LittleTaiko's 999 Challenge

Oh wow - this is going to be quite the stretch for me, but I'm game to give it a try. The challenge starts today. This should be fun!

1. Classics
2. Non-Fiction
3. Books Purchased Ages Ago that are in Nightstand
4. Mysteries (an easy one, but I'm going to need it)
5. Stretching my mind (Dickens & Presidential Bios)
6. Books by Favorite Authors
7. End of year hodgepodge
8. General Fiction
9. Other (I need a catchall for the other books in my life)

I have noticed that some people are listing the books they are going to read. I'd rather have some flexibility for books later in the year so I'll just stick to the categories and fill in the books as I finish them.

Classics

1. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 01/03/09 - 01/27/09 (3 stars)
2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 01/28/09 - 02/08/09 (2 stars)
3. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier 03/19/09 - 03/26/09 (3 stars)
4. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells 03/19/09 - 04/26/09 (3.5 stars)
5. The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith 03/19/09 - 04/25/09 (3.5 stars)
6. Rabbit, Run by John Updike 05/21/09 - 06/03/09 (3 stars)
7. The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare 07/11/09 - 07/15/09 (3 stars)
8. Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner 08/21/09 - 09/02/09 (2.5 stars)
9. 18 Best Stories by Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe 10/15/09 - 11/06/09 (3 stars)

Non-Fiction

1. The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford - 01/02/09 (4 stars)
2. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch - 01/02/09 (3.5 stars)
3. The Sushi Economy by Sasha Issenberg - 01/19/09 - 03/30/09 (3 stars)
4. Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox - 04/02 - 04/04 (5 stars)
5. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson 04/17/09 - 05/05/09 (5 stars)
6. Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street by Michael Davis - 02/12/09 - 06/14/09 (3 stars)
7. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin - 03/19/09 - 07/28/09 (3 stars)
8. Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played by L. Jon Wertheim - 06/05/09 - 06/06/09 (5 stars)
9. Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera - 11/05/09 - 12/07/09 (3.5 stars)

Nightstand Books

1. The Body in the Bouillon by Katherine Hall Page 01/02/09 - 01/08/09 (3.5 stars)
2. Murder Among Us by Ann Granger - 01/19/09 - 02/23/09 (3.5 stars)
3. The Perfect Ride by Gary Stevens - 01/25/09 - 02/06/09 (2.5 stars)
4. Leaving Cold Sassy by Olive Ann Burns - 05/24/09 - 05/31/09 (3.5 stars)
5. The Widower's Two-Step by Rick Riordan - 09/03/09 - 09/20/09 (3 stars)
6. The Black Iris by Constance & Gwenyth Little - 09/23/09 - 09/27/09 (4 stars)
7. Howling Bloody Murder by Sue Owens Wright - 10/16/09 - 10/17/09 (2.5 stars)
8. Beat Until Stiff by Claire M. Johnson - 12/20/09 - 12/20/09 (3.5 stars)
9. The Black Curl by Constance Little - 12/23/09 - 12/24/09 (4 stars)

Mysteries

1. The Black Widow Agency by Felicia Donovan 01/02/09 - 01/03/09 (3.5 stars)
2. Deadly Will by Marion Moore Hill 01/10/09 - 01/14/09 (4 stars)
3. Heir Apparent by Twist Phelan - 01/19/2009 - 02/01/09 - (2 stars)
4. A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen - 04/06/09 - 04/08/09 (3.5 stars)
5. The Longer Bodies by Gladys Mitchell - 04/03/09 - 04/10/09 (3 stars)
6. A Night at the Operation by Jeffrey Cohen - 04/10/09 - 04/12/09 (3 stars)
7. How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Gillian Roberts - 05/06/09 - 05/17/09 (3 stars)
8. Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen - 07/07/09 - 07/09/09 (3.5 stars)
9. The Chocolate Puppy Puzzle by Joanna Carl - 07/28/09 - 07/31/09 (3 stars)

Stretching my mind (Dickens & Presidential Bios)

1. Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough 01/04/09 - 01/13/09 (4 stars)
2. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens 01/10/09 - 03/18/09 (3 stars)
3. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens 03/19/09 - 04/23/09 (4 stars)
4. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens 07/03/09 - 09/12/09 (3.5 stars)
5. The Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens 09/13/09 - 10/13/09 (3.5 stars)
6. James Madison by Garry Willis - 08/21/09 - 11/02/09 (3 stars)
7. The Presidency of James Monroe by Noble E. Cunningham - 11/05/09 - 11/08/09 (4 stars)
8. John Quincy Adams by Robert V. Remini - 11/08/09 - 11/15/09 (3.5 stars)
9. American Lion by Jon Meacham - 01/25/09 - 12/28/09 (3.5 stars)

