Deedledee Reads in the 40th year

I'm Canadian, I'm a librarian & I'm spectacular!
This is my 6th year of the 75 Books Challenge and I'm looking forward to it.
Feel free to follow me on Twitter: @dhcry

January
1. Plain Kate by Erin Bow (YA)
2. One Summer by David Baldacci (read by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy)
3. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris (eBook)
4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (J)
5. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick (YA)
6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (J)
7. Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman (read by Jenna Lamia)
8. How to Run: From First Steps to Finish Line by Ben Kaplan (eBook) (ANF)
9. In the Heat of the Night by John Ball
10. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks (read by Matthew Brown)

February
11. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (read by Christine Lakin) (YA)
12. Crossing Over: One Woman's Escape from Amish Life by Ruth Irene Garrett (eBook) (ANF)
13. We Are Water by Wally Lamb
14. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (J)(eBook)
15. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (read by Nick Podehl) (YA)
16. Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld (read by Rebecca Lowman)
17. Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks (YGN)
18. A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar (read by Edward Herrmann)
19. The Colorado Kid by Stephen King

March
20. The O'Briens by Peter Behrens
21. Ask The Passengers by A.S. King (YA)
22. Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford (YA)
23. One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson (read by Bill Bryson)
24. Fingal O'Reilly, Irish doctor by Patrick Taylor (read by John Keating)
25. Whisper by Chris Struyk-Bonn (YA)

April
26. The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay
27. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (read by Will Patton) (YA)
28. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (J)(eBook)
29. Now You See Her by Joy Fielding (read by Justine Eyre)
30. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding (eBook)
31. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness (read by Angela Dawe and Nick Podehl) (YA)

May
32. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (AGN)
33. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things that Happened by Allie Brosh (AGN)
34. Bonk: the Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach (ANF)
35. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan
36. Heist Society by Ally Carter (read by Angela Dawe) (YA)
37. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (read by David Ledoux)
38. What We Hide by Marthe Jocelyn (YA)
39. How to Train Your Dragon by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III; translated from the Old Norse by Cressida Cowell (read by David Tennant) (JF)
40. Stardust by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Charles Vess

June
41. Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris (ebook)
42. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (read by Orlagh Cassidy)
43. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (read by Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra) (YA)
44. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness (read by Nick Podehl, Angela Dawe, and MacLeod Andrews) (YA)
45. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente (YA)
46. Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
47. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (YA)
48. French Milk by Lucy Knisley (AGN)
49. Regine's Book: a Teen Girl's Last Words by Regine Stokke (YNF)(ARC)
50. Roost by Ali Bryan
51. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

July
52. The Light Between Ocean by M. L. Stedman
53. Let's Pretend this Never Happened: a Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson (a.k.a. The Blogess) (ANF)
54. The Ballad of Jacob Peck by Debra Komar (ANF)
55. Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh (AGN)
56. Landline by Rainbow Rowell
57. Longbourn by Jo Baker (Read by Emma Fielding)
58. The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken
59. A House in the Sky: a Memoir by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett (Read by Amanda Lindhout)
60. UR by Stephen King (Read by Holter Graham)
61. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
62. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (JF)
63. Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants by The Oatmeal
64. My Secret: a PostSecret Book compiled by Frank Warren (ANF)
65. Wonder by R. J. Palacio (read by Diana Steele, Nick Podehl, and Kate Rudd) (YA)

August
66. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (read by Jeff Woodman) (YA)
67. Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King (YA)
68. Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (JF)
69. Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden (read by Suzi Dougherty) (YA)
70. On the Run by Iris Johansen (read by Jennifer Van Dyck)
71. The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer (YA)
72. Sex Criminals: One Weird Trick by Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky (AGN)
73. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (YA)
74. The Day I Shot Cupid by Jennifer Love Hewitt (ANF)
75. About That Night by Norah McClintock (YA) (ARC)

September
76. Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman (ANF)
77. Unquenchable: a Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wines by Natalie MacLean
78. Roots: the Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley (read by Avery Brooks)
79. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett (read by Martin Jarvis)
80. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (ebook)
81. Night by Elie Wiesel (ANF)
82. The Amazing Thing About the Way It Goes: Stories of Tidiness, Self-Esteem and Other Things I Gave Up On by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (ANF)

October
83. The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley (read by Kirsten Potter)
84. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (read by Kate Rudd)
85. Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews (read by Isabel Keating)
86. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (ebook)
87. Dear Photograph by Taylor Jones (ANF)
88. Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica (ANF) (ebook)
89. Always Something There to Remind Me by Beth Harbison (read by Orlagh Cassidy)
90. Falling Backwards: a Memoir by Jann Arden (ANF)

November
91. The Circle by Dave Eggers (read by Dion Graham)
92. The Cartographer of No Man's Land by P.S. Duffy
93. Austenland by Shannon Hale
94. The Bear by Claire Cameron
95. Does Every Woman Have an Eating Disorder?: Challenging Our Nation's Fixation with Food and Weight by Stacey M. Rosenfeld (ANF) (ARC)
96. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (YA)

December
97. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (YA)
98. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (YA) (ebook)
99. Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett (read by John Lee)
100. Think Like a Freak by Steven Leavitt and Stephen Dubner (read by Stephen Dubner)
101. Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian (read by Grace Blewer)
102. Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century by Peter Graham (ANF)
103. The Drop by Dennis Lehane (read by Jim Frangione)
104. Siberiak: My Cold War Adventure on the River Ob by Jenny Jaeckel (AGN) (ARC)
105. Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley (AGN)
106. Necessary Lies by Diane Cham (read by Alison Elliott)
107. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (JF) (ebook)
108. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (YF) (ebook)
109. How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
110. World War Z by Max Brooks (read by a cast)

Welcome back!

Nice to see you again this year! :)

Book #1
Plain Kate by Erin Bow
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, Plain Kate is a strong character, on the other hand I'm not a huge fan of the 'magical realm' type books.
Kate has a tragic life. Her mother dies in childbirth. Her father dies of an illness when she's a child. She lives in a drawer in the market & her carvings are so beautiful and perfect that the townspeople suspect her of being a witch. One day a pale stranger shows up and bad things start to happen. Kate can feel the town turning against her so she sells her shadow to a witch and sets off to find where she belongs.

Why I picked it up: It's the Forever Young Adult book club selection for January. Their excellent review here: http://foreveryoungadult.com/2010/10/14/just-plain-extraordinary-kate/

Why I finished it: I always finish book club books & I wanted to know what would happen.

Book #2
One Summer by David Baldacci
There is only one word to describe this book: schmaltzy!
Jack is about to die from an unnamed, mysterious illness leaving behind his wife and 3 children. Then on Christmas Eve his wife goes out to pick up pain medication for him and dies in a car accident. From that happy, happy beginning it just gets worse.

Why I picked it up: It had the word summer in the title & we've had a big blast of winter here.
Why I finished it: I have no idea.

Hope the books improve for you after a 'meh' read and a bad one. :)

Book #3
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
The 11th book in the popular Southern Vampire Mysteries series.
Sookie Stackhouse is getting into trouble again. The regent of Louisiana wants to kill her & her vampire "husband" Eric, Sandra Pelt is out of prison and gunning for her again, and she's pretty sure her fairie family is up to no good.
These books are non-stop action and sex, and while they won't earn any prizes for writing (at one point Harris refers to a vagina as a "yahoo palace") they are a light, entertaining read perfect for the beach or being stuck inside on a snowy Saturday.

