I'll come in tomorrow. Geoff is tailgating in the morning but will be home for the game. I might try to sneak out by myself for a bit. I'll come in and check our your hair, and I will also have to get my checkbook out for all my fines! BAD Viola!

Hey Viola!

I am working today and tomorrow. You should come in to see my hair and let me know if you think I'm overreacting!! And we definitely have to go see Dear John....I'll bring the Kleenex :)

I hit my goal, but now I have a new goal and want to hit 100 before the end of the year. So...I'm waiting to do my top 10. It's going to be very tough!

Also, I put Dear John on hold so I can read it again. We have to go see the movie. I'll cry watching Channing Tatum cry. He should never have to cry! Poor Channing! :)

I'll let you know what I think about The Last Song too. I'll finish tonight. Are you working tomorrow? Tonight? I need to pop in there and take care of my restricted access!

Lisarenee wrote: "I think I'll be reading more Nora Roberts in the future as well. I'm actually tempted to stop putting books on hold at the library for awhile. I've amassed quite a collection of books I want to rea..."

I have the exact same problem...I have books that I've owned for years that I've never read because I have books checked out from the library. It makes me sad when I look at my bookshelves.

And I'm just getting ready to add my top 10, maybe 11 :)

I think I'll be reading more Nora Roberts in the future as well. I'm actually tempted to stop putting books on hold at the library for awhile. I've amassed quite a collection of books I want to read that I own which have been neglected in favor of books that have to be read before their due dates.

Melis wrote,".I might have a hard time picking ten though :)"

I went over 10 for my favorites and will probably add more and readjust the list before I'm totally satisfied with it.

101. Bed of Roses Nora Roberts - 4 Stars

I really enjoy these books. Very fun and quick reads!

Lisarenee wrote: "Congratulations! Now you need to list your favorites in the spot Angie provided for those fortunate enough to meet their goal. :) I look forward to hearing which ones were your favorites."


Thanks Lisa!

I'll try to do that this morning...I might have a hard time picking ten though :)

Congratulations! Now you need to list your favorites in the spot Angie provided for those fortunate enough to meet their goal. :) I look forward to hearing which ones were your favorites.

Thanks for the encouragement Lisa!

And here we are...

100. Rainwater- Sandra Brown 4 Stars

This was a really enjoyable book. Not like the usual books Sandra Brown put out. This one was a nice love story taking place during the Great Depression. It reminded me of something Nicholas Sparks would write and I really enjoyed this change of pace from her.

Just one more book Melis and one last month. You can do it. :)

Woohoo, way to go, Melis!

99. Covet - JR Ward

Yay!! One more till my goal although at the pace I'm going lately I am questioning if I'll even make it!

I may try that Sans...or I might try branching out from what I normally read and try something new :)

Aw, I'm sorry Melis! I'm going through the same thing. I've started 5 different books since I finished the last one and none are catching my interest. Maybe take a break and have a movie marathon?

98. Van Alen Legacy - De La Cruz

It took me forever to finish this book! I am in a little bit of a reading slump right now....just can't seem to get into anything :(

April wrote: "The Hate List sounds intense!"

It is very intense and so compelling. I couldn't put it down!

The Hate List sounds intense!

I didn't see it which was probably a good thing. Getting the phone call at work was enough to send me into complete and total hysteria! I hadn't cried that hard in a very, very long time. But she is on the mend :) The only thing now is that I think this has given my other dog a little nervous breakdown...she seems to have forgotten that she's potty trained :(

Glad to hear your pooch is getting better!

Lisa, I saw a dog get hit once too and I was seriously traumatized.

So sorry to hear about your dog's accident. She's very lucky she didn't have more injuries. Did you witness the accident? I once witness a neighbor's dog getting hit when I was little and it was horrible.

;_; I'm so sorry! I'm always more affected by hurt animals than hurt people. I hope she'll be okay!

Thanks Lisa!! My dog was hit by a car about a month ago and so has had the cone on since then!! She's such a trooper. Miraculously it was just her foot that was damaged but it's been a slight pain. We thought we were done with vet visits last week but she ended up having a toe removed on Friday...it's been never ending. But now hopefully she is on the mend and I am sure will be back to her hyper and crazy self in no time :)

Only 3 more books and you've met your goal. Love your dog by the way. What happened to the poor little guy? It looks like he's got a protective collar/shield on like they have when they're hurt.

96. Wallflower Christmas - Kleypas

97. Rage - A Love Story - 3.5 Stars
This book was at times hard to read as the main character frustrated me soooo much. Maybe it's just hard for me to remember those teenage years when we have that all consuming crush on someone and nothing and no-one is going to convince us otherwise that that person is not perfect for us. But there were times when I just had to put the book down,close my eyes and remember those times when I had been in denial about something myself and then just continue on. Beyond that it was a very interesting book about physical abuse within a lesbian relationship and how this relationship begins to affect all other aspects of her life. A good book on a topic that could probably provoke much discussion.

Julie Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ wrote: "*sniffle, sniffle* Just read your whole book thread for the first time, and it sort of depressed me - there are soooooooooooo many good books out there to read and not enough time to read them all...."

I agree, Julie! There is so much good stuff out there! Whenever I read reviews in the approximately 10 or so journals I get a month it makes me want to just bang my head against the wall because there is no way I'll ever have enough time to read them all.

Sans wrote: "Wales!

Melis, I'm very glad you joined this group. There are so many books (especially YA) that I plan on getting and I love having a trusted source preview it. Thank you!"

Thanks Sans! I love being a part of this group....you all are so funny and give lots of great recommendations!

Lisarenee wrote: "My library doesn't have Shiver, Hate List, or Beautiful Creatures. I will need to wait. Spent too much money on books already. Good thing I still have a huge stack to read. I've seen the book The M..."

