(The Slacker) Jasmine's 2009 Fifty Books List (34/50) I have some catching up to do, like right now!!

[Jasmine]

hello. this is my attempt at 50 books in one year. my enthusiasm for reading ebbs & flows. don’t be surprised if I read 12 books in four days then nothing for another month or two. i’m just like that. also, i don’t like capitalization.

i'll post the books i'm currently reading followed by the date i finished it perhaps in bold or parenthesis...i've yet to decide....and maybe even a little review.


1. Dedication - emma mclaughlin (1/3/09)

[Jasmine]

i'm going to give two at at time a shot....

2. Looking For Alaska - john green (PAUSED!!! 1/8/09) okay, so this book is written in before and after format. I got to the after and had to stop. I can't believe john green did that to me!! how dare he?

3. My Mistress's Sparrow Is Dead - jeffrey eugendies (as of 3/30/09 i STILL haven't started this book)

[Jasmine]

I called into work today. I have a touch of the stomach flu. (yuck) I was able to get a few books out of the way today.

4. The Plain Janes - Cecil Castellucci (1/9/09)
5. Janes In Love - Cecil Castellucci (1/9/09)
6. Grosse Pointe Girl: Tales from a Suburban Adolescence - Sarah Grace McCandless (1/9/09)

in that order. i tried to start "seventeenth summer" by maureen daly but it was written in 1942 and her lingo is just annoying.

i was also given a copy of a book by an author! this is the first time i've ever been gifted a book by the writer themself! "The Song of Sarin" by Stew Magnuson....it looks good. I've got to find the perfect mood in which to start it though...if i don't find the appropriate mood to match the book i won't finish it, or i'll have several false starts.

[Jasmine]

7. Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli (1/17/09)

i completely forgot to add this

[Jasmine]

life has taken over and squashed my reading time into 15 minute intervals on the shuttle to work.

boo.

8. someday this pain will be useful to you - peter cameron (1/26/09)

and sadly, i read NO books in February

9. twisted - laurie halse anderson (3/20/09)
10. here kitty kitty: a novel - jardine libaire (3/21/09)
11. going too far - jennifer echols (3/29/09)
12. the song of sarin - stew magnuson (3/29/09)
13. talk me down - victoria dahl (3/29/09)

"twisted", "going to far" and "the song of sarin" were good/great. The Song of Sarin especially. I liked it alot.

I can't believe i actually read "talk me down." haha.

[Aprile]

You are actually at 13! 7 was Stargirl ;)

[Jasmine]

Aprile wrote: "You are actually at 13! 7 was Stargirl ;)"

thank you!!

[Mary Todd]

and hooray for your first ten (+)!

[Jasmine]

Mary Todd wrote: "and hooray for your first ten (+)!"

thank you!! yay!

[Jasmine]

14. Boy Toy - Barry Lyga (3/31/09)

i'm not quite sure what i want to say about this book. i gave it five stars but still haven't been able to review it. it's left me with some feelings that i can't quite place. they aren't bad feelings, they're just weird. i read the entire thing in day. i recommend it.

[Jasmine]

15. How To Write A Damn Good Novel - James N. Frey (4/16/09)
Fantastic and brought out some great points for writers!

16. Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List - Rachel Cohn, David Levithan (4/18/09)
I love Naomi! She's a character that is flawed and sad and has problems and I love her!

[Jasmine]

17. The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch
I can see why so many people love this book.

18. If I Stay - Gayle Forman
This is supposed to be the next The Lovely Bones and it is beautifully written and tragic and good.

19. The Breakup Bible - Melissa Kantor
I gave this five stars because it took me right back to being seventeem and breaking up with a boy i thought i loved, and all of it rang true. i loved it and couldn't stop saying how cute it is!

[Jasmine]

boy have i been slacking off. but here;s what i've done in the meantime...

20. The Boys next Door - Jennifer Echols
so darn cute!

21. This Song Is You: A Novel - Arthur Phillips
the way phillips describes the act of listening to music si pure magic. its a pretty darn good story line too.

22. Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles
WOW! i loved this book. i read it twice!

23. Leaaving Paradise - Simone Elkeles
Pretty good. I finished it in one night and am excitingly awaiting the sequal

24. Exit Here - Jason Myers
i really hated this book. don't even get me started.

25. Cracked Up To Be- Courtney Summers
really good. i recommend it.

26. Sweethearts - Sara Zarr
i liked this one alot too

[Jasmine]

So, I suck.
I haven't been on this thread since July 1.
Since then I've turned 23 years old, got a new job, become obsessed with Sims 2 and customizing (you have no idea how much customizing goes on within the Sims), gotten really into Korean pop music, walked around non-stop with my nose in my Nintendo DSi, had a summer fling, had a tiny vacation from work, signed up for 2009 NaNoWriMo, gave up and restarted both of my novels, became responsible for a conference that will FINALLY be over in a week (and I can't wait!)

Here's what I've read.

27. Mexican High: A Novel - Liza Monroy
I did NOT like this book

28. Catch - Will Leitch
he needs to write more. I thoroughly enjoyed this story

29. The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han
I read on a blog somewhere that this is the first of a trilogy. I reallyed liked it...(so now I have to wait another year or two before I get my fix!)

30. Anatomy of a Boyfriend - Daria Snadowsky
Hmmm.. i have mixed feelings about this one. I was left feeling a little odd after it. It's not bad, but I don't know that I'd recommend it anytime soon.

[Jasmine]

anyone have any recommendations to help keep my momentum going?

the problem is that when i get bored (ala book 27.) i stop reading all together

has there been anything you haven't been able to put down?

[Susanna]

I compared my books with yours and here are a few of my favourites that are on your to-read shelf:
The Hobbit Or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien
Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

[Jasmine]

Yay! I heart you!

[Susanna]

:D

[Connie]

Hi Jasmine, I'm in Detroit too!!! (well I work down here and live in Warren). Anyway, I don't know what types of books you like to read, but I'm like you when I get a book that is boring I have a hard time continuing to read. What I've tried to do is read 2 or 3 books at a time. The boring book I'll just read 10-20 pages a day and then have a book by a stand-by author (for me James Patterson) who I know the book will move quickly and be a no brainer.

I recently read a book by Karin Slaughter (her real name no less). She writes crime/mystery. The book was Triptych and it was very good and I read it in about 3 days. Again, I also like James Patterson because typically his books move quickly for me as well. Good luck.

[Melissa]

Saw your post about looking for suggestions for your next book(s).

I second the recommendation of Atonement. I just finished The Book Thief (fiction) and loved it. I would also recommend Water for Elephants (fiction), Secret Life of Bees (fiction and a movie), and The House at Sugar Beach (memoir).

Have fun.

[Jasmine]

Connie wrote: "Hi Jasmine, I'm in Detroit too!!! (well I work down here and live in Warren). Anyway, I don't know what types of books you like to read, but I'm like you when I get a book that is boring I have a..."

Ah! Thank you neighbor!

[Jasmine]

Melissa wrote: "Saw your post about looking for suggestions for your next book(s).

I second the recommendation of Atonement. I just finished The Book Thief (fiction) and loved it. I would also recommend Water f..."

You rock! I have three of those books. I'm going to have to get on that! Thank you!

[Jasmine]

31. Too Good To Be True - Kristan Higgins
don't tell too many people this, but I really liked this book.

32. Just One of the Guys - Kristan Higgins
which i read back in April...how'd i forget to add this one? weird.

33. Rx - Tracy Lynn
i liked it

34. Along for the Ride - Sarah Dessen