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#102 - 106[May. 30th, 2006|11:07 am]#102 Three Fates by Nora Roberts
#103 Ghost Walk by Heather Graham
#104 Good Girls Do by Cathie Linz - very amusing, looking forward to her next one.
#105 Chamomile Mourning by Laura Childs
#106 Divided in Death by JD Robb link post comment
#91 - #101[May. 22nd, 2006|10:44 am]#91 Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
#92 Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
#93 Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
#94 Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
#95 Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
#96 Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
#97 The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce
#98 Big Girl Knits by Jillian Moreno & Amy R. Singer
#99 Dates from Hell by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Kelley Armstrong & Lori Handeland
#100 Wit'ch Storm by James Clemens
#101 The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan link 2 comments| post comment
#81 - 90[May. 11th, 2006|02:02 pm]#81 The Killing Dance by Laurell K. Hamilton
#82 Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton
#83 Blue Moon by Laurell K. Hamilton
#84 Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton
#85 Narcissus in Chains by Laurell K. Hamilton
#86 Cerulean Sins by Laurell K. Hamilton
#87 Incubus Dreams by Laurell K. Hamilton
#88 Micah by Laurell K. Hamilton
#89 Shatterglass by Tamara Pierce
#90 Werewolf's Kiss by Cheri Scotch link post comment
#71 - 80[May. 1st, 2006|11:02 am]
#71 Hunter's Moon by C. T. Adams & Cathy Clamp
#72 Moon's Web by C. T. Adams & Cathy Clamp
#73 Twilight hunger by Maggie Shayne
#74 The Myth of Monogamy by David P. Barash
#75 Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
#76 Laughing Corpse by Laurell K. Hamilton
#77 Circus of the Damned by Laurell K. Hamilton
#78 Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K. Hamilton
#79 Love in Vein by Poppy Z. Brite
#80 Twice Bitten by Poppy Z. Brite link post comment
#61 - 70[Apr. 16th, 2006|08:47 pm]#61 Organizing Plain & Simple by Donna Smallin
#62 The Potty Trainer by D. Preston Smith
#63 Magic Steps by Tamora Pierce
#64 Blue Twilight by Maggie Shayne
#65 The Ring on Her Finger by Elizabeth Bevarly
#66 Snow In September by Rachel Lee
#67 Plant Parenthood for Urban Gardeners by Kate Staples
#68 Men in Knits by Tara Jon Manning
#69 Street Magic by Tamora Pierce
#70 Cold Fire by Tamora Pierce link post comment
#59 & 60[Apr. 7th, 2006|01:08 pm]#59 Valiant: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black
#60 Touch of Evil by C. T. Adams & Cathy Clamp
Vampire fiction with a new twist on explaining vampires. link post comment
#56 & #57[Apr. 1st, 2006|10:59 am]#56 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evie by Marianna Stillings
I know it's total fluff but I adore her characters. Rob thinks I am crazy because I keep laughing aloud. She has a new one out this week. Wish I had the $$ to pick it up. Will see if it's in the library system yet.
#57 The Princess Tales by Gail Carson Levine
OMG! Too funny. I love her stuff. She wrote Ella Enchanted (haven't seen the movie or read the book yet. I have volume 2 sitting here. Will probably suck that up this week.
