Forever Odd

Forever Odd by Dean Koontz

Finished June 18th, 2008

Rating: 4/10

2008 To Be Read (TBR) Challenge Book #3



Barnes & Noble Synopsis
We're all a little odd beneath the surface. He's the most unlikely hero you'll ever meet-an ordinary guy with a modest job you might never look at twice. But there's so much more to any of us than meets the eye-and that goes triple for Odd Thomas. For Odd lives always between two worlds in the small desert town of Pico Mundo, where the heroic and the harrowing are everyday events. Odd never asked to communicate with the dead-it's something that just happened. But as the unofficial goodwill ambassador between our world and theirs, he's got a duty to do the right thing. That's the way Odd sees it and that's why he's won hearts on both sides of the divide between life and death.

A childhood friend of Odd's has disappeared. The worst is feared. But as Odd applies his unique talents to the task of finding the missing person, he discovers something worse than a dead body, encounters an enemy of exceptional cunning, and spirals into a vortex of terror. Once again Odd will stand against our worst fears. Around him will gather new allies and old, some living and some not. For in the battle to come, there can be no innocent bystanders, and every sacrifice can tip the balance between despair and hope.


It had been a while since I have read a Koontz book and I was pretty excited to read this one since I really liked "Odd Thomas". However I was extremely disappointed in this book. The plot was very weak and I didn't feel there was any additional development of Odd's character.

Remember Me?

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

Finished June 10th, 2008

Rating: 7/10

Chick Lit Challenge Book #1


Barnes & Noble Synopsis

When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise. Her teeth are perfect. Her body is toned. Her handbag is Vuitton. Having survived a car accident—in a Mercedes no less—Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and she’s about to find out just how much things have changed.

Somehow Lexi went from a twenty-five-year-old working girl to a corporate big shot with a sleek new loft, a personal assistant, a carb-free diet, and a set of glamorous new friends. And who is this gorgeous husband—who also happens to be a multimillionaire? With her mind still stuck three years in reverse, Lexi greets this brave new world determined to be the person she…well, seems to be. That is, until an adorably disheveled architect drops the biggest bombshell of all.

Suddenly Lexi is scrambling to catch her balance. Her new life, it turns out, comes complete with secrets, schemes, and intrigue. How on earth did all this happen? Will she ever remember? And what will happen when she does?


The book reminded me of the movie "13 going on 30" so I didn't find it very original. Regardless, it was an enjoyable, easy read but I didn't find it as funny as some of her other books.

Book Awards Reading Challenge Completed

I have completed my first challenge of 2008. I enjoyed most of the books I read for this challenge. I am not sure if I will sign up for the Book Awards challenge Part II as I am not reading a lot right now.

Well I held off for as long as I could in signing up for the Book Awards Reading Challenge however finally cracked yesterday and decided to join after taking a look at different book award lists and realizing that I owned many books that have won awards but hadn't gotten around to reading yet.

The rules are to read any 12 award-winning books from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008. Examples of book awards are the Pulitzer Prize, Orange Prize, Booker Prize, Newbery Award, etc. The challenge also allows the participants to read any book from an author who has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. However, at least SIX of the twelve books must be actual book prize winners. Books may also be cross-posted with other challenges.

There is a blog set up for this challenge at Book Awards Challenge that allows participants to post to or participants can choose instead to post on their own blog.

My tenative list for the challenge is:

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt - 1997 Pulitzer (Biography/Autobiography)
[completed April 18th, 2008]

B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton - 1986 Anthony
[completed October 20th, 2007]

The Black Echo by Michael Connelly - 1992 Edgar Award (First Novel)
[completed August 13th, 2007]

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak - 2007 Book Sense (Children's Lit)
[completed March 12th, 2008]

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen - 2001 National Book Award
[completed June 2nd, 2008]

Eldest by Christopher Paolini - 2006 Quill Awards (Young Adult/Teen)
[completed March 31st, 2008]

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald - 1997 Commonwealth Writers (First Book)
[completed May 14th, 2008]

The Road by Cormac McCarthy - 2007 Pulitzer (Fiction)
[completed July 4th, 2007]

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry - 1990 Newbery Award
[completed April 23rd, 2008]

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck - 1962 Nobel Prize
[completed September 22nd, 2007]

Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky - 2004 Prix Renaudot
[completed April 10th, 2008]

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - 2007 Alex Award
[completed February 26th, 2008]

The Corrections

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

Finished June 2nd, 2008

Rating: 3/10

Book Awards Reading Challenge Book #12



Barnes & Noble Synopsis

The narrative focuses on three critical months in the history of the Lambert family, longtime residents of the fictional midwestern city of St. Jude. Albert, the patriarch, is a once-formidable figure whose frequent rages and implacable rectitude have dominated life in the Lambert household for nearly 50 years. As the novel begins, Albert had just been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Against the perfectly articulated background of his physical and mental deterioration, Enid -- Albert's long-suffering, perpetually dissatisfied wife -- develops a single, overriding obsession: to see her scattered family return to St. Jude for one last Christmas together.

