I'm back!!!!

Dear Everyone,

Ashley here. As you all may be aware by now, this blog has undergone some changes in the past 2+ years, but in reality, they're a result of changes in my personal life. I've enjoyed very much reading books and reviewing them, and making friendships with authors out there that trust me enough to let me review their books. I informed you all a while back (over 2 years ago..) that I became engaged, and not long after that I stopped updating as much. My personal life ended up taking me away from this blog, and I'm still a little sad about that. Planning a wedding is a lot of work! Phew!

Then, I became bogged down in life and all that entails. When I knew that I wouldn't be able to update as much, I added my best friend Jessica (blondy) as a co-author to this blog. I'm so glad I did! If it weren't for her, this blog would have crashed and died a long time ago!

This past year my husband and I found out we would be having our first child, and the following 9 months were filled with doctor's appointment, baby books, nursery decorating, and so on. That whole time Jessica was here, faithfully keeping this blog afloat. Thanks, girl! I really appreciate it!

Now that life has settled down a bit (as much as it can when you have a 4 month old), I would like to start reviewing again. I started this whole blog because I love to read, I love to write, and I love making contacts with other people. This blog has brought me the opportunity to do that, and quite frankly, I missed it. The whole time I was absent, I never forgot about Book and Cranny. It's kind of my baby...which now makes me even more sad that I abandoned my baby! What kind of mother am I?!?

So, dear readers, I'm back and I'm ready to be a good mother again. Except now, there are two parents! Jessica will remain a co-author with me. Where my reading interests end, hers usually begins. Maybe this will make for a more rounded group of opinions. Hope all you faithful readers continue to come back, and we'll try our best to bring you some great reviews.

Thanks so much!

Love,

Ashley

I couldn't resist this challenge!

I normally don't like to commit myself to challenges just for the fact that I feel like a failure if I don't complete them. Yes, call me a pessimist, but that's just the way I am. When I saw this challenge, however, there was no way I couldn't sign up. J. Kaye's 2009 Young Adult Book Challenge was just up my alley. As you all know, I'm a teen fiction addict and spend a lot of my time reading these books just because they're A:) fun and B:) easy reads. I feel there is no way I could possibly mess this one up.

If you'd like to join, just go to the link posted above and sign up. You don't have to have a book blog to join. Here are the rules:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. Read 12 Young Adult novels. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

3. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.

4. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

Easy enough, eh?

Here is my preliminary list. Since I change my mind extremely often, I figure this list will change several times over the year.

1. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

2. That Summer by Sarah Dessen

3. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

4. Killer by Sarah Shepard (Released July 2009)

5. The Clique by Lisi Harrison

6. Crank by Ellen Hopkins

7. Paper Towns by John Green

8. Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares

9. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

10. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

11. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

12. Airhead by Meg Cabot

I Like You by Amy Sedaris

I've been a big fan of David Sedaris for a while now. Through his books, I've gotten a glimpse of his crazy sister Amy. I always like reading about her because she seems like the kind of person I would love to invite to a party. She's quirky, spontaneous, and a little crazy. That's just my style.

When I found out she wrote a hospitality/cooking/entertaining book, I just knew I had to read it. She starts off by writing, "This is not a joke cookbook." While I must say I laughed plenty of times while reading it, there is definitely some substance to this book. During the Christmas holidays I used quite a few of her recipes and people raved about them.

One of the recipes was "Tattletail's Vanilla Cupcakes" which is in the "And Rabbits" section of the book. She explains her outrageous idea of starting a business focused around her pet rabbit, Tattletail. They sell cupcakes, cheese balls, and other goodies. The idea is so crazy I just had to giggle. I made the cupcakes just as the recipe said and they turned out great. I didn't make my own frosting as she suggested, but bought the premade kind at the store. I iced those babies up, alternated green and red sugar sprinkles, and I must say they were devoured quite quickly. So yummy.


