35

The goal that Elisa and I had was to read 50 books this year. I made it to 35, which really, probably isn't such a bad number considering that with work and school I didn't have a whole lot of time. I've read a good variety of books, some I liked, so I really hated. So keep reading. We'll see how well I do next year.

The Bride Stripped Bare

I don't really know why I picked this book, it's a best seller, so I figured that it would be a good read. OMG, it's not. It's about a new wife who, in a way, gets bored with her marriage, so she cheats on the husband, does a bunch of dirty things, decides that she wants to have a baby, so she and the hubby have a kid, and as most people think 'having a child will make things so much better'. The reason I didn't like it, was because it was just very graphic as far as the 'bedroom' fun goes. I just don't feel that things like that should be written for people's enjoyment. It also reminded me of the book Wifey, by Judy Blume that I read earlier this year. Didn't like that one either.

A Christmas Caroline

I always want to read a Christmas book when the Christmas season comes, and this was the most interesting one that I could find. As the jacket says 'It's The Devil Wears Prada meets A Christmas Carol', which discribes it perfectly. Its about a stuck up snobby girl who is the modern day Scrooge, and she gets visited by 3 ghosts who make her realize that she needs to start thinking about others and doing good deeds. The ending was cheesey, but it's a good book to read when you feel like you've been a bad friend or horrible person to others, because no one is as selfish as Caroline is. Made me feel like a better person.

P.S. Your Cat Is Dead

I've seen this book around in stores and thought that the title was interesting, plus the picture of the cat looks like a lemon, so it's just funny. It's a strange little novel about a guy who is just down on his luck, and comes home on New Years Eve to find his girlfriend packing up all her stuff getting ready to leave him. Once she does, out pops the robber who was hiding under the bed. Oh yeah, and his cat just died. So what does he do? Ties the robber up and by the end of the book, the two are good friends. Apparently this book was made into a play, which would be an odd play. It wasn't a bad book, but the conversations between the main character and the gay robber got a little dry. It was also written in the 70s I think, so things aren't as up to date. Now days, no one would end up being buddies with someone who was trying to rob them.

Murder Most Frothy

I think my mystery kick died with this book. It just wasn't as great as some of the others the author has written. Maybe it's because the characters are in a different setting than the previous novels, or maybe the characters just didn't seem as strongly written. Whatever the reason, pass this one up. But I still would read future books in the series.

I Am Charlotte Simmons

  It took me almost 2 years to read this book. It's almost 700 pages long, and has about 400 pages of pointless detail. But I think that's just the way that Tom Wolfe writes, in elbrate detail. It's a story about a small town girl (Charlotte Simmons) who goes to a well-known big college, where she runs into all the wonderfully hard things that Freshman go through during their first year. It's even harder when you are a small town hick girl. If you look past all the wordy words, it's really not that bad of a book. The characters do say the 'F' word alot, which was a turn off for me. Surely college people don't swear that much. Or maybe they do. I'm just really glad that I finally was able to focus on this book and finish it. It's like a great accomplishment right now.

The End

I have read The End. I made it through to the end of The End, and it wasn't so bad. If you've ever read one of these books, than you'll know that bad things atop of bad things happen to these children. And they continue. This time they get stuck on an island where everyone tries to live a safe happy life, only to turn on each other, blaming it on these children. But the kids kind of take order at the end, and do the right thing, which I really just don't get. For the last 12 books, nothing but badness has happened to them, and yet they are still good at heart. They do the right thing. Is that even possible? If you take a goody goody person and mix them in a crowd of people who kill, lie, rob, and do all the 'bad' in the world, will this 'good' person become a 'bad', or will they stay 'good'? And why doesn't the author like to use paragraphs? It would drive my teacher batty if he had to read these books. It was a pretty ok book, read quickly, if you are looking for some random kid reading, here you go.

Through The Grinder

If murder was a love story, this would be the blueprint. This is the second book in the series, and has been written a little differently. Parts of it are through the killer's eyes, which is interesting. But there's a little romance involved. Have you ever read a series of novels and felt like you know the characters, that's how I feel about these, and when the bad thing happens to the main character, it's a little bit sad, and anyone who has missed out on what could be a great relationship knows how she feels.

