UPDATE: December Books

At times I didn't think I'd finish 3 books this month, but some books go much faster than others. I am still loving the Lily Bard series, and since it only has two more books, I'll have to start the Sookie Stackhouse vampire mysteries to get more Harris. I usually wait until the month completely ends for an update, but everyone is writing year-end posts today, and I hate to feel left out. I really wanted to finish my 50_books challenge and other than Lord of the Rings which I had no intention of reading this year, I managed to get 13 excellent books read. At the first of the month, with both Lolita and the 600 page Owen Meany left, plus all the Christmas stuff, it didn't look good. I think I signed up for way too many challenges for next year; I can't even print them all out or I will have to be committed somewhere.

I am not liking this arbitrary year end date; I don't feel like starting a book today because I don't know where I would list it! So instead, I've taken all the ornaments off the tree, cleaned the living room a bit, and looked out the window at the 20ish cm of snow falling down. If the winds pick up like expected, it will be a zero-visibility blizzard out there. Luckily, we have no plans for ringing in the New Year. I am trying to decide what to do with all the reading challenge buttons and lists from this year. I like looking at them, but how long can this blog be? I'll be scouting around other blogs and shamelessly stealing great ideas, like I always do.

Here's to a Safe and Happy New Year to all the reading bloggers out there and anyone else who happens to stop by.

Christmas Book Challenge: 2 more read
2nds challenge: 1 and completed
50_books top 20: 2 read and completed

Best book of the month: A Prayer for Owen Meany

131. Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures - Vincent Lam
130. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
129. The Christmas Thief - Mary Higgins Clark
128. Mercy - Jodi Picoult
127. Ishmael - Daniel Quinn
126. Shakespeare's Christmas - Charlaine Harris
125. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
124. The Cricket and the Hearth - Charles Dickens

CHALLENGE: A - Zed Authors and Titles

The official Blog because Joy loves Mr Linky.

I shall try again!

Bolded have been read, all others are just ideas and plans. Nothing overlaps and things may change, at any time.(It's really just a way to make more lists - I'm not reading any more books)
In 2007, I missed authors U and Y and titles X.


Authors
A - Anderson, Laurie Halse - Speak
B - Ben Jelloun, Tahar - This Blinding Absence of Light
C - Cook, Thomas H - The Chatham School Affair
D - Dunning, John - Booked to Die
E - Enright, Anne - The Gathering
F - Fforde, Jasper - The Eyre Affair
G - Gleason, Colleen - The Bleeding Dusk
H - Hale, Shannon - Princess Academy
I - Ishiguro, Kazou - The Remains of the Day
J - Jennings, Ken - Brainiac
K - Kinsella, Sophie - Remember Me?
L - Landvik, Lorna - Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons
M - Mitchell, David - Black Swan Green
N - Nafisi, Azar - Reading Lolita in Tehran
O - O'Dell, Scott - Island of the Blue Dolphins
P - Phillips, Marie - Gods Behaving Badly
Q - Quarrington, Paul - The Ravine
R - Ross, Ann B - Miss Julia Takes Over
S - Sansom, Ian - The Case of the Missing Books
T - Toltz, Steve - A Fraction of the Whole
U - Updale, Eleanor - Montmorency: thief, liar, gentleman?
V - Vargas Llosa, Mario - Who Killed Palomino Molero?
W - Waters, Sarah - The Night Watch
X - Xiong, Blia - Nine-In-One Grr! Grr! (children's book)
Y - Yang, Gene Luen - American Born Chinese
Z - Zusak, Markus - The Book Thief

Titles
A - Atonement - Ian McEwan
B - Beauty - Robin McKinley
C - The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier
D - Drive Like Hell - Dallas Hudgens
E - Eleanor Rigby - Douglas Coupland
F - From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler - EL Konisburg
G - The Goose Girl - Shannon Hale
H - House of Meeting - Martin Amis
I - The Interloper - Antoine Wilson
J - The Jane Austen Book Club - Karen Joy Fowler
K - The Kalahari Typing School for Men - Alexander McCall Smith
L - Latitudes of Melt - Joan Clark
M - Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones
N - Never Have Your Dog Stuffed - Alan Alda
O - The Outcast - Sadie Jones
P - Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi
Q - The Quirks and Quarks Guide to Space
R - Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
S - Shakespeare's Trollop - Charlaine Harris
T - Terra Cotta Dog - Andrea Camilleri
U - The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett
V - Vegan, Virgin, Valentine - Carolyn Mackler
W - Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
X - The Xibalba Murders - Lyn Hamilton
Y - Yellowknife - Steve Zipp
Z - Zel - Donna Jo Napoli

