Jennyifer24's 75 book challenge 2015

Yay, got this to work! This is from the Chicago Cultural Center (formerly a public library), right across the street from Millennium Park.

I'm currently reading #72 for 2014, but I'm excited to start again in 2015! After several years of attempting the category challenges, I'm doing much better at the read-whatever-you-want-and-it-all-counts challenge.

Be back soon :-)

edit:
Finish 75 books and it gives you free time to browse threads! I'm going to try the Jane Austen Challenge over in the Category Challenge. I read the books of hers I hadn't read a couple years ago, but it could definitely be time for a reread! Especially looking forward to Emma.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/182664

And the British author challenge
http://www.librarything.com/topic/185338# (general thread)
https://www.librarything.com/topic/185351# (January)

Welcome back!

I do much better without structured reading, too. I think too much structure is a common problem on LT. Especially with the category challenge. I joined this year, but with very general categories.

>3 The_Hibernator: I've always been one to choose books by browsing at the library, so those categories always bogged me down! I do like the TIOLI challenges on the 75 book challenge page though. Easy to do or not do based on the books you choose :-)

>2 drneutron: Thanks! The 75 book challenge is a great fit for me!

Books read

January:
1. Bones Never Lie (2014)
2. Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball (2010)
3. Baking Cakes in Kigali*** (2010)
4. Buttercream Bump Off (2011)
5. Consequences (2007)
6. The Spanish Bride (1940)
7. The Remains of the Day (1989)

February:
8. A Year in the Merde (2004)
9. Juliet's Nurse (2014)
10. Bridget Jones's Diary (1999)
11. Death by the Dozen (2011)
12. Pioneer Girl (2014)
13. Ruby Red (2009)
14. Sapphire Blue (2012)
15. Emerald Green (2013)

March:
16. Red Velvet Revenge (2012)
17. Going, Going Ganache (2013)

*50 State Challenge
**TBR Pile
*** Reading the World Challenge

TIOLI Challenges

January:
1. Read a book that has the word "psychological" followed by a noun somewhere in or on the book- Bones Never Lie
18. Read a book that includes a word or phrase in title or name that puts you in mind of the season- Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball
3. Read a book with a food item in the title- Baking Cakes in Kigali
22. Read a book in which one of the author's names has 6 or more letters- Buttercream Bump Off
20. Read a book by an author that has won the Booker Prize but not a book that won the Booker Prize- Consequences
19. Read a book from a library of a frog-award-winner 2011-2014- The Spanish Bride
10. IOU challenge: Read a book by someone whose name ends in I, O, or U- The Remains of the Day

February:
4. Read a book with a French connection- A Year in the Merde
16. Read a book with the letter U, V, or W in the title- Juliet's Nurse
21. Read a book that has a main character with the same name as the book posted above it- Bridget Jones's Diary
5. Read a book with a number in the first sentence- Pioneer Girl
7. Read a book with a gemstone or piece of jewellery in the title or the author's name - Ruby Red
15. Read a book that has something to do with time - Sapphire Blue
8. Read a book with something you could love in the title- Emerald Green

March:
11. Read a book with something you should beware of in the title- Red Velvet Revenge

School Books read

January:
Click, Clack, Moo! by Doreen Cronin
Ah, Music! by Aliki
Helen Keller (have to go back and check the author)
Follow the Water From Brook to Ocean by Arthur Dorros
Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
Splish! Splash! by Jill Jarnow
Schools Around the World by Susan Hughes (pretty sure we read a modified version- it was in our reading book)

current read aloud- Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

February:
What is the World Made of by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein- great read aloud for kindness week!
Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld- so cute! The kids and I loved this one. A little bit kindness, a little bit water cycle
Mr. Tanen's Tie Trouble by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

March:
*Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
**My Name is Gabriela by Monica Brown
*Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss
*The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
*Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel
*Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
There's a Bird on My Head! by Mo Willems
*No, David! by David Shannon
*Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester
*Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
**The Signmaker's Assistant by Tedd Arnold
A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry
**Dex the Heart of a Hero by Caralyn Buehner
Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin
Dear Deer by Gene Barretta
Horrible Harry in Room 2b by Suzy Kline
How did That get in My Lunchbox? by Chris Butterworth
Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
Who Grew My Soup by Tom Darbyshire
**Penguin Chick by Betty Tatham
Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco

*book bracket (March is Reading Month school activity)
**Journeys book (from our basel reader)

Books read

April:
18. Pennyroyal Academy (2014)
19. At the Water's Edge (2015)
20. Mr. Churchill's Secretary (2012)
21. Princess Elizabeth's Spy (2012)
22. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling (2010)
23. His Majesty's Hope (2013)
24. Wild Rover No More (2014)
25. Sugar and Iced (2014)
26. Knightley and Son (2014)

May:
27. The Prime Minister's Secret Agent (2014)
28. Yes, Chef! (2014)
29. Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery (2001)
30. Just Desserts (1991)
31. Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death (2012)

June:
32. Fowl Prey (1991)
33. Arranged (2011)
34. Love Letters (2009)
35. The Look of Love* (2014)
36. Fangirl (2013)
37. Folly Beach (2012)*
38. Holy Terrors (1992)
39. If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period (2007)
40. Bleed a River Deep (2009)
41. The Children's Blizzard (2004)

*50 State Challenge
**TBR Pile

TIOLI Challenges

April:
20. Read a book (fiction or non-fiction) in which a person has been or is widowed- Pennyroyal Academy
11. Read a book with a four-letter word in the title- At the Water's Edge
6. Read a book in which a government (or agency) plays a major role- Mr. Churchill's Secretary
4. Read a book whose title or author includes a job title or occupation- Princess Elizabeth's Spy
23. Read a book whose title has a subtitle- The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling
16. Read a book that has the name of an island in the title or author's name- His Majesty's Hope
3. Read a book whose narrator is the opposite sex from the author- Wild Rover No More
19. Read a book which has an 'and' in the middle of the title- Sugar and Iced

May:
2. Series Next Challenge- The Prime Minister's Secret Agent
21. Read a book you think will make you laugh (even if it doesn't)- Yes Please!
1. Read a book whose title has at least three words starting with the same letter- Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
16. Read a book with the word "us" in the title, subtitle, or author's name- Just Desserts
18. Read a book by an author whose first name starts with a J, or whose surname starts with a D- Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death

June:
9. Read a book where something in the title makes you think of flowers- Arranged
6. Read a book with a summery cover- Love Letters
6. Read a book with a summery cover- Folly Beach (shared read)
1. Read a book which has a set of double letters in the first title word and a set of double letters in the author’s last name- Bleed a River Dry
14. Read a book featuring a teacher or instructor- The Children's Blizzard

School Books read

April:
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
Shark Swimathon by Stuart J. Murphy
The Wing on a Flea by Ed Emberley
Alexander Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst
The Goat in the Rug by Charles Blood
Gloria Who Might be My Best Friend- from The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron
Swimmy by Leo Leonni
The Sandwich Swap by Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah

May:
Half-Chicken by Alma Flor Ada
The Mysterious Tadpole by Steven Kellogg
The Dog That Dug for Dinosaurs by Shirley Raye Redmond
Babe by Dick King-Smith (one of my kids' favorite read-alouds this year)
Bill and Pete by Tomie dePaola
Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile by Tomie dePaola
The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola
Yeh-Shen by Ai-Ling Louie
Gulliver's Travels (have to look up the right version- this was an abridged version) Kids loved it!

