Recap...A-Z Reading Challenge...

It is December 29th and I seriously doubt that I will finish a book between now and the end of the year...so, I thought I would recap my A-Z Reading Challenge for the year 2008.

I read 29 books this year...that I was able to include into this Challenge...(if you want to read the rules - just click on the link on my sidebar)

In addition I read: 6 books where the letters on my chart were already filled.

Predators, Prey and Other Kinfolk: Growing Up in Polygamy by Dorothy Allred Solomon
Hide and Seek by Fern Michaels
Hocus Pokus by Fern Michaels
Fast Track by Fern Michaels
Lost Souls by Lisa Jackson
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

During 2009 I will finish filling in the list - of missed letters...but, truthfully, I think reading 35 books in one year is pretty darn good! (And, I didn't count the different magazine subscriptions that I get and read from cover to cover!)

Books:

A: A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen
B: Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson Is Guilty by Anne Bird
C: Collateral Damage by Fern Michaels
D: Deception Point by Dan Brown
E: Edge of the Earth, Corner of the Sky by Art Wolfe
F: Free Fall by Fern Michaels
G:
H: Homeward Bound (Harlequin American #1079) by Marin Thomas
I:
J: Jury, The - Fern Michaels
K: Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World by Juliana, Isabella & Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Gerald R. Uhlich
L: Lethal Justice by Fern Michaels
M:
N:
O:
P: Payback by Fern Michaels
Q:
R:
S: Sweet Revenge by Fern Michaels
T: Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher
U: Uppity Women of Ancient Times by Vicki Leon
V: Vendetta by Fern Michaels
W: Warrior Without Rules (Silhouette Intimate Moments #1382) by Nancy Gideon
X:
Y:
Z:

Authors:

A:
B: Barry, Brunonia (The Lace Reader)
C: Cora, Cat (with Ann Krueger Spivack) - (Cooking from the Hip)
D:
E: Eicher, Lovina (with Kevin Williams) - The Amish Cook at Home: Simple Pleasures of Food, Family, and Faith
F:
G: Grogan, John (Marley and Me)
H:
I: Ingram, Christine and Jennie Shapter - (The Complete Book of Bread and Bread Machines)
J: Jessop, Carolyn (Escape)
K: Kaye, Barbara (Challenge of a Lifetime Harlequin Superromance 433)
L: Lee, Sandra (Made From Scratch: A Memoir)
M: Michaels, Fern (Weekend Warriors)
N:
O:
P: Pearl-McPhee, Stephanie (Things I Learned from Knitting...whether I wanted to or not)
Q:
R: Rule, Ann (Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder and Other True Cases - Ann Rule's Crime Files: Vol. 12
S: Spencer, Irene (Shattered Dreams: My Life As A Polygamist's Wife)
T: Torkells, Erik & the Editors of Budget Travel (Secret Hotels)
U:
V:
W: Wagner, Robert J. (with Scott Eyman) (Pieces of My Heart: A Life)
X:
Y:
Z:

14 Weeks...

Yep...that's what's left until the end of the year. And, to finish my A-Z Reading Challenge. The problem is I have 30 books to read in these 14 weeks...I've managed to read 22 books! I could have been way ahead of the game - if I had chosen to use both the title of the book and the author twice. But, I didn't do that - as I wanted to read new authors.

Here's two books recently finished...both were totally new authors to me...

Homeward Bound by Marin Thomas - this was a Harlequin American (#1079). Series romance is fun to read - and I did enjoy this book. Her writing style was a little different than a lot of series writers - but, all in all, she kept my interest...

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry - I really liked this book...great story, well told, interesting concept, and I can't say anything else about it - because a bunch of people I know are reading it now...and I don't want to give anything away.

New Author...

This year is the year for new authors for me...since I have working on the A-Z Reading Challenge - new authors are joining the list.

One of the newest authors I've read is Fern Michaels. Started out reading the first book of The Sisterhood Series, Weekend Warriors and ended up completing the series by reading the other six for a total of seven books in April.

The books were:

Weekend Warriors
Payback
Vendetta
The Jury
Sweet Revenge
Lethal Justice
Free Fall

They were really enjoyable...not to mention that seven books in one month is a personal best for me this year!!!

Books and Movies...

What else is there to do on a snowy day other than read and watch movies?...(well, I guess I could finish up the last few boxes that need to be unpacked, start on a new quilt or a dozen other things)...but, I felt like finishing a book and watching a movie.

Just finished reading Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher. While the book has a very good plot line - somehow in my humble opinion it fails to deliver. The story centers around Clay Jenson (being one of 13) who receives a set of tapes which Hannah Baker has recorded before killing herself.

There is a lot of teenage angst throughout the book - but, I didn't feel there was enough going on or happening to cause someone to kill themselves...but then who knows how teenagers think. It was just a fair book.

Seems like I've been into movie watching - Checked out the following from my library:

Bridge to Terabithia - second time I've checked this one out and still haven't watched it. Just could not get in the mood.

Stardust - popped it in to watch and just could not get into it. Somehow I don't think I can suspend my sense of reality long enough to watch it...I may try it again though...just not right now. The timing is off for both of the above movies.

Gone Baby Gone - The author of Mystic River strikes again...Must have tried to watch Mystic River three or four times before I could finally get into it...this one looks about the same. I couldn't get the past the scene where the lead actor spends (what seems to be) fifteen minutes calling everyone in the free world a M_Fer. And, I'm no prude - those words have certainly come out of this mouth ... but, it was a bit over the top...

