The Secret Circle vol. 2 by L.J. Smith (29/1/2010 PM)
21. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (30/1/2010 AM)
22. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (31/1/2010 AM)
23. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (31/1/2010 PM)

February
24. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (4/2/2010 PM)
25. World Without End by Ken Follett (7/2/2010 PM)
26. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (14/2/2010 PM)
27. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula le Guin (15/2/2010 AM)
28. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (16/2/2010 PM)
29. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (17/2/2010 AM)
30. Eon: Rise of the Dragoneye by Alison Goodman (18/2/2010 AM)
31. The Laurentine Spy by Emily Gee (19/2/2010 AM)
32. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris (20/2/2010 AM)
33. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris (24/2/2010 AM)
34. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks (25/2/2010 AM)
35. The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (25/2/2010 AM)
36. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (27/2/2010 AM)
37. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (28/2/2010 AM)

March
38. Sabriel by Garth Nix (2/3/2010 AM)
39. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (2/3/2010 PM)
40. The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott (3/3/2010 AM)
41. Little (grrl) Lost by Charles de Lint (4/3/2010 AM)
42. Gone by Michael Grant (5/3/2010 AM)
43. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (9/3/2010 AM)
44. Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (10/3/2010 PM)
45. Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan (11/3/2010 AM)
46. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (15/3/2010 AM)
47. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker (19/3/2010 AM)
48. Before I fall by Lauren Oliver (20/3/2010 PM)
49. Hunger by Michael Grant (22/3/2010 AM)
50. Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (24/3/2010 PM)
51. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien (24/3/2010 PM)
52. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine (26/3/2010 AM)
53. Castle Dor by Daphne du Maurier (27/3/2010 PM)
54. Magic under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore (29/3/2010 PM)
55. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson (30/3/2010 AM)
56. The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty (31/3/2010 AM)

April
57. Beastly by Alex Flinn (1/4/2010 AM)
58. Adored by Cecily von Ziegesar (3/4/2010 AM)
59. The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (6/4/2010 AM)
60. The Vampire Diaries vol. 2 by L.J. Smith (7/4/2010 AM)
61. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (8/4/2010 AM)
62. Heart of Stone by C.E. Murphy (8/4/2010 PM)
63. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (9/4/2010 PM)
64. The White Mare by Jules Watson (10/4/2010 AM)
65. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (11/4/2010 AM)
66. Take a Chance on me by Cecily von Ziegesar (14/4/2010 AM)
67. Beauty by Robin Mckinley (15/4/2010 AM)
68. Boys R Us by Lisi Harrison (15/4/2010 PM)
69. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (16/4/2010 AM)
70. The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander (17/4/2010 PM)
71. Spindle's End by Robin Mckinley (22/4/2010 AM)
72. Ash by Malinda Lo (23/4/2010 AM)
73. Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier (23/4/2010 PM)
74. The Splendour Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore (24/4/2010 AM)
75. The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander (25/4/2010 AM)
76. Memories and Adventures by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (29/4/2010 AM)

May
77. Looking for Alaska by John Green (2/5/2010 PM)
78. Shadows and Strongholds by Elizabeth Chadwick (3/5/2010 PM)
79. Becoming Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty (4/5/2010 AM)
80. Dreaming of Amelia by Jaclyn Moriarty (9/5/2010 AM)
81. The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong (10/5/2010 AM)
82. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (11/5/2010 AM)
83. Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander (11/5/2010 PM)
84. The Birds and other Stories by Daphne du Maurier (14/5/2010 AM)
85. Fade Out by Rachel Caine (15/5/2010 AM)
86. Feeling Sorry for Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty (15/5/2010 PM)
87. Company of Liars by Karen Maitland (18/5/2010 AM)
88. Pride by Rachel Vincent (19/5/2010 PM)
89. A Memoir of Jane Austen by James Austen-Leigh (19/5/2010 PM)
90. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (20/5/2010 AM)
91. The High King by Lloyd Alexander (21/5/2010 AM)
92. Forget You by Jennifer Echols (26/5/2010 PM)
93. Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead (29/5/2010 AM)
94. The Taste of Sorrow by Jude Morgan (29/5/2010 AM)
95. Paper Towns by John Green (30/5/2010 AM)