I also used 2 of her cheese ball recipes and took the balls to my mother's for Christmas. The one that most everyone enjoyed was the "Lil' Smoky Cheese Ball." It was very easy to make; just take shredded Gouda, cream cheese, butter, milk, steak sauce, and chopped nuts. Let me just tell you, that makes a gigantic cheese ball! There's nothing "Lil'" about it. The other cheese ball, "The Heavyset Cheese Ball," I made just for the novelty factor. You shape the cheese ball into a pine cone shape and use whole almonds in layers to make it look like a pine cone. Add rosemary garnish on the top and you're all set. While this cheese ball was also delicious, it is for a more adult pallet.


Heavyset Cheese Ball

While these are just a few that I've tried, there are so many other good recipes in this book. However, she doesn't just give great recipes but also plans out meals, tells you how to properly fill out invites, explains how to be a good guest (never go number 2 in someone's toilet), explains how to make a F*ck It Bucket, tells you how to entertain elderly people (I love how she used the huge font throughout this chapter), and gives you many uses for pantyhose.
If you're wanting to read a new hospitality book and want to laugh in the process, you'll love this book. It helped me remember that cooking and entertaining is supposed to be fun, not a hassle.

I made a lot of friends this year..

It's New Year's Eve and another year in reading is complete. While I would have, and probably COULD have, read more this year, here is my list:

BOOKS READ 2008
(In no particular order)
1. Why Men Don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps by Allan Pease and Barbara Pease
2. Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
3. A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
4. The Bombshell Manual of Style by Laren Stover
5. Closing the Deal-Richard Kirshenbaum and Daniel Rosenberg
6. How to Set His Thighs on Fire by Kate White
7. Why Men Don't Have a Clue and Women Always Need More Shoes by Allan Pease and Barbara Pease
8. Bookends by Jane Green
9. Crazy In Alabama by Mark Childress
10. Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
11. Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares
12. Otherwise Engaged by Suzanne Finnamore
13. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
14. The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux
15. Long Hard Road Out of Hell by Marilyn Manson
16. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
17. The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
18. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
19. How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot
20. Navy Wife by Debbie Macomber
21. The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan
22. The Perfect Family by Carla Cassidy
23. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
24. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
25. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
26. Milk In My Coffee by Eric Jerome Dickey
27. Shopaholic and Baby by Sophie Kinsella
28. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
29. America by Jon Stewart
30. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
31. god Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens
32. Flawless by Sara Shepard
33. Perfect by Sara Shepard
34. Entertaining by Malcolm Hillier
35. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
36. The Other Woman by Jane Green
37. Long, Lean, and Lethal by Heather Graham
38. One For The Money by Janet Evanovich
39. Little Stories by Jeff Roberts
40. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
41. Unbelievable by Sara Shepard
42. Wicked by Sara Shepard
43. Book Lust by Nancy Pearl
44. More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl
45. The Knot Complete Guide to Weddings in the Real World by Carley Roney
46. I Like You by Amy Sedaris
47. Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman


Looking back on this list makes me smile. While there weren't too many books I read this year that I can envision being classics one day, I did have a lot of fun with my reading. This past year for me was the year of the Twilight series, Pretty Little Liars, Memory Keeper's Daughter, Amy Sedaris, Marilyn Manson, Jane Green, weddings, and Stargirl. It's been pretty eclectic and all enjoyable. I hope next year brings me more great finds.

I hope you all have a great New Year's Eve and a fantastic 2009!

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman
Ages: 10 and up
Release date: February 10, 2009

I just had the pleasure of reading a very unusual book. Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman is a novel targeted towards readers 10 and up, which follows best friends Ryan McCray and Sarah Fincher on their journey to discover the odd happenings of the deserted "Dredge" in their town. What makes this book unique is the fact that it's told in journal format, written by Ryan, and also allows the adamant reader a chance to go online and view videos sent to him by his friend Sarah. Since Ryan's accident in the Dredge, the friends are told by their parents to keep away from each other. Through email and video correspondence, which the reader gets to experience as well, they try to piece together the mystery behind the abandoned dredge.

