Tuesday, January 1, 2008

On the Nightstand/In the Bookbag-2008

2005=40 books / 2006=15 books
2007=27 books / 2008 Goal=40
I signed up for the Dear Reader service again. I used it in 2005 when I was in my bookclub, but quit when I left Europe (2006). I read a lot of doggy books last year and I don't want to repeat that mistake.

Text Books

1. Servant of the Bones-Anne Rice (05Jan08) I love this book. I think this is my fourth or fifth reading of it. I needed something to read until my next book came through innerlibrary loan.

2. The Golden Compass- Philip Pullman (15Jan08)- Wow! Interesting book. I wanted to read this before I saw the movie. Hopefully they won't botch it like Eragon. Some really interesting themes here. I can see why the Church has heartburn over this book. I L.O.V.E. controversial books. It makes everyone think, discuss, and question.

3. Peony in Love-Lisa See (23Jan08) Very interesting book. This book (like Snowflower and the Secret Fan) was set in the same Manchu (China) period. It's heavily based on women's writings from this era. But, be warned, there's alot of "afterlife" story. The main character spends 90% of the book as a ghost. It's definitely worth a second read.

4. Chicken Soup for the Dieter's Soul-(03Feb08)-A sweet read. I've been keeping it beside my diet journal. I'd read a story every night when I "blogged" about diet/exercise.

5. Water for Elephants (06Feb07)-Great story. Sortof a cross between the HBO show "Carnival" and Nicholas Spark's "The Notebook."

6. The Lost Life of Eva Braun-Angela Lambert (16Mar08) I have been literally reading this book since Nov. I kept renewing it. It was fascinating reading, but very dry. In the end, I just scanned the last two chapters and read the last one. Very sad. What a terrible time in history.

7. Skylark- Patricia MacLachlan (18Mar08) This is a Junior Fiction book that I just had to read. (in four hours) It's the sequel to Sarah, Plain and Tall. That was one of my favorite books as a kidlet. This was a sweet story. I just wish I had read it when I was younger. It was a little too simplistic for me. I wanted more! My Grandma Carol instilled a love for Pioneer life in me. She was always giving me Willa Cather/Laura Ingles Wilder books to read.

8. The Storyteller's Daughter-Cameron Dokey (30Mar08) The "backstory" of Shahrazad from Arabian Nights (1001 Arabian Nights) Very good story. It's young adult fiction, so it's a very easy/quick read. I read it out camping.

9. The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint- Brady Udall (12Apr08)- The heartbreaking life story life of a little biracial boy (Native American/White) on an Arizona reservation. My Branch Manager suggested it to me. Edgar always seems to take one step forward....two steps back. It does end on a happy note...so it's worth your time (if you're an emotional sap) :o)

10 The Coconut Oil Miracle (nonfiction) Bruce Fife (20Apr08)- Made me a believer. I now use it as a food source/moisturizer.

11 Escape-Carolyn Jessop (24Apr08) Amazing what this woman went through to escape the Polygamist cult (FLDS) she was in. I devoured this book. So sad.

12 The Diamond Throne- David Eddings (10May08) Recommended by a co-worker of mine. It's good. Knights and damsels-in-distress...It's good enough to read the other two in the trilogy. Just not the best thing I've read.

13 The Ruby Knight - David Eddings (15May08) We went camping and I left my book three at home....never again will I be book less. The whole time I was wondering what was "going on" back in Elenia

14 The Sapphire Rose -David Eddings (24May08) What a satisfying trilogy. I'm tempted to read more of his "Sparhawk" books...but not yet. I have a few others already in line.

15 In the Company of the Courtesan-Sarah Dunant (06June) Wow! I burned through this book quickly. It's about a courtesan during the time of Rome's sacking .(1550's) She, and her dwarf handler, swallow all their gems and flee to Venice to start over. Well worth another read.

16 Birth of Venus- Sarah Dunant (15June) She wins again, this time in Florence. I'm going to try more of her books. I'll let you know if they're any good.

17 Stolen Innocence- Elissa Wall (07Jul08) I was reading The Kite Runner but my girlfriend said:"here's that book I was telling you about...it's due Monday" So I read this over my birthday/camping weekend.

18 The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini (15Jul08) OH! What a good story. I think this is the best book I've read this year. It's about two boys in Pre-Taliban Afghanistan....Betrayal.... Redemption..and the power of the human spirit. "There is a way to be good again." I also sent away to netflix for the movie. It's not as good as the book, but when are they ever as good as the book?