June
96. Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris (1/6/2010 AM)
97. Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine (3/6/2010 AM)
98. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (6/6/2010 PM)
99. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (12/6/2010 AM)
100. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (15/6/2010 AM)
101. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray (16/6/2010 AM)
102. Last Chance by Sarah Dessen (17/6/2010 AM)
103. Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris (18/6/2010 AM)
104. The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (21/6/2010 AM)
105. Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon (28/6/2010 PM)
106. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier (30/6/2010 PM)

July
107. His Last Bow by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1/7/2010 PM)
108. The Oracle of Dating by Allison van Diepen (7/7/2010 AM)
109. An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris (8/7/2010 AM)
110. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder (8/7/2010 PM)
111. The Princess and the Pauper by Kate Brian (10/7/2010 AM)
112. Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder (11/7/2010 AM)
113. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen (13/7/2010 AM)
114. A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn (14/7/2010 AM)
115. Cracked up to Be by Courtney Summers (16/7/2010 AM)
116. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (17/7/2010 AM)
117. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman (19/7/2010 AM)
118. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (20/7/2010 AM)
119. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (22/7/2010 AM)
120. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (26/7/2010 AM)
121. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (26/7/2010 PM)
122. The Summer I turned Pretty by Jenny Han (27/7/2010 AM)
123. The Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin (28/7/2010 AM)
124. Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith (29/7/2010 PM)
125. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (30/7/2010 PM)
126. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (31/7/2010 AM)

August
127. City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (1/8/2010 AM)
128. Prey by Rachel Vincent (1/8/2010 PM)
129. By Midnight by Mia James (2/8/2010 AM)
130. Emma by Jane Austen (4/8/2010 PM)
131. Something like Fate by Susane Colasanti (4/8/2010 PM)
132. Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols (7/8/2010 PM)
133. The Poison Throne by Celine Kiernan (9/8/2010 AM)
134. Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt (10/8/2010 AM)
135. The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith (12/8/2010 AM)
136. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (13/8/2010 AM)
137. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (14/8/2010 AM)
138. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (17/8/2010 PM)
139. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (18/8/2010 PM)
140. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (23/8/2010 AM)
141. Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow (26/8/2010 AM)
142. Mockingjay by Suzanna Collins (27/8/2010 AM)
143. I'd Tell you I love you, but then I'd have to Kill you by Ally Carter (29/8/2010 AM)

September
144. Cross my Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter (6/9/2010 AM)
145. The Alchemist's Daughter by Katherine McMahon (6/9/2010 PM)
146. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris (7/9/2010 AM)
147. Scarlett Dedd by Cathy Brett (8/9/2010 AM)
148. Everlost by Neal Shusterman (11/9/2010 AM)
149. First Test by Tamora Pierce (13/9/2010 AM)
150. Page by Tamora Pierce (13/9/2010 PM)
151. Squire by Tamora Pierce (14/9/2010 AM)
152. Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder (18/9/2010 AM)
153. Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles (19/9/2010 AM)
154. Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder (19/9/2010 PM)
155. Red-Headed Stepchile by Jaye Wells (20/9/2010 PM)
156. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary-Ann Shaffer (22/9/2010 AM)
157. Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce (25/9/2010 AM)
158. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (26/9/2010 PM)
159. Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce (26/9/2010 PM)
160. Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce (27/9/2010 PM)
161. The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells (28/9/2010 PM)
162. Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (29/9/2010 PM)
163. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler (30/9/2010 AM)

