New Classics Challenge Wrap-Up

This challenge officially ended today and I did not finish it. The idea of the challenge is really good and I wish I could have done it....but darn Friday Night Lights ruined it! Thanks to Lost in a Good Story for hosting this challenge.

Here is how I did:
Completed 5/6 as of January 31, 2009
1 - The Road, Cormac McCarthy -- finished 1/4/09
2 - Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding -- finished 11/22/08
3 - The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls -- finished 11/9/08
4 - The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini -- finished 9/14/08
5 - Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman -- finished 10/1/08
6 - Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger

113 Random Facts about Me

I meant to do this post for my 100th post, but I forgot :) Anyways, I thought this would be a good way for everyone to get to know me. Enjoy!

1. I am a secretary at a University and it is quite possibly the most boring job ever.
2. The only country I have ever visited is Canada
3. I have no idea what I was thinking when I decided to be an English major.
4. I still don't know how I became an English major after being an Accounting major for one year....no idea how I made that switch.
5. I have lived in the same town my entire life, and will probably never leave.
6. I am going to drive 4 hours to see Idina Menzel on March 19th and I am super excited because I love her
7. Last year I read 109 books
8. I love office supplies
9. My favorite place to visit is NYC
10. I am obsessed with my family. Seriously, I may need to see someone about that
11. 2 weeks ago I played in the snow with my cousin Jake :)
12. My dog, Mooch, is 13 years old
13. I wish I could do college over again; I would go to the school I want and I would have dormed
14. I want to be a librarian
15. I love musical theater. I think I was meant to be a great singer but it just didn't happen
16. I love So You Think You Can Dance
17. I am a dork and I don't care
18. My current car has been in 3 minor accidents
19. I would like to own a "cupcakery"/coffee shop one day
20. I cried when I met my favorite author, Wendy Corsi Staub (see # 17)
21. I am obsessed with my google reader
22. I watch all 10 seasons of Friends once a year-usually during my winter hibernation
23. My favorite movie is the Wizard of Oz
24. I read all the Twilight Books and saw the movie...twice
25. I hate driving, especially in the snow
26. I can only drink my Starbucks if the lid lines up with the Starbucks logo, and the cardboard thing is perfectly centered.
27. I wear sunscreen EVERY day- SPF 15 in the winter and SPF 30 in the summer
28. In the summer I wear a floppy hat and sunglasses because I don't want wrinkles
29. I have 5 calendars in my office and 3 at home
30. I make myself laugh by randomly quoting different sitcoms. I often like to interject these quotes into conversations and then laugh to myself while everyone else stares blankly
31. I saw Wicked three times, Hairspray three times and Rent twice. I will pretty much go see any musical, but I had to see these ones multiple times
32. I am not afraid to go places alone if it is somewhere I really want to go.
33. I went to see Wicked alone because no one wanted to go with me again.
34. I have about 10 different chapsticks in my purse
35. My purse is roughly the size of a duffel bag - I am apparently scared of forgetting something at home
36. I think I have thrown my back out from carrying this purse and sometimes walk with a limp on that side
37. I check to make sure I have my wallet and keys, multiple times a day. When I leave the house, when I get to work, when I leave work, when I get to a store, when I leave a store and when I get home. You never know - it could jump out!
38. I want to have six children one day and probably a husband, but if I just have the kids I will be okay with that.
39. I collect scarves and I usually wear a scarf every day because I think it is the perfect accessory. I start in the fall and go through spring.
40. Even though I have shoes at my desk, I wear my dirty, old Uggs throughout the winter because I am too lazy to take them off, and I don't like my feet to be cold. Also, I don't care if they are "out", they are super comfortable
41. I cry a lot....everything makes me cry, but when I see someone else cry - I lose it
42. I just realized that finding 113 random things is going to be hard!
43. I am not sure of my natural color - I think it is dark brown, though at the moment it is L'oreal: Feria # 50 "Havana Brown"
44. I worked at a deli on the beach for 4 years and Subway for 2 1/2 years - I am an excellent submaker
45. My Subway scars have faded, but I have a deli scar that has not
46. I once worked at a tanning salon
47. I have a younger sister, who is 20. She's kind of awesome :)
48. I have been known to randomly start singing show tunes
49. When no one is home, I dance to these show tunes