Plain Truth which was a Lifetime Original Movie was pretty good. Starred Mariska Hargitay and it was about a murder in an Amish community.

The Brave One with Jodie Foster. Excellent movie...I really liked it!

By the way - there is still lots of snow on the ground - but the sun is shining and it makes the snow look beautiful!!!!

One Book...No...Three Books!

January is proving to be a good reading month for me! Of course, I commited myself to two reading challenges this year - mainly because I wanted to keep better track of what I was reading...and secondly to search my own stash of books to keep from reaching for my "favorites" all the time...

Marley and Me - by John Grogan (A-Z Reading - Author "G")
292 pages

I loved this book! It took me through the gamuet of feelings and emotions while reading about owning this loveable dog named Marley. His antics were laughable and loveable...and at times the story touched me so much I had tears in my eyes. Grogan is a really decent writer - but, then he is a newspaper man! Philadelphia Inquirer, I think. It is worth the read. The only thing I found that I didn't like is that there were no photos in the book. The only photos were on the inside of the cover and that was covered by the book jacket that the library puts on.

Edge of the Earth, Corner of the Sky by Art Wolfe (A-Z Reading Book "E")
240 pages

Gorgeous, gorgeous photos! Some would say that this was just a photography book - but, there was more to it than that. Each section was introduced by some lovely writing (and I can't remember who did the writing) plus Robert Redford wrote an introduction to the book.

What I really liked about this book was that the front section of the book just had the photos - large and gorgeous - with just a small label telling you where it was taken. Then at the back of the book was a section that showed each photo (much, much smaller) with information on where, facts about it, and what type of camera equipment was used and how. Truly enjoyed this book!!!

Challenge of A Lifetime by Barbara Kaye (Harlequin Superromance #433)
(A-Z Reading Author: "K"; Romance Reading Challenge)
298 pages

This was the second book of a three part series about Hamilton House - a large restaurant corporation whose CEO is seeking her successor. Paula Steele is the widow of country singing legend, Justin Steele, and VP of the Nashville Hamilton House. At forty-five she doesn't expect love to coming knocking on her door - but it does in the form of Dane Markham, ten years her junior.

In the beginning she befriends and becomes a mentor to Dane as she tries to help him with his music career...and the story takes off from there. There were a couple of surprises that I never saw coming - which was really good. As romances go this one was rather good. Kaye is a good writer and keeps the interest going.

A - Z Reading Challenge...

I tend to get stuck reading the same authors - so this year I am going to try and keep up with this challenge. This will be the second reading challenge I am doing and the neat part is they can be combined.
Requirements:

~ align the author's last name or the title of a book (excluding "the", "a", etc.) with its corresponding letter in the alphabet

~ enter a different book for each author and title (total of 52 books)

~ complete the alphabet lists anyway that suits your fancy

(i.e.: complete each list separately in alphabetical order, read both "A" entries, then "B" entries, fit whatever you're reading into either list, etc.)

~ complete the challenge in the year 2008

~ enjoy the experience!

Books:

A: A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen
B: Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson Is Guilty by Anne Bird
C: Collateral Damage by Fern Michaels
D: Deception Point by Dan Brown
E: Edge of the Earth, Corner of the Sky by Art Wolfe
F: Free Fall by Fern Michaels
G:
H: Homeward Bound (Harlequin American #1079) by Marin Thomas
I:
J: Jury, The by Fern Michaels
K: Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World by Juliana, Isabella & Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Gerald R. Uhlich
L: Lethal Justice by Fern Michaels
M: Michelle Obama: Meet the First Lady by David Bergen Brophy
N:
O:
P: Payback by Fern Michaels
Q:
R: Remember My Touch (Harlequin Intrigue 469) by Gayle Wilson
S: Sweet Revenge by Fern Michaels
T: Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher
U: Uppity Women of Ancient Times by Vicki Leon
V: Vendetta by Fern Michaels
W: Warrior Without Rules (Silhouette Intimate Moments #1382) by Nancy Gideon
X:
Y:
Z:

Authors:

A: Allen, Sarah Addison (Garden Spells)
B: Barry, Brunonia (The Lace Reader)
C: Cora, Cat (with Ann Krueger Spivack) - (Cooking from the Hip)
D: Davis, Justine (Flashback Silhouette Bombshell #86)
E: Eicher, Lovina (with Kevin Williams) - (The Amish Cook at Home: Simple Pleasures of Food, Family, and Faith)
F: Fox, Michael J. (Lucky Man)
G: Grogan, John (Marley and Me)
H:
I: Ingram, Christine and Jennie Shapter - (The Complete Book of Bread and Bread Machines)
J: Jessop, Carolyn (Escape)
K: Kaye, Barbara (Challenge of a Lifetime Harlequin Superromance 433)
L: Lee, Sandra (Made From Scratch: A Memoir)
M: Michaels, Fern (Weekend Warriors)
N:
O: Obama For America (Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama's Plan to Renew America's Promise.
P: Pearl-McPhee, Stephanie (Things I Learned from Knitting...whether I wanted to or not)
Q:
R: Rule, Ann (Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder and Other True Cases - Ann Rule's Crime Files: Vol. 12
S: Spencer, Irene (Shattered Dreams: My Life As A Polygamist's Wife)
T: Torkells, Erik & the Editors of Budget Travel (Secret Hotels)
U:
V:
W: Wagner, Robert J. (with Scott Eyman) (Pieces of My Heart: A Life)
X:
Y:
Z:

Blue Print denotes books read in 2008 - Click here for a re-cap of all books read in 2008.

Red Print denotes books read in 2009