BOOK: Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam

Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam

Giller Prize Winner 2006

Ontario book for the Canadian Book Challenge

Not so much a novel as a collection of stories, connected by four medical students / interns in Toronto. The stories are connected enough not to be stand alones, and reminded me of an ER episode, with different doctors and different medical emergencies. I read this fairly quickly and enjoyed the progression of the main characters. Lam is an emergency room doctor and it was interesting to read the stories from that perspective. I didn't recognize this as prize winning novel caliber, but it was enjoyable enough.

BOOK: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

50_books top 20 list self challenge Completed

I may have been hasty is creating my top ten reads of the year on December 15th. Who would have thought I would have a contender in the last sixteen two days of the year? The readers of the 50_book challenge at livejournal I guess, as they voted A Prayer for Owen Meany as the 15th best book of all time. One of my goals this year was to read all the twenty books (except Lord of the Rings). I had read six before this year, and thought it would be a long term goal to read the list, but as the year progressed, the remaining 13 seemed attainable.

Here's the list:

1. Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling 197

2. Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen 133 read in 2006

3. Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien 125

4. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee 95 read in 1990s

5. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger 77 read in 2006

6. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 76

7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky 64

8. Lolita - Vladimir Nabakov 58

9. 1984 - George Orwell 52 read in 1990s

10. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde 50

11. Wuthering Heights - Emile Bronte 47 read in grade 12

12. Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card 46

13. His Dark Materials Trilogy - Philip Pullman 45

14. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett 42

15. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving 41

16. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald 41 read in 2006

17. My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult 38

18. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams 37

19. American Gods - Neil Gaiman 36

20. The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupery 34

Back to Owen Meany:

I was worried I left this 600 page book too late in the year to finish, but I forgot that really good books are quick to read because they are really good books. The story is told by John Wheelwright about his best friend Owen Meany, both growing up in New Hampshire in the 1950s and '60s. Owen in small for his age and his voice is unique - everything he says in in CAPITAL LETTERS, almost as if he is screaming. People are quickly protective of Owen and also drawn to his strong and unique personality. John narrates from the present, a teacher in Canada, as he remembers Owen and his life.

The book is about faith and religion, but also some interesting commentary about American politics and the Vietnam war. Although this book was written in 1989, I found the criticisms about Reagan and the Iran-contra hearings and Gary Hart's little scandal, could have been applied today to Bush and the Iraq war and Clinton. Irving makes some almost prophetic statements about Americans and politics. Or maybe just the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The concepts of fate and faith were beautifully done, and Owen Meany was a wonderful character. At times I laughed out loud - the removal of a VW car, and others I cried - I read the last twenty pages with my hand over my mouth. Irving has written an amazing book with wonderful messages and a truly unique character in Owen Meany. The way he tied up the whole book at the end was masterful. I'm not taking any books off my top ten list, but I think this one goes on. I won't have the time to reflect and think on Owen Meany before the end of the year, but this was pretty amazing. I was looking around, but it appears not to have won any awards. How can that be?

CHALLENGES: 2007 Update

I want to make a list of all the challenges I completed this year. How lucky that I started doing challenges in January of 2007, it feels more complete that way. These challenges are what got me into blogging, so my blog started sometime after the first challenge. Both the challenge and wrap ups have links to reviews of any books.

1. Winter Classics
2. chunkster challenge wrap up posted here
3. banned book challenge
4. spring reading challenge wrap up posted here
5. once upon a time challenge wrap up posted here
6. summer reading challenge round 2 wrap up posted here
7. southern reading challenge wrap up posted here
8. summer mystery reading challenge wrap up posted here
9. non-fiction five wrap up posted here
10. classic challenge (summer) wrap up posted here
11. dystopian challenge wrap up posted here
12. RIP II Sept - Oct 31 2007 wrap up posted here
13. 15 books / 15 decades challenge all year 2007
14. books to movies challenge wrap up posted here
15. something about me challenge wrap up posted here
16. Christmas Book Challenge wrap up posted here
17. 2nds Challenge wrap up posted here
18. NYT notable books 2006 challenge wrap up posted here
19. 50_books top 20


20. A - Z Author and Book challenge: DNF, stupid U and Y authors and X books!

Favorite Books in a Challenge: I liked reading the RIP II challenge books best; they are my favorite genre, and Carl hosts a hell of a challenge, lots of prizes and mini challenges within the big one challenge. Two books here made my top ten reads of the year.