The bulk of the story depicts the disordered lives of the three departed Lambert children: Gary, a grasping, increasingly unhappy investment banker with family troubles of his own; Chip, a former professor and failed screenwriter who drifts into a dangerous, highly illegal investment scam in economically depressed Lithuania; and Denise, a gifted chef lost in a maze of sexual confusion and "moral chaos." In time, and by various circuitous routes, all three will find their way to that climactic Christmas in St. Jude, and to a final confrontation with the ghosts of the past, a confrontation that is painful, tragic, and liberating, all at once.


I found that this book was all over the place. The story jumps between characters and from past to present but with very little fluency. I didn't see the point of most of the storyline and didn't like the characters or plot. I didn't take anything away from the book after finishing it, I would suggest skipping this one.

May 2008 Reads

15. The Birth House by Ami McKay - Rating: 9
[2008 TBR Challenge]

16. Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald - Rating: 7
[Book Awards Challenge]

17. Peony in Love by Lisa See - Rating: 7
[2008 TBR Challenge]


New Authors Read = 2
Male Authors = 0
Female Authors = 3

Peony in Love

Peony in Love by Lisa See

Finished May 23rd, 2008

Rating: 7/10

2008 To Be Read (TBR) Challenge #2



From the Publisher
For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amid the scent of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle few females have ever seen. Like the heroine in the drama, Peony is the cloistered daughter of a wealthy family, trapped like a good-luck cricket in a bamboo-and-lacquer cage. Though raised to be obedient, Peony has dreams of her own.

Peony’s mother is against her daughter’s attending the production: “Unmarried girls should not be seen in public.” But Peony’s father assures his wife that proprieties will be maintained, and that the women will watch the opera from behind a screen. Yet through its cracks, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man with hair as black as a cave–and is immediately overcome with emotion.

So begins Peony’s unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow–as Lisa See’s haunting new novel, based on actual historical events, takes readers back to seventeenth-century China, after the Manchus seize power and the Ming dynasty is crushed.


The story took a turn I was not expecting at all and at first I really didn't like the turn it took. As the story progesses I started to appreciate where the author takes the story. The book is rich in Chinese traditions and customs which I found fascinating. While it isn't as good as Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, it is still a solid book and I rated it as good.

Chick Lit Challenge

I have been limiting the number of challenges that I sign up for as I don't have much time to read with a newborn baby. But I couldn't resist signing up for this one as it has been a while since I have read some good chick lit.

Debi is hosting this challenge and the rules can be found by clicking here.

The 3 books I have chosen for this challenge are:

Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin
Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner

Fall on Your Knees

Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald

Finished May 14th, 2008

Rating: 7/10

Book Awards Reading Challenge Book #11



Synopsis
The Piper family is steeped in secrets, lies, and unspoken truths. At the eye of the storm is one secret that threatens to shake their lives -- even destroy them.

Set on stormy Cape Breton Island off Nova Scotia, Fall on Your Knees is an internationally acclaimed multigenerational saga that chronicles the lives of four unforgettable sisters. Theirs is a world filled with driving ambition, inescapable family bonds, and forbidden love.

Compellingly written, by turns menacingly dark and hilariously funny, this is an epic tale of five generations of sin, guilt, and redemption.


I had my ups and downs with this book. At times I really liked it and other times, not so much. I am not sure about the writing style as I felt confused at times reading the book. I had to re-read certain parts to make sure I understood what the author was trying to say. In the end the book did come together for me but the journey there had too many downs for me to rate it higher than a 7.

The Birth House

The Birth House by Ami McKay

Finished May 3rd, 2008

Rating: 9/10

2008 To Be Read (TBR) Challenge #1

Barnes & Noble Synopsis
The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter to be born in five generations of Rares. As a child in an isolated village in Nova Scotia, she is drawn to Miss Babineau, an outspoken Acadian midwife with a gift for healing. Dora becomes Miss B.’s apprentice, and together they help the women of Scots Bay through infertility, difficult labours, breech births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling sex lives. Filled with details as compelling as they are surprising, The Birth House is an unforgettable tale of the struggles women have faced to have control of their own bodies and to keep the best parts of tradition alive in the world of modern medicine.