19 Anne of Green Gables- L.M. Montgomery (19July08) I needed a break from the dark books...so I ran away to childhood. My Grandmother gave me these books to read....and I loved them. I DO find them a little too "wholesome" and unrealistic as an adult, but then I remember that they WERE written for children. *shrug* I still love that whole Avonlea world. Too bad I won't get Littlebear to read them. (PS-I still cry when Matthew dies.)

20 Anne of Avonlea- L.M. Montgomery (21Jul08)-I know I should love Paul Irving...but sometimes he's really just too good. (eyeroll)

21 Shattered Dreams- Irene Spencer (25Jul08) I finally gotten over my "I was a wife of a polygamist" fascination. It's just too hard to read these books. I just can't believe people would treat each other so poorly for "eternal glory." I don't believe God would charge that much for salvation. *shakes head*

22 Sabriel- Garth Nix (06Aug08) Picked this up off the shelf for a quick book fix and actually found myself enjoying it. It's part of a trilogy...so I'll be able to enjoy the world a little more.

23 Lirael- Garth Nix (10Aug08) Just as good.

24 Abhorsen- Garth Nix (18Aug08) There's supposed to be a fourth book in this series due in 2010, I'll make sure to keep an eye out for it. Great series.

25 Anne of Windy Poplars- L.M. Montgomery (25Aug08) Great, as usual, but I'm going to take a break from this series...I've got a few others I want to read.

26 The Midwife's Apprentice- Karen Cushman (25Aug08) More of a tale than a book. I found it while putting away a cart of Young Adult fiction. It took an hour to read. Good story....but I wanted more depth. *shrug*

27 Seized- Jaid Black (28Aug08) Erotic Romance. Um...LOL! I'll admit, these books were donated to the library and were going straight into the recycling box (The library doesn't circulate THESE types of books.) This one wasn't really worth my time. Gah!

28 Lucavarious- Stephanie Burke (01Sept08) Here's another Erotic Romance. The difference is that this one was TOTALLY worth my time. It was similar to the movie "Underworld" (werewolves and vampires.)

29 Anne of Ingleside-LM Montgomery (10Sept08) It was as good as I remember, but I really need a break from these. There are only two more left. I'll finish the series, but not quite yet.

30 Caleb's Story- Patricia MacLachlan (11Sept08) This is the third of the "Sarah:Plain and Tall" and book #7. I know they're written for 3-5th graders...but I still love them. I found this story today at work and read it in an hour. *happy grin*

31 A Thousand Splendid Suns- Khaled Hosseini (15Sept08) Women in Afghanistan during the rise/fall of the Russians and Taliban. Achingly beautiful. Well worth another read.

32 Chicken Soup for the Military Spouse's Soul- Jack Canfield (21Sept08) Went through a box of Kleenex. Good stuff, maynard!

33 Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral- Kris Radish (17Oct08) I really enjoyed this one. It took me a while to get through it though. Life is a little crazy now. It was totally a "chick book" about girlfriends and celebrating life (and death)

34 Be the Pack Leader-Cesar Millan (26Oct08) I've been mainlining Cesar for about two weeks. I now feel confident dealing with Pugly.

35 The Last Unicorn-Peter Beagle (31Oct08) Just as good as the movie, but I keep having this feeling that it's an allegory that I'm not completely understanding. Let's go Wikipedia it and find out......

36 Juniper Tree Burning-Goldberry Long (06Dec08)

37 Whitethorn Woods-Maeve Binchy (20Dec08) Loved it!

38 Brissinger- Christopher Paolini (31Dec08) This series keeps getting better!

Well, that's the end of 2008 reading. I surpassed my goal! (43 total)

Graphic Novels (LOL because I'm not considering them "real" books....yet)

  1. Star Wars-Bounty Hunters-Various Authors(01Jan08) A Graphic novel with four short stories in it. I usually don't choose to read Graphic novels, but this one intrigued me. I love the whole Star Wars world.
  2. Dragonlance Chronicles- Dragons of Autumn Twilight-Book I & II-(06Jan08)-Graphic Novels. I read books one and two, but I'm only counting them as one book. Somehow I just don't see "comic books" as real books. But they are gorgeous to read.
  3. InuYasha Book 2 (07Feb08) I was given the 1st DVD by Betsy (lady I work with) and was HOOKED! But then again, I love Japanime.
  4. InuYasha Book 3 (08Feb08) Addicted!
  5. InuYasha Book 4-(11Feb07) This is the first non color book. It was missing QUITE a few pages. (Side note) I know that a parent was upset last week about some nudity in the books (a shot of a cartoon breast from a beast woman) so the "offending page" might have been taken out. I wish they would have just colored in the image instead of ripping the whole page out. Graphic novels have ALOT of info packed into each cell. Missing 4 or 5 cells is disasterous.

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