LibraryLover23's 2009 Challenge

Hi everyone! I'm switching over from the 50 Book Challenge group because I read 77 books last year and I'd like to meet (or beat) that goal again this year. Good luck to everyone with their challenges!

My 2008 Challenge

1. A Mercy by Toni Morrison
Starting off the year with a great book. This is the story of Florens, a young slave girl who's traded to a farmer and sent to live up north in the late 1600s. The story's mainly told from her perspective, with alternating chapters told from the perspectives of the farmer, his family, and the other people working on the farm. It was a short book and a fast read and I really enjoyed it.

Welcome!

I got a signed copy of A Mercy for Christmas from my wonderful mother-in-law (I did a dissertation on Morrison for part of my degree) and am REALLY looking forward to it. Great to see another positive review.

I have heard very good things about A Mercy and hope to get it read in 2009. Thanks for your review!

I really enjoyed A Mercy as well. It was my last read of 2008.

2. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Eh, this book didn't do a whole lot for me. It's a young adult fantasy but I wasn't too thrilled about it. Sophie, who spends her time making hats for her stepmother's shop, gets turned into an old woman by a wicked witch and ends up living with a wizard named Howl in his moving castle. It sounded like a fun story but it moved way too slowly and wasn't nearly exciting enough, in my opinion.

3. Night Shift by Stephen King
Wonderful collection of short stories, read for the King's Dear Constant Readers group. The book is hard to summarize though, since each story is so different. Several of them also reference themes that King later expanded on, in books like The Stand and Salem's Lot. And it's been a crazy month for me so it was really nice to just sit and focus on one short story at a time.

I don't believe I've ever read anything by King, as the whole horror/thriller genre never appealed to me. However, there are a few available copies of the Bachman Books on Bookmooch and I was thinking I'd start with those, apparently they're not so ...supernatural etc? (or so I've been informed)

#8--Depends on which Bachman book you choose--there are a couple that are very much into the supernatural. And there are a couple of King's which aren't so heavily supernatural. Which books are you thinking about?

I was thinking of The Long Walk...? Would you recommend that?

>10 girlunderglass: Not to neb in on the conversation, but I think The Long Walk is a good place to start. And you might want to try and pick of a copy of Different Seasons, as it contains Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, one of my favorite non-thriller King stories.

>6 LibraryLover23: Have you seen the movie adaptation?

I'll recommend The Long Walk. It's actually a short story. There's nothing supernatural about the story. King set the story in a "future reality" that actually in some scary ways resembles our present. (I don't want to say anything spoilery) He must be part psychic. The story stays with you. I read this story 25 (?) years ago and still, whenever I'm out walking for long periods, esp in a wooded area, I'll reflect on the story and think about what I would have done if I was one of those chosen boys. Now that our reality has (in a very specific way) actually caught up to the future reality depicted in the story I think it will make the story even more meaningful.

>10 girlunderglass:, 11 - I second Different Seasons. Besides "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption," it contains "The Body," which was made into the movie Stand By Me - it is a great story!

My two favourite Stephen King novels though, are Salem's Lot and The Stand. Salem's Lot was my first King novel, and I think I read it when I was about eight years old - I don't know WHAT my parents were thinking!

I also recommend Different Seasons, it's a great book. I haven't read The Long Walk so I can't say anything about that, but in the King's Dear Constant Readers Group we're reading all of King's works in order so I'll get to it eventually.

>11 ladydzura: No I haven't seen the movie, would you recommend it? I'm not sure if I should bother since I wasn't crazy about the book, but there have been times before when a movie enhances a book for me, maybe I'll see if I can Netflix it.

>14 LibraryLover23: The movie version of Howl's Moving Castle is absolutely wonderful, at least in my opinion -- I put the book on my to-read list because of how much I adore the film. I just went looking around on wikipedia, and found this -- apparently there are several significant differences between the two.

>15 ladydzura: Hmmm, you've piqued my curiosity. I think I will have to look into the movie now. Thanks for letting me know!

4. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
I started this series last year and I'm anxious to see how everything wraps up in the last two books. It's not my favorite series however, there's certain things about these books that rub me the wrong way. But one of the big redeeming factors is that they have great, suspenseful endings. You can't help but read through them quickly to find out what happens to everyone.

5. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
I love the TV show "Dexter" so I was really excited to find this book at my library. Dexter works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami P.D. by day and as a serial killer by night. The trick is, he only kills people who have escaped the law in some way, people who are murderers themselves. The first season of "Dexter" is loosely based on this book but I was surprised at the ending, that part at least is a lot different from the show.

I've read all the Dexter books to date and enjoy them. I have never watched the show so I have no idea how it compares. I'll be interested in seeing your thoughts regarding the books vs the show once you have read the others.

>19 alcottacre: Yeah, unfortunately my library didn't have the others so I'll have to do some searching for those. I think in the TV show though Dexter seems a little bit more sympathetic than he does in the books. I'm curious to see if that continues on in the rest of the series.

6. Kiss, Kiss by Roald Dahl
A collection of off-the-wall stories by one of my favorite children's authors, although this collection is meant for adults. The most memorable story is probably "Pig" about a young man who leaves home and enters "the real world" for the first time. It's the kind of story that makes you seriously consider becoming a vegetarian...

Catching up:

7. Specials by Scott Westerfeld
A satisfying conclusion to the Uglies series, I understand there's one more book but that doesn't hold my interest. I read the first chapter (which was included at the back of this book) and it features different characters. So I'll consider myself finished with the series.

8. The Tales Of Beedle The Bard by J.K. Rowling
Cute, short little collection of fairy tales, I agree with others' comments that Dumbledore's commentary was the best part of the book.

9. Chocolat by Joanne Harris
I really enjoyed this story of a woman and her daughter shaking up a small conservative town by opening a chocolate shop across the street from a church. One of my TBR Challenge books.

10. Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
I'm almost caught up with the series! Another funny Stephanie Plum adventure.

11. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Thrilling, harrowing look at Krakauer's journey to the summit of Mt. Everest, another TBR Challenge book.

12. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Enjoyable little novella about the Queen of England discovering the joys of reading and her newfound love of books.

13. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
Hilarious diary of Georgia Nicolson, I laughed all the way through it.

14. The Stand by Stephen King
One of my all-time favorites. The ultimate good vs. evil story.

15. The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Funny, touching look at one boy's decision to leave his reservation and attend an all-white school.

16. Snow Flower And The Secret Fan by Lisa See
I enjoyed this story about two women in 19th century China and their lifelong friendship. Although my only complaint was that I read it during my lunch break at work, and the sections on footbinding and pig butchering did little to stimulate my appetite.

17. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
I'm determined to finish the series even though I still have problems with these books. This one was much better than New Moon in my opinion.

You have had some great recent reads!

Thanks alcottacre!

18. The Code Of The Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
My first introduction to Bertie and Jeeves, I really enjoyed it. I couldn't help noticing though that one of my favorite characters (Archy McNally from the books by Lawrence Sanders) has a lot of similar characteristics to Bertie. It makes me think that Sanders must have "borrowed" some points from Wodehouse to use for his McNally books.

>24 LibraryLover23: I've heard good things about Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Perhaps I could skip the portions about pig butchering. I'm a staunch vegetarian.

>27 profilerSR: Yeah, the pig part wasn't that bad but the footbinding section--yuck. It is a good book, I just wouldn't recommend eating while you read it!

19. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
Flora moves in with her eccentric relatives at Cold Comfort Farm and tries to bring order to their chaos. A quick, easy read; I liked it.

#28: Cold Comfort Farm is a hoot, IMO. There is also a very good film version of it from 1995 if you are interested.

>29 alcottacre: Thanks for the info--I've added it to my Netflix queue.

20. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
Read for King's Dear Constant Readers. After a four-and-a-half-year coma Johnny Smith wakes up and finds out he has psychic abilities. Although the structure of the book is a little disjointed, it's still a fast-paced, gripping read.

I gotta totally agree with Alynnk, I absolutely love the movie version of Howl's Moving Castle. The director, Miyazaki, does such an excellent job. Based on the strength of the movie, I had added it and other of Wynne Jones' books to my wish list. You should check out the movie, its very good and the animation is beautiful.

>31 TrishNYC: Thanks for the tip, I did add it to my Netflix queue. Which, unfortunately, is starting to look as bad as my TBR list!

21. The Professor And The Madman by Simon Winchester
Fascinating look at the making of the OED and how one of the main contributors was an American Civil War vet who spent most of his life in an insane asylum. Highly recommended.