I had quite a bit of fun reading this book. I flew through it very quickly because I was so eager to get to the next video. There's something captivating about being able to watch this scary story/mystery unfold before your eyes and feeling like you're learning and seeing things as the characters are.

If Mr. Carman's hope was to find a new way for young readers to enjoy reading, I think he's found it. While I'm fond of the old "use your imagination" type of reading, I agree that this style of book will find a fan base. With technology advancing so quickly, more young readers are choosing the computer over a book, and this is a nice medium. My younger self would easily have fallen in love with this book, and would be anticipating a sequel (which I sure hope Mr. Carman is going to do).

I would suggest anyone that is looking for a change of pace, to pick this book up and give it a go. You'll have a blast reading/watching it. This I promise you.

**If you'd like to get more of a feel of the book, I suggest visiting http://www.skeletoncreekisreal.com/.

Tons of excitement!!

So much has happened since the last time I've updated. I feel like I have a world of news to share with you all. I'd like to start with the Christmas Swap! After coming home for lunch today, I noticed that there was a package waiting for me in the mailbox. I was pretty curious about it because it was a big parcel and I wasn't expecting any big books from bookmooch any time soon. I completely forgot the fact that I should be expecting a package from a book blogger for the Christmas swap. I guess with everything that has been happening recently, it has completely left my mind. Needless to say, I was extremely surprised to see that Lisa had sent me Book Lust and More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl.

I'm not sure if Lisa just took a guess and knew that as a book lover I would adore these books, or if by some kind of Christmas magic she found out that I have had these two books on my wishlist for quite a while now. Either way, I was thrilled to death to get them. Besides the "other" gift I got recently from boyfriend (which I will mention below), this has been my favorite Christmas gift so far! Thank you so much Lisa, you're a doll! I hope you have an "old-fashioned Christmas" as well.



Now on to my next nugget of news....I'm engaged! A week or so ago, boyfriend just couldn't wait to give me my Christmas present. After asking him several times if he was sure he wanted me to open it now, I obliged and tore open the box. Inside the box was an envelope with a card taped on the inside. At the end of the card he wrote, "I never want to lose you. Close your eyes and face me." I asked him if I had to close my eyes and he quickly replied, "Yes!" When I opened my eyes, he was on his knees with a ring in his hands. "Will you marry me?" Needless to say, I was a complete mess. I'm pretty sure I cried for 5 minute before answering yes. I'm a baby, I know. I have never been so happy about anything in my life. Oh...I'm sure you'd like to see the ring.





It's so beautiful on its own, but even more so because he put his heart into picking it out for me. So that explains why I've been a bit MIA. Most of my time over the last week has been reading this wedding book I picked up at Target the day I got engaged (I just couldn't help it). As you can see, I already have it stuffed full of print-outs, post-its, and random wedding papers. It's funny how fast the wedding madness can engulf you.






I hope all is well with you all, dear readers. This time of year is one to just enjoy the "warmness" of the season. Enjoy the cheesy Christmas songs, the great old timey movies, and spend time with the ones you love. I hope you all have an "old-fashioned Christmas filled with happy traditions." :)

Wicked by Sara Shepard

**SOME SPOILERS-BEWARE**


Wicked is the latest installment in the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard. After the fourth novel in the series, Unbelievable, I was a little worried about where the plot line was going to go. I mean, they found out who A was, and they apparently found out who murdered Ali. However, I was pretty suspicious about who they pegged as the killer. Knowing that Shepard intends to write 8 novels in this series, I just have a feeling that the murderer isn't who we think it is.

In Wicked we have a new A, and I have absolutely no clue who it is (it also took me a while to find out who the first A was). So now I'm scratching my head and back in the same situation I was in before. Some part of me was mad at Shepard for putting me back in this situation, and another part was a little disappointed that this series didn't end with Unbelievable. Everything was wrapped up, and now I feel like Shepard and Alloy books are just trying to milk the series.

