What I've read and a new purchase...

#76- The Lost Quilter
#77- H is for Homicide

I broke down and decided to buy just one book when I was in the book store the other day. And it is Candy Cane Murder by Joanne Fluke. Although I think it is a collection of short mysteries by a few different authors. I have seen it around for awhile and been wanting to read it and saw it at the store and got it. An impulse buy, but I think it will be a fun one.

Progress on War and Peace has been slow, I am too busy trying to get through my library books for the month, I only have one more to read, then I can really concentrate on W&P.

75 books in 2010? DONE!!! Yay me!

#72-G is For Gumshoe
#73-The Winding Ways Quilt
#74-The Silver Needle Murder
#75-Visions of Sugar Plums

I did it!!! I made it to 75, and I have a month left to spare, so now my goals are:

Finish War and Peace before years end (I have about 800 pages left!)
Get to 80 books read for the year

We'll see how I do!

Book stash

So, my birthday was about 2 weeks ago, and I got a bit of money from my parents and aunt, so decided to use some of it on....books!!! BIG surprise, huh?

what'd I get?

1. The boxset of the Millenium Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire and the Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest)

2. Dead to the World (the 4th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris)

So, I guess I did ok, I didn't go overboard, and yet I managed to pick up a few new things. Hey! I think I've done pretty well this year with not buying TOO many books, I don't have them recorded or anything, but I am pretty sure it's been under 20 this year!

It's helped that I have been using the library quite a bit more this year than I usually do.

Library Haul for November

1. Every Last One By: Anna Quindlen
2. G is for Gumshoe By: Sue Grafton
3. H is for Homicide
4. The winding ways Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts Series)By: Jennifer Chiaverini
5. The Lost Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts series)
6. The Aloha Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts Series)
7. The Silver Needle Murder By: Laura Childs
8. High Five By:Janet Evanovich
9 Visions of Sugar Plums By: Janet Evanovich

These should keep me busy for awhile. I have been working my way through the grafton series, but have decided they aren't good enough to actually purchase, so I will just borrow them, the same goes for the Evanovich series, fun, but not worth the cash! I have read one of the Elm Creek Quilts series and was wanting to read a few more. And I have never read anything by Laura Childs. She is the author of the Tea Shop mystery series, this is not the first in the series, but it was the only one I saw on the shelves so thought What the heck! If I like it I may go back and start the series from the beginning.

Every Last One has been on many reading lists since it's coming out, and I wanted to see what all the hype was about...I only gave it 4 stars out of 5. It was good, but seemed somewhat unrealistic in some aspects....guess that's why it's fiction, right? Although I must say the Author DOES have a writing style that sucks her audience in quickly, so that was a plus!

I'm still pushing ahead!

Just a quick update on my latest reads...

#68-The Scarlet Letter ****
#69-The Swan Theives *****
#70- Every Last One ****
#71-Victorine ****

Only 4 more books to go to reach that 75 books read for the year goal!!! I am SOOO close!!! But I think it is do-able!!

My one regret for the year is that I don't think I will get War and Peace completed. I'm on page 475 of 1455....and If I concentrate on it I don't think I will finish my 75 book schallenge, but I may try anyway!! We shall see...I think at this point I only need to read 20 pages a day of W&P to actually finish it by the end of the year, which seems easy, but it's just pickin' that sucker up!!! And Once I DO pick it up I enjoy it most the time...However, I DID just get a huge library haul the other day (9 books) and am eager to get to them too! Ohhhh too many books, not enough time!!!

Oops!

I have not been keeping up with this blog, since I do all my reading posting at goodreads.com, however, here is the run down for the year so far!