Gail Carson Levine combs the fairy tale archives for raw material, then weaves her own sly versions, producing retellings shot through with farcical wit, role-reversal, and empowered heroines. The six novellas that comprise The Princess Tales all take place in the Kingdom of Biddle, a land where the traditional fairy tale is turned on its head while retaining the habitual happy ending. Levine, who received the 1998 Newbery Honor award for Ella Enchanted (HarperCollins, 1997), captivates both voracious and reluctant readers with these lively retellings. In The Fairy's Mistake (1999), an adaptation of "Toads and Diamonds," Ethelinda finds that her fairy curse is unintentionally beneficial to the bad sister while harming the helpful one. "The Princess and the Pea" is renewed in The Princess Test (1999) as a romance where a blacksmith's daughter finds true love by outclassing royalty and winning the prince. Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep (1999) revives the "Rapunzel" tale and presents a heroine who chooses the terms of her enchantment. Cinderellis and the Glass Hill (2000) knits together the well-known "Cinderella" and the obscure "The Glass Hill," to craft the tale of a downtrodden male protagonist who wins the love of the princess. Young listeners may not know the story of "Puddocky," but they will recognize that a girl-turned-into-a-frog must have the kiss of the prince to break the spell in For Biddle's Sake (2002). The Fairy's Return (2002), the story of a princess and a commoner who find love, uses word play, riddles, and jokes to refresh the story of "The Golden Goose." Actress Lili Taylor narrates the tales in a breezy, conversational manner. There is little vocal differentiation between characters, yet the deliberate pace of phrasing supports listeners in following the thread of the story. Each tape is introduced and concluded with a lively unifying musical theme, and the overall aural quality is clear and sharp. Libraries will want to order The Princess Tales, Vol. I (HarperCollins, 2002), the compilation of these individual titles, to provide a print companion to the audio presentation. Eager listeners will be delighted with Levine's ingenious spin on familiar yarns. link post comment
Back in the reading groove...[Mar. 29th, 2006|12:00 pm]#53 Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black
Sixteen-year-old Kaye Fierch is not human, but she doesn't know it. Sure, she knows she's interacted with faeries since she was little--but she never imagined she was one of them, her blond Asian human appearance only a magically crafted cover-up for her true, green-skinned pixie self. First-time author Holly Black explores Kaye's self-discovery and dual worlds in her riveting, suspenseful novel Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale. The book has its faults: it slips into shock-value mode; the descriptions are often overwritten (sunset on the water looks like the sun slit his wrists in a bathtub); the language is overly, unnecessarily explicit; and the writing often unpolished. Still, the story's pull is undeniable, and readers under its spell will be hard-pressed to put the book down.
The novel begins in a bar in Philly, where Kaye's alcoholic rock-singer mother's boyfriend tries to kill her. For their own safety, mother and daughter quickly move back to grandma's on the New Jersey shore where Kaye grew up. This ugly turn of events was all rigged by the Faerie world, as it turns out, a world Black describes in deliciously vivid, if rather overblown, detail. Kaye, a drinking, smoking, foul-mouthed high school dropout in the land of mortals, soon finds herself embroiled--as a human sacrifice, no less--in a battle between Faerieland's Seelie and more malevolent Unseelie courts. The beautiful, mysterious knight Roiben, torn between worlds himself, falls in love with Kaye--the brave, clever changeling--against his better judgment. Throughout the electrifying journey to the horrific underworld of this modern faerie fantasy, teen readers will relate to a hard-luck tough girl who feels alienated, discovers her best qualities in the worst of circumstances, and finally finds a place between worlds where she can feel at home. (Ages 13 and older) --Karin Snelson
#54 The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Most of my friends were surprised that I have never read Robert Jordan. Now I know why - very LoftR meets King Authur, I am hooked. Off to request the next one.
The peaceful villagers of Emond's Field pay little heed to rumors of war in the western lands until a savage attack by troll-like minions of the Dark One forces three young men to confront a destiny which has its origins in the time known as The Breaking of the World. This richly detailed fantasy presents a fully realized, complex adventure which will appeal to fans of classic quests.
#55 Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton
Cute cozy mystery featuring knitting. link post comment
#49 - #52[Mar. 23rd, 2006|03:17 pm]I still haven't been able to "get into" anything. In the last 2+ weeks this is all I've read:
#49 Wit'ch Fire by James Clemens (must find sequel)
#50 Converting Garages, Attics and Basements by Jeff Beneke (very good but I think we are starting in the kitchen instead)
#51 The Green Kitchen Handbook by Annie Berthold-Bond (not bad, may pick up my own copy)
#52 The Sisters Grimm: The Unusual Suspects by Michael Buckley (as fun as the first) link post comment
I had started and put down a good half dozen books before I could get into anything lately.[Mar. 6th, 2006|10:48 am]Very weird. Here's what I've read over the past 2 weeks or so.
#44 Micah by Laurell K. Hamilton
#45 A Stroke of Midnight by Laurell K. Hamilton
#46 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer New writer, I hope to see more of her work.
#47 The Suitor by Sandy Hingston
#48 The Wolf & the Princess by Karen Kay link post comment
# 37 - 43[Feb. 22nd, 2006|12:34 pm][mood| tired]
I was sick as a dog, Sat - Tues. It was aweful, so I read all sorts of "fluffy" paperbacks that I didn't have to get out of bed or beg my husband or son to hunt up.
