50 book challenge....

Not doing so well! I just barely completed #32 last week. Tara road by Maeve Binchy. It was a good book and I will put it in my list of books to review, it also met a requirement of my Oprah Book Club list as well. I am really close to a finish on #33, Nora Robert's Summer Pleasures, I only have about 55 more pages left to read. I started the first book of the Sweet Magnolia's Trilogy this week when I finished Tara Road. However I have not had a chance to really get into it, I read a page here and there in between life going on around me.

I also have started Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray, and I am enjoying this one immensly! I have wanted to read that one for a LONG time, and am finally doing so. It is really good! I have not picked up Moby Dick in some time, I just have not been in the mood to read it.

You know? I am disappointed in myself for not completing my challenge for the year, I started off strong, but then petered out. I think I spend way too much time ont he computer. I am a big SIMS 2 addict, and my hubby just bought me the Pets expansion pack so I have been playing on it for the past week. I need to make new "rules" for next year, to only use the computer two days a week, unless I am using it for homeowrk. I also spend so much time surfing the net...Too much time. If i had limited my time on the computer I am sure I would have been able to finish my goal. Next year I was going to try to up my challnege to 65 but I don't think I should. I don't know. We shall see.

Well, I am off to try to finish this Nora Roberts book before bed.

two mini challenges...

Becky at Becky's Book Reviews is hosting two mini challenges, and I am going ot unofficially do on eof them. I am not signing up on her page, but I will write here What I am going to read. I am reading two Jane Austen's for this, I am going to read Mansfield Park and Emma. I have all of 2008 to finish these. Jane Austens books are on my TBR pile for 2008 anyway, so Iam thinking I will read all her works, since I have her complete works in one huge volume.

Series Challenge rewrite

Ok...I think I am going rewrite my list for the series challenge...

Anne of Green Gables:
#'s 2-5

Sweet Magnolia Trilogy
#'s 1-3

Cedar cove series:
#'s5-7

Mitford Series:
5-9

Earth's Children
#1

First North American Series
#'s 1-2

Ok, this is it then...I will read these 17 books for the series challenge.

My list of series.

Ok, I posted my list of books I want to read for the series challenge on my side bar, basically I am going to read the Mitford series books 1-9, and Anne of Green Gables 1-8, and the three books in the Sweet Magnolia's Trilogy. I was gonna throw in the Cedar Cove series, but nah. I think I'm good with what I got. I noticed that some of the other participants are only reading one or two books from a series here or there, but I thought what the heck, I may as well jump in with both feet, and knock out entire series. I have actually read Mitford series 1-5, Anne of Green Gables, the entire thing, but a long time ago, but the Sweet Magnolias trilogy is new.

A challenge for me!

I did it! I signed up for the "series book challenge". It doesn't start until December first, and I am super excited about this... Lets see...so many series I wanted to read next year...actually thought about making it a theme for the year. I think I will go with...hmmm...oh who knows? I will have over 1 month to think about it! Or I can work on all of them.

Mitford Series
Anne of Green Gables series
Ceder Cove series
First North American series
Earth Children's Series

These are ones I really want to either re read or get into, or they have added books to the series awhile ago, and I want to get the new books and start the series over and include the new books. So much to read!!! I'm excited!

Themed Reading Challenge

To do, or not to do? I have sat and looked at the link to this challenge for a few minutes. I thought of different things that could be considered themes...Classics, Water, Native American Fiction. I really want to join. The thing is this year I joined the Summer Reading Challenge and blew it!

I don't know that challenges are for me. I am sort of a "pick up what I'm in the mood to read at the time" sort of girl, and I don't know how people with several challenges going at once do it! While I want to, I'm afraid! It's not that demanding of a challenge, either, where the summer one was short, only two months given, but this one you have basically 6 months! January through June. I am so tempted! Plus you are only required to pick 4 books, even though you can pick more. Maybe if I didn't go overboard and try to read a bunch like I did with my last challenge. I still have time to think about it! So, we shall see.

And another one finished!

I just finished reading book number 31 for my 50 book challenge about two minutes ago. It was "Power of a Woman" by Barbara Taylor Bradford. A great read for anyone who likes this genre. It was a fast read. I was actually supposed to be reading Tara Road and this one simultaneously, however, I found myself continuing to gravitate to "Power" more than "Tara Road", hence I finished it much quicker.