June:
Scranimals by Jack Prelutsky
The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller
Cinderhazel by Deborah Nourse Lattimore
Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson

Books read

July:
Lipstick Jihad (2005)
Seven Words for Wind** (1997)
Lourdes Diary (2006)
The Adventures of the Woman Homesteader (1992)
Maisie Dobbs (2003)
Wedding Season (2008)
March (2005)
Abundance (2012)
Bitter Greens (2012)
Headhunters (2008)
A Week in Winter (1991)
Royal We (2015)
Dandelion Cottage (1904)
Modern Romance (2015)
Landline (2014)
A Long Walk to Water (2010)
Maze Runner (2009)

August:
Oh Say Can You Fudge (2015)
Where'd You Go Bernadette (2012)
Dark Chocolate Demise (2015)
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth (2013)
Scorch Trials (2010)
The Death Cure (2011)
The Wilder Life (2011)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007)

September:
Full Tilt (1965)
Honeymoon in Tehran (2009)
So Not Happening (2009)
I'm So Sure (2009)
So Over My Head (2010)

*50 State Challenge
**TBR Pile

TIOLI Challenges

July:
14. Read a book whose author has something to do with California- Lipstick Jihad (shared read)
15. Read a Book with a W in the title- Seven Words for Wind
22. Read a book with the name of a city in the title - Lourdes Diary
3. Read a book in which letters are important - The Adventures of the Woman Homesteader
17. Read a book LibraryThing thinks you should borrow- Maisie Dobbs
19. Read a story involving the formation of a Marriage (wedding, proposal, engagement, first year of marriage, other/etc.)- Wedding Season
6. Listen or read a book from this years YA Sync Title- March
21. Read a book with a one-word title that starts or ends with an "a" - Abundance
5. Read a book with a title that could drive you to drink (water, tea, beer, wine, your choice) - Bitter Greens
9. Read a book with the words head, shoulders, knees or toes in the title - Headhunters (shared read)
10. Read a book with a word in the title that refers to weather conditions opposite of what you normally experience in July - A Week in Winter (shared read)
7. Read a book whose title or whose author's name is spelled out in red letters on the front cover - Royal We (shared read)
12. Read A Book That Was Originally Published Before the Year 2000- Dandelion Cottage
1. Read a book whose title is at least two words long with the first letter of the title words being in alphabetical order - Modern Romance (shared read)
18. Read a book whose title contains a noun from the 1st verse of your national anthem Landline
2. Read a book with a connection to water A Long Walk to Water
20. Read a book that has to do with a maze or labyrinth Maze Runner

August:

14. Read a book with Murder or Death in the title- Dark Chocolate Demise
9. Read a book about stars, has the word "star" in the title or author's name, or has a star on the cover- An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

September:

School Books

September:

Books read October-December

Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano- (2013)
Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs- (2015)
Death Comes to Pemberly by PD James- (2011)
Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering- (2013)
Death by the Book by Julianna Deering- (2014)
The Kill Order by James Dashner- (2012)
The Registry by Shannon Stoker- (2013)
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling- (2011)
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting- (2011)

*50 State Challenge
**TBR Pile

TIOLI Challenges

October:

November:

December:

School Books read

October:

November:

December:

Jennifer, I'll be eager to see what books you are reading to your second graders. I have a first-grade grandson and am doing all I can to encourage him to read for pleasure. I also have a Michigan connection. I was born in Kalamazoo but lived all over after my father became a career army officer. I still have relatives all over the state, and consider Marquette in the UP my second home!

Oops, just noticed that you prefer being Jenny!

>17 Donna828: Hi Donna! I grew up in Marshall, so not too far from you! One of my coworkers is from Marquette :-) Once I'm back in school-mode I'll get back to you with what my boys are reading. It's interesting how it varies year-to-year. A couple years ago they were into a lot of fiction series- Flat Stanley, Horrible Harry, etc. Last year was a big year for nonfiction, especially animals.

Just like >17 Donna828: I'm also interested to see what you are reading to your second graders...

my troll is in 3rd grade and absolutely abhors reading... she just struggles so much... but she does love when I read to her... She just got minecraft from Santa so we are going to have to make a deal when school starts back after the break... for every 1/2 she reads (on her reading level) she will be allowed to play for 1/2 hour on the game...

>17 Donna828: >19 lovelyluck: lol, I told Donna I'd have to get back to school to remember the books because the only ones I can remember the boys reading lately are those Minecraft handbooks :-) They are obsessed! I keep telling them I'm going to play someday so I can talk to them about what they're doing! (It does actually sound interesting, though, so I keep putting it off b/c I'm afraid I'll get hooked too!!).

My 2014 page is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/167586
The books I've read at school are scattered in there, but not in much of an organized way, I'm afraid. The first school post is #129.

some of the books my kids have especially liked are Tomie dePaola's Strega Nona, Shortcut by Donald Crews and we did an author study of Ezra Jack Keats which they loved. These probably all lean more toward a first grader than a third grader interest-wise (I think? I've only ever taught second-grade so what happens to my kiddos the next year is a little mysterious :-) ). We've also read a lot of Tacky books Helen Lester and Chris VanAllsburg is an author I try to read a lot of too. He'd probably be more of a third-grade interest.

I'll try to stop (I could talk about this indefinitely) but my next read aloud is Little House in the Big Woods and I've found it a hit with all students. They are all interested in how the family does everyday things so differently than us!

Now I've done it...I've been thinking about children's lit after my previous post and decided to jump back into the category challenge with an all-children's lit challenge. It's posted under my other library, jennyifer24classroom (where I do a terrible job of trying to keep track of my classroom books). Here goes nothing!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/185250

>20 jennyifer24: Oh the dreaded Minecraft... Lulu Belle loves it... and since we got it I wanted to play also... I haven't actually played the game just built a few house and castles! My husband went out to get me my own copy on Saturday and couldn't find it at any of the 4 stores he tried on our platform... so for now we have to share... I think if I had my own copy I'd be playing right now

I will check out your other posts also... even though I don't work in the preschool any longer I still love children's books... plus I get parents all the time in the library asking me what books their children should read... My favorite picture books are Skippy Jon Jones, Pete the Cat, Bad Kitty and the Dumb Bunnies... I love the How to Train Your Dragon Books which I read aloud to my troll... and I tolerate Junie B Jones which she reads aloud to me

>22 lovelyluck: I feel the same about Junie B. Not my favorite. The kids love Skippy Jon Jones, but I'm not too familiar with them- they should be on my to-read list!

I'm trying to not be addicted to Reign on Netflix, so Minecraft is out of the question for now :-) Only one addiction at a time!

Top Ten of 2014

1. Gone Girl- not my normal reading, but I loved the twists and turns!
2. Bloody Jack- read 11/12 this year (grr..must track down #12) but the first has remained my fave
3. Borderlands- intriguing characters and setting
4. Yes, Chef: A Memoir- this felt very honest and reflective
5. The Human Factor- great character development, understated plotline
6. And Then There Were None- Christie wove an intricate storyline with so many characters!
7. Breakfast at Tiffany's A Short Novel and Three Stories- I'm not much for short stories, but these were just as good as the novel.
8. Cinder/Scarlet- couldn't decide which was better
9. Detroit Electric Scheme- This won me over with setting and historical events
10.The Gardner Heist- true-crime that was easy to read despite a long list of suspects and events

Not sure they are exactly in order, but as close as I can figure.

Honorable mention to Innocent Traitor, Bossypants, and The Art Forger

unfinished series from 2014 (hint, hint)
Book listed is first unread in the series

Will Anderson and Elizabeth Hume- Detroit Breakdown
https://www.librarything.com/series/Will+Anderson+and+Elizabeth+Hume

Inspector Devlin- The Rising
https://www.librarything.com/series/Inspector+Devlin+%5BMcGilloway%5D

Bloody Jack Adventures- completed!
https://www.librarything.com/series/Bloody+Jack+Adventures

Cupcake Bakery Mystery- Dark Chocolate Demise
https://www.librarything.com/series/Cupcake+Bakery+Mystery

Elizabeth Parker- Murder Most Persuasive
https://www.librarything.com/series/Elizabeth+Parker

Professor Dr. von Igelfeld- Unusual Uses for Olive Oil
https://www.librarything.com/series/Professor+Dr+von+Igelfeld+Entertainment

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
https://www.librarything.com/series/The+Hitchhiker%27s+Guide+to+the+Galaxy

Eight Cousins- Rose in Bloom
https://www.librarything.com/series/Eight+Cousins

*Divergent- Insurgent
https://www.librarything.com/series/Divergent

Melanie Travis Mystery- Underdog
https://www.librarything.com/series/Melanie+Travis+Mystery (could take or leave this one)

*Lunar Chronicles- Fairest
https://www.librarything.com/series/Lunar+Chronicles

*Temperance Brennan- Speaking in Bones
https://www.librarything.com/series/Temperance+Brennan

Suddenly Smitten- Tempted in the Tropics
https://www.librarything.com/series/Suddenly+Smitten

Candy-Coated Mysteries- caught up!
https://www.librarything.com/series/Candy-Coated+Mysteries

Ruby Trilogy- all caught up!
http://www.librarything.com/series/Ruby+Trilogy

Maggie Hope- caught up (Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante comes out in October)
https://www.librarything.com/series/Maggie+Hope

Bed And Breakfast Mysteries- Dune to Death
https://www.librarything.com/series/Bed-And-Breakfast+Mysteries

Hannah Swenson Mysteries- Strawberry Shortcake Murder
https://www.librarything.com/series/Hannah+Swensen+Mystery (could take or leave this one)

Maisie Dobbs- Birds of a Feather
http://www.librarything.com/series/Maisie+Dobbs

Maze Runner- Kill Code
http://www.librarything.com/series/The+Maze+Runner

Harry Hole- The Bat
http://www.librarything.com/series/Harry+Hole

*Apparently a new thing is short stories in between the longer ones in a series?

That list is a little longer than I thought- wow!

I'd also like to hunt down the sequels to In Lane Three, Alex Archer. I read it years ago and recently discovered sequels, although I haven't gotten any of them into my hands to read!

I was addicted to Reign... loved the series but couldn't keep up with it on my DVR as I was running out of space and needed American Horror Story... one day I shall invest in netflix so I can sit forever in front of the TV just bumming it... I need to catch up on supernatural! I have yet to read Insurgent also... even though I bought the book for my nook the moment I could... how long has it been now... thanks for the reminder... no if only I could find the cord to charge my nook I might read it... Candy Coated Mysteries sounds interesting... how well do you like the series so far?

Hi, Jenny! I'm excited to follow your reading again this year!

Back from a New Year's Day full of football and a weekend in Chicago! Now back to reading (and I guess work too :-) )

Hi from a former Michigander and big MSU fan! I'm looking forward to seeing what all you read this year, especially the children's lit.

>29 aktakukac: Thanks! Nice to meet you! It's always nice to connect with fellow Spartans :-)

1. Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs
January 6

First book of the year, and I caught up on a series! Of course, I would like for there to be another in the series immediately :-)

Reichs never sugarcoats in her books, and this is no exception. Graphic descriptions make this book realistic but not necessarily a cozy before-bed read. She addresses real issues and the dark side of human nature. This book returns to a story line from about ten years ago (I haven't tracked down which book it followed up on, so I was a bit hazy on some details, but it didn't affect my reading of this book).

2. Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul
January 7

I did mean to get to this book back in December, but nothing like prolonging the season!

This is not a book I would typically read but it was good. The plot was predictable but I enjoyed getting to know the characters. The magical element is not something I really look for in a book, but it wasn't overwhelming. I don't know, something about magic in a book that is otherwise completely realistic doesn't work for me. I only realized partway through that it was labeled a Christian Fiction (despite the label on the spine :-) ) and I am curious to read more of them. I thought the Christian parts fit into the book and added another interesting element.

3. Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
January 9

Angel is a baker who lives in Rwanda. The book is filled with both difficult and joyful stories of her friends, neighbors and family. AIDS, HIV, genocide, corruption and loss all challenge those who live there. This book blends these difficult topics with lighthearted and joyful moments. This books serves as a reminder to slow down, appreciate the people in your life, and help out when and how you can. I do wish it had included pictures of Angel's cakes!

4. Buttercream Bump Off by Jenn McKinlay
January 10

Switching from cakes to cupcakes- second in the cupcakes series about Mel and Angie, who run a cupcake business in Phoenix. I like the characters in these books, even though I'm a little incredulous at the lengths they go to to solve the murders. I'm too much of a rule follower (...or not :-) ). It feels weird saying murder mysteries are a "fun read" but it was.

>34 jennyifer24: I need to get back to the cupcake series.

>35 thornton37814: My library randomly has #1 and I think #4 so I have gaps while I request them. At least it's pretty easy to pick up again after awhile.

5. Consequences by Penelope Lively
January 16

**Spoilers**
This book felt like it took much longer than 6 days to read. I really don't care for books that skip large amounts of time with the same characters, so I kind of had to regroup partway through this one. (The first 10 minutes of Up ruined the whole movie for me!) I thought I was going to read a WWII historical fiction and somehow ended up in the 2000s! I found it hard to connect to the characters after Part II. Lively gave such a lovely background on Matt and Lorna, I really felt invested in them as characters and couldn't wait to read more. This storyline was quickly yanked out from under me and I never really recovered. So few life events were discussed with some of the characters, and I didn't always understand why Lively chose the ones she did.

An interesting idea pulled from this book was that of family history lost to time. I wanted to tell the later members of the family the story about Lorna and Matt that I knew, since they didn't have anyone to share it with them. I felt like I knew more about their family than they did. It definitely made me think of my own family, and the stories that have been lost to time.

For future reference :-)

http://time.com/100-best-young-adult-books/

Chugging away at The Spanish Bride. I'm enjoying it but it is almost 500 pages and a lot of war talk. Got Remains of the Day from the library yesterday, so I might switch over for a bit. Those are the two I'd really like to finish up this month.

6. The Spanish Bride by Georgette Heyer
January 25

A British soldier marries a young Spanish lady (girl?) while in Spain during the Peninsular Wars against Napoleon's army. She travels with him during the campaigns.

I enjoyed this book overall, but I did gloss over a bit of the military parts. I need to brush up on who's who in the military, and figure out divisions, brigades, etc. That knowledge would have helped me understand a lot more of what happened strategically. That being said, Heyer made lovable characters with senses of humor I enjoyed. It helped bring the military experience to life. It was a book where I was keeping track of how many pages were left (especially in the thick of the military maneuvering) but then when I got toward the end I couldn't believe the story would wrap up so quickly!

I'm curious to read more of Heyer's work (after a little military research :-) )

7. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
January 29

Read this for the British Author Challenge. An English butler takes a trip to visit the former housekeeper from the large home he's worked at for several decades. It took awhile for me to get into the book, but once I got used to the writing style I was so interested in putting together the pieces of Mr. Stevens' life. The first-person narrative ended up being the part that really hooked me.

Finished my last two wanted-to-read in January books, holding off on the rest of A Year in the Merde (I'm about halfway through) so it can be my TIOLI "French Connection" book for February. So, what to read in the meantime? I might start Pride and Prejudice for the Category Challenge Jane Austen thread, or I have a couple books I picked up browsing at the library- The Forgers and Juliet's Nurse. Hmmm...

>7 jennyifer24:
just updated my school books read for January!

8. A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke
Feb. 2

This book was kind of "eh" for me. I didn't really like the characters and really, not much happened. Although, to be fair, the cover says "There are lots of French people who are not at all hypocritical, inefficient, treacherous, intolerant, adulterous or incredibly sexy...They just didn't make it into my book." So, I guess I deserved what I got?! :-) There were some funny observations on cultural differences. Don't see myself reading the sequel.

Looks like you are making great progress with your challenge, and with some interesting reads!

>1 jennyifer24: Just visiting - loved the library topper. Hope the books for loan match the lovely venue. Good luck with your reading for Feb.

>45 lkernagh: Thanks! I've had some good ones so far!

>46 charl08: This is from the Cultural Center in Chicago (also a tourism office). It used to be a library, and is filled with quotes like these along with names of dozens of famous authors from throughout history. A beautiful building!

9. Juliet's Nurse by Lois Leveen
February 5

This was a great new take on Romeo and Juliet, from the perspective of Juliet's nurse (surprise!). I like that it started before Juliet's birth and gave you the back story of her life, along with her nurse's life. I enjoyed reading about the time period how the author fit the pieces of her telling into Shakespeare's story. My only complaint (besides the ending- but that's not Leveen's fault!) was that the language changed toward the end. Leveen put in lines from the play, but it didn't necessarily match the language that had been throughout.

Good read though!!

10. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
February 11

One of my favorite rereads- I usually come back to it at least once a year. It's a book that cheers me up and makes me cringe all at once. It's also a rare case where I like the movie as much as the book.

This year I'm curious because one of the next books I'm planning to read is Pride and Prejudice. I've never really compared the two books beyond the very obvious, so I'm interested to see what else I discover. This time through, I realized that I've been thinking of Bridget's mom as Mrs. Bennett, but it seems to make more sense to compare her to Kitty.

Edited to add that even though BJD is one of my favorite books, I don't reread the sequel and I won't read the third in the series. I really think the book ended where it needed to. Anyone else have a series where the series seemed unnecessary?

11. Death by the Dozen by Jenn McKinlay
February 15

12. Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen
February 19

Loved this book! I'il post more later!

13. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
February 21

14. Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
February 22

yeah, found this series...not sure if Pride and Prejudice is still going to happen in February or not. :-)

15. Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier
February 25

16. Red Velvet Revenge by Jenn McKinlay
March 7

The combination of report cards and conferences is not helping my reading/writing about books. After next week I'm hoping to get more caught up.

17. Going Going Ganache by Jenn McKinlay
March 20

18. Pennyroyal Academy by M.A. Larson
April 5

I was so excited at the beginning of March when I realized that last year it took me until the end of March to get to 16 books and this year I was there at the beginning of March. Then I only read two books in March. Sigh. Although, to be fair, I did read parts of two others that I had to return to the library. And I did read lots of picture books to my students for March is reading month, which I will soon get going on adding to the lists above.

Anyway, Pennyroyal Academy was a great find on my library's ebook site. In this ya fantasy, Larson made you feel like you knew what would happen, and then turned it into something unexpected. I really enjoyed his cast of characters, especially Evie. She came into her own. Sequel in late 2016 (so, off to hunt for something equally as good in the meantime!).

19. At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen
April 9

I got this as an ER book- I think it comes out in June.

Madeline Hyde, her husband Ellis and his best friend Hank travel across dangerous Atlantic waters in early 1945 to hunt for Nessie, the famous Loch Ness monster. Partly to prove himself to his father, and partly to get as close to the war as possible to regain his honor after color-blindness prevents him from serving in the war, Ellis "needs" this trip, and so Maddie and Hank agree to go. They are not welcomed warmly in Scotland and the tension and action builds from there.

This book was right in my happy reading place and I spent a couple of late nights unable to put it down. I'd read anything set in WWII Scotland and this book combined WWII storylines with Loch Ness monster-hunting in an interesting and believable way. There were parts that seemed a little cliche or predictable, but the storyline, strong character development and the details of the time period and setting easily made this book a great read.

I went back through the 19 books I've read so far and I'm surprised to see that only 3 are from before 2000. I didn't realize I read so many newer books. I'm curious to look back over previous years and see what the patterns are.

20. Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal
April 10

Set in early WWII London, Maggie gets a job as a typist working for Winston Churchill. Meanwhile, a mysterious murder, tube bombings, and impending attacks by Nazis are keeping everyone busy and worried. A lot happens, and I don't want to say much to give anything away. The plot twists keep on coming, and although some of them border on/were unbelievable, it made for an interesting read. There were a lot of characters, and it definitely took a while to remember who was who, but they developed nicely as the story continued. I sometimes felt like historical details were included just because the author uncovered them in her research, and not so much because they fit into the story, but it was full of depth about the time period and gave a glimpse at how people went about their business in a terrifying time.

I'm excited to keep reading this series!

21. Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
April 12

Second in the Maggie Hope series, and now Maggie is working as a maths tutor for Princess Elizabeth, who is living with her sister at Windsor Castle during the war. I enjoyed the ups and downs of the storyline and how Maggie continues to develop as a character. There were a lot of new characters again so I had to work to get them down. This book was an interesting contrast to the first in that Mr. Churchill's Secretary told a lot about the lives of everyday people at the very beginning of the war. This book focuses more on the royal household and gets more into the spy networks. I'm glad I happened upon this series!

Updated my school books read for March. This long list makes me wonder what I forgot for the other months. It was March is Reading Month though, and so I kept good track of the books, read 8 picture books to the kids for a book bracket event we did, and did more picture books at snack instead of a chapter book. I do need to check our basel reader- guessing some of those books I didn't write for other months are actually listed here.

22. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood
April 15

Penelope gets her first nanny job at Ashton Place, a large estate in the English countryside. She doesn't realize, until after she signs a contract, that her three pupils have recently been found wandering the forest.

This book was not at all what I was expecting, which was naughty, terribly-behaved children, not children who have likely been raised by wolves. The writing is great- full of explanations for difficult words or ideas (I listened to this book and can't think of any examples to share) and a great dry sense of humor. There is definitely a dark underside to the story, and I was ready to stop after the first book, but the cliffhanger gave no answers. I will probably eventually get back to this series to find out what's going on.

It reminded me a little bit of The Nanny Diaries which I didn't like at all because I felt so sorry for the kid. Penelope is the perfect person for this job, but the residents of Aston Place, Lady Constance and Lord Frederick, leave a lot to be desired.

23. His Majesty's Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal
April 16

Made myself stop reading this Thursday night, went to bed early Friday night so I could finish it, turned the page on my Nook, and realized I had actually finished it. I guess there was a cliffhanger :-)

The number of characters in earlier books in the series caused some confusion for me, but in this one I appreciated the narrative jumping among story lines. Maggie is sent to Berlin and I was on edge the entire time. The story lines are coming together, and if it's not in a plausible way, I still don't really care. I've been completely caught up with the characters and trying to figure out how everything will work out.

24. Wild Rover No More by L.A. Meyer
April 19

25. Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay
April 22

1/3 of the way to 75 before the end of April. Hooray!

Great!

yay... 1/3 of the way... keep it up.... jumping the the children's log in a little bit

>68 drneutron:, >69 lovelyluck:
Thanks! Spring break helped a lot!
Lovelyluck, if you mean my children's book log...eek. I haven't updated there in weeks probably. I've read a lot of kids book (posted above in this thread) but not a lot of new-to-me ones.

Is it weird to say I'll hopefully update it more frequently once school is out?

26. Knightley and Son by Rohan Gavin
April 27

YA mystery series that takes place in London. Detective Dad is in a coma for four years, so his son studies his cases to be like him, be closer to him. This ends up being extremely helpful when dad wakes up and they are plunged into a new case. I'm pretty sure this is a series (surprise, surprise!).

>70 jennyifer24: ... no that makes perfect sense... update when school is out when you have more time... but then again it is vacation and do you really want to think about school work?.... unless you just love children's books like me... I don't teach preschoolers any longer but still get excited when we get new picture books at the library

27. The Prime Minister's Secret Agent
May 3

Maggie is back in Scotland, training others to go onto mainland Europe to help the Nazi resistance. She is battling depression, and becomes caught up in a murder investigation involving a friend. Meanwhile, events are in motion that will bring America into WWII. There was less direct action in this book compared to the others and more storylines not directly involving Maggie (Japan, America, etc.). This book felt more focused on history at times than on the narrative. Not my favorite Maggie Hope, but still intriguing and interesting.

28. Yes Please by Amy Poehler
May 6

I read most of this in March but couldn't finish it before it was due. So I went back on the waiting list until this week. More later when I can get to a laptop.

Okay, this book felt a little less memoir and a little more essay collection (which I think she says in the book). You could still get a sense of her life's journey through reading it. I felt like her book had a much more serious tone than Tina Fey's (which I couldn't help comparing it with, even if they aren't meant to be). There are some good humorous parts. I liked the chapter/essay about Parks and Rec. Even though I didn't watch the show, I could tell how strongly she felt about it. I was put off by her casual talk about drug use- I understand that she was being candid but it wasn't to my taste. Overall an okay read- not exactly what I was expecting (or maybe what I should have expected?- not sure).

29. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery by Joanne Fluke
May 9

I could take or leave this series. Set in small-town Minnesota, Hannah is back home running a cookie shop (which seems unrealistic for such a small town...). I kept waiting for the cookie shop to also serve donuts or other baked goods, but they all just ate cookies for breakfast. The back story also seemed a little iffy, or at least had holes the author didn't fill. The mystery part was fine, but the writing was so-so. The little thing that bothered me most was how often the characters used the other person's name when they spoke to him/her. Weird little thing, but it drove me crazy.

30. Just Desserts by Mary Daheim
May 16

Just realized I skipped 27 in my book counting...wouldn't be surprised if its a typo, because month is going, but now I'm wondering if I skipped a book.

Good new-to-me series. A couple little plots points bothered me, but I've also been extra tired at the end of the day when I read it so maybe I missed something. Looking forward to the next one.

31. Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death by James Runcie
May 24

I read this after watching the PBS series, which I happened upon because my DVR automatically recorded it (Grantchester) as Masterpiece (also what it calls Downton Abbey :-) )

The tv series and book were different in some interesting ways. I thought the books were a little gloomier- Sidney seems more pressured into helping the police, and his neglect of his work and the difference between priesthood and detective work seemed more stressful to him.

I look forward to reading more of Runcie's work. Chambers is a thoughtful character and I enjoyed him throughout the book. I think I actually did like the show better though! (I never say that! I'll have to think on it a little more to be sure!)

32. Fowl Prey by Mary Daheim
June 1

Second in the series. Judith and Renie travel to Canada for a short vacation before Thanksgiving. They must solve a murder to get home in time to celebrate with their family. It always drives me crazy in mysteries when the "regular Joe" characters feel the need to solve murders instead of letting the police handle it (which happens in seemingly every mystery). This one actually had a sort-of believable reason to explain them doing this.

33. Arranged by Catherine Mckenzie
June 5

This started as an interesting plot (woman in her mid-thirties considers an arranged marriage) but quickly developed into a cliched chick lit book. I was disappointed. I like chick lit, but I was hoping for something different in this book.

34. Love Letters by Katie Fforde
June 7

Withdrawn bookseller expands her world.

I've been slacking on writing about the books I've read so I'll try out an idea from the adult summer reading program at my library- five word blurbs about each book.

35. The Look of Love by Sarah Jio
June 9

Love six ways- all around.

36. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
June 11

Nebraska twins confront their past.

Loved it. I admit I skimmed through the "book excerpts" at the end of the chapters because it was delaying me from the story but other than that it was great! It felt like real life and characters I'd like to know.

37. Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank
June 17

Moving on by the shore.

I was disappointed in this book. The setting and setting descriptions were great, but I felt like she didn't do much "moving on" because she seemed to have already moved on. There weren't a lot of challenges for her- the solutions to her problems fell into her lap over and over.

38. Holy Terrors by Mary Daheim
June 21

Death at church, secrets revealed.

39. If a Tree Falls At Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko
June 22 (audio)

Friendship, family, racism, bullying, school

40. Bleed a River Deep by Brian McGilloway
June 23

digging for gold, find bodies

okay, five word blurbs I can do. Something about limiting the word count helps me focus in on the book without feeling like I'm giving it all away (which I think is why I avoid summaries when I write about books!).

41. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin
June 28

devastating, hard to read, thorough

Okay, I think this could be the most relieved I have ever been to finish a book. It describes a terrible blizzard that hit the Great Plains on January 12, 1888. It was called "the children's blizzard" because so many of the fatalities were school children caught trying to get home. It was very well-written, and filled with information from all aspects of the storm- survivor and family accounts, meteorology and weather forecasting at that time, back stories for several people involved, the aftermath of the storm, medical information (although I can't speak to that, because I skipped most of those sections). It was so interesting to learn about the lives of those who were in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, etc. at that time. The pioneer history has always been of interest to me. But, this book does not sugarcoat. The real, tragic, terrible, heartbreaking events are laid out as they happened. I don't know how many times I thought "what if" or "if only" as I read. There are some wonderful survival stories as well, but even those are full of suffering and worry. It makes me grateful for how far we have come in preparedness for natural disasters. A tough, tough read, but very well written.

So, I put a TIOLI challenge sweep on my summer bucket list, and had a terrible time matching books to challenges in June, so here goes nothing!

*1. Read a book whose title is at least two words long with the first letter of the title words being in alphabetical order - Modern Romance
*2. Read a book with a connection to water - A Long Walk to Water (COMPLETED)
*3. Read a book in which letters are important - The Adventures of the Woman Homesteader (COMPLETED)
4. Read a work by an individual mentioned in the Science Fiction Awards Database -
*5. Read a book with a title that could drive you to drink (water, tea, beer, wine, your choice) - Bitter Greens (COMPLETED)
*6. Listen to or read a book from this years YA Sync Title - March (COMPLETED)
*7. Read a book whose title or whose author's name is spelled out in red letters on the front cover - Royal We (COMPLETED)
8. Read a book on a summer reading list -
*9. Read a book with the words head, shoulders, knees or toes in the title - Headhunters (COMPLETED)
*10. Read a book with a word in the title that refers to weather conditions opposite of what you normally experience in July - A Week in Winter (COMPLETED)
11. Read a book with a word in the title that specifies heat -
*12. Read A Book That Was Originally Published Before the Year 2000 - Dandelion Cottage (COMPLETED)
13. Read book from the Orange Broadband/now Bailey's Prize for Women's Fiction lists -
*14. Read a book whose author has something to do with California - Lipstick Jihad (COMPLETED)
*15. Read a Book with a W in the title - Seven Words for Wind (COMPLETED)
16. Read a book which has inspired a recipe -
*17. Read a book LibraryThing thinks you should borrow - Maisie Dobbs (COMPLETED)
*18. Read a book whose title contains a noun from the 1st verse of your national anthem - Landline (COMPLETED)
*19. Read a story involving the formation of a Marriage (wedding, proposal, engagement, first year of marriage, other/etc.)- Wedding Season (COMPLETED)
*20. Read a book that has to do with a maze or labyrinth Maze Runner (COMPLETED)
*21. Read a book with a one-word title that starts or ends with an "a" - Abundance (COMPLETED)
*22. Read a book with the name of a city in the title - Lourdes Diary (COMPLETED)

42. Lipstick Jihad by Azadeh Moaveni
July 2

finding herself in Iran, USA

I was really interested in reading this book, and can't wait to read some of her other work. Azadeh was born and raised in California, and always felt like she was living between two worlds. She didn't fit in in California and couldn't get to Iran. After college, she live in Cairo, then moved to Tehran. She found she didn't quite fit in there either, and her experiences in each place help her in the other. I liked this book most because of the real glimpse in Iranian life. Iran is a country that has been reported about and rumored about and it's hard to know what's real and not. But ultimately, it's a country of people who are more like us than different.

43. Seven Words for Wind by Sumner MacLeish
July 5

everyday life on Alaskan island

It was quite a "trip" to travel from Iran to St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea. :-)

44. Lourdes Diary by James Martin
July 6

Pilgrimage to France for healing.

45. The Adventures of the Woman Homesteader
July 7

beautiful descriptions, Western tales and characters

46. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
July 8

story of a Post-WWI detective

47. Wedding Season by Katie Fforde
July 12

accepting love while planning weddings

>88 jennyifer24: looks like an interesting read.... I might check it out

>96 lovelyluck: It's so difficult to read, but very well-written. Made me grateful for what we have now!

48. March by Geraldine Brooks
July 13

Little Women from father's perspective

49. Abundance by Beth Henley ( play)
July 13

Prairie life with bizarre storyline

50. Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth
July 18

Rapunzel's origin; tragedy, love,

Stuck on the fifth word...without giving away too much, Forsyth weaves her tale among several centuries and perspectives. A little hard to follow at times but I liked how she pulls it all together.

51. Headhunters by Jo Nesbo
July 20

crime spree in Norway; action-packed

I've had Jo Nesbo on my to-read list for a while now. I'm glad I finally did- looking forward to reading more!

52. A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
July 22

sneak-peak into everyday lives; Ireland

The perspective changes so many times as Binchy details the backstory of each important character. It was sometimes hard to leave a character behind, and I'm not sure it wrapped up as well as I'd have liked. Beautiful story though!

Halfway through the TIOLI July challenge (not great for the 22nd but my plan is to keep chugging away at it...you never know!). Challenges left:

4. Read a work by an individual mentioned in the Science Fiction Awards Database - did not read
8. Read a book on a summer reading list - Lessons in French (reading in August)
11. Read a book with a word in the title that specifies heat - Scorch Trials (reading in August)
13. Read book from the Orange Broadband/now Bailey's Prize for Women's Fiction lists - Where'd You Go Bernadette? (finished in August)
16. Read a book which has inspired a recipe - Oh Say Can You Fudge (finished in August)

Edited at the end of July

53. Royal We by Heather Cocks
July 23

British prince, American in love

54. Dandelion Cottage by Carroll Watson Rankin
July 24

four girls in summer playhouse

I hadn't read this book in a long time. Four girls earn a summer's "lease" on the old, run-down church rectory by pulling weeds in the yard. The story chronicles their adventures in the house and neighborhood. Sweet and wholesome :-)

55. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
July 24

studies how people find love

56. Landline by Rainbow Rowell
July 25

Can revisiting past save marriage?

57. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
July 25

Lost Boy's story of survival

I remember reading Dandelion Cottage when I was a girl, but I had forgotten the name. Thanks for the reminder!

Sure! My great-aunt gave it to me a long time ago, along with a photo of the actual Dandelion Cottage in Marquette. There's also a letter she wrote explaining more. I don't have it with me, but I'll read it closer when I get back to it and pass on anything interesting!

58. Maze Runner by James Dashner
July 30

Boys try solving the maze.

really liked this one! Can't wait to get Scorch Trials
Basically, boys are put into a maze after having their memories erased. They work together to survive and try to escape. Large monsters in the maze make this much more difficult.

59. Oh Say Can You Fudge by Nancy Coco
August 2

July 4 arson/murder mystery

This was my recipe-inspiring book from July that didn't quite get finished in July. I like this series because they take place on Mackinac Island in Michigan, a popular vacation spot. I have lots of fond memories of visiting, and my family still goes about once a year (thankfully no arson or murders when I've been!). I do get a little annoyed by some of the writing (I found two typos!)- too much clothing description in general, and too many people with neatly pressed clothing!! I thought the ending was very abrupt and the storyline is repetitive- if she didn't have a dog she'd never discover any of the crimes. Still an easy, fun summer read.

60. Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
August 3

woman loses herself in Seattle

This book was on the Bailey's Prize shortlist in 2013. I started it for last month's challenge but didn't finish it in time. I'm so glad I listened to it! The narrator Kathleen Wilhoite was amazing- she made a great book even better. I loved the dialogue and narration- I laughed out loud in several places. Written as a collection of letters, memos, emails, etc. I would like to see it in book form. I sometimes got confused (because I was listening) about who was talking. I loved how the setting was so integral to the story. Wonderful and highly recommended!

I went for the sweep of TIOLI challenges in July. I didn't make it but I did read 17 books, which is a big jump compared to what I'd normally read. I'm glad I tried it out though, because I ended up reading some great books I wouldn't have read otherwise.

A quick recap:

14. Read a book whose author has something to do with California- Lipstick Jihad (shared read)
15. Read a Book with a W in the title- Seven Words for Wind
22. Read a book with the name of a city in the title - Lourdes Diary
3. Read a book in which letters are important - The Adventures of the Woman Homesteader
17. Read a book LibraryThing thinks you should borrow- Maisie Dobbs
19. Read a story involving the formation of a Marriage (wedding, proposal, engagement, first year of marriage, other/etc.)- Wedding Season
6. Listen or read a book from this years YA Sync Title- March
21. Read a book with a one-word title that starts or ends with an "a" - Abundance
5. Read a book with a title that could drive you to drink (water, tea, beer, wine, your choice) - Bitter Greens
9. Read a book with the words head, shoulders, knees or toes in the title - Headhunters (shared read)
10. Read a book with a word in the title that refers to weather conditions opposite of what you normally experience in July - A Week in Winter (shared read)
7. Read a book whose title or whose author's name is spelled out in red letters on the front cover - Royal We (shared read)
12. Read A Book That Was Originally Published Before the Year 2000- Dandelion Cottage
1. Read a book whose title is at least two words long with the first letter of the title words being in alphabetical order - Modern Romance (shared read)
18. Read a book whose title contains a noun from the 1st verse of your national anthem Landline
2. Read a book with a connection to water A Long Walk to Water
20. Read a book that has to do with a maze or labyrinth Maze Runner

Some I'd been meaning to read for awhile- Maisie Dobbs, Jo Nesbo, Bitter Greens. I can't wait to try out more by the same authors. Some I hadn't heard of before finding them through a challenge or a shared read- March, A Week in Winter, The Royal We, Modern Romance, Maze Runner, A Long Walk to Water. I think only Lipstick Jihad and Landline were books I picked first and then fit into a challenge.

top 5: Lipstick Jihad, Modern Romance, Maze Runner, Headhunters, Bitter Greens

61. Dark Chocolate Demise by Jenn McKinlay
August 4

mob has everyone on edge

Love this series! I need to read some of McKinlay's other series now that it's back to the waiting game for this one.

62. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
August 8

author shares life as astronaut

It took me a chapter or two to get rolling with this book, but I ended up drawn in. As a teacher, I've spent basically all my life in school in one way or another. Maybe because of that, I'm very interested in what other people's daily lives look like. Chris Hadfield does a great job of letting his readers in to the daily lives of astronauts, both on Earth and in space. I loved learning the details of not only the glamorous parts of his job, but also the months of training to prep for a mission. He reflects on his life and lessons learned in an interesting way that applies to everyone, and his writing is filled with relevant anecdotes. Great book!

"Early success is a terrible teacher. You're essentially being rewarded for a lack of preparation, so when you find yourself in a situation where you must prepare, you can't do it. You don't know how."

63. Scorch Trials by James Dashner
August 9?

trekking across wasteland Earth

Nonstop action in this book, and never what I thought was going to happen. I had to stop every now and again just to regroup and collect my thoughts.

64. The Death Cure by James Dashner
August 11

...(really don't want to give anything away...I'll have to learn how to do the spoiler coverup)

The trilogy wraps up (although Dashner also wrote a prequal) with just as much action and unpredictability as Scorch Trials. I really enjoyed this series- I kept comparing parts to Hunger Games, Lord of the Flies, Harry Potter, etc. It was fun to compare/contrast the storylines, characters and elements. For as violent as this series was I almost feel bad liking it so much, but the characters and wild plot really made it special. I got the movie from the library today, but I'm nervous to watch it. I want to like it! Don't mess up the books! We'll see...

65. The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure
August 13

woman revisits Little House love

I liked some parts of this book better than others, but my favorite part was sharing the Little House obsession with someone else! It dragged a little in places, and sometimes her opinions/soul searching got in the way of the Little House focus, but overall it was an interesting meld of personal history and Laura's history.

66. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
August 13

Parisian boy's fate changes quickly

Clever, intriguing kids book. This could be a potential read-aloud.

I love the five word summaries - much simpler that trying to write a gigantic review :) - i give up on those things when they are too long - some of your titles look interesting - maybe i will get to them some time :)

>65 jennyifer24: I did not care for The Wilder Life when I read it a few years ago. I think that was mostly because of the author's opinions and soul searching. It did make me want to reread the entire series. I read them over and over when I was little, but I haven't read any of them since...probably the mid-to-late 1990's. I really should move them up my TBR list!

>121 lovelyluck: Thanks- it was a step up for me from not reviewing at all! I have a hard time including plot reviews in summaries because I don't like to know a lot about books before I read them. And spoilers are the worst so I'm always afraid of saying too much.

>122 aktakukac: Yes! I wanted more LH books and travel info and less personal info. I think the best part of the book for me was when she recalls how awesome it was to read about the surveyor's house in By the Shores of Silver Lake and the pantry in The First Four Years. I felt better knowing someone else was a nerd about the house descriptions too :-) I've read Little House in the Big Woods to my second grade classes for the past few years and they love it! It usually gets me itching to read others too, but I like to skip around now.

My second grade teacher read Little House in the Big Woods aloud to my class, and that's what started my Little House/Laura Ingalls Wilder obsession. I can still remember her reading the first page, and I was hooked! Maybe some of your students will remember you for the same reason?! :)

Aww, I hope so! It works out that we visit a pioneer cabin from roughly the same time on a field trip we do in the spring so they get to see many of the things in the book. It's a great book, and I love how the boys enjoy it as much as the girls!

Got to that time in August where reading is dropping off, which is a bummer because I started American Nations which is amazing! It's so interesting and I hope I can get back to it soon, but it's a little slow going because there's so much to keep track of. Basically, the author is describing the origins and interactions of 11 cultural nations based in the United States. I only made it to page 98 (note to self for when I get it again :-) ) but the most interesting parts so far were the varied ways the people of Spain, France and England treated the Native Americans, and the impact it had on the settlements; also the way the cultural nation boundaries align with current political maps, etc. I had to return it to the library since the other book I'm reading is a inter-library loaner and I need to focus on that first (Full Tilt, another interesting read from a completely different part of the world!).

67. Full Tilt by Dervla Murphy
September 2

woman rides bike in Asia

Dervla Murphy rides her bike from Ireland to India in 1963. The book emphasizes her time in Afghanistan and Pakistan. (couldn't stick to 5 words :-) )

Edited to be book #67, not #127. Apparently I was reading the number of messages, not books. That's one way to boost the numbers! :-)

68. Honeymoon in Tehran by Azadeh Moaveni
September 9

Returns to Iran, finds love

Had to come home from school yesterday on the first day and read this for about 2 hours to finish it (it was due and I couldn't renew since it was an interlibrary loan). On the plus (maybe) side, I didn't dream about school. On the negative side, I dreamed about living in a totalitarian regime instead...

In this "sequel" memoir to Lipstick Jihad, Azadeh returns to Iran frequently for work, then returns to live when she meets her boyfriend Arash. This book takes place in 2005-07 during and after the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I enjoyed how she intertwines her personal experiences with the change of life in Iran during and after Ahmadinejad's election. I think her experiences provide an important counterpoint to the common American perception of Iran and Iranians. It explained a lot about Middle East politics, which has always been confusing to me. It can be heavy- I had to reread parts to get the politics, but it also shows why someone would choose to live in Iran and the difficulty of that life. So interesting!

A whole month since I've posted :-/ I've read a few books but haven't had time to get them in here. Hopefully I can update this weekend! So much schoolwork!

69. So Not Happening
70. I'm So Sure
71. So Over My Head
by Jenny B. Jones
September ??

This trilogy follows Bella from NYC to Oklahoma, where she moves with her mother after her parents' divorce. Bella's mom remarries a man she met online, and Bella and her mom have to adjust to life on a farm in a small town. I liked how the author integrated the Christian elements into the story. It felt like it belonged. The plot, dialogue and some characters felt cliche and unrealistic in many parts, but the story was interesting and I kept reading!

72. Five Days in Skye by Carla Laureano
October ??
I really liked this Christian fiction/romance (Christian chick lit? Not sure the proper terminology). Like in the trilogy above the Christian aspects of the book felt like a natural part of the story, and not at all forced (I've felt in like other Christian fiction books I've read the Christian parts felt like they were inserted into the story just to make it Christian, and had very little to do with the actual story). Andrea works for a hospitality consultancy firm and travels to the Isle of Skye in Scotland to win a celebrity chef client. The relationship feels rushed (ha, I guess it has to be if the title is Five Days in Skye!) but I liked the characters and the story seemed believable. Good read!

73. Speaking in Bones by Kathy Reichs
October ??

Brennan is investigating a cold case brought to her attention by Hazel Strike, an amateur investigator. Brennan explores a breakaway Catholic church and a secretive family history. Of course lots of dangerous things happen and you get exasperated by her relationship with Ryan. Good storyline and writing, but some things never change :-)

Edited to add a book

74. Death Comes to Pemberly by P.D. James
October ??

This is my first P.D. James book and I'm interested to read more. Written in the style of Jane Austen, I felt like I was reading her work (minus some romance!). I was intrigued by the story and I was so impressed by how well it fit with Pride and Prejudice. Definitely darker than Austen but I enjoyed it!

75. Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering I did it! Much sooner than last year too, when I was reading a book a day through most of December to finish up. Maybe I can get to 100?!

Mystery set in 1930s England. Drew's wealthy British family is beset by mysterious deaths. Drew offers help to the local police in order to figure out what's happening. An enjoyable mystery.

I've totally fallen off with keeping track of reading. No dates, but here's what I've read:

76. Death by the Book by Julianna Deering Second in the series after Rules of Murder. Madeline's Aunt Ruth arrives from the US, and Drew and Madeline and Nick are thrown into another series of murders. Good series! There is a wide range of characters and interesting events and clue-reveals.

77. The Registry by Shannon Stoker This one was ehh. Dystopia where women are sold off at 18 to be brides. "The Registry" is the listing that men can access after they serve their compulsory military time to find a wife. Beauty and lack of education are prized traits. Just turning 18, Mia becomes aware that the system is not all it's cracked up to be. Part one of a trilogy- not sure I'm going to be reading on.

78. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling I was trying to find her newer book and came across this one. Good read! Mindy speaks openly about events in her life and how she got to be where she is. She seems so likable and real; looking forward to her other book (on the library waiting list!)

79. The Kill Order by James Dashner prequel to Maze Runner series

80. The Pledge by Kimberly Derting Charlie's city/country is ruled by an evil queen, who strictly enforces a class system. Each class speaks a separate language, and you aren't allowed to acknowledge someone above you speaking in their own tongue. Charlie has a secret she keeps from everyone outside her family and must move carefully around society. War is coming to the city as well, and the unrest has everyone in unexpected situations. There are definitely some question marks in this story, and conversely, some really predictable parts. The story was interesting, however, and the characters believable. I will look for the second book.

2015- 80 books read. Below is the breakdown by publishing year.

1904
1940
1965
1989
1991 (3)
1992 (2)
1997
1999
2001
2003
2004 (2)
2005 (2)
2006 (1)
2007 (3)
2008 (2)
2009 (8)
2010 (5)
2011 (8)
2012 (10)
2013 (8)
2014 (12)
2015 (6)

Awesome!