1. Dracula By: Bram Stoker 5/5
2. The Other Queen By: Philippa Gregory 5/5
3. Then Came Heaven By: Lavyrle Spencer 4/5
4. The Inheritance By: Louisa May Alcott 4/5
5. Foul play By: Janet Evanovich 4/5
6. Gracelin O'Malley By: Ann Moore 5/5
7. My Sunshine By: Catherine Anderson 5/5
8. Catch-22 By: Joseph Heller 4/5
9. A Girl's Best friend By: Kristin Billerbeck 4/5
10.The Little Giant of Aberdeen County By: Tiffany Baker 5/5
11.Moral Disorder By: Margaret Atwood 5/5
12.The Restoration By: Douglas Liversidge 3/5
13.A modest Proposal By: Jonathan Swift 5/5
14.Little Women By: Louisa May Alcott 5/5
15. The Historian By: Elizabeth Kostova 4/5
16. Dead Until Dark By: Charlaine Harris 4/5
17. Water Dancers By: Terry Gambler 4/5
18. Captivated By: Nora Roberts 3/5
19. Anna Karenina By: Leo Tolstoy 5/5
20. Cutting For Stone By: Abraham Verghese 5/5
21. The Portrait of a Lady By: Henry James 4/5
22. Two For the Dough By:Janet Evanovich 3/5
23. People of the Wolf By:W. Michael & Kathleen Gear 5/5
24.Weep No More, My Lady By: Mary Higgins Clark 5/5
25.Leaving Ireland By:Ann Moore 5/5
26.Living Dead in Dallas By: Charlaine Harris 5/5
27.Stillwatch By: Mary Higgins Clark 4/5
28.The Magnificent Ambersons By: Booth Tarkington 5/5
29.The Kite Runner By:Khaled Hosseini 5/5
30. A Cry in the Night By:Mary Higgins Clark 3/5
31. Jane Eyre By: Charlotte Bronte' 5/5
32. Wicketts Remedy By: Myla Goldberg 4/5
33. Three To Get Deadly By: JAnet Evanovich 4/5
34.Firefly Beach By: Luanne Rice 4/5
35. The worlds Most Haunted Places By: Jeff Belanger 5/5
36.Wizards First Rule By: Terry Goodkind 5/5
37.Gilead By: Marilynne Robinson 4/5
38. Vanishing Acts By Jodi Picoult 5/5
39.Mother of Pearl By: Melinda Haynes 2.5/5
40. C is for Corpse By Sue Grafton 4/5
41. Great Expectations By: Charles Dickens 5/5
42. Outer Banks By: Anne Rivers Siddons 5/5
43. Keeping the Moon By: Sarah Dessen 4/5
44. The Diary of a Young Girl Anne Frank By: Anne Frank 5/5
45.Moment to Moment by: Barbara Delinsky 4/5
46. Little house in the Big Woods By: Laura Wilder Ingalls 5/5
47.Little House on the Prairie By: Laura Wilder Ingalls 5/5
48. Farmer Boy By: Laura Ingalls Wilder 5/5
49. Haunted Theaters By: Barbara Smith 5/5
50. On the Banks of Plum Creek By Laura Ingalls Wilder 5/5
51. Talking to Depression By: Claudia Strauss 4/5
52. Miss Julia Throws a wedding By: Ann B. Ross 5/5
53. Miss Julia Hits the Road By: Ann B. Ross 5/5
54. Miss Julia's school of Beauty By Ann B. Ross 4/5
55. Montana Sky By: Nora Roberts 5/5
56. Savannah Blues By: Mary Kay Andrews 5/5
57. Downtown By: Anne Rivers Siddons 5/5
58. Haunted Hotels By:Jo-Anne Christensen 5/5
59. Ramona the Pest By: Beverly Cleary 5/5
60.The Mystery at Lilac Inn 5/5
61.Harriet the Spy By: Louise Fitzhugh 5/5
62.D is for Deadbeat By: Sue Grafton 4/5
63.E is for Evidence By: Sue Grafton 4/5
64.The Bungalow Mystery By: Carolyn Keene 4/5
65.F is for Fugitive by: Sue Grafton 4/5
66. Haunted Houses By: Edrick Thay 5/5
67. Four to score By: Janet Evanovich 4/5



I am part of a group at goodreads called the 75 book challenge, where we try to read 75 books for the year. I am SOOOO close...only 8 more books to go!! I probably would have already met the challenge, except that I had to take 1 or 2 months off from serious reading for a bout of morning sickness, so that slowed me down a bit. Lately I have been slow in my reading, for some reason. It seems the closer I get to the end of the challenge, the further away the end gets!!! But I am sure I can meet the challenge, just need to focus a bit more on reading, instead of SIMS 3, or Facebook games.

Also, I have been really focusing more on my cross stitching, than reading it seems, since the baby will be here in about 4 months, I have been trying to get some things stitched up for her!

July: Monthly Rundown

Due to morning sickness I only got to 4 this month:

1. Outer Banks
2. Keeping the Moon
3. Anne Frank: the diary of a young girl
4. Moment to Moment

Re-Read: 1
Classic: 1
Dr. Boxalls list: 1

June: Monthly Rundown

This month proved to be a much more productive reading month than last month! I got 7 done!

1. The Worlds Most Haunted Places
2. Wizards first rule
3. Gilead
4. Vanishing Acts
5. Mother of Pearl
6. C is for Corpse
7. Great Expectations


TBR challenge: 2
Classics: 1
Paranormal: 1
Pulitzer: 1

New Genre: 1

May: Monthly Rundown

This was a SLOOOOW month for reading. Just how slow? 4 books! I only got 4 books read, and one of them was an audio! Freakin' FB!!

1. Firefly Beach By: Luanne Rice
2. Jane Eyre By: Charlotte Bronte
3. Wicketts Remedy by: Myla Goldberg
4. Three to Get Deadly By: Janet Evanovich

TBR challenge: 1
Dr. boxasll's List: 1
Classic: 1
Audio: 1

Yearly book count: 34
Yearly page count: TBA

Firefly Beach: A book Review

Title: Firefly Beach
Author: Luanne Rice
Pages: 379
Personal Rating 4/5
Number read for the Year: 34


From the Back cover: Coolly sophisticated and steadfastly single, Caroline Renwick has always been the sister everyone could count on. As she and Clea and Skye gathered at Firefly hill, their childhoos home, caroline thought that they had all put the past behind them. But as summer gets underway, a mysterious man arrives- a man who has the power to bring it all back...

Joe Connor was only six when his father dies at Firefly hill. Though he and Caroline had never met, the five year old girl reached out to him. They became pen pals, and friends, untill a teenaged Joe finally learned the truth about what had happened to his fatehre that night. Now after years of silence, Joe is suddenly here...and Caroline feels a connection. But she can't help but wonder if this handsome man hold the key to her family's healing- or it's destruction. And in his presence, how long will she be able to guard her heart?


Personal Thoughts and Review: I am a long time fan of this author, I have read about 9 or 10 of her other works, and she brings me into her characters world quickly and fully. I find myself totally emersed in their feelings, and story, their pain, and anger, and their happiness too. Her character descriptions are full and leave you with no questions as to who these people are, making the reading experience very enjoyable.

I anticipate enjoying more of Luanne Rice's works in the future.

Jane Eyre: A Book Review

Title: Jane Eyre
Author: Charlotte Bronte
Pages: 461
Personal Rating:5/5
Number read for the year: 31

From the Back cover:With her 1847 novel, Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte created one of the most unforgettable heroines of all time. Jane Eyre is an orphan, penniless and plain, but full of courage and spirit. She has endured incredible hardship to secure her humble status as a governess in the household of her brooding employer, Mr. Rochester. Jane's sharp wit, and defiant nature meet with Rochester's sardonic temperament. The two become enmeshed in a deep, intense bond. but Rochester has a terrible secret- a remnant from his past that could threaten any hope of happiness with his only love.

An unconventional love story that revolutionized the scope of romantic fiction, Jane Eyre is ultimately the tale of one woman's fight to claim her independence and self respect in a society that has no place for her.

Personal Thoughts and Review: Amazing!!! I, a few years ago made a pact to get more classics and worthy reading into my reading diet, and I have found few that are not totally amazing, and worth the time! The Bronte Sisters are truly a talented lot, and Jane Eyre was hard for me to set down. I enjoyed it alot.

It is hard to believe that in 1848, 4 years after it was published and already very successful, a woman reviewer tore it and it's author to shreds, with allocations of it being "Illegitimate romance" (taken from the introduction by Erica Jong). when even today readers find this books amazing and well worth the read...at least I do!

April: Monthly Run-down

April wasn't a bad month for reading. I set a goal to read 7 books, and I did just that. Here's what I devoured:

1. Weep No more my Lady by Mary higgins Clark
2. Living Dead in Dallas By: Charlaine Harris
3. Leaving Ireland By: Ann Moore
4. Stillwatch by Mary Higgins Clark
5. The Magnificent Ambersons By: Booth Tarkington
6. The Kite Runner By: Khaled Hosseini
7. A Cry in the Night By: Mary Higgins Clark

TBR challenge: 1
Classics: 1
Pulitzer: 1

I read alot of Mary Higgins Clark, as I had a three in one book of hers, I actually have another one as well in my TBR shelf that I may get to later on this year. I was pleasantly surprised that I met my goal to read 7 books this month.

