If I'd remembered to keep track, I probably would have reached the goal number the last time around. Oh well. Time for a restart. :)

Let's see now. New time period: from the last week of December 2009 to the last week of December 2010, since I'm including books read in the last month. Goal: 50 books. Children's books will count as 1/2 a book, rereads as a full book unless I change my mind.

1. Ten Little Indians by Sherman Alexie: These are stories about love, loss, sacrifice, and what shapes us, whether it's basketball, the love for the written word, or infidelity. Mostly happening in and around Seattle, the main characters are Indian, primarily from the Spokane tribe - which makes sense, since Alexie himself is Spokane. I really enjoyed this short story collection; the characters are varied and thoroughly fleshed-out. 5 out of 5.

2. The Summoner by Gail Z. Martin: First in a fantasy trilogy called Chronicles of the Necromancer, the story introduces a nicely built fantasy world of magic, goddesses, and ghosts. While 'a prince on the run and a ragtag group he finds along the way must stop an evil power from taking over their world' is not anything new, the characters are interesting, gender-varied and believable, and I like the system of magic and politics between the various countries. 4 and 1/2 out of 5.

3. The Blood King by Gail Z. Martin: Second in the trilogy. The drama and anticipation built up nicely, but I thought the conclusion itself was kind of abrupt. We'll see if the third book picks up speed or meanders... Even with the pacing, I enjoyed the story and new plot entanglements. 4 out of 5.

4. Witch & Wizard by James Patterson (and in small print Gabrielle Charbonnet): This was a christmas gift from a friend, sweet but misguided. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone else. It seems to be trying to appeal to YA and fantasy readers, but the language and style isn't really coherent. There are randomly invented slang words, abrupt violence mixed with childish language, and no real depth to the story or characters. It feels deliberately dumbed down to create a (false) sense of mystery: if I had to describe it with one phrase, I'd say it was ham-handed. Honestly, there's a distinct difference between a story for young adults and a story that hasn't been written well. 2 out of 5.

I'm officially concluding my first attempt at 50 books in a year...not a solid win, but certainly I read a lot more than I did last year, and isn't that the point? These are the last two entries before I start over again. I'll give it my all this year and see what transpires...

Title: Green Angel
Author: Alice Hoffman
Themes/Topics: Nature, Triumph over Tragedy

This is a little outside of my realm as it is young adult literature, but as it is Hoffman I enjoyed it. She has the ability to paint such a clear portrait of the main character and her transformation from youth through tragedy and loss to an awareness of self. I would define this as a coming-of-age story about the ability of the human spirit to recover from great loss.

Title: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornest Nest
Author: Stieg Larsson
Themes/Topics: Mystery, Conspiracy, Violence, Infringement of Rights

I don't want to say much to fans that have read the first two of this trilogy but this just as imaginative and addictive as the rest. It took me a little longer to get hooked into this book but it was very compelling and a satisfying read. My only disappointment is that Larsson died in 2004 and will not be able to share any more of his creativity and talent with the world.

Title: The Well of Eternity (WarCraft: War of the Ancients Trilogy, Book 1)
Author: Richard Knaak
Themes/Topics: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, War, Evil

As a person who has never played WarCraft, it was interesting for me to read this book. My boyfriend plays and I read it to learn a little more about this game that I find so pecular. It was tough for me to get into this at first, probably because I'm not really into sci-fi. Once I got the hang of the jargon, I found it to be an interesting story and I wanted to see how it would end, which is the most I can ask from any book. I'm sure I'll continue with the Trilogy, but I still am adamant that I will not play the game, just not my style.

The Last Place on Earth, by Mike "Nick" Nichols
An incredibly stunning collection of photographs of wild places in Africa, published in a very large format (about 16" X 11.5") and with graceful framing text by the likes of David Quammen (who told me to seek out megatransect stuff in the first place) and Mike Fay (the originator of the Megatransect - the guy who Nichols and Quammen were following through the bush - more about him later because I'll be reading excerpts from his journals shortly). Amaaaaaaaaaazing. If you can ogle this you should. As an aside, I do not know what it says about me that I generally find myself most moved by photos of reptiles and amphibians... but this book has some keen shots of those, in addition to the equally gorgeous pictures of chimps, gorillas, leopards, bongos, elephants (LOTS of elephants), etc.
(7/200)

First Darling of the Morning, by Thrity Umrigar
Short, easy-to-read-but-literary memoir (a series of short essays, really) about growing up in Bombay. Powerful and endearing. Recommended but with the caveat that none of the stuff on the cover of this book led me to believe that some of the family stuff (only a few essays, but) would be as dark as it was. May be triggery for those who had a physically or emotionally abusive parent. (I don't usually bring this stuff up, but like I said - there was NO warning of this in what I'd read about the book or saw on the cover before reading it - kind of a shock to read such things when you are expecting more or less "light and happy" and sitting in a public place.... most of the book is quite delicate & cheerful in tone, and it's not that the sad parts don't fit, they totally do, I just wasn't mentally prepared for them. The Booklist review on the amazon page I linked to *does* give a good idea of this content so you may want to read it if you are concerned.)
(8/200)

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
( Tom )

Dogs: Blood and Carnage#2 by Shirow Miwa
( dogs )

Il Gatto Sul G. III#3 by Tooko Miyagi
( violins )

Title: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Rating: 5/5
Book: 2/50 (4% completed)
Book in personal challenge with niun: 3/50 Fantasy, 3/50 Mystery and 0/25 Classics
Pages: 375 pgs
Total Pages 829/15,000 pages (5.53% completed)
Next up: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening & The Struggle by L.J. Smith

I picked this book up because I want to see the movie and when I realized that they were books, I knew I had to read the book before I saw the movie. It's just the way I am. I like to develop my own ideas of the characters and events, etc.

This book was hard to put down. Each page leaves you wanting to find out if Percy and his friends will make it through their adventure. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

xposted to 50bookchallenge, 15000pages and bookworm84

( Book Description from book jacket or back of the book: )

Can I just throw a couple chicken breasts in the crock pot with some chicken broth/stock and expect to come home (about 8 hours) to something yummy?

Or any recipes to recommend kind of along these lines?

This first book of Stewart's acclaimed Arthurian Saga examines the childhood and maturation of Merlin. From his birth, Myriddin Emrys is set apart from other children, and not merely because he was born a bastard to a Welsh princess. He is strange and precocious, using his intellect even when his burgeoning magical powers didn't serve him. After his grandfather the king is killed, Merlin flees from the household. God leads him on a strange path northward into foreign lands, but Merlin doesn't fear. He has seen his own death, and he knows that in the intervening years Britain will change and he will be an instrument of many kings.

Honestly, I avoided reading this book for years because I think King Arthur has been done to death. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book since I wasn't familiar with Merlin's mythology and thought the plot came together beautifully. However, as Uther became a central figure, I liked the story less. This is completely my own bias. Mary Stewart is an excellent writer, and it's easy to see why this series has remained a consistent seller for decades. However, I won't be continuing with the next volume.

Book# 2 of 50; 616 of 15,000 Pgs by December 2010; 2nd Read
Title: Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom
Author: Julie Kenner
Genre: SciFi / Fantasy
Add'l Info: Paperback; 307 pages; Kate Connor, Demon Hunter Series (1 of 5 (so far)).
Synopsis:( From The Book )

My Thoughts: Rating: 8 out of 10
Since I now own two more books in the series, I've decided to read the first 3 again. This is my second time reading this book, and I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time. Kate's sarcastic wit, love of family, and (rusty) butt kicking abilities, are an odd but fun mix! Admittedly, some of the plot points are predictable, and I found the final scene in the book a bit lacking, but over all, Carpe Demon is a great introduction to Kate and the cast of characters that make up her life in San Diablo, California.

In Depth: I'm actually not going to do this part this time, as I don't think I can do so without possibly spoiling book 2 in the process. That's the drawback with knowing some of what's ahead.

Up Next: California Demon: The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom


X-Posted @:
As well as: 15000pages & harmonatrix
May also be x-posted @ books & readplease

I skipped the challenge last year but decided to start up again this year.

1. An Unchanging Faith in a Changing World by Robert Bowman and Stephen Boa. Nonfiction book about cultural challenges to traditional Christianity.


2. Reclaiming Virtue, by John Bradshaw. A philosopher looks at prudence and how we can develop what's described as moral intelligence.

Stones from the River
Ursula Hegi
Historical fiction
525 pages

Returning to Burgdorf, the small German community she memorably depicted in Floating in My Mother's Palm, Hegi captures the events and atmosphere in the country prior, during and after WW II. Again she has produced a powerful novel whose chilling candor and resonant moral vision serve a dramatic story. With a sure hand, Hegi evokes the patterns of small-town life, individualized here in dozens of ordinary people who display the German passion for order, obedience and conformity, enforced for centuries by rigid class differences and the strictures of the Catholic church. The protagonist is Trudi Montag, the Zwerg (dwarf) who becomes the town's librarian; (she and most of the other characters figured in the earlier book). A perennial outsider because of her deformity, Trudi exploits her gift for eliciting peoples' secrets--and often maliciously reveals them in suspenseful gossip. But when Hitler ascends to power, she protects those who have been kind to her, including two Jewish families who, despite the efforts of Trudi, her father and a few others, are fated to perish in the Holocaust. Trudi is a complex character, as damaged by her mother's madness and early death as she is by the later circumstances of her life, and she is sometimes cruel, vindictive and vengeful. It is fascinating to watch her mature, as she experiences love and loss and finds wisdom, eventually learning to live with the vast amnesia that grips formerly ardent Nazis after the war. One hopes that Hegi will continue to depict the residents of Burgdorf--Germany in microcosm--thus deepening our understanding of a time and place.

I am so glad that we picked this one for our first book club read of the new year! The only reason that I did not give this book five stars is because it seemed to drag and lag on at the beginning and end of the book. There were times that I found Trudi to be annoying, honestly. However, I do not know how it is to grow up in that time period and to be like her, so I cannot say if her reactions to people/things is wrong, but I don't think she had a heathly outlook on things all of the time. If you are into pre-WWII and holocaust survival stories, then I highly recommend this book. I am now reading another book by Hegi, Floating in My Mother's Palm, in which Trudi plays a minor role.

Book #2 -- Clifford Chase, Winkie, 240 pages.

Er . . . I don't know what to say about this one. It's one of the most bizarre novels I've read in a long time. Best description I can think of is The Velveteen Rabbit meets Kafka's The Trial. Despite the sheer absurdity of it, it does have its moments of brilliance.

Progress toward goals: 1.9%

Books: 2/100 = 2.0%

Pages: 601/30000 = 2.0%

2009 Book List

cross-posted to 15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and gwynraven

Halfway mark!

Book 23: The Select by F. Paul Wilson. 394 pages.
Genre: Psychological action thriller, perhaps. Medical thriller, anyhow.
Plot: From the back of the book: "Quinn Cleary is smart, idealistic and poor. She's been accepted at The Ingraham, a prestigious medical school, where a select few receive the finest education free of charge. But something is terribly wrong at The Ingraham. Quinn notices subtle changes in the bright, hand-picked students. Then she stumbles upon the silent, staring patients in locked Ward C."
Good, but predictable as heck. Quinn fits into the perfect stereotype of women protagonists in this sort of fiction. She's tall, stunning (but doesn't know it) and smarter than everyone else. I enjoyed the character of Dr Emerson, as well as Tim. The twist with Ward C was a little surpising, but that was the only thing about the book that I wasn't able to predict after the first chapter.
Rating: 5 of 10.

Book 24: Cover Her Face by PD James. 206 pages.
Genre: Mystery.
Plot: From fantasticfiction: "Headstrong and beautiful, the young housemaid Sally Jupp is put rudely in her place, strangled in her bed behind a bolted door. Coolly brilliant policeman Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard must find her killer among a houseful of suspects, most of whom had very good reason to wish her ill." The debut novel for PD James, I figured it was a good place to start, as I'd never read any of her stuff. It follows a very classic British mystery plotline with all of the suspects gathered in the room at the end waiting to find out whodunnit. The action is all very passive, you don't really realize how quick it's going. I like that, but it's hard to get used to after reading something a lot more modern where everything is happening at once. It was enjoyable though, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of her books.
Rating: 7 of 10.