50. When I go on the elliptical (which is not recently) I pretend I am on American Idol and that I am winning - this would never happen because I really only sing for entertainment (my own, since everyone else runs away)
51. I am a violent sleeper. I grind my teeth and kick the wall. I just got a new mouthguard, so we will see how that works out. I don't know how to prevent the wall-kicking.
52. I was born at 1:33 pm on July 9th :)
53. I am 24 years old
54. I still live with my mom, because she is awesome
55. I am 5'2"
56. My 10 year old cousin is 5'1"
57. My Starbucks drink is a Grande Skinny Caramel Latte
58. When I am at home, I drink tea
59. I will only drink Diet Pepsi from a fountain, in a paper cup. Therefore, I only drink pop when I go to Subway (not often)
60. My favorite juice is Cran-Apple
61. I wish I was in Alabama right now with my grandparents
62. Flying scares me and I never want to do it again
63. Bridges scare me more than flying - so many scenarios with bridges, it makes me shudder
64. I love pizza
65. I am trying not to eat fried foods anymore
66. I have a one-eyed goldfish named Olive. She came with one eye and I felt that I needed to have her because no one else would want her.
67. I wish Jillian Michaels would come to my house and yell at me
68. I injured myself on the Wii Fit....I am not very balanced
69. I took gymnastics for 9 years.
70. I was not very good
71. I was a cheerleader for 4 years, and it was so fun!
72. People think I am a bitch - but I am just shy
73. I love wine - Bella Rosa is my favorite
74. My Friday night involves one glass(ish) of wine and Dateline
75. I am obsessed with True Crime/mysteries etc
76. What happened to Natalie Holloway? I need to know!
77. No one in my family calls me Alicia; they call me Leish or Leishy. If I hear Alicia, I prepare myself for a lecture
78. I once broke a toe when I worked at Subway (it was like 4 years ago) and it still hurts to this day! I think it healed back wrong.
79. I hate going to the doctor.
80. When I was fourteen my doctor called me a "chubby, virgin girl"
81. I have been traumatized ever since.
82. I had braces when I was ten
83. I didn't wear my retainer so I have a tooth that has shifted slightly
84. I just bought my first pair of adult sneakers. I usually buy kids sneakers because they are cheaper!
85. I am very Democrat and often fight with my grandparents about politics.
86. I love the Buffalo Sabres - even though I have not been paying attention too much! My mind is so distracted!
87. I only eat beef if I go to Red Robin
88. I accidentally burned my soup yesterday
89. My flannel sheets are polka dots
90. I spend way too much time on the computer when I am working
91. When I get home from work, I put my pajamas on immediately and get annoyed if I have to leave.
92. I am really bad at saving my money - so my goal is to win the lottery
93. I watch General Hospital, and by watch I mean that I DVR it and fast forward through the entire thing.
94. I get annoyed when there are dishes in the sink, even if it is just a fork.
95. I also get annoyed when people are in my space when I am cooking/baking
96. I haven't knit in almost a year
97. I started a blanket for my cousin's birthday and haven't finished it
98. His birthday was last April - maybe I will finish it before his birthday this year
99. When I go to Border's, I try and always visit the children's section. I love looking at all the books that remind me of my childhood.
100. I keep a list of who has borrowed a book.
101. I am very attached to these books.
102. My desk makes me happy - I have a Dwight Schrute stress ball, and sheep on a stick, a cupcake lip gloss and a little Buffalo Sabre on my ledge
103. I think I killed my bamboo plant
104. I name my plants, which started at my old job but I have carried the tradition to my home life... I have Joseph, Claire, Chloe, Chandler, Big Al, Phoebe, Hoot, Violet and Charlie
105. I have weird dreams about being late to work - even though I have NEVER been late to work, I am always early
106. My conversations are sometimes hard to follow. If I am thinking a question in my headd, I often answer it out loud and then no one knows what I am talking about; or if 10 minutes ago I said something, I will go back into that conversation without warning. My mom is the only person who can follow my train of thought.
107. I love to bake but have been slacking...mainly because then someone has to eat the baking and it is usually me.
108. I have had nail polish on my fingers almost every single day since October 2007.
109. I have 2 1/2 tattoos. I would say I have 2 but my sister says 3, so I averaged it out.
110. My sister, mom and I have a matching tattoo on our foot - it is of 3 shooting stars
111. I own 2 pairs of Ruby Red Slippers - one pair is from the children's section of Target, and the other pair is kind of slutty and I have never worn them!
112. I plan on wearing the children's pair when I go see The Wizard of Oz in March
113. I think I have arthritis

