151. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

When I started this book the other night, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to finish it. In the book, a 15 year old girl dies and finds herself on a cruise ship heading to Elsewhere. I was consumed with emotion because an 11 year old girl in my community was abducted and reported missing a couple of days before Christmas. It was immediately determined that a know sex offender was responsible. She was found dead on Christmas day. This tragedy put a blight on holiday festivities and I wasn't sure if I could read about the death of a young adult on the eve of this very real story.

I'm glad I stuck with it though! This was a very reassuring look at life, death, afterlife, and rebirth. It made me smile, laugh, and have good thoughts about passing on. It also was touching and sentimental at times. This is a young adult novel, but I believe it is appropriate for all ages.

150. Stitches A Memoir by David Small

This is my second graphic novel, also done as a memoir, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought the graphics conveyed the sense of darkness and emotional upheaval better than any words could describe. The drawings were chilling and haunting. Small's mother and grandmother were terrifying as he pictured them. If I were seeing them through the eyes of a child as was Small, it would have been difficult to put into words the sinister feelings they evoked. That's why I find this graphic novel so effective. You get the sense that these people are very disturbed, but it's not at first spelled out for you. You can only imagine the things you can't understand.

Towards the end of the novel, when Small's father confesses his guilt about David's cancer, there is a picture of David with a big black blotch running down the center of his face. The blotch appeared to me to look like a Rorschach inkblot, which I thought was clever, because I felt David was saying, "Try to interpret how I was feeling when my father finally told me the truth." Having his ability to speak removed during surgery has not kept Small's from being able to communicate. This graphic novel was well done!

It's been a while since I've updated. Here's the list of what I've read since Nov 23rd:

130. Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler
131. Silent On the Moor by Deanna Raybourn
132. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
133. The Night Watch by Sara Waters
134. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
135. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
136. On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon by Kaye Gibbons
137. Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday by Nancy Atherton
138. Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende
139. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
140. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier
141. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
142. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes! by Guy Fieri
143. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
144. Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason by Nancy Pearl
145. Swimsuit by James Patterson
146. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
147. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
148. The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore
149. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

MY YEAR AT A GLANCE PART 2

MY YEAR AT A GLANCE PART I :

117. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

118. Eat, Pray, Love One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert

119. Arabella by Georgette Heyer

120. Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs

121. Just Who Will You Be? by Maria Shriver

122. The Bright Forever A Novel by Lee Martin

123. Zipporah, Wife of Moses A Novel by Marek Halter

124. Santa Cruise A Holiday Mystery at Sea by Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark

125. Out Stealing Horses A Novel by Per Petterson

126. Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo

127. The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

128. Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler

129. Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

108. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

109. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Sparks

110. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

111. The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey

112. A Night Without Armor Poems by Jewel

113. The Angel's Gameby Carlos Ruiz Zafon

114. Aunt Dimity Beats the Devill by Nancy Atherton

115. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill

116. Embers by Sandor Marai

101. We Need to Talk About Kevin A Novel by Lionel Shriver

102. Book Crush For Kids and Teens-Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Interest by Nancy Pearl

103. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

104. Empire Falls by Richard Russo

105. A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan

106. Song Yet Sung by James McBride

107. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

100. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

I want to thank all my Goodreads friends who highly recommended this book. I'll never look at my dogs in the same way. The story was funny, sad and heartwarming, and should be read with a box of tissues nearby.

99. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

The paranormal activity in Bon Temps is heating up and so is Sookie's bedroom. I am most definitely enjoying this series!

98. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I read this for the Ultimate Teen Book Guide Challenge group. This was a quick read, geared more for the younger reader. In fact, my library had it shelved in the youth section and not the teen lounge. I think I was expecting it to be written on a more mature level.

The story was creepy and imaginative and I suspect if I was about 10 or 12, I would thoroughly enjoy it. However, it didn't really grab my attention as an adult. I don't know anything about the movie, but I think it would work well, if not better in film. I don't usually say that.

That being said, I'll probably go to bed and hear noises tonight and feel a hand tiptoeing across my bed, a fingernail caressing my cheek.........

97. Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman

This was the second Tess Monaghan book I've read. I really like the sarcastic Baltimore private eye. The current plot put her on the production lot of a t.v. series being filmed in Baltimore. The pop references to movies and literature, and the local color of Baltimore, which is in my backyard, are fun to read about.

Interestingly, Lippman is married to a producer of the HBO series, The Wire, which was filmed in Baltimore. I can't wait to go back and start the beginning of this series.

94. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Loved the psychological suspense. The story had a great twist at the end!

95. Cursed by Carol Higgins Clark
Eh! Only OK, just a watered down version of her mom.

96. Fallen by David Maine
A retelling of the story of the first family, which goes to show that dysfunctional is not new to this generation.

91. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene

A wonderful coming of age story, which teaches us the enemy is not always who it appears to be.

92. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

I liked this story of African culture, even though the main character wasn't very likeable.

93. The Falls A Novel by Joyce Carol Oates

The powerful forces of Niagara Falls can be felt throughout the entire storyline, its foggy mist envelops the characters, and its mystery pervades the life of the Burnaby family.

90. Franklin and Winston An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship by Jon Meacham

I only picked this up as part of a book challenge, but am glad I did. I enjoyed reading about the developing friendship of FDR and Churchill. The dynamics of their friendship and the resulting relationship helped shape the U.S.'s relations with England and other foreign countries. I saw their leadership skill and vision as the beginning of a new world view and globalization of foreign affairs. The creation of the United Nations was one of many FDR contributions to world history.

Churchill was a complex and intriguing character. This book whetted my appetite to further read about him. I was struck by his sentiment, patriotism, and devotion to his causes or his friendships. The book made these two historical giants human. My only complaint was it was sometimes too wordy or detailed, which caused my mind to wander a bit

89. Two Little Girls in Blue A Novel by Mary Higgins Clark

The story had an interesting premise that identical twins could telepathically communicate with each other to help solve the mystery of their abduction, however parts of the story just didn't ring true. I find that while I enjoyed this light read, Higgins Clark seems to being losing the zing she use to have with her earlier works.

88. Home Safe A Novel by Elizabeth Berg

Another enjoyable read by Berg. She writes so many things that get to the heart of a woman. She is becoming my go-to author for reliable, thoughtful stories.

87. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I wondered if Collins could continue The Hunger Games, while still keeping the story as exciting and absorbing as her first book. Well, the title of the second book in her series is apropos, because she was on fire! The story quickly ignited and I blazed through the pages! It was explosive! I was sad to come to the end and am now hungering for the next book in the series.

86. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

While I thought some of the writing was a little too juvenile for my tastes, I became caught up in the poignancy of the meetings between Bruno and Shmuel. The innocence of Bruno to what was happening in the world around him was touching and unnerving. Sometimes we all need to view things from the eyes of a child. It's a very enlightening perception. Although I saw the end coming, it was nonetheless startling.

85. The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde

I thought this was a clever, tongue-in-cheek nursery rhyme mystery centered around "Persons of Dubious Reality." The Gingerbread man as a homicidal maniac was hilarious. I loved how the author turned Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Dorian Gray, and Punch and Judy into LOL characters. Detective Jack Spratt, a PDR in denial, was a comical spoof on many classic tv and fiction detectives. The book dragged for me in some parts, but was overall a fun, unique reading experience.

84. Everything Matters! A Novel by Ron Currie Jr.

Junior is born with a prophecy, which details the end of the Universe. The story revolves around the effect this knowledge has on Junior, his family and the rest of the world. How would you act if you knew the exact time, day and means to the end of the world and would your actions matter. Junior discovers everything matters. I thought the book was slow and off-putting in the beginning, but became engaging once I reached Part II.

83. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson

I read this for my Modern Library Challenge group. Anderson gave us a glimpse of small town life and it's inhabitants. Unfortunately, I never connected with the story. I thought the writing was dull and uninteresting. I didn't expect to be dazzled with plot, but I would've liked to felt something for the characters. It just didn't happen.

82. Falling Boy A Novel by Alison McGhee

I thought the story had potential, but fell flat due to poor writing style and annoying characters. By the time I came to the end of the story and found some redeeming circumstances, it was too late to care. I only gave this 2 stars and I was being generous.

81. Shane by Jack Schaefer

Read this for my Modern Library challenge. I always liked the movie and found I also enjoyed the book. I loved a quote in the book, "What a man know isn't important. It's what he is that counts." Gotta love the strong, silent type.

80. Club DeadCharlaine Harris

The Sookie books keep getting better. Loads of laughs and lots of sexual tension.

79. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

What a wonderful psychological suspense! Sara Waters' words were evocative and drew me into Hundreds Hall and its history. Though the time period was set in the 1940's, when you entered the doors of Hundreds you were transported back in time over a century in its grander and more glorious days. The struggle of its past with the present haunted the house and it's owners. The obsolescent aristocracy, antiquated structures and the infringement of the modern world onto the grounds of the Hundreds estate brought down ruin to the family and the Hall. Breathing the dusty, moldy air of Hundreds seemed to infect the occupants with a pervasive sense of the past and the foreboding that this way of life was not going down without a fight. I loved this gothic tale!

78. An Enemy of the People by Henrik Johan Ibsen

I'm at once reminded of my college studies in epidemiology, where John Snow discovered the source of cholera being contaminated waters. I wanted to scream at the people to listen to the doctor. He knows what he's talking about.

And how true it is that just because the masses agree on something, doesn't make it right.............there are definitely more idiots in this world than intelligent people. Or maybe there are a few more intelligent people, but they choose to act like idiots for reasons of their own devise - greed, popularity, guilt......The right decisions and popular choices are not always one and the same and it absolutely takes a strong man or woman to stand by the right choice, because there are times when they will be standing alone.

I started out giving this 3 stars, wanting to give it 3.5, but now after railing against the idiots I'm giving it a 4! Take that......you know who I'm talking about!

77. The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain

Definitely not what I'm used to reading by Twain. He lulled me into an idyllic calm with his opening description of the village in Austria, then he shook up the world with the introduction of the Mysterious Stranger, an angel who's a member of the Satan family. Twain has a wry way of reflecting on good and evil, and on our moral compass. His message may be a little unsettling, yet one I've often pondered, that our life is not real, but just a dream. Actually, it's a little Edgar Allan Poe-ish.

76. Dune by Frank Herbert

I read this for The Modern Library Best 100 Challenge group. I'm a little amazed that I found I liked this book and am interested in finding out what happens further in the series. Admittedly, it was a little slow going at first due to the foreign wordage and scientific gobbledygook; but once I decided to not let that deter me, I became caught up in the story. This isn't something I'd want to read a lot of, yet I'm glad I completed this. I'd be interested in seeing the movie now.

75. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I thought this was a well written and accurate portrayal of a teenage girl dealing with a traumatic event, her subsequent withdrawal, depression and ostracism from her peers. A great YA read!

74. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Ralph wanted a reliable wife. Catherine wanted money and love. They both got something they didn't bargain for. A gothic, psychologically twisted tale, at once repelling, yet also hard to put down.

73. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

A dark tale, alternating between the past and present. Grad student, Connie Goodwin, stumbles upon a mystery surrounding Deliverance Dane, while cleaning her grandmother's long abandoned New England house. The mystery leads her on a search for Dane's physick book and plunges her into the history of the Salem witch trials. This story was magical and an absolute page turner.

72. A Journal for Jordan Hopes, Prayers, and Life Lessons from a Fallen Soldier and the Woman He Loved for the Son He Left Behind by Dana Canedy

I'm still sniffling. Dana Canedy has written an honest, sensitive book about her fiancee, First Sergeant Charles King, who was killed in Baghdad. She shares their love story and the insightful journal entries King wrote for his son to guide him in becoming not just a man, but a gentleman. King defines hero on and off the battlefield.

71. Crank by Ellen Hopkins

I thought Hopkins poetry was brilliant and was amazed that she was able to maintain it throughout the entire book. I was wowed by all the nuances of her prose, the shapes liker roller coasters, house and letters. It was really beautifully done.

The story itself was mesmerizing, but the poetry was the snare that entranced me. It was the perfect way to get inside the head and emotions of a teenage girl. I was able to ride that roller coaster with her, long for the look of a boy I didn't think would give me a second glance, be seduced with a sense of power the drugs gave me, lie to my parents, make promises and excuses, shut out the truly awful and continue to look for the next high. But when the book ended and the poetry stopped, the spell was broken and I was able to decipher the horror hidden in the haze of Kristina's drug induced thoughts.

70. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder

Five people die tragically in the collapse of a footbridge. Was it an accident or part of God's greater plan? A monk who witnesses the fall is determined to examine the lives of these people to see if the lives they lived led them to their deaths.

I read this for my Modern Library 100 Best Novels Challenge group and found the story eloquently articulated. It's a wonderful examination of the distinction between fact and faith, and the importance of love in our lives.

69. Love Is a Mix Tape Life and Loss, One Song at a Time by Rob Sheffield

Sheffield took me back to an earlier time in my life when music dominated my every waking moment and even some sleep filled ones. Just like movie soundtracks, I had a soundtrack for the times of my life. I got a kick out of all the occasions Sheffield had a mixed tape for..........washing dishes? Reading this I grew nostalgic for the mixed tapes I use to make for boyfriends, break-ups, partying and riding the back roads. I thought, "Where has that girl gone?

This book was also a tribute to his wife Renee and their love story as told through the music they shared. When Renee died tragically at a young age, Rob looked to music to get him through his loss. I ached at his descriptions of being a widower.

This book rocked me! It was moving, funny, and nostalgic. It has me wanting to go back and check out all my old Maxell's and TDK's.

68. Running with Scissors A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs

Burroughs said he always dreamed of being in the spotlight and he certainly made it happen with this memoir. I think it takes a unique kind of person to offer up their abberant childhood for public scrutiny. In fact, it makes me question if Burroughs didn't exaggerate all the deviant and odd behavior for the shock value. Everyone was so bizarre, I found it difficult to believe he never associated with anyone with some degree of normalcy. (And no, Bill Cosby's daughter doesn't count.) I've read other terrible childhood memoirs and come away feeling hope or sensing a catharsis on the part of the author. This just made me feel disgusted and embarrassed, because I felt the author was trying to milk his situation for whatever it was worth.

I was stuck for over a week reading between Cutting For Stone and Everything I Needed to Know, then boom! I finished them both the same day, followed by a quickie. It will be a first if I reach 100.

Wow! I can't believe how fast you're shredding throught the second 50 of the year...you'll probably PASS 100! Way to go...I'm reading THE STAND, so I haven't updated my list for a while, haha

67. The Uncommon Reader A Novella by Alan Bennett

A pleasurable little satire about the austere Queen Elizabeth II discovering the joy of reading after an impromptu visit to the bookmobile. What starts as an act of politeness, checking out a book so not to offend the BM employee, turns into an avid pastime and life altering event. I had to laugh out loud at the not so polite impressions people make about us bibliophiles. This book was an amusing way to spend a couple of hours.

66. Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume by Jennifer O'Connell

A fun collection of essays from current YA authors on the influence of Judy Blume novels in their lives. I laughed; I cringed; I sighed........I reminisced about the agony and ecstasy of navigating my teen years. I really must go back and revisit Blume's novels!

65. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

This book took my breath away. Verghese spun a beautiful epic tale of love, loss, family, betrayal, forgiveness, medicine and healing. The story spanned the globe, from India to Ethiopia to America. The characters were well developed and came alive to me. It was an amazing saga of compassion that I can't wait to pass along to my friends.

64. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

I liked the story, although I didn't find any character likable; that includes the narrator, aka the white tiger, Munna and entrepreneur. The story definitely showed the seedy side of India and the corruption of government. In fact, it made it seem as if this was the real India. The powerlessness of the people is heartwrenching, however I still couldn't use this to justify the choices the narrator made. I gave it 3 stars because I found it so disturbing.

63. The Virgin of Small Plains A Novel of Suspense by Nancy Pickard

The naked body of a young, unidentified girl is discovered frozen to death on a ranch during a blizzard. This discovery leads to a chain of events that changes the course of many lives in this small town. The mystery surrounding the death of the girl, who becomes known as "the virgin," comes to a climax many years later as fears, secrets and the past become revealed.

This is the first Pickard book I've read and it won't be the last. I didn't want to put this down. Although I had my suspicions as to what really happened, and some of them turned out to be right, this story kept me engaged until the end.

62. The Love Season by Elin Hilderbrand

The book was okay. I liked how the story of love and friendship was told in a couple of days, but I never really liked the characters.

61. The Woods by Harlan Coben

Spooky, suspenseful and a startling conclusion! The mystery of what really happened to the summer campers in the woods comes back to haunt the survivors. What a page turner!

60. Loitering With Intent by Stuart Woods

Stone Barrington novels are always predictable.........dinner at Elaine's, a mystery assignment, sex, exotic locale, more sex, sidekick Dino, sex until you drop, mystery solved! Sometimes predictable is good. I always rely on Woods for an entertaining beach read.

59. Driftwood Summer by Patti Callahan Henry

Every summer I look forward to a Patti Callahan Henry novel as a pleasant beach read. This one didn't disappoint. How could I resist a story set in a southern beach town with an old beach home turned bookstore as the center of action? Add to that the tale of sisters, jealousies and an old flame to spark a sure-fire summer pleaser.

58. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich

This book should've come with a BBQ bib; not for the finger lickin' barbeque cook-off, but to catch all the dreamy Ranger drool. Evanovich has another winner!

57. The Other Queen A Novel by Philippa Gregory

An intriguing story surrounding the captivity of Mary, Queen of Scots. Plots, conspiracies and paranoia abound at court. This is what i luv about Tudor historicals!