Why I picked it up: I've read others in the series.
Why I finished it: It's a light read filled with sex, violence, and vampires.

I just started to read Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, I'm pretty sure it's going to be dark and bleak. Glad that I'm also part of the group re-reading Harry Potter to help balance it out.

Interesting to hear your thoughts on Plain Kate! I've only ever heard good things about it, so it's nice to hear both sides. I have it on my shelf, but haven't read it yet. The author is local to me and friends with a few of my friends! I was invited to a BBQ at her house last summer but wasn't able to attend, sadly. She has another book out, which is apparently excellent... but that said, I don't know anything about it so I have no idea if it would be more your speed!

Plain Kate wasn't bad, it just wasn't my thing. I can't wait to talk about it with the folks at book club & get their thoughts.

Book #4
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
This is the third time I've read this book & it's bringing up some interesting questions as I know how the series ends.
Harry Potter is a nice counterpoint for some of the other darker stuff I'm reading (at least at this point in the series).

Why I picked it up: This lovely group of folks http://www.librarything.com/topic/162724
organized a re-read.

Why I finished it: It's Harry Potter!

Book #5
Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
I could tell by the first page that this was going to be a hard read. Leonard drew a crap card for family. His dad's MIA & his mom might as well be for all the parenting she's doing, she didn't even remember his birthday. His plan for his 18th birthday is a murder-suicide.
Yes, it's bleak. Yes, it's tough. But it's a good book.

Why I picked it up: It was the December Forever YA book club pick. My book club is going to discuss it this month.

Why I finished it: It was good - in an extremely disturbing way.

>13 Deedledee: Sara Zarr (whose realistic YA I love) is always raving about Matthew Quick. Maybe I'll stick Silver Linings Playbook on The List.

I haven't read anything by Sara Zarr, what would you recommend?

I adored Story of a Girl but Sweethearts is also a good one to try as a first book.

Book #6
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
I'm really enjoying re-visiting Harry Potter. Knowing what happens at the end just makes me look more for the clues along the way.

Why I picked it up: This lovely group of folks http://www.librarything.com/topic/162724 organized a re-read.

Why I finished it: It's Harry Potter!

Book #7
Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman
Teddi Overman is a successful antique's dealer in Charleston but there is a dark spot in her past, her missing brother. This leads to an emptiness in her life but the death of her mother makes her face her grief and she finds she can go on.

Why I picked it up: I was looking for an audiobook & this had an interesting cover.

Why I finished it: I wanted to find out if Teddi would find her brother.

Book #8
How to Run: From First Steps to Finish Line by Ben Kaplan
This short, inspirational book by Ben Kaplan, running columnist for the National Post, is predominantly about getting you motivated to get your butt up off the couch.

Why I picked it up: It was short & available on OverDrive.

Why I finished it: It was short & didn't make me feel bad about myself or feel that I had to start running 10k tomorrow.

Book #9
In the Heat of the Night by John Ball

While on it's surface In the Heat of the Night is a murder mystery, what it really is is a statement on race relations in the South in the 1960's.

A body is found face down on the street of a small town in North Carolina. The police chief sends an officer out to pick up a suspect. The first person he picks up is a black man waiting for the train. The officer just makes an assumption that if the man is black he must be guilty. Throughout the whole novel characters make assumptions about black people based on the colour of their skin, i.e. they aren't as smart, they're more like animals, etc.

While I didn't enjoy the novel as a whole, the pacing felt off and the dialogue seemed stilted, I will really keep the message with me. The 1960's aren't that long ago and while the overt racism may be mostly gone I'm sure there is still a lot of concealed racism all around.

Why I picked it up: I'm leading a discussion on this book with the Seniors' College.
Why I finished it: I wanted to see who the murderer was and I'm leading a discussion on this book with the Seniors' College.

Returning your visit to my thread... I've got you starred now!

You've got me interested in Plain Kate and it sounds right up my alley, so I've added it to my wish list!

Book #10
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

Budo is an imaginary friend, one that's ancient by imaginary friend standards. His imaginer is Max, a boy on the Autism spectrum, who needs Budo because he's not great at interacting with the world. Then one day Max is kidnapped and the only one who knows what happened is Budo, who vows to do everything in his power to save Max.

Why I picked it up: Sometime you pick up a book because you want to see what the author has done with an interesting premise. That's why I picked this up and I think Dicks did a great job.
Why I finished it: Dicks created a world for imaginary friends that I found really compelling.

>21 Deedledee:: Huh... that sounds really interesting. Strange, but interesting! On the list it goes.

>21 Deedledee:. I agree Faith. A BB hit.

>21 Deedledee: I'm hit too. Hoping it's much better executed than Sundays at Tiffany's which also has imaginary friends in it.

I think it was better than Sunday's at Tiffany's, less schmaltzy.

Book #11
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Vampires are real, and they're mean.

Imagine going to a party, passing out in the bathtub, and waking up to find everyone dead. Well, almost everyone. Tana needs to escape before the vampires get her but she can't leave her already infected ex-boyfriend tied up to the bed as a vampire snack, can she? And what about the vampire in the room with him chained to the bed? Why are the other vampires holding him?

Why I picked it up: I loved her fairy series.
Why I finished it: Tana kicks serious ass!

>26 Deedledee: That one shuffled to the top of The List on my latest round so I'll be reading it soon. :)

>21 Deedledee: : Whoa, that one *does* sound good. Wishlisted!

Book #12
Crossing Over: One Woman's Escape from Amish Life by Ruth Irene Garrett
In 1996, Irene left the Amish church to marry her "English" husband. In this book she talks about an abusive upbringing, loss of connection with her family, her faith in God, and love for her husband and new life.

Why I picked it up: I need to read a biography for book club & this was available on OverDrive.
Why I finished it: Garrett's story about her upbringing and leaving the Amish community was very interesting.

Book #13
We Are Water by Wally Lamb

Despite the Globe & Mail giving We Are Water a terrible review I found the book compelling & readable. In fact, I would pick it up intending to read 4 or 5 pages & find myself still reading it an hour later.

Told from the multiple points of view, Annie Oh (nee O'Day), Orion Oh, their children, and going backward to their lives growing up.

Why I picked it up: I love Lamb's books.
Why I finished it: It was really absorbing.

Book#14
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Sirius Black, the most dangerous criminal in the wizarding world, has escaped from Azkaban Prison and Harry's in danger. With the help of his friends, Hermoine & Ron, Harry's able to find out the truth and save a few lives.

Why I picked it up: This lovely group of folks http://www.librarything.com/topic/162724 organized a re-read.
Why I finished it: It's Harry Potter!

I am so attached to Sirius Black. I think a big part of that is Gary Oldman's portrayal of him. I have such a crush on his Sirius Black. :)

Book #15
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

In my mind New World, where this story is set, is one of the planets in the Firefly 'verse. This comes from the way the main character, Todd, speaks and from the whole frontier sort of spirit of this alien world. I can just picture the crew of the Firefly setting down there & kicking some serious ass!

I don't want to give too much of the plot away other than it's a non-stop adventure on a planet where you can hear people's thoughts.