You know? Lately I have been drawn towards classics....I've pulled out several that I have in my stacks, but have not read yet. "Tom Jones", "Moby Dick" (which I am in the middle of) "Robinson Crusoe" which I completely forgot I even owned. A few Jane Austen's (ok, I have her complete works in one HUGE volume) "Wuthering Heights" "Portrait of a Lady", and some others as well which I don't remember off the top of my head. I have always wanted to get more into the classics, however I have just always been more drawn to more contemporary reading styles. I have a few more I want to buy, which are on my to buy list: "Don Quixote," "Picture of Dorian Gray" I just want to get more into the many oldies but goodies that are out there. I want to read those who took a stand and wrote first to pave the way for many of the writers today.

Anyway. Enough said. I mostly wanted to write about finishing "Power of a Woman." I will write a proper review later,right now I am off to hang out with Tom Jones.

Bye by Harry Potter!

I am finally done with the Harry Potter series!! And that means I have finished 30 of the 50 books for this year's challenge. I have 20 more to go. I am hoping to finish the next two books this week: "Power of a Woman" and "Tara Road". "Power of a Woman" on Wednesday, and "Tara Road" by Friday...We shall see. I am not sure when I hope to finish Moby Dick, It is slow going on that one, but that is alright, I am enjoying it anyway.

The Secret Hour

The Secret Hour

By: Luanne Rice

Pages: 395

Grade I gave it:A+ or 5/5

I am a die hard Luanne Rice lover so of course i fell in love with this one. It was a quick read, and I found myself missing it when I had to set it down to do something else, thinking about it, and longing to return to it.

A story about awidower, John O'Rourk who is an attorney that is defending a serial killer. The people of his town don't look too kindly on him for this, and him and his two children face trouble because of it.

When Kate Harris arrives looking for her sister, who she believes was a victim of John's clientJohn is faced with breaking confidentiality laws to help her find her sister. In the meantime, falling in love with her. Is Kate's sister dead? Or is she still alive? Only time will tell.

This book is filled with the mystery of a lost sister and best friend, and the blossoming love between John and Kate and the relationship that Kate builds with John's kids.

This one kept me turning the pages, wanting more.

A new review

"The Woman Next Door" by: Barbara Delinsky

pages: 371

Grade: A+ (5/5)

This was my latest finish. I could not put this one down! There was romance and mystery in just about every page.

From the back cover:

"Along with their husbands, Amanda, Karen, and Georgia are a close-knit circle of friends enoying seemingly ideal lives in an upscale neighborhood. But when they learn that their lovely younger neighbor, widowed for a year and presumably still unattached is pregnant, the strains and imperfectis of their lives come into full focus. As they ponder who the father might be, each ofthe women harbors suspicions about her own husband- each is forced to a crisis point that will strengthen or shatter her marriage."

The Author keeps you insuspence until the last pages to let you in on the secret of who the father of the widowers baby is, all the while dropping hints that make you believe it may be each one of the three friends husbands...but which one? It seems likely that each one could be it, but in the and you find out who it is, and it never is who you think it was! It keeps you turning the page, in wonderment of who it is!

Slowly but surely

And moving right along...I finished "The woman Next Door" by Barbara Delinsky today and started Barbara Taylor Bradford's "Power of a woman". I have been trying to read Harry Potter #7 here and there as well as "Tara Road". They are both coming along slowly, but surely. I may reach my 50 book goal for this year yet.

I will probably reach it if I did what I did today. As when I was younger and still living at my parents house, I used to hold up in my room and lay in bed and drink soda or coffee and just read for hours. I did just that. I had a huge mug of coffee next to me and I drank and read, and the day just slipped away, as did another book on my list.

I really think I need to slow down on my buying though, I have a very full "to be read shelf", and I have five more books on order that should start trickling in here soon, And after these 5 get in, I am not buying anymore books, until I finish at least half of what is on my shelf right now. I have them in the shelf two deep, as well as smallish piles (2-3 books) on top of the books that are filed into the bookshelf. I think there are well over 40 books there. I have to get them read!!! Oh well, I am obviously working on it!

