109. Avalon High, by Meg Cabot

110. As You Wish, by Jackson Pearce

111. A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly

112. The Dream Stealer, by Gregory Maguire

113. Fire, by Kristin Cashore

114. Shadowland, by Meg Cabot

Amanda

Sarah,

The Uglies trilogy is one of my favorites. Uglies starts the series, then Pretties and Specials. I haven't yet read Extras, but I understand it to be a standalone set in the same world.

Good luck getting to 50! I'll be rooting you on. I've liked most of the books I've read this year. I've participated in two challenges this year, one with a Young Adult group, and Cynthia's Fall Challenge. If you want more information about the latter, let me know. It definitely pushes you out of your comfort zone with reading, which to me is a good thing.

I recommend Uglies. If you can get it from your library, try it there. I hope you won't regret it.

Thanks for the comment.

Amanda R. in Louisville

Amanda - That is great - 108. Did you like them all too. I am as far as 27 for the year, but I still hope I can do 50. I thought of reading Uglies and/or Pretties, but just not sure. Some books, I'm just on the fence about, then I won't dare take the time and read them. Maybe I should tho.
Sarah in Pittsburgh

Updating from November 1st through November 28th, 2009:

93. Great with Child Reflections On Faith, Fullness and Becoming a Mother, by Debra Rienstra
94. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
95. A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams
96. Half-Assed A Weight-Loss Memoir, by Jennette Fulda
97. Your Heart Belongs to Me, by Dean Koontz
98. Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell
99. The Secret School, by Avi
100! Changeling, by Delia Sherman
101. The Magic Mirror of the Mermaid Queen, by Delia Sherman
102. Poison Study, by Maria V. Snyder
103. Sellevision A Novel, by Augusten Burroughs
104. Julie & Julia, 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen, by Julie Powell
105. One Bad Apple, by Sheila Connolly
106. Magic Study, by Maria V. Snyder
107. Fire Study, by Maria V. Snyder
108. Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins

Whew! I think that gets me caught up. I can't believe I've read so much this year. And to think that five months ago (when I hit 50), I was only aiming for 75 this year. One month to go! I can't wait to see how many more I can read.

Amanda R. in Louisville

Updating with what I read from October 16th to October 31st, 2009.

83. Artemis Fowl The Lost Colony, by Eoin Colfer
84. Artemis Fowl The Time Paradox, by Eoin Colfer
85. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
86. Religious Literacy What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't, by Stephen R. Prothero
87. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares
88. I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith
89. Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld
90. The 200 Best Home Businesses Easy To Start, Fun To Run, Highly Profitable, by Katina Z. Jones
91. The Winter Queen, by Boris Akunin
92. Déjà Dead, by Kathy Reichs

Amanda R. in Louisville

82. Under the Black Flag The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates, by David Cordingly

Just an OK book. I loved the pirate topic, but had a few problems with the tone of the writing. Mostly, I felt the author assumed too much prior knowledge for the common reader. This could be a culture thing, since this was first published in England, and I'm American. It was a bit annoying, though.

Amanda R. in Louisville

79. Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratcett

80. Football for Dummies, Second Edition, by Howie Long

81. Tomorrow, When the War Began, by John Marsden

Amanda R. in Louisville

I haven't updated in awhile, I see. Part of this is because I don't have my own computer anymore. I'll be sharing with my husband for a few months.

69. The Sweet Potato Queens' Guide to Raising Children for Fun and Profit, by Jill Connor Browne

70. The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean Auel

71. The Dark Hills Divide, by Patrick Carman

72. Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell

73. Painted Veil, by Beverle Graves Myers

74. Gods and Kings A Novel, by Lynn Austin

75. Prophet, by Frank E. Peretti

76. The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostava

77. Fade, by Lisa McMann

78. 'Who Can Save Us Now? Brand-New Superheroes and Their Amazing (Short) Stories, edited by Owen King

And that's it so far. Looks like I'll make 100 this year!

Amanda R. in Louisville

68. The Heretic's Daughter, by Kathleen Kent

This was the first book since the sixth Harry Potter that actually made me weep. Not that I haven't shed a tear at other books, but this book made my husband reach for the Kleenex for me.

I've already been recommending this book to people who probably have no interest, and will continue recommending it until I am shushed by my husband for indecent recommendations.

Amanda R. in Louisville

67. The Family Manager, by Kathy Peel. I can't find the book listed on Goodreads!

This book might end up being useful, but it annoyed me a lot as I read it. I needed to get past my annoyance to get to the useful information.