Biggest Challenge: the Chunkster is always going to be the hardest, because the books are the biggest.

Best Discovery Challenge: the Dystopian genre was one I didn't even know existed, and then I discovered some simply wonderful books. I kept adding boks to my list, and read more than I expected. I wouldn now say I like dystopian books.

Best Challenge: the Something About Me was the best TBR generator I've ever seen, with so many wonderful participants that I got to know, because of the books they chose. It was a genius idea and executed wonderfully as well.

UPDATE: Christmas Challenge Completed

Great challenge and I really enjoyed reading these books. I had a few very short stories, but they fit the season, so I included them. I will do this every year - read a few Chritstmas stories leading into December.

Here's the final tally:


Irish Stories for Christmas by John B Keane
The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens
The Christmas Thief by Mary Higgins Clark

A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas (short story)
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote (short story)
Christmas Tree by David Adam Richards (two short stories)

And it had very little to do with Christmas, but I was perfectly at the point in the series in December to read Shakespeare's Christmas by Charlaine Harris.

MEME: Booking Through Thursday

It’s an old question, but a good one . . . What were your favorite books this year?


List as many as you like … fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, science-fiction, business, travel, cookbooks … whatever the category. But, really, we’re all dying to know. What books were the highlight of your reading year in 2007?

I did a top ten list already, but I'll reprint it here again, and ... I'm reading a really good book in the last week of 2007, so I may have been a little quick in picking my top ten - Owen Meany?

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling This was the best book, especially if you look at how long it took me to read - not very long at all, and was such a great end to the series. It wasn't just this book, it was all seven in the series, and the ten years it took to read them all. I knew it about Snape!
   
2. The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory Best page turner and historical fiction, made me interested in The Tudors, which I watched on CBC. Excellent entertainment, and I've added The Boleyn Inheritance to my tbr for next year.
   
3. the perks of being a wallflower - Stephen Chbosky Best tearjerker and heartwarming novel, Charlie's voice was wonderful.
   
4. I Am the Messenger - Markus Zusak Best message of faith and believing in yourself
   
5. Cloud of Bone - Bernice Morgan Best Canadian historical fiction, from an author who hasn't written enough yet.
   
6. The Gun Seller - Hugh Laurie Best action adventure, rip roaring yarn, with comedy
   
7. Never Let Me Go - Kazou Ishiguro Best dystopian novel, beautifully written and paced
   
8. The Bone People - Keri Hulme Best award winner, I was completely swept into this dysfunctional threesome of terrible people, written in a style I've never read before, both beautifully lyrical and poetic
   
9. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman Best fantasy. I read a few Gaiman books, but this was my favorite. Underground London and the parallel universe he created were fabulous.
   
10. Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Copeland Best Coupland book, as he is going to make my favorite author list after this year. I read a few of his and this was my favorite of the bunch. I like how all his books are so different, and I have few left to read next year. Yay!

There were a bunch more too:

best nonfiction: Istanbul by Orhan Pamuk

best children's book: The Giver by Lois Lowry

best chick lit: something blue

best books in any other year: My Sister's Keeper, Half a Yellow Sun

Sorry for the reprint if you've read this before.

CHALLENGE: New York Times Notable Books 2006

New York Times Notable Book 2006 Challenge

It is time to close the books on this challenge - I can't see me reading any more of them this year, although I still have two on the shelves: Lisey's Story and Special Topics in Calamity Physics. It is time to face facts: they aren't getting read this year.

I originally signed up at the NYT Notable Book Blog and my intro post stated I hoped to read six. I only joined this challenge half way through the year, in June, so I took a little easier way. I ended up reading 7 books, with two more yelling at me from beside my bed: read me.

Half of a Yellow Sun - Aldichie
The Echo Maker - Richard Powers
The Translator - Leila Aboulela
Arthur and George - Julien Barnes
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Alentejo Blue - Monica Ali
One Good Turn - Kate Atkinson


Wow, when I look at that list, there were some great books listed.

This challenge has morphed into the Notable Books Challenge, encompassing several notable book list from this past year 2007. Here's where I've signed up for another year of recommended books, with wendy (caribousmom), our host. Come by and join the group at the blog; it is more fun to read with others.