I'm totally adding the next book to my TBR list.

Why I picked it up: It's the Forever Young Adult book club selection for February. See their review here: http://foreveryoungadult.com/2010/03/11/cuts-like-a-knife-stings-like-a-freaking...

Why I finished it: Holy freakin' page turner! What happens to Todd? Does he finish his quest?

I see so many raves for this book but the bastardized version of English that it uses set my teeth on edge and I just couldn't do it.

Book #16
Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld
Identical twin sisters, Daisy and Violet were born with psychic abilities that they call "senses". While Violet embraces her abilities and uses them Daisy does everything she can to distance herself from anything that's not completely normal. She changes her name to Kate, get married and becomes a stay at home mom. When Vi predicts a big earthquake both of their lives change.

Why I picked it up: It had an interesting cover.

Why I finished it: I wanted to find out if Vi's prediction happened.

Book #17
Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks
Halifax graphic novelist, Hicks writes consistently great, funny, and thought provoking stuff. In Friends with Boys she writes a semi-autobiographical novel about a girl who was homeschooled until high school. It explores family relationships, bullying, and fitting in. It also has a musical about zombies that I would love to see & a ghost.

Why I picked it up: I've enjoyed other books by Hicks & it was recommended.

Why I finished it: It was a great book.

ETA: Squee! Faith Erin Hicks and Rainbow Rowell are going to be writing a graphic novel together.

Ohh, Friends with Boys sounds interesting. I am just starting to get into graphic novels as a genre and the fact that Hicks is from Halifax and the book is semi-antibiographical sounds interesting. I used to live in Halifax and maybe I will see some familiar places in the book.

>35 Deedledee: It's made it onto The List. :)

Family, you can see the Oxford theatre and the old burial ground.

I never went to the Oxford Theatre but I looked it up and it is close to one of the places that I used to live in Halifax. I really have to pick up that book.

Book #18
A Beautiful Mind: the Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash by Sylvia Nasar
I think Nasar does a great job of introducing the reader to famed mathematician John Nash. She's able to explain the theories that made him famous to those without a mathematical bent. She doesn't paint him as a saint but nor does she vilify him. It felt like a well-rounded biography to me.
Nash, whose work on game theory, earned him a Nobel Prize in 1994 is a genius, a jerk, and a schizophrenic. His mathematical skills are described as being groundbreaking. His relationship and interpersonal skills are all but non-existent but this was mostly overlooked due to his genius.

Why I picked it up: It was in a bunch of books donated to the library.
Why I finished it: I enjoyed learning about Nash's life.

Yep, I liked that one too. The movie version was pretty good, especially how they portrayed Nash's delusions.

Book #19
The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
This book was nothing like I expected.
Set on a small island off the coast of Maine, young Stephanie is interning at a weekly newspaper and is told the story of the mystery of the Colorado Kid.

Why I picked it up: I'm watching the tv show Haven which is suppose to based on this book. The only thing they have in common is a couple of character names and that they're both set in Maine.

Why I finished it: I was hoping for some closure... there is none.

Book #20
The O'Briens by Peter Behrens

As part of my job I run a monthly book club at the library since it is part of my job I feel that I have to finish these book club selections whether I like the book or not. Guess what it was in this case.

The O'Briens covers the life of Joseph O'Brien from his life in backwoods Quebec in the late 1880s to his life in the 1960s. It is a family epic.

For as long as this book is it just feels like nothing happens.

Why I picked it up: It's next month's book club selection.
Why I finished it: Because it's next month's book club selection.

Book #21
Ask The Passengers by A.S. King

I'm of two minds about this book, on the one hand I became really invested in Astrid's character and on the other hand it was a bit too heavy handed for my tastes.

Astrid Jones is in love with a girl, but is she gay? She's not sure & doesn't understand everyone's need to label people. Her community is unbelievably homophobic.

Why I picked it up: It's this month's Forever YA book club selection.
Why I finished it: I love Astrid & wanted to see if things would turn out okay for her.

Book #22
Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford

Everyone knows the Sullivan's grandmother as Almighty Lou, she is the matriarch of their very rich Baltimore family, and she is not happy. On Christmas day Almighty announced that one of the Sullivans has deeply offended her and they've been cut out of her will. She will reinstate them to the will if the offending party confesses in writing. What follows is the confession of each sister. Norrie defies her grandmother for love, Jane defies her for the truth, and Sassy believes that she's a murderer.

Why I picked it up: I read How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Standiford.
Why I finished it: I wanted to find out which confession it was that Almighty Lou was after.

Book #23
One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson

Bryson is exceedingly good at making subjects interesting. This overview of the summer of 1927 touches on baseball, aviation, theatre (both stage and screen), racism, murder, flood, prohibition, and more. You would think with so many subjects that nothing would feel connected but he puts it all together so well. It's just a really interesting view of American, and world history, during the late 1920s.

Why I picked it up: I enjoy Bryson's work.
Why I finished it: I was not disappointed.

Book #24
Fingal O'Reilly, Irish Doctor by Patrick Taylor

The latest installment in the Irish Country Doctor series focuses on Fingal Flaherty O'Reilly's early medical career, his relationship with Kitty and his time in Ballybucklebo. It takes place in the 1960s with frequent flashbacks to the 1930s.

Why I picked it up: I like this series.
Why I finished it: I wanted to see if it would give the story of Fingal arriving in Ballybucklebo, it doesn't. Guess I'll have to wait for the next one.

>46 Deedledee: Oh, I just picked up the audio version of this one from the library! Love Bryson.

This week has been crap-tacular! Huge snowstorm on Wednesday that brought us another 30cm of snow, plus crazy winds. Came home Thursday to find the ceiling in my living room dripping. Apparently a pile of that snow came in my attic vent and was melting. That's going to cost me a fortune. So I took Friday off & read. Then I drank all of the wine & went to watch my friends go on to the next round of a singing competition.

Book #25
Whisper by Chris Struyk-Bonn
Parts of this book made me unbelievably sad and at one point I put it down thinking I would not pick it up again.
We are not told where Whisper is from but we are given the facts of her life. She was born with a cleft palate. This defect led her parents to abandon her in a "Village of Freaks", others who had birth defects. These are the people that she thinks of as her family. These are the people who loved her & took care of her. When her mother dies just before her 16th birthday her father comes to claim her and her life descends into hell.

Why I picked it up: I received this as an Early Review book.
Why I finished it: It was a hard go. Not that the book isn't good, it just hit me in a place that made it hard to read. I finished it so I could write the review.

I need to read something light & fluffy now!

Oh, dang! I'm sorry about the leak. Hopefully the repairs won't be as pricey as you're expecting.

Ouch! That nor'easter looked nasty on the news. Sorry to hear it caused damage to your house.

What have you picked for your light and fluffy read?

Well, I guess I didn't go immediately to something light and fluffy, instead I picked up another bleak (aka Canadian) book.

Book #26
The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay
Set in New York in 1871, this is the story of Moth who grew up in the tenements of the Lower East Side. She does whatever she needs to do to survive, whether this means working as a maid, or begging, or stealing, or becoming a whore. It's also the story of Dr. Sadie a young female physician trying to save the women and children of the tenements.

I saw Ami McKay speak at a conference in October. She was talking about why she decided to write this book and it was very interesting. She tells this story in the Author's Note at the end of the novel. I strongly suggest that everyone who picks up this book read that note.