Amanda R. in Louisville

66. John Adams, by David McCullough

Great book! I'm so glad my new book group decided to read this. Five stars!

Amanda R. in Louisville

I'm slowing down!

64. The Hound of Rowan, by Henry H. Neff

This was a cute book. I think I'll read the second one sometime.

65. Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers

This was a birthday gift, and what a wonderful gift it was! I'm very impressed with this book!

Amanda R. in Louisville

63. You Know Where to Find Me, by Rachel Cohn

This book was recommended to me by the children's librarian at my local library. I didn't want to offend her, so I grabbed it, not sure I would get through it. Nothing personal to her - when I was a teenager, I was suicidal, and I wasn't sure I could handle reading about suicide. The story was alarming, disheartening, and altogether worth reading.

The blurb on the back, by Patricia McCormick, says about You Know Where to Find Me:

"This painfully funny, deeply moving journey is the most authentic portrait of loss and forgiveness I've ever read"

I agree with most of that statement. I didn't find the book funny so much as very sad.

Amanda R. in Louisville

62. A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

This book took me a week to get through, which is a lot, as of late. I just didn't want to read it when I wasn't reading it. When I would get started, though, I wouldn't want to put it down. While a very strange book, I can't say I didn't like it. Three stars.

Amanda R. in Louisville

I have NOT been keeping track - in any way shape or form - what I've been reading. I'm going to try some last-ditch re-call here tonight, but I may miss something that I've read since the beginning of July. These are not in the order I read them, but in the order I've remembered them.

54. A Personal Stand Observations and Opinions from a Freethinking Roughneck, by Trace Adkins

55. Artemis Fowl The Opal Deception, by Eoin Colfer

56. Airman, by Eoin Colfer (five star)

57. Climbing the Stairs, by Padma Venkatraman

58. Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris (disappointing)

59. Darkly Dreaming Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay

60. Tales Before Narnia The Roots of Modern Fantasy and Science Fiction, by Douglas A. Anderson

61.The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith

That's all I can remember. If I remember another, I'll add it. I'm definitely aiming for 100+ this year, though.

Amanda R. in Louisville

53. Silver World, by Cliff McNish.

This was a solid three star book. I really wanted to get through it, mostly just to know how it ended, but it was a bit sluggish getting through. I think the first book was the best in the trilogy.

Amanda R. in Louisville

52. Artemis Fowl The Eternity Code, by Eoin Colfer.

This has been my favorite Artemis Fowl book so far, definitely four stars.

Amanda R. in Louisville

51. Bloody Jack Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy, by L.A. Meyer

This was an OK story. I was hoping for a much better book, based on the reviews I've been hearing. Still, three stars.

Amanda R. in Louisville

50! Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine

Fairest was a good book. It was a pretty typical fairy-tale re-telling (fairy-telling?). I really enjoy Levine's world, but this book just didn't stand out for me. Maybe it was the timing.

I've started book 51 (American Gospel God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation) and plan to go to the library tomorrow for more. I have a few books on hold. I think my reading might slow down now that I've reached 50. I'm only planning on 75 for the year, though I won't mind if I hit that early. We'll see!

Amanda R. in Louisville

49. Jinx, by Meg Cabot

This was an OK book. I was turned off by the witchcraft theme, but the writing was solid, and it was a good enough story. I much prefer Cabot's Mediator series.

Three stars.

Amanda R. in Louisville

1 to go!

you're welcome!

...48...

48. Graceling, by Kristin Cashore

This was another gem. I almost gave this five stars, and I might even end up changing my mind, as the book sinks in. I would love to have this for my own shelves... someday. I'm looking forward to seeing what else comes of this author.

Amanda R. in Louisville

Mary Todd wrote: "count down to 50!

...45...46...47..."

Mary Todd,

I'm getting very excited. I'm going to plan on 75 this year, because I don't know if I'll slow down or not. I think I'm going to make short goals like 50, then 75... then we'll see.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Amanda R. in Louisville

count down to 50!

...45...46...47...

47. Never Mind The Goldbergs, by Matthue Roth

While I will admit that the characters sucked me into this book, overall I was disappointed with it. I don't think it should have been shelved as YA, for one. It had gratuitous sex, language, and underage drinking, and mentioned drug use among minors.

Beyond all that, it just wasn't a great story for me. There was no real story arc. This might have been OK, since it was character driven, except that there was no character resolution, either. I kept getting the secondary characters confused.

Two stars. I won't continue this rant; suffice it to say I was not pleased.

Amanda R. in Louisville

46. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, by Trenton Lee Stewart.