There are my 113 facts! If you read all of that, you're amazing! I hope you enjoyed it!

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

This article made me very sad today. I have been kind of bummed about this new law (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) but only because I was thinking of all the cute home-made baby stuff I would be missing out on. I NEVER even thought of how it would affect libraries.

Can you imagine a world where children are banned from libraries? I spent so much of my childhood in the library. There were always great reading programs and incentives. Even now I visit the library quite a bit (not as much as I used to but at least once a month). What will happen to the school libraries? Will all of those books need to be tested as well? In this economy it is especially difficult to think of the $300-$600 lead testing; it would be cheaper to get rid of the children's books. I can't even imagine this! Children need a library to read and not all parents can afford to buy books. This whole article is very upsetting to me.

What are your thoughts on this new law?

Giveaways Galore

I love giveaways and there are a ton this week! Here are some of the best :)

Shalonda is hosting her first contest. She has some great books!

Harmony Book Reviews will be giving away In Too Deep (great cover!)

Un-Mainstream Mom Reads is giving away Skeleton Creek.

Ginny's Books is giving away a $25 Amazon.com Gift Card :)

Unexpected Bliss Reviews is giving away a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card

A Novel Menagerie is giving away a $25 bookstore gift card and a book charm

A Novel Menagerie is also giving away The Makedown.

Books by Their Cover is giving away North of Beautiful (can't wait to read this book!)

January 27, 2009: Knit Two

Title: Knit Two by Kate Jacobs (read for 2009 Chick Lit Challenge)

Product Description from Amazon.com:

The sequel to the number-one New York Times bestseller The Friday Night Knitting Club, KNIT TWO returns to Walker and Daughter, the Manhattan knitting store founded by Georgia Walker and her young daughter, Dakota. Dakota is now an eighteen-year-old freshman at NYU, running the little yarn shop part-time with help from the members of the Friday Night Knitting Club.

Drawn together by the sense of family the club has created, the knitters rely on one another as they struggle with new challenges: for Catherine, finding love after divorce; for Darwin, the hope for a family; for Lucie, being both a single mom and a caregiver for her elderly mother; and for seventysomething Anita, a proposal of marriage from her sweetheart, Marty, that provokes the objections of her grown children.

As the club’s projects—an afghan, baby booties, a wedding coat—are pieced together, so is their understanding of the patterns underlying the stresses and joys of being mother, wife, daughter, and friend. Because it isn’t the difficulty of the garment that makes you a great knitter: it’s the care and attention you bring to the craft—as well as how you adapt to surprises.

My Thoughts: I absolutely loved The Friday Night Knitting Club and I was thrilled when I saw the sequel. I liked the fact that these new stories picked up 5 years later and that these characters are still bonded.

Dakota is now an 18 year old living with her father. After receiving a wonderful travel opportunity, she struggles to share her dreams with her father. It is assumed that she will take over her mother's store - but Dakota does not want this in life. She wants to be a pastry chef and finally gets the courage to speak up. I was excited to read about Dakota's growth from a young girl to a self-asserting woman. She seems like she will have a wonderful life!

I enjoyed reading about all the characters, but I felt that Catherine is a stand-out for me. It seems that she is just realizing what her life is missing. It is easy to see that she loves very easily and gets hurt easily. She appears to have it all - a beautiful/cozy house and a store that she loves; but deep inside she feels that she was missing something. I really liked her story the best and hope everything works out for her.