Book 25: We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee. 261 pages.
Genre: Memoir.
Plot: Benjamin Mee and his wife, his mother and his brother buy a failing zoo in Dartmoor. Told from Mee's perspective, the story covers mainly the before and during aspects of buying and setting up the zoo, which is at risk of being shut down permanently. Even though I knew going into it what the outcome was, I still felt a sense of relief at the end when they successfully managed to open to the public. Mee has a habit of jumping back and forth in time when telling the story, which is a bit confusing. The animal anecdotes were fun, moreso than his occasional ego trips in which he talked about his DIY prowess. I've put a visit to the actual zoo, the Darmoor Zoological Park, on my to-do list.
Rating: 6 or 7 of 10.

25 / 50 books. 50% done!

7094 / 15000 pages. 47% done!

I decided to do the 50 book challenge again in 2010. Mostly because my reading has been tapering off, due to theatre, video games, knitting, and various other pursuits, and I am trying to motivate myself to read more.

1. Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

This is quite different from the other two books of his I've read (Cloud Atlas and Ghost Written), but I still loved it. It's basically a coming of age story, but it's done really well. It appears to be semi-autobiographical, and Mitchell really captures adolescence and the ways people hide themselves to fit in better, without sinking into being maudlin.

2. Survivor by Octavia Butler

This is part of her "Patternist" series, which is not my favorite thing she's ever written, but is still intriguing. Butler also says that this is her least favorite novel she ever wrote. Overall, I liked it well enough, but I do think it lacked the depth and freshness of some of her other works.

I am a total bookworm, although some people would argue that I don't count because I don't read classics. What can I say? Moderns fantasy is just so much more intersting:)
I saw this community and thought it was a great idea. I've been neglecting my reading for the internet a little this past year, and now I can combine the two. Hurrah! So without further ado, my first 3 books of the year.

( No spoilers. Cut because it's a bit long. )

So far, I'm doing well-three books in one week. But that's probably not going to continue, because most of the books I read aren't part of a series I started reading four years ago, and take longer to finish than two days. My next book is Homeland by R.A. Salvatore,  which will probably take closer to a week.

1. Jeff Lindsay, Dexter by Design, 285 pages, Thriller, Hardback, 2009.

The 4th book in this series about the loveable serial killer/blood splatter specialist who only kills bad guys finds Dexter returning from his honeymoon with Rita and settling into domestic life, including teaching his new step-children the Harry Path, the code of conduct his adoptive father taught him. At work, he finds Miami has a new criminal who likes to leave dead bodies as art – and who puts Dexter in the cross-hairs after he makes a snap judgment with deadly consequences. But now Dexter has a family to worry about, a fact this adversary has no problem exploiting.

I enjoyed the book – no more supernatural musings on the nature of the Dark Passenger, for one thing. I like the way the books have developed Rita’s children, very different from the Showtime adaptation of the series. But Dexter seems to be less a killer than a confused loner this time around. And it seems he isn’t likely to find a balance in his life any time soon. I look forward to the next book, due out sometime in the next year.

Title: Darkfever (fever series 1)
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Pages: 309
Genre: fantasy, romantic suspense

MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman.

Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands….

My thoughts: I thought this book was good. The story kept me interested until the end of the book.

I am pretty sure I will reach 50 books by May which is my deadline for my book challenge.

Books read: 37 books
Pages read: 15,819 pages

Book #2: The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder - Rebecca Wells (2009, 395 pages)

Rebecca Wells strays from her famous YaYas in her 2009 novel The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder, and while it is often hard for authors to pick up a new set of characters, Wells does it wonderfully.

As a young child growing up in La Luna, Louisiana, Calla Lilly Ponder realizes that she has a unique gift, that she's only ever seen before in the hands of her mother. Not only can she produce beautiful hair, but she can help soothe the souls of those who come utilize her beautician services.

The book follows Calla Lily throughout  the first thirty-some-odd years of her life, stopping at all of the major points such as her first love, the death of her mother, going to beauty school in New Orleans and marrying. Throughout her life, she is watched from above by the Moon Lady, a spiritual guide Calla Lily's mother taught her about as a young child.

Wells tells Calla Lily's tale beautiful, giving the readers a wonderful narrative that is often hard to put down. The only part of the novel that I struggled with was the ending, which seemed a bit too easy, especially considering what Calla Lily had experienced. But that little niggle aside, this is a wonderful story, which is why I give it a strong four out of five moonlit skies.