(I forgot to add the author to my last post, but both Mysterious Benedict books were by Stewart.)

Another great book. I'm really looking forward to October now, when the next book is said to come out. I don't know how I'll last so long with Constance, but I'll live. I suppose.

Amanda R. in Louisville

What is wrong with this statement?
What is wrong with you?

45. The Mysterious Benedict Society

A darling book! Definitely a keeper, and at $7, it's going to be on my shelf soon. I love books where a wily group of kids have to solve mysteries in order to save the world (as a general rule) but this book pulled away from most cliches and delivered a solid story with great characterization. I still can't get over Constance, who is a big favorite in my house. Yes, my husband read this book, too, and loved it.

Amanda R. in Louisville

44. The Alienist, by Caleb Carr

What a great book! I'm debating between four and five stars here, but will probably give it four stars. This is an historical murder mystery, set in the late 1800s. The budding science of psychology plays a major role (thus the title - an alienist was a psychologist then). Just an awesome read.

Amanda R. in Louisville

43. The Rumpelstiltskin Problem, by Vivian Vande Velde

This book had me cracking up. I probably won't read it again, so it only gets three stars, but it was definitely worth a read. Several retellings of Rumpelstiltskin, all of them funny, several thought-provoking.

Amanda R. in Louisville

42. The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale

This was my final book in the YA challenge. It was a great book! Four stars. A good retelling of one of my favorite fairy-tales, also called The Goose Girl.

Amanda R. in Louisville

41. The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin

A great book and one of my favorites from childhood, The Westing Game is a mystery that invites the reader to play along. Four stars!

Amanda R. in Louisville

Which brings me to
40. What I Saw And How I Lied, by Judy Blundell

This was an interesting, noir-ish book set right after WWII. The protagonist, Evie, falls in love with Peter on a trip to Florida with her parents. Nothing is as it seems, and soon Peter and Evie are trapped in a series of lies and drama. The family tension was so thick, and so foreign to me.

The book had me riveted. I probably will not re-read it, but the first read will stick with me awhile.

Three stars.

Amanda R. in Louisville

39. The London Eye Mystery, by Siobhan Dowd.

This was a cute little mystery I picked up to finish a task for the YA challenge I'm in. The book was charming. It was told from the viewpoint of a child with high-functioning autism. The book follows Ted and his sister, Kat, as they try to find out what happened to their cousin, who went missing on the London Eye (a giant Ferris wheel).

Amanda R. in Louisville

38. Artemis Fowl The Arctic Incident, by Eoin Colfer.

I think I liked this book even better than the first one. All of a sudden, my husband is reading these books, too. I'm definitely picking up the next few from the library when I can, even if it gets in the way of my planned summer reading (for the TNBBC Summer Challenge).

Amanda R. in Louisville

37. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer.

I've been looking for a new series to read for the YA challenge, and this seemed to fit the requirements. I wasn't expecting to like this either, but found it an enjoyable read. It felt a bit like fluff reading to me, but had a strong plot. I think that even without the challenge, I would read on through the series.

Amanda R. in Louisville

36. Christy, by Catherine Marshall.

I honestly wasn't expecting much from this book. The description made it sound interesting, but not my cup of tea. I was so blown away by the depth of character. I adored the amount of love the author poured into each character, even the minor characters.

Amanda R. in Louisville

35. The Book Thief

Wow. What a book. I didn't shed many tears over this one, but it will be with me for as long as I have memories. The Holocaust is not something that leaves a person's memory easily in the first place, but to work in characters like Zusak does... It hardly seems fair, ambushing a memory like that.

The fantasy element of this book was so subtle it barely registered, at least until it comes time to describe the narrator. This was a lovely choice by the author, who could have played up his narrator quite a bit.

Definitely a five star book.

Amanda R. in Louisville

34. Anne of Green Gables

Sheesh, I thought for sure I had added the last two books I've read. Well, at least this one. What a darling book this was. I thought I would never pick up such a "Pollyanna-ish book". I loved it! Anne was endearing, the supporting characters are lovely, and the plot kept me going. Four stars!

Amanda R. in Louisville

33. A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan.

Two boys sneak off to watch a freak show, only to find a secret at the show that will change their lives forever. While a somewhat cliched storyline, the "boy runs off to the circus" ploy works well enough here. The book would probably be genuinely scary to some younger readers. I couldn't suspend disbelief long enough to stop from rolling my eyes at some plot twists. I also found it hard to feel sympathetic for any of the characters, with the possible exception of Mr. Crepsley.

I'm not entirely sure why this is getting such grand reviews, or why it came so highly recommended. A satisfying read, but not great literature.