The Secret Hour

I finished The Secret Hour by Luanne Rice last week. And immediately started Tara Road by Maeve Binchy, I am also in the middle of "The woman next door" By Barbara Delinsky. I can't seem to put that one down. It is so good, I plan on having it finished by the end of next week, if not sooner.

I still have not finished Harry Potter #7. I have less than 200 pages left to go on that one, I really should make it my goal to finish it by the end of next week. I think I ma doing ok on my challenge so ar, not great, seeing as how I am on book #28 of the 50 I wanted to read this year, and I only have 3 months left of the year. I should be much, much closer to my 50 book goal. but I shall continue to push on, and hopefully I can do it. I have taken on reading more than one book at a time now, so I am working on three at a time, which sorta makes things go a bit quicker.

I joined paperbackswap.com the other week, SO many books I want!!! I keep getting new ones, enough to keep me reading for awhile, my TBR shelf is FULL to the max!!! I seriously need to finish more before I buy any new ones, but I just keep buying more!

Oh well at least I won't be wanting for my next year's challenge, I already have a shelf full of books to be read.

Moving right along

Well, this week so far i have finished two books:
-"Leaving Eden" by Anne Le DeClaire and
-"Wyoming Kid" by Debbie MacComber

Both were pretty good, I would give "Leaving Eden" an A, and "Wyoming Kid" a B.

And now I am onto two new ones:
"The Secret Hour" by Luanne Rice, and "The Woman Next Door" by: Barbara Delinsky.

I started the secret hour when i finished leaving eden on Sunday and I just started The woman next door tonight after finishing Wyoming Kid. I really want to finish my 50 book goal for this year.

I still have yet to finish the last Harry potter book, although it is going along pretty quickly, I am more than half finished with it, but I needed a break so decided to see if i could finish these other two first then resume with Harry Potter, and now I'm done withthose two and am hopin got see Harry potter finished by the end of this week. We shall see.

And moving on with Harry Potter #6

O-k! Harry Potter #5 just took me FOREVER to read!!! I don't know what the problem was, but I have heard from various sources and other fans that #5 was a hard one for everyone. I was glad to hear it wasn't just me!

So, I started #6 just the other day, I have a goal finish it this week. And seeing as how quickly it is going (much faster than the previous one) I think I may actually be able to finish the entire series by my original goal date: September 20th. Maybe! Because my bookshelf on my headboard of my bed is OVERFLOWING with new books that need my attention!!!! So, I am hoping to be able to reach that goal. Wish me luck!

After Harry Potter I plan on returning to finish the other two books I was in the middle of when I went on my Potter craze: "Wyoming kid" By: Debbie Mac Comber. Don't laugh, and I am a bit ashamed, but it is a short not quite 300 page Harlequin romance. Yeah I know. I am a big McComber fan though, and that is the only reason I picked it up. And the other one I was working my way through was "Leaving Eden" by Anne Le Declaire. Which I was thoroughly enjoying, I am looking forward to getting back to it.

I don't know why, but I am not one who can read several books at once. I used to be, but lately it's one at a time for me!

After those two I am not sure what I will read next. Possibly #2 in the Kristin Bellerbeck trilogy I was reading. Or maybe a classic. I don't know, for now though I need to get through these Potter books, then we'll see. I still want to finish 50 books this year but I really am not seeing that happening. It is way late in the game, and unless I read and do nothing else, I don't think my 50 book goal will actually happen! But I will keep you posted! Well, I am off to read for a bit before going to bed.

I'm still reading

Wow! I haven't written in a long time, I have been reading however...but not as much as I would like.

I failed miserable at the summer challenge and it was my first one, I kept changing my selections then threw it all to the wind and started reading the Harry Potter series. I think I did end up reading ten books, but they were not my original 10.

I was in the middle of "Leaving Eden" when my "I Must read Harry Potter NOW!" attack came on, and have been reading HP ever since. I have never read the Harry potter series until the 7th book came out, and DH and I went to the local release party and it got me all excited to read them and there yah go. It has been slow going though. It's been over a month since I started (July 21st) and I am just now at the beginning of book 5.