Lisa, I could send you Hate List if you want :)

*sniffle, sniffle* Just read your whole book thread for the first time, and it sort of depressed me - there are soooooooooooo many good books out there to read and not enough time to read them all. I'm doing my best though. :D

Lisa, Beautiful Creatures comes out in December, so hopefully you can get put on the wait list soon. :)

OH! I'm super excited the final book (#4) of The Luxe series is out at the end of this month. Woohoo!!

My library doesn't have Shiver, Hate List, or Beautiful Creatures. I will need to wait. Spent too much money on books already. Good thing I still have a huge stack to read. I've seen the book The Magicians's Elephant at the library. I'll have to pick it up the next time I see it.

Wales!

Melis, I'm very glad you joined this group. There are so many books (especially YA) that I plan on getting and I love having a trusted source preview it. Thank you!

94. The Splendor Falls - Rosemary Clement - Moore
3.5 Stars
A fun book with a nice mix of welsh lore, southern sensibilities, ghosts, magic and of course the best part romance!! It is a little long and slow at times but overall I enjoyed it!

95. The Magician's Elephant - Kate DiCamillo 5 Stars
I love Kate DiCamillo's books and this was no different. It is a very beautiful story about love, hope and believing in miracles. A must read if you enjoy magical realism for the elementary set!

It's definitely a trilogy, second is called Linger and third is called Forever. Double YAY!

I'm not sure exactly how many more will be in the series....I've read that there will be a sequel and I read another place that it will be a trilogy but at least there will be one more...YAY!!!

Shiver is part of a series??? If it is, WAHOO!

92. Lover Avenged - JR Ward

93. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater

Some Spoilers

I loved this book! The relationship between Sam and Grace was just so real and honest. Maggie Stiefvater did an amazing job with these characters. I felt like I could feel Sam and Grace's emotions jumping off the page. The poetry and song lyrics of Sam's were just so beautiful I wanted to read them again and again. I also loved the part where he tells Grace that her hat with the pompom on the top is so horribly cute and then just has to kiss her. It just seemed so right for the moment and for them and to me just added a greater authenticity to their relationship. The ending brought tears to my eyes and I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

Melis wrote: "87. Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick 4 Stars (I thought it could have been a little bit better but still really enjoyed it!)

Okay, everything I had hoped for in Beautiful Creatures I got in this bo..."

Putting this one on my to-read list!

OH! I would love the ARC for Beautiful Creatures. Just let me know if and when she finishes. I'll definitely read it fast. Promise! :)

Viola wrote: "I REALLY want to get my hands on Beautiful Creatures! Sounds so good!"

I can probably get the ARC to you Viola...once my sister is done reading it. No promises though, it could take her a while :)

I want to read it too, but I will adjust my expectations according to Melis' review. :)

I REALLY want to get my hands on Beautiful Creatures! Sounds so good!

Haha! I just responded to you on your list and you were probably on mine at the same time :)

Glad you have The Hate List...can't you just give your students all A's this once so you can have time to read ;)

Oh, and about the Gallagher Series...my girls LOVE these! I have to read them. They are always begging me to get on it! They really enjoy them. Thanks for the recommendation!

Melis,

I have Shiver on hold at JCPL. Can you get it somehow? Check it out under my name? I don't need it, but I want you to read it! You'll love it!

I have The Hate List too! So many books to read! But I HAVE to grade papers! CRAP! This is going to take SOOO much discipline on my part!

Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover - Gallagher Series #3

I love this series!! It's about this school that everyone believes is a snobbish boarding school but is actually a spy school for girls. These books are funny with lots of spy intrigue and G-rated romance. The girls are easy to relate to and one can't help but hope that there is really is a spy school out there like this...and if I were a young girl reading them I would hope that I could be one of the lucky ones picked to go there!

Viola - I think these would be great picks for your 7th and 8th grade girls because these books are well written and also lots of fun! Much better than the Clique series or others like those in my opinion!

88. Smooth Talking Stranger - Kleypas

89. Wedding Girl - Madeleine Wickham

90. The Chicago Way - Michael Harvey

91. Don't Judge a Girl By Her Cover - Ally Carter

Melis wrote: "87. Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick 4 Stars (I thought it could have been a little bit better but still really enjoyed it!)

Okay, everything I had hoped for in Beautiful Creatures I got in this bo..."

Awesome!! This is towards the top of my list for "YA books I can't wait to get my hands on".

Sans wrote: "Oh, and thank you again for lending us Fire!!!"

You're welcome! I'm happy that everyone got to enjoy it!

87. Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick 4 Stars (I thought it could have been a little bit better but still really enjoyed it!)

Okay, everything I had hoped for in Beautiful Creatures I got in this book. This is DEFINITELY for the Twilight lovers amongst us!

Instead of Edward and Bella we have Patch and Nora. He's the bad boy and Nora's new myserious lab partner with whom she has an instant chemistry with but knows she should stay away from. See the similarities? :)However we are now dealing with falling angels (the next big thing in YA novels) instead of vampires. This book was an extremely quick read and there are a few twists and turns making this a not entirely predictable book. It is a little darker than Twilight and the sexual tension between the two main characters is palpable at most times and I didn't put it down until it was finished. It will be published in October and I already can't wait for the next in the series. The only downside is the title...Hush, Hush...I haven't been able to get that Paula Abdul song out of my head since! (and as I am slowly banging my head against the wall - I can still hear the lyrics!)

Ahenry wrote: "Melis wrote: "71. The Hate List - Jennifer Brown

72. Once Was Lost - Sara Zarr

73. Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

74. The Devil's Kiss - Sarwat Chadda

75. Smashcut - Sandra Brown

Go Melis!..."

Thanks Angie :)