October
164. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (4/10/2010 AM)
165. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (6/10/2010 AM)
166. Angel by L.A. Weatherly (12/10/2010 AM)
167. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (13/10/2010 AM)
168. If I Stay by Gayle Forman (14/10/2010 AM)
169. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (15/10/2010 AM)
170. The Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (16/10/2010 PM)
171. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (18/10/2010 AM)
172. World War Z by Max Brooks (22/10/2010 PM)
173. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler (23/10/2010 PM)
174. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (24/10/2010 AM)
175. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (26/10/2010 AM)
176. Finding Sky by Joss Stirling (31/10/2010 AM)

November
177. J.R.R. Tolkien: a biography by Humphrey Carpenter (9/11/2010 AM)
178. As You Wish by Jackson Pearce (10/11/2010 AM)
179. The Ambassador's Mission by Trudi Canavan (11/11/2010 PM)
180. Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles (13/11/2010 AM)
181. No and Me by Delphine de Vigan (15/11/2010 AM)
182. Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (18/11/2010 AM)
183. The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood (20/11/2010 AM)
184. Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble (21/11/2010 AM)
185. Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman (25/11/2010 PM)
186. Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin (26/11/2010 AM)
187. Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce (28/11/2010 PM)
188. Sticky Fingers by Nikki Burnham (29/11/2010 AM)
189. Terrier by Tamora Pierce (29/11/2010 PM)
190. Delirium by Lauren Oliver (29/11/2010 PM)

December
191. Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty (2/12/2010 AM)
192. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan (4/12/2010 AM)
193. Numbers by Rachel Ward (6/12/2010 AM)
194. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (7/1/2010 PM)
195. Frostbite by Richelle Mead (8/12/2010 AM)
196. Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (9/12/2010 AM)
197. Blood Promise by Richelle Mead (9/12/2010 AM)
198. Still Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley (11/12/2010 PM)
199. Sweethearts by Sarah Zarr (12/12/2010 AM)
200. Persuasion by Jane Austen (13/12/2010 PM)
201. Who's Afraid of Jane Austen? by Henry Hitchings (20/12/2010 AM)
202. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (21/12/2010 AM)
203. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (22/12/2010 PM)
204. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (24/12/2010 AM)
205. Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty (24/12/2010 AM)
206. Plan B by Jenny O'Connell (25/12/2010 AM)
207. Entangled by Cat Clarke (27/12/2010 AM)
208. Shift by Rachel Vincent (30/12/2010 AM)
209. Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder (31/12/2010 AM)
210. Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti (31/12/2010 PM)

On with the show!

{{{Extra hugs for good measure}}}

I think you are quite likely to hit 200 for the year!

A short, delicious read for the end of your stresstime: The Waitress Was New. Very, very worth reading!

Found you again, Rachel!

Found you! Hope everything is going a bit better. I'm not a hugger. . . . so I give you many high-fives, or virtual candy and sweets if you prefer :P

Found you!

I just wanted to say that I went through exactly what you are going through, although it was just before the Easter hols rather than Christmas. The UK system being what it is, I ended up leaving at the end of my first year, taking a year out and then doing a degree in a different area. It all worked out for me.

I finished out the year because I was so close to the end and got rather stubborn about proving that I was leaving because I disliked the course rather than because I was failing.

Your tutors can really help you find the options and work out what you can do, so I really hope your meeting goes well tomorrow.

Also, your thread has added an extra fifteen books to my wishlist. Grr arrgh and all that.

>7 archerygirl: Yay glad you found your way here!
I'm considering applying to another university to do a Publishing Media degree since it's an area that I would like to get into at some point and I'll get both the skills and experience I'll need to get a job afterwards plus I won't have the stress of spending a year abroad like I would with my French & Spanish degree :S This year is weird cos I would have more exams in January than I would in May cos most of my second semestre modules don't have written exams at the end so leaving before christmas means I won't go through all the chaos of revising for exams that I really don't want to do and would probably do really badly on.

So hopefully the uni people will be nice and helpful tomorrow when I go to withdraw and ask for a reference to put on the UCAS form for next year :P

*snickers* Lol sorry bout that :P

Good luck with your application!

Thinking of you today and hoping the meeting with your tutor goes well.

