South Beach Diet - What are you reading in 2007?

I wasn't that crazy about Memory Keeper's Daughter. Where the idea was fascinating, I don't think the author did a great job with it. The first half of the book was much better than the second half.

I have heard nothing but wonderful things about Water for Elephants, and I know I have it in my mountain of books to be read. Maybe I'll read it along with you and we can have a mini book club discussion. :) There was a recent thread on Paperbackswap about the best book people had read that year, and I think it was about 40% Water for Elephants, 40% A Thousand Splendid Suns, 10% Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, and 10% random others.

Wow, Jessie! I'm SO glad that people loved Water for Elephants so much! The summary just sounded SO depressing and I'm distinctly UN-fond of circuses :p (Clowns scare and annoy me, and I hate how the animals are treated...), so I was totally not looking forward to it. However, if you have a good author, you can read a car manual and love it! At least, that's my experience. ;) I really hope I enjoy it more than I think I will.

That's a shame about Memory Keeper's Daughter. But at least some of it was likeable! ;)

harry potter

Recently read a cute Christian chicklit book--Pink by Marilynn Griffith. While it had a lot going on, it was cute and interesting and I had a fun time reading it! It's the first in her Shades of Style series.

Thanks for the good recommend, Jessie! Sounds like a fun book!

I just started Kris Radish's The Sunday List of Dreams. It's a bit of a slow starter (compared to the UPS/bra incident in the beginning of Annie Freeman!), but I'm rather curious about it now that I read the acknowledgements page...she talks about doing lots of research on sexuality for the book. I don't know what to think about that...guess I'll just keep reading and see what I find! :mag:

Ragtopgirl, tell us what you like about HP. Have you read all the books? Which was your favorite?

An old favorite: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.

Also, for the trashy side: Belle de Jour, by Anonymous. Very tawdry.

I just finished Water for Elephants. I really like the way Sarah Gruen writes. Very descriptive and leaves your mind thinking. I'd never really given any thought to circus life before and found this very interesting. But, also a little depressing to think about how those poor animals and "lower" people were treated. Over all I really enjoyed reading Water for Elephants.

I have also been reading The Women Who Danced By The Sea, Finding Ourselves in the Stories of our Biblical Foremothers by Marsha Mirkin. She has a very interesting approach to the women of the Bible and how they interacted with their families. I'm about 3/4 of the way through it and, where it isn't something I would want to read more than once, it has given me lots of food for thought and had me cracking my Bible open more than once.

I have also just finished two books in a new series that I found. They were The Mournful Teddy and The False Hearted Teddy. Sorry I can't think of the author's name right now. They were really good cozy mysteries. I really enjoyed them but then again I am a Teddy Bear lover also.

I started reading Key Lime Pie Murder by Joanna Fluke last night. Looks like it is going to be her standard for this series. The series is starting to get a little boring. It is becoming the same old same old. Will have to see how this one goes to see if I bother reading her next one.

Sheba's Mom, I'm glad you liked Water for Elephants. I have to read it for book club, so it's good to know that it should be at least somewhat enjoyable. :D Have you read any of the Aunt Dimity mysteries? They feature a very wise stuffed bunny. Just to continue the stuffed toy mystery idea... :lol: That's a kind of funny group, isn't it?

I just finished the His Dark Materials trilogy. I've read it several times before and I got a distinctly different message from it now than I ever have. I LOVE books like that! The end had me crying so hard that I couldn't believe it- not my reaction when I was 15 when I last read it! I've read just about anything Philip Pullman has ever written and it's all simply marvelous.

Allie, what's it about? Good for you for re-reading something from your youth. I have a feeling I'd get such different things out of the books I read when I was younger if I read them now. But the thought of going back and re-reading and how much time it would take when there are SO many books I've never read....well it just sounds overwhelming! :faint: So, the only one I've done that with, so far, is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, since we read it for my book club. I definitely got different things out of it, but I think I might have gotten more when I was younger! :)

Allie, I read The Golden Compass in college and loved it, I keep meaning to read the entire trilogy before the movie comes out! My DH loved the trilogy and our first pets together he named Lyra and Will (they were lizards). (The second set of lizards were Vernon, Petunia, and Lily...guess where we got those names?!) My to-be-read pile is just sky-high...and the book I'm reading right now I am ALMOST done but it's taken me forever to get through it. Just busy plus it's very dense (still Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex). I am looking forward to moving onto something else!

I'm reading Anne of Ingleside I bought a set with the last 3 books Loved windy poplars and house of dreams INgleside is dragging! :(
Also reading a Media Critique of Harry which is interesting
I've been wanting ot read his dark materials!!

KO, I definitely felt like I had to drag myself through the last Anne book...but I loved the series so much I made myself finish it. The first couple are just fantastic!

I'm about halfway through another Kris Radish book, The Sunday List of Dreams. It's really good--has her usual goal of getting readers to live their lives with joy and passion, but the story is about a woman who has always kept a list of her "dreams"--things she wants to do but hasn't, for one reason or another. At the beginning of the book, the woman (Connie) is just about to retire and give herself the time to finally follow those dreams, one of which is about reconnecting with her estranged daughter. I really enjoy the storyline between Connie and her daughter. It seems very "real."

After I finally, finally finished Leonardo's Swans I was up for something easy, so I read American Girls About Town, one of those little short-story compilations which includes authors like Adriana Trigiani, Jennifer Weiner, Lauren Weisberger, Melissa Senate, etc. It was fun and easy and that is what I needed! Onto greener pastures now. :) I am trying to read a nonfiction book to review and then I am going to dig into A Thousand Splendid Suns for some more difficult but enlightening reading.

Congrats, Jessie, on finally finishing that book! :lol: Whew! You'll have to tell me about A Thousand Splendid Suns. I think it's going to be our book choice for three meetings from now. :)

Well, for a long time I hadn't read much, but now that I'm on my own I have more time! I recently finished Mary Mary by James Patterson, and am looking forward to borrowing Cross from my SIL. Then I will be caught up on his Alex Cross novels. I'm addicted!