Why I picked it up: It's a book club selection but I also wanted to read it because of McKay's conference presentation.
Why I finished it: I wanted to know what would happen with Moth.

Book #27
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
The second book in the Raven Boys cycle, this one focuses more on Ronan and Adam than the first book.
I feel that any description of this book will give away plot points for the first book.

Why I picked it up: I read the first book & want to know what's going to happen.
Why I finished it: Loved it. Can't wait for the next one.

Book #28
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
This is my favourite Harry Potter. He's not yet the surly teen he becomes in later books, although you can see the beginnings of it, and there's lots of action & adventure.

In case you lived under a rock here's a brief plot synopsis: Harry Potter comes back to Hogwarts for his 4th year to find that the school is going to be hosting a Triwizard Tournament with two other schools of magic. He's too young to enter, although somehow his name does get entered and he must compete with older students to complete magical tasks that require bravery, cunning, and intelligence. Voldemort is trying to kill him. He lives. The end.

Why I picked it up: This lovely group of folks http://www.librarything.com/topic/162724 organized a re-read.

Why I finished it: It's Harry Potter!

Book #29
Now You See Her by Joy Fielding
Marcy's daughter Devon killed herself 2 years ago, or did she? When Marcy is travelling in Ireland she's sure she sees her daughter pass by a Cork bar. In trying to find her, Marcy is pulled in to a complicated web of intrigue, or is it all just a mental breakdown?

I found myself frustrated with Marcy & her inability to see what was happening in front of her. I had to keep reminding myself that she was grieving and that grief can change a person's reactions to ordinary events.

Why I picked it up: I was out of audiobooks and this one was on the shelf.
Why I finished it: I wanted to know if Devon was alive or not.

Book #30
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones is back, now middle aged, with 2 kids and trying to get back into the dating scene. It has all the typical Bridget problems but with the added dimension of being a single mother.

They hint for a while that Mark Darcy is dead but when I got to the scene that tells us how he dies I was still not prepared. It didn't help that I was sitting in a coffee shop and trying not to cry

Why I picked it up: I read the first Bridget Jones and had heard things about this one.
Why I finished it: Just to be back in Bridget's world.

>56 Deedledee: Oy, reading that one in public is rough. I think I read most of it on the weekend to avoid that problem.

I knew it was coming but I didn't know when & it just happened to be the part I was reading when I went for coffee.

Missed your thread until just now -- hello!

Book #31
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
The second book in the Chaos Walking trilogy, following The Knife of Never Letting Go.
It starts with Todd trying to figure out what's happened to Viola after being separated from her at the end of the last book. Told in alternating voices of Todd and Viola as they're pushed into different factions of a coming war.

Why I picked it up: I read the first book in February when it was the Forever YA book club selection and loved it.

Why I finished it: What happens to Todd and Viola? Do they get together? Do the settlers land & take sides?

I already have the third one & plan to start it soon.

Book #32
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Starting when Marjane was 10 years old and following her life until she is 24, Persepolis is the story of growing up in Iran in the middle of conflict. The conflict of war, revolution, religion, and not fitting in. Marji must determine her beliefs and struggle to find her way in the world.

Why I picked it up: It's the Forever YA book club selection for April.

Why I finished it: I try to always finish book club books, although I did want to give up on it in the middle.

Book #33
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things that Happened by Allie Brosh

Covering everything from the stupid things her dogs do, to eating a whole cake on her grandfather's birthday, to debilitating depression, Brosh shows her unique view on the world in her first book. If you like this book go read her blog.

Why I picked it up: I follow Brosh's blog.

Why I finished it: She has an interesting view of the world.

Book #34
Bonk: the Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach
A tongue in cheek look at sex research. I was expecting something a little drier but this had some laugh out loud moments. Based on this I think I'll check out Roach's book on cadavers.

Why I picked it up: Because it was about sex.

Why I finished it: Because it was about sex. Actually, because she gave some really interesting information about sexuality and did it in an interesting way.

I haven't read any Roach but there are many fans of her books in the 75ers. :)

>64 MickyFine: Yup!

Book #35
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

Susannah was a 24 year old journalist at the NY Post when she began behaving bizarrely, she began feeling paranoid, went through stages of mania, and eventually she began having seizures. This could have so easily turned to be a diagnosis of schizophrenia and have had her placed in a mental institution but one doctor was sure it was something else. He believed it was a rare autoimmune disease and that he could cure her.

Cahalan tries to piece together her time in hospital, of which she has no memory, and information about Anti-NMDA-Receptor Autoimmune Encephalitis, the disease that nearly killed her, in this memoir.

Why I picked it up: It's my book club's selection for May.

Why I finished it: Wow! This book is frightening. I knew from the beginning that she must be okay because she was writing the book but the journey to get there was a daunting one.

Great reviews! I've got The Coldest Girl in Coldtown ready to start (on audio) on my super long drive tomorrow. I was already excited, but now I'm officially stoked!

Tina, I hope you love it!

Book #36
Heist Society by Ally Carter

Kat Bishop decides to leave the family business of high stakes thievery to go to boarding school but when her dad's in danger she gets pulled back into the game. She puts together a group of exceptionally talent teens to help her steal back the items her father is accused of stealing so a dangerous mobster won't kill him.

As much as I found it charming & cute I doubt that I'll be reading the rest of the series.

Why I picked it up: It was strongly recommended by a friend.

Why I finished it: It's a fun, light caper novel.

Book #37
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

I went into this book expecting it to be bad. One of my friends, a person who normally has similar taste in books, loathed it. Loathed! So I thought this was going to be hellish. But not at all.

Freedom is the story of the Berglund family, specifically it follows Patty, Walter, and their son Joey. They have their ups and downs as a family and it covers their lives from the 1980s until the early 2000s. It's like a mini family epic just covering 2 generations with a glimpse of one in the past.

Why I picked it up: It's my book club's selection for June (I'm reading ahead).

Why I finished it: I was curious about what would happen with Patty & Walter.

Book #39
How to Train Your Dragon by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III; translated from the Old Norse by Cressida Cowell

This is a fun, adventurous kid's book about heroism and fitting in. Great, quick read.

Why I picked it up: The audiobook was read by David Tennant.
Why I finished it: Hiccup is a lovable character.

>71 Deedledee: Ooooh, David Tennant. I'm not great with audiobooks (I get distracted easily) but it would be tempting to listen to him read it.

Book #40
Stardust by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Charles Vess

Not quite a graphic novel but more than a regular novel, it's like a fairy tale for adults.

Tristan Thorn loves Victoria Foster so much that he pledges to fetch a fallen star for her in hopes that it will convince her to marry him. To do this he must travel into Faerie, what follows are adventure after adventure.

Why I picked it up: I saw it on the shelf at the library & it called to me.
Why I finished it: I love Gaiman's writing.

>73 Deedledee: That one is a rare case where I prefer the film to the book.

>74 MickyFine: I picked up the movie from the library & hope to get to watch it this weekend. Thanks for the recommendation.

I look forward to your thoughts. :)

Book #41
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
Almost to the end of this series. Sookie and Eric are having problems. Bill still loves her. Her faerie family is still trouble. Oh, and the werewolves are still fighting.