Yearly book count: 30
Yearly page count: 10,059

Book Review: "The Kite Runner"

Title: The Kite Runner
Author:Khaled Hosseini
Pages:372
Personal Rating: A or 5/5
Number read for the year: 29


Goodreads review:An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from the final days of Afghanistan’s monarchy to the atrocities of the present.
The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption. And it is also about the power of fathers over sons -- their love, their sacrifices, their lies.
The first Afghan novel to be written in English, The Kite Runner tells a sweeping story of family, love, and friendship against a backdrop of history that has not been told in fiction before, bringing to mind the large canvasses of the Russian writers of the nineteenth century. But just as it is old-fashioned in its narration, it is contemporary in its subject -- the devastating history of Afghanistan over the past thirty years. As emotionally gripping as it is tender, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful debut.
Author Biography: Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, the son of a diplomat whose family received political asylum in the United States in 1980. He lives in northern California, where he is a physician. The Kite Runner is his first novel.

Personal Thoughts:Phenominal book!! I don't know why it's been sitting on my TBR shelf for sooooo long, I can't wait to get to A Thousand Splendid Suns! That one is also in my stacks, I bought them at the same time...a few years ago, when they were going through their hayday, it's taken me just now to get to them...this book makes me thank God for allowing me to live in America, and for the men and women in our armed forces who are willing to risk their lives to go into a place like Afghanistan and save those less fortunate, as well as make sure our country stays a free place.

Book Review: "Stillwatch" By: Mary Higgins Clark

Title:Stillwatch
Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Pages: 368
Personal Rating: B or 4/5
Number read for the year: 27

From the insde flap cover: Broadcast journalist, Pat treymore comes to Washington to do a piece on the senator andvice-presidential nominee Abigail Jennings, but also to discover the truth behind her own mysterious past. Despite anonymous warnings to stay away, PAt continues her search- revealin gdark secrets that threaten to end the senators political career...and Pat's life.

My Personal thoughts:This one was ok, not as great as previous ones I've read of hers. But still enjoyable. I gave it a 4/5 rating. It had been sitting on my TBR shelf for quite some time, and I decided I was in the mood for some mystery and went for it.

Book Review: "Living Dead in Dallas"

Title: Living Dead in Dallas
Author: Charlaine Harris
Pages:279
Personal rating:A or 5/5
Number read for the year: 26

From goodreads review: "Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of real bad luck. First, her co-worker gets murdered and no one seems to care. Then Sookie is attacked - and poisoned - late one night by some weird and apparently mythical beast. She only survives because the local vampires roll up and graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it). But in return the blood-suckers need a favor.

Which is why Sookie ends up in Dallas, using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire, on the condition that her undead friends don't do anything, well, vampiric while she's there. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly."



Personal Thought:I thought the second one in this series (this one) was better than the first. I think I'm starting to get addicted to this series...oh boy! lol

Book Review: "Leaving Ireland" By Ann Moore

Title: Leaving Ireland
Author: Ann Moore
Pages: 378
Personal Rating: A or 5/5
Number read for the year: 25


From the back Cover:Hoping for a better future, Gracelin O'Malley sets sail from her beloved Ireland- a journey that takes her to a world far different from anything she's ever known. After surviving the difficult voyage, she joins her brother Sean, already much changed by his exciting life in Manhattan. she takes a job in a saloon, learning firsthand the harsh reality of immigrant life and the horrors ofthe Irish tenement district. Haunted by the choices of her past, and desperate for news of the infant son she left behind in County Cork, she finds solace in the friendship of a runaway slave, a woman who has made unspeakable choices of her own. As grace struggles to adapt to her new home, she reunites with a man she once misjudged. With his help, she finds the courage to take a stand against the corruption and injustice around her, but her brave actions threaten the very people she swore to protect.

Personal thoughts: This author was new to me at the beginning of the year, when I read the first one of the Gracelin' O'Malley series. I fell in love with her writing and her characters. There is a third book in the series, and I want to read it eventually, though I don't own it yet. If you have any Irish in your blood, I would suggest this one for you, these novels are rich with Irish History as the story of Gracelin O'Malley unfolds in this delightful series.

March: Monthly Rundown

1) Anna Karenina
2) Cutting for Stone
3) The Portrait of a Lady
4) Two for the Dough
5) People of the Wolf

Classics- 2
Boxall's List- 2

This was a bad month for reading for me. I think Anna Karenina slowed me down a bit.

Yearly page count:8,067
Yearly book count: 23

Aaack! Sooo behind!!

I'm behind on reviews, I am sooooo sorry!! This always happens!! I tell myself that I will stay caught up, and then I find myself reading book #20 for the year (like now) and only written a handful of reviews! I will try to get some more up here soon!

So far March has been a slow month for reading, I have finished 1 book, yes! ONE! granted it was Anna Karenina...with it's whoppin' 817 pages, but that is NO excuse!! I started it on January 1st!! I think I have been sidetracked lately with blogs and blog reading and Facebook playing and cross stitching and not reading as much as I would like. I am going to try to rectify that here SOON! As well as posting more reviews also! I try to keep my sidebar up to date, so if you want to know what is going on with me, watch that! Reviews will show up...eventually...I really wanted to do better about that this year....::sigh::oh well, I am back on the ball...I just poted a review on "Then Came Heaven" (Check Jan 7th post) I will be posting others this week as well. Stay tuned!

February: Monthly Run-Down

1. The Restoration
2. A Modest Proposal
3. Little Women
4. The Historian
5. Water Dancers
6. Dead Until Dark
7. Captivated

Non-Fiction: 1
Classics: 2
Library: 3
Dr. Boxall's 1001 list: 2

Yearly page count: 6,070
Yearly book count: 18

January Reads: Monthly Rundown

1. Dracula by: B. Stoker
2. The Other Queen By: P. Gregory
3. Then Came Heaven By: L. Spencer
4. The Inheritance By: LM Alcott
5. Foul Play By: J. Evanovich
6. Gracelin O'Malley By: A. Moore
7. My Sunshine By: C. Anderson
8. Catch-22 By: J. Heller
9. A Girl's Best Friend By: K. Billerbeck
10. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County By: T. Baker
11. Moral Disorder By: M. Atwood

Classics: 2
Audio: 3

Yearly page count: 2,937

Book Review: "A Girl's Best Friend" by: Kristin Billerbeck

Title: A Girl's Best Friend
Author: Kristin Billerbeck
Pages: 318
Personal Rating: 4/5
Number read this year:9
Total Pages read this year:2,596

Fromt he back cover:From the outside, Morgan Malliard has it all: diamonds at her disposal, a willowy figure, a doting daddy, and allt he elegance that money can buy. But money can't buy happiness- or an identity to call her own- and morgan is realizing her perfect life has no purpose other than spectacular grooming (which isn't really a purpose at all unless you're a chimpanzee.) Then a falling-out with her father drop kicks Morgan into the real world, and she is suddenly forced to get an actual job, wear affordable shoes and cope with public transportation- not to mention deal with that mysterious hottie who may or may not be stalking her!
It's time for a spa get away with her best gals, Lilly, and Poppy, because there's just something about lying under a pile of sweet smelling papuya plaster that can help a girl figure things out. Like the fact that life isn't about living up to a perfect ideal, and that with God's grace, the beauty of it may just be int he flaws after all...

Personal Thoughts and review: I enjoy Kristin Billerbeck. Her style is similar to that of Janet evanovich. Somewhat snarky humor is used to spin her tales. This is the sixth book of hers I've read, and hers are always a treat, laced with Chirstian principle undertones, "A Girls Best Friend" is a nice summer read.

Book Review: "My Sunshine" By: Catherine Anderson

Title: My Sunshine
Author: Catherine Anderson
Pages: 421
Personal Rating: 4/5
Number Read this Year:7
Total Pages read This year:1813

From the Back Cover: When Isaiah first hired laura, he wasn't expecting her to be such a breath of fresh air. Impressed by her healing touch-and captivated by her dazzling beauty-Isaiah finds himself falling in love. And he'll move heaven and earth to convince Laura that she's the woman he needs...the only one who can bring joy to all his days.