For Christmas, I'm going to ask for several Dean Koontz novels that sounded good to me. For awhile he got really weird sci-fi on me, but he still puts out some good suspenseful thrillers. Otherwise, I may start reading Ricochet by Sandra Brown. I borrowed it from my mom and she seems to like her but I don't know much about her.

Oooh, Lisa, Sandra Brown is a GREAT writer!!! I've loved everything I've read by her. :love: James Patterson, on the other hand, though a good writer, scared the bejeesus out of me! :fr: We read Honeymoon by him for my book club and it was too much for this poor soul to handle! It's wonderful to get into a series by an author, though, isn't it? :D

So, while waiting for DH to get out of surgery on Wednesday, I managed to finish The Memory Keeper's Daughter. I get what you meant, Jessie, about the first half being better than the second half. I liked it much, much more than I thought I would. The subject matter took back seat, in many ways, to the writing, which was just splendid. (I'm starting to wonder if the latest popular books are popular because of their writing rather than their topics, which seem to be bleak, dreary, and off-putting. :shrug: ) I kept expecting bad things to happen because of the way she was describing each situation, but they didn't...and when something bad finally did happen near the end of the book, I was completely hit upside the head with it!!! :faint: I had no idea that was coming and it totally shocked me! I actually started yelling at my book...out loud! (thankfully I was home by that point so no one hauled me off to the psych ward... :lol: )

I also finished Kris Radish's The Sunday List of Dreams. It got much better after the first chapter or two. Once it took off, it just didn't stop! I absolutely loved the description of the women's festival (which I'm assuming is meant to be Michfest (http://www.michfest.com/)?) and thought the interactions between the characters were much more honest and real than some of those in Annie Freeman. I can't wait to read more from this author! :D

I have Dancing Naked at the Edge of Dawn by Radish in my pile at home. Have you read that one, Laurie? Not that I have any lack of books to read in said gigantic pile. I've finally started Mary Called Magdalene by Margaret George again. It's been in the pile for about a year. I read half of it in college and then had to take it back to the library but have always wanted to read the rest and so here I go! It's an endeavor...625 pages. I'm also reading Tight Squeeze, Christian mom-lit by Debbie Digiovanni, to mix it up a little bit! :) I gotta balance out my light and heavy reading.

Happy Reading!

Laurie I haven't picked up the Aunt Dimity series yet. I have so many to read now I'm trying not to start any new series that I don't already have in my pile. Once I start a new series I have to read the whole series to get caught up. Heaven forbid they have a life without me.:lol:

Jessie did you enjoy, what you have read in the past of, Mary Called Magdalene? I picked it up at the same time I got Women Who Dance by the Sea but I haven't had time to read it yet.

I too try to read something light with the heavy and right now I'm reading Basic Income Tax for the class I am taking. It's heavy enough right now (in more ways than one:lol::dizzy:)

I did finish Key Lime Pie Mystery and it was her usual fair. Starting to get really boring and all right already make up your mind on who you are going to marry or dump them both and move on.

For my light reading right now I'm reading 2 books. The first one is Distant Echos sorry can't remember the author right at the moment. It is a christian mystery set in Hawaii. Pretty good so far but then I was sure I would like it when I found out one of the main characters is a dolphin. The second one is Smoky Mountain Tracks by Donna Ball. It too is pretty good for a first book author. It is of course a mystery and involves a search and rescue dog and handler. Another of my favorites.

I did enjoy what I read of Mary Called Magdalene and remember being very upset I had to return it without finishing (or the library was going to come hunt me down). I think I was on a post-Red Tent high though and maybe anxious to read more "biblical fiction."

Speaking of...do you know if anyone has written a biblical fiction thing about Esau? That's been floating around in my head as an idea for a novel. Which I would find time to write....sometime this century!!

I haven't come across a biblical fiction about Esau but I am still fairly new to reading biblical fiction so it could be out there somewhere. Sounds like it could be something really interesting to read. Here's hoping you become inspired and decide to write it for us.

"The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
I took it from the Comfort Inn library and forgot to return it... oops.

"Freedomnomics" by John Lott

Laurie, I loved Honeymoon! But I like to have the buhjeebus scared out of me. :D

Abdul's son, Gene, just left my place to drive to California for another theatre tour, and he left me a book called The Keeper by Sarah Langan. I've never heard of her but he said that the book was ":censored: up" and that he doesn't like to read usually because he's a really slow reader, but he couldn't put this book down because it holds your attention throughout and then everything comes together and makes sense at the end.

I may start that one here tonight since I slept until almost 6 from a drug-induced coma and it feels like it should be 8 instead of 11.

Wow, Jessie...I hear your pain about having to return something to the library. I had a book like that a while ago...I had to wait for another copy to become available so I could finish it. That was frustrating! I was way overdue with my last audio book, but I really wanted to finish it, so I just paid the fine. ;) Hope you enjoy Mary Called Magdalene. I think it's on my list... Love the idea about Esau. We're reading the part of Genesis that includes Jacob and Esau's stories in my Bible study group. You should see how worked up we get about how messed up Rebekah is...what a jerk Jacob is...etc. It's one powerful story!

Sheba's Mom...I understand about finishing the pile first. :lol: But I have another recommendation for you...You might like Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. The main character is a Search and Resue worker with a dog. They spend a lot of time talking about her work and using it as a metaphor for the story. It's a fantastic book and many parts of it are like a mystery, though it's really more of a novel.

Marseille, Secret Life is one of my favorite books! :love: I hope you enjoy it! I've never heard of Freedomnomics, though...what's it about?

:lol: Weezle! I'm glad you liked it...I can see how it would be quite fun if you're into that sort of thing! ;) I think I've heard of Langan... :chin: Let us know if you like the book! Hope you're feeling okay, hon! :hug:

I'm reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (author of the Poisonwood Bible, etc...). It's good, but slow going so far. It's the story of how her family lived off of their own land or bought local produce/food for a year. I'm learning a lot, but I think my brain wants something lighter right now! :lol: I have a ton of books at home to read, so maybe I need to stop frequenting the library for a while...

I just took a V C Andrews book on a long drive. Darkest Hour. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I haven't read any of hers since the Flowers in the Attic series.