It was interesting. My reading reminded me of my college days. This is how I would "veg" on Saturday. I used to trek the 5 miles or so into town and buy 2 paperbacks before brunch, then read them both between brunch and dinner.
#37 Incubus Dreams by Laurell K. Hamilton
#38 Seduced By Moonlight by Laurell K. Hamilton
#39 A Wanted Man by Susan Kay Law
#40 Once Upon a Wedding by Kathleen Eagle
#41 Rider on Fire by Sharon Sala
#42 Temptation Calls by Caridad Piñeiro
#43 My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair
I don't think I forgot any... link post comment
# 33 - 36[Feb. 17th, 2006|03:18 pm]#33 Daja's Book Tamora Pierce
#34 Drowning Wednesday by Garth Nix
#35 Cerulean Sins by Laurell K. Hamilton
I wasn't planning on re-reading this one yet. But it was there and I couldn't help myself.
#36 Outrageous by Lori Foster
It was the first pb I grabbed without getting out of bed. link post comment
30 - 32[Feb. 17th, 2006|03:10 pm]#30 The Sisters Grimm, Book One: Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
Very cute - will request the next one from the library. May even invest in the set to go with the Lemony Snicket series.
Gr. 4-6. After their parents disappear, sisters Daphne and Sabrina Grimm are placed with a grandmother they have never heard about. Sabrina, the eldest, is highly suspicious; why didn't their parents mention Granny Relda? She grows more concerned once they arrive at Relda's home in the New England town of Ferryport Landing, where Relda serves emerald-green meatballs in rooms lined with books about magic. Then Relda reveals the truth: the Grimms are descended from the famous storytelling brothers, and Ferryport Landing is a magical town, populated with "Everafters," characters straight from fairy tales. After Relda goes missing, it's up to the girls, and their new magical friends, to rescue her and stop a corrupt politician--a well-cast Prince Charming. Buckley's debut novel gets bogged down in labored world building and sometimes stilted prose, but the wild parade of magical folk in the gleefully fractured fairy tales (Snow White teaches school; the Three Little Pigs are policemen) may draw some fans.
#31 Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
I really, really liked this one.
Grade 5 Up-In Warsaw in 1939, a boy wanders the streets and survives by stealing what food he can. He knows nothing of his background: Is he a Jew? A Gypsy? Was he ever called something other than Stopthief? Befriended by a band of orphaned Jewish boys, he begins to share their sleeping quarters. He understands very little of what is happening. When the Nazi "Jackboots" march into the town, he greets them happily, admires their shiny boots and tanks, and hopes he can join their ranks someday. He eventually adopts a name, Misha, and a family, that of his friend Janina Milgrom, a girl he meets while stealing food in her comfortable neighborhood. When the Milgroms are forced to move into the newly created ghetto, Misha cheerfully accompanies them. There, he is one of the few small enough to slip through holes in the wall to smuggle in food. By the time trains come to take the ghetto's residents away, Misha realizes what many adults do not-that the passengers won't be going to the resettlement villages at the journey's end. Reading this unusual, fresh view of the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of a child who struggles to understand the world around him is like viewing a poignant collage of Misha's impressions. He shares certain qualities with Spinelli's Maniac Magee, especially his intense loyalty to those he cares about and his hopeful, resilient spirit. This historical novel can be appreciated both by readers with previous knowledge of the Holocaust and by those who share Misha's innocence and will discover the horrors of this period in history along with him. Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
#32 Murder Alfresco: a Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley mystery by Nadia Gordon
I did not like this one as much as the previous - it didn't talk to the foodie in me as well as the last one. link post comment
Yes, Yes I haven't updated in eons...[Feb. 2nd, 2006|04:09 pm]( What's been absorbed in 2006, so far. ) link post comment
#166 - #169[Oct. 4th, 2005|10:02 am]Read the last 2 JD Robb books I needed to have read all of the "In Death" books that are currently available in paperback.
Also have read:
#166 Powers That Be by Anne Mccaffrey & Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
#167 A Dilly of a Death by Susan Wittig Albert
#168 Double Shot by Diane Mott Davidson
#169 Warrior's Woman by Johanna Lindsey link post comment
[Sep. 27th, 2005|11:45 am]Just read through 18 JD Robb books (in 2 weeks - yes, I know I am sick), have just 2 more to read and I will have read (or reread) all of her full lenghth books in the "In Death" Series except for Remember When, which I didn't really like the first time I read it. But may pick it up just so I have all of her current paperbacks.