While this book wasn't as emotional as the first one, I still really enjoyed reading it.

Bookshelf Meme

This is a little belated, but Sarah at A Library is a Hospital for the Mind tagged me in the Bookshelf Meme :) This meme is created by Eva at The Striped Armchair

Before I begin, I would like to discuss my "bookshelf". I bought it at TJ Maxx, it is turquoise with mosaic tile shelves. After I bought it, I was informed that it isn't a bookshelf, but it is a baker's rack. It has three shelves, which are very deep. I can fit 2 books deep and pile book on top as well! It isn't conventional, but it works for me. So without further ado, here it is:

Tell me about the book that has been on your shelf the longest.

This is really a hard question! All of my childhood books have been boxed up for now, and once a year I box up my books because my bookshelf is just too small! If I am going by the book that I keep on my shelf every time I box up books, it would have to be The Last to Know by Wendy Corsi Staub, trust me - it is well read; I even have it autographed. While I have a lot of books that I love and cherish, this book is my first Wendy Corsi Staub book and I will always love it! I don't know why I keep it on my shelf, but all of my books by her stay on the shelf at all times!


Tell me about a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (i.e. a person, a place, a time, etc.)...

Each of my books reminds me of a different period of my life. But when I think of my love of reading I think of my childhood. I chose Kristy's Great Idea by Ann M. Martin and by choosing this book I choose the whole Babysitter's Club series (these are also in the attic). I remember when I was younger and the Scholastic book order form would come to our classroom - I would get so excited! I was in the Babysitter's Club monthly club. I would get a new book and a fun little prize each month in the mail. I would be so excited each month while I waited for the mail! Whenever I see a Babysitter's Club book, I am reminded of my youthfulness....I want it back!

Tell me about a book you acquired in some interesting way (gift, serendipity in a used book store, prize, etc.)...

Hmmm... this question is kind of hard too! I have received many gifts and prizes, so it is hard to choose what would be considered interesting. Recently I went to a library sale and found The Secrety History by Donna Tartt for only 50 cents! I had this book on my list for awhile, but never got around to buying it. So I was really excited when I found it for such a good price! And in case you were wondering, I still haven't read it!


Tell me about the most recent addition to your shelves...

I received The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus from Swap-Bot last week. I am really trying this year to not buy a lot of books for budget purposes....so far, so good. I really wanted to go to Border's this weekend and shop, but I am refraining myself for now. I have stacks of books to read, in fact I would say that my TBR pile is over 100 books high!! While there are so many books that I really want to read, when I see that pile I start to get stressed.....which is odd becase reading is supposed to be my stress relief.



Tell me about a book that has been with you to the most places...
I really don't know how to answer this. Whenever I am reading a book, it goes with me everywhere. There is always a book in my purse. When I go on vacation, I would say half of my suitcase is filled with books! So my answer is....whatever I am reading!

Tell me about a bonus book that doesn't fit any of the above questions...

Wicked: The Grimmerie is an awesome book that I picked up because I am obsessed with all things Wicked/Idina Menzel :) I have seen the musical 3 times and have read the book twice. I love Wicked! When this book came out, I just knew that I had to have it. It is a beautiful hardcover book that has a distressed cover. The pictures inside are absolutely gorgeous and it has some great behind the scenes details.





The Rules:
1. Tag 3-5 people, so the fun keeps going!
2. Leave a comment at the original post at A Striped Armchair, so that Eva can collect everyone’s answers.
3. If you leave a comment and link back to Eva as the meme’s creator, she will enter you in a book giveaway contest! She has a whole shelf devoted to giveaway books that you’ll be able to choose from, or a bookmooch point if you prefer.
4. Remember that this is all about enjoying books as physical objects, so feel free to describe the exact book you’re talking about, down to that warping from being dropped in the bath water...
5. Make the meme more fun with visuals! Covers of the specific edition you’re talking about, photos of your bookshelves, etc.


I tag:

Ellie at 52 Books and 52 Weeks
Hope at Hope's Bookshelf
Gayle at Everyday I Write the Book Blog

January 24, 2009: Almost Like Being In Love

Book: Almost Like Being In Love by Steve Kluger

Amazon.com Description:

A high school jock and nerd fall in love senior year, only to part after an amazing summer of discovery to attend their respective colleges. They keep in touch at first, but then slowly drift apart.