I was drawn to this book after I had my baby, as I was interested in reading more about midwifery. I thought the book was excellent. I really enjoyed the plot and writing style of the author, I especially liked how the author used different means to tell the story such as newspaper articles and ads, etc.

April 2008 Reads

11. Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky - Rating: 8
[Book Awards Challenge]

12. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt - Rating: 6
[Book Awards Challenge]

13. Baby Laughs by Jenny McCarthy - Rating: 8

14. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry - Rating: 9
[Book Awards Challenge]

New Authors Read = 3
Male Authors = 1
Female Authors = 3

Number the Stars

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Finished April 23rd, 2008

Rating: 9/10

Book Awards Reading Challenge Book #10




Barnes & Noble Synopsis
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.


I read "The Giver" by Lowry last year for the Dystopian Challenge and loved it, so thought I would give this book a try for the Book Awards Challenge.

This is the 3rd book in the last 2 months that I have read that is set during World War II and was my favourite that I read. Lowry manages to take a very complex subject and write it in an elegant and simplistic nature which makes the message she is trying to convery all the more powerful. I really enjoy Lowry's writing style and am looking forward to reading more.

Baby Laughs

Baby Laughs by Jenny McCarthy

Finished April 21st, 2008

Rating: 8/10





Having a 2 and a half month old baby made me pick up this book. It was quite humorous as she describes all of the things moms go through during the first year. It was little crass at times but otherwise a quick, light read where you will find yourself laughing as well as nodding your head in agreement since it is easy to relate to as a mom.

Angela's Ashes

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

Finished April 18th, 2008

Rating: 6/10

Book Awards Reading Challenge Book #9



This book started out fast and furious as the author jumped right into it telling his life story. I wasn't too keen on the writing style at first however as I started to get further into the book I did enjoy it a little more.

I found myself comparing the book to a similar Memoir "The Glass Castle" where the family also struggles to make ends meet and whose father also has a drinking problem and spends his earnings (when he does have a job) on alcohol. I didn't enjoy this book as much as The Glass Castle due to the writing style.

The book ends when Frank is 19 so I guess there must be a sequel to continue his story however I don't think I will be picking it up anytime soon.

Suite Francaise

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Finished April 10, 2008

Rating: 8/10

Book Awards Reading Challenge Book #8



It is very difficult to rate this book given it is unfinished as the author only finished 2 out of the 5 parts of the book. The author wrote the book during World War II and never had a chance to finish it as she was sent to one of the concentration camps and died shortly after arriving. From what I did read I enjoyed and based on this would have to assume that if the author had a chance to finish the book I would have liked the subsequent parts and ending.

March 2008 Reads

9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Rating: 6
[Book Awards Challenge]

10. Eldest by Christopher Paolini - Rating: 8
[Book Awards Challenge]

New Authors Read = 1
Male Authors = 2
Female Authors = 0

Eldest

Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Finished March 31st, 2008

Rating: 8/10

Book Awards Reading Challenge Book #7




I was going to rate this book lower then the first book in the series however the last 50 pages made me change my mind and I decided to rate it the same. Most of the storyline is about Eragon's training with the elves however I didn't feel like I was learning anything new about the characters or the storyline until about the last 50 pages when a major battle takes place and some secrets are revealed. I liked that there was a second storyline going on besides Eragon's training with the elves which was about Eragon's cousin Roran which added to the plot and made me like the book better.

February 2008 Reads

5. Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman - Rating: 8
[Unread Authors Challenge]

6. Mother of Pearl by Melinda Haynes - Rating: 2
[Unread Authors Challenge]

7. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer - Rating: 8
[Unread Authors Challenge]

8. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - Rating: 7
[Book Awards Challenge]

New Authors Read = 3
Male Authors = 0
Female Authors = 4

The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Finished March 12th, 2008

Rating: 6/10

Book Awards Reading Challenge Book #6

Missing In Action

I had my baby about 6 weeks ago so needless to say I haven't had much time to read or blog. I did manage to finish 2 books since he was born and am working on my third and am hoping to continue to read about 2 books a month. I will likely not have much time to write reviews so I am thinking I will just rate the books out of 10on my blog going forward until I have more time on my hands to do reviews.

Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants

Finished February 26th, 2008

Rating: 7/10

Book Awards Reading Challenge Book #5


Synopsis

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.