On What Grounds

This is the first book of the Coffeehouse Mystery series, but really, it wasn't as good as the third (see last recent entry). It follows pretty much the same mystery plot as all books do, someone gets murdered and the main character tries to figure out who did it, add a couple of twists, and you've got yourself a mystery novel. Dang, if it's that easy, why haven't I written one? My review of this book is, skip it, move onto the next in the series, which I've just started and seems pretty good. I'll let you know.

Latte Trouble

I love coffeeshops. I used to want to work at one. But that was before I knew that you had to open at 5am. No thanks. So I'll settle for a mystery book that takes place in a coffeeshop. I like this book. It was kind of a spur buy because I had seen another book from the same series reviewed in a magazine, so I thought that maybe I'd give it a try. And I liked it. Mysteries are good. They get your mind clean from the lazy chic lit cowbwebs, and makes you think. And they always have a little twist at the end. And Elisa, this takes place in New York, so you should read it. Everyone should read it. It's a fast simple read, and fun.

20 Times A Lady

It took me forever to find this book. It's written by someone that I had read before and enjoyed, so when I found out that she wrote another book, I was dieing to read it. But it was not in any bookstores here. So I bought it online, and it was worth it. The characters are great and it makes you think of all the guys you've dated. Loved it. Read it!

The Stripper's Guide To Looking Great Naked

I saw this book at a bookstore probably about a year or so ago, and something about it stuck in my mind. I think it was the slightly dirty cartoon pictures in it. Whatever it was, last week when I had to order another book from B&N.com I was reminded of this, and thought, why the hell not. It's actually not a bad little guide. I'm not a fan of strippers, but they should know better than anyone when it comes to beauty and self confidence tips. As dirty as I felt reading this, it was quite helpful. It tells you what hair style (for upstairs and downstairs) works best with your body, gives you ideas on how to take it off (the clothes, not the hair, well, that too). I kind of enjoyed it, and think every girl should read it. Who knew that pasties were such a big thing.

Smitten

This book was a very cheesy wannabe romance novel. It was a romance novel for the mormons. Where the author doesn't go into great detail of the loving that the man and woman have, which was fine by me. But it was pretty lame. The whole time I was reading it, which I read because I was in a reading stump and my mom had this lieing around, the whole time, I just kept thinking to myself, stuff like this doesn't really happen. You don't fall in love with your boss on the first day that you meet him, and have him fall in love with you and your two kids. And the dog just got annoying. Really, the only cool character in this book was the crazy aunt. Past this one up girls. It was a waste of ink.

Who Moved My Cheese?

I've always seen this book around, and thought "Huh? That's a weird title", and have always been a little bit interested in reading it, but never did until I saw it on the bookshelf of my teacher's classroom, so I figured now was the time to read it. It's really short, and get's right to the point. In a nutshell, since I don't have a lot of time to write this, it's about how to deal with change in life and at work. Basically, you've got to realize that change happens, and that you can't always control it, so you might as well move with it, face your fears, and in the end, you just might find your 'cheese' which is a metaphor for all of the things that we want, like a good job, or whatnot. It's short, doesn't take long to read, so I say that you should check it out. You just might learn something from it.

Man Walks Into A Room

I loved The History of Love by the same author, and think that I went into this book with high expectations that it would touch me the same. But it didn't. It's a story about a man who has a brain tumor and when they take it out he can't remember anything past the age of 12. He doesn't remember who he is, or his wife, or the life that he has. It makes me wonder just what it would be like to lose all those years. A scary thought. But I just wasn't really impressed by the book. Clearly she did some research and that's amazing, but the story just couldn't keep my attention. All the memories and brain talk, made my brain hurt. So pass on this one, and read The History of Love instead.

The Girls' Guide To Hunting And Fishing

I have passed this book in the bookstore so many times because of the weird title. Who wants to read a book about hunting and fishing? But that's not what it's about at all. It's based on a story of the life of a girl-Jane- and all the loves and losts that she goes through. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it, but there was something about it that made me want to keep it. I loved the writing, how all the characters have sharp remarks and talk like I'd like to write. But I hated how Jane kept hooking up with an older man. Ew. When the guy is old enough to be your dad, it's just creepy. The title doesn't even really make sense until the last chapter, so if you are curious, like I was, then check it out.