I am reading one light book after another lately. :) The latest:
Tight Squeeze by Debbie Digiovanni, Christian "momlit" about a mom pregnant with her 5th! It was cute.
Split Ends by Kristin Billerbeck--Christian chicklit, really good story, I read it in a matter of 2 days.
Right now I'm reading The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn, your basic chicklit, I am not a fan of the way she writes too much but I'm giving it a chance (I am doing this challenge over at Paperback swap to read new authors for all the letters A-Z in the year 2007--I think I am done with 19/26, getting to the weird letters now!!).

Jessie, I love that you're doing that challenge...what a fun thing to do! :cheer3: Have you read Anna Quindlen (sp???)? She's fabulous. :cloud9:

Your chicklit sounds like so much fun! My book is good, but a little bit dry. :yawn: However, I'm shocked to find that Kingsolver's daughter, 19yo Camille, is perhaps an even better writer than her mom! She contributed essays and recipes for the book and I actually enjoyed her part more than the rest I've read so far! ;) Oh well...I still think Kingsolvers is an incredible author...

Susan, that sounds like so much fun! I was a huge V.C. Andrews fan when I was a kid. Is this book made more for adults or were you just enjoying YA fiction (which I do often!)? Many years ago I read an adult book written by the author of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (her name is on the tip of my tongue...). I was suprised to find it really good!

Judy Blume, Laurie. I know she's written several adult books but I haven't read any.

I have read several by Anna Quindlen, I really enjoy her, and since it's a new author challenge I couldn't use her for my Q! I finished The Ivy Chronicles yesterday...good riddance!!

Thanks, Jessie! My poor brain doesn't store author's names very well! :o

Glad you finished the book...now on to R...a much easier letter! ;) What are you thinking about?

Haven't made any progress in my book...my Curve magazine came in the mail and I got into that! :o I'm so bad at sticking with nonfiction...

I actually haven't done the letters in order...Kris Radish was my "R" many moons ago. Here's my list. I put the ones I haven't read yet in red.
* A Deception by Randy Alcorn
* B Let Them Eat Cake by Sandra Byrd
* C A New Lu by Laura Castoro
o The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy
* D Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
* E Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex
* F Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
* G Better by Atul Gawande
* H Plainsong by Kent Haruf
* I Scent to Her Grave by India Ink
* J The Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson
* K Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury
* L This Pen for Hire by Laura Levine
* M Hunger Point by Jillian Medoff
* N Reluctant Burglar by Jill Elizabeth Nelson
* O Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson
* P Julie & Julia by Julie Powell
* Q The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn
* R Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish
* S Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
* T The Sisterhood of the Dropped Stitches by Janet Tronstad
* U A Month of Sundays by John Updike
* V Hollywood by Gore Vidal
* W The Monk's Son by W.R. Wilkerson
* X Chinese Lives by Xinxin
* Y Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
* Z The Ladies' Paradise by Emile Zola

I'm reading A New Orleans Voudou Priestess: The Legend and Reality of Marie Laveau by Carolyn Long

A very interesting look at the life of Madame Laveau using historical documents. Lot of research went into it..not a "hollywood" portrayal of her like most books about her.

Jessie, you just amaze me, as always, girl! :D Did you like the Jane Yolen? I'm always meaning to read her but forget. I can't remember if I read Birth of Venus or not. I can see the cover so vividly...did you like that one? Any of them spark an interest in a new author or genre? What a fun project! :D

Cat, I'm so intrigued by what you're reading! I absolutely love the song, Marie Laveau, but I never thought she really existed! Wow! What years did her life span?

Had my book club last night with Memory Keeper's Daughter. I think most of us really liked it, and we had a very lively discussion. One thing we debated a lot was whether or not Caroline was complicit in David's deceit. What do those of you who have read it think? (Okay to take it to PM so we don't "spoil" it for others... :D )

Laurie, girl, you told me you loved Birth of Venus! It was 1/2 the reason I read it! LOL. :) I really, really liked the Jane Yolen book. I'm working on reading more in the Fairy Tale Series. I have an unhealthy obsession with fairy tale retellings that stems from my days in Children's Lit class!! I wrote my own retelling of the Cinderella story from the pumpkin's point of view...anyone know a children's publisher?? Hehe. It's been a year since I read Memory Keeper's Daughter so I'm afraid I no longer have intelligent things to say about it. Books fade fast when I keep trying to cram them into my head. :)

Can I jump in?? I'm an avid reader and read everything. Recently finished and in my top 10...Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Also read, the Kite Runner, Memory Keepers Daughter, The Keeper of the Light, Best Friends...oh there's more....Some of my favorites are Angela's Ashes, House of Sand and Fog, Malokai, of course all the Harry Potters are my favorite!!!!

I'm so intrigued by what you're reading! I absolutely love the song, Marie Laveau, but I never thought she really existed! Wow! What years did her life span?



Oh, yeah, she really existed! She lived across the street from my GGGgrandmother. She was born in 1794 and died when she was about 79.
There has been much garbage written about her...made up hollywood, biting the heads off of chickens stuff..all a bunch of hooey. The book I'm reading (http://www.upf.com/book.asp?id=LONGXF06)(written by a friend of mine) uses actually documentation to tell the story of her life. Very interesting reading backed up by wonderful extensive research.

Cat- That book sounds pretty interesting is it a limited release or is the book widely available?

My DH is away at school all the way until Feb., so, I began reading again. It makes the nights shorter. I just finished the Dark Elf trilogy (big fantasy fan) and Milton's Paradise Lost.

Cat- That book sounds pretty interesting is it a limited release or is the book widely available?

My DH is away at school all the way until Feb., so, I began reading again. It makes the nights shorter. I just finished the Dark Elf trilogy (big fantasy fan) and Milton's Paradise Lost.

Widely available. I think I got mine from Amazon.
Just do a search at google with the title and tons of links should pop up for ordering if you can't get it locally. I really enjoyed it. My favorite books are history books about New Orleans, so it really fit the bill for me.

Thanks Cat, I found it at buy.com for a fairly reasonable price.

I am going to the library today to get a copy of Lance Armstrong's book. He has been a big motivation in my life and I wear my LIVESTRONG bracelet every single day. I am surprised I have not read the book by now!