An entertaining book however I was not blown away by it. I did find it difficult at times to read about some of the animal cruelty that takes place in the book. It was a good solid book but not a page turner for me.

Unread Authors Challenge Completed

I completed the Unread Authors Challenge about a month ago but haven't had a chance to update my blog with a summary. I really enjoyed this challenge as I got to read books by new authors. There was only 1 book I really disliked and I ended up finding some new authors to read going forward such as Stephenie Meyer and Anna Quindlen.

I have many books sitting on my shelves by authors I have never read before so this is the perfect challenge for me.

The Challenge will run from September to February 2008. The challenge is being hosted by Sycorax Pine and more details can be found on her blog. The rules are:

1) Read six books by authors you have never read before.

2) You can choose one or two (or 3-5) unread authors and read several of their works, or you can choose six neglected (by you) writers and read a book apiece by them. Authors of fiction, non-fiction, genre fiction, graphic novels/comics, drama, and poetry are all welcome inclusions, although the individual works you choose should be book length.

My list for this challenge is:

Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards [completed Jan. 21st, 2008]
Mother of Pearl by Melinda Haynes [completed Feb. 7th, 2008]
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman [completed Feb. 3rd, 2008]
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer [completed Jan. 29th, 2008]
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer [completed Feb. 11th, 2008]
Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen [completed Jan. 7th, 2008]

New Moon

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Finished February 11th, 2008

Rating: 8/10

Unread Authors Challenge Book #6





From the Publisher
The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy''s reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.


Although the Cullens were missing for most of the book I still enjoyed the storyline with Jacob. I found the love developing between Bella and Jacob to be much more realistic than the love storyline between Bella/Edward. I found Bella to be really annoying and weak until she started to develop a relationship with Jacob. After that she was much more tolerable. I ended up enjoying this one slightly better than the first so it got a higher rating.

Mother of Pearl

Mother of Pearl by Melinda Haynes

Finished February 7th, 2008

Rating: 2/10

Unread Authors Challenge Book #5


From Barnes & Noble
Set in the Deep South in the late 1950s, Mother of Pearl vividly brings to life the extraordinary inhabitants of the small town of Petal, Mississippi. Central to the novel are the stories of Even Grade, a 28-year-old black man abandoned by his mother at birth, Valuable Korner, a 15-year-old white girl whose family history holds a trunkful of damning secrets, and Joody Two Sun, an enigmatic obeah woman who sees into the hearts and minds of the townsfolk from her riverside camp on the outskirts of town. Cast in a tragicomic passion play, Even, Val, and Joody find their destinies entwined as they search for the love and family that they have always been denied.


I knew about 60 pages in that I didn't like this book but I have this compulsive need to finish books that I start, I really need to get over that as the book never got any better. I found the writing to be confusing as it jumped around a lot. I didn't enjoy the storylines at all and just found it to be so boring. My first bad book of the year, hopefully they will be few and far between going forward.

Here on Earth

Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman

Finished February 3rd, 2008

Rating: 8/10

Unread Authors Challenge Book #4



From the Publisher
March Murray, along with her fifteen-year-old daughter, Gwen, returns to the small Massachusetts town where she grew up to attend the funeral of Judith Dale, the beloved housekeeper who raised her. After nearly twenty years of living in California, March is thrust into the world of her past. She finds that Mrs. Dale knew more of life than March could have ever suspected; that her brother Alan, whose tragic history has left him grief-stricken, has turned to alcohol as his only solace; and that Hollis, the boy she once loved, is the man she can't seem to stay away from.


This one was another winner for the Unread Authors Challenge. The author does a good job of making you care about the characters even though it is very difficult to like them. She takes you through a myriad of different emotions throughout the book as she allows the characters to grow even if the reader does not like the path in which they are growing. If you are looking for a happy ending, you are not going to find it with this book however it was very good read.

January 2008 Reads

1. Mary Mary by James Patterson - Rating: 7
[Reading the Author Challenge]

2. Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen - Rating: 9
[Unread Authors Challenge]

3. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards - Rating: 6
[Unread Authors Challenge]

4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - Rating: 7
[Unread Authors Challenge]


New Authors Read = 3
Male Authors = 1
Female Authors = 3

Twilight

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Finished January 29th, 2008

Rating: 7/10

Unread Authors Challenge Book #3



From Barnes and Noble

17-year-old Isabella moves to a small town in Washington State and gets more excitement than she bargained for when she falls for an enigmatic classmate -- who happens to be a vampire.


I was really excited to read this book as my fellow bloggers seem to have nothing but rave reviews for this series. I am also a big fan of the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer so this book was right up my alley. The book was good however I was not blown away by it as I expected to be. I think my expectations were so high I couldn't help but be a little disappointed. The writing was a little weak and I found the interaction between Bella and Edward to be somewhat odd. It just seemed liked all of sudden they were in love with each other. I may be in the minority but I don't think the author did a good job of conveying how the love developed between them as I didn't buy it at times. A good book but I wouldn't say a great book.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Finished January 21st, 2007

Rating: 6/10

Unread Authors Challenge Book #2




Synopsis from Barnes and Noble
On a winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter is born, he sees immediately that she has Down's Syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split-second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret.

But Caroline, the nurse, cannot leave the infant. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this beautifully told story that unfolds over a quarter of a century in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by the fateful decision made that long-ago winter night.


This book was an okay read for me however I don't think I would recommend it to others. I struggled a little bit throughout the book as I found that the book didn't hold my attention for very long. The plot had a lot of potential but unfortunately the characters didn't touch me and I found the story ended up being weak.

Black and Blue

Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen

Finished January 7th, 2008

Rating: 9/10

Unread Authors Challenge Book #1


From the Publisher
With daring and compassion, Anna Quindlen weaves a forceful, harrowing portrait of a woman and a marriage, capturing the profound intricacies of love and rage, passion and violence. At once heartbreaking and utterly riveting, BLACK AND BLUE is an extraordinary work of fiction and a brilliant achievement.

For eighteen years, Fran Benedetto kept her secret, hid her bruises, and stayed with Bobby because she wanted her son to have a father and because, in spite of everything, she loved him. Then one night, when she saw the look on her ten-year-old son's face, Fran finally made a choice--and ran for both their lives.


What a great read for my 2nd read of 2008. The plot wasn't over the top as Quindlen takes such a complex topic and manages to write a simple and realistic story about domestic violence. This was the first time I have read a book by Quindlen and I look forward to reading some more by her.

Mary Mary

Mary Mary by James Patterson

Finished January 3rd, 2008

Rating: 7/10

Reading the Author Challenge Book #4 - DNF before challenge ended

No review for this one either.

Year in Review

Total Reads for 2007 = 64

Challenges

Challenges Signed Up for that ended by Dec. 31st, 2007 = 8

Challenges Completed = 7
2007 Summer Mystery Reading Challenge
Non-Fiction Five Challenge
Dystopian Challenge
Medical Mystery Madness Challenge
Decades Challenge
2nds Challenge
The Armchair Traveler Challenge

Challenges Not Completed = 1
Reading the Author Challenge

New Authors = 28

Female Authors = 30

Male Authors = 34

Favourite Books of 2007 - Rating of 9 or above out of 10:
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Harvest by Tess Gerritsen
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Least Favourite Book of 2007 - lowest rating of 2/10:
Brick Lane by Monica Ali

Least Productive Month:
February, October, November and December with 4 books read

Most Productive Month:
June with 8 books read

Romance Reading Challenge

Naida has sponsored the Romance Reading Challenge over on the Bookworm site.

The rules are to read 5 Romance Novels from January 1st, 2008 to December 31st, 2008.

The books I have chosen for this challenge are:

Lovers & Players by Jackie Collins
At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
Miracle by Danielle Steel
Toxic Bachelors by Danielle Steel

December 2007 Reads

61. The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith - Rating: 4
[Armchair Traveler Reading Challenge]

62. Bloodstream by Tess Gerritsen - Rating: 8
[2nds Challenge]

63. Brick Lane by Monica Ali - Rating: 2
[Armchair Traveler Reading Challenge]

64. Lifeguard by James Patterson - Rating: 8
[Reading the Author Challenge]


New Authors Read = 1
Male Authors = 2
Female Authors = 2

Reading the Author Challenge - Did Not Complete

This is the first challenge that I signed up for that I just wasn't able to finish in time. I was able to finish 3 out of the 5 books I selected for the challenge. I plan on finishing the final 2 books over the next week.

The Reading the Author challenge is being hosted by Incurable Logophilia.

The premise of the challenge is read at least 3 books by one author from September 1st, 2007 until December 31st, 2007.

This challenge is a great excuse for me to get caught up on books by James Patterson. I have only read 1 book by him this year and have 10 to read to get caught up to his latest book.

My book choices for this challenge are:

Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson

Honeymoon by James Patterson

Lifeguard by James Patterson

Mary Mary by James Patterson

Beach Road by James Patterson