With that being said, I must admit that these books are so addicting and I can honestly say that I will probably buy and read the rest of the series. The next book, Killer, is due out in July 2009. If you're a fan of young adult fiction, and enjoy suspenseful reads then I suggest, once again, that you all look into this series.

Spiraling...

Things just seem to be getting out of control. I haven't had the strength or energy to update lately for several reasons. My mind has been flooded with heavy thoughts about my life and where it's going. I turned 24 on November 28, and I guess you could say I'm having a bit of a quarter-life crisis. It's just a bit of a funk and I'm sure I'll be out of it in a few days.

I've also been a little under the weather the past week. It all started when I ate some bad BBQ from a local restaurant here which left me with a terrible stomach ache for the past few days.

Then there is Dewey. Like many other bloggers, I'm still not quite over her passing. It's a sad thing to have happened and I find myself thinking of her and her family often. Her death has been a shock to my system and has in a way affected my blogging. However, I have found by reading other book blogs that so many people were inspired by her, and as a result, tons of people have rallied together to make sure her projects continue to live on. In times like this, that is nice to see.

Sorry for the "blah" post. Regardless of what has happened in the past week, I have continued to keep my head in a book. I find it's the best way to clear my head and relax. When life is crazy, pick up a book.

Shock and sadness

As most of the book blogging community is already aware, Dewey passed away today. Apparently she has been in some pain for a while now, although her readers would have never known.

I came home for lunch today, signed on to Google Reader, and my jaw dropped when I saw the latest update on her website. I can't believe she's gone. I think we're all in shock at this moment; she was such a momental force in this community.

A lot of people don't know this, but she was my inspiration for starting my book blog. I was reading tons of different blogs for a while before starting Book and Cranny and I found myself drawn to hers. She was an exceptional writer, and I just loved checking into her site to find out what she was reading and how she liked it.

I took part in her October 2008 Read-A-Thon which she organized for fellow book bloggers and I had such a great time. That's the way she was, always organizing challenges, activities, giveaways. She was kind in every way. People loved her, even people like me that didn't really even know who she was but felt like we did anyway.

My thoughts and well wishes go out to her family and everyone that was touched by this wonderful woman.

We miss you Dewey.

I hope you ate lots of turkey.

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you were all able to gather around the ones you love, stuff your face full of turkey and pumpkin pie, and crash in front of the TV watching Christmas movies.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade was on when I woke up this morning so I was able to ring in the day right. I'm almost positive I've never missed the parade since I was around 6 years old. It's somewhat of a self-made tradition. We just got back from boyfriend's parents house where we ate deep fried turkey and lots of other goodies. I was just sad there was no pumpkin pie. :(

As for my reading, I'm having a bit of a delima (and maybe you can help me out). I just can't find a book I can get into. These spells hit me at different times and I just hate that I'm in the middle of one now, especially since I've been sent so many interesting reads. They seem interesting anyway, but when I start to read I just lose interest. I know it has nothing to do with the book really, it's just my current state of mind. I can't get into reading anything! You have any suggestions for what I can do to get out of this funk? I feel lost when I'm not immersed in a book. It rarely happens, but when it does I don't even feel like myself.

Well, anyway, I hope you all had a good day and took note of all the things you're thankful for. It's nice to take a pause once in a while and really examine what is important in your life and all the things/people to be thankful for.

Happy turkey day everyone! Now, let's all give our bellies a good rub and take a nice nap.

Twilight movie disappoints..

I went to see the Twilight movie on Friday at 10pm. Boyfriend, Sister, and I all battled the crowd of teenage girls in order to see this flick the day it was released. I wish I would have waited. After I returned home, I checked my inbox and saw that I had a PM from a fellow BookCrosser. Here is our exchange; it will describe perfectly how I felt right after viewing this movie.