22. The Story Of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
I liked this book but I didn't love it--the beginning dragged for me but the second half was more interesting and redeemed the (slower) first half.

#33: I thought The Professor and the Madman was excellent when I read it a couple of years ago. Glad to see that you enjoyed it!

23. March by Geraldine Brooks
I really enjoyed this one; it's about Mr. March, the father from Little Women, and what he does while he's off fighting in the Civil War. It's been so long since I've read LW though, so I'm not sure if what he's going through corresponds at all with what happens in that book, but I still really liked it.

#36: One of these centuries I am going to get to that one!

>37 alcottacre: Based on your screen name I'm guessing you're already a fan of Little Women, in which case I think you'd like it a lot!

24. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
It's been so long since I read this that I'd forgotten most of it, although some of it did start to come back, particularly the character of Colin. One of my TBR Challenge books.

March is another one of those books that I bought but have not yet read. *sigh*

And yes, you are correct about my love of Little Women. I still try and read it at least once a year.

25. The Clothes They Stood Up In and The Lady In The Van by Alan Bennett
I read The Uncommon Reader by Bennett earlier this year and enjoyed it, so when I saw this book for sale I decided to check it out too. The first story is about a couple who lose all their possessions in a robbery; the second is about a woman who keeps all of her possessions in her van, which was parked in Bennett's yard for years. Overall I liked both stories, but I wasn't totally crazy about them. I think I liked The Uncommon Reader more.

#40: I have not yet had a chance to read The Lady in the Van, but I agree with you about The Uncommon Reader being better than The Clothes They Stood Up In. I think it was easier for me to identify with the queen in Reader than it was either of the main characters in Clothes.

>41 alcottacre: Yes, I agree completely with identifying more with the queen. Hmmm, we identify more with a queen than we do with two average joes. I wonder what that says about us? :)

26. Firestarter by Stephen King
Read for King's Dear Constant Readers. Not one of my favorites but still fun to read. Pretty tense at parts but also dragged in places. I'm anxious to move on to the next few books for KDCR because I've never read them before.

#42: Obviously, we have a taste for the finer things in life: books!

>43 alcottacre: So true!

27. Morality For Beautiful Girls by Alexander McCall Smith
Third in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, in this one Mma Ramotswe deals with a case involving an important "Government Man" and Mma Makutsi handles the integration of the agency and Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. Very enjoyable, I'm anxious to continue on with the series.

28. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
A friend gave this to me as part of my Christmas gift last year; a poignant, moving read.

29. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Glad to be done with the series, although I did enjoy this book. I'm satisfied with how it all ends and I enjoyed the ride, but I'm just as glad that I can now move on to something else.

30. Light From Heaven by Jan Karon
Final book in the Mitford series (although there are the spinoff books), this one is about Father Tim and Cynthia spending time at Meadowgate and reopening Holy Trinity. A comfort read even though this is my first time through, I'd like to own all of these books someday, they'd be fun to revisit.

I love it when I find those 'comfort' books, books where I feel like I am revisiting old friends every time I read them. I am glad that you have found a series that fits the bill for you.

>48 alcottacre: Thanks alcottacre!

31. Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
Another zany adventure with Stephanie Plum and friends.

32. Danse Macabre by Stephen King
A non-fiction look at horror (movies, tv and books) over a thirty-year period. I enjoyed it, but it's a bit outdated, most of what was referenced was before my time. But I also really enjoyed the autobiographical asides that King uses, those were probably my favorite parts of the book.

33. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Wanted to see what all the fuss was about regarding this series (and the TV show True Blood, which is based on these books). I started off not knowing what to think, but once I had a chance to sit down and really sink my teeth into it (bad pun intended) I ended up liking it a lot. A fast-paced, easy read.

34. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
I got it into my head that I should reread these books, since the next movie comes out in a few weeks and it's been about two years since I last read them, the last time being when the final book came out. These books are always a blast to revisit, one of my favorite parts is at the start-of-term feast when Dumbledore says, "I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you." Oh, that Dumbledore.

35. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
They just get better and better as you go along.

I need to get reading the Harry Potter books again; my daughter and I were just talking about that. I have a British version of the first one with "Philosopher's Stone" in the title that was a gift from a friend. I've yet to read that version. I don't think I'll get all the way through to the end of series by the movie opening though. You're right: they just get better and better, as they go along and as I re-read them too!