Total Books Read: 2 / 50 (4 percent)
Total Pages Read: 718 / 15,000 (5 percent)

The Magical Christmas Cat, by Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, Linda Winstead Jones and Lora Leigh
Okay, so I vaguely knew these were romance authors and the picture on the cover is all sweet and fluffy - a white cat with a snowglobe. So I thought this would be light romance novellas with a dash of fantasy and a Christmas theme. Something cheerful and fluffy for the holidays. No, no, no, no. Paranormal romances, mostly VERY hot and heavy, featuring changelings, demon cats, etc. (yes, each one is vaguely Christmas-related - that's the only thing I got right from the cover/title.) Goodness gracious!! I could not have read it on public transit without feeling uncomfortable (I guess maybe that is why the cover was so innocuous). That said, I do think I will read some more Nalini Singh one of these days (good characters, fun fluff) and the others were quite competent. Not sure I would've enjoyed all of them if I was healthy enough to notice the plot holes and clunky writing - but the one that felt clunkiest was also the one with the hottest sex... *fans self, changes subject*.
(5/200)

The Art of the Snowflake, by Kenneth Libbrecht
Very beautiful pictures of snowflakes. With just enough text that I didn't completely zone out staring at all the pretty pretties.
(6/200)

1] Isis - Douglas Clegg
Summary: A novella about a girl named Iris and the lengths she would go to to be with her brother, Harvey.
Thoughts: Though it was short, and I read it as a last-ditch effort to complete my challenge from last year (I only made it to 49), I loved this little book. The story was a haunting, beautifully written tale of love, loneliness, and loss. The illustrations were gorgeous, and they seemed to add so much to the story. This is truly a jewel of a novella and I think everyone should read it.
Rating: 9/10

2] Beastly - Alex Finn
Summary: A modern re-telling of Beauty and the Beast from Beast's perspective, set in New York City.
Thoughts: I liked this book. It took me a while. At first, the obnoxious superficiality of Kyle (Beast) in the way that he saw the world made me disgusted, but as the novel progressed and he grew as a character, the writing became much better and in the end was a delight to read. The love story between Kyle/Adrian/Beast and his Beauty was very sweet and made me smile on several occasions. I enjoyed both the characters of Kendra and of the tutor, whose name escapes me. When I looked up this book on Amazon, I was surprised to find that it has been made into a movie that will be coming out in July. Do not judge the book by the trailer. The Beast in the book has fur and claws and teeth and looks like the Disney version. In the trailer, he has weird spidery veins and no hair anywhere. Don't know why they would want to do that, but oh well. That's Hollywood for you.
Rating: 8/10

3] The God Box - Alex Sanchez
Summary: High school senior Paul has dated Angie since middle school, and they're good together. They have a lot of the same interests, like singing in their church choir and being active in Bible club. But when Manuel transfers to their school, Paul has to rethink his life. Manuel is the first openly gay teen anyone in their small town has ever met, and yet he says he's also a committed Christian. Talking to Manuel makes Paul reconsider thoughts he has kept hidden, and listening to Manuel's interpretation of Biblical passages on homosexuality causes Paul to reevaluate everything he believed. Manuel's outspokenness triggers dramatic consequences at school, culminating in a terrifying situation that leads Paul to take a stand.
Thoughts: I was engrossed in this book from page two. Being a non-practicing Catholic who has mild skepticism for "Bible Thumpers", I didn't think I was going to be able to handle all the scripture that goes into this novel, but I really enjoyed it. It sort of made me want to pick up my own Bible just to read further into the passages Sanchez talks about. The struggle inside Paul was compelling and made me ache to give him a hug and tell him that everything would be all right and that it was perfectly fine and natural to be a homosexual. Overall, I really enjoyed the novel and I think it will be a great help/comfort to teenagers who are both deeply religious and also struggling with their own sexuality.
Rating: 10/10

I'm feeling really good about my chances of not only completing the challenge this year, but possibly exceeding it. I've finished three books within the first week of the year, and am 75% finished with two audiobooks. WooHoo!

 

3 / 50 words. 6% done!

 

601 / 15000 words. 4% done!

2. The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder
reading this made me want to read Sophie's World again. Gaarder does an excellent job of mixing just enough intriguing plot and characters with his philosophy that you never get bored. I actually liked this a lot better than sophie's world, but that is probably just because i read that one in high schooland reading a history of philosophy in high school is a bit overwhelming. This story is about a boy named hans thomas who is travelling with his father to greece to find his mother who left him when he was four years old. On the way he receives a tiny book and a magnifying glass with which to read it. his father used to be a sailor and loves philosophy. what i loved about this story was that even though you could piece together all the connections before the end, it was still impossible to put down and kept my full attention until the very end. this book not only is a wonderful fantasy but it makes a lovely story about family legacies as well as making you truly think about life in general. i would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Thanks to my extended X-mas holidays and some half-started reads, here are my first 3 books of 2010! :D

#1. "A Christmas Carol (and "a crichet on the hearth") by Charles Dickens
I can't believe I had never got around to reading this. I think that I've seen so many adaptations that I thought I knew it inside out! Loved it, was actually surprised to find how funny some of it was!

#2. "The Art of Happiness" By HH. Dali Lama and Howard C Cutler.
Initially I found this a very hard read to get into but ultimately I really enjoyed it. It focuses mainly on how somw Quasi Buddist teachings are combined with psychological principles for everyday use.

#3. "Vernon God Little" by DBC Pierre.
Unpredictable, unfair and unbelievably enjoyable. More than anything the author's style of writing and turn of phrase made me finish this book within a day. For a novel that deals with some serious and terrible real life parallels, its focus is perfect. Sometimes Gritty, sometimes hilarious. Highly recommended!

Lets hope the rest of my reads are this satisfying... :D

i'm going to be an aunt!!!!!! my best friend (and roommate) is expecting her first child in early march. I get the honor of throwing her baby shower and wanted to show off my mad crock skillz. the problem is i'm not sure what all to make. here are the details, any and all help is appreciated!!!!!!


i'm looking to feed 20ish people and have a large crock.

interested in appetizers, dips, and spreads.

i do not want to do meatballs or lil smokies. also a no go on the queso style dips. something hearty or other meat like products are welcome though.

bonus points if it's gluten free.

i would really really appreciate any and all recipes that you have tried for a gathering and would do over again. i don't mind prep work but something that can be done in 3 hours or less would be best since the party is at two and i will have lots of running around to do before the guests arrive.

have a wonderful day! :D

EDIT: thanks a ton to everyone who has offered up a recipe or suggestion! they all sound amazing and i'm sure if i don't make your suggestion for the party i'll be making it for myself soon after!!!

also a big thanks to everyone concerned about my gluten free remark. i want to assure everyone that yes, i do in fact understand celiac disease well. my mom is the guest in attendance who has the disease so i've had 26 years of working around a gluten free lifestyle. but like i said i appreciate the concern :)

When I said that I had topped out 2009 with exactly 100 books, it turned out I lied. I was poking about online and came across a novel entitled A Rebellious Heroine by a gentleman named John Kendrick Bangs. I'd never heard of either novel or author, but the title amused me and I figured it might be worth a shot. It turns out to be the story of an author who is trying to write a story about a woman. This author prides himself on realism and finds his characters by going into a sort of trance and plucking them, fully formed, from the ether. He's supposed to be writing a book to entertain young American women, so he puts a lot of thought into the hero, making him just the sort of man that young American women would like, but, unfortunately, doesn't pay quite enough attention to the heroine who, it turns out, hates the hero, knows she's in a novel and resents it, and absolutely refuses to do what the author wishes. This sends the poor author into fits as he strives to find a hero she WILL accept. It's... actually very clever, and really quite funny and the ending is probably one of the better endings I've ever come across. I wholeheartedly recommend it. If you feel so inclined you can find it, in its entirety, here. It doesn't take very long to read and it's definitely worth it.

The goal for 2010 is to read 105 books. I know it's a silly number but I so barely made it to 100 in 2009 that I'd like to add a bit more padding this time around. Also, as an entirely undefined and therefore generally useless goal, I'd like to read more books that are actually useful to brain development. That is, more non-fiction and less books about zombies.

On that note, the first book I got through in 2010 was The Living Dead by Jeffrey Goddin. It was surprisingly not horrible. In fact, it was actually pretty good. It wasn't as good as World War Z of course, but it was a surprisingly entertaining novel about zombies and voodoo and things in New Orleans. I don't really have much more to say about it than that. I went into it expecting so much to hate it that liking it at all made it a huge success.

(1/105)