Personal Thought and Review: This was a run of the mill grocery store paperback. I picked it up at Sam's Club for a mere 4.88, the low price being my main reason for picking it up. I used to really enjoy mass paperback romances, but recently have not invested so much money or time into them. While this was a light, easy read, I didn't come away from it feeling as though I had gleaned anything useful from it, although it was fun brain candy.

I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars because I felt the story was well written, and the storyline was well filled out, and easy to follow, however i felt that some of the character development was lacking. This is an enjoyable read if you enjoy a good romance, with a little mystery thrown in for good measure.

Book Review: Gracelin O'Malley By: Ann Moore

Title: Gracelin O'Malley
Author:Ann Moore
Pages: 398
Personal Rating:5/5
Number read this year:6
total pages read this year:1,392

From the back cover: Life has not been easy for Gracelin O'malley. only fifteen when she married the local English landlord to save her family from financial ruin,she has tried her best to be a dutiful wife, providing him with an heir. Despite her husband's escalating cruelty, Gracelin's spirit remains unbroken, though she is no longer the innocent country girl she once was. As famine devastates the land, she openly defies him by feeding the desparate souls who come to her door. As political unrest sweeps across the countryside, she harbors Irish rebels-her own brilliant brother among them-keeping them hidden, as well, the deepest secret of her heart. And as a disaster threatens those she loves most, Grace fights to keep them alive, her profound courage inspiring everyone around her.

My persoanl thoughts: This book really brought the Irish potato famines to life for me. I was able to see the suffering of those poor Irish farmers, as they lost their homes and lives at the hands of ruthless, wealthy English landlords, who only cared about getting paid, leaving the poor in ditches, dying of hunger and yellow fever.

This was a hard read for me, emotionally, because while I was reading, I kept reminding myself that while this particular story and the characters within were fictional, the events were based on something that really happened. People DID starve and suffer in this tragic way, and that reality was heartbreaking.

I have the sequel to this one, Leaving Ireland,and am looking forward to reading it later this year, I have some challenges I need to read for and library books as well to finish first though.

I rated this a solid 5 out of 5 for solid plot, history research,and the ability to yank at my hearstrings. I would reccomend this one to anyone, but especially those with Irish background who care to learn more about their heritage and background. Amazing book! A job well done, Ann Moore!

Book Review: "Foul Play" By: Janet Evanovich

Title: Foul play
Author: Janet Evanovich
Pages: Audio
Personal Rating: 4/5
Number Read this Year:5
Total Pages read This year:994

From the back cover:When Amy Klasse loses her T.V. job to a dancing chicken, handsome vetrinarian, Jake Elliott rescues her with an offer to be his receptionist. Jake just can't resist a damsel in distress, and Amy certainly doesn't mind Jake's charming sincerity.

Then the job-stealing chicken suddenly disappears and Amy is suspected of foul play. Amy and Jakesearch for clues to p;rve her innocence. But will Jake be able to show Amy that love, too, is a mystery worth solving?

This is a funny, quick typlical Evanovich read. I enjoyed it, had some laughs, but not much else was gleaned from this one. But if you enjoy Janet Evanovich, I'm sure you will enjoy this one!

Book Review: "The Inheritance" by Louisa May Alcott

Title: The Inheritance
Author: Louisa May Alcott
Pages: 177
Personal Rating: 4/5
Number Read this Year:4
Total Pages read This year:992

From the front Flap of Cover: Set in an English country Manor, the story follows the turbulant fortunes of Edith Adelon, an impoverished Italian orphan whose loyalty and beauty win her the patronage of wealthy friends until a jealous rival contrives to rob her of her position. In the locket around her neck, she carried a deep secret about her natural birthright. But an even greater truth lies hidden in Edith's heart- her deep reverance for the kind, and noble Lord Percy, the only friend who can save her fromt he decietful, envious machinations of Lady Ida.

Personal thoughts and review:
This was Louisa May Alcott's (Author of Little Women)very FIRST book, it was found at Harvard University, with the words "My First Novel written at seventeen- High St.Boston" on a piece of paper that was pasted on the inside of a notebook. This piece of work, the very first book written by Alcott, was found in the Houghton Library, by the writers of "The Selcted Letters of Louisa May Alcott", as they commenced research for their book. This was in 1988. And 9 years later "The Inheritance" was published.

While this book was short of length, the knowledge that it is the first novel written by such an acclaimed author, makes it so special.