Favorite Authors

1. T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton 01/10/09 - 01/19/2009 (3 stars)
2. Divine Justice by David Baldacci - 01/25/09 - 02/18/09 (3 stars)
3. A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander - 02/26/09 - 03/05/09 (4 stars)
4. Mrs. Jeffries in the Nick of Time by Emily Brightwell - 03/06/09 - 03/08/09 (4 stars)
5. Long Lost by Harlan Coben 05/24/09 - 05/25/09 (4 stars)
6. Blood Trail by C.J. Box 06/22/09 - 06/23/09 (3 stars)
7. Below Zero by C.J. Box 06/24/09 - 06/27/09 (3.5 stars)
8. Murder of a Royal Pain by Denise Swanson 06/28/09 - 06/28/09 (2.5 stars)
9. Brewed, Crude and Tattooed by Sandra Balzo 07/09/09 - 07/11/09 (4 stars)

End of year hodgepodge

1. A Season for Murder by Ann Granger 11/28/09 - 11/29/09 (3 stars)
2. The Christmas Cookie Killer by Livia J. Washburn 11/29/09 - 12/01/09 (3 stars)
3. Necessary as Blood by Deborah Crombie 11/30/09 - 12/04/09 (4 stars)
4. Mrs. Jeffries and the Yuletide Weddings by Emily Brightwell 12/04/09 - 12/08/09 (3.5 stars)
5. Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander 12/09/09 - 12/15/09 (3 stars)
6. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout 12/16/09 - 12/19/09 (4 stars)
7. A Few Quick Ones by P.G. Wodehouse 12/19/09 - 12/23/09 (3 stars)
8. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa 12/26/09 (4.5 stars)
9. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann 12/25/09 - 12/30/09 (4.5 stars)

General Fiction

1. The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho 01/02/09 - 01/04/09 (2.5 stars - will not keep in library)
2. Time and Again (The Classic Illustrated Novel) by Jack Finney 01/10/09 - 02/16/2009 (4 stars)
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer 03/28/09 - 03/30/09 (5 stars)
4. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn 04/19/09 - 05/28/09 (3.5 stars)
5. The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister 06/18/09 - 06/20/09 (4.5 stars)
6. Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse 06/19/09 - 06/21/09 (4 stars)
7. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley 06/20/09 - 07/05/09 (3 stars)
8. Very Good, Jeeves! by P.G. Wodehouse ? - 08/05/09 (4 stars)
9. Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman ? - 08/04/09 (4.5 stars)

Other (Rereads, Overflow from other Categories, and Other Items)

1. Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos - 02/15/09 - 02/27/09 (5 stars)
2. Getting a Grip: On My Body, My Mind, My Self by Monica Seles - 06/02/09 - 06/12/09 (4 stars)
3. Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at any Stage in Your Life by Dara Torres - 06/28/09 - 06/28/09 (3 stars)
4. The 10 Smartest Decisions a Woman Can Make Before 40 by Tina B. Tessina 07/04/09 - 07/14/09 (2.5 stars)
5. Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell 07/19/09 - 07/26/09 (2.5 stars)
6. Poison Pen by Shelia Lowe ? - 08/07/09 (3.5 stars)
7. My Life in France by Julia Child 08/10/09 - 08/14/09 (4 stars)
8. A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock 09/03/09 - 09/15/09 (4 stars)
9. The Help by Kathryn Stockett 09/19/09 - 09/22/09 (4 stars)

Is the date when you finished a book or started it?

The date is the date I finished it. Though now that you mention it, adding a start date might not be a bad idea. It might hold me more accountable to finishing certain books.

Hi, LittleTaiko!
If you mention the books you read in a new post in addition to editing your lists, your topic will bump up to the top of the list. Which president was your biography of?
--BJ

Hi BillieJean!

Thanks for the tip regarding posting to get my topic to move to the top. I just finished reading Mornings on Horseback by David McCullough, it's the story of Theodore Roosevelt's early years from 10-27. Have you read it? I found it really interesting and will definitely read more about him.

I'm intrigued by your Books to Screen challenge - I love movies so that could be an interesting category.

Good luck with your challenge.

Well, I am on a roll it seems, though this still seems like a daunting task. I finish one book and the I continue on with another one that I am already reading or that is on the stack. I try to make sure that I have a consistent stack of books in one place that represent most of my main categories. It's sort of intimidating to see the constant reminder of all the books to read. Of course, maybe I'll actually read them now instead of hiding them away.

Hi, again, LT!
I have not read that book. I am reading a biography of George Washington, but I have just started it.

The book to screen category turns out to be a pretty easy one. It appears that almost all movies came from a book! When having dinner with my dad and stepmom, I mentioned that I had read The Old Man and the Sea, and they mentioned the movie of it. When I looked it up there were two movies of it! I love movies, too. So I think these will all be fun books.