However, life has been a bit disrupted by summer school, and now I am back in school for Fall Term, so that cuts back on the reading as well. Although all I really want to do is sit and read HP. We'll see, I sorta have a goal to have the entire series read by October 1st, which isn't a bad goal, seeing as how I only have 3 more books of the series to read. (less than actually as I am about 150 pages into #5) So, I think it may be doable, as long as I keep it up, and this thing called life doesn't get in the way. After the Harry Potter series, I plan to return to "Leaving Eden", and move on from there.

I have bought quite a few new books from amazon, of course, and I just found a used bookstore here in my toen that I never knew existed, so I will be going over there when I have finished the pile of books that lay in wait of being read. Gosh, I wish I could just forget life and just READ.

The thing when you're in college, though about fun reading, is that you KNOW you HAVE to read for classes, and when you sit and read for fun, your homeowrk reading is sitting in the back of your brain taunting you, making you feel guilty for not reading what you SHOULD be reading. So, we shall see how the rest of the year goes concerning my reading goals. I wanted to read 50 books this year, and I have to say I am SADLEY behind. But, I will continue to read, and enjoy and if i don't reach my goals, oh well, at least I read SOME this year, rather than nothing at all, which is what happened the first two years out of undergrad school. I had no motivation to read at all, and now I am going to get my masters, and I suppose the lack of reading will return, but I will try not to let it!

Drowning Ruth

I started Drowning Ruth quite awhile ago, and am still not done with it! For some reason...I am not reading this one as quickly as I could/should. I think I have been spending too much time online messing around reading and surfing the net...ah! plus I caught up with an old friend from high school on myspace(any myspace addicts out there?) and spend HOURS IMing with him...So, not a lot of other things going on really...I feel like I'm behind in everything.

But when I first started the book it seemed SLOW...it was hard to transition to this genre...I guess you could call it...the author flips back and forth between the here and now and the past and different character voices, first and third person point of view...I mean she is all over the place! And at first I was thinking "I cannot get through this! This is just crazy writing! How do you keep up with the story like this?!" But I stuck with it and I'm finding it is, infact, a piece of art...it's REALLY good! It is very different and artistically written...from what I'm used to, and yet I took a chance on it and...wow! So, I am slowly plodding through this piece of art, and I have no idea why it is taking me so long! I mean I'm absolutely into the story, it just seems like I never get to sit down with it for more than twenty or so minutes at a time, so it is just slow going...But! I hope to finish it by tomorrow evening, maybe? We'll see. I'm going to see the new Harry Potter movie tonight, so I'm very excited! I find it funny that although I am besotted with books, I have seen all those movies and have yet to read ANY of the books in the series and here the last one is coming out in about a week. I guess it's sort of a good thing though, because now I don't have to wait for the next book to come out when I'm done reading each one, ha ha!

Wow!

Water for Elephants

By: Sara Gruen

Grade I gave it: A+ (or 5/5)

pages:336

Water for Elephants was the GREATEST book! I thoroughly enjoyed it, there were not many lulls, if any, that I can remember. The author sweeps back and forth between the here and now to the past in the memories of an elderly man's mind. His memoirs as a vet traveling with a circus, are exciting, and enchanting.

It made me remember that so many times as a young person I disregard old people and how they think and the things they have seen and done, and yet if you take time to really sit down with them and listen, they have got some gems to tell! This is what I thought of reading this book. I felt as though I was sitting beside this poor lonely old man and listening to him tell me his great adventures traveling with the circus. I couldn't put it down!! I finished it in 5 days, and for me that is a record-at 335 pages!

I think I have said it here before, but this year I have made a pact with myself to branch out in my reading choices, and read some authors I wouldn't before. This was my first stepping- out- of- my- comfort- zone- read, and I was NOT disappointed. I am definitely going to be looking for other works by this author.