CHALLENGE: 2nds Challenge Completed

2nds Challenge Completed

This one didn't go quite the way I expected, but I read at least three authors for the second time during the time frame October to December 2007. Not the books I planned, but they were authors who called out to me, again:

• Monkfish Moon by Romesh Gunesekera ( I read The Reef)
• Shakespeare's Champion by Charlaine Harris (I read Shakespeare's Landlord)
• Rises the Night by Colleen Gleason (I read The Rest Falls Away)
• Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (I read The Big Sleep)
• Mercy by Jodi Picoult (I read My Sister's Keeper)

I read one I planned, two that were alternates, and two I hadn't read the author for the first time when I made up my original list back in June. I feel like I am back dating this list, but, Joy is understanding about changing lists when the books call to you.

So, thanks for the second helpings Joy. I have a big list of authors that I still want to read for the second time. Thanks Joy, it was a great idea. I'm still challenging with Joy next year for the Young Adult Book challenge, and she has another couple on the go as well.

CHALLENGE: In the Pub 2008

In the Pub 2008 hosted by 3M at the Pub

I think Michelle was inspired by this Booking Through Thursday question, about what was the best book published in 2007 that you read. And she was like me, and saw a woefully small list of books published in '07, so she decided to remedy it. And her remedy? Create a challenge to read at least 8 books published this year.

But the best part is the Pub she created, hence no young adult or children's books allowed. So, since I really want to go the The Pub, I'll sign up for this challenge. Even if I don't complete it, I'll have few drinks and get some great book suggestions for the next year.

So far, the only 2008 books I know I'd like to read are:

1. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

2. The Quirks and Quarks Guide to Space by Jim Lebans

3. The Bleeding Dusk by Colleen Gleason

4. The Ravine by Paul Quarrington

5. A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif

6. The Outcast by Sadie Jones

7. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

8. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

Obviously, most books will be selected as the year progresses and they are actually published.

BOOK: The Christmas Thief by Mary Higgins Clark

The Christmas Thief by Mary and Carol Higgins Clark

the Christmas book challenge

Perfect book to read the day before Christmas. Nothing heavy, very easy read. I can't even remember the characters names now - this story is all about the plot. A con artist is released from prison; the Rockefeller tree is being cut down; the van Trapp family farm; a duped investor; a few private eyes; a rival neighbour; bumbling twin accomplices; and a broke poet. The plot twists and turns, but they are wide turns and easy to see. I'll look for the next book, The Christmas Cruise, next year.

BOOK: Mercy by Jodi Picoult

Mercy by Jodi Picoult

2nds Challenge

This book is suffering from second book syndrome. I read My Sister's Keeper first, which is the book by Picoult most often mentioned as her best book. Mercy was good, and a great read, but not as good as My Sister's Keeper, and then there were a few issues that niggled at me while I was reading it.

The Story: (from library journal - I find it hard to summarize plots succinctly)

Cameron MacDonald is both the chief of police in the Massachusetts village of Wheelock and the reluctant figurehead chieftain of the MacDonald clan, which immigrated there in the late 1700s. Thus it is to Cam that his cousin Jamie turns after he accedes to his suffering wife's wish and helps her to die. Cam, who longs to travel and free himself from his family obligation, arrests Jamie for first-degree murder but then hires a lawyer for him. On that same day, exotic young Mia wanders into the village and is hired by Cam's wife, Allie, to help out in her florist shop. Cam and Allie have reached a comfortable plateau in their marriage, but both sense that something is missing. Mia and Cam are irresistibly drawn to each other, she to his established place in local society and he to her itinerant lifestyle. The story explores love and the intricate balance of give and take that marriage demands.

The Good: Picoult writes her characters well, and keeps an objective viewpoint at the same time, so that every character has good and bad qualities, and it makes it hard to sympathize with any one character. I find myself undecided on the issues she raises - this book covers infidelity, grief, love, and euthanasia. I wasn't sure how things would turn out, and I wanted to find out where the story went. Lots of interesting characters and a compelling story and I liked the ending.

The Problems: I didn't think it would be realistic in the 1990s that immigrants from 200 years before would still have a clan chief who was continually referred to as such and that he would be responsible for the his clan. I thought it strained credulity that when Jamie came to town, Cam's family took him in and defended him when they didn't even know him, just that he was related. Picoult included a strand of magical events that I didn't mind, but I often find it hard to have these elements appear within a mostly realistic story. But the Gaelic culture includes ghosts and signs, so that wasn't a big deal.