Laurie, girl, you told me you loved Birth of Venus! It was 1/2 the reason I read it! LOL. :) ...Books fade fast when I keep trying to cram them into my head. :)

:lol3: Yeah...me too! (obviously :rolleyes: ) :lol3: Oy!

Good to hear I liked it...I definitely need to start keeping a book journal. I haven't done it before because it seems like one more thing to do...but it would sure help my poor brain to remember. :dizzy:

Cat, that book looks terrific! She sounds like one heck of an amazing lady. So your family has been in New Orleans (or the environ) for generations, eh? That's so cool!

:welcome3: kmac and RocknRoll!

kmac, of course you can join in! Sounds like you're reading all the books that are really popular of late. What's Keeper of the Light about?

RocknRoll, Lance is truly an inspiration, isn't he? Hope the book is great!

Whew! I finally finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It really was a good read, but it took a long flight to get me going on it again--I think I just am not as motivated by non fiction sometimes... :chin:

I'm now reading a fast little suspense/mystery/romance called Sleight of Hand. I like the writing but am having a bit of trouble keeping sight of what era we're in and I wasn't a fan of a somewhat violent scene in the first chapter. I'm such a wuss when it comes to grusome deaths. :p

What's everyone else reading?

Sorry I have been MIA! I had a bad car wreck on Tuesday night and have pretty much been attached to the couch since then. Didn't read too much, though, as my mom came to take care of me and mostly I talked to her and watched TV. I did finish Girl Meets God, which is a great memoir about an Orthodox Jew who becomes a Christian. She's a doctoral student, or was when she wrote the book, and it's very high-brow intellectual, so it took me a while to finish!

Jessie, I'm so sorry about the car wreck!!! :hug: Are you feeling better now? Was anyone else involved? How's the car? :hug: So glad your mom was there to help! The book sounds really intriguing, though my recent procrastination with nonfiction might mean I should save it for later! ;)

Take care of yourself, hon! :hug:

Whew! I finally finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It really was a good read,

I loved that book! I bought 4 copies for friends while reading it myself.

I seem to split my reading between birding/nature books, fantasy novels when I need variety, and birding magazines. Can you tell I'm a bit obsessed :)

Just finished Our Lady of the Lost and Found my book club selection. It was amusing in some parts but read like three different books - the week's events, the history and the narrator's internal thoughts. Strange but I will read some of the authors other books.

The next books are The Kite Runner(Afghanistan) and sweetness in the belly (Ethiopia) which should be interesting. We'll be discussing and comparing these at the January meeting.

Of course, I'm also doing fun reading - mainly quilting and painting books at the moment plus New Yorker, Macleans and Canadian Living!

I'm working my way through the classics. I just finished Rebecca and now I'm reading Charles Dicken's Bleak house. It's a little hard to get into but I'm determined to finish.

Does anyone else love Jane Austen? I can read her books over and over.

I recently finished the Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns..both by Kahlid Hosseini and both AMAZING books. They are fiction, but I suppose they could be considered historical fiction ( even though the settings are quite modern) since the characters are deeply effected by true events.
You have to be prepared to read some pretty graphic depictions of violent acts ( some against children) but if you can read them with appreciation for what the Afghani people have gone through, you will really learn something from these books.

Wow, lots of amazing reading going on in here! :hyper: I love that! :love:

Cyndi, I'm so glad you liked A, V, M as much as I did! Have you read any of her other books? They're not Fantasy, but I have a feeling, if you like nature, that you'll really enjoy her book Prodigal Summer. It's one of my favorites! Interestingly, even though it was written quite a while ago, it's very akin to A, V, M! There are several characters in the book and two are neighboring farmers, one of whom uses all the newfangled chemicals and pesticides and one who is trying to run an organic farm. The older farmer, who's using all the chemicals, is irritated at his neighbor for her weeds and all the pests that float over to his farm while his neighbor is irritated at all of his chemicals coming over to her farm and possibly endangering her organic license or killing the beneficial pests who help her farm run. It sounds very serious, but she actually writes it in an extremely humorous way that has you laughing out loud! Anyways, you might enjoy it if you are looking for a fiction read. It's cool that you're so into birding! Do you participate in the big yearly backyard count?

Ruth, you are always reading neat things! Let me know what you think of Kite Runner. I really don't like reading about that part of the world...all the talk of violence and war just hurts my heart. :cry: But everyone keeps saying it's a great read. *sigh* I'm starting to think (have I said this before?) that the current trend is incredibly well written books about intolerable subjects. :p

Wow, MissingMyErica, you have a fantastic avatar, and great taste in books! I adore Jane!!! :love: When we went to England for 3 days, I made sure one of them was spent in Bath, partly for the history and partly for Jane! I even dragged DH on a Jane-oriented tour of Bath! :D He then went to a pub while I did a tour of the Jane Austin Centre, but he joined me at the end for a description of Christmas celebrations during Jane's time which included a glass of mulled wine that was so tasty! :T Can you tell that I just loooooove Jane? :lol: Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility are my two favorites...I could read them or watch movie versions of them over and over. :love: I also adore the Jane Austen mystery series...it's a lot of fun! Have you read The Jane Austen Book Club? If you're an Austin fan, you'll just love it...and now there's a movie version of the book, too! I love Dickens but there are several of his books that I haven't read...Bleak House is one of them. Let us know what you think! Did you ever read the "sequel" to Rebecca? I think I did...now I can't remember! :o

Fave, thanks for letting us know about the two books. The violence is just extremely hard for me to handle. I get so upset, but there is literally nothing I can do on my own to fix the problems or heal them. :cry: We're reading Water for Elephants for our next book club, but the one after is 1,000 Splendid Suns. I appreciate the warning about the violence--hopefully I can figure out when it's about to happen and skip ahead or something. Oddly enough, the only book I've been able to read that had that kind of violence in it was Persepolis I & II, which was written in a graphic novel format. For some reason, that format made it palatable for me. :?: It's become a movie, which intrigues me, because it looks like it might have been done as a cartoon. Has anyone read it? It's a lot like Maus I & II in the sense that it's about a terrible period of history but told in a graphic novel format.