Next up: Entering Normal by: Anne D. LeClaire

Also a new author to me...so we shall see if I am satisfied and eager to reach for the next one I have by her: Leaving Eden

Water for Elephants

Well, I was happily reading through my old books when it dawns on me that "Wait a minute!! I have BRAND new books I could be reading!!! Why am I re-reading books that I have read before?" So, I chucked Mitford Years out the window...no just kidding, I would never treat a good friend like that, and went to round up all the books I have on my shelves that still need to be loved...I mean read...I found 30!!! and then I went to the mall and Water for Elephants was on sale-40% off, you KNOW I had to get it! Within a day of buying it, I was half way through!!! It is a true page turner!!! I love it! So, I guess this means that my list for the summer challenge has changed yet once again...I am going for 8 of my new books to be finished. I feel like I wasted so much time reading those other books...and now I'm starting the challenge over, except for the fact that I can't rewind time and go back to week 1...so, I will just keep plodding on...what can I say? Too many books!!! How in the world did I justify re-reading old ones?! Oh well, I am on the right track now!

Another finish!

I just finished What a Girl Wants about two minutes ago. I had read it before, but a few years back, and had forgotten many of the tiny details of the story, so it wasn't completely ruined for me. Now I think I will move onto The first in the Mitford Years series. I have read these too, but again it was such a long time ago I don't think I will remember much of the stories, so they won't be ruined. I have the first 5 in the series, I guess there are like 9 now, but I never bought 6-9, so I think I will read the 5 that I have and then opt to buy the next four in the series.

Which reminds me I spent like 35 bucks on books yesterday at amazon.com. Lets see? What'd I buy?

Three books on Oprah's Book Club list:
~Anna Karenina
~The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
~Drowning Ruth

And three on the Ballentine Reader's Circle list:
~The Mirror
~Leaving Eden
~Entering Normal

And a classic by Henry James:
~A Portrait of a Lady

I have made the decision to try to read more classics and finish more lists (Book club lists and award lists, and classics, etc) than just randomly picking up a book and saying "Oh! That looks good, I want that!" I am also trying to break out of my women's lit addiction. I have a tendency to read only those authors which I have read before and love, most are women:

Maeve Binchy
Nora Roberts
Belva Plain
LaVyrle Spencer
Barbara Delinsky
Kristin Hannah
Luanne Rice

I am really trying to broaden my horizons when it comes to my book choices. And so I think I am doing pretty well with these new book choices. I am breaking out of my comfort zone. plus picking a list and working off it sorta gives one a sence of accomplishment, or a goal.

If you are like me and like lists of books to work through, check out: http://www.listsofbests.com/

There are lists of books galore! Plus music, movies, places to visit, and more. I am working on 13 lists myself...all book lists. Oprah's Book Club being one of them, Pulitzer Prize Winners being another.

Well, I am off to pick up The Mitford Years #1, and check in with Father Tim! LOL

Finished with Anne of Green Gables.

Another book read! Onto #16...which I am already in the middle of, since I was reading Anne of Green Gables and What a Girl Wants simultaneously.

I finished Anne of Green Gables this morning. I wanted to finish it yesterday but that didn't happen as in the afternoon, I started feeling really sleepy and took a 4 hour nap in the afternoon, instead of reading! So, I have finished book #15 for my yearly 50 book challenge, and I finished the first book on my Summer Reading Challenge list.

That's amazing! I originally started off with 10 books for that challenge, and ended up with 12. I thought I had better add the two that concludes the Ashley Stockingdale series as well, so instead of 10 I have 12 now...it really WILL be a challenge. Seeing as how it is already June, and I have barely finished book #15 for the entire year, how am I gonna finish 12 books in two months if it took me over 5 months to read 15!??! I guess that is why it's called a Challenge.

Now I am thinking of starting Emma by Jane Austen as well, get a good head start on it. But we shall see. Right now I am going to concentrate on What a Girl Wants, and maybe start Mitford years #1.

Let the Challenge begin!

Well, The Summer Reading Challenge has started!!! I have to change the list for my SRC, I have Nora Robert's "Blue Smoke" on the list, but I finished it last night, so I started Kristin Billerbeck's "What a Girl Wants" this morning, so that I could add it to my challenge list, and take the Nora Robert's one off.

I am a little over half way finished with Anne of Green Gables already! I forgot how much I loved those books! The scrapes that poor Anne gets herself into...it is so funny! Well, we are in for some big thunderstorms tonight so I think I will go get comfy in my bed with Anne or Ashley (The main character in the Billerbeck book) and read my evening away, while yet another storm pummels us here in the big country.

I will write review of Blue Smoke tomorrow.