Lost And Found

This book is everywhere. In every magazine and newspaper that I look at. So I had to read it. Plus it has cute parrots on the cover. It's a behind the scenes look at the characters who are in a reality TV show. It was really interesting to read just what people on a reality show feel, about the cameras always on them, and the others that are involved in the show. The characters however, where very different from most. There was a teenage girl who was gay, but had gotten pregnant, somehow hideing it from her mother. And a couple how use to be gay, but looked to god in order to be straight and normal, however thoughout the whole book you know that they aren't happy living this 'normal' life. It's an interesting read, so check it out.

Bed Rest

I really liked this book. I'm not sure why, since I'm not pregnant nor will be for ever. But it was funny, and a little dramatic, and showed just how fast things can change when you get pregnant. And as one of the reviewers say "you don't have to be having a baby to enjoy this book". Check it out.

The Man of My Dreams

The reason that I read this book was because I read in an interview with the author that she didn't have the character end up with the man you'd think she'd end up with. (Sorry to spoil it). I was in a guys-suck-mood, so I read it, and by the end of the book, was kind of sad that she didn't end up with the guy. But then I read the last chapter and realized that it was for the best, because she got the chance to move on and ended up being the happiest than she had been. Which gave me the lift that even though you might not get the guy, you can still be happy and live a fulfilled life. And the character reminded me of so many people, I was one of them. I liked it, but don't think I'd read it again. Hannah annoyed me a little, because she was negative and afraid of life. Other than that, it wasn't so bad.

The Da Vinci Code

After reading Angels And Demons, and hearing all the hype over the movie, I wanted to read this book. I saw the movie first, which was good, then read the book. I liked the book. As usual, Dan Brown fills it with twists and turns and codes and clues, it's great. It really made me wonder just how much of what he talks about is actually true. I'd love to meet him and ask. Read the book, watch the movie, and be entertained.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

I've always been a little bit interested in this book, it's been around for a while, but never bought it until I found an artical, about how parents need to start teaching their kids about money at an early age- there's actually a financial camp for kids to go to. This book pretty much repeats itself. He gets to the point of how to save money, but for the rest of the book, it sounded like he was boasting himself, like he was rubbing it in your face that he's got lots of money-and now even more because I bought the book- and you don't. Made me a little bit mad, and bored. This book was boring, and there's probably nothing in this that you couldn't find in any other finance book.

Hoot

I call this book The Hoot, because I like putting the word The in front of stuff. This book was made into a movie. Whenever a book is made into a movie I always wonder if it really is good enough to be made into a movie, so I often read the books. I read this one, and how could you not- it's got a cute little owl on the cover. It's a kids book. And surprisingly enough it wasn't that bad. These kids fight to save the owls. It's a good read. I liked it. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I want to.

How To Get Rich

I read this book because I was writing a paper on Mr. Donald J. Trump, and I was looking for a book that might give me an insight on who he is and how his mind thinks, and this was the best book that I could find at the store I was at. I read it, and let me tell you- I'm no more rich today than I was when I read it. Clearly his tips didn't work for me. Then again, I'm not in a business trying to make it to the top. It was kind of interesting, but mostly, there wasn't a whole lot to learn from it. But give it a shot, maybe you'll have better luck than I did.

The History of Love

I loved this book. Elisa told me about it. I was taken away by the end of the first chapter. The chapters skip around to tell three different stories, all focused on one subject- a book called The History of Love and how it has touched these people's lives. It is a well written beautiful book that will make you laugh and cry. A must read.

Gossip Girl

This book is for teenagers. Oprah was talking about how inapporeate it is for young adults and made a huge deal about it. So I was courious and read it. It's the first book in a series, and as Teen People calls it "Sex And The City for teens". And it is. These kids sleep around, do drugs, drink, all the things adults might do. Do teenagers really do these things? I sure as heck didn't. So this book kind of shocked me. But was a little bit juicy and interesting. But not enough for me to want two read the rest of the books.

Cover The Butter

A weird title, but once you read the book, it makes more sense. The book follows the life of a British female, starting when she's a teen and through her adult years. I was really into it, but got really annoyed with the girl's parents, because they were kind of mean, and her husband wasn't any better. I just wanted her to stand up for herself, and she finally does, only took a couple hundred pages. So I'm kind of iffy about it. It makes British men seem kind of like buttheads. Maybe I don't want to marry one.