*Please excuse any grammatical errors. I wrote this reply in a blind fury.

Bookcrosser: I started a thread in Chit-Chat asking who was going to see Twilight this weekend, and so far, only the ones who wanted to wait for the DVD or who wouldn't be caught dead watching it responded! I was wondering where all the other Twilighters were when I took a look at your blog. My friend and I are going to see it Sunday. Please let me know what you thought.

Me: Funny that you wrote to me. I just got out of the theater and I must say I was SO disappointed. The acting was terrible and they rushed a lot of the important aspects of the movie (even the evolution of Edward and Bella's love). They spent way too much time on unnecessary stuff like the students in the school and her relationship with her father, but rushed all the information regarding Edward and the Cullens. My boyfriend hadn't read the books and I had to explain so much to him after we left the movie because they rushed through it and didn't spend anytime explaining. I would tell anyone to just wait and watch it when it's released on DVD, although I know that if you're as big of a Twilight fan as I am, you'll go see it in the theaters anyway just to see for yourself. Just know that you will leave thinking that they should have casted the whole movie all over. The only people in the movie that could act were the people that played Bella, Charlie, Billy, and Rosalie. Since it's still so fresh on my mind I just can't explain how devastated I am by the movie. I'm in such shock. I would think since the books had such a cult following they would have put more effort into making a better film.

I think that pretty much sums it up for me. I realize that when you make a movie based on a novel, that there are things you must cut out. I totally understand that, but my disappointment wasn't just about that. The acting was horrible and they didn't explain much about the Cullens at all. I'm just sad and frustrated about it. This movie could have been much better and could have rivalled Harry Potter, but now it's just going to be another movie that no one remembers 10 years from now.

I feel like doing cartwheels!

I'm so incredibly excited about a couple things. First, let me just remind you (in case you've been living under a rock for the past few months) that Twilight the movie will be released THIS Friday, November 21. I'm still a little worried if it will live up to the books, although I have to admit that this won't stop me from seeing it. I'm going straight after work on Friday, and I'm sure I'll be giddy as a teenager.

The trailer in case you haven't seen it...







I'm also thrilled to pieces because I've put my Christmas Tree up! Now I know what you're thinking. You're thinking it's way too early for Christmas decorations, but my theory is this: the tree is inspiration. Every time I look at that tree I will be reminded that I need to finish up my Christmas shopping. Hopefully this way I won't be scampering around for Christmas gifts the week before Christmas. Plus, I get to enjoy it longer this way..and it's so pretty...and, well...I don't need an excuse! I'm just excited for Christmas! Notice I even have a few presents under the tree already.



Anyone else have their Christmas stuff up yet? If so, please post a picture! I'd love to see everyone's decorations.

reading update 11/16/08

I'd like to be able to tell you I'll be posting a review later today, but honestly I'm not quite sure. I've been bouncing around from book to book, and have spent more time than I'd like to admit reading blogging books. There's just so much I still need to learn. When I'm not reading my blogging books, I'm looking around my house and realizing all that needs to be done. I skipped over spring cleaning and now my house is in dire need for an overhaul. At least I got my desk area cleaned up.

You should have seen it before. Books EVERYWHERE! I can't even begin to explain how I was functioning at all in this area.
Now that the house is decent, I plan to get my reading in order and post a review ASAP. I'm working on Unbelievable by Sara Shepard and Forever Lily by Beth Nonte Russell so be sure to check back.

Secret Santa

I sure hope my fellow blogger's aren't upset that I haven't posted this earlier (and if you are-please forgive me). Dewey and Nymeth are hosting a book blogger's Secret Santa swap! I'm extremely excited as you will tell by the many exclamations I put throughout this post!!!

If you're a book blogger and would like to participate, please head over to their blogs for all the details. You better hurry! Sign up ends November 18 and names will be handed out on the 20th.