> 8. How did your meeting go?
I remember my tutors being quite lovely about my withdrawal and one of them wrote my UCAS reference even though I was applying for a different field. One thing you may need look into is finance: there are odd rules out there about how many years an LEA will fund and the same may be true for the student loans people. Your university financial office should be able to put you on the right track for finding out what the situation is.

>11 archerygirl: it went pretty well, both my French and Spanish tutors were really shocked and seemed rather sad that I'm going and my lovely spanish tutor has agreed to write my UCAS reference even though he's not actually taught me this year (he taught the majority of my spanish language classes last year though).
Yea I'm going to be ringing Student Finance England tomorrow and getting my payments for the rest of this year stopped and obviously asking about the other degree funding while I'm at it.
Now I've just gotta get someone else to rent my room for the rest of the year and I can go home!

I'm glad it all went well. ((hugs))

>12 RLMCartwright:. So glad it went well and you're going to feel much better when the last bits are finished with. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it all goes smoothly :-)

#12: I am glad to hear things are turning out so well for you, Rachel.

edited for spelling

I'm glad the meeting with your tutors went well, and that you got a reference out of it. I hope the call to Student Finance was equally as easy! And good luck finding a new renter.

Brava, Rachel! A good end result. Much good luck getting the rest of the business matters all squared away.

Aww crap... look at how many reviews I have to do! I haven't updated my thread since The Poison Diaries! *facepalm* 14 behind!! Bugger it I'll have to do one-liners cos I haven't got the time nor health to be writing out anything proper (my head feels stuffed up and like it's been slowly squished in a vice- for me this is pretty ill).

184. Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Interesting and kinda spooky historical/contemporary novel. I had a bit of difficulty reading the letter-style portions and found it easier to read those sections aloud cos I read too fast to understand any of it normally. Enjoyably though. Warmly recommended and if you want a better review check out Ellie's

185. Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman
Very enjoyable British contemporary novel where it's the teenage mum who runs off and leaves the father, Dante to fend for his daughter with just his father and brother to help him. Deals with some interesting issues and not just teen pregnancy. Warmly Recommended. Thanks to Jess for lending it to me :)

186. Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Jennifer Rardin
First in the Jaz Parks paranormal series. I do rather like these type of books that are adult enough to get a little steamy without dissolving into plotless pieces of crap that are held together by the never-ending sex scenes (a la Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake).
This series looks to be very enjoyable and since sadly Jennifer Rardin died in September of this year the final book in the series which is out this month will be the last work ever from her. :( Warmly recommended to those who like their saucy paranormal series.

187. Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce
Yes I *am* addicted to re-reading these books, heck knows how many times I've read this particular book because it's my absolute favourite Tammy book (and with 26 works so far that's saying something). It's the second in the Trickster's Duet and although it does help to read the three quartets preceding this it's not imperative to *love* Aly's story. Highly recommended.

188. Sticky Fingers by Niki Burnham
This was an impulse read before I went back to Aber to begin moving home (ooh confusing :S). It surprised me with it's very important message at the end. Not the most exciting YA contemporary novel but worth reading for the moral. Recommended.

189. Terrier by Tamora Pierce
YES I KNOW IT'S ANOTHER REREAD! I wanted something chunky to take on the train in case we got delayed and were stuck out in the wilds for hours (bizarrely I had no trouble getting back). This is pretty different compared to Tammy's earlier books since it's written in First Person like a journal which she pulls off fabulously. Beka Cooper is one of my favourite Tortall Heroine's. Highly Recommended.

190. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Very intriguing YA dystopia novel (it's not out until 2011 though). First in a planned trilogy. The story starts in a world where Love has been labelled a disease and it's been over 40 years since they found a cure. Lena is just a few months away from getting Cured when she does the unthinkable... fall in love. It gets pretty fast-paced towards the end and I'm rather excited already for the sequel whenever that comes out. Warmly Recommended.

191. Fourth Comings by Megan McCafferty
I was actually rather disappointed with this one since I *adore* Jessica Darling and the first three books were excellent but this was set over just a week and just seemed really... blah. I'm hoping the fifth and last book will be better. Read it if you're a fan of the series.

192. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
So glad I finally read this! The two alternating POVs of the two Will Graysons were wonderfully unique (although David's Will could have done with capitalising the "i's" cos it really was odd to read) and OMG Tiny Cooper is the best secondary character EVER!! The book basically revolves around him and his awesomeness. Such a fab read. Highly Recommended.

193. Numbers by Rachel Ward
Another impulse read (I need to whittle down the TBR pile). A british-set Contemporary/supernatural/vaguely dystopia novel. Jem has always been able to see the Numbers - the exact date when someone will die and normally she keeps to herself but she befriends a boy in her class and when they head into central London one day Jem is horrified to see that several people waiting to board the London Eye all have the same Number -Today. She and her friend Spider have to go on the run when their presence is linked to the events that follow. A very interesting read with a rather tragic ending. I'm looking forward to reading the second book which is set slightly in the future. Warmly Recommended.

194. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Insanely speedy re-read earlier this week. I just love this series *so* much! Highly Recommended.

195. Frostbite by Richelle Mead
Actually re-read in the same night as VA because I'm mental like that. Highly Recommended.

196. Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead
Re-read in the night following the first 2 books, gah the ending still gets me! Highly Recommended.

197. Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
Dude I totally reread this in two hours No Lie. Dimitri is still a god no matter which side he's on *sigh*. Highly Recommended.

Phew! now that's done I'm gonna get me a hot drink and try to choke down some decongestant tablets so I can sleep tonight.
200 is nearly in sight!

Your love of 192-195 makes me want to finally start it, but I need a few non-vampire books after being forced to read Stoker's Dracula for class. I'm aiming for late January. Much improvement from the meh whenevs pile :P

Looks like someone has been taking advantage of their time off. :)

Good lawsy me! What's that, fifteen reviews in one go?! *impressed*

Good luck on your goal of 200, Rachel!

Well some of those were from the end of November :P
I'll do my best not to get so far behind on reviews again cos even though those weren't full-sized reviews it still took a while. In fact I need to write proper reviews for a couple of them to post on my blog cos I'm *waaay* too lax with reviews over there :S

I'm always so torn when I see The Vampire Academy. On one hand it looks like good fun, but I've been burned by so many YA vampire books (and, well, vampire fiction in general), so I'm very hesitant.

Rachel

ditto what Stasia said in post #22. You read some great books...and a lot of them!

So er yea I've finished 200 books! *dances*
I'm not doing the reviews just yet because I want to properly write out decent reviews to post on my blog rather than my usual slapdash approach for LT (don't judge me!)
It was planned to have Persuasion as my 200th book :P

#26: It was planned to have Persuasion as my 200th book.

Sounds like a good plan to me! Congratulations on hitting 200, Rachel!

Congratulations on reaching 200!

I hope you enjoyed Persuasion: it's my favourite Austen.

Congrats! It's my favourite Austen so far too... And I can't BELIEVE I missed everything about uni, I'm so sorry! It sounds like you're much happier about things now, which is a good indicator that you've done the right thing. I had to make the same decision myself a few years ago and although the run-up to it was a tangle of emotion and anxiety, that moment when I just said, 'enough', brought such an incredible sense of relief and lightness that I knew it was the right choice. You're a clever, awesome person Rach - you deserve to be doing something you love and that makes you happy! *enormous belated hugs* :-)

Gawd this thread has been sadly neglected *again* I never did get round to writing proper reviews for some of the books I've read so I'll just resort to bog-standard one-liners again.

Somewhere in my last review bulk post I ballsed up my numbering so thats why the numbering I'll use now won't match up (yet)- I'll go back an correct it once this is done.

198. Still Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley
Fun, sequel to Sucks to be Me. Light, wise-cracking Vampire story with a dose of drama. Warmly Recommended

199. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
Bittersweet story about two childhood friends who are separated for 8 years when the boy disappears suddenly but then he reappears in her life bringing back so many emotions and memories that conflict with her newly reinvented life. Recommended.

