Some More Random Thoughts...

Those of you interested in posting your reading lists from 2008, please do so. If you don't know how, email your list to the address on the side and I'll post it for you. We're all curious about what everybody has read and it's fun to actually count them, either fun or depressing that is...

As far as the new year goes, as you compile your 2009 reading lists and signup for a few duels, we want to post it on the Reading Duels page so I can create a link to it from your name. I will need to make you an author on that site so you can post, so again email me to let me know.

What's up for 2009?

A new year is upon us. A new year - a new mission statement. This is a place for readers and writers.

We're interested in developing a site where we can set goals for reading, post our reviews, find out what kind of pages people are turning, and develop and expand our own tastes. Maybe even try a new genre!!
Check out the Reading Duels on the sidebar, click on those if you're interested in signing up to help you achieve your reading goals.

Each month we'll have different writing challenges for those interested in developing that skill. We mean for this to be a safe haven, a place where we can experiment, break out of our comfort zone and try something new while sometimes receiving feedback, sometimes not. You'll be the judge.

We will also spotlight one book a month. Whoever picks that book will lead the discussion on a separate post.

If this is something you'd like to try, leave a comment below with your name, email address and url. We'll then make you a blog author, so you can post your reviews as you go. Also be sure to include your 2009 reading goal number so I can add it to the list.

Happy reading!!!

Mandy's Reading List - 2008

First off, I am impressed you can remember how many books you read in the last year! I have been trying to remember and I am having a hard time. Here are the ones I do recall.
1. Faith of Our Fathers: A House Divided - Allen, Nancy
2. Faith of Our Fathers: To Make Men Free -Allen, Nancy
3. Faith of Our Fathers: Through the Perilous Fight -Allen, Nancy
4. Faith of Our Fathers: One Nation Under God -Allen, Nancy.
I enjoyed this series. It takes place during the Civil War and I have always liked that time period. I did like the Children of the Promise series better though.

5. Twilight - I liked this book
6. New Moon - Thought this one was kind of boring
7. Eclipse - This one was okay
8. Breaking Dawn - absolutely hated this book - ruined the whole series for me
9. A Christmas Carol - Dickens, Charles - I love reading this book every Christmas
10. I Heard that Song Before - Mary Higgins Clark - Good mystery, I usually enjoy her novels
11.Santa Cruise - Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark - very dull, didn't even bother to finsish the last 20 pages

12. One for the Money - Evanovich, Janet - Not sure if this counts, I only have read 1/2 of it so far.
13. Katherine - Seton, Anya - Very good historical novel if I can ever finish the thing, about 150 pages to go!

2008 bliss

First, I like arithmetic. So before I am kicked out of the club, here is my list of books for 2008. It was a wonderful journey. Also in no particular order. 1Sarah by Orson Scott Card 2The Holy Secret by James Ferrell 3Queen of Bable by Meg Cabot 4Push Not the River by James Conroyd Martin 5Against a Crimson Sky by James Conroyd Martin 6The Star of Kazan by Eva Ibbotson 7The Ghost Writer by John Harwood 8Brisingr by Christopher Paolini 9Left to Tell by Immaculee ilibigiza 10Coraline by Neil Gaiman 11The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 12Undine by Penni Russon 13The Pesthouse by Jim Crace 14For One More Day by Mitch Albom 15The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt 16Enchantment by Orson Scott Card 17The woman in White by Wilkie Collins 18And then there were none by Agatha Christie 19Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 20Ransom by Julie Garwood 21Revenge of the Kudza Debutantes by Cathy Holton 22Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer 23The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 24A company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson 25The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory 26The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 27A countess below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson 28The house on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier 29The Alchmist by Paulo Coelho 30The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen 31The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 32Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors 33Uglies by Scott Westerfield 34Pretties by Scott Westerfield 35Book of a thousand days by Shannon Hale 36The No 1 ladies detective agency by Alexander Mccall Smith 37The fountainhead by Ayn Rand 38The Winthrop Women by Anya Seton 39Green Darkness by Anya Seton 40These is my Words by Nancy Turner 41In Lucia's eyes by Arthur Japin 42The Lost art of Secret Keeping by Eva Rice 43The Thirteenth Tale by Dianne Setterfield 44-46The Gemma Doyle Trilogy (The sweet far thing, rebel angels, a great and terrible beauty) by Libba Bray 47Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie 48The Host by Stephenie Meyer 49The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd 50The Wednesday Letters by Jason Wright 51Devil Water by Anya Seton 52The memory keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards 53The Luxe by Anna Godberson 54Katherine by Anya Seton Yes, 54 wonderful books. Although, Katherine I read for the second time, so I don't know if it really counts. My Favorites: 54, 49, 50, 31, 23, 24, 22, 11, 9, 2. Really all of them. There are few books that I don't enjoy. When I read, I try to take each book for what it is and what it was meant to be. I find myself in each book and enjoy the many different views in the world. I don't think I will read this many next year. My goal is 40.

Books I read in 2008--The Bradfords

Hey this was fun! I didn't realize I read so many books until I started this list. I read with my kids (almost) every night but I only included the chapter books we read. I'm a firm believer in reading aloud to your kids, but I'll get into that another time. Here's my list in no particular order:

Katherine by Anya Seton
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
Marley & Me by John Grogan
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg
The Uglies by Scott Westerfield
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
These Is My Words by Nancy Turner
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Persuasion by Jane Austen

Books I read with my kids:

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
January 1905 by Katharine Boling
The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney
Each Little Bird that Sings by Deborah Wiles
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
Eggs by Jerry Spinelli
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
The Tiger Rising by Kate diCamillo
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles
Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
Clementine’s Letter by Sara Pennypacker
The Wicked, Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House by Mary Chase
Ramona Quimby, age 8 by Beverley Cleary

2008 Reading List - Lula O

Whew, I'm tired. I had a busy year reading -
My favorite was Katherine. Excellent historical fiction.
Least favorite - Wicked. Green hermaphrodite. Hmm..
About half of these I read for my neighborhood book club.
1. Jane Eyre - by Charlotte Bronte
2. Twilight - Stephanie Meyer
3. New Moon - Stephanie Meyer
4. Eclipse - Stephanie Meyer
5. The Uglies - Scott Westerfeld
6. The Pretties -Scott Westerfeld
7. The Specials - Scott Westerfeld
8. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter -Kim Edwards
9. Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
10. Standing in the Rainbow - Fannie Flagg
11. Katherine - Anya Seton
12. The Green Darkness - Anya Seton
13. To Kill a Mocking Bird - Harper Lee
14. Austenland - Shannon Hale
15. Wicked - Gregory Maguire
16. Fearless Fourteen -Janet Evanovich
17. The Woods - Harlen Cobin
18. Book of a Thousand Days - Shannon Hale
19. The Enchanted April - Elizabeth von Arnim
20. Where Memories Lie - Deborah Crombie
21. Live to Tell- Surviving the Rwanda Holocaust - Immaculee Ilibagiza
22. The Time Travelers Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
23. Mudbound - Hillary Jordan
24. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
25. The Duchess - Amanda Foreman

Which is your favorite first line of a novel?

1. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man is possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

2. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

3. Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered she had turned into the wrong person.

4. Call me Ishmael.

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5. Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Any guesses as to who wrote them? Have a better one?