I can't wait to find out which blogger I will get to surprise! Christmas is just a barrel of candy-coated fun!

Top Selling Books

USA Today's Top Selling Books of the last 15 years Meme!

I got this from Andrea's blog
Here are the rules: Bold what you've read, italicize what you own, star* books on your TBR list!

1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling
2 Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution - Robert C. Atkins
3 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
8 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
9 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
10 Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson
11 The South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston
12 Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
13 Angels & Demons - Dan Brown
14 What to Expect When You're Expecting - Murkoff, etal.
15 The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren
16 The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
17 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
18 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini**
19 Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - John Gray
20 The Secret - Rhonda Byrne**
21 Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki
22 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
23 Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - and It's All Small Stuff - Richard Carlson
24 The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
25 Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert**
26 Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
27 The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
28 The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
29 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
30 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
31 A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
32 Oh, the Places You'll Go! - Dr. Seuss
33 The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
34 Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
35 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
36 Body-for-Life - Bill Phillips, Michael D’Orso
37 New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
38 Night - Elie Wiesel
39 Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
40 The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw
41 Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer
42 The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
43 Wicked - Gregory Maguire
44 Good to Great - Jim Collins
45 Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
46 Eragon - Christopher Paolini**
47 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
48 Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen
49 In the Kitchen With Rosie - Rosie Daley
50 Simple Abundance - Sarah Ban Breathnach
51 A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer
52 A Million Little Pieces - James Frey
53 The Testament - John Grisham
54 Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
55 Deception Point - Dan Brown
56 The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
57 Marley & Me - John Grogan
58 Dr. Atkins' New Carbohydrate Gram Counter - Robert C. Atkins
59 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
60 The Brethren - John Grisham
61 The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide - Arthur Agatston
62 The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town - John Grisham
63 For One More Day - Mitch Albom
64 The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg
65 The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald**
66 The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
67 What to Expect the First Year - Arlene Eisenberg, etal.
68 Love You Forever - Robert Munsch
69 Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
70 A Painted House - John Grisham
71 The Rainmaker - John Grisham
72 Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
73 Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
74 The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
75 Life Strategies - Phillip C. McGraw
76 Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Laura Hillenbrand
77 The Summons - John Grisham
78 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt
79 The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien**
80 The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
81 Goodnight Moon - Margaret Wise Brown
82 The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
83 Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson
84 The Giver - Lois Lowry
85 Embraced by the Light - Betty J. Eadie
86 The Chamber - John Grisham
87 You: On A Diet - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
88 The Prayer of Jabez - Bruce Wilkinson
89 Holes - Louis Sachar
90 Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
91 The Shack - William P. Young
92 The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger
93 Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen**
94 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
95 The Seat of the Soul - Gary Zukav
96 Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
97 The Partner - John Grisham
98 Lord of the Flies - William Golding**
99 Eldest: Inheritance, Book II - Christopher Paolini
100 The Broker - John Grisham
101 The Street Lawyer - John Grisham
102 A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
103 The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
104 Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
105 The King of Torts - John Grisham
106 The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
107 The Horse Whisperer - Nicholas Evans
108 Hannibal - Thomas Harris
109 The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
110 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
111 The Glass Castle: A Memoir - Jeannette Walls
112 My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
113 The Last Juror - John Grisham
114 The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
115 Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
116 America (The Book) - Jon Stewart
117 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
118 John Adams - David McCullough**
119 The Christmas Box - Richard Paul Evans**
120 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
121 Sugar Busters! - Leighton Steward, etal.
122 Blink - Malcolm Gladwell**
123 The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle**
124 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life - Don Piper
125 The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien**
126 1776 - David McCullough
127 The Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller
128 Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts
129 The Ultimate Weight Solution - Phillip C. McGraw
130 Protein Power - Mr. & Mra. Michael R. Eades
131 Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul - Jack Canfield, etal.
132 Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
133 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
134 Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
135 You: The Owner's Manual - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
136 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List - Patricia Schultz**
137 Self Matters - Phillip C. McGraw
138 She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
139 1984 - George Orwell
140 The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis**
141 The Millionaire Next Door - Thomas J. Stanley
142 The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory**
143 The Zone - Barry Sears, Bill Lawren
144 The Pilot's Wife - Anita Shreve
145 The Lost World - Michael Crichton
146 Atonement - Ian McEwan
147 He's Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo
148 Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
149 The World Is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman**
150 Cross - James Patterson