Flash forward twenty years.

Travis and Craig both have great lives, careers, and loves. But something is missing .... Travis is the first to figure it out. He's still in love with Craig, and come what may, he's going after the boy who captured his heart, even if it means forsaking his job, making a fool of himself, and entering the great unknown. Told in narrative, letters, checklists, and more, this is the must-read novel for anyone who's wondered what ever happened to that first great love.

My Thoughts: I have to admit that I was a little hesitant to read a book that is written exclusively in letters, to-do lists, memos, etc. However, once I got started - I couldn't stop.

This love story had me conflicted because I wanted Travis and Craig to work out in the end - what an amazing love story that would be! A high school love that waited 20 years and worked out. I was conflicted because of Craig's boyfriend Clayton. They had been together for 12 years and as much as I wanted Travis and Craig together, the thought of a broken-hearted Clatyon was too much to handle! I will say that the ending is very satisfying - even if Kluger messes around with us a little and doesn't give the ending away until the very last page.

I am eager to read some more of Kluger's books!

Book Round-Up

What a lame week!

Monday: None

Tuesday: None

Wednesday: None

Thursday: None

Friday: The Nanny Diaries by Emma Mclaughlin (Swap-Bot)

Saturday: None

January 19, 2009: The Customer is Always Wrong: The Retail Chronicles

Book: The Customer is Always Wrong: The Retail Chronicles edited by Jeff Martin

Amazon.com Description:

From mom-and-pop general stores to big-box, strip-mall chains, it is impossible to consider the American experience without thinking about the buying-and-selling retail culture: the sales and the stockrooms, the shift managers, and the clock punchers. The Customer Is Always Wrong is a tragicomic and all-too revealing collection of essays by writers who have done their time behind the counter and lived to tell their tales. Jim DeRogatis, author of Let It Blurt, for example, describes hanging out with Al himself at Al Rocky’s Music Store, while Colson Whitehead explains how three summers at a Long Island ice cream store gave him a lifelong aversion to all things dessert-like. This book not only shines a light on the absurdities of retail culture but finds the delight in it as well.

My Thoughts: Honestly - I didn't like this book; it just wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting tales of awful customer service experiences, or just plain funny ones. To be honest, I am a little bit spoiled by The Book Lady's Blog and her Adventures in Bookselling. Now that is some hilarious stuff-so go read it!

I guess my expectations were a little high for this book so I was disappointed that this book only had people writing about their retail jobs. Most of the time, nothing funny even happened to them! I wouldn't recommend this book - but someone should compile of a book of The Book Lady's Adventures in Bookselling - or something similar!

Book Round-Up

Slow book week this week, but I am trying to cut back on buying books...we'll see how that goes!

Monday: None

Tuesday:
Rain Song by Alice J. Wisler (BookMooch)

Wednesday: None

Thursday:
The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Myer (Thanks Mom!)

Friday: None

Saturday: None

January 17, 2009: Escape

Book: Escape by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer

Amazon.com Description:

The dramatic first-person account of life inside an ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect, and one woman’s courageous flight to freedom with her eight children.

When she was eighteen years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger: a man thirty-two years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolyn’s heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church that had settled in small communities along the Arizona-Utah border. Over the next fifteen years, Carolyn had eight children and withstood her husband’s psychological abuse and the watchful eyes of his other wives who were locked in a constant battle for supremacy.

Carolyn’s every move was dictated by her husband’s whims. He decided where she lived and how her children would be treated. He controlled the money she earned as a school teacher. He chose when they had sex; Carolyn could only refuse—at her peril. For in the FLDS, a wife’s compliance with her husband determined how much status both she and her children held in the family. Carolyn was miserable for years and wanted out, but she knew that if she tried to leave and got caught, her children would be taken away from her. No woman in the country had ever escaped from the FLDS and managed to get her children out, too. But in 2003, Carolyn chose freedom over fear and fled her home with her eight children. She had $20 to her name.