Why I picked it up: It was available on OverDrive & I was looking for something to read on my phone.
Why I finished it: I keep saying I'm not going to read anymore of these, but it's like eating potato chips... just can't stop.

Book #42
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Rosemary starts her story in the middle, while she's in university. She tells us all about her family, her brother and sister and parents. It starts with a story of small rebellion but becomes the story of a family torn apart.

Why I picked it up: I've enjoyed other books by Fowler.
Why I finished it: I really wanted things to work out for Rosemary.

Book #43
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
I've been meaning to read this book for a while. It's been highly recommended by several friends and awesome people on the 75 challenge. Now I don't know why I waited so long.
I can already tell that I'm going to re-read it.

The romance was perfect. Park was perfect. The 80's references were great. I loved this book!

Why I picked it up: My friend has been pushing this on me for a long time.
Why I finished it: Are you kidding me? So much great stuff.

Book #44
Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the other two in the series but I needed to know how this would end. Will Todd & Viola find each other? Will they still love each other? Will the war take out the whole settlement?

This one also tells the story from the point of view of the Spackle, which gives an interesting perspective on the war.

Why I picked it up: I read the other two in the trilogy.
Why I finished it: I needed to know the end.

Book #45
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente

This book was slow going for me but I was determined to finish it. While there are some charming bits it overall didn't appeal to me.

September is a 12 year old living in Omaha when the Green Wind offers to take her to Fairyland. While there she meets A through L (a Wyvern) and Saturday (a marid) and runs afoul The Marquess, the cruel ruler, and goes on adventures.

Why I picked it up: It was the Forever YA book club selection months ago.
Why I finished it: My book club people loved it & I was trying to figure out why.

>81 Deedledee: Did you figure out why by the end of the book?

>81 Deedledee: I adored that one but I know it's not for everyone. Hope your next read is more to your tastes.

Book #46
Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
Rich kids devoid of hope.
Clay comes home to L.A. on Christmas break from university out East. He has all the privileges of wealth but his life means nothing. He, and all his friends, bury their meaningless lives in drugs, booze, and cheap sex.

Why I picked it up: Its been on my list to read for a while. I think it landed there after I saw the movie.
Why I finished it: I'm not sure. It's very sad.

Book #47
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Lia feels the only control she has comes from her ability to starve herself. The only way to dull the other pain is to cut. When her former best friend, Cassie, dies in a cheap motel she has to come to terms her death and decide if she wants to continue to live.

Why I picked it up: I read Speak by Anderson last year.
Why I finished it: I was hoping for a good ending.

Book #48
French Milk by Lucy Knisley
Part travelogue and part diary, Knisley writes about her 6 weeks in Paris with her mother in 2007.
I loved the discussion of places I had been in Paris.

Why I picked it up: It was recommended by a friend.
Why I finished it: Loved all the Parisian locations.

50. Roost by Ali Bryan

Despite there being some sad themes in this book there are some great laugh out loud moments.

Claudia is a single mom with 2 children under the age of 5. Her mother passes away while on vacation but you have to keep the kids fed and keep going to work no matter what's going on in life. She wishes for a time when life was simpler, when her family was all together and everything was fine.

Why I picked it up: It was recommended by a friend.
Why I finished it: Claudia was a great character.

Book #51
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Lincoln's life is kind of stuck. He's 28 & has moved back in with his mom. He doesn't really get out much or meet new people. Working as a IT Security Officer (i.e. going through other people's work e-mail and giving them warnings to not use for personal stuff or to send dirty jokes) he comes across Jennifer & Beth. They're funny, and smart, and caring, and everything he wants in his life, especially Beth. But how can he meet her when he's been reading her e-mail?

Why I picked it up:I really liked Eleanor & Park
Why I finished it: I wanted a happy ending.

>88 Deedledee: I thought that one was really adorable.

Book #52
The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

Tom lives through the War, the War to End All Wars. He becomes a lighthouse keeper, far away from civilization. He expects to spend his life away people. Then he meets Isabel. She's a force of nature. She's compelling. She awakens something in his heart he doesn't know still exists. They marry and move out to Janus island, seeing no people for months at a time. After two terrible miscarriages and a still-birth, a boat washes up on shore with a dead man and a live baby. What should they do?
The moral dilemma is overtaken by the love of this little infant.

Why I picked it up: It's my book club's summer read.
Why I finished it: Oh, the sadness.

Book #53
Let's Pretend this Never Happened: a Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson (a.k.a. The Blogess)

Okay, so people have been telling me this book was hilarious for a while now. I just never got around to picking it up until a few days ago.

You know when you laugh so hard that you also snort. And you're laughing too hard to stop. And you're snorting. And also crying. I did that approximately every other page.

DO NOT read this book in public unless you want people to stare at you.

Why I picked it up: It was in at the library & I picked it up on a whim.
Why I finished it: Snort-laughter!

Book #54.
The Ballad of Jacob Peck by Debra Komar
Komar is writing a series going back and looking at historical Canadian crimes, this is the first book in that series. Written with a lot of research this book looks at the murder of Mercy Hall by Amos Babcock and gives a fascinating look at the judicial system of the time. What is known is that Amos Babcock killed his sister but was he goaded into it by Jacob Peck?

Why I picked it up: The author was coming to read at my library.
Why I finished it: Lots of local history.

Book #55.
Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh

After a chance encounter, Clementine starts fantasizing about the "girl with the blue hair". But she has to come to term with her sexuality. This is a moving and sad story.

Why I picked it up: I heard some really good things about it & wanted to read the book before watching the movie.
Why I finished it: It was a lovely story but sad.

Book #56.
Landline by Rainbow Rowell

This came in at work on Wednesday & knowing it would be a few days before it got processed I brought it home. I've been loving Rainbow Rowell's stuff and this book was no exception.

Georgie McCool (yup, that's her name) meets Neal in college. They fall in love & marry. Now 15 years later are they going to split up or can she make it right? Plus does she have a magical telephone that can call Neal in the past?

Why I picked it up: I love her other stuff.
Why I finished it: I had to know what happened to Georgie.

Book #57
Longbourn by Jo Baker

Longbourn is the story of what happened downstairs during Pride & Prejudice. I liked parts of this book but it went on for far too long.

Why I picked it up: It seemed like an interesting idea.
Why I finished it: I don't know. It felt interminable. I guess because I had invested so much time in it.

Book #58.
The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken

James Sweatt won't stop growing. When he meets librarian Peggy Cort he's 11 years old and already the same height as a grown man. This chance encounter leads to an unlikely romance of sorts.

Why I picked it up: My hairdresser gave it to me.
Why I finished it: It was a interesting premise, although it did drag toward the end.

Book #59.
A House in the Sky: a Memoir by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett

Amanda Lindhout grew up a little rough in rural Alberta. She craved travel and beautiful places. As a child she collected National Geographic magazines to see all the amazing places in the world she wanted to explore. As a young adult she becomes an explorer, she works to travel. And she goes everywhere, backpacking through South America, growing braver, traveling to India, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Each place she found beautiful and found wonderful people. Then she starts to find work that she can do while traveling and becomes a war correspondent. This is where the trouble begins. Traveling to Somalia to report on the fighting there she and her friend Nigel are kidnapped. The next 15 months of her life becomes pure hell. She is starved, tortured, abused, and psychologically tormented.