I Don't Have A Thing To Wear

I don't even know why I bought this book. My closet is already organized. I don't have that many clothes, so I don't often have a hard time finding something to wear. The book didn't really apply to me, but if you've got a messy clothes and need some help with it, then this is a good book for you. There's tips and quiz's, and it's pretty interesting.

Wifey

I remember that my mom didn't want me to read this book. It was a few years ago, but you can't tell someone not to do something and expect them to follow. So I bought it, and by the end of the first chapter I realized why she didn't want me to read it. It is very dirty. The things that are said and done, boggled my goody-goody mind. So beware ladies, it's about as bad as an R rated movie. I think I still have it if anyone wants it.

Mine Are Spectacular

This book was really cheesy and not at all what the title or the cover photo makes it look like it is. I was a bit disappointed, because I think the cover and title are kind of funny. But really, it was very lame and not all the entertaining. A chick lit book written by two women who had nothing better to do with their time.

The Autobiography of Santa Claus

I got this book on Christmas Eve thinking that I could read it in a night. Not so. But it was pretty interesting. Almost got you thinking that maybe the Santa Claus story is  really true. I liked it at first, but then it just got long. The same stuff was happening over and over again. Which made it a little bit boring. I don't think I'd read it again.

Angels And Demons

Elisa told me to read this book, so I figured, why not. It took me a long time to finish reading it even though it's fast paced with lots of twists and turns and adventures in it. But once I focused only on it, it didn't take so long to finish. I really liked it, and enjoyed the way Dan Brown writes. It makes me want to be able to write like this. It's a mixture of science and religion, two things I know very little about, but was still very attracted to the novel. The book takes place before The Da Vinci Code, so if you haven't read either one, read this one first.

Coffee and Kung Fu

I don't really know why I read this book. I think that I was in between novels and was just looking for something. So I borrowed it from my sister. I didn't really like the character so much. It was kind of like the author couldn't decide if she wanted to make the main character tough and tomboy like, or weaky and kind of girly. So she's kind of a mixture of everything. Which I didn't like. And then all the references to the Jackie Chann movies, which I find boring, it just didn't make me enjoy the book. So for me, this was a no go.

Mermaids

They made a movie out of this book with Wynonna Rider and Cher. I love the movie, so when I saw that it was based on a book, I read the book. The two follow each other pretty well, but between the book or the movie, I'd pick the movie. But I did still enjoy the book. It made me laugh. The mother is crazy, and the daughter is a confused teen living in 50's (or maybe 60's) I don't remember. I like it, so check it out. It'll make you think about your relationship with your own mother.

You'll Never Nanny In This Town Again

I've never wanted to be a nanny, and after reading this I think that you'd have to be crazy to want to be one. You'd have to really love kids in order to put up with their parents. The author shows how different celebrity parents can be. One seems horrible, another loves their kids and it shows. I could never do it. Even if the parents weren't famous. For the most part of the book, when the author is getting belittled by her employers, I just wanted to yell at her to stand up for herself. I'd say, that unless you've been a nanny and have lived through some of this stuff, this book might be a little boring.

The Go-Girl's Guide To Surviving Your 20s

Like most self-help books, parts were really inspireing, while others were pretty boring. But I did like it. It made me understand that all these weird feelings that I have going through me right now, is normal and that others my age are going through the same thing. It made me feel less alone. The book talks about work, health, finances, friends, and family. All the important things that you need to know and have questions about at this age. So for all you 20-somethings out there, I'd say check this book out.

First Post

At the start of the year, my friend Elisa said that she was going to try and read 50 books this year. This sounded like a fun challenge, so I decided to do it too. She also started her own seperate journal listing the books that she reads. So Elisa, I'm gonna copy your great idea, and do the same. I hope that's ok. I enjoy checking out your site and see what you've read, so hopefully others will do the same with this one. So here we go...

We've all had roommates, the good, the bad, and the crazy. In this book we get to experience one girl's adventures with three different roomies. When I got the book I kind of thought that we'd get to read about more than just three. I've had way more than that. But the character's do do things that would annoy me if I had to live with them. Makes my current roomie not so bad. The book seemed a little long and not always so interesting. But if you've ever had to live with strangers before, you should read this. It'll make you laugh and remember all your crazy roomies.