I enjoyed it very much. I only gave it a 4/5, for it's length, and sometimes it feels as though it is filled with holes, the plot and character development is thin. However, the thought that it is her very first book written at the ripe young age of 17 is amazing!! I can't imagine the excitement of those who were standing in the rare manuscript library at a prestigous college, looking for letters to fulfill material for one work, and stumbling across something as great as an entire novel that was never published, not only just an entire novel, but her VERY first one, written before she was ever publsihed. Amazing!!

Book Review: "Then Came Heaven" By LaVyrle Spencer

Title: Then Came Heaven
Author: LaVyrle Spencer
Pages: Audio
Personal Rating: 4/5
Number Read this Year:3
Total Pages read This year:815


From the Cover: As time passes, Sister Regina and Eddie Olczak come to realize that something has blossomed between them that transcends their love of Krystyna (Eddie's Deceased wife) and Eddie's daughters. Thrilled and secretly frightened, they both summon the courage to look within their hearts and make their own choices.


Personal thoughts: This is a good heart wrenching story about loss of a loved one, and learning to move on and about sacrifices that sometimes must be made in order to have true love.

Library Loot

Today I went to the library as if I need any books!! lol...This was what I got:

Fiction:
1) The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott
2) Water Dancers By:Terry Gamb
3) Catch-22 by:Joseph Heller
4) Little Women By:Louisa May Alcott
5) The Little Giant of Aberdeen County By: Tiffany Baker

Audio:
1) Foul Play by JAnet Evanovich
2) Moral Disorder By Margaret Atwood

Non-Fiction
1) The Restoration By:Douglas Liversidge


I posted a photo because I love the way a stack of books look. =) I know, I'm weird!

I also traded in my 11 trade ins for 11 others, some I will probably keep, like "The Diary of Anne Frank", and Ken Follets "The Pillars of The Earth", and some I will probably trade in again.

I was also bad and ordered 5 new ones from paperbackswap. 4 books, and 1 audio book.

Yesterday I finished reading "The Other Queen" by Philippa Gregory, today I finished "Then Came Heaven" By: LaVyrle Spencer. I listened to Then came Heaven while I worked on my Cross Stitch this week. I love that I can combine my love of reading with my love of Cross stitch, I can do them (sorta) at the same time!

So, I have two reviews to write sometime very soon! =) Off to dive into this stack of books!

Book Review: "The Other Queen" by Philippa Gregory

Title: The Other Queen
Author: Philippa Gregory
Pages: 433
Personal Rating: 5/5
Number Read this Year:2
Total Pages read This year:815

From the Back Cover: This Dazzling novel from bestselling Philippa Gregory presents a new and unique view of one of history's most intriguing, romantic and maddening heroines. Mary, Queen of Scots, trusts Queen Elizabeth's Promise of Sanctuary when she flees from rebels in scotland and then finds herself imprisoned as the "guest" of George talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick. The Newly married couple welcomes the doomed queen into their home, certain that serving her hosts and jailers will bring them an advantage in the cutthroat world of the Eliabethan court. To their horro, they find that the task will bankrupt them, and as their home becomes the epicenter of intrigue and rebellion against elizabeth, their loyalty to each other and to their sovereign comes into question. If Mary succeeds in seducing the earl into her own web of treachery and treason, or if the great spymaster William Cecil links them to the growing conspiracy to free Mary from her illegal imprisonment, they will all face the headsman.

Since I've read "The Othe Boleyn Girl", I have been wanting to read another book by Gregory. She makes the Elizabethan court and all that it entails so alive. I felt as though I was right there with the characters.

This book was written from first person point of view by Bess, George and Queen Mary, each chapter written by another character, so youare getting three view points of the story. The story of Bess who hold a grudge as she watches her holdings and everything she has worked for slip away while carrying to the every need of Queen Mary. You read the thoughts of George as he slowly slips into enchantment of the beautiful Queen he has been made a jailer of, all the while trying to remain faithful to his own Queen, Elizabeth. And you read the thoughts of the treasonous traitor, Mary, Queen of Scots. You start to take sides as you see the story unfold, and you feel what the characters feel.

Gregory writes with amazing character development, to the point where you make friends, or enemies of her characters.

I enjoyed this book very much, and gave it 5 out of 5 stars. I will later this year, be reading "The White Queen" by this author, and I am much looking forward to it.