This book is unbelievably hard to read but Lindhout talks about forgiveness and life on the other side of this unbelievably horrible experience.

Why I picked it up: An acquaintance told me about what an inspiring speaker Lindhout is.
Why I finished it: I can't believe she lived through that. I knew she was rescued in the end but I needed to know how.

Book #60.
UR by Stephen King

Wesley buys a Kindle online to show his ex-girlfriend that he can be a modern man. When it arrives it looks slightly different than the other Kindles he's seen and has a features that regular Kindles don't, such as the ability to see into other dimensions or into the future. When he uses the information to save a busload of people he gets a visit from the low men.

At the end of this novella I wanted to go back and read some Dark Tower books.

Why I picked it up: It was a book by Stephen King that I had not read.
Why I finished it: It was great.

Book #61.
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Sam is having a weird week. He gets attacked by a stranger, his friend gets killed & comes back as a talking severed head, and a necromancer is out to get him. It doesn't get any better for him from there.

Why I picked it up: My friend keeps talking about the fantastic gnome names in the second book so I thought I should start at the beginnning.
Why I finished it: It's action packed & good for summer reading.

>99 Deedledee: I enjoyed that one but I haven't gotten around to the sequel(s).

Book #62
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

I enjoyed this book much more this time around. It's like I finally saw that some of Harry's moodiness came from his connection to Voldemort instead of just being a teenage prat.

Why I picked it up: This lovely group of folks http://www.librarything.com/topic/162724 organized a re-read.

Why I finished it: It's Harry Potter!

Book #63.
Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants by The Oatmeal

Matthew Inman (a.k.a. the Oatmeal) has a hilarious & off-beat take on life. Also, he teaches some great grammar lessons.

Why I picked it up: Other books by Inman have been funny.
Why I finished it: Hilarity!

Book #64
My Secret: a PostSecret Book compiled by Frank Warren
Why I picked it up: It was on the shelf at the library.
Why I finished it: I love reading the secrets that people reveal anonymously

Book #65
Wonder by R. J. Palacio

August Pullman is about to go to school for the first time in grade 5. He's been home schooled because he needed to have a lot of surgeries. His face has been affected by a couple of genetic conditions which mean people always stare at him. How's he going to adjust to that in middle school? What follows is a year in Augie's life as he comes to terms with who he is and grows up.

Why I picked it up: It had an interesting cover.
Why I finished it: I got wrapped up in Augie's story.

Book #66.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

This is a re-read for me. I was going on a road trip & trying to find a book that would make me happy for many kilometers. This was sitting on the shelf. I seem to be doing a fair amount of re-reading this year.

Why I picked it up: Felt like revisiting these characters.
Why I finished it: I love Colin.

Book #67.
Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

Lucky Linderman's been dealing with a bully since he was 7 years old. He's tried reporting it, ignoring it, trying to befriend his bully, and trying to stay out of his bully's way. Nothing works. After a particularly scarring incident his mom takes him to visit his uncle in another state. A few weeks there makes all the difference. Can Lucky come back and face up to his bully? Will it change the outcome?

Why I picked it up: It was recommended by a friend.
Why I finished it: I wanted things to work out for Lucky.

Book #68.
Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

My continuing quest to re-read all of the Harry Potters.

Why I picked it up: This lovely group of folks http://www.librarything.com/topic/162724 organized a re-read.

Why I finished it: It's Harry Potter!

Book#69.
Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden

It's Christmas vacation in a small town in Australia's Victoria State. A small group of kids convince their parents that they should go camping in the bush for a few days and while they're out there cut off from the world the country is invaded. Now they must determine what's happened to their families and survive in a hostile land.

Lots of action and adventure and a little romance makes this a fast & compelling read.

Why I picked it up: Another re-read for me but I wanted to refresh it in my memory before reading the rest of the series.

Why I finished it: to move on to the next book.

Book #70.
On the Run by Iris Johansen

Le sigh! I didn't enjoy this book at all.

Grace is a horse trainer at a ranch in Alabama. She loves her job but is really there to hide herself & her 8 year old daughter from a killer who she crossed 9 years before while working for the CIA. Also, her baby-daddy's ex-CIA & they haven't spoken in 9 years but he comes to save her when the killer finds her whereabouts. It's pretty dreadful. Oh, and there are horses.

Why I picked it up: To find out why Johansen is so popular.
Why I finished it: I was determined.

Book #71.
The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer

This is book 4 in the Last Survivors series. In the 4 years since the moon was hit by a meteor and the environment of the earth was changed forever the world has become divisive. Jon lives with his stepmother Lisa and half brother Gabe in an enclave. "Clavers" are the privileged few. They get more & better food. They get education & opportunities. Outside of the enclave are those who do all of the work known as "grubs". In the 4 brief years it appears that the clavers have not only taken all of the places of power but have become convinced that grubs are less than human.

The first book in this series was so great but if Pfeffer puts out another one I don't think I'll pick it up.

Why I picked it up: I enjoyed the other books in the series.
Why I finished it: I wanted to know what would happen to Jon.

Looks like you've been doing some great reading this year!

Oh, and HI!! :)

Book #72.
Sex Criminals: One Weird Trick by Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky

Suzie meets Jon at a party & they form a connection. After sleeping together they discover that they both share the same weird ability to freeze time when they orgasm. As their relationship develops they decide to rob the banks to save Suzie's endangered library.

Why I picked it up: Uh, it was called Sex Criminals!
Why I finished it: Interesting premise. I don't know that I'll pick up the rest of the series.

Book #73.
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

This book has a ton of plot holes, all of which I overlooked hoping for a happy ending.

Jess is apparently vampire royalty that's been promised to Lucius for marriage since she was a baby. She knows nothing about this because her adoptive parents whisked her away from Romania to America to live the life of a regular American girl. When Lucius shows up on her doorstep she had to make some hard choices.

Why I picked it up: I'm writing an article about dating books.
Why I finished it: It was a light teen romance with vampires.

Book #74.
The Day I Shot Cupid by Jennifer Love Hewitt

Hewitt tells us that even beautiful celebrities have trouble finding love. She discusses dating, vagazzling, and sharing a bathroom (or not).

Why I picked it up: I'm writing an article about dating books.
Why I finished it: It was short.

Book#76.
Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

The book that the tv show is based on is far less sensational & far more sad & introspective. Kerman talks about the 13 months she spent primarily in Danbury. She focuses on how prison doesn't really help the non-violent offenders and in fact may hurt the community and the economy. It's a very interesting & thought-provoking read.

Why I picked it up: I watched the tv show & wondered how similar they were.
Why I finished it: It was interesting & disturbing.

Book #77.
Unquenchable: a Tipsy Quest for the World's Best Bargain Wines by Natalie MacLean

MacLean travels the world and goes to different vineyards to talk about how wine is produced. She gives recommendations for best-value wines, different taste pairings, menus, and lots of funny observations.
I learned that Wolf Blass is a real person, the definition of cenosilicaphobia*, and lots about how grapes are grown and wine is made.

Why I picked it up: It was recommended by a friend.
Why I finished it: to get tips on good discount wines

*fear of an empty glass

Book #78.
Roots: the Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley

This is a re-read for me. The first time I read it I was 12 and I bawled because of the cruelty and the inhumanity. This time I didn't cry and I think it's because I've had almost 30 years to get used to all the terrible things people do to each other.