Escape exposes a world tantamount to a prison camp, created by religious fanatics who, in the name of God, deprive their followers the right to make choices, force women to be totally subservient to men, and brainwash children in church-run schools. Against this background, Carolyn Jessop’s flight takes on an extraordinary, inspiring power. Not only did she manage a daring escape from a brutal environment, she became the first woman ever granted full custody of her children in a contested suit involving the FLDS. And in 2006, her reports to the Utah attorney general on church abuses formed a crucial part of the case that led to the arrest of their notorious leader, Warren Jeffs.

My Thoughts: Okay, this book took me awhile to read but only because I just didn't have much time to read these past two weeks. After reading Stolen Innocence, I became fascinated by the FLDS religion and when I found this book, I knew I had to read it.

This story is different from Stolen Innocence. Carolyn Jessop was married when she was 18 years old and had 8 children in her 15 year marriage. As a young girl, she had dreams of getting her college education and knew when she was placed into a marriage, it might not happen. She persevered and was given permission to attend college. She knew her goal and she didn't back down. She began teaching, which was a dream of hers - you could really tell that she thought education was important. The FLDS community is so stifling, that they prohibited the building of a charter school which would have furthered the education of so many children.

Something that struck me was Merril's relationship with Barbara and the abuse she got away with. She was bossy towards her other sister wives and if they did not comply, she told Merril that they were being disobedient. It is so upsetting to hear all of these account of abuse towards children and verbal abuse towards the wives.

Carolyn's escape was amazing - she had 8 children, one with a serious disease and another who was a baby still. Her children were alarmed that they were leaving and were convinced that their mother was sending them to hell. It is amazing the amount of brainwashing involved in this community. When they would visit their father, he would make them fast the entire time they were there and pray for their mother's death. In the end, Carolyn made her escape and her determination kept her going. It was so inspiring to read that.

I have to say that I think I am done reading these stories about polygamy. I just get so upset reading these accounts and to think of all the children involved in these communities! So upsetting, but a very good read.

Book Round-Up

Monday:
Angels by Marian Keyes (Book Mooch)
Escape by Carolyn Jessop and Laura Palmer

Tuesday: None

Wednesday: None

Thursday:
The Customer is Always Wrong: The Retail Chronicles by Jeff Martin (Library Book)
Almost Like Being In Love by Steve Kluger (Library Book)

Friday:
Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout (Border's)
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell (Border's -- Bargain Book!)
Dorothy on the Rocks by Barbara Suter (Border's)
Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown by Adena Halpern (Border's--Bargain Book!)
Good Grief by Lolly Winston (BookMooch)

Saturday:
English as a Second Language by Megan Crane (BookMooch)
Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing by Ted Conover (BookMooch)

January 4, 2009: The Road

Book: The Road by Cormac McCarthy (read for the 2009 TBR Challenge)

Amazon.com Description:

A searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece. A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food and each other. The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, each the other's world entire, are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.

My Thoughts: So I chose this book for the New Classics Challenge and finally read it this weekend. I new this book was a big deal, but I never bothered looking at it or finding out what it was about. When I picked up the book, I was shocked at the plot description and didn't think I would be able to read it - but it turned out to be pretty interesting.

It is hard to describe my reaction to this book. At first I was really annoyed - they didn't really explain what had happened, why everything had burned and they didn't really say who they were running from. I mean it is easy to guess that there are some bad people that survived and that they will steal and kill just to survive - but at first it is unclear. After about 30 pages, I was suddenly very interested. McCarthy writes at a very quick pace and the story never got boring. We never even learn the characters names, but we do learn of their love for each other.

This story brought up an interesting question - if you were suddenly one of a few survivors in a ravaged land, would you want to live? Would you want a loved on with you? While I was struck by their persistence and journey, I often wondered what the purpose was. Where were they going? It isn't as if they would reach the coast and then suddenly there would be lots of people, food and necessities.

I don't really know if I would recommend this book - I am kind of divided in my reaction. Personally, I was a little traumatized by the book - I had nightmares the first night I started it. It's so heartbreaking and scary at the same time! I am interested to know what others thought of this book!