>54 profilerSR: The other thing I'm enjoying is that since I now know how it all ends I can just enjoy the ride and try and keep my eyes open for clues that have been planted along the way. I love too that I can read these and know what a character like Snape's motivations are, so this time through I can rationalize why he does the things he does. (But then again Snape's one of my favorites, he's probably the most fascinating character in these books...to me at least!) Anyway, I hope you get to them soon profilerSR and you enjoy them (again) as much as I do!

36. Reading Lolita In Tehran by Azar Nafisi
A pretty timely read given everything that's been going on in Iran lately. It's hard for me to imagine what life is like in that part of the world, but by reading books like this I can at least get a glimpse, or a small sense, of what it must be like. One of my TBR Challenge books.

37. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
I love the ending with the time turner, and that Harry finally gets his Hogsmeade permission form signed; these books are ridiculously addictive.

38. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
I loaned this to a friend recently and when I got it back I felt like I should reread it too. A sad look at a fifteen-year-old drug user who tries to make her life better.

> 57 Go Ask Alice is an absolute classic. I haven't read it in a long, long time. Thank you for reminding me of the book.

>58 profilerSR: You're welcome! I know, it had been years since I read it too.

39. Confessions Of A Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Pure fluff. At first I was annoyed by the main character's attitude toward money (since it's pretty much the exact opposite of how I feel), but her tendency to try to do the right thing even if it backfires changed my opinion of her and I ended up really liking it. One of my TBR Challenge books.

40. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Well, I didn't get to read all of the books before seeing the new movie (which was excellent by the way) but that's okay. I'm still enjoying these books immensely; I think I read the last three hundred pages in one sitting. Once you get to the third task you just have to keep reading to see how it all ends. The ending also serves as a nice lead-in to the next book, which is my personal favorite. I'm anxious to get to that one soon.

41. The Burglar Who Liked To Quote Kipling by Lawrence Block
Bernie Rhodenbarr is a bookseller by day and a burglar by night. After he succeeds in stealing a rare Kipling book, he gets set up for murder and has to figure out who framed him and why. Overall a fun, fast-paced read and one of my TBR Challenge books.

I read Lawrence Block's Burglar Who books years ago and enjoyed them then. I should read them again...

Just found your thread LL23 and I like what I see. You've read some great books this year and I will place many of them on my wish list.

I read Reading Lolita a few years ago and very much enjoyed it. It's one of the few I've kept in my permanent library.

I'll star ya to keep up on your reads.

>62 chinquapin: The only other one I've read in the series is The Burglar In The Library, which (surprise!) I really enjoyed. I'll have to keep my eye out for some more of his stuff, I picked up TBWLTQK at a book sale for like fifty cents.

>63 Carmenere: Thanks Carmenere! I hope you continue to enjoy it!

42. Cujo by Stephen King
I always thought this book was only about a woman and her son trapped in a car with a rabid dog trying to get to them. And it was, mainly, but in true King fashion there are lots of other side characters with their own stories and issues. This was my first time reading it and I'm glad I did, I liked it a lot.

43. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
My first-ever Gaiman. Nobody Owens (Bod for short) lives in a graveyard and is taken care of by the ghosts and other creatures that live there after his family is killed. I found the chapters where Bod interacted with humans (his friendship with Scarlett, his school experiences) to be more interesting than the times where it was strictly fantasy (the Hounds of God chapter involving the ghouls). But I did enjoy it and the ending was just fantastic I thought; that last chapter really redeemed any problems I might have had about the book; I recommend it.

#66: The Graveyard Book was on my memorable reads list for last year I enjoyed it that much. I was very glad when it won the Newbery Medal earlier this year. I am glad to see that it has found another fan.

>67 alcottacre: Yes, I definitely enjoyed it. I'd be interested in reading others by him too...eventually!

44. Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Hands-down the best book in the series. The longest, the darkest, and it's got Umbridge! Evil, evil Umbridge. I love the Occlumency lessons with Snape, I love the final battle in the Department of Mysteries, and I love, love the fact that Dumbledore's full name is: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Really, it doesn't get any better than that.

> 68 I agree about OotP being the best. That book is so laden with political imagery. That did not come out in the movie at all, IMO.