Have a great day!
--BJ

#8 - Okay, I haven't been writing reviews in this space up until now, but thought I might as well start. Book #8 was T is for Trespass in my Favorite Authors category and is surprisingly the first book from that category. You would think I would have hit that category first since I'm pretty much guaranteed to enjoy the book. Anyway, this was the latest entry in the Kinsey Millhone series and was enjoyable as always. It wasn't outstanding, but if you are a fan of the series I think you would enjoy it. I found it strange, though I didn't realize it until about three quarters of the way though, that there was no murder in this book. There were lots of different cases for Kinsey to work on, including one that hits very close to home. It is still disconcerting to read the series set in 1987 knowing how much the world has changed since then. It's downright scary how much it's changed in fact. Okay, time to get reading.

#9 - Finished Ann Granger's Murder Among Us and really enjoyed it. The first chapter was a little slow, but after all the characters had been established it picked up. I would be interested in reading more by this author once I get through the millions of other books I need to read. My main quibble is that I don't think there were enough real clues for the reader to solve the mystery. You could have your hunches, but you couldn't figure it out until the detectives did. Enjoyable characters and place.

#10 - Finally finished The Grapes of Wrath. I'm really not sure what to say about it. I've seen some people rave about it and say that they reread it every year or so. To them, I'd say - are you crazy? It's not a bad book by any means, but why subject yourself to the sad fate of the Joads on a recurring basis. I found the chapters describing the general time period to be the most enjoyable part of the story and Steinbeck does have a way with words. The story of the Joads which I know is supposed to move me, often irritated me. The characters talked way too much and didn't seem to stay in character all the time. Rosasharn was also quite a useless character in my opinion. She had her one big moment at the end of the book (which was quite unnecessary), but other that you basically want to slap her.

#11 - Well, there isn't much to say about Heir Apparent. It was okay, the main character was likable enough, but the story itself was lacking.

#12 - Finished The Perfect Ride and overall enjoyed it. The writing isn't the strongest, but considering it was written by someone who doesn't write for a living, it is just fine. I really enjoyed learning more of the behind the scenes stories of the jockeys, trainers, and amazing race horses.

#13 - What a ridiculous book! I wish someone could explain to me why Frankenstein is considered a classic. I had more sympathy for the monster than I did for Frankenstein. The character growth or lack thereof is ridiculous!!!

I agree with you. I read Frankenstein last year and it was such a disappointment. Not scary at all and at times very boring.

#14 - Wow! Really enjoyed Time and Again by Jack Finney. It started off a little slow for me, but about halfway through I couldn't stop reading. It helps that I am interested in the concept of time travel and would love to be able to go back in time and observe life.

Did you ever see the PBS special 1900 House, it was a couple year ago?
They recruited this family to move into a house that had been restored back to 1900 condition and they had to live within the capabilities of the time. No Tv, RADIO, OR WASHING MACHINES, ETC. It was really fascinating. Made you appreciate the little things you take for granted like running hot water and electricity.

24> Did you know there's a sequel called From Time to Time? LT also lists a couple of other books with "Time" in the title which may or may not be related. And there's a nonfiction work Finney wrote called Forgotten News, which I believe he put together from all the research he did for the book you just read.

You might also want to check out Bid Time Return, if you haven't read it already. It's by Richard Matheson and is the basis for the movie "Somewhere in Time" with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, which is why you'll also find it titled after the movie (and why the touchstone links to SIT, too).

Renee
(whose part-time summer job requires her to cook on woodstoves, churn butter, make soap, garden, etc., while wearing 19th to early 20th century clothing)

#15 - Just finished Divine Justice by David Baldacci and while I enjoyed it, I must say that this reading challenge is ruining some of my favorite authors for me, but in a good way. As I read a greater variety of books, I realize how basic some of my old stand by's are. While it's nice to have something easy and entertaining to read, I don't know if I'm really growing as a person or challenging myself by reading some of these books. However, that being said, Caleb remains my absolute favorite character in the Camel Club series. Some of the "clues" are lame to someone who lives in a technological age. Everybody I know keeps all of their contacts stored in their phones and don't bother to remember the actual numbers. However, these are small things to quibble with as this is an overall entertaining read. I'm guessing that this is the last in the series which is probably just as well.

#16 - Love Walked In - This is a reread of one of my favorite books. I could have finished in one day but was trying to finish closer to my book club meeting. Upon second reading, I still really like this book. I love Clare and her lists and her fondness for orphans. I love Cornelia and her love of old movies, particularly the ones with Cary Grant.

#17 - A Fatal Waltz - I discovered this series in October of 2008 and quickly read the first two books and eagerly awaited this third installment. Overall, I must say that it didn't disappoint and the ending was very satisfactory. I enjoyed the setting and the characters though for once Emily was starting to annoy me a bit. She seemed to waffle between being headstrong and needy which was strange. I was surprised that she wasn't more open with her fiancee at times too.

#18 - Mrs. Jeffries In the Nick of Time by Emily Brightwell I can't help but love this series. It's old-fashioned detective stories the way they were meant to be. The characters continue to evolve, although quite slowly, and the reader always has a fighting chance to solve the mystery. It's a great easy read that I look forward to each year.

Mrs. Jeffries looks like a hoot, I'll have to check her out!

#19 - I finally finished the first book in my Dickens series!! The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens It was much funnier than I had anticipated, but oh so very long. At this rate I'm concerned that I won't finish the other 8 in time. Guess I need to get going on the next one.

#20 - Finished reading Rebecca last night. It was a book hardily recommended by my book club so I had high expectations for the book. Like most things entered into with high expectations, the reality is a bit of a disappointment. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and the fact that you never find out the narrator's name adds a bit to the story and emphasizes how small her personality is compared to the title character, at least in her own mind. Reading the book brought back memories of the awkwardness and insecurities of being in the early 20's. The biggest disappointment was Maxim - basically he's an ass and from what I can see totally unworthy of her love. Yes, he has his reasons which are unveiled later, but I don't see where they validate his behavior.

#21 - I absolutely adored The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and flew through the book in a couple of days. The story of the German occupation of the small Guernsey island as told through various letters is information, inspiring, and heart-warming. The characters are so real and enjoyable that you want to pack up and move to their charming home.

#22 - Finally finished The Sushi Economy after picking it up off and on for several months. While not always the most entertaining of books it is quite informational. I absolutely love sushi but can't say that I have given much thought to where the fish comes from. This book opened my eyes to the complex system of taking fish from ocean to plate and the dangers in between. I know I'm vaugely aware of farm-ranched fish, but had never put it into a sushi context.

#23 - Flew through Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox. Wonderful book! I had really enjoyed his first book Lucky Man and was glad to have an opportunity to catch up on his life. He has to be one of the most positive people around and has a great way of telling his story. I appreciate his honesty and his ability to realized that he is living a surreal life. He's the kind of person you would like to hang out with sometime.

#24 - My first Kindle book! I feel like a bit of a traitor to regular books, but in looking at the stacks and stacks of them that I still have to read, I'm thinking that maybe it's not such a bad thing to have some electronically. Anyway, first Kindle book was A Royal Pain which is the second in a series by Rhys Bowen. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first, but it was still quite enjoyable and I look forward to the third installment.

#25 - Rue Morgue Press consistently manages to publish some entertaining quirky mysteries that might have otherwise been forgotten. The Longer Bodies by Gladys Mitchell is definitely one of those types of books. An old woman sets up an athletic competition to see who she should leave her money too. If this was a traditional mystery, either the old lady or one of the competitors would be killed, but not here. A random villager and a relative who has already been written out of the will are murdered. I'm sure their were clues for the reader to follow, but I got caught up in watching the visiting psychologist do her thing.

#26 - Kindle book #2, boy that thing is handy. Read Night at the Operation the third book in the Double Feature Mystery series by Jeffery Cohen. Overall it was okay, but the main character can really start to get on your nerves with his constant self-awareness babble. Love the old movie references though.

#27, #28, and #29

#27 - Oliver Twist was such good book. It's amazing how fast you can read Dickens whenever you enjoy the story. The story of poor Oliver and his continuous good nature does beg the question of whether your morals are formed by genetics or environment. Dickens seems to be making the case that it's genetics which I don't know if I completely agree with.

#28 - The Vicar of Wakefield started off really strong but lost something throughout the second half of the book. It is the story of a vicar and his family who fall upon hard times and move to a more rural area. I'm hoping the author intended to poke fun at the family and to show how utterly ridiculous they are. As a side note, I loved reading the book though because I had bought what appears to be an 1892 edition of the book and is there anything better than the smell of an old book? It felt so small and perfect in my hands.

#29 - The Time Machine was a fun and entertaining book that made me think more than I thought it would when I first picked it up. It gives us a disturbing look at what life could be like many, many years from now if the rich and the poor continue to go their separate ways.

Just catching up on your thread and The Sushi Economy looks interesting, I don't eat seafood but wonder at the level of consumption of fish and overharvesting of the oceans. My husband is really keen on sushi so I might keep an eye out for this book.

#30 - Oh my - Three Cups of Tea was such a good book that I wonder why I had put off reading it until now. Truly humbling to see what one person can do to make a difference in the world. I like a book where I walk away smarter than when I started. It helped open my eyes to a world that I vaguely knew existed.

Hi! I'm on your thread. lol Okay.

So how are you liking the Kindle?

I could not get into Three Cups of Tea when my book club read it a few months ago. But I keep hearing good things about it on here.

Hi there. So far I'm liking the Kindle though I haven't used it much lately. Too many books already in my home that need to be read! Actually, it's really great for when I'm trying to read and eat at the same time. No more trying to bend the pages back - it just sits there flat and lets me read peacefully. It isn't as cozy as curling up with a book, but it is handy. I'm looking forward to using it a lot the next time we go on vacation.

I did think the beginning of Three Cups of Tea was slow. I kept thinking, just build a school already! However, once the building started, I was completely engrossed in the book. He really is a special person.

Ah, I did not make it very far into the book. Only three or four chapters, I think. It will receive another try at some point though.

#31 - How I Spent My Summer Vacation was just okay. I think the fact that it was written in the 90's might have been part of the problem. Old technology will do that sometimes.

#32 - Long Lost - What a perfect book to read on a long holiday weekend. Thank God I picked it up from my TBR stack yesterday. As with all of Harlan Coben's books, this was an enjoyable page turner that had me pretty much glued to my chair all afternoon. Even better, this was a book that brought back Myron Bolitar and Win. I've missed them. Amazing how a good book can make you feel better.

#33 - Finished another Kindle book yesterday - Ella Minnow Pea which is a very clever book and quite enjoyable. Granted, I needed the dictionary function that is built into the Kindle so that I could look up the meaning of several words, but the premise of the book was very interesting. I would recommend this book for anybody who likes words, a good story, and something that will make you think.

#34 - I'm so glad that I finally read Leaving Cold Sassy. It has been a few years since I read the prequel Cold Sassy Tree. It's so tragic that the author died before being able to finish the book, however, the second half of the book with reminiscences by Katrina Kenison were very enjoyable. I really enjoyed getting to know that author better and really admired her spirit. What a remarkable woman. In fact, I might have enjoyed her story more than the continuing story of Will Tweedy (though that was enjoyable too).

#35 - Rabbit, Run was quite a challenging book to read. The first hundred pages were brutal and then it picked up. There is nothing sympathetic about the Rabbit character, however I found Ruth to be likable enough. I had to remind myself that this was published in 1960 as the character of Rabbit seemed to be such a cliche, but then I realized he was probably the standard for all the others.

#36 - Absolutely loved Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played. Of course it helps that I'm a tennis fan, watched the match, and also think Nadal is amazing. Federer is good too, but I always end up rooting for Nadal. This book was much more than a story of the match, it provided good insight into their lives and the way they play the game. A must read for any tennis fan.

#37 - Yes, I do love tennis. The latest book is Getting a Grip: On My Body, My Mind, My Self by Monica Seles. It was another interesting book that provides insight into the tennis world as well as her life. Monica's honesty and willingness to talk openly about her fears and battles with her weight is very inspirational. She seems like someone you would have a great conversation with while enjoying a great meal.

#38 - Happy days, I finally finished reading Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street. I'm not sure why it took me so long to finish this book as it's a topic I was really interested in. The beginning of the book spent too much time on the events leading up to the creation of Sesame Street. While I understand that Captain Kangaroo and the crew played a large part in the Sesame Street story, I don't know if it warranted the first half of the book. Maybe my expectations were off. Overall it was a fine but slow read.

Oh, I want to read that Sesame Street book!

#39 & #40 - I have been so lucky to read two highly enjoyable fiction books back to back. First book #39, School of Essential Ingredients. What a wonderful book full of characters you want to spend more time with. A great blend between cooking and the stories of the cooking schools student's lives. Oh, how I want to know how their lives turn out.

The other book I was fortunate to read was Carry On, Jeeves a perfect English comedy. Of course I had heard of Jeeves but really didn't know where the original Jeeves came from. The last story in this collection gives you perfect insight into brain and heart of Jeeves. This was a much needed book to distract me from the stresses of day to day life.

#41 - I decided I better catch up on my C.J. Box books since I had three to read. Zipped through Blood Trail pretty quickly and as usual enjoyed Joe Pickett and his family. If I ever have kids I really want one like Sheridan. Anyway, this series always intrigues me since it's set in a world I can't imagine being comfortable, where hunting and the wilderness are a way of life. It really helps you become aware of the other side of the hunting story. My only quibble with this book is that it seemed a bit predictable. For once I wasn't surprised by the ending. Still a really good read though.

#42 - There is a benefit to postponing reading books in a series, once you finish one you can pick up the next one and have all the previous events be fresh in your mind. Below Zero was the next in the series by C.J. Box and was as enjoyable as the other ones. He really does know how to take on controversial issues and show both sides of the argument. In this case the environment and some of the extremists are the source of the mystery. Very enjoyable.

#43 - Was dying yesterday after riding my bike in the scorching heat. Why do I live in Dallas? Anyway, all I had the energy for was laying on the couch and reading books. Not just any book, a cozy mystery that wouldn't strain my brain too much, which is what I got with Murder of a Royal Pain. The book was about what I expected, there's a murder, Skye gets involved, keeps acting confused about her love life, solves everything eventually though really the character seems like she's supposed to be smart, but really doesn't notice some of the most obvious stuff. Anyway, a bit of a let down in that it was really obvious who the murderer was, but still a nice escape I suppose.

#44 - So after reading the fluff, I felt in need of some inspiration and turned to Age is Just a Number: Achieve your Dreams at any Stage in Your Life by Dara Torres. Isn't she amazing? It was a nice easy read and full of insights into the world of swimming. I don't know that I gained any insight as to how to fulfill my dreams but it was still inspiring to read her story and see how hard she worked for her achievements.

#45 - Flavia from Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is an 11 year old going on 30. The story of her quest to solve the murder her father has been blamed for is often times amusing and exasperating. Probably exasperating since she's acting like an 11 year old instead of an adult! Her obsession with chemistry is a nice change from traditional heroines, though her love of poisons is a bit worrisome. Great quote from the book - "...it occurred to me that Heaven must be a place where the library is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. No...eight days a week."

#46 - Royal Flush is another book in the Lady Georgiana series. It's a decent series that I enjoy due to the time period and the main character's spirit. It's a testament to the author that even though the most ridiculous things happen in this book and the heroine seems to be dwelling a bit too much on the state of her virginity (just do it already!) that I still enjoyed the story.

#47 - Yea! I have officially finished a category - favorite authors. The last book read for that group is Brewed, Crude and Tattooed, the fourth book in the Maggy Thorsen series. Love the main character (particularly her penchant for red wine!) and all of the supporting characters. The author makes everyone seem human, flawed, and interesting.

#48 - Finally! About 6 or so years after I bought this book and tried reading it, I finally finished it. The 10 Smartest Decisions a Woman Can Make Before 40 is a decent book, but sadly or maybe gladly, I found I was already doing the 10 things recommended. Therefore, my life as I know it might be as good as it gets, sadly enough. Actually, I'm feeling positive and will therefore take comfort in the fact that really I have a good life and am actually doing quite well.

#49 - The Merry Wives of Windsor was fairly fun play to read. My book club chose it to coincide with Shakespeare in the Park. We had a great time hanging out, eating and drinking, and watching the play come to life. I don't think this was one of Shakespeare's best efforts but it was still enjoyable.

#50 - I suppose my quest for reading 81 books in one year is a bit like Julie Powell's quest to make every recipe in the Master the Fine Art of French Cooking cookbook, though after reading the book, I'm quite glad my passion is with reading and not cooking! Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously ended up being quite different from what I was expecting. My expectations were for more information about cooking and less about the author's personal life. Towards the end it became more of what I was hoping for, which maybe coincides with her maturing.

That one seems to be everywhere right now, with the movie coming out. I have to admit that I'm not really interested in reading the book, but I would love to see Meryl Streep as Julia Child!

Re 64: That's exactly how I feel about it, cmbohn! I've been wondering why the book doesn't appeal to me, since I do a lot of cooking and in fact have done cover to cover recipes in cookbooks (not Julia Child, though).

I was able to go to a screening of the movie and really enjoyed it. The movie was more of what I wanted the book to be. Tonight I'm going to hear the author speak which should be interesting. I didn't necessarily like her while reading the book so I'm curious as to how she'll be in person.

In my opinion, skip the book and watch the movie. It's one of those rare times where the movie is so much better.

#51 - Yea! I finally finished The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. He had quite the sense of humor which took me by surprise. I found myself chuckling a few times. My main difficulty with the book was the writing style. Themes changed abruptly from paragraph to paragraph which I suppose fits in with the fact that he was writing a letter to his son, but it does prove challenging. Plus, there are no chapters! It's hard to find a breaking point when you need a rest. I admired his constant pursuit of improving himself even though based on other things I've read he never achieved "perfection".

#52 - The Chocolate Puppy Puzzle was cute and a nice change of pace after spending time with Benjy. I've finished the mystery category, so two categories down and seven more to go. This has been quite a fun challenge thus far.

#53 - Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives was such a good book! The various tales or what the afterlife could potentially be like were very thought provoking and sometimes amusing. I'm kind of sad that I only have this book on my Kindle as I would love to flip through it again from time to time.

#54 - I've only read two of his books so far, but I love P.G. Wodehouse and his Jeeves books. I finished Very Good, Jeeves! and really enjoyed it. The characters are first rate and the humor so sly and subtle. Jeeves and Bertie have to be two of the best characters ever created.

With those two books completed there is another category down. This is exciting to be getting closer to the finish. Those darn Dickens and presidential bios might be the death of me though.

#55 - I needed a light read and Poison Pen by Shelia Lowe provided a really good story though it definitely dealt with much darker material than I anticipated. It helps that I find handwriting analysis interesting even though I don't know much about it. It was interesting to learn some of the meanings behind how we write our letters.

#56 - I only had vague memories of Julia Child based on TV shows from when I was younger but hadn't though much about her until all of the recent hype around Julie & Julia. I read Julie & Julia first, saw the movie, and then finally picked up the book I should have started with - My Life in France. What a wonderful story about finding your passion and living life on your terms. She was such a remarkable woman. I was very encouraged to discover that her adventure started when she was 36 - there is hope for me yet!

#57 - I recommended Angle of Repose to my book club since I had read about another book club that had read it twice. Upon reading it, I have no idea why anyone would read it twice. The story when it involved the story of Susan Ward was really good, however it was a bit jarring to be yanked back to the 70's and the more modern story.

#58 - Yea! I finally finished Nicholas Nickleby as part of the Dickens series. His books are usually pretty good but my goodness they are long. I think I agree with my mother-in-law - he must have been paid by the word! The story of Nicholas was an interesting one and enjoyable one. As in the most Dickens works, the bad people ended up dead, ruined, or in jail and the good people inherited their fortunes, found love, etc...The relationship between Nicholas and his sister seemed a little odd to me, but maybe that sort of closeness was common back then.

#59 - A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock was very enjoyable. I usually enjoy mysteries set in Victorian times and this was no exception. At first the book started a little slow but soon picked up pace. It's a different perspective on the Victorian era since the book takes place when Queen Victoria first comes to the throne. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

#59 looks like one I'll have to investigate. I was not familiar with this author or heroine, but it looks interesting.

#60 - I bought Widower's Two-Step many, many years ago at a mystery book convention in Dallas. For some reason this book languished in my nightstand. Finally, because of this challenge I committed to reading it. It was a pretty good read too. I tend to be hard on books set in Texas because I feel that most of them are nothing by stereotypes and this one definitely had it's fair share. However, I liked the character enough to overlook that and enjoy the ride.

#61 - What a delightful mistake I made. One night after too many glasses of wine I accidentally ordered The Help on my Kindle. While the Amazon people are nice and give you an option to retract your order I decided to try my luck and see what I got. I'm so glad I did too. The story of two black maids and one white southern lady who band together to rebel in their own way against the times was so enjoyable. It really brought home what life must have been like in the south in the 60's but did so in an interesting way.

#62 - Oh, how I love Constance & Gwenyth Little. Their next to last book - The Black Iris was so delightful. It's the same zany, screwball mystery that they usually write full of crazy relatives, cocktails, and dead bodies.

#63 - Yea! Another Dickens book finished - The Old Curiosity Shop. Overall, I really enjoyed it, but feel that I might be the only person who enjoyed the story of Kit, Dick, etc... more than Nell and her grandfather. Mainly, I despised the grandfather for being so selfish. The only person I really hated reading about more was Quilp, who gave me the creeps every time I read about him.

#64 - Thankfully this was a quick read - Howling Bloody Murder. It's one of those books that have languished in my nightstand for years that I finally read. Unfortunately it wasn't really worth the wait. The solution to the mystery was pretty obvious from the beginning. However, I did enjoy the characters and felt there was some potential there.

AHHHH!!! I just realized that I only have 10 1/2 weeks to finish 17 books. Must focus!

#65 - James Madison by Gary Willis - All I can say, is thankfully I'm finished. It was informative, but overall very dry.

#66 - Oh my gosh - I actually finished the Classics category! I have been trying for years to read more classics and finally this year I was able to do it. Without the challenge to keep me focused I don't know if I could have done it. The last book in this group was Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe which was fairly entertaining. My knowledge of Poe was from high school and reading the Tell Tale Heart and finding it very creepy. It was intersting to read the stories and see the range of creativity that Poe had.

#67 - The Presidency of James Monroe by Noble E. Cunningham was quite enjoyable. It helped that I had just finished reading a biography on Madison so a lot of the details were fresh in my head regarding the activities of the day. This is a good book to get an overview of the Monroe presidency. While it doesn't dwell upon his personal life or give much information about the years leading up to the presidency, it was very informative and made me want to read more about Monroe. His leadership style with his cabinet members was in my opinion a very good one. He was a man who knew his weaknessses and compensated for them as best he could.