Book Round-Up

Monday:
Living Dead Girl by Tod Goldberg (Book Mooch)
Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell (Book Mooch)
Gilding Lily by Tatiana Concompagni (Book Mooch)

Tuesday:
There's No Place Like Here by Cecilia Ahern (Border's - $13.95)

Wednesday: None

Thursday: None

Friday:
The Myth of You and Me by Leah Stewart

January 3, 2009: Names My Sisters Call Me

Book: Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane (read for the 2009 Chick Lit Challenge/TBR Challenge)

Amazon.com Description:

Courtney, Norah, and Raine Cassel are as different as three sisters can be. Norah, the oldest, is a type A obsessive who hasn't forgiven Raine, the middle sister, for ruining her wedding day six years ago. Raine is Norah's opposite, a wild child/performance artist/follow-your-bliss hippie chick who ran off to California. The only thing the two have in common is their ability to drive Courtney, their youngest sister, crazy.

When her longtime boyfriend proposes, Courtney decides it's finally time to call a truce and bring the three sisters together. After all, they're grown-ups now, right? But it turns out that family ghosts aren't easily defeated--and neither are first loves. Soon Courtney finds herself reexamining every choice she has made in the past six years--including the man she's about to marry--and the value of reconnecting with the sisters she knows she needs, in spite of everything.

My Thoughts: Another chick lit book to start of 2009 - and it was about sisters! This was also read for the Chick Lit Challenge and TBR Challenge (I'm on a roll!)

This one was a bit more complicated because there are three sisters and a 6 year gap since the last time they have talked to one. I personally can't imagine this, but it seems that the one sister, Raine, ruined Norah's wedding and ran off with Courtney's first boyfriend.

The book follows Courtney as she tracks down her sister to invite her to the wedding. Her fiance, Lucas, seems like such a sweetheart (I might love him) and finally opens her eyes to the fact that both of her sisters are selfish and never compliment Courtney. I like this story because it shows Courtney struggle with the life that she made for herself - she is an accomplished Cello player in an orchestra but in the end she realizes that it is her life and she chose it for herself.

I didn't like Matt Cheney and I didn't really like her friend Verena and I definitely didn't like her sisters. I am glad that Courtney worked it out in the end and realized what makes her truly happy!

January 2, 2009: The Smart One and the Pretty One

Book: The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik (read for the 2009 Chick Lit Challenge/TBR Challenge)

Amazon.com Description:

When Ava Nickerson was a child, her mother jokingly betrothed her to a friend's son, and the contract the parents made has stayed safely buried for years. Now that still-single Ava is closing in on thirty, no one even remembers she was once "engaged" to the Markowitz boy. But when their mother is diagnosed with cancer, Ava's prodigal little sister Lauren comes home to Los Angeles where she stumbles across the decades-old document.
Frustrated and embarrassed by Ava's constant lectures about financial responsibility (all because she's in a little debt. Okay, a lot of debt), Lauren decides to do some sisterly interfering of her own and tracks down her sister's childhood fiancé. When she finds him, the highly inappropriate, twice-divorced, but incredibly charming Russell Markowitz is all too happy to re-enter the Nickerson sisters' lives, and always-accountable Ava is forced to consider just how binding a contract really is . . .

My Thoughts: This was a really fun way to start off 2009. I have been in a reading slump, just kind of looking at my TBR pile and being bummed out-but I think I am off to a good start!

I read this book for the Chick Lit Challenge and the TBR Challenge - two birds with one stone! I really liked this story because it shows the bond between sisters and the way that we tend to drive each other crazy (so true!). It took their mom's cancer to bring the sisters together and reunite their family again.

I did not like Danny - ever since his first date with Lauren, I was completely turned off! He seemed like such a jerk, and in the end he proved me right! I was iffy about Russell at first, and even when he was giving Ava clothes, but I did come around in the end because he sounded like a gentleman! I wonder if him and Ava will really get married.....hmmmm, sequel maybe?