Why I picked it up: I saw it on the shelf at the library.
Why I finished it: It's a good book.

Book #79.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

A nice light read on the apocalypse. It's the end of the world and angel Aziraphale and demon Crawly don't want to see it come to pass. They love their comfy lives on Earth. Throw in an 11 year old Anti-Christ, a gang of kids, predictions from a 17th century with, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and a whole other wacky cast of characters.

Why I picked it up: Sometimes you just need something funny.
Why I finished it: Gaiman & Pratchett, what a great combo.

Book #80.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

While this book has a lot of problems I was pulled along by the adventure.

Set in the year 2044, which basically is filled with suck! One major corporation rules most of the US and everyone else lives in squalor. Wade lives with his aunt and several other people in a trailer. He spends most of his time in an online world called OASIS, as do many others to escape the dreariness of life. He's also on the hunt for an Easter Egg that is worth $240 billion.

Replete with references to 70s and 80s videogames, music, and movies.

Why I picked it up: A few people were talking about it here.
Why I finished it: I wanted to know how the game was going to end.

Book #81.
Night by Elie Wiesel

A very short and very disturbing memoir of Wiesel's time in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. It's just inconceivable that humans can do this to one another.

>119 Deedledee: I read that one for English class in high school and there are still passages I vividly remember.

Book #82.
The Amazing Thing About the Way It Goes: Stories of Tidiness, Self-Esteem and Other Things I Gave Up On by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, also known as the Yarn Harlot, writes great, short pieces about her life, her family, and her love of knitting. This is one of those books you can pick up and read a section and put down.

Why I picked it up: I've enjoyed other books by Pearl-McPhee.
Why I finished it: She's such a great & genuine writer.

Book #83
The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley

There's a lot going on in this book. I really like her writing style but I feel like there was just so many different plots to keep track of.

Eve lives her life around her son Tyler who has a rare medical condition that makes him lethally sensitive to light. Her teenage daughter is becoming a wreck. Her husband works out of state to make the money they need to take care of their family. And then a neighbour girl goes missing, what happened to her? While the police try to determine Amy's whereabouts the neighbourhood and the family's life is torn apart.

Why I picked it up: I really enjoyed The Things That Keep Us Here by her.
Why I finished it: I wanted to know what was going to happen to Eve and her family.

Book #84.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
A re-read, this time I was able to make it through the book with just a few tears.

Hazel's mom makes her go to cancer support group and while there she meets Augustus Waters. Augustus changes her life in ways both phenomenal and terrible.

Read this book! But don't do it in public because it leads to ugly crying.

Why I picked it up: I put a hold on the audio book after watching the movie.
Why I finished it: It's an amazing book.

Book #85
Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews

Ellis decides that she & her 2 best friends need some girl time; time to catch up that doesn't revolve around them attending someone's funeral. So she books a month at a cottage in North Carolina for them. A month of sun, sand, drinks, and gossip. But her life isn't exactly taking the road she's planned, she's in her mid-30s and has just lost her job due to a merger. Her best friends, Julia & Dorie, aren't exactly having problem free lives. Julia is getting too old to continue her modelling career and Dorie's husband has left her for someone else. Throw in the gorgeous landlord Ty and Maryn, a woman on the run.

Just a light, fluffy read.

Why I picked it up: The audio book was on the shelf at the library.
Why I finished it: Meh, why not?

Book #86.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

This book has several layers. It's about one man's journey to thank a woman who had done a kindness for him many years ago, it's about his atonement for past wrongs, it's a spiritual journey, a pilgrimage, and a physical stripping away. I really wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book but each chapter brought a deeper understanding in to Harold, his life, and what had brought him to that point. It changes Harold and those who come in to contact with him.

Why I picked it up: It made a lot of best of lists & many people talked about how much they loved it.
Why I finished it: I needed to know if Harold completed his journey.

Book #87.
Dear Photograph by Taylor Jones

People take pictures from the past and hold them up in the same place in the present.

Why I picked it up: It was on the shelf at the library.
Why I finished it: It reminded me of the Post Secret books.

Book #88.
Waiter Rant by Steve Dublanica

It started as a blog to talk about life & blow off some steam. Dublanica was initially anonymous, changed the name of the eating establishment, and the name of those he worked with, he didn't want to get sued. This is his point of view after working as a waiter for a number of years, he talks about the customers who are mean, or drunks, or just irritating.
I enjoyed the parts where he talked about the restaurant but was less interested in his self-examination. Yes, you're 38 and still working in a restaurant. Yes, you wish were doing something else. Not everyone gets to have their dream job.

Why I picked it up: I was looking for an ebook & saw this one available on the download page.
Why I finished it: I worked as wait staff for several years and enjoyed his take.

Book #89.
Always Something There to Remind Me by Beth Harbison

Erin is in her late 30's, seeing a great guy, mom to a teenage daughter, but she can't forget her first love from when she was 16. Then she runs in to him, what will she do now?

Mostly I was irritated that she was stuck on this 20 year old fantasy. When I think back to being 16 I mostly think about how self-centered and immature I was.

Why I picked it up: I'm picking my way through the audiobooks at my library.
Why I finished it: I'm not sure.

Book 90.
Falling Backwards: a Memoir by Jann Arden

Following a more or less chronological order, Arden's memoir gives vignettes of her life. She talks about how her early years in rural Alberta shaped her, how she took up the guitar without anyone knowing, and breaking in to the music business. Throughout she is humble and extremely likeable. It's like meeting someone cool & getting their life story over a cup of coffee.

Why I picked it up: I enjoy Arden's music & I've been told she's very entertaining in concert.
Why I finished it: It was an interesting insight in to her life.

>129 Deedledee: I picked up Falling Backwards: a Memoir for basically the same reasons as you did. From what I have heard about her she sounds like an interesting person and I am interested to know more. After reading your review I will move it up in my TBR stack(s).

Book #91
The Circle by Dave Eggers

A frightening look at the possible future where privacy is considered theft and everything is known about everyone.

Mae Holland is excited to be hired on at the Circle. She's part of the largest internet company in the world. The Circle controls social media, banking, commerce and so much more. Their influence is growing daily in the realms of government, policing, health care, and privacy. Mae slides more and more into the Circle's cult of transparency, the belief that everything should be known and nothing should be private.

Book #92.
The Cartographer of No Man's Land by P.S. Duffy

It took me a long time to get in to this book but once I was into it it was hard to put down. Set during World War I in France and Nova Scotia, it is very timely to read this during the 100th anniversary of the start of the war.

Angus McGrath is a sailor in Snag Habour, NS (not a real place but somewhere near Mahone Bay). His brother-in-law is missing at the Front so he enlists so he can try to find him. The story takes place both on the battlefields and at home with the people left behind.

Why I picked it up: It's this month's book club selection.
Why I finished it: I really wanted Angus to be well, to live.

Book #93.
Austenland by Shannon Hale

Jane is in her early 30s and won't settle down because she's trying to find her ideal, her Mr. Darcy (especially the Colin Firth version). Her elderly aunt passes away and leaves her a 3 week trip, all expenses paid, to Pembrook Park where she can live out her Regency romance fantasies. Staff and guest dress in period costume and behave in the manner of the time. Jane soon realizes that her fantasy is not all it's cracked up to be.

