Chelle Attempts 12 in 2012

This is my first time attempting a categorized reading. I just joined LT this year and am finding a ton of awesome groups, activities and people on here!
I don't think I can manage 12 books in each category so I'm going to start with 6 and if all goes well maybe I can bump it up halfway!
I will start December 12th

12 categories in 2012:

1) Birthday Books: From the year of my birth 1981 (Read 6 of 6)
2) They Won't Stay Dead: Zombies (Read 4 of 6)
3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography (Read 6 of 6: Extras 8 of 12)
4) Oh to be young again: YA Lit (Read 6 of 6: Extras 8 of 12)
5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up (Read 6 of 6: Extras 10 of 12)
6) Who?: Authors I have not read before (Read 6 of 6: Extras 10 of 12 )
7) Morbid thoughts: 1001 Books to Read Before I Die. (Read 6 of 6)
8) Such a Rebel: Banned Books (Read 5 of 6)
9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long. (Read 6 of 6: Extras 9 of 12)
10) It's a whole new world: Apocalyptic/ Post Apocalyptic/ Dystopian (Read 6 of 6)
11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT (Read 6 of 6: Extras 9 of 12)
12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors (Read 6 of 6: Extras 10 of 12)

No cross contamination allowed :)

1) Birthdays Books: From the year of my birth 1981
1) Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
2) The Mask by Dean Koontz
3) Bodily Harm by Margaret Atwood
4) The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz
5) Rabbit is Rich by John Updike
6) Cujo by Stephen King

Initial Ideas:
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
Rabbit is Rich By John Updike
Cujo by Stephen King
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Bodily Harm by Margaret Atwood
They Thirst by Robert McCammon
The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz
Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark
RoadWork by Stephen King
Shuttlecock by Graham Swift
Stranger with my Face by Lois Duncan
The Mask by Dean Koontz

2) They Won't Stay Dead: Zombies
(because I read a ton of paranormal fiction but zero zombies)

1) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Janes Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith
2) The Night of the Living Dead by John Russo
3) Return of the Living Dead by John Russo
4) Pay Me in Flesh by K. Bennett
5) World War Z by Max Brooks
6) Already Dead by Charlie Huston

Initial Ideas:
Zone One by Colson Whitehead
Feed by Mira Grant
World War Z by Max Brooks
The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
Already Dead by Charlie Houston

3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography

1) Hurricane Story by Jennifer Shaw
2) Hell's Angels: into the Abyss by Yves Lavigne
3) Bay of Fundy: A Natural Portrait by Scott Leslie
4) A Century of Policing: The Ontario Provincial Police 1909-2009
5) Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
6) The Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
Extras:
7) Wild: From Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed
8) We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee

Initial Ideas:
Danse Macabre or On Writing by Stephen King
The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
Hells Angels: Into The Abyss by Yves Lavigne

4) Oh to be young again: YA Lit

1) Eragon by Christopher Paolini
2) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
3) Darkest Powers Bonus Pack by Kelley Armstrong
4) I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
5) The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
6) The Power of Six by Pitticus Lore
Extras:
7) The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
8) Seizure by Kathy Reichs

Initial Ideas:
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

5) Ohhh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up

1) The Drop by Michael Connelly
2) Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson
3) 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz
4) Heat Wave by Richard Castle
5) Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
6) Calico Joe by John Grisham
Extras:
7) Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King
8) 11th Hour by James Patterson
9) Gideon's Corpse by Preston & Child
10) Aunt Dimity and the Duke by Nancy Atherton
Initial Ideas:

6) Who?: Authors I have not read before

1) Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter by Nancy Atherton
2) The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
3) The 39 Clues: Cahills vs.Vespers Book One: The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman
4) Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
5) Gideon's Sword by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
6) The Coroner's Lunch by Collin Cotterill
Extras
7) Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
8) Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
9) Hidden Prey by John Sandford

Initial Ideas:

7) Morbid thoughts: 1001 Books to Read Before I Die List
1) Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
2) The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
3) Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
4) Rabbit, Run by John Updike
5) Animal Farm by George Orwell
6) Rabbit, Redux by John Updike

Initial Ideas:
Rabbit, Run by John Updike (1960)
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (2000)
Atonement by Ian McEwan (2001)

8) Such a Rebel: Banned Books

1) The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck
2) The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
3) The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
4) The Color Purple by Alice Walker
5) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
6) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Initial Ideas:
The Absolutely true Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Fanny Hill by John Cleland
Call of the Wild by Jack London
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long.

1) Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell
2) Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3) Lover Reborn by JR Ward
4) They Thirst by Robert R. McMammon
5) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
6) Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
Extras:
7) The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
8) Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
9) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Initial Ideas:

10) It's a whole new world: Apocalyptic/ Post Apocalyptic/ Dystopian

1) Blood Red Road by Moira Young
2) Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3) The Night Eternal by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan
4) I'm starved for you by Margaret Atwood
5) The Road by Cormac McCarthy
6) Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Initial Ideas:

11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT

1) The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck
2) Dissolution by CJ Sansom
3) We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
4) The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
5) A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
6) Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur
Extras:
7) Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
8) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
9) Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Initial Ideas:

12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors

1) Still LIfe by Louise Penny
2) Dead Cold by Louise Penny
3) The Hangman by Louise Penny
4) The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
5) The Murder Stone by Louise Penny
6) The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
Extras:
7) Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
8) A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny
9) Hidden by Kelley Armstrong
10) The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

Initial Ideas:
The Lure of the Labrador Wild by Dillon Wallace
No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod

Welcome to the group, and cool categories! I look forward to seeing what you read.

Hi, Chelle! I'm trying this for the first time next year, too! I think it'll be fun.

I think so too!! It will take some planning but I'm looking forward to it!

Hi Chelle, good to see you over here. You've got some interesting categories, it'll be fun watching how you fill them.

Thanks Judy! I think it will be a fun time trying to fill them!

Hi Chelle! I cracked up when I saw your "Look!, A Moose" category. I'd love to read more Canadian authors so I'm sure to pick up a few here.
Good luck meeting your goal!

Thanks Lynda! It will be my first time doing this type of challenge so it could get interesting :)

A good bunch of categories you have here. I'll look forward to following your thread.

#21 Thanks for visiting! :)

If you are looking for ideas for any of yours, I see your Stephen King Reference in 1981. For Chunky Monkeys, the following are super-long

Stephen King:
The Stand
It (Longest book I've ever read)
Needful Things (One of King's best)
The Tommyknockers
Christine (Barely makes it at 503, and is, in my humble opinion, the best of all of King's books, and the only one that tops Pet Sematary)

Other authors I know of that have long books:

Ted Bell (I didn't care for him, personally)
James Rollins (Some, not all of his, exceed 500)
Vince Flynn (Same scenario as James Rollins, some, not all)
Tom Clancy (Another I didn't care for, but if you like Techno Thrillers ...)
James Clavell (Never read him, but I recall seeing his books in a book store being "super thick" compared to the others. Unless they are written on cardboard, they must be over 500, and probably over 1000 pages).

Good luck with yours.

Thanks Thrillerfan! I've read mostly all of Stephen King but they are always good for a re-read!

I'll take a look at the authors you suggest for chunky monkey, I haven't heard of some of those ones

- Ted Bell is normally compared to Clive Cussler. It has to do with pirates.

- James Rollins has 6 or 7 Standalone books, and 7 in the Sigma Force series. The Sigma Force series kinda has to be read in order, otherwise the life/death status of characters would be kinda weird. He is listed as a Thriller writer, but he's a thriller writer based on scientific and historical fact, but the plot of the story is completely fictional.

- Vince Flynn is mainly political intrigue and espionage. You kinda have to read "Term Limits" first, which is strictly a political thriller, but there's a number of characters used in the Mitch Rapp series, which actually starts with Flynn's 2nd book, Transfer of Power. Again, absolutely must read in order (you'll know why if you read enough of them)

- Tom Clancy is mainly military and techno fiction. The only book of his I read was Red Storm Rising, which is basically a made up World War III between Germany and Russia in the late 80s. Most Clancy fans say that was one of his worst books, and that the series he wrote (Jack somebody, don't recall last name) was excellent. I can't say specifically myself.

James Clavell I believe is historical fiction. It's like, 6 books that carries you from