I'm still working on Sleight of Hand, but it's SO good that I'm excited to know it's the beginning of a series! :cb: I have to make myself go to bed instead of reading all night!

Happy reading everyone...I look forward to hearing about your next adventures! :goodvibes:

Well, finished Sleight of Hand but am reading a magazine until I get a copy of the next book club book, Water for Elephants. I may have to take my friend up on her offer of borrowing her book since it's taking forever for the library to get my copy in. I really don't want to buy it...I'm not excited about reading it in the first place!

What are you up to? :listen:

I just finished Wicked...didn't care for it but heard the play was better. I liked the premise but it didn't shine!

I have a few books to read before the end of the year (WJClinton's book, a few James Patterson and Jennifer Weiner books)

Hey ladies. Hope everyone is well!
Books I've read lately:
Lucky (It Girl #5) by Cecily von Ziegesar--yes, kind of embarrassing to admit this. ;) But it was for review and a nice change of pace! You can read my review on the BookLoons website)
Christmas Cookie Murder by Leslie Meier--see a theme here? some book must have taken my brain and run away. either that or my car accident did. This is #5 or 6 in the Lucy Stone cozy mystery series

Have I gone on and on here about how much I love this book? Do You Believe?: Conversations on God and Religion by Antonio Monda. It is probably the best book I've read since college and very thought-provoking. Not a difficult read either, it is a collection of interviews. My review for this is also at BookLoons (don't want to put up the website, but it's what you would expect it to be!).

Right now I am reading Wide Open Spaces by Jim Palmer, a Christian nonfiction about the emerging church culture that kind of sees church as people rather than actually meeting together. Interesting. Also reading Everything's Coming Up Josey by Susan May Warren, which is Christian chicklit. I haven't read as much lately because I am trying to write more!

Wow, Jenn, I loved Wicked and the sequel, Son of a Witch. When we read it for book club, some of the members loved it and it didn't do anything for other people. Just like some of us adore Harry Potter and some don't care about HP at all. :lol: Takes all kinds, eh? ;) I absolutely adore Jennifer Weiner's books...the only one that didn't send me into orbit was The Guy Not Taken, a book of short stories. Some of them were good, but the others, not so much. I absolutely adore Good In Bed. I think you'd love it! Hope it's on the list. ;)

Jessie, you always astound me with all your reading. I think your brain probably just needs a little rest! ;) I'm glad you're enjoying some easy reads...and writing more. Are you writing something else besides your reviews? I'd love to hear all about it! :listen:

Well, I finished Water for Elephants, just in time for the book club! Whew! I have to say, it was a VERY engaging read...very difficult to put down! However, I really didn't enjoy a lot of it. There was so much evil in the villians of the story and, as I anticipated, a lot of animal abuse. It was just really hard to take. I didn't explain this well at our club meeting, so I don't know if I'll do any better here, but I feel like there's enough terrible evil in our real lives that there's not any reason to create more in fiction. I guess I'm looking more for escapism in my reads? :shrug: However, the romance was really beautiful and I couldn't help but adore the main character, Jacob. It's not a book I would have regretted skipping, though. :chin:

Currently, I'm working on the book for our Christmas book club. Only half the club members wanted to meet in December for a quick, fluffy, Christmas read. Originally the book selected was a Debbie Macomber featuring three short stories involving her angels, Shirley, Grace, and Mercy. I've read one of her books with those characters and just adored it, so I was looking forward to the read. Unfortunately, several people conferred and decided that On Strike for Christmas would be better. :p I'm not a big fan of this one either (oy, I sound SO negative! :halfempty: ). The basic plot is that a lot of wives get fed up with doing all the work for the holidays while their husbands whine/complain/do nothing. One decides to go "on strike" and several of her friends join her. I think it could have been handled in a way that would be light, funny, and loving, but it's much more negative than I was looking for in a Christmas read. The wives are PO'd, the husbands mess up constantly and are irritated, and the wives constantly compensate by eating chocolate (and never gaining an ounce). It's pretty trite and fairly annoying. Oh well. :p Worst of all, I was really hoping to get a dear friend to join us--I know she'd love my book club friends and could learn a lot from them as she's a new mother and they're all on their second child. She decided not to come, though, because of the book selection. An aunt of hers divorced her husband after spending a lot of time with a bunch of girlfriends that bashed their husbands, so my friend doesn't want to be associated or involved with anything like that. I understand...really, I'm not that into the idea, either! Anyways, I'm just trying to get through it!

While I was waiting for Water for Elephants, though, I read a book I bought over 2 years ago and was dying to read: Girls in Pants: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood. It's the last novel in the Traveling Pants series and it was phenomenal! She does such an amazing job of creating real characters who handle situations in very realistic, human ways. I just adore the series and am sad to see it end. I'll be looking for more books by Ann Brasheres, though, that's for sure! :D

So...what are YOU reading??? :book2:

I'm in the process of reading a few books - 90 minutes in heaven, skinny B****, The power of a praying wife & decotionals by joel osteen. I read a little out of each book every day

Laurie, Have you read the new adult book by Brashares? It's called The Last Summer of You and Me. I haven't and it got bad reviews, but I'm always willing to hear a second opinion from a real person.

I am surprised that I have been really engaged by a nonfiction book I'm reading to review: Starbucked by Taylor Clark. It's about the history of the company and the issues it's come up against. It reads so well I've had a hard time putting it down, and I am not a nonfiction reader. I'll let you know what I think when I'm done!

Guess I am going to have to bump this up! We'll have to start a new 2008 thread soon!

I finished Starbucked, and I would highly recommend it. I am not anti-Starbucks or anything, it is just really interesting.

I started A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner) a few nights ago, and so far it's excellent. He is such a good writer. I was so surprised at how vividly he wrote about feminine emotion (after a miscarriage).

What's in your pile right now?