Have also reread the books 11 more Catherine Coulter books (historicals) and 3 books written by Nora Roberts.
So 127 + 18 + 11 + 3 = 159 I've probably forgotten a few in there, too. That weren't part of a series...
#160 The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan
#161 Mommy! I have to go potty!: A parent's guide to toilet training by Jan Faull
#162 My Not-So-Terrible Time at Hippie Hotel by Rosemary Graham
#163 The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova link post comment
[Aug. 10th, 2005|01:25 pm]#127 Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical by Anthony Bourdain
I picked this one up on a lark. I used to like to watch his shows on TV. I read this slim volume in one sitting on Monday night. Very interesting, will definitely look into the "Urban Historicals" series by publisher Bloomsbury and most definitely more by Anthony Bourdain
#128 The Sherbrooke Twins by Catherine Coulter
#129 The Return of Rafe MacKade by Nora Roberts link 1 comment| post comment
[Aug. 8th, 2005|11:03 am][mood| drained]
Reading is my escape, my vacation from stress and the craziness of working full time - running a department and helping to raise an active, independent and intelligent child.
These last few weeks have been particularly crazy, hectic and exhausing at work & home. So just about every spare moment my nose has been hidden in a book. Believe me, my house looks it. Although my freezer is full of goodies - cooking is another stress reducer. If the weather hadn't been so hot, humid and nasty (or if we had AC) I may have gotten more knitting or crocheting done.
So at my best guess I have read 126 books so far this year. I may have missed a couple books here and there because I haven't been as dillegent getting my lists up but this is what I have read in the past 3 weeks or so.
#108 Crystal Singer by Anne Mccaffrey
#109 Killashandra by Anne Mccaffrey
#110 Timeshadow Rider by Ann Maxwell
#111 Fire Dancer by Ann Maxwell
#112 Dancer's Luck by Ann Maxwell
#113 Dancer's Illusion by Ann Maxwell
#114 Change by Ann Maxwell
#115 The Sherbrooke Bride by Catherine Coulter
#116 Hellion Bride by Catherine Coulter
#117 The Heiress Bride by Catherine Coulter
#118 Mad Jack by Catherine Coulter
#119 The Courtship by Catherine Coulter
#120 The Scottish Bride by Catherine Coulter
#121 Pendragon by Catherine Coulter
#122 The Wild Baron by Catherine Coulter
#123 The corset diaries by Katie MacAlister
#124 Dead as a doornail by Charlaine Harris
#125 Renovating old houses : bringing new life to vintage homes by George Nash
#126 Home space planning : a guide for architects, designers, and home owners by Nancy Temple link post comment
[Jul. 19th, 2005|09:21 am][mood| amused]
I have not been reading as much as usual and I have not had internet access at home so I have not been able to keep up with my list. Here is what I can remember reading over the last month. I know I have forgotten a couple but I'll live...
#96 Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
#97 Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
#98 Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
#99 Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
#100 Derik's Bane by MaryJanice Davidson
#101 Under Cover by MaryJanice Davidson
#102 Uncertain Magic by Laura Kinsale
#103 Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
#104 Folk bags: 30 knitting patterns & tales from around the world by Vicki Square
#105 Encyclopedia of Knitting by Deborah Kooler
#106 Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmermann
#107 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
Yes I finished the new Harry Potter book last night. I probably would have been done 2 days ago but let my hubby read it first. link post comment
#87 - #95[Jun. 16th, 2005|07:19 pm][mood| mischievous]
Just going to do a list again because many of these are re-reads.
I have been having a lot of trouble getting into books lately. Returning several to the library that I could get past page 10 with. Must be going through one of my phases, but can't figure out what it is I want to read. Seem to be leaning toward bodice rippers, my brain must have been needing a vacation.
#87 Slightly Married by Mary Balogh
#88 Slightly Wicked by Mary Balogh
#89 Slightly Scandalous by Mary Balogh
#90 Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh
#91 Slightly Sinful by Mary Balogh
#92 Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
#93 Black Rose by Nora Roberts
#94 Bite by Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight & Vickie Taylor
#95 American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Along with my library books that I have on hold, I am probably going to reread the HP books in anticipation of the new one. I have also been thinking about rereading Laurell K. Hamilton or Charlaine Harris' vampire books, just because... link post comment