Summer Reading Challenge

Well, I just posted my introduction at the summer reading challenge blog...this is gonna be fun, somehow I don't think I will meet my challenge, because I picked quite a few books, 10 to be exact, and since I only have 9 weeks to get them done...and in this whole year have only read 13 so far...This is stretching it, but it may spur me on to get more reading done.
I picked to read for this challenge:

From the Anne of Green Gables series #'s 1&2 LM Montgomery
The Mitford Year's series: 1-3 J. Karon
The woman next Door B. Delinsky
Tara Road M. Binchy
What a Girl Wants K. Billerbeck
Hilltowns A.R. Siddons
Emma J. Austen

I am excited about this. I have already started Blue Smoke, and Anne of Green Gables. But I don't think it matters...It's my challenge, and my challenge for those two is to finish them! I'm off to get some reading in!

Summer Reading Challenge

Well, I decided to join a challenge! It's my first one ever, obviously, since I just barely started this blog. It sounded like fun, so we will see. I didn't get much reading in today, because of work, but hopefully I will get more done tomorrow, plus I am gonna sit down here in about half an hour and read before going to bed. I am setting a "goal" to finish Blue Smoke by Friday night. Now I have to think about what books to read for the challenge!

This summer i decided I would pull out some oldies but goodies, that I have read already but want to read again, much to my hubby's relief, (since I won't be spending money to buy new ones, I have a pile of 60+ books to be "re-read") So, I went up int he attic and pulled down a bunch of old books that i already had, but had not laid eyes on in...forever.

Well, some of my books are coming up missing...My Jean M Auel Earth's Children series, and my First North Americans series is also missing! I went through box after box, and nothing!!! I have no clue where they would have gone! That is just frustrating, because I had not even read the First north Americans yet...and I had the first 6!!! Gone! So, they went on my Amazon.com wish list. I can't find my Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged either.

So, when I was growing up I always remember having a stack of books on my nightstand next to my bed. I would always be reading more than just one book at a time. Well, since I got out of college I have not done that, I have been reading one at a time. But last night in my excitedment to get through my pile of oldies but goodies I decided I want to start 4 new books, it may be 5:

~Anne of Green Gables (A trip into my childhood reading!)L.M. Montgomery
~ The Mitford Years series #1- Jan Karon
~The Woman Next Door- Barbara Delinsky
~What a Girl Wants- Kristin Billerbeck
~Hill towns-Anne Rivers Siddons

I think...I went through such a hard time deciding on what I wanted to start, that I switched them many times. So I'll be working on all of those, plus, Blue Smoke, which I was working on already.

My husband says he doesn't get how people can do that...read more than one book at a time. He says he would get them confused. But I don't. Each story has it's own personality, and characters and story line, what's so confusing? I mean when he turns on a TV show, he wouldn't confuse Gilmore Girls with Smallville, would he? To me, it's the same thing.

Well, I am off to get some reading in, before hitting the housework. I took my holiday weekend off, so I have tons of cleaning to catch up on!

My 50 Book Challenge

Well, I finally decided to do it! I have been looking at so many other book blogs and totally enjoying seeing what everyone has been reading, that I decided that I would work on a blog to catalogue the books I will be reading this year, and just talk about books in general.

I love to read, I have always loved to read, ever since I was 3 and my mom introduced me to library books, I have always had piles of books everywhere. I remember long summer days laying on my bed with a Coca Cola and a good book, for hours! Books and the stories and characters within have been some of my best friends growing up through the years.

Then I went to college, and my reading was reduced to basically textbooks, and in the summers and Christmas breaks, I would still read for fun, but I didn't like the pressure of having to read, so I would not consume as many books as I had as a child.

Then I graduated from college and my love of the written word went downhill as I got married and life got in the way. And I read, but not as much as I used to, and not with the fervor that I used to feel when I would read. I used to list the books I read in the backs of my journals, and tally them up at the end of the year, and after college I read, but it wasn't an obsession, or a passion anymore. It was just a way to pass the time. But I decided that this year I was going to fall in love with the written word once again. And thus started my 50 book challenge for the year, and I must admit, I am falling sadly behind. I am on book #14 for the year, and I think as June is coming up and that is the half way point of the year I should be much closer to #25.

But press on I will.