Book Review: "Dracula" By: Bram Stoker

Title: Dracula
Author: Bram Stoker
Pages: 382
Personal rating: 5/5
Number Read this Year: 1
Pages Read for the year: 382

From the Back of the Book: Count Dracula sleeps in a lordly tomb in the vaults beneth his desolate castle. His stony eyes are open. His cheeks have the flush of life beneath their pallor. On his lips- a mocking,sensuous smile and scarlet fresh blood. He has been dead for centuries, yet he may never die....Here begins the story of those who feed a diabolic craving into the veins of their victims, into the men and women from whose blood they draw their only sustenance. It is a novel of peculiar power, of hypnotic fascination. The reader is warned that he who enters Castle Dracula may not escape it's baleful spell, even when he closes this book.

This book was as great as I thought it would be from the beginning. As of late I have been wondering about the whole Vampire thing, since the uproar for the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. I sorta wanted to see how they compared and contrasted. I wanted to see how her version held up to one of the originals.

Which brings me to something I learned while doing my research. I had always thought that Count Dracula was THE original Vampire. The first. However, that isn't true at all. There were THREE written before Bram stoker's Dracula: The Vampyre By John Polidori,Varney the Vampyre by thomas Preskett, and Carmilla Written by Sheridan LeFanu.

Learning this fact, I am all a-search for these first novels, so I can do more research. I don't know if they are still in print, or not, but I would really like to read them,and get some more background to the original gothic character of the vampire.

I gave this wonderful gothic tale a 5/5. It was a quick, easy read, as far as classics go, and the storyline kept me intrigued...I was forever wondering who would die next? WHEN the heck were they gonna die? And would they ever catch this evasive bloodsucker? So, if you have not had enough of the Vampire craze, I wholeheartedly suggest this one, to wet that Vampire desire!!

First finish for 2010!!

I just finished Dracula tonight. I wanted to read it, since there is the whole Twilight/Vampire craze going on right now. I thought I'd go back and read the classical version!

I really enjoyed that book. I won't write too much here on what I think, as I will write a proper review tomorrow, or so.

I started "My Sunshine" By Catherine Anderson, now that I'm done with Dracula. It is what some of us refer to as brain candy. Something a little lighter, after reading a classic, gives the ole' grey matter sloshing about in my skull a little break.

Ok, off to bed!

Oh yeah tonight, Hubby and I saw "Avatar" in the theater...not bad. I give it 4/5 stars.

Some goals for 2010

I have once again decided to do the 75 book challenge with a group at goodreads.

2 of those books are gonna be Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and War and Peace.

So I made a start on Anna Karenina On Friday! I figured out that if I only read 10 pages a day I can get them both read during the year, with no problem!

I want to continue to read more classics, and try to knock a few more off the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction off the list. I read three last year. I am also aiming to maybe make a dent in "Dr. Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" list as well.

So, pretty much trying to read 75 books this year is the big goal. I barely made it last year, as I finished #75 with 5 hours left to spare before the end of the year. I am hoping to actually finish early and see how many more than that I can get done.

We shall see how I do. I also have some pretty steep stitching goals to work on this year as well. So, we shall see how I do!!

Spending The Christmas Money

For Christmas, my parents sent me some cash. And today I went out and bought a nice little pile of books. Except for one was a gift from my hubby.

Here's my haul:



They include:
1. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes By: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
2. The Secret Garden By: Frances Hodgson Burnett
3. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by: Jane Austen and Ben Winters
4. The House of Mirth By: Edith Wharton
5. The White Queen by: Philippa Gregory

They have all been on my wish list for awhile, and I was lucky to find them at the BX here. Usually they don't have many that I actually want, so I was pleasantly surprised. Especially since I had taken a bag full of 11 books that I wanted to trade at the paperback swap they have at the base library and the library wasn't opened...=( So I gotta wait until next week to do that. And of course on top of switching out those eleven for "new" ones, I will also peruse the stacks to see if I can find anything to check out also...hey! I'm a sucker for free books! Even if you do have to turn them back in! I guess you could say that is sort of one of my yearly goals. Is to make use of my library more often. I mean I have over 100 books that I already own that is on my TBR shelf here but I can make those last longer if I use the library!

I feel as though I have gone book Crazy!!!