Monday, December 31, 2007

2007 Books

The final list....
I highlighted my top 10 favorite books for the year (the Book of Mormon doesn't count).
  • 75. Peace Like a River
  • 74. The Book of Mormon
  • 73. Christmas Jars
  • 72. Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank
  • 71. Assassination Vacation *
  • 70. The Year of Living Biblically *
  • 69. Father Knows Less Or: "Can I Cook My Sister?"
  • 68. Moloka'i
  • 67. Love, Stargirl *
  • 66. The Tale of Despereaux *
  • 65. The Road
  • 64. The Star Garden *
  • 63. Behind the Scenes at the Museum
  • 62. The Devil in the White City *
  • 61. One Thousand White Women
  • 60. The Invention of Hugo Cabret *
  • 59. Good Harbor
  • 58. Gilead
  • 57. I'm a Stranger Here Myself
  • 56. Austenland *
  • 55. A Walk in the Woods
  • 54. The White
  • 53. Princess Academy *
  • 52. A Girl Named Zippy
  • 51. Eclipse *
  • 50. The Mists of Avalon
  • 49. Home to Big Stone Gap *
  • 48. Four to Score
  • 47. New Moon
  • 46. Three to Get Deadly
  • 45. Twilight *
  • 44. Two for the Dough
  • 43. One for the Money
  • 42. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime *
  • 41. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive *
  • 40. The Places in Between *
  • 39. Digging to America *
  • 38. The Dive from Clausen's Pier
  • 37. The Birth of Venus
  • 36. I Want to Buy a Vowel
  • 35. Feed
  • 34. Stargirl *
  • 33. Weetzie Bat
  • 32. The Adventures of Blue Avenger *
  • 31. American Born Chinese
  • 30. One Bad Rat
  • 29. Persepolis
  • 28. Keturah and Lord Death *
  • 27. Whirligig *
  • 26. Carver: A Life in Poems *
  • 25. It's Perfectly Normal
  • 24. God Went to Beauty School
  • 23. With Courage and Cloth
  • 22. Shakespeare: His World and His Work *
  • 21. The Rose and the Beast
  • 20. Rose Daughter *
  • 19. Zel *
  • 18. How Angel Peterson Got His Name *
  • 17. Prom
  • 16. Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes
  • 15. Doing It
  • 14. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
  • 13. My Heartbeat
  • 12. Heart's Delight
  • 11. Go and Come Back *
  • 10. The Myth of You and Me *
  • 9. A Girl Named Disaster
  • 8. Sabriel *
  • 7. The Golden Compass *
  • 6. Catcher in the Rye
  • 5. The Outsiders *
  • 4. Alice in Wonderland *
  • 3. From Romance to Realism
  • 2. Water for Elephants
  • 1. Leaving Microsoft to Change the World *
What were your favorite books of 2007?

Peace Like a River

Set in the 1960's, this is the story of a motherless family on a quest to find the oldest brother who killed two neighborhood boys and escaped from prison.

Things I liked: Enger's writing style; the characters Rube and Swede; the themes of faith, hope, repentance and forgiveness found throughout the story.

Things I didn't like: Sense of foreboding throughout the whole book, feeling like I couldn't breathe every time Rube had an asthma attack, the setting--winter in Minnesota and North Dakota--which felt cold and dark.

So, it was a mixed bag for me. But, his next book, So Brave, Young, and Handsome will be out May 13, 2008 and I do plan on reading it.

The Book of Mormon

I figured it would be a pretty sad commentary on myself if I couldn't manage to get this one read this year with all the other books I did manage to read.

It truly is the best of all books and I know it is true.

(There just aren't enough *'s to convey how I feel about it.)

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Love in the Time of Cholera

This was our book club book for December and I'm sorry to say that I only read half of it. The half I read was so beautiful. But then those who had finished it said that the rest of it gets quite graphic sexually in a way they described as "foul". So, I'm going to have to put this one aside. However, one person did highly recommend his One Hundred Years of Solitude, so I may try that after I get over my disappointment.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Christmas Jars

This book is the most cheesiest, predictable piece of slop I have read in a long time.

And I gobbled up every page.

If you have two hours (and I don't, but I read it while I was waiting for my car to get serviced today) and want to get into the Christmas spirit I highly recommend it.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank

And Other Words of Delicate Southern Wisdom

This book was hilarious.