To sum it up: I've read 48 of these and I have 16 on my TBR list.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

"She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew." -excerpt from Stargirl

Stargirl is one of those precious stories that isn't bogged down with useless words. It's very simple, direct, and with a message. Stargirl Caraway is a new student in Mica High School. None of the other kids have seen anybody quite like her. She's different. At first the other students are baffled by her hippy skirts and free-spirit ways, but soon she is the most popular girl in school. After she cheers for the opposing basketball team during a school tournament, she's immediately shunned by everyone in school-everyone but Leo.

Told by Leo Borlock, the story of Stargirl shows you how someone like her can make such an impact on so many people in such a short period of time. There are times when I smiled, when I wanted to shout at these narrow-minded people, and when I just wanted to cheer for Stargirl.

Stargirl Caraway is the kind of person everyone strives to be but is too afraid. We're afraid of the world and what it will say. We would all like to be so carefree that we could stand up in the middle of a high school cafeteria and sing "Happy Birthday" with a ukulele. We'd like to be able to wear flapper style dresses one day and an ankle length prairie dress the next. We'd all love to anonymously leave homemade greeting cards for any occasion to a deserving stranger or leave candy hearts for everyone on Valentine's Day. I think I can say that all of us would essentially like to be more like Stargirl. She's a nonconformist, and doesn't give one lick about what others think. She's never even thought to care.

I was touched, and I was left wanting to be just like Stargirl. I think the world would be a more happier place if there were more people like her.

I learned that there is a sequel to this book called Love, Stargirl. I'm pretty skeptical about reading it just because this is one of those books that doesn't need a second part. It's perfect just the way it is. I'm not in a hurry to read it, but if it crosses my path I may just have to. I can't resist Stargirl and her charm.

Fantastic Fiction

For anyone not in the know, I thought I would share one of my favorite websites. Fantastic Fiction is a website that contains information about any author and their list of publish works. If you're trying to find out what books a certain author has published to date and any forthcoming books, this is the site to go to. I spend lots of time on this site because I'm really into reading series and it's nice to have a list and publication dates for these books so I know which one to read next.

Take a look and let me know what you think. If you know of any other sites of this kind please let me know.

Little Stories by Jeff Roberts

Little Stories by Jeff Roberts is a collection of 11 short stories written by the author during his time as an undergraduate student. Each story is somewhat of a snapshot of life in general, and what people go through during this journey. While some of the stories are purely fictional, there are times when I wondered if a few weren't real life accounts (just muddled up a bit in order to call it fiction).

There were a few stories in this book that I would have liked to skip over entirely (Iowa City and Tadpoles), but there are stories that left me with a tear in my eye. My favorite story in this collection was Cosette, a touching account of Roberts and his daughter losing their pet cat. I believe this story effected me because I've been in that situation, and I know how emotionally draining it is to bury a "pet" that was so much more than that; they were a part of the family.

After reading an interview by Roberts, I wasn't surprised to learn that a lot of readers enjoyed The Red and the Black. This one was on my list as one that I enjoyed as well. While Roberts welcomes a daughter into the world, his grandfather is lying in ICU on his deathbed. Through Roberts compelling writing, you find yourself wondering what you would do in that same situation. Would you sneak your newborn daughter into an ICU to meet her dying grandfather?

That's the beauty of Robert's "little stories." They transplant you into the situation and you find yourself questioning how you would react. I even came across a few stories that seemed to be written about me, and while reading those it came to my attention that Roberts has a gift. He recognizes that life is not all roses and happiness and joyful times. Life is sometimes tough and his little stories are a fantastic snapshot of what some people choose not to pay attention to.