#68 - I'm on a roll - just finished John Quincy Adams by Robert V. Remini. Reading it immediately after the book on James Monroe really helped digest the information. The author is probably the first person I have read who did not like Abigail Adams at all. There were so many things I did not realize about JQA until this book. I didn't know he went on to be a Congressman or that he was involved with Amistad. While he was a horrible politician I admire his desire to do the right thing. Instead of giving people jobs because it was the politically right thing to do, he kept people in positions because they were the most qualified even when it turned out they were working against him. Not many people could do that.

#69 - I changed up a couple of categories which seems a bit like cheating but then again maybe it's not. The whole point is to actually read the books in my library, right? Besides, I was getting cranky about having to read particular books when I really wanted to be reading something else. Hence, there is now a end of year hodgepodge category. The first book in it was A Season for Murder by Ann Granger. Overall it was a pretty entertaining read and a good way to kick off the holidays.

Juggling categories is a wonderful way to clean out the Tbr pile and read what you want. I kept telling myself....THERE ARE NO RULES.....enjoy your end of year reading.

Thanks for the encouraagement! I'm enjoying changing things up and attacking the growing stack of books that I really, really want to read.

Enjoy the rest of your reading too!

#70 - Continuing the Christmas theme, I finished The Christmas Cookie Killer which was fun since it was set in a city near my home. I was able to figure out the killer too which is always a bonus. Not sure I'd read any more in the series but it was a nice break.

#71 - Man, I really love Deborah Crombie's series. I just finished Necessary as Blood and really enjoyed it. Her ability to tell a good story with interesting characters is wonderful. The mystery might not have been the strongest in this book (I only say that because I figured out who before the detectives did which is rare), but the characters keep you involved.

#72 - I would never have chosen to read Frida Kahlo if it hadn't been for my book club. I'm glad it was chosen though as Frida's life proved to be an interesting read although the book might have been just a bit too long. I still don't like Frida's paintings that much but I can appreciate them now.

#73 - I'm in the home stretch now! Finished the latest book in the Mrs. Jeffries series - Mrs. Jeffries and the Yuletide Weddings. The mystery might not have been as strong as in previous books but that didn't matter since finally, Betsy and Smythe were married! It will be interesting to see how this changes the dynamics of the group going forward.

#74 - I was so excited to read the latest book by Tasha Alexander, Tears of Pearl but ended up being a bit disappointed. It was still a good read but just not as good as the first two books in the series. It probably had more to do with the subject matter than anything else as I couldn't quite understand the politics of a harem and really didn't want to. Oh well, I'll still read her books in the future.

#75 - Just finished Olive Kitteridge and find myself missing the world of Olive and the fellow inhabitants of Crosby, Maine. This was an enjoyable and thought provoking look at peoples lives, particularly the relationships of older people. While Olive is not the most sympathetic of characters she had an impact on everyone she met. Most importantly she continued to grow as a person.

#76 - Only five more to go! Thank goodness I have the next two weeks off from work. I took advantage of some free time today to read Beat Until Stiff by Claire M. Johnson which I found to be a perfect way to spend an afternoon. Curled up with my 12 Days of Christmas quilt, tea, and a nice mystery. Apparently this was an aware winner from 1999 but didn't feel that dated. It's the story of a pastry chef in a San Francisco restaurant who comes across a dead body in the restaurant one morning. All in all a nice read. It was refreshing to have the main character not be perfect and likable all the time.

#77 - Read another book by P.G. Wodehouse called A Few Quick Ones. This one wasn't as enjoyable as the others as I found myself missing Bernie Wooster and Jeeves. At least they were in one of the stories. I still love the humor though and look forward to reading more by Wodehouse next year.

#78 - Sadly, I finished the last book that the Little's wrote. Sigh. The Black Curl was a great book to finish with though. Definitely light on the mystery but the characters were great. I'm going to miss those screwball mysteries though.

Pressures on - 5 days and 3 books to go. Better get cracking.

#79 - What a sweet book! I'm so glad my mother-in-law recommended The Housekeeper and the Professor to me. It is a story that illustrates how family is not necessarily defined by who you are related to. It's a charming story of a kind hearted housekeeper and her boy who find a way to take care of a brilliant math professor who can only remember up to 1975 and the last 80 minutes of his life. As a bonus the story also makes you realize how magical math can be.

#80 - I finally finished American Lion by Jon Meacham. I started this book back in January and for some reason have not been able to finish it until now. It was a very interesting book and I feel I learned a lot about Jackson's presidency and the impact it had on future presidents.

Oh wow - one more to go.

#81 - I did it!!! I was doing a happy dance when I finished the last book yesterday. Even better, I ended the challenge by reading the excellent Let the Great World Spin. I would have loved this book just for the opening quotation but the story of past and present New York and how several peoples lives intertwined in unexpected ways and around one event kept me hooked.