All in all this was a really fun book to read and put me on the positive path for 2009 :)

2009 Reading List

Here is my 2009 Reading List:

December
72. My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler (12/28/09)
71. Over the Holidays by Sandra Harper (12/28/09)
70. The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain (12/26/09)
69. The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman (12/26/09)
68. Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb (12/9/09)

November
67. Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs (11/30/09)
66. The Gift by Cecelia Ahern (11/24/09)
65. Stitches by David Small (11/22/09)
64. The Christmas Secret by Donna VanLiere (11/21/09)
63. The Best Gift by Wendy Markham (11/15/09)
62. Love, Loss, and What I Wore by Ilene Beckerman (11/15/09)
61. It Only Takes a Moment by Mary Jane Clark (11/5/09)
60. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (11/3/09)

October
59. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry (10/17/09)
58. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks (10/4/09)

September
57. The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf (9/10/09)
56. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan (9/4/09)
55. Breaking Her Fall by Stephen Goodwin (9/4/09)

August
54. The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer (8/23/09)
53. I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb (8/21/09)
52. The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Wait Clayton (8/14/09)
51. Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner (8/11/09) [lb]
50. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (8/8/09) [lb]
49. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller (8/8/09)

July
48. Forever by Judy Blume (7/22/09)
47. Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin (7/11/09)
46. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (7/2/09)

June
45. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams (6/28/09)
44. L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad (6/27/09)
43. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler (6/25/09)
42. Hedge Fund Wives by Tatiana Boncompagni (6/19/09)
41. Extras by Scott Westerfeld (6/17/09)
40. Specials by Scott Westerfeld (6/10/09)
39. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld (6/1/09)

May
38. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (5/29/09)
37. Still Alice by Lisa Genova (5/22/09)
36. Rattled! A Memoir by Christine Coppa (5/19/09)
35. One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell (5/17/09)
34. Dead Before Dark by Wendy Corsi Staub (5/11/09)
33. A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love and Faith in Stages by Kristin Chenoweth (5/5/09)

April
32. Look Both Ways by Jacquelyn Mitchard 4/26/09)
31. Midnight Twins by Jacquelyn Mitchard (4/26/09)
30. Love and Other Natural Disasters by Holly Shumas (4/23/09)
29. All We Know of Heaven by Jacquelyn Mitchard (4/16/09)
28. Bliss by Lauren Myracle (4/10/09)
27. Willow by Julia Hoban (4/4/09)
26. Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott (4/3/09)
25. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (4/1/09)

March
24. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (3/28/09)
23. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (3/26/09)
22. The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine by April Lurie (3/22/09)
21. Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup (3/16/09)
20. The Writing On The Wall by Wendy Lichtman (3/15/09) [lb]
19. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult (3/14/09)
18. Cracked up to Be by Courtney Summers (3/10/09)

February
17. English as a Second Language by Megan Crane (2/26/09)
16. Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher (2/22/09)
15. Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown by Adena Halpern (2/16/09)
14. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott (2/11/09)
13. Do the Math: Secrets, Lies and Algebra by Wendy Lichtman (2/9/09) [lb]
12. Coraline by Neil Gaiman (2/8/09) [lb]
11. My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (2/8/09) [lb]
10. Identical by Ellen Hopkins (2/4/09) [lb]
9. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (2/2/09) [lb]
8. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (2/1/09)

January
7. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs (1/27/09)
6. Almost Like Being In Love by Steve Kluger (1/24/09) [lb]
5. The Retail Chronicles: The Customer is Always Wrong by Jeff Martin (1/19/09) [lb]
4. Escape by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer (1/17/09) [lb]
3. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (1/4/09)
2. Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane (1/3/09)
1. The Smart One and the Pretty One by Claire LaZebnik (1/2/09)

Please note that [lb] indicates a library book.

2009 Reading Resolutions

Here are my 2009 Reading Resolutions:

• Read 100 books
• Read 25 books out of my "to be read" pile
• Read the entire Wonderful Wizard of Oz series (something I have wanted to do for awhile)
  
• Write down every book I read for the year
• Finish all my challenges!
  

Happy 2009 Everyone :) Hope you all have a great year and meet all of your reading goals!