Overall: good book, well written, not as good as My Sister's Keeper but I'll keep reading Picoult.

also reviewed by guatami tripathy

MEME: Booking Through Thursday

1. What fiction book (or books) would you nominate to be the best new book published in 2007?(Older books that you read for the first time in 2007 don’t count.)
2. What non-fiction book (or books) would you nominate to be the best new book published in 2007?(Older books that you read for the first time in 2007 don’t count.)
3. And, do “best of” lists influence your reading?

1. I am not usually on the cutting edge of literature; as someone else mentioned - I am too cheap to buy new books. But this year I managed to get a few new releases. I'm not exactly clear how to tell when a book was first published - I just sorted my librarything account by year, but some that came up 2007 I think were published earlier. Regardless, I have few that will fit this category. (I'm shocked I have read enough new releases to be able to pick a few.)

Best fiction of 2007: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling and Cloud of Bone by Bernice Morgan.
special mention: The Gum Thief by Douglas Coupland, the Gardella Vampire Chronicles

2. Best Nonfiction of 2007: Other Colours by Orhan Pamuk. OK, it was probably the only new release nonfiction I read, but it was good. I read a few from 2006 that were very good that felt like new books. 2006 wasn't that long ago.
special mention: Dispatches from the Edge by Anderson Cooper

3. I like to be abreast of new books, but the 'best of' lists put you a year behind. Since I've been reviewing books from a publisher, I am more current, getting new releases. I like to read the latest books, but I am not exclusive to the best of lists. They can be hit or miss.

LIST: Worst Reads of the Year

I should have posted this before my best reads, but I guess had already put this collection out of my head. I can generally find something to like in most books, and I don't think I'm very critical or fussy about the books I read, but some just don't do it for me.

There weren't too many books I'd put on a worst read list, but a few stand out:

On the Road - Jack Kerouac : only book this year to DNF
Pedro Paramo - Juan Rulfo : magical realism is not for me
Elizabeth Costello - JM Coetzee: ugh, but I'll try Coetzee again, but just one more chance, bub


Not on the same level of bad, but not great reads, just too boring, include:

The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides: not on the same level for me as Middlesex
On the Water - JM van de Brink: nothing offensive, just too quiet
Generation X - Douglas Coupland: I still love him, just not this one. (read pre-reviewing)
The Picture of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde: too long and boring

On the Road was read and reviewed before I started blogging here. I'm reposting my review I wrote because I can't really link to it:

It is very seldom I don't finish a book, but there are too many good books I want to read to continue with this one. I think I get it. Not much happens but a bunch of beatniks [slackers] put off finding real work and travel the roads, living on nothing, scamming food, breaking rules, scoring drugs, living for the moment. The writing style is very conversational, with tangents within sentences, but he sounds like he's on cocaine and trying to cover everything, and is so full of what he wants to say, he can't take a breath. If there were, say, a plot to follow; some sense of where this story is going, I might continue. But I even, gasp, looked at the last chapter to see if anything else might happen, but it is just more Dean updates, and nothing seems to have happen. It is like one long Christmas letter following these loosely associated friends that are driving me nuts with their self serving, avoiding life, philosophy.

I know, this bookwas a huge change in expectations that people had for their lives, that there were other options of life, new ideas being proposed and the beatniks were a novel lifestyle. But I am always annoyed by people who realize after much soul searching what they should be doing. It's not that they realize it, that's great for them, it's the need they have to tell others about their discovery. Like drug addicts who then protylize that drugs are bad and they ruined their life and don't let it ruin yours. Some of us already knew that; you got to live the fun life and now repent. You knew that drugs were bad and you tried it out; why will you change others minds?
I think the Bohemian life is just too slacker for me. I gave the book a try, almost halfway through, and it felt like an obligation to keep reading, like taking medicine: it's good for me, keep taking it. Well, there are too many other books to try and this one wasn't going anywhere else. I'll try Generation X by Douglas Coupland instead. At least I'll get the cultural references. It's not a classic for this challenge, but I'll find another.

SHORT STORY MONDAY: A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote

After seeing this story listed at Nymeth's blog as one of her favourite short stories, I decided to check it out. I've only read one Capote book, the nonfiction In Cold Blood, and the writing here was just as good.