:broc: Jessie, I'm doing the happy dance because you and I will be reading the same book at almost the same time! :dancer: I have to read 1,000 Splended Suns for my book club in January. I've been waiting for it to come in at the library--think I'm currently 3rd in line. I may just have to buy it, since I think reading it over the holidays is my best bet. I'll have lots of free time while at my in-laws and during the 14 hour drive there and the 14 hour drive back. ;) No, seriously, I will! I'm so glad you are liking it. I avoided Kite Runner because of the potential violence and sadness...I know, I'm a sap, but I just get SO upset about things like that and there's nothing I can do...so I just try not to get that upset. But I have to read this one for book club, so I'm really hoping I'll like it!

I just finished Dinner with a Perfect Stranger and absolutely loved it. Although I suppose one could be nit-picky and find some things that don't ring perfectly true in the arguments made, I just though the idea was brilliant and I loved how it got me thinking "outside the box!"

Currently, I'm reading Life Mask by Emma Donoghue. She's the author of Slammerkin (which I still haven't read) and I got this book in hardcover on the sale rack at B&N a while ago. The book is about a cast of characters living in London in 1787. The main female character is an actress who is climbing the ranks of society. She makes friends with a widowed woman who is a sculpter, and is chased by an Earl who is married to an adulturous wife that's slowly dying from an illness. There are tons of characters and lots of details about the period. It's really intriguing, though I currently am wondering where the author will go. It seems like much of the story is told, but I'm not even 1/3 of the way through! We'll see...

I need to go through this thread and make a book list so I'm prepared when I go to the bookmobile next week! Right now I'm reading Galileo's Daughter, and it's good, but I read in bed at night, and it's a little challenging to stay awake, so it's slow going. I want to go back and read Isaac Asimov's physics series again, I haven't read them since I was in school (he got me through physics much better than the text books did), and I feel like I've forgotten a lot since I don't really use it in my work much. And, as I mentioned in the daily thread, I also am missing Harry Potter, so it's probably time to go do some re-reading there. I'm reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy with the kids, until I pick up the next book in the Warriors series. They looove that series, so I guess we'll be reading them for a while. I think there's quite a few. I think they're okay, but not fabulous.

Oh yeah, did anybody see that Oprah's latest book club book is Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth? I think that's so funny. I love that book and have read it many times, but it's so un-Oprahlike. I usually avoid the books on her list because I know in advance I'll hate them (Lovely Bones? ick! Deep End of the Ocean? double ick!). I'm with you Linda, why drag ourselves through fictional misery, when there's so much real misery in the world already? But I do love Pillars. If anybody hasn't read it, I highly recommend it. And good on Mr. Follet, he'll make some cash off this one!

Hey, Schmoodle! I miss Harry too!

I just LOVED Galileo's Daughter, but found it seemed to slow down here and there, then speed up again. I was really interested in all the details included in the story!

The Laura Ingalls Wilder series is one of my all time favorites. When Laura's sister went blind (I think it's in the Creek book), her parents told her to "be Mary's eyes" and she spent a lot of time describing things for her sister. I really think this had a huge impact on how she wrote. She didn't write the books until very, very late in her life, and I think the maturity of looking back at those days with an adult eye made her work more powerful, too. Her descriptions are so intensely vivid that my memories of them are sometimes stronger to me than my own memories! :lol: Farmer Boy is so different from any of the other books, but it is fascinating. Almanzo's family lived here in NY state and I hope to visit the area someday. I remember one of my favorite things in that book was all the descriptions of the food! :s: The homemade doughnuts...the HUGE breakfasts, complete with pie and huge stacks of pancakes...carb delight! :lol: You can tell where my mind was as a child! :rolleyes:

Schmoodle, I haven't read Pillars, though it sounds good! I did get a copy for my dad for his birthday. It sounds right up his alley! ;)

I haven't paid too much attention to Oprah's picks before. I second you on some of them...but some I have liked. Guess it just depends. I've really disliked most of my book club's choices lately, but I'm reading them and learning new things.

Well, I think I've about given up on my Book Club. I finished The Kite Runner and am partway through sweetness in the belly. They are both making me depressed and angry. I know life is not all wonderful but there are some things I really don't want to think about. (I hear you, Schmoodle!)

I guess I need to read something light and fluffy for a while and will be searching out some on my next library trip.

Yeah, I don't think I'd make a good book clubber. I looove to read, but have so little time for it, that I really don't want to spend it on something I don't love. I've got no problem giving up on a book halfway through if I'm not liking it.

Jessie: I hope you don't mind, but I pretty much just printed your A-Z list and put that as my booksfree account list that I just started back up. It's my Christmas present to me. There were a few I didn't find and a few that I replaced after reading the review, but all in all, I'll be reading your list as soon as the first shipment gets here!

I've wanted to get back into reading again for a while and I feel like I'll let myself slow down after the new year.

I guess I am not quite as squeamish as some of you when it comes to reading yucky stuff. I LOVED The Lovely Bones and The Kite Runner--although the violence is disturbing I don't mind it if it's not gratuitous.

Kim, I am honored, although some on my alphabet list I didn't love. I don't think I am going to finish this year but I am OK with that for now. P.S. I hope you are not planning to read The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn...I cannot stress how much I DISLIKED that book!!

For anyone trying to beef up their book list, here are my favorites of 2007:

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell
Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
She's All That by Kristin Billerbeck
Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
Blind Dates Can be Murder by Mindy Starns Clark
The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy
The Monk's Son by WR Wilkerson
Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson
The Guy I'm Not Dating by Trish Perry
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Do You Believe? by Antonio Monda
Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner
Starbucked by Taylor Clark

Favorites of All Time:
Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler
Circle of Friends, Scarlet Feather, and almost anything else by Maeve Binchy
Sophie's Heart by Lori Wick
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez
the Glenbrooke series by Robin Jones Gunn

Jessie: The Ivy Chronicles actually isn't on my list. I read the review and didn't think that it suited me. Thanks for validating that for me!

Hey, Jessie, I liked your favorites of 2007 post. I've been trolling through this thread trying to get some ideas, but it's a lot of work because some of the books people posted they liked and some they didn't. Maybe we could all post our favorites of 2007, or favorites of all time?

Good idea, Schmoodle! I'll have to think about it and I'll post my list by this weekend!

Great, Kim, I'll think about mine too. We've already got Jessie's. Anybody else?