200. Persuasion by Jane Austen
My third Austen book. Wonderful story of love lost and love regained. I'm sure I have more eloquent thoughts than that but currently assembling them is not possible. Highly recommended.

201. Who's Afraid of Jane Austen? by Henry Hitchings
Fabulously quirky book about talking to people about books you've never read. Covers a whole range of "intellectual" books from Greek classics all the way up to modern literary fiction and everything in between. Made me want to actually attempt to read Ulysses although I'm sure I'll reconsider that :P (Although my bf has actually read it *twice*!) Perfect book for book lovers, Highly Recommended.

202. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
My first Christie read, fun light mystery. Poirot is delightfully eccentric (which I hadn't realised because David Suchet who plays him in the tv adaptations is rather more serious than he seems in the book) although I found Hastings' narration a tad irksome mainly because he is a bit of a pompous git who thinks himself a better detective than Poirot- or that's how it came across to me. I'll definitely try some more Christie books as I do love the mind-bending ways that the detectives solve the crimes. Recommended.

203. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Prequel the amazing Shadow of the Wind. Again there is a young man who is not overly satisfied with his life who finds himself embroiled in a dark, twisted mystery involving secrets from the past and unknown persons. A lot of religious themes and a massive dose of mindfuckery (pardon my french). Although I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as the first book I was still hooked and my heart was pounding as I raced towards the end. I am very intrigued to know if there will be any more books set in this world and involving the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Highly Recommended.

204. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
YA fantasy story based off the idea of Little Red Riding Hood. Scarlett and Rosie are sisters who live to hunt down the Fenris, vicious werewolves who killed their Grandmother when they were young and left the elder, Scarlett with horrible scars all over her body. As Fenris attacks increase they travel to Atlanta to discover the cause and if possible take out as many of these monsters as they can. I really like Jackson's writing and the characters were marvellous. Admittedly I did figure out what was going to happen rather early on but that didn't ruin my reading experience. There's a nice dollop of romance to lighten the rather grim subject of girl-eating wolves and potential for a sequel although I believe that Jackson's next book Sweetly (which is based around the tale of Hansel & Gretel) is going to have different characters to this books. Warmly Recommended.

205. Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty
The last book in the Jessica Darling series. After following Jessica's life through the first four books it's kinda sad to reach the end although this book is rather different compared the rest because it's written in third person and literally takes place over one day. It follows Jessica's and Marcus' chance meeting in an airport three years after the end of Fourth Comings (I'll try not to spoil things). As normally happens with JD books there is a lot of internal thoughts and ruminations plus large helpings of witty dialogue. Both Marcus and Jessica have matured so much over this series and I was really happy with the way things ended in a mostly resolved but still vaguely unfinished way like we could have more to come from them. I would love it if one day Megan decided to write another book about Jessica Darling but in the mean time I shall await her new YA dystopia book called Bumped which sounds most intriguing. Warmly Recommended.

206. Plan B by Jenny O'Connell
A light fun YA read. Imagine if your parents suddenly told you that the most gorgeous boy on TV whom everyone at your school adored was actually your half-brother and was coming to live with you. That's what Vanessa has to deal with the day before her Senior year of high school starts. Reed Vaughn is stuck-up and arrogant and she loathes having him around especially because of all the screaming girls he attracts. But over time she begins to see a new side of him, one that she did't expect... This book would be the perfect teen film, I kept thinking that the whole time I was reading it- I don't know if that's a bad thing to think but I thought this a really fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's only short but not as predictable as you might think. Warmly Recommended.