This little story tells one memory of a poor young Southern boy and his friend, an older, simple woman, and the rituals they go through before Christmas, including cake making. There is not so much a plot, as a relationship. The boy, called Buddy, has wonderful memories of his time with his friend. Capote has a way with words, and the reader is transported back in time as the friends gather their ingredients for a fruit cake. I have only recently begun liking fruitcake, and it sounded so yummy.

The flavour of the south, and the flavour of the fruitcake, and the special friendship made this a lovely story.

BOOK: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

I was looking in the Q section for an author that started with Q for the A to Z challenge and happened upon this book. It's a new age thought book, somewhat reminding me of the Celestine Prophesy a book I read years ago.

A man, the narrator, answers an ad about a teacher looking for a pupil. The teacher turns out to be a gorilla named Ishmael, who can communicate through telepathy. It sounds weird, but it's just the set up, and all happens quickly. Ishmael proceeds to lead a discussion, drawing out from his pupil the problem with the world today. He dates it back to the time of the agricultural revolution, when mankind changed from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settled, civilized as it were.

This book has inspired two more volumes and a few websites. I would say there is a movement of sorts for people who were moved to try and save the planet after reading these books.

I'm not sure what I thought of this book. At times, the arguments made sense, and I could see what Ishmael was saying; at other times though, it just felt like new age nonsense. There was a lot of anthropological, and sociological discussions. I think I would have really enjoyed this twenty years ago when I was in university, looking for myself and discovering all the different trains of thought and ways of looking at the world and society. Now I just think it was interesting to read; I took the car for a test drive, but I'm not paying for the car. I'm okay with what I have. I can see what might appeal to people who want to change the world, but I'm having enough of a hard time changing my sheets and towels, I'm not ready to take on the world.

IN OTHER NEWS: I WON

I won a book at 3M's site. Merry Christmas to me! I won Milk Glass Moon by Adriana Trigiani. I don't know much about it, but Michelle has great taste, so I trust her recommendation. She has been cleaning and wants to give away 12 books before Christmas. The first six have been claimed, but she has 6 more to give out. Go check it out. some of them look really good. thanks Michelle.

LIST: Best Reads of the Year 2007

Did I get this done too early? Is there one more book left to blow me away? Probably not, because these were la creme de la creme, of an amazing reading year. I have no reasoning to explain how I picked these books, and next week I could pick differently. But I read all of these quickly; generally late into the night; I want to recommend all of these to people; and maybe they surprised me by sneaking up on me and being so darn entertaining.

I read so many books this year that making a top ten list of books is very difficult. I read over 130 books, so I have to pick the top 10%, and I feel the quality of my reading improved immensely this year, making this task all the harder. I looked at my librarything account and only the highest rated books, and then had to whittle that list down to ten.

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling This was the best book, especially if you look at how long it took me to read - not very long at all, and was such a great end to the series. It wasn't just this book, it was all seven in the series, and the ten years it took to read them all. I knew it about Snape!



2. The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory Best page turner and historical fiction, made me interested in The Tudors, which I watched on CBC. Excellent entertainment, and I've added The Boleyn Inheritance to my tbr for next year.



3. the perks of being a wallflower - Stephen Chbosky Best tearjerker and heartwarming novel, Charlie's voice was wonderful.



4. I Am the Messenger - Markus Zusak Best message of faith and believing in yourself



5. Cloud of Bone - Bernice Morgan Best Canadian historical fiction, from an author who hasn't written enough yet.



6. The Gun Seller - Hugh Laurie Best action adventure, rip roaring yarn, with comedy



7. Never Let Me Go - Kazou Ishiguro Best dystopian novel, beautifully written and paced



8. The Bone People - Keri Hulme Best award winner, I was completely swept into this dysfunctional threesome of terrible people, written in a style I've never read before, both beautifully lyrical and poetic



9. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman Best fantasy. I read a few Gaiman books, but this was my favorite. Underground London and the parallel universe he created were fabulous.



10. Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Copeland Best Coupland book, as he is going to make my favorite author list after this year. I read a few of his and this was my favorite of the bunch. I like how all his books are so different, and I have few left to read next year. Yay!

