1. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks [finished 1/4/09]: In typical Nicholas Sparks fashion, the man was such a hero. As I read these books I always ask myself the question "why?" Why on earth do I read these silly predictable books? Well, I still don't have an answer, but I enjoyed my reading. Less than two days for this one. What's it about - oh yeah. Drifter veteran dude looking for a woman in a picture...
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry [finished 1/11/09]: Book club book. At first I thought I'd breeze through this because it was pretty short. Once I started reading it I was just sort of creeped out by it. I didn't like all the rules and control and the names of everything in their supposed ideal society. As the book went on I liked it more. I was reminded of the move "Pleasantville" a little because in both that movie and the book the community believes that they are living the better way, when in reality they are missing out on what makes life great. It's a black and white world with no feelings and no choices. I don't want to spoil the book, so I won't tell you how it ends. What I will say though, is that I was left confused. Maybe I didn't think deep enough or something, but I'm going to look around in the internet a bit to have the book explained to me. It's a good thing I am not a teen like the book was aimed for or else I might be even more confused.
3. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger [finished 2/09]: Book club book. I loved the writing style of this one. I think I was disappointed with how it ended, but I really enjoyed reading it. The author wrote the way a person actually tells a story (interrupting themselves, unimportant details that are clarified as unimportant or tangents). It was a good book.
   
4. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray [finished 2/09]: This was suggested by a former co-worker. I hated it. I only finished it because the last book I started to read (At Home in Mitford) was so dull that I had to quit reading it. I didn't want two failures in a row.
5. Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy [finished 3/17]: I love Maeve Binchy's books. This is her most recent release and I was not disappointed. Like many of her other books, the story line isn't as important as getting to know the characters. What was fun in this one was the reappearance of many characters from her other books. Some played minor roles and others were major characters. Having read all of her books I liked seeing these people reemerge, even if I had completely forgotten about some of them. Good book.
6. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult [summertime]: I liked it. It was thought provoking and an interesting story. I thought the very end was stupid though. Now I want to see the movie version.
   

This year I am including non-fiction, not just novels

1. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks [finished 1/20]: I thought this book was great. It was a bout the plague which is a topic I would have probably never picked to read on my own. It was our January book club selection. I liked that it was a small town. I like small town stories. That is one thing that attracts my to Maeve Binchy's books so much. It was a sad book overall. I felt like the ending was rushed, sort of like at the end of a movie when they type up a blurb to cover the rest of the character's life. The book was very detailed and painted a believable picture of what it might have been like to live during the plague.
2. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult [finished 5/19]: I haven't felt much like reading this year, but this may have started me back on it. It is a book for book club and I read it really fast. It's about a school shooting. Well, Mostly it is background on the people involved and the outcome of the shooting. I like how the book  was laid out - bouncing around from past to present. It was good and made me think.
3. Tara Road by Maeve Binchy [finished 5/27]: This is my second time reading this book. When I first read it it instantly became my new favorite. I would still say it is great, but probably not THE FAVORITE. I generally love everything Maeve writes. She creates very real characters and I love how they stories are all set in little Irish towns.
   
4. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield [finished 6/9]: I read this about 8 years ago or maybe 9. I LOVED it then. I decided it was my favorite book. Like Tara Road (above) I think it had a stronger impact the first time. I still really liked it though. It presents some really great ideas on the hows and whys of life.
5. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks [finished 6/14]: I liked the book. I read it super fast. Nicholas's Spark's books are like that - easy reads and they sort of trap you into reading them. Like most of his novels though, I have these complaints -somewhat predictable, but not too bad. I get that he himself is a romantic, but honestly these guys he writes about do not exist. What a shame too! Ok, the next part is a spoiler I guess - in several of his books the main characters fall in love through an affair of sorts. Does anyone else see anything wrong with this? Even if it is true, soul mate, undying love - it is still wrong to cheat. Oh, and if this was ever made into a movie, the obvious choice for the man man in it is Matthew Mcconaughey.
6.   The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield [finished 7/15]: This was another book club selection. I thought it was fantastic. It really drew me in and I just wanted to finish it. It reminded me a lot of the V.C. Andrews books I read as a teenager. There were twins, a fire, a gardner, a seemingly crazy old lady. All element to a fantastic book (that is slightly sarcastic). Really though, it was a good one and a bit of a mystery.
7. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by R.K. Rowling [finished 8/5]: Ok, You'd think I would have read these by now, right? I resisted because I couldn't stand the hype. I never believed they weren't good though. So, fulfilling my end of a bargain with my sister (plus the fact that the fascination has died down immensely now that there are no more books to come) I am now reading the series. As expected, I liked the first book. It was simple, charming and definitely written for kids. I am looking forward to more adventures.
8. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by R.K. Rowling [finished 8/7]: Once again, it was good. I was wrong about who I thought the bad person was.  I felt like I didn't even have a chance though, since  magic is involved and all... Time to bust out the next book.
9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by R.K. Rowling [finished 8/11]: Still good.
10. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by R.K. Rowling [finished 8/21]: Definitely getting dark. Felt a bit like a bridge book, like it wasn't finished when it ended.
11. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Solider by Ishmael Beah [finished 8/26]: This was a heavy book. It is so easy to forget about all the troubles in the world when we are so far from them. Reading about this boy in Africa who had to become a solider to stay alive make a bad hair day seem like a dream. It was a sad story with a somewhat happy ending despite it all. The thing I don't like a bout memoirs is that it is actually hard to believe them in their entirety. But, I know horrible things are going on and have gone on in this world and it make me sad.
12. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by R.K. Rowling [finished 9/9]: This was a fat book and my slowest read of the series so far. Not that it wasn't interesting, I just didn't read it in very big chunks which makes it hard to get into. This book was so different than the first. Like the previous one, much darker, more serious, and at times a bit slow seeming. I enjoyed the last 200 pages the best and am looking forward to the next couple of books.
13. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer [finished 9/16]: It started out sort of disappointingly, but ended well, more about my thought HERE.
14.  A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini [finished 11/3]: Intense. This book was pretty heavy. Well, written, but not one I would reread. The thing I like about books like this is that it helps open my eyes to how things are in other countries. It puts a human face to the pictures of poepl in war torn areas of the world. It helps me to have more compassion. The book was rough and brutal and in no way uplifting, except perhaps to remind me that I have it pretty good here.
    
15. Austenland by Shannon Hale [finished 11/12]: Such a fun book...maybe even more so because the last was so intense. Also maybe because I think I might have a crush on Mr. Darcy and could related to the character in this book. It was clever and silly. I liked the mix of 19th century and modern times. And I like how it ended. :)
16. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by R.K. Rowling [finished 12/20]: Don't read this if you haven't read the book (I know - who hasn't?!) This one left me on my seat and I am mad I don't have the last book ready to read right now! I can't believe Dumbledore is gone. I keep thinking it will be like Gandalf in LOTR and he will be back. Then again, I picture Dumbledore as Gandalf. That's all I want to say. I just need to read the last one now!
17. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by R.K. Rowling [finished 12/31]: Ok, so I just looked up Ian McKellen on IMBD and he's not in any of the Harry Potter movies! Such a shame. He was a wonderful Gandalf thought and I need to re-watch LOTR. So, book 7 was action packed, really good, slightly confusing at the end, and really good.  I am glad to see that Snape was not all evil. I hoped he wasn't. I believed he wasn't - until last book, that is. I had a few predictions during the book - some were wrong (that Harry was related to Dumbledore), but others were right (the tiara hiding spot). Anyway, great books - now I'm on to the movies and some new books in 2009.

1. Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy: This was an alternate book for book club after the original book was deemed possibly inappropriate by the picker (she hadn't it read it first). I actually had this reserved for me when I was pregnant with Zeke, but never picked it up from the library. It was a quick read and entertaining. A little over the top, but, that is just how Jenny McCarthy is. It was pretty funny and I found myself nodding a lot throughout it
2. Baby Laughs by Jenny McCarthy: I figured I read this one to finish what I started. In this book she focuses more on post-baby body stuff and just dealing with adjusting to a new baby. It was a similar read to the last one and I again found myself nodding in agreement quite a bit.
3. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks: I liked this book (like I usually do with most things he writes). It was predictable, but it was an easy read and I liked the characters. I read it in 2 days and wished that it was longer so I had more to read... [Finished 2/10/07]
4. Beach Road by James Patterson: This was the selection for February's book club. I liked the format of it. The story unfolded through the eyes of different characters by chapter. It wasn't as cool as it is in some movies, but still a nice diviation from the ordinary way books are usually written. The story was pretty good and there was a twist at the end (which they tell you is going to happen on the inside cover of the book - and I didn't read that until I was done reading the book). Personally, I thought the twist was lame, but whatever. I enjoyed reading the book and that is all I usually ask for in a book. [Finished 2/16/07]
5. Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella: Pretty funny at first, I was disappointed in the end. This was another book club selection. [finished 2/2007]
   