I added my favorites of all time up on my other post so it's easy to find. :)

Thanks Jessie! I've read Saint Maybe and Circle of Friends from that list, so I'll have to take a look at the rest. Having always lived near Baltimore, I like to read Ann Tyler for the descriptions of the neighborhoods.

Here's my faves of all time. This was easy I just went through my bookshelves and made a list - they all have a place in my permanent library and I re-read them when the mood strikes. The list starts with books I read as a kid. I was a voracious reader, lived a block away from the public library and had much more time for reading then than now! Of course I had the pleasure of reading all those books to my kids. I tried to put the list in the general order I read them, and it's easy to see when I went through my dark teen period. Maybe I would have gone goth if that had been an option in the seventies lol!

House of Sixty Fathers – Meindert Dejong
Story of a young Chinese boy who is separated from his family during the time of the Japanese invasion.
Flight of the Doves – Walter Macken
Two English orphans, forced to live with an abusive Uncle, run away to find their grandmother in Ireland.
The Phantom Tollbooth – Norton Juster
A very bored boy finds his way into a fantasy land full of word and number play.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – Robert O'Brien
Spunky and brave little mouse mommy, Mrs. F., and the amazing rats that escaped from NIMH help each other.
The Witches – Roald Dahl
Spooky and quirky good fun from the master of weirdness.
Island of the Blue Dolphins – Scott O'Dell
The fictionalized account of a real Indian girl, abandoned on an island off the coast of California.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Elizabeth Speare
Tale of a misfit girl in the Puritanical American colonies.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle – Shirley Jackson
I just looove Shirley Jackson, she can be terrifying without being overtly scary.
Salem's Lot – Stephen King
A book about vampires, I believe it was SK's first novel (before Carrie?). Anyway, I slept with the lights on for a month, listening for any nighttime scratchings at my window screen.
The Stand – Stephen King
Most of the world population is wiped out by a superflu, and the remaining people align along the lines of good and evil. Of course, one cannot live while the other survives.
Interview with the Vampire – Ann Rice
(but none of the other vampire chronicles, one was enough) I still like to read this for its originality. She has a tendency to go over the top, in my opinion, but this book is fairly restrained and intricately woven.
The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
Who wouldn't want to be rich in the twenties? If you didn't have to face the thirties?
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Set in the small-town south, a book about race and justice from a kid's point of view.
Divine Secrets of the Yaya Sisterhood – Rebecca Wells
Ms. Wells drew me into the world of an unconventional family. I sympathized with every character and liked the idea of such close female relationships.
Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett
A fascinating look at the building of cathedrals and life in the middle ages.
Cold Mountain – Charles Frazier
Pure romance here, but not cheap. The prose is beautiful.
Outlander – Diana Gabaldan
Pure romance here too, along with fantasy, and sizzling sex. As close as I think I could come to a romance novel, but much more well written.
The God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy
Told from the point of view of a girl growing up in India in the late 1960's. I love the way she plays with words.
Harry Potter – all of them – JK Rowling


I also love poetry and short stories, but that is for another thread...

Not sure I have any faves of 2007, except for Harry Potter. I didn't have a lot of time for reading, I guess. I read Running with Scissors, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, The Virgin Suicides, Galileo's Daughter, and lots of cookbooks. Some others that weren't too memorable I guess. Next I want to read A World Lit Only by Fire, when DH is done with it. Thinking I should make a list for 2008...

Wow! It's great to see how this thread has grown! :D

I just finished Life Mask by Emma Donoghue (the author of Slammerkin). It was Phenomenal!!!! I had the HARDEST time putting it down...hence the cold and laryngitis I have this morning! :lol: It's a fictionalized novel about over 30 real people living in London during the 1780s and 90s. Politics, scandal, love affairs, acting, fashion, big estates, it's full of them all! She's also a fantastic writer and as attentive to historical detail as Jodi Picoult, I think...and that's saying something! :lol:

I'll look through the thread and post my favorites from this year. My favorites of all time would probably be as long as this thread is now...I just fall in love with all kinds of books. Here's a quick short list, in no specific order, with TONS of stuff left out! ;)

Jane Austin (especially Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, and Emma)
Laura Ingalls Wilder's books
Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) by Laura Esquivel
Ex Libris
Anything by Sarah Waters, especially Tipping the Velvet
Anne McCaffrey's Pern series
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Woman in White
The Pigeon books by Mo Willems
Eloise
Mandy by Julie (Andrews) Edwards
The Little Princess
The Secret Garden (seeing a theme there?)
The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
A Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindsberg
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
Alphabet mystery books by Sue Grafton (like someone else mentioned, it's fun to read authors that talk about places where you live!)
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
Robert Munsch's books, especially Stephanie's Ponytail
Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
The Sweet Potato Queens books
Anne of Green Gables Series
Schmoodle, I loved Phantom Tollbooth, NIMH, Roald Dahl's books, esp. BFG, To Kill a Mockingbird, HP, and Divine Secrets. I adored Island of the Blue Dolphins as well and was lucky enough to live right near where it happened. I've never been to the island, sadly, but I've seen her grave at the Mission of Santa Barbara along with artifacts removed from the island. Fascinating!)

There are tons of other books...and I've probably missed some of my all-time favs here. I bet some of you will remind me with your lists! ;)

Okay, here's my list of favorites from 2007:

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by Rowling
Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 4) by Ann Brashares
Sleight of Hand
Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish
The Sunday List of Dreams by Kris Radish
Water for Elephants
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
The Book of True Desires by Betina Krahn
Son of a Witch
The Devil in the Junior League
The Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult
You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When It Monsoons by Mo Willems
Persepolis I and II
Better by Atul Gawande
Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
Miss Garnet's Angel

Wow, that IS a lot!

I haven't forgotten about my 2007 Favs list! I'm actually going to go look at the bookshelves right now! Thanks for posting all of your lists...I'm adding books to my BooksFree list like crazy after seeing them!!

~Kim

Okay, I've finally compiled my list. It's rather sporadic. I don't know how I ended up reading some of them at all! :D

Loves Come Softly Series Books 1-8 by Janette Oke - I reread these this year and can't imagine why I stayed away so long. They're great books.

Memoirs of A Geisha by Arthur Golden - This is one of those books that I have read over and over again. It will be a sad day if I ever stop enjoying it.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - Another book that I read at least once a year. I like the juxtaposition of sinner and saint in the lead male character - great for its symbolism and irony.

She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb - This one was borderline inappropriate for me. It was negative from the start and I almost put it down. The ending chapters were worth it, though and I ended up buying a copy for my permanent collection.

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey - Whether this was fiction or autobiography, I thought this was a great read. Who cares about the controversy? It had bite.

For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn - I bought this book for all the women in my life for Christmas. It's my guide to my DH and I consider it a must-read for any woman that comes into contact with any man.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J K Rowling - Maybe it's because it was just another HP book, or because it was the last one. Either way, this will probably always be one of my favorites.

I Like You by Amy Sedaris - This is more of a tongue-in-cheek guide to entertaining that belongs on the coffee table, but I read it cover to cover. Again, it was borderline inappropriate for me, but too funny to put down. (It had some great recipes in it - but I don't think any of them were SB-friendly).

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World by Haruki Murakami - A great (couple of) story(ies). My sis and I were trying to explore our Japanese heritage a little more and ended up reading some modern Japanese novels. This was my favorite of the bunch. Somewhat analytical and broken, it was a confusing read at first, but well worth the effort.

The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu as translated by Royall Tyler - This was an amazing tale. Again, part of the exploration into Japanese culture, we wanted to read what is known as the first modern novel written by a woman in 11th Century Imperial Japan. It took forever to read, but you can't help but fall in love with Genji and his life.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel - This was such a magical love story between Tita and Pedro. Add in the references to the kitchen and I believe this to be a book most people would like; if they like food. It was wonderful and another book that I read over and over.

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks - Finally! Vindication for the geeks of the world. This book came out - of course, another tongue-in-cheek "guide" - and you would not believe the coffee tables I've seen it on. Definitely a proponent of the "geek chic" movement. I love that this book was so well-written and well-edited. Had it been based on a realistic subject, it would be the go-to guide for millions. As it's written about zombies, it's a hilarious read that I couldn't put down.

Oooh, Kim, I love how eclectic your reading was this year!!! How could I have forgotten to put Like Water for Chocolate on my list of favorite books? It is to die for...I just adored it completely!!! :cloud9: The movie is fantastic as long as you see it in Spanish with subtitles.

I had no idea that the Love Comes Softly series went beyond #3! :woohoo: I loved the first three and was so sad to see them end! I enjoyed the Hallmark versions, but thought it lost a lot by making the baby a grown child. :shrug:

Loved your selections...lots of books I like a lot. Amy Sedaris' book looks totally hilarious, as does the zombie guide. Thanks for sharing, hon! :D

Yeah, growing up I read books 1-4 of the Love Comes Softly series (my grandmother was a fan and got me into them.) For my birthday this year, my little sis who worked at a Christian bookstore, bought me 1-8. I read them and loved them.

I haven't seen the movie for Like Water for Chocolate yet. I'm planning on adding it to my Netflix list. I'll be sure to get the Spanish version! Thanks for the tip!

I liked the movie Like Water for Chocolate but not as much as the book. Surprise, surprise!! LOL. That's pretty much my answer for any movie based on a book except for Bridget Jones's Diary and the Harry Potter movies. And OK, no, they're not as good as the books but they are pretty darn good.

Laurie, I finished reading A Thousand Splendid Suns. Have you started it? I think you will find it much easier than The Kite Runner, at least in terms of being able to stand the violence. I love that he wrote from women's point of views and did such an excellent job in it. Any violence is domestic violence and isn't nearly as detailed as it is in Kite Runner.

Also, I read Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie as a quick and fun cozy-mystery read. I really enjoyed it and will read more in the series.

Now I am reading a Christian chicklit that comes out in February for reviewing. It is You Had Me at Good-Bye by Tracey Bateman. And I don't think I am crazy about it but it's OK.

I can't wait to take a stack of books to PA with me! I know I won't have time to read a ton but will make room for it some and on the airplane and in airports. Will also take my laptop and work on my own Christian chicklit that I am trying to write. :)

Jessie

Oooh, I forgot that one too. I love Like Water for Chocolate! I never have seen the movie, though.

Well, after being away from our PO Box for so long, I knew my first round of booksfree books would be waiting for me. Here's what I got:

Deadline by Randy Alcorn

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Scent to Her Grave by India Ink

The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Real by Neta Jackson

I think I'm going to read them in that order. I'm planning on starting tomorrow, but it really depends on how much P1 planning and house chores I get accomplished. DH has a football game at 7 pm, so that would be a great time to sneak into my office and read. I do have to pace myself, though! I'm going to attempt to abstain from reading an entire book a night. I need my sleep! So, with that in mind, I'm sure I'll be sharing my feelings regarding Deadline in the "What are you reading in 2008?" thread! I can't wait to get started!

~Kim

Ouch, my arm hurts. I just went through all of this thread and compiled a reading list for 2008. Now I will be well prepared, and hopefully with a three page list I will be able to find something on the bookmobile. And I'll start putting in my requests. Thanks for all the ideas! I guess now I should do the same thing with the movie thread!
In the meantime, I have finished Galileo's Daughter, which was very good, and I think I will read some Isaac Asimov. Bookmobile won't be here until a week from Tuesday.

My NY's reading resolution is going to be to keep track of what I read. I've been going through this thread and compiling a list so I have tons of reading on hand when I have my knee surgery the end of January. My friend and neighbour, Liz, is also our librarian so will keep me supplied. The Ontario library sytem is great as she can access books from anywhere in the province!

All of Janet Evanovich's books, especially the Stephanie Plum books. Start with One for the Money and read your way through the numbers to Lean Mean Thirteen. They are all adventures with a lot of humor.
I still read James Patterson, I am trying to catch up on Alex Cross. I just received Mary, Mary for Christmas.
I also have Bad Dogs Have more Fun by John Grogan. He also wrote Marley and me, which was a nice read.
Happy Reading!
Karla