Books that were still really really good, but didn't make top ten:

Best Children's Books I Can't Believe I Didn't Read Before:

A Wrinkle in Time
Bridge to Terabithia
The Giver
A Child's Christmas in Wales

Books I Read Quickly Because They Were So Good:

Half a Yellow Sun
My Sister's Keeper
Something Blue
Good Omens

Really Good Books That I Can't Find a Common Theme to Describe:

Arthur and George
Ordinary People
The Big Sleep
Veronika Decides to Die
The Lost Salt Gift of Blood
Istanbul: Memories and the City

CHALLENGE: Series challenge

Kathrin is hosting a series challenge that I have no business looking at. Except. I started a few new series this year, and they never seem to fit any particular challenge, and I really want to read them. For example, even with a list of books I want to finish this month that is longer than I will ever be able to do, instead of picking up one of them, I got Shakespeare's Christmas from the library because I love Lily Bard and her grumpy dysfunctional life and I want to read about. Especially after Lolita. That is what this challenge is about: finishing series you've started, and Kathrin says there are no particular amount of books to chose, just read for 6 months and finish the series you want to. This runs from December1, 2007 til May 31, 2008.

I have no idea how many I can read, here's my list of series I still want to finish:


Charlaine Harris' Lily Bard series FINISHED

• Shakespeare's Christmas - done Dec
• Shakespeare's Trollop - done Jan
• Shakespeare's Counselor - done Feb 9
  

Miss Julia by Ann B Ross

• Miss Julia Takes Over done Mar 28
• Miss Julia Throws a Wedding
• Miss Julia Hits the Road
• Miss Julia Meets Her Match
• Miss Julia's School of Beauty
• Miss Julia Stands Her Ground

the Gardella Vampire Chronicles by Colleen Gleason, book 3 The Bleeding Dusk FINISHED Mar 21

Scott Westerfield's dystopian Pretties, Specials, that follow Uglies

Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella Mar 12 FINISHED

Andrea Camilleri's Detective Montalbano's mysteries:

• Terra Cotta Dog done March 10
• The Snack Thief
• The Smell of the Night

Megan McCaffery's teen series:

• Charmed Thirds
• Fourth Comings
  

Stephanie Plum: I've only read One for the Money, I might try some more

Alexander McCall Smith

• No 1 Ladies Deterctive series, books 4 - 9
• - #4. The Kalahari Typing School for Men done May 24/08
• Sunday Philosophy Club series
  
  

Crap. I didn't realize I had so many ongoing series. I reserve the right to change this, or bail at will.

Following the excellent lead of booklogged and alisonwonderland, I made a blog of series that I've started and could possibly finish, over here.

LIST: Nonfiction Books of 2007

Inspired by 3m, I'm going to make some more summary lists of my 2007 reading. (I have made a list of lists to make, mwah ha ha). It turns out I read 14 nonfiction books this year, which is more than ten percent, and I wouldn't have thought I read that many. I must thank Joy for hosting the Nonfiction challenge from May to September, which inspired me to look for nonfiction books.

Longitude - Dava Sobel

Dispatches from the Edge - Anderson Cooper

Istanbul - Orhan Pamuk

Night - Elie Wiesel

A Man Without a Country - Kurt Vonnegut

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

Assassination Vacation - Sarah Vowell

So Many Books, So Little Time - Sara Nelson

The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson

Zlata's Diary - Zlata Filipovic

Galileo's Daughter - Dava Sobel

Other Colors - Orhan Pamuk

Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman - Richard P Feynman

Hockey Dreams - David Adams Richards

I can't decide which was the best book. I can manage a top 3:

In Cold Blood Capote's masterpiece of murder in the midwest

Devil in the White City Larson ties up a serial killer and the Chicago World Fair

Istanbul Pamuk's memoir of a city and his life

MEME: Booking Through Thursday

Do you use any of the online book-cataloguing sites, like Library Thing or Shelfari? Why or why not? (Or . . . do you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking to?? (grin))
If not an online catalog, do you use any other method to catalog your book collection? Excel spreadsheets, index cards, a notebook, anything?

I use librarything, and I'm raidergirl3 there as well. I use it to catalogue the books I've read, and some of the books I want to read. I read a lot from the library, and this is a way to keep a record of those books as well. I am having fun there, and the forums are interesting and very specific at times - you can find someone who wants to talk about whatever you want about books if you look around enough. I didn't realize it had such an interactive component to it.

I bought my first online membership there, and it felt rather scandalous to pay to find pictures of the books I've read and to tag and catalogue what I've read. But for now, I am having fun, so why not?