207. Entangled by Cat Clarke
Wowzas! I've been hearing about this book for months on the blogosphere so when I found a copy in a bookstore just before Christmas I grabbed it since technically it's not being released until the 6th of January. The main character Grace wakes up in white room not knowing how she got there and with just pens and paper for company. A strange boy called Ethan comes in now and again bringing her food and encouraging her to write, with nothing better to do and no visible means of escaping this place Grace begins to write out her life which is so tangled in her mind that it takes her a long time to realise the truth of how she ended up in that white room. Bloody hell this book was brilliant! Grace's voice was fantastically real and so wonderfully British with a ton of dry humour and a typically teenage grasp of tact. As I reached the rather shocking end the first thing I thought was (and I kid you not) "I can haz moar plz?" - when I start speaking lolcat about a book I think it's a pretty big deal. I am dying to know if there is to be a sequel to this because there is so much unresolved that I might go slightly cuckoo if there isn't. If you can get a copy READ IT! if not borrow one this is one of the most mind-bending debut novels I've ever read and I'll be damned if Cat Clarke's next book isn't just as amazing. Highly Recommended.

Woo hoo! all caught up now! I can go to bed happy and hope I don't get too behind again :S
Night y'all and I hope everyone's christmas was great (I got a Moose Hat no jokes :P)

I'm with Luxx on the Vampire Academy books... I hesitate to read them because of previous bad experiences with vampire books, but they look and sound so enticing...

I've been tempted by the Vampire Academy books too. And I don't even have anything against the previous vampire books I've read, so I'm not quite sure why I'm so reluctant to read them. Maybe just because the whole vampire thing is so over-hyped lately.

Also, I'm glad you reached a decision you're happy with regarding uni!

Congrats on going over 200 for the year!

Cripes it's New Year's Eve!! Less than 12 hours left of 2010! :O
I may still get another book done before the end of the (I'm determined to finish on an even number) so I'll have 3 more reviews to do before moving over to the 2011 thread.
I will at some point soonish to a Top 10 reads of 2010, although depending on how many 5 star books I have I'll break it into multiple categories :P

So it's 2011!! *dances*
And since all the cool kids are posting their reading stats I did some calculating..

Books Read in 2010: 210
Books Read I Own: 175
Books Read I borrowed: 35
New Reads: 176
Re-reads: 34 (Less re-reading methinks)

Genres
Fiction: 205
Non-Fiction: 5 (Must do better next year)

YA: 136 (Includes several of the sub-genres below)
Fantasy: 55
Contemporary: 43
Historical Fiction: 17
Dystopia: 13
Paranormal: 51
Classics: 12
Other: 19

Ratings
5 Star: 36
4.5 Star: 70
4 Star: 92
3.5 Star: 10
3 Star: 2

It's strange that I've had nothing under 3 Stars although maybe I'm too generous with my ratings I mean look how many 4's I gave! Choosing a Best of 2010 list is gonna be *so* hard!

Love the stats, Rachel! I didn't think of the star rating breakdown like that, I might have to steal it and add it to my own stats... :D

Well I didn't have the page number breakdown like you did so I had to find some other quantifiable factor to put down or it wouldn't look as impressive :P

Ha! I see, so it's a compitition. Fine, I'll just list all the books under each star rating, which you can't do because you read a BAZILLION books. Muahaha.

Of course, you could say the fact that you read a BAZILLION books still makes you more impressive but...err, nu uh that doesn't count! ... ... ...

Lol I don't read a bazillion books, my list is pittance compared to Stasia's :P
Although there are some people who are closer to my range who still have more than me.
Would people laugh if I said I'm gonna try to read slower in 2011?

*laughs*

Oh no, of course not.

*laughs more*

Yea I thought not.
I just gotta try and take in more when I read so I can actually write reviews before I'm 7 books behind :S

Keeping up with reviews, she says! *Bursts into roarious fits of laughter*

Seriously though, reading slow is certainly good...just difficult...I'm lucky to be a naturally slow reader. :P

Interesting stats, I must do some on my thread too before I finish with it. I also rushed a last read in to finish on an even number!

>43 avatiakh: *whispers* I sort of cheated. I finished it an hour into New year's day :O :P I wanted to count it to 2010 so I did hehe

#35: Love the stats, Rachel! I completely understand about wanting to read less in 2011 - so do I :)

It was still 2010 here were I live, so it counts in my book! :D