I wished Roberts would have had someone edit his writing a little better. There were typos and incorrect use of simple punctuation. I'm sure this was not the fault of Roberts himself, but just a lack of good editing. I, however, chose to overlook this small detail because the stories were so mesmerizing.

I made a small list of friends and family that may enjoy reading this: friends graduation from college, mothers, daughters, people in relationships, sons, fathers, anyone that has lost a loved one... There is something in this small book for everyone. I suggest you pick this up, pour yourself a cup o' Joe, and let yourself get sucked into this great book.

Yard sales equal BIG scores!

Any reader as bad as I am will know, yard sales are the one place where you can stock up on books for MEGA cheap. Today at work, we had an employee yard sale in the front of our building, and while I didn't sell anything, I most certainly bought! As many of my colleagues were packing up items that didn't sell, I attached myself to them like a leech and bought all the books I could find.


While some aren't my taste, I bought them all anyway because I just couldn't pass them up. Since bookcrossing as become one of my big hobbies, I buy all books I see that are marked down because I just find it extremely fun to "release into the wild."


Here are my latest scores:

• Mirror, Mirror by Judy Baer
• The Baby Came C.O.D. by Marie Ferrarella
• Where There's a Will by Day LeClaire
• Missionary Daddy by Linda Goodnight
• Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks
• The Five-Year Baby Secret by Liz Fielding
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
• Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks
• Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
• A Soldier's Heart by Marta Perry
• Kelton's Rules by Peggy Nicholson
• Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
• Best Friends for Never by Lisi Harrison
• Invasion of the Boy Snatchers by Lisi Harrison
• The Pretty Committee Strikes Back by Lisi Harrison
• Dial L for Loser by Lisi Harrison
• Revenge of the Wannabes by Lisi Harrison
• That Summer by Sarah Dressen
• Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
• The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
• Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
• Angel Eyes by Myrna Mackenzie
• Meeting Her Match by Debra Clopton
• Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

Phew! Spending the early part of the afternoon labeling books was just the icing on the cake. I think most of the romance novels will ultimately be bookcrossed, but I'm sure most of the YA novels will be devoured pretty quickly. I've been on a teen lit reading frenzy lately.
I hope everyone else scores some good reads this weekend. Let me know what you come across; I'm always adding to my never ending wishlist.

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

I've never really had much want to read a Janet Evanovich novel. None of my friend's had suggested any of her books, and overall, I just hadn't heard much about her. Of course, I saw this novel in my local supermarket on the bestseller list and I had seen the author's name plenty of times but just never had a reason to want to read anything from her.

A couple weeks ago, as some of you may remember reading, I received a bookcrossing bookbox and one of the books I selected was One for the Money. I figured I'd give Evanovich a try since I've seen her books EVERYWHERE, and I can honestly say I'm glad I did.

One for the Money is the first book in the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie Plum is a layed off retail buyer who is looking for a job in order to keep from losing her apartment and living on the streets. As suggested by her mother, she asks her cousin Vinny, a bail bondsman, for a job as a bounty hunter. After hearing of a 10,000 dollar reward for the capture of her old flame, Morelli, Stephanie takes on the challenge.

Stephanie Plum is just the kind of character I can rally behind. Evanovich does a great job giving the reader a female protagonist that readers can relate with and ultimately root for. I found myself several times while reading the novel actually wishing that I could go on these excursions with Stephanie. She's just the kind of gal I would befriend, and that's what makes her so endearing. She's tough, and she doesn't take any crap. While she definitely makes tons of beginners mistakes, she keeps going.

I've told myself over the last few months that I'm going to try to stop reading so many book series. I'm not sure what it is lately that has drawn me to them, but I just can't stop. I guess I can put Janet Evanovich's Plum series on my list as well.