6. The Broker by John Grisham: I forgot to write about this when I read it and now I don't even remember what it was about. I like Grisham though, so it was probably good. [finished 3/1/07]
7. The Innocent Man by John Grisham: See #7 [finished 3/3/07]
8. One More Day by Mitch Albom: I am not so fond of Mitch Albom. I think his stories are ok, but I don't realy like them too much. [finished 3/5/07]
9. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway: I didn't get why this book won the Pulitzer. Boring... It did remind me of my dad for a sec, just because it was someone who fished. [finished 3/6/07]
10. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant: Totally good book. One of the best I have read in a long time. It is about Jacob from the Bible's daughter Dinah. It is fiction, but it paints a picture of ancient days that made me feel like the people in the Bible were real and not just faceless characters. Really good book. [finished 3/11/07]
11. Peyton Place by Grace Metalious: I heard about this book on some mini series Nate and I got from the library a few years ago about the 1950s. This book caused a lot of commotion and got banned back then. I guess it was just too over the top. It candidly spoke of topics like murder, sex, etc. Totally tame, mind you, but way more than other books ever had back then. I liked it. [finished 4/16/07]
12. Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy: I love Maeve. This one is her latest book. It was a simple read and well written like all of her books. Nothing outstanding, just good. [finished 4/17/07]
13. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls: This book was quite good. It was another book club selection. It is the kind of story that makes you realize that we have no idea what other people have been through. It also made me appreciate all that I had growing up and the care and concern my parents had/have for my welfare. Very interesting memoir. [finished 4/30/07]
14. Everyone Else's Girl by Megan Crane: Pretty lame. It was ok, I guess, but totally not one I would recommend. I needed a book to read and had to hurry at the library, so I just grabbed this off of the shelf. It was that library patrons suggested. Anyway, I read it really fast, but not because it was good... [finished 5/1/07]
15. Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom: Morrie seems like a really cool man, but I stll don't like Mitch Albom. I thought if I read his best-best seller I might change my view, but no...[finished 5/2007]
    
16. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: This book was fantastic. We watched the movie in school and I remember liking it. I couldn't remember anything about it other than a few character names, and of course the handsome Gregory Peck. This was so well written. The story itself was great too. I am going to have to watch the movie again. [finished 5/9/07]
17. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards: This is a book club selection (for November). I really liked the idea of this book and thought it had the potential to be very interesting. It was well written, but I found myself a little disappointed. I did get through it pretty quickly though, so i would call it a "page-turner." [finished 5/13/07]
18. The Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini: This is a book that my old boss recommneded to me. Based on his description it didn't sound that interesting. I didn't understand anything that was going on in Afghanastan and (sadly) didn't care. So, I didn't read it. Last year it was a book club book that I skipped over. So, since it had been recommended twice to me, I figured it was worth reading. I totally liked it. In the middle I was disaapointed, but by the end thought it was a very wonderful, yet sad story. [finished 5/17/07]
19. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd: I read and liked another book she wrote, so I grabbed this one off the shelf. I didn't really like it. I mean it was ok, but I didn't like the lady in it. [finished 6/12/07]
20. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri: This is one for book club later this year. I like that people have picked books that are in foreign countries or about foreign people. This one was an interesting look on how the process of assimilation was for an Indian family. I liked looking through their eyes as they left their country and came to America to live. Later the focus switched to their son (whom the book is about) that is dealing with being raised in America with a "weird" name and parents who are very attached to their own culture. I liked the book mainly for the different perspective it brought to me about those who are first generation Americans. [finished 6/21/07]
21. Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen: [finished 6/28/07] This book was about a woman whose sister is a news repoter who has trials in her personal life that affect her career. I thought this book as sort of dumb. It was ok, but sort of, I don't know, cliche or something.
    
22. Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult: [finished 7/10/07]  Strangely enough, and totally not on purpose, this book was also about a celebrity and the balance between real life and the life the world sees. I liked this one better than "Rise and Shine." It was about a really popular actor and his wife, whom he abused. It was sort of interesting to read her struggle and how her actions would affect his career, etc. This was supposed to be a book club selection, but the book got changed to a different one.
23. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer: [finished 8/7/07] Obviously not written for adults, but teenagers (girls probably), I actually enjoyed this book a lot. It was recommneded to me first by my sister Natalie and then my friend Sandy. I read it in two days. I don't really want to give away any part of the plot because I enjoyed the suspense of it. Good book.
    
24. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer: [finished 9/15/07] Sequel to "Twilight." I didn't like this one as much and it very obviously ended with a set up to another book, whereas the first one could have just ended, leaving the outcome to your imagination. It was still quite good though and I finished it in 2 days.
25. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer: [finished 9/24/07] The third book in the Twilight series. It was good. I liked it 2nd best. It had a fairly solid ending too. I guess I will wait like thousands of others for the next two books.
26. Night by Elie Wiesel: [finished 10/25/07] this one was for book club. I had read it in high school and it was interesting to re-read it as an adult. The only part that had stuck out to me from my previous reading was all the running. Reading it this time seemed to have less of an impact than the first time. I think partially because the first time I hadn't rad as much, seen as many movies on the subject nor been to the Holocuast museum in DC or listened to a Holocaust survivor speak of his experience. It still is a great (but terribly sad) book.
27. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides: [finished 11/23/07] My friend Janna suggested this one. I started reading it in August and had to keep returning it to the library because other had it on hold. It was very uniquely written. It is definitely NOT a book for everyone. It is about a hermaphrodite's family and discovering ones sexual itentity. I thought it was very interesting.
28. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison: [finished 11/30/07] I don't know what to think of this book. I don't get it I guess. there were a few parts that were interesting, quite a bit that was sad, but in the end I am at a loss as to what really went on.
    
29. Skipping Christmas by John Grisham: [finished 12/12/07]

1. Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner: This was for book club. It had a lot of interesting ideas, but sometimes the conclusions they came to seemed rather loosely based on fact. I like the book. It wasn't something I would normally read.
2. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear: Another book for book club. It was sort of a mystery and a very fast read. I liked it and will probably read the next book which continues the story of the main character.
3. The Copper Beech by Maeve Binchy: This is actually my second time reading this book. Maeve is a favorite author, so I own most of her books and just grabbed it off the shelf.
4. Echoes by Maeve Binchy: See #3
5. At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks: Continuation of True Believer, which I read last year. The book wasn't really that good, but I would still say that I liked it. Too many of his characters are the same dude. I kinda don't like that. (I realize this one really was the same guy from the last book, so that doesn't count) [Finished 10/28/06]
6. Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock: This one was also for book club. I liked it a lot. It was told from the perspective of an 8 year old. As I read it there was one thing I guessed would happen and another I thought only for a fleeting second would be revealed later. I was right about both. Yea, me! It was quite a good book. Some parts were hard to read because it deals with the abuse of a child. [Finished 11/7/06]
7. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown: I had read The DaVinici Code last year and enjoyed it. I heard this one was good and so that is why I read it. At first I didn't know it was a story about the same character, so I was like - what? am I rereading the same book? Anyway, I like the way he links things symbolically.  [Finished 11/16/06]

1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl: I picked this one because of the newer version of the movie. I had heard that the original version was not as true to the book. I actually didn't remember the first movie too well, but the second one was quite aligned with the book.
   
2. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: I really couldn't put this one down. I read the whole thing in one night. I had to stay up pretty late, but Nate was playing Halo or something, so we both were up, unable to control our entertainment needs.
   
3. There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale by Sean Astin: I was in love with Mikey from "The Goonies" as a little girl, and have since then always enjoyed Sean Astin. This certainly was not a fantastic autobiography. However, it was interesting and there were some little stories about things that happened while "Lord of the Rings" was being filmed.
   
4.  Nights and Stars by Maeve Binchy: I had to keep up on my Maeve Binchy books, so this one was just next in line. I enjoyed it, as I do all her books. However, all I can really remember now (over a year and a half later as I type this) is that it took place in Greece or somebody in it was Greek and it was near the water.
   
5. Catcher in the Rye by J. D . Salinger: I just had to know what all they hype about this book was. I will admit to being disappointed, as I expected more than a simple story about a guy who feels like he is a nobody. It was a little weird. I liked it though.
   
6. The Last Juror by John Grisham
7. The Prince & the Pauper by Mark Twain
8. The Painted House by John Grisham
9. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
10. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Kidd Monk
11. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
12. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
13. The Power of A Woman by Barbara Bradford Taylor
14. Summer's Child by LuAnn Rice
15. Kiss Me Like a Stranger by Gene Wilder
16. Three Weeks With My Brother by Nicholas (& Micah) Sparks
17. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
18. Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
19. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
20. True Believer by Nicholas Sparks
21. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens