Me too! CMBohn's 888

Okay, I want to sign up too. I thought about my categories and here's what I've got so far. I did decide to change one:

1. Books I gathering dust - ones I've had for more than a year and haven't read. 8/8

1. The Golden Goblet - done
2. Goodbye to Poplarhaven - written by one of my professors at BYU - done
3. Prince Caspian - done
4. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - done
5. The Bourne Identity - done
6. Diary of a Nobody - done
7. The Silver Chair - done
8. The Girl with a Secret - done

2. Science/History books 8/8

1. The Book of Man - This was an easy to read account of the Human Genome Project. - done
2. Weighing the soul - About scientific discoveries that caused controversy. - done
3. A Brief History of Time - done
4. Chaos: making a New Science - done
5. Women Astronomers: Reaching for the Stars - done
6. Krakatoa:The Day the World Exploded - done
7. The 13th Element - done
8. The Signers - done!

3. Teen/kids books 8/8

1. The Battle of the Labyrinth - done
2. The Titan's Curse - done
3. A Scholar of Magics - done
4. The Sisters Grimm: Unusual Suspects - done
5. The King's Swift Rider - done
6. The Thief of Always - done
7. Stone Fox - done
8. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents - done

4. Books about faith and religion 8/8

1. Just as I am by Virginia Smith - funny story (but not funny enough for list 8, as I didn't actually laugh out loud) of a wild child's baptism into Christianity. - done
2. Way to Be! - done
3. Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism - done
4. Sugar House Hill - done
5. Inspiring Experiences that Build Faith - done
6. Amazing Love - done
7. A Quiet Heart - done
8. As I Have Loved You - done

* edited to split this into two parts *

It seems I've been recommending this book a lot lately but it would seem to meet two of your categories, books that made me laugh out loud and books about religion, A.J. Jacobs, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. Jacobs tries having Passover as the Bible intended with lamb's blood on the door (and while leaving out some of the more common Jewish traditions because the Bible doesn't mention them), or following rules on cleanliness (restrictions on touching unclean women), facial hair rules, mixing of certain types of fabric, and all while trying to "be fruitful and multiply" (i.e. have another baby). Jacobs meets with a variety of people to discuss his project from experts on clothing, a crazy religious uncle, people living in Jerusalem and various religious persons both Christian and Jewish.

Sounds like a wild read! I'll look for that one. Thanks!

Hi - I can't believe you're planning to deliberately torture yourself with 8 books flagged as having little or no redeeming value - you're a braver person than I!!! I'll be keeping an eye out to see what you put in this category. Happy reading.

#4 - I'm not really going to deliberately seek them out, but somehow, I'm sure I'll find at least 8 throughout the year. You know, the ones you flip through because you're too bored not to read, but once you're done, you realize all you really accomplished was to kill some time. If I'm lucky enough, I'll have to change the category to something else. So we'll see!

I think it's nice to read a few books where the author isn't trying to change your life. After a few picks of the 1,001 list, a James Patterson novel starts to look really good!

just added a few!

Thoughts on Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism -

Started this one today and I'm not really enjoying it. The part about Joseph Smith's ancestors is interesting, but the overall tone of the book or something is too dry, and I'm not really that motivated to keep going. I will read a few more chapters and see if my opinion changes.

Thoughts on Weighing the Soul

A breezy sort of review of the most controversial scientific discoveries, focusing mainly on things we cannot see, but can prove exist, like energy, electricity, and so on. It was a fun style, but random in the things he chose to write about. I wasn't really sure what the theme tying all these things together was supposed to be. Still, fun for science types.

Thoughts on Baker Street Irregulars - fun enough story, too predictable and a little dated. But if you are a Holmes fan, it's a fun, quick read.

Thoughts on Around the Rugged Rock - A nice little story about a couple meeting again after twenty years apart. Set in Spain. The setting was one of the best parts. I liked the characters. But the ending seemed tacked on. I didn't buy the reconciliation. I could see that the book couldn't really have ended any other way, but it was just not really believable.

Thoughts on Dead Men Don't Ski:
Chief Inspector Henry Tibbett is taking a little ski trip to Italy with his wife. His superiors think this is an excellent change to look into the increase in drug smuggling that seems to be connected with the little Italian town. Henry hardly gets a chance to hit the slopes before one of their fellow guests is murdered. Great for fans of English police mysteries with an exciting climax.

Thoughts on Death and the Dutch Uncle -

I already reviewed this one, but I'll post the review again, in case someone is interested.

"This book opens with the murder of a small time crook. Patrons in the pub did see the murderer--a man wearing a false beard and dark glasses. Newly promoted Superintendent Henry Tibbett is puzzled by the murder, but even more puzzled by a friend's request to investigate the deaths of two elderly politicians. His friend is convinced the two men, both members of PIFL, a mythical division of the UN or something that solves minor border disbutes, were actually murdered. Henry is not convinced, since there appears to be no logical motive. But he investigates anyway, and soon, finds a link between the death of the crook and the deaths of two men involved in an African border dispute. Two beautiful sisters, one an employee of PIFL and one a frequent visitor to the pub where the man was murdered, know a lot more than they're saying. Henry follows the clues to Holland, accompanied by his wife, Emmy. Emmy should have stayed at home, though, because she become involved in the final confrontation with an international criminal determined to escape one more time.

I enjoyed this murder. The plot is really hard to summarize and probably sounds quite confusing, but it really works out quite well in the book. The pace is a little slow, but once the characters get to the Netherlands it proceeds very quickly. I really like Patricia Moyes. Henry and Emmy are great characters. If you like old-fashioned mysteries without a lot of graphic violence or sex and not as dark as many modern writers, I think you'd like this book. I am only sorry it's not in print."

I'm enjoying reading these Patricia Moyes books again. She is not very well known anymore, but I think her books are well done and worth rereading.

CMB

Thoughts on Bachelors Anonymous

Just read this one last night. It's not as funny as Jeeves and Wooster, but it was still good. I think it would have been even better as an audiobook. About a Hollywood movie executive who visits London and needs help to prevent him marrying for the 6th time. Lots of funny characters.

Having trouble sticking with The Historian. Holy cow, that's a long book! When is something going to happen? Nothing but hints of menacing stuff to come so far. Not sure I'll finish this one.

Thought on Joseph Smith and the Beginning of Mormonism

Finally finished this one last night. It was a struggle! I found his style of writing to be very dry and uninteresting. I skipped a lot of parts. I mean, I did not want to read this big long section on the Erie Canal! Who cares?

Still, I sure wouldn't read it again and I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone else. I thought at the end how much better this book would have been if it were written by someone else. I never felt moved by the events described in the book and never felt that the writer was talking about things that were deeply meaningful to himself. Very disappointing.

Thoughts on The Curious Incident:

Finally read this one. Everyone talked about it when it came out and I was really intrigued, but I never got around to getting a copy until this week.

I enjoyed the story and reading about Christopher, but I was a little put off by the language. It got old. Still, worth reading.

Thoughts on The Historian:

I give up on this book! I kept waiting for something to happen, something now, not years ago. I got to about page 85 and decided I had better things to do with my time. I flipped ahead and didn't see anything that looked like worth waiting for, so I'm done.

Thoughts on The Master of Ballantrae:

After a couple of dud books that I had been looking forward to, I was really relieved when I picked this one up and was hooked almost from the first page. Maybe it helped that I skipped the long introduction and got right into the story.

This is a retelling of the Biblical story of Jacob and Esau set during the 1745 Jacobite Revolution. Two Scottish brothers, James and Henry Durie, reprise the roles of those scriptural brothers and the conflict could not be more exciting. After a coin toss, James heads off after Bonnie Prince Charlie while Henry fights for the king. James is presumed dead after the Battle of Culloden and Henry marries the girl intended for James. But James is not as dead as all that, and returns to make trouble for his family.

In some ways, this reads like a soap opera. Just when you think things are settled, up pops something horrible. Pirates, duels, a daring escape, buried treasure -- it has it all. The only thing that might discourage a modern reader is occasional use of dialect, but it is rare and there are footnotes in case you are really lost. Totally recommended as a great story sure to keep you turning pages.

Thoughts on Women Astronomers:

Women Astronomers: Reaching for the Stars' is a new book about female pioneers in the fields of astronomy, cosmology and astrophysics. The book is geared towards young readers, but even adults will find much that they don't know in this easy to read book.

All right, my one main quarrel with the book - the cover. What a boring picture! And the title is kind of blah too. Why not something catchy, like 'Far Out Women' or 'Real Space Cadets' or even 'The True Stars of Astronomy'? Anything, just something that catches the attention more than what's on there now.

But that being said, this is a really good book. Don't let the cover or the title discourage you. Once you start reading, the format, the writing, the pictures, it's all well done and a lot of fun.

The main section is brief autobiographical sketches of some important women in the field of astronomy. These are well done, interesting, conversational, easy to read. Then there is a little timeline at the bottom of the pages to help readers fit it all together. The book also contains sidebars on everything from the Hubble Space Telescope to redshift to chronometers. The black and white pictures and illustrations really help to enhance the text. The whole book was so well done it was a pleasure to read. I couldn't put it down.

Bottom line: Look past the cover and flip through the book. Once you do, you'll be eager to read more.

re: 20

Women Astronomers sounds like a terrific book.

I really enjoyed it.

Thoughts on Deliver us from Normal

I remember being so totally embarrassed by my parents when I was a teenager, but never to the point of Charlie Harrisong, who feels that his life is nothing but one big embarrassing moment after another. He can't believe that his older sister Clara doesn't feel the same way. Things come to a head when a nasty incident at school convinces his parents that they've finally had enough and they take off for a better life. I'm not sure how realistic that part of the book is, but I did feel for Charlie and I was rooting for him to figure a few things out and stop worrying so much about being 'normal'.

Thoughts on The Mysterious Commission:

Reread this one today. I enjoy the Appleby books more than the Charles Honeybath series, but this was one I didn't really remember and wanted to read again.

Honeybath has been asked to paint a portrait of a mysterious Mr. X who fancies that he is actually Napoleon Bonaparte. And he is promised a nice sum of money for the portrait. So Honeybath agrees. It is an odd interlude, but the picture is more than satisfactory, so he comes home pretty much pleased with things, until he meets the police and discovers that while he has been away, someone has broken into the bank next door through his studio, and they suspect that he has been involved. After interrogation, they decide that he is only a dupe and knows nothing. They want to get the money back. But Honeybath, smarting at the abrupt dismissal of his acumen, wants his portrait back.

The plot, as is usual with Michael Innes books, is a complicated one, and I'm not sure that my summary does it justice. But I was intrigued and rather stumped as to the ultimate outcome right up until the end. For those who like a more intellectual mystery, this is a good one.

Okay, here's my new ticker!

Decided to modify the science category to include history as well, as I have a couple of Simon Winchester books I want to read that sort of overlap in those two categories. I started Krakatoa a couple of years ago on audiobook, but didn't get to finish it, so I'm giving it another go. I enjoy his books, but we've sure taken the long way round to get to the action. Several chapters in and the volcano is just now warming up.

CMB

Thoughts on Krakatoa

Just finished this one. It seems to be very typical of Simon Winchester's books, the good and the bad. Certainly no one could complain that he did not set the scene - he took a very long time to do so. In fact, it was well over 100 pages in before the eruption was really discussed at length. But most of the information was really interesting - the history of Dutch colonialism, the theory of plate tectonics. However, when we got to the actual eruption, I felt that more could have been included. Worth reading, but not always a page turner.

Thoughts on Stone Fox:

A nice enough story and a quick read, but nothing remarkable. I was about 10 pages from the end when my daughter comes home from school and sees me reading it. She says, "Oh, that's a sad book." Thanks a lot! She was right. It was sad.

This is a BookCrossing book that I'll release soon.

Thoughts on The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents

I'm not sure if this is more of an adventure or a fantasy, but it was good fun! Pratchett is a master at taking a well known story and giving it a tweak or two until it becomes something completely unexpected. The story in question this time around is the Pied Piper. And the tweak is that the rats are in on the deal and agree to split the money with the piper. So much fun! I liked the cameo appearance by DEATH. If you're a fan of his Discworld books, this one is worth looking for in the kids books. But even if you've never heard of him, this is a great place to begin.

More categories

5. Books with little or no redeeming value 8/8

1. Hitched by Carol Higgins Clark - fun Valentine's read. - done
2. The Case of the Baker Street Irregulars by Anthony Boucher - done
3. Around the Rugged Rock by Elizabeth Cadell - done
4. The Lexicon of Stupidity - done-- funny!
5. Down Under by Patricia Wentworth - so done!
6. Five Rings, Six Crises etc. - a book of lists - done
7. World's Worsts - another book of lists - done
8. Lost: Lost and Found Pet Posters - done

6. Recommended by others 8/8

1. 1776 - done 3/5
2. The Historian - done! (I gave up)
3. The Good Husband of Zebra Drive - done
4. Deliver Us From Normal - done
5. Fablehaven - done
6. The Master of Ballantrae - done!
7. The Zookeeper's Wife - done
8. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time - done

7. Tried and true - books I am rereading 8/8

1. Charmed Life - all done!
2. The Mysterious Commission - done
3. Kaleidoscope by Dorothy Gilman- still pretty good, but not great. - done
4. Dead Men Don't Ski - done
5. Murder a la Mode - done
6. Death on the Agenda - done
7. Death and the Dutch Uncle - done
8. Black Widower - done

8. Books that made me laugh out loud 8/8

1. Murder With Peacocks - done
2. For Time and All Absurdity - done
3. Bachelors Anonymous - done
4. Leaven of Malice (audio) - done
5. Moving Pictures - done
6. Witches Abroad - done
7. Reaper Man - done
8. Pigs Have Wings - done

Thoughts on Fablehaven:

Finally read this one, after hearing about it from my friends. It took me a while to get into it, but once it got going, I liked it a lot. I found Seth to be a really annoying character! I got tired of the way he never seemed to learn his lesson. Looking forward to reading the next in the series and seeing what happens next.

Thoughts on Down Under:

Wow, what a stinker. I really like Wentworth's Miss Silver mysteries. This is part of a different series heavy on secret crime organizations, evil plots for world domination, and girls in peril. Lame, lame, lame.

I was tricked into getting at the library, since it was in plain cover with no information at all. Thinking it was a Miss Silver book that I hadn't read, I couldn't wait to read it. The joke was on me!

All about a master criminal who retreats to his secret lair underground in an abandoned mine with his family. To keep them from getting bored, he periodically kidnaps people and brings them to live 'down under.' Oh, and there's a prehistoric and/or supernatural evil shark/fish living in an underground stream. Yeah. Don't bother, unless you want something to laugh at.

Thoughts on Leaven of Malice

Just finished listening to this one on tape. I had heard about this author before, but I wasn't familiar with any of his books until I got this one from the library. It didn't disappoint!

Someone decides to insert a false engagement notice in the newspaper, announcing the upcoming wedding between Pearl Vambrace and Professor Solomon Bridgetower on November 31. The newspaper runs the announcement and then finds itself in the middle of an uproar. The plot contains elements of Romeo and Juliet, with more than a bit of The Tempest thrown in. Much funnier than the plot sounds. Worth looking for!

Oh, and if you'd like to add a Canadian author to your list, I really enjoyed this one. This is part of the Salterton trilogy set in Canada. I haven't read any others by Davies, but I've heard good things about him.

So I'm up to 35/88. I need to add a few reviews, but I'm making progress! My own goal is to finish by 8/8/08, so I need to hustle and finish the rest. I have been feeling crummy, so sitting down with a good book is just about my speed. I got all the way through Moving Pictures yesterday, and it was nice to have something fun to read to take my mind off feeling bad.

Review for Moving Pictures

Not quite as funny as some of the other Discworld books. this one takes on Holy Wood. It's fun, but not roll on the floor laughing fun. I liked Gaspode the Wonder Dog and I love the Librarian, so I was happy that he had a part in this one.

thoughts on Chaos

Not done yet, but here's what I've got. Sometimes I feel like I don't understand a thing he is saying, then I get it for awhile and I think, Oh, that's what he means. I'm still enjoying it, but since I haven't felt very good, I'm having trouble concentrating on this book.

thoughts on The Signers.

The first section was a general history of the struggle for independence. This sets the scene for the declaration. Then there's a long section with a brief biography (and picture!) of every one of the signers. The book concludes with the text of the declaration and a history of the document itself.

I found it really interesting in parts, but the biographies just sort of blend into one long one. The last section, on the history of the actual physical document, was really the most interesting of it all.

Thoughts on Chaos

This one was an interesting read, but I was so lost for so much of the book. I kept *almost* understanding. I liked the pictures, but I still didn't have any idea what I was looking at. But they looked cool! Still, next time around I think I'll go for something I can understand.

Thoughts on Diary of a Nobody

I'm not sure where I got this book, but I've had it forever. Maybe I expected it to be a difficult read, but it was quite easy and entertaining. Mr. Charles Pooter has aspirations, but none of his plans ever seem to work out quite the way he planned. Still, I couldn't help liking him, even as I laughed at his pride in his very unfunny jokes. I quite disliked his pretentious son and felt sorry for his discomfort at a fancy dinner party. Not a book I would normally pick up, but I'm glad I read it.

CMB

Thoughts on The Thief of Always -

Awesome, creepy, cool read! totally recommend this one. I just gave it to my daughter to borrow and then I'm going to read it again, nice and slow this time so I can really scare my pants off. If you like Coraline, this would be one you would enjoy.

Thoughts on The 13th Element - I read Molecules at an Exhibition by this author and really enjoyed it, so when I found this one in the chemistry section at the library, I thought it looked interesting. I was right.

This is all about the element phosphorus - its discovery, its uses, hazards, and history. Not just for scientists, it was an entertaining and easy read. A few times the chemistry got a little technical for me, so I just skimmed ahead for a bit. But I can recommend it to those with an interest in science.

Thoughts on Girl With a Secret -

Alice knew her new husband had a checkered past - he was in undercover police work before their marriage. He was supposed to be out of that now. But just as they arrive for a visit to meet his family, he gets called away to infiltrate a narcotics gang.

Alice find out, totally by accident. Tony is ready to call the whole thing off. But he goes to Mexico, and Alice is set to cover for him. But it's harder to keep the secret than she expects, and the danger is all around.

This one is a fun, fast read for a thriller. It took me about an hour to read, but I enjoyed it. It's not my favorite of her books, but I usually like Armstrong. She has strong heroines who don't wait for men to get them out of trouble.

Having a little trouble sticking to my lists. Every time I go to the library, I get distracted and wind up reading a bunch of other books. I really want to finish this, and I don't want to change my categories too much. It's just that familiar problem that I want NEW books. I already have all these books. Never mind that I haven't read them. The nice shiny new books at the library are clearly better than the ones I've had hanging around my house unread for months or even years.

I pulled a stack of my books for the challenge off the shelves and put them next to my bed, so it will be easier to read them.

Anyone else having the same problem?

Oh yes, I can totally relate! Sometimes I think what I want most of all is to own books, rather than actually read them (though I want to do that too). I don't frequent a library, so I wind up buying too many books (as in I now have five boxes of books that I can't find shelf space for)...

However, so far, I've been sticking to my original categories, but not much to my original list!

Still reading several, but haven't finished any on my list lately. Can't seem to concentrate!

Review for Goodbye to Poplarhaven:

Just finished this one today. I was struck by how similar small towns are. If my dad or mom read this, they would connect with a lot of the stuff in here, even though they grew up in the South. But small towns have so much in common. Definitely a quiet, funny, understated sort of read. 7/10

Thoughts on Lost: Lost and Found Pet Posters from around the World

My daughter got this from the library. Some funny and sad stuff in there, but what a strange idea for a book. I liked the Missing: Grilled Cheese Sandwich one. This book was instrumental in a giant practical joke my husband and daughter played.

Review for The King's Swift Rider

This book opens with a manhunt. Martin is hunting rabbits for his family's dinner when he sees a man being pursued by English soldiers. He decides to help the man escape. Later the man arrives at his home to thank him for his help. The man is actually Robert the Bruce, King of the Scots. He asks Martin and his brother to help him fight for Scotland's freedom from the English. Martin is no soldier. But he agrees to go with the king and help him in other ways. Martin begins as a page, but Robert soon discovers his courage and intelligence, and asks him to serve as a courier and a spy, a swift rider to bring him news that will help in their fight.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, but I enjoy it when it's well done. I learned a lot from this book about warfare and Scottish history. But I recommend this with a few reservations. It would be perfectly fine for any adult or older teen. But even though it's written for younger teens, I feel that it was really violent. I'm probably a little too conservative here, since most teens and even kids shrug off violence without seeming to be affected. But Martin witnesses some horrible events, and even though these are not described and are left to the imagination, for some kids with a lot of imagination, this might be a little tough to read. However, for kids who are fine with that, this would be a good book to read and discuss. It brings up issues like injustice, cruelty, prejudice, and the duty one owes to one's country. I think boys will especially enjoy this one. Martin is a great character and I kept wanting to know what would happen next.

Thoughts on 1776:

I heard so many things about this book, and I was really looking forward to reading it. So here's my take.

Pros:

The opening. Every other Revolutionary War book starts with the Americans. This one started with the British. There was some great stuff in there I'd never read before, and I really enjoyed the reminder that this was a war with TWO sides.

The information. Lots of good stuff in there, thoroughly researched.

Cons:

A little too much information. Get to the action already!

The layout. There were 2 or 3 sections of pictures and maps and that was it.

No maps. Maybe it's just me, but I have trouble following the action of a battle. A map right where the battle is being described is much more helpful than if I have to turn back to look at it. There actually were 2 maps, both drawn at the time and almost impossible to read. Not helpful.

In summary, I compared this with Washington's Crossing which I read this year and I found 1776 lacking. I wasn't as motivated to pick it up and keep reading. Still, I'm glad I read it. But if you wanted to read a book on the subject, I would recommend Washington's Crossing and not this one.

Refer to 38 -

I find Chaos is much better the second time through. The pictures are definitely the best part.

Also, I greatly enjoy your list. You have such an interesting variety of books. Also, you might want to read the Death novels by Pratchett. They start with Mort then Reaper Man. His young adult series is also really good. It starts with Wee Free Men.

I've read the YA Pratchett and I love them! I'll keep that in mind about Chaos, just in case I want to try again later.

Review for The Bourne Identity

I really tried to read this one as part of the 888 challenge, since I've had it on the shelf for way too long. But I only made it about 1/4 of the way through before deciding that it really wasn't for me. I just couldn't seem to give it the attention it needed to keep the story straight. I may look for this book in the future and give it another try, but for now, I'm going to plan on releasing this one.

Thoughts on The Zookeeper's Wife

I was really impressed by this book. It's the story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski who hid Jews in their villa on the zoo grounds in Warsaw, Poland. Some heart-wrenching stories in there. What made it even more amazing is that it is a true story. Most of the book is taken from the diary that Antonina kept during the war, so we get a close look at how she felt. The descriptions of how fear affects you were really well done. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that I didn't really find out what happened to Jan and Antonina after the war or how the diary came to be found. Still, I really recommend this one for those with an interest in Jewish history or World War II.

Thoughts on A Scholar of Magics

I liked this one better than the first, A College of Magics. I liked the main character, Samuel Lambert, more than Farris in the first book. Really the two books are hardly related, except that they are both set in the same alternate world and they are faintly connected by both featuring Jane, a witch of Greenlaw who gets involved in this story by trying to help her friend Farris, the warden of the north, get in touch with the new warden of the east. Honestly, the whole warden stuff was kind of confusing and not well explained at all. But I still liked Lambert and his story, so I'm giving it 4/5 stars

Thoughts on As I Have Loved You

I really enjoyed this book, and it went right along with The Zookeeper's Wife, which I just finished. Kitty, the author, grew up in Indonesia, where she lived an idyllic life with her family. Then World War II broke out, and the Japanese invaded. Suddenly her life was turned around. She was a young child at the time, but experienced some great challenges.

I just loved this book. I was amazed at the courage shown by her mother. In one really amazing scene, her mother stands up to the Japanese. They have commandeered their home and allowed her family to stay in two rooms. Meanwhile they are waiting to hear news of her father, who is fighting with rebels and is a wanted man. Her mother gives birth with the help of her teenage daughter. Just days later, she is forced to make her way to a town where her husband is being held prisoner. She waits without food for two days, along with her newborn, then is interrogated by the Japanese. Then she has to walk home.

While this book contains some sobering accounts of wartime violence, it also has stories of compassion, from the clerk who smuggles some food into the mother while waiting for her interrogation to begin, to the nanny who risks her life to bring Kitty her favorite doll and treasures from home. While it is written by an LDS writer, the book is full of her love for both her Christian parents and the Muslim people who helped her family when they were in need. I highly recommend this one.

Update to say!

I finally decided that the reason I hadn't read some of these books was because I really just didn't want to. So I have modified list number one to remove Fear Nothing, A Devilish Dilemma, and Eminent Victorians. And I replaced them with three books from the Chronicles of Narnia which I have not read, Prince Caspian (already finished this one), Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair. Maybe that will keep me from giving up. I'm practically done, really. I just need to focus!

Thoughts on Reaper Man.

Really I don't know why I didn't just fill up my list of books that made me laugh out loud with nothing but Terry Pratchett, because he always makes me laugh! I *loved* this one. DEATH is my favorite Discworld character, and that just made this one so much fun. I loved it when he set out to cut down the grass, one blade at a time. Really a lot of fun. Oh, and I loved the rooster.

Have you read any Janet Evanovich books?
The Stephanie Plum series.. One for the Money, Two for the Dough, etc..? Those always make me laugh.

DEATH is one of the best characters I've ever read. So, funny.

Sounds so fun!! Can I come in cold on Reaper Man? -- I haven't read the series or even Pratchett.

Yes, you can jump in there, but I think if you read Mort first you'll enjoy it more. In Mort, DEATH decided to take an apprentice. Named, appropriately enough, Mort. But you don't have to have read any of the others.

Thanks -- I think I'll slot one or both of these into my "Discovered on LT" category.

Only 1 and 1/2 books to go! Still reading A Brief History of Time and the Battle of the Labyrinth.

All done! I finished them all! Yay me! This was so much fun. I wanted to finish by Aug 8 - 8/08/08 - and I made it! Good luck to everyone else and happy reading!

Congratulations!!!
--BJ

Congrats!

>64 cmbohn: clever!!

Yes!

So what do you do for an encore?!

Thanks, everybody! For my next trick, I'm anxious to get a copy of the new Nancy Drew computer game (yes, I really am a grown up. Mostly.) and I have a college education week to attend. And I really need to get to the library for some new stuff. I have a nice stack next to my bed, but I'm planning on having surgery later this fall, and all that is strictly saved for then.