#68 - I don't know if OOTP is my fav, but I do love it an awful lot. The DA scenes are some of my favourite parts in the entire series, especially when they first meet in the Hog's Head. As well, the Fred and George exit scene is perfect.

>69 profilerSR: I'm planning on rewatching the movie soon. The last time I saw it was when it was in the theater so I've forgotten a lot of it. I'm curious to see how much it differs since the book is so fresh in my mind.

>70 Cait86: They're some of my favorites too. And I loved how Professor Flitwick keeps a small area of the Weasley twins' swamp roped off just because "it was a good bit of magic."

45. Death At La Fenice by Donna Leon
First in the Commissario Brunetti mystery series. After a world-famous conductor is found poisoned during the intermission of an opera, Guido Brunetti is assigned to the case. I really liked how Brunetti puts things together piece by piece, and how the city of Venice is almost a character in itself. Recommended.

46. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
I think the third time's the charm for me with this book. The first time I read it I thought it was a little bit of a letdown after the wonderfulness of Order Of The Phoenix. The second time it was merely a precursor to the final book. Now this time, the third time, I could just enjoy it on its own. I also thought it had a lot of really funny moments throughout, more so than some of the other books.

Example:
Snape: Do you remember me telling you we are practicing nonverbal spells, Potter?
Harry: Yes.
Snape: Yes, sir.
Harry: There's no need to call me 'sir,' Professor.

Anyway, I got a kick out of it and overall really enjoyed it this time around.

47. Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
I've seen and love the movie so I was already familiar with the story--one woman telling her life's history to another, all about the Depression-era days of Whistle Stop, Alabama and its inhabitants. It's a great story, funny and moving at the same time. One of my TBR Challenge books.

48. The Light In The Forest by Conrad Richter
A children's/YA story published in the 50's about a boy who was captured by Indians but sent back to live with his birth family as a teenager. Maybe not the best story I've read all year but it was interesting to me since the tribes mentioned and the setting where the story takes place is local. Another TBR Challenge book.

>75 LibraryLover23:: I read that maybe 35 years ago and remember really enjoying it as a teenager. I should see what else he's written and try something.

He wrote the excellent The Awakening Land Trilogy, which consists of The Trees, The Fields and The Town, which won the 1951 Pulitzer. I read them years ago, and recently purchased a second hand copy for a reread, I liked them very much.

Adding The Light in the Forest and The Awakening Land Trilogy to the Planet. Yikes!

>77 arubabookwoman:: Thanks abw; I'll hunt that one down. I've also dug up my old copy of The Light in the Forest for my son to try.

>77 arubabookwoman: Interesting, I'll have to look into the trilogy sometime. Thanks for the info!

>78 alcottacre:-79 alcottacre I hope you enjoy it, and TadAD I hope your son enjoys it too!

49. Different Seasons by Stephen King
This is a book of four short stories--"Rita Hayworth And The Shawshank Redemption," "Apt Pupil," "The Body" and "The Breathing Method." "Shawshank" is definitely my favorite but I also really enjoyed "The Breathing Method" too; I had forgotten what that one was about so it was fun to read it and not know what was going to happen next.

50. The Pale Blue Eye by Louis Bayard
After a grisly discovery at the newly-formed West Point Academy, retired detective Gus Landor is called in to help solve the case. He in turn enlists the help of a cadet--Cadet Fourth Classman Edgar Allan Poe. Lots of twists and turns, recommended for fans of historical fiction or for anyone with an interest in Poe's early years.

51. Major Tales And Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
Inspired to pick this up after finishing The Pale Blue Eye. Didn't read it cover to cover, just reread some old favorites: "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Raven," "Annabel Lee," "The Pit And The Pendulum," "The Cask Of Amontillado" and a few others. Kinda puts me in the mood for Halloween.

52. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
I read and loved The Shadow Of The Wind last year, and although this one didn't quite live up to my high expectations I still really enjoyed it. It has the same kind of mood and tone as TSOTW, if you enjoyed that book you would probably like this one as well.

#84: Yea, I have got to get that one finished :)

I have heard Zafon's name alot lately. So I am adding both The Angel's Game and The shadow of the wind to my wish list. Thanks for the recs.

>85 alcottacre:-86 I did like it a lot, I hope you guys feel the same!

53. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Sorry to see the series end, but I'm sure I'll be rereading them again soon.

54. The Remains Of The Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Oh, I loved this book, even though I thought it was incredibly sad. I'm not nearly as bad, or to the extent that poor Stevens is, but I could still identify with his keeping his feelings to himself and his hardship connecting with people. Even bantering! There are times when I can't banter to save my life and the fact that this character is the same way just struck a chord with me. Overall I thought it was a really moving read. Highly recommended.

55. Shakespeare: The World As Stage by Bill Bryson
I really like Bryson's writing--this is a short book on what we know (or can guess) about Shakespeare's life and work. Bryson basically goes through and summarizes what others have said or discovered; it's an interesting, quick read that had some information I had never heard of before.

56. Franny And Zooey by J.D. Salinger
Not really my thing. I liked The Catcher In The Rye when I read it a few years ago; this one, not so much.

57. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
First in the Unfortunate Events series. I actually saw the movie of this in the theater, which I believe contains the plots of the first several books. So I was somewhat familiar with the story, but I enjoyed it a lot. I also have the next two books in the series which I'll try to read soon.

58. The October Country by Ray Bradbury
Collection of short stories. My favorites were "The Crowd," "The Emissary" and "Jack-In-The-Box." Perfect reading for this time of year.

59. The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket
The second book in the Unfortunate Events series. This one finds the three Baudelaire orphans living with their kindly Uncle Montgomery Montgomery, only to be found once again by the dastardly Count Olaf. These books have just the right kind of zany humor that I love.

I love Snicket :) The books are just soooo clever and multi-layered - and I just love the way he doesn't talk down to his audience, and turns the more outlandish vocabulary into another opportunity to make a joke. Fab.

>95 FlossieT: That's so true. Saying things like: "You shouldn't use the hackneyed phrase, 'meanwhile, back at the ranch' because it's so cliche, blah, blah blah," only to start the next paragraph with: "Meanwhile, back at the ranch..." Just hilarious to me. :)

60. Saturday by Ian McEwan
A day in the life of neurosurgeon Henry Perowne, with events ranging from ordinary (a trip to the fishmonger's), to extraordinary (a run-in with a thug and his cronies). Atonement is still my favorite by McEwan, but I enjoyed this one as well.

#97: Saturday was on my memorable reads list last year. I am glad to see you enjoyed it, too.

>98 alcottacre: Thanks alcottacre!

61. Christine by Stephen King
The premise is a little out there--a haunted car that can spontaneously regenerate and goes on a murderous rampage. But it's a fun, creepy read all the same.

62. The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
Historical fiction centered around the Salem witch trials of the late 17th century. Sarah Carrier's mother Martha is the first (but not the last) in the family to be accused as a witch and sent to prison. The story moved along at a fast pace and the subject matter was fascinating to me. Recommended.

#100: I already have that one in the BlackHole. Looks like I need to pull it out and give it a read. Fascinating subject.

>101 alcottacre: It was. I definitely recommend it!

63. The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket
So witty and funny; although the downside is that I now have to go to the library to get the rest of the series. But then again, I never mind a trip to the library...

64. The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
I liked this one; the style and subject matter are sort of a cross between the other two series of AMS's that I've read. It combines the same sleuthing that Precious Ramotswe does in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series with the same life-in-Scotland storyline of the 44 Scotland Street series. One of my TBR Challenge books.

65. Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Read for the King's Dear Constant Readers Group. A reread for me, it's more gruesome and bleak than Christine, the previous KDCR book, but I liked it nonetheless.

66. The Body In The Library by Agatha Christie
Typical Christie/cozy mystery. After a body is discovered in Colonel and Mrs. Bantry's library, Miss Jane Marple uses her knowledge of human behavior, and the locals, to solve the case.

67. The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie by Alan Bradley
Loved this one. The narrator (Flavia) is so charismatic, I was instantly drawn into her world. She's a young girl in 1950's England, precocious and funny, and she has to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding strange events that take place at her large, rambling home. But that's in between tormenting her older sisters and cooking up poisons in her chemistry lab. Recommended.

68. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
Finally caught up with this series! But now, unfortunately, I'll have to wait for a new one to come out like everybody else... This one was another enjoyable entry to the series, lots of Lula and Grandma Mazur, and all the usual hijinks.

69. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
A great, great book. Definitely one of my favorites this year--dark, creepy, and I was on the edge of my seat for most of it. It's about two U.S. Marshals who go to an island off the coast of Massachusetts to investigate the shady goings on at an insane asylum. Can't say more without giving anything away but I highly recommend it.

70. Cycle Of The Werewolf by Stephen King
Read for King's Dear Constant Readers. Different from the other books we've read in that group this year, it's a simple, fast read but with all the usual interweaving, minor characters that are so common with King stories.

Shutter Island is one of my favorites. Heck, pretty much all of Lehane's stuff is on the favorite list!

>110 drneutron: I was blown away by it. Can't wait for the movie next year--I hope it's half as good!

Wow! Lots of good reading going on recently for you!

Shutter Island was a book I had hoped to get to this year and never made it. Hopefully next year . . .

>112 alcottacre: Thanks alcottacre! Yes, I would say give it a try if you get the chance, I highly recommend it.

71. Visions Of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich
A between-the-numbers, holiday-themed Stephanie Plum book. Probably not one of my favorites in the series but still a fun, easy Christmas read.

72. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
I'm glad I finally read this classic, gothic suspense story, even if I did have a few quibbles with it. (The narrator's wishy-washiness and Maxim's aloofness come to mind.) But they weren't the main points of the story and other than that, I did very much enjoy it. One of my TBR Challenge books.

73. Swans And Pistols by Leon Bing
Very enjoyable memoir, I won it through the Early Reviewer program. The author led a fascinating life--she modeled, dated a drug dealer, hobnobbed with celebrities, married, had a daughter, and eventually became a journalist and writer. It was very readable and interesting; I recommend it.

74. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
A Christmas classic. I've read it so many times I think I have most of it memorized by now.

One more to go!

75. The Widow Of The South by Robert Hicks
Fictional retelling of an actual occurrence--the Battle of Franklin, TN during the Civil War, and one plantation's role as a hospital and eventual resting place for the soldiers that fought there. I liked it, I'm fascinated by Civil War stories. One of my TBR Challenge books.

>117 drneutron: Just getting in under the wire!

YAY 75! How fabulous - congratulations.

Congratulations on hitting 75!! Way to go!

And done!

>120 FlossieT:-123 Thanks! :)

76. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Chick lit I suppose (and I could see the ending coming from a mile away) but I still liked it--a group of Manhattan women who bond over knitting, the chapters focusing on each of the women in turn. It was similar to a book I read last year, (How To Make An American Quilt) except that one dealt with quilting in the country versus knitting in the city.

77. The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket
Love these books, they always make me laugh.

Congratulations on hitting the 75.
Just catching up on the threads a final time before the year ends. I'm going to have to put Shutter Island on my tbr pile. I haven't read any of his books but keep meaning to.

>126 avatiakh: Thanks! Definitely check out Shutter Island if you get a chance--I thought it was just great.

78. Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris
After a brutal attack, Lily Bard tries to start over in the tiny town of Shakespeare, Arkansas. When a nearby landlord is murdered, Lily tries to solve the case so no suspicion falls on her or her violent past. I liked this one, it's different from the Sookie Stackhouse novels (no supernatural elements) and Lily is a heroine to root for. I'd like to read the others in the series sometime.

79. The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Just heartbreaking. Two boys become friends even though one is in a concentration camp and the other is the Commandant's son. A powerful read.

#127: The Shakespeare series really needs to be read in order to appreciate the character development of Lily. I hope you get a chance to read them all. I really like the series.

Hi, I'm just now catching up. I'm glad you enjoyed Rebecca, it's one of my favorites. I am going to have to check into Shutter Island as it sounds like something I would really enjoy.

>129 alcottacre: Thanks for the tip--I'll definitely keep looking for the others in the series.

>130 profilerSR: I've been recommending Shutter Island to everybody...and now I'll recommend it to you too! Hope you get to it someday and enjoy it as much as I did!

80. The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket
Fifth in the Unfortunate Events series and most likely my last book of the year. I read 77 books last year so my total's a slight improvement. And I've managed to read 36 TBRs this year, so about 45% of my reading. I'd like to increase that percentage for next year. I'm going to move on to the 75 Books Challenge for 2010. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!