Amanda R. in Louisville

32. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

I was not as pleased with this classic as I had hoped to be. I remember trying it in grade school and not liking it, but I think my reasons were entirely different then. I certainly didn't dislike the book, it's just not one that I'll return to anytime soon. I probably will re-read it a few years down the line, just not soon.

Maybe it was the science-fiction aspect that turned me off, though I've read some science-fiction. I think in the end I just felt like the story was missing some emotion that I long for in fiction, particularly YA fiction.

Amanda R. in Louisville

31. Into the Wild, by Sarah Beth Durst

Another YA novel. This was a very well written story about the fairy-tale creatures we all know and the Wild that keeps them captive. The main character, Julie, must rescue her mother, Rapunzel, and her friends from the slavery that is their only option in the Wild.

Four stars.

Amanda R. in Louisville

30. Gabriel's Horses

This great little YA book is set in Kentucky during the Civil War. I don't think I would have enjoyed this nearly as much as a kid as I did as an adult. I give this 3.5 stars, because while I probably won't read it again, I would definitely recommend it to others.

Amanda R. in Louisville

29. Then Again, Maybe I Won't, by Judy Blume

I was very upset by this book. I had not read any Judy Blume since I was a kid myself, and didn't realize her messed up morals. Or maybe it was just this book. I'm thinking now that if my kids ever choose to read anything by her, I'll have to have many discussions with them, both as they read and after.

The main character in this book is very upset at his friend's bad behavior, and the author makes it clear that the behavior is unacceptable. The problem I have is, I think the main character is behaving in a way that is just as bad, and neither the MC or the author seem to feel that way. It is never addressed in the book as a bad thing, and the character actually seems self-satisfied with his behavior at the end. As I said, I was disappointed.

I would give this two stars, because it wasn't exactly poorly written. The narrative style annoyed me, too, but I was willing to overlook it for the story. The story was well-told, but upset me on a moral level. I give it two stars because I would NOT recommend it to people, but it wasn't a totally dreadful book.

Amanda R. in Louisville

28. Bridge to Terabithia

I picked this book up honestly thinking it was a fantasy. I knew nothing about it except that they'd made a movie of it, it is YA, and that my husband liked it as a kid. This is another challenge book, but you can get used to hearing that.

Without giving spoilers, I will say that I cried. It wasn't at all what I was expecting, which made the first few pages a little rough, but what a great story!

Amanda R. in Louisville

Aprile wrote: "Congrats on 1/2 way!"

Thanks so much! It was exciting to make that mark.

Amanda R. in Louisville

Congrats on 1/2 way!

27. The Sisters Grimm Book 1 The Fairy-Tale Detectives

This book was a substitution for another book I was planning to read, but which the library did not have. I am so glad I read it! It was a cute little YA book (you'll see a lot of those for the next few months) following two sisters who are related to the brothers Grimm. When their parents disappear, they are taken to live with an old lady claiming to be their grandmother. The problem is, they were told their grandmother was dead.

When weird, fairy-tale things start happening, the sisters should band together, at least according to the eldest. The youngest is enjoying her new family too much to want to escape, though. I loved this little adventure tale, and the character motivations were all done just right. I think my favorite character (as far as the writing goes at least) was Mayor Charming. Of course, Mr. Canis was my very favorite character in the book. A great four star book, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Amanda R. in Louisville

26. Mira, Mirror

This was a three and a half/four star book. I thought the concept was just OK (the magic mirror from Snow White is the narrator, but this book shows what happens to her after the wicked queen is gone), but what makes this book is the character development.

I thought Mira/Mirror's development was the best, but I also enjoyed watching the two girls change. Since I've already returned the book to the library, I can't look up the character's name, but the merchant's daughter was the only character who read a little "flat" to me. Other than that, the rather bland story and character concepts were really brought to life by strong writing.

Amanda R. in Louisville

25. The Falconer's Knot A Story of Friars, Flirtation and Foul Play

I picked this book out at the library completely by random - I literally closed my eyes and picked a book from the YA section. This was a challenge for another group, and I was not too excited about this selection. It turned out to be a three point book. A young nobleman is accused of murder. He seeks refuge in a friary, which is next door to a nunnery. A young girl has been basically sold to the nunnery against her will by her older brother. The young noblemen and the girl slowly fall for each other, all while being kept strictly apart AND while solving several unexplained murders at the friary. I think the ending should have been easier for the reader to spot, since I didn't feel like there were any clues at all. Other than that, it was a pretty good book.

Amanda R. in Louisville