Why I picked it up: I had seen the movie & wondered what the book was like.
Why I finished it: It was a cute story.

Book #94.
The Bear by Claire Cameron

In 1991 a family of four went camping in Algonquin Park in Ontario, only the two children survived. During the night there was a frightening bear attack. Thinking quickly the children's father throws them in to a metal Coleman cooler. The children, ages 5 and 3 (maybe?) then spend an indeterminate amount of time trying to survive against the elements.
Told from the point of view of 5 year old Anna, The Bear is a story of loss and survival.

Why I picked it up: It's December's book club selection.
Why I finished it: I really got involved in Anna's story.

Book #96.
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola is an original. She dresses in a way that expresses herself and makes her stand out in a crowd. She's going out with an older boy who's in a rock band and (even though her parents hate him) her life is almost perfect. Then Cricket, a boy she thought she'd never see again moves in next door.

I liked this book much better than Anna and the French Kiss. I thought Lola was a great character. She goes her own way even if others disapprove. And her boyfriend struggles seem very age appropriate.

Why I picked it up: It's this month's YA book club selection.
Why I finished it: I liked Lola and wanted to find out who she chose.

Book #97.
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

This month's YA book club was talking about 3 books by Stephanie Perkins but I didn't finish this one on time. After reading other reviews of this book I've realized that I'm in the minority, I liked Isla more than both Anna and Lola. I tore through this book.

Isla has had a crush on Josh since her freshman year but she's never been able to talk to him. Then she's high on painkillers after having her wisdom teeth removed and she runs into him at a cafe. It starts a great teen romance.

Why I picked it up: It's last month's YA book club selection (I'm a bit late).
Why I finished it: Great book! Kept me turning pages.

>136 Deedledee: Anna is definitely my favourite, although I think some of that is that she's the character I'm most similar to. Also, St. Clair.

Book #98.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Conor's mom is sick, very sick. And then there's the nightmare he's been having every night. The terrifying nightmare that makes him wake up in a sweat every night. When the monster shows up after midnight he's not even scared of it because it's not as frightening as his dream. This monster is something different, though. He tells Conor stories.

Why I picked it up: I saw it on a list somewhere.
Why I finished it: Poor Conor.

Book #99.
Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett

The third book in the Century trilogy.

This book covers the 1960's to the 1980's, following the same families as the first two books as they deal with civil rights marches, freedom rides, the assassinations of JFK, Martin Luther King Jr., and Bobby Kennedy, the Vietnam War, the Berlin Wall, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War, presidential impeachment, revolution—and rock and roll.

A fascinating look at history and how it connects.

Book #100
Think Like a Freak by Steven Leavitt and Stephen Dubner

First of all - wahoo! This was my goal for the year.

Leavitt & Dubner's Freakonomics books are very interesting. They have a different way of looking at the world that can at times be controversial but is enlightening. In Think Like a Freak they're trying to offer suggestions for others to try to get a different mindset. Among the advice is think like a child, be prepared to quit is something isn't working, and admit when you don't know something. Entertaining and full of useful ideas.

WooHoo!! Congrats on 100!!

Congratulations on making it to 100!

Book #101
Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

This book was fantastic! I've read several books by Bohjalian & this is my favourite.

Emily's life is a disaster! She's sometimes living on the streets, sometimes living with a guy who acts as her pimp. Her parents are dead, from a nuclear plant meltdown that happened a year ago. She's only 14 year old and is trying to care for herself and a 9 year old boy.

I listened to this on audio and it was read by Grace Blewer, who's Chris' daughter.

Book #102
Anne Perry and the Murder of the Century by Peter Graham

I'm not really a fan of true crime & this book is no exception but it is my book club selection for next month so I thought I'd give it a go.

Two teenage girls in New Zealand bludgeon a woman to death, the mother of one of them. They create a story to get away with it. It doesn't work and both go to prison. A remarkable enough story on its own but then one of them grows up to be bestselling mystery writer Anne Perry.

Book #103
The Drop by Dennis Lehane

A short, fast-paced, gritty crime novel. I can see why Lehane's books make such great movies.

Bob is an enigma. He's a lonely man living a lonely life, a devout Catholic that goes to 7am mass, and a bartender at a bar run by the Chechen mafia. When he finds an abused dog dumped in a garbage can his whole life changes.

Book #104
Siberiak: My Cold War Adventure on the River Ob)by Jenny Jaeckel

I received an advance reading copy of this graphic novel.

In Siberiak, Jenny Jaeckel writes about traveling as part of young ambassadors program in Russia during the end of the Cold War. A large group of kids from the US and the USSR (and one from England) travel in groups via raft, boats, and bicycle. She talks about how welcoming everyone was and how life changing the whole trip was.

It was light but the art was evocative of Maus with the people being represented by animals.

Book #105
Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley

What if you could change a decision you made? Do you think your life would turn out better or worse?
Katie opend a successful restaurant and has plans to open another one but somewhere in her life she took a wrong turn. She and her boyfriend broke up, the renovations on her new restaurant are way behind schedule, and she's sleeping with the chef she trained to replace her. When a house spirit gives her the chance to change history she takes it, but she keeps making mistakes.

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I LOVE vacation! So much reading! And wine drinking! And reading!

>145 Deedledee: I saw the film (before I knew it was a book) and I still don't know how I feel about it.

Book #106.
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

It's 1960 and Jane is newly married and working as a social worker. Her husband hates her job, hates that she's working. And she becomes very involved with one of the families she's helping. The Hart family with sisters, 15-year-old Ivy and 17-year-old Mary Ella, grandmother Nonnie, and Mary Ella's son “Baby” William, need lots of help. But the Grace County Department of Public Welfare is pushing Jane to get Ivy sterilized and she just can't condone it.

Chamberlain researched the North Carolina Eugenics program and give lots of information in this moving novel.

Happy Holidays, Dee!

Merry Christmas, Dee!

Book #107
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

I wanted to re-read all of the Harry Potters this year & just made it under the wire.

Dad looked at the book & asked if it wasn't just a children's book, yup. Of course it's a kid's book where tons of characters die and Mrs. Weasley calls Bellatrix Lestrange a bitch. This is the same man who let me watch Poltergeist when I was 8 so that explains a few things.

Book #108.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Cady has beautiful sunlit summers on her family's private island off the coast of Massachusetts. Her family is privileged, and blond, and rich, and special. But then Cady has an accident. She injures her head. She has terrible migraines. She takes drugs. She can't remember what happened. When 2 years later she returns to the island will she finally put the pieces together?

Book #109
How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
This book is infinitely quotable, it has several laugh out loud moments, but it doesn't feel like a novel. I know Moran based it partially on her life so maybe that's why it feels so memoir-ish, or maybe it's because she's predominantly a non-fiction writer.

Here's my thread for 2015: http://www.librarything.com/topic/185156

Book #110
World War Z by Max Brooks

This is a re-read for me & one that I enjoyed just as much the second time around.

It is an oral history 12 years after the end of the zombie war. Brooks travels the world and interviews various survivors about their part in the war and the rebuilding of society.

I read a total of 110 books this year.

76% fiction
24% non-fiction

35% young adult or childrens
65% adult

35% in audiobook format
13% in ebook format
less than 1% graphic novels

90% were library books