Rivenbark is a humorist from right here in North Carolina. When I finally admitted to my book club I was reading this, others admitted they have read her other books and found them just as funny as I found this one. We then spent quite a bit of time retelling her funny stories.

The book is a collection of essays, making this is a good book to have sitting in your car if you have a moment to read a few pages here and there while you wait for kids. Most moms will relate to her reflections on why you regret saying yes to helping out at school, how scary the department store is when your little girl gets to size 7, and the joys/pains of taking kids to theme parks.

Rivenbark is certainly a little irreverent. So just beware that her language can be a wee bit colorful at times. Courtney heard me laughing out loud and wanted to check out what I was reading. Needless to say, I felt a sheepish saying, "Don't worry about it--(while I kind of closed it and hid it under the covers) --Get back to your Magic Tree House book!"

Monday, November 12, 2007

Assassination Vacation

This is our November book club choice, and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sarah Vowell (also the voice of Violet Parr) provides us with an interesting history-based travelogue of sites associated with the assassinations of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. She is witty and funny and sometimes cuts quick to the core. If you are going to be offended by her slams on the current Bush administration, do beware.

Otherwise, enjoy the journey.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

The Year of Living Biblically

This book is explained fully by its subtitle: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. AJ Jacobs, a native New Yorker (as Jewish as the Olive Garden is Italian), decides he is going to live all the laws of the Old Testament and New Testament during the course of a year. He takes trips to Israel, a creationism museum in Wisconsin and a snake-handler's church in Tennessee as part of his spiritual journey. He consults with various rabbis and priests that guide him and provide answers to his many questions. The results are super funny, inspiring, and thought-provoking. If I have any disappointment, it is that he pretty well glossed over the New Testament. But, he admits up front that with his Jewish heritage he had a hard time even going there.

Well worth a read.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Father Knows Less

This book is part-memoir part-trivia. A New York Times reporter seeks to answer questions from children, including his own son, such as:
  • What happens when you eat gum?
  • Do nose hairs turn gray?
  • Is George Bush evil? Mommy says so.
He then takes these questions to an expert in the appropriate field to get the answers--making for interesting and entertaining light reading.

Personally, I skipped about half the memoir/reflective part. I couldn't care less about the author and his kid. But, I loved the questions and their answers.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Moloka'i

It was kind of strange to read this book on the heels of Devil in the White City and Star Garden because all of these books are set in such different locations, but during basically the same time period. It was a refreshing change to move from dusty Arizona to tropical Hawaii and interesting to see how life varied from place to place.

The Bad News: This book took me about 150 pages to get into. Normally I would have given up, but my momseguine recommended it, and my book club chose to read it for October. You know before you even start the book that Rachel is going to get Hansen's disease (leprosy) and she is going to be shipped off to Moloka'i, but it took forever to get her there. I was ready for her to hurry up and grow up.

The Good News: I really, really ended up liking the book. I even cried. I loved the history. I loved seeing the happiness, love and joy one person can have and share with others, regardless of their circumstances and experiences. It's a book that encourages a change of pace and puts the important things in life into perspective.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

The Tale of Despereaux

Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread

This Newbery Medal winner is the delightful story my kids and I have been enjoying in the car for the last few weeks. I figure we spend so much time in the car, we might as well make it worth our while. The book is recommended for third grade and up, but both Courtney and Carter really enjoyed listening. (Jonah did not. Bella doesn't count.) Personally, I think a good story is a good story and this is one that I think you get more out of the older you are when you read it. It explores themes of darkness and light, mercy and forgiveness, friendship and love.

Truly, a tale for all ages.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

The Road

Earlier this year The Road was given the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It was also picked by Oprah for her book club, which quite frankly was a strike against it for me. You kind of know going into an Oprah book that it is going to be about some kind of depressing struggle and hopefully a triumph of some kind at the end.

This book takes place in post-apocalyptic America (apparently in the Southeast after a nuclear holocaust, although the cataclysmic event is never specifically identified) as a father and son struggle to survive as some of the few remaining inhabitants left on earth. Just to give you a taste of some of the horrifying aspects of the book, they carry a gun with two bullets meant for suicide so they won't be captured by cannibals. Parts of the book were downright terrifying, but there was a sweetness in the relationship of the two characters who are willing to see life through no matter how repulsive the world is around them.

I need to make some notes about the stylistic nature of the novel. First, I havent read anything else by Cormac McCarthy so I dont know if it is just this book or if it is just him, but he doesnt use any apostrophes in contractions. I thought it was a little strange. Second, he also doesn't use quotation marks in dialogue which I was actually OK with. It kind of reminded me of blog writing. Finally, I will admit that there were some sentences that I had no idea what he was talking about. But he did use cool words like "crozzled" which I have to give him credit for, even though I think McCarthy's reputation for being one of "America's pretentious authors" probably holds true.

I don't know to tell you whether to read it or not. You can't walk three steps into Borders without tripping over the book, and I do think it is one people will be talking about for awhile. It will leave you feeling melancholy and reflective (probably one reason I decided to read it quickly) but I wouldn't blame anyone for feeling like they just couldn't/didn't want to stomach it.

Monday, September 24, 2007

The Star Garden

I was so happy when I got to bring this book home from the library! I was the first reader of my copy, and I was happy to be the one to crack the book open and turn each page for the first time. On to the review...

I just love Sarah. Even though she is 43 now, there is a lot I feel I can relate to in her personality. But there is enough that I can't relate to which keeps her interesting. This book picks up right where Sarah's Quilt left off. It's been a two years since I read Sarah's Quilt so it took me a few chapters to remember where I left off and who the characters were. But once I got up to speed, I couldn't put the book down.

I actually think I liked this book better than Sarah's Quilt, because Sarah was much more real. Granted, she was more fallible in this book which was disappointing in some cases, but much more true-to-life I suspect. Still, the first book, These is My Words, stands on a pedestal for me...but Sarah's saga continues with this very satisfying read.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Behind the Scenes at the Museum

Set in Yorkshire England, this book follows 4 generations of women through two world wars and concludes in 1992. The story is narrated through the voice of Ruby Lennox, who represents the 4th generation.

Atkinson has a witty, clever writing style and I always enjoy following family histories. There are some plot surprises, some of which I guessed early and some I missed completely, even after all had been revealed. The writing weaves back and forth between the generations so you do have to stay on top of who's who throughout the book, but it does help to keep your interest.

This family is especially dysfunctional--family members have a tendency to "disappear" or die early, and the women have a propensity to attach themselves to lousy men. I think I would have enjoyed this book a little more if I were 20 to 30 years older, the same age the narrator, but I definitely enjoyed the quirkiness and British humor.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Book News

My mom alerted me to the wonderful news that Nancy Turner's third book in the Sarah Agnes Prine series is out. Considering that These is My Words is definitely on my top 10 favorite book list, I am thrilled. Some libraries have not gotten their orders in yet, so be sure to get in the queue.

And a sad day for my husband and other sci-fi/fantasy fans out there. Robert Jordan passed away yesterday leaving the #12 book in the Wheel of Time series unfinished. Wikipedia states:
Due to his health problems, Jordan did not work at full force on the final installment, but blog entries confirmed that he continued work on it until his death, and he shared all of the significant plot details with his family not long before he died.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

The Devil in the White City

This book was simply amazing.

Erik Larson takes you on a journey of Chicago through the Gilded Age--from the inception of the idea of a World Fair through its ultimate conclusion in the 1890s. This non-fiction book reads like fiction and it is truly staggering to realize that it is all true and appropriately cited.

The book revolves mainly around Daniel Burnham, architect of the fair and H. H. Holmes, a serial killer who lived in Chicago during the same period. The chapters about Holmes were quite eerie and I didn't love reading them when Dan wasn't around. I took great comfort in the fact that this guy could not pull off today what he was able to back then. Still, the details do get grisly. The fair chapters are packed full of interesting tidbits about American life. It is truly flabbergasting to see what we have accomplished in the last 100 years and how much of it we owe to this period in American history.

A range of other fascinating figures appear in the book including many other architects, such as Frank Lloyd Wright, and landscape architects, such as Frederick Olmstead (designer of Central Park and the Biltmore gardens, just to name a couple), Susan B. Anthony, and Bill Cody. These men and women had enormous impact on the future of America, and the World Fair was the central point that brought all of these people together for one incredible event.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

One Thousand White Women

I've got a thing for books written in journal form and books that are historical fiction to boot. While this book does not come close to supplanting my favorite of this style, These is My Words, I did enjoy it quite a bit.

I'm kind of surprised I decided to pick this book up. I read Fergus' Wild Girl last year and wasn't particularly enthralled. It took me months to finish Wild Girl, and I think I only did because I actually purchased the book and felt some sort of obligation to see it through. This book did take me a few days, but I really grew attached to May, the author of the journals.

One Thousand White Women is a story of a group of women the government traded to the Cheyenne in exchange for horses. The goal was to try and more peacefully integrate the cultures, but we all know how that turned out. In truth, the idea of behind One Thousand White Women was actually put forward by the Cheyenne and promptly dismissed by the US government.

I think the concept of this novel is what interested me. I don't actually know why I chose to stomach a lot of this book when I didn't feel like reading Atonement, which is much tamer in comparison. Chalk it up to fickleness and mood I guess. But do know going in that you will find sex, violence, language, and human atrocity as befits a novel of this nature and time period. Still, I thought it was good and enjoyed the journey.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

This gem of a book is 533 pages long. I told Dan he needed to read it, and that it only takes an hour or two and he looked at me like I was INSANE. I don't actually read that fast, but this novel is told in both pictures and words. If you haven't read a graphic novel yet, this is a great one to try first.

You will find it in the juvenile section of the library. If I hadn't looked it up, I would say this book would be great starting around 5th grade--Publisher's Weekly says ages 9-12.

I don't want to tell you too much about it. (I'm glad the site that I got the recommendation from didn't spoil it for me.) Just go get it and enjoy. You'll be glad you did.

Good Harbor

I've actually delayed writing about this book for a few days so I could let it settle. And, I'm not very settled still.

I liked the premise of the book--two middle-aged women facing various health, religious, marriage, and family crises becoming friends amidst the backdrop of their shared Jewish faith in Cape Ann. I was totally into the book until about 3/4 the way through and then Diamant lost me. Of course, by then I had to finish. But, I remember thinking, "There is not enough book left to resolve these issues in a way that is going to satisfy me."

Hence, my unsettledness.

Maybe I just like things tied up too nicely. But I almost got the feeling that Diamant realized she was in over her head and figured she'd better quit the novel while she was ahead.

I still may read her most recent novel, The Last Days of Dogtown, also set on Cape Ann. But, The Red Tent, this was not.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Atonement

OK, so I really wanted to be able to like this book. But I read 135 pages and gave up. You will soon see this book in movie form starring Keira Knightley. Time Magazine selected this book as one of the top 100 novels since 1923, it has been named Best Book of the Year by numerous newspapers, and is a Booker Prize finalist. Alas, like so many of it's fellow esteemed books, this book was too dark and contained stuff I just didn't want to read.

The question in this book is whether or not a crime committed by a 13-year old girl can ever be atoned for. But, you know from the beginning this book is not going to end well (and it ends worse than I imagined).

I have to admit I read as much as I did because Ian McEwan is a fabulous writer. Brilliant literature perhaps, but I'm glad I read how it was going to end on Wikipedia before I continued on any further. Unfortunately, I think McEwan loves to explore the faces of evil a little more than I want to.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Gilead

This book was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005 and is also the choice for my book club this month. I actually purchased this book a year ago when I was waiting impatiently for Bella to show up. I never got to it, but I'm glad I had an excuse to read it now.

The book is set in the fictional town of Gilead, Iowa in the mid-1950s. Reverend John Ames has been diagnosed with a terminal heart condition in his late 70s. The book is an autobiographical account written to his 7-year old son, the product of a marriage late in life to a much younger woman. The Reverend is a third-generation preacher, and speaks mostly of his rather eccentric grandfather in reflection of his upbringing.

The plot moves slowly through the first half of the book, but picks up some during the last half when Ames' godson, the son of his best friend (also a minister) shows up in town. The spiritual reflections are quite thought-provoking and I will admit feeling somewhat more intelligent for having read this. But it certainly wasn't a book I can really rave about story-wise.

One thing I did wonder about while reading Gilead is how true Marilynne Robinson is to an elderly male voice. Obviously, I'll never know for sure since I am neither male nor elderly (at this point). But, I do think she pulled it off--which reminded me of male authors who I think understand females quite well such as Leo Tolstoy, Alexander McCall Smith and Arthur Golden. It must take a huge amount of talent to write as another gender, to be sure.

Monday, August 27, 2007

I'm a Stranger Here Myself

Still on my Bill Bryson kick, I decided to check out the LARGE PRINT version of I'm a Stranger Here Myself so I didn't have to wait in the queue. I've decided that reading large print is kind of like watching a black and white movie--you just don't notice it after awhile.

I was super excited to read this book because Bryson lived in England for 20 years, and this book was supposedly his reflections on coming back to America. What I found out when I opened the book is that this is really a collection of newspaper articles he wrote for a British newspaper about American life. And mostly, he doesn't seem too pleased with it. Even his British wife complained that all he ever does is gripe. Not that I disagree with his reflections, it's just that I don't want to read about them one after the other.

There were some pretty humorous moments. The chapter entitled Your Tax Form Explained was a particular highlight for me. But overall, I think I'm Bryson'd out for a bit, even though I still want to read In a Sunburned Country (a book about Australia) at some point.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Austenland

Calling all Jane Austen fans! If you love Mr. Darcy (and who doesn't) this book is for you.

How an LDS author pulled off an adult romance book, I'll never know. But this book is pure unadulterated mindless enjoyment. Perfectly yummy in every way.

I read it in one sitting (when I should have been sleeping) and I might even have to read it again.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Book Club Favorites

My non-Enrichment book club met tonight. We all submitted a list of our favorite books, so I thought I would pass along the recommendations of others (some of which I admittedly don't like, but many of which I do!).

• Anything by Anne Tyler especially The Accidental Tourist & Ladder of Years
• Poisonwood Bible
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond
• A Thousand Splendid Suns
• The Kite Runner
• Where the Heart Is
• The Weaver Takes a Wife
• Morning Glory
• Mutant Message Down Under
• The Diary of Maddie Spenser
• The Screwtape Letters
• The Tenant of Windfall Hall
• The Immortal Wife
• Two from Galilee
• At Home in Mitford
• My Antonia
• The Hiding Place
• Follow the River
• Anne of Green Gables
• Dandelion Wine
• Letters for Emily
• The Persian Pickle Club
• Summer of the Monkeys
• My Name is Asher Lev
• Miss Julia Speaks her Mind
• The Count of Monte Cristo
• Cheaper by the Dozen
• Girl with the Pearl Earring
• Homecoming
• Rumors of War
• Year of Wonders
• The Secret Life of Bees
• Church Ladies
• The Davinci Code
• Uncle Tom's Cabin
• Tara Road
• Scarlet Pimpernel
• Jane Eyre
• I Heard the Owl Call my Name
• My Cousin Rachel
• Crow Lake
• The Giver
• Devil in the White City
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Sunday, August 19, 2007

A Walk in the Woods

I loved Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. He just has a way of explaining difficult or bland concepts in a way that is interesting and amusing.

A Walk in the Woods is the story of Bryson's journey along the Appalachian Trail in the late 1990s. Interspersed with his travelogue are facts and figures about the flora and fauna, weather, National Park Service, mining, etc. etc. When I think I can't stand anymore trail talking, he gets down to facts and vice versa.

And, he's laugh out loud funny.
(I've kept Melanie, Dan and Corky entertained for days with my retellings.)

You'll find this book in the US travel section of the library (that's the 917 section thanks to Mr. Dewey), but it is NOT a travel book. It really is a book about America--understanding the geography and it's affect on us and our effect on it.

One caveat: I must give the language rating a strong PG-13.

Next up on my Bryson list: I'm a Stranger Here Myself.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

The White

I should say at the outset that I'm a huge fan of historical fiction. This book is based on the story of real-life character, Mary Jemison, who lived near Gettysburg during the pre-Revolutionary period. Her family was taken by Indians, and Mary goes on to live among the Seneca, eventually settling in the Genesee Valley of New York.

The story, told in both the first and third person, is really a story of courage about accepting the past and finding peace, fulfillment and beauty in the present. Deborah Larsen does a beautiful job of telling this story--sometimes the prose borders on poetry: In later days the fact that I was a prisoner had not stopped the breeze nor the tubers which grow sequestered in the dark ground nor darkness itself nor the flutterings of moths nor the reedy songs of children nor the pungency of sage.

An enjoyable, fairly quick read. However, you need to be able to stomach a certain amount of Indian-related violence.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Princess Academy

This darling book by Shannon Hale is an award-winning Newberry Honor book. It straddles the line between a children's book and a YA book, but at 314 pages, you'll most likely find it in the YA section of your library. It is appropriate for young girls starting around 5th grade.

Part fairy tale and part fantasy, the book follows Miri, a young mountain girl who is sent to the Princess Academy where one of the girls will be chosen to marry the prince. Although it took me a few chapters to get into the book, the story is delightful in every way.

Hale, a friend and (fellow LDS author) of Stephenie Meyer, recently released an adult romance, Austenland, which Meyer has called her favorite book of the summer. I've got it ordered from B&N because I didn't want to wait in the library queue. I'm excited to check out the Goose Girl series, also by Shannon Hale.

Highly recommended.

Monday, August 13, 2007

A Girl Named Zippy

This is the book we are reading this month in our non-Enrichment book club. A Girl Named Zippy is a memoir written by Haven Kimmel. It is the story of her childhood, growing up poor in a small Indiana town during the late sixties/early seventies.

I'm not a huge fan of memoirs, basically because I think they are too good to be true. (Even Haven Kimmel herself doesn't deny that.) Yet, it is classified as non-fiction and is found in the library amongst the biographies. Maybe I just don't have a very good memory or she has an amazing one to remember conversations, facial expressions, and emotions from when she was age 5!

I got a little ADD reading this book. The book is mostly a random collection of experiences. One chapter will be a kindergarten chapter, then 4th grade, and then back to kindergarten again. I need to feel like I'm getting somewhere with a book. I felt like I was sinking in a quagmire of plotlessness. For this reason, I prefer adult memoirs that cover an extended period of time since there is usually more plot and the details are more likely to be accurately remembered.

Having said all that, I loved Haven Kimmel's sharp and witty writing style. I even laughed out loud a few times. I'm tempted to try her fiction series, which begins with The Solace of Leaving Early, since I might do better with a book that proclaims itself as fiction and hopefully has a plot.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Eclipse

I enjoyed Stephenie Meyer's third book in the Twilight series much better than New Moon. Having said that, I certainly didn't hate New Moon. But, I'm not sure that I ever get over how much I love the first book in any series. Twilight is still my favorite.

As I've begun to notice how ridiculously popular these books are, I think Mormons need to be especially careful not to view these books as "safe, Mormon material" just because the author happens to be LDS. These books are recommended 9th grade and up by the School Library Journal, and there is good reason for that. Thematically these books require a more mature audience, and I think this is true even more for Eclipse than for the other two. Sexual themes are featured prominently in this book.

I'm certainly looking forward to the next installment (and possibly the last) in this series as well as Meyer's first adult science fiction novel, The Host, out in Spring 2008.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Favorite Books

  • A Short History of Nearly Everything
  • America's Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines
  • Anna Karenina
  • Big Stone Gap Series
  • Books by Jane Austen
  • Books by Jeffrey Archer
  • Charms for the Easy Life
  • Easter Island
  • Girl With a Pearl Earring
  • Holes
  • How Green Was My Valley
  • I Capture the Castle
  • Interpreter of Maladies
  • Jim the Boy
  • Lucia, Lucia
  • Maisie Dobbs Series
  • My Sister's Keeper
  • Pope Joan
  • Rebecca
  • Sarah's Quilt
  • Sotah
  • Ten Circles Upon the Pond
  • The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
  • The Book of Mormon
  • The Eyre Affair
  • The Five People You Meet in Heaven
  • The History of Love
  • The Namesake
  • The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series
  • The Queen of the Big Time
  • The Red Tent
  • The Rule of Four
  • These is My Words
  • Twilight

Friday, August 10, 2007

2006 Books

I started keeping track of books I was reading in 2006. I have only a somewhat complete list, but I guess something is better than nothing!

  • The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
  • Tears of the Giraffe
  • The Kalahari Typing School for Men
  • Morality for Beautiful Girls
  • The Full Cupboard of Life
  • In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
  • Nickel and Dimed
  • I Don’t Know How She Does It
  • About a Boy
  • The Diary of Mattie Spenser
  • Blue Shoes and Happiness
  • Rebekah
  • Rachel & Leah
  • The Time Traveler’s Wife
  • The Thirteenth Tale
  • Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
  • Back When We Were Grownups
  • The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
  • Stuart Little
  • A Wedding in December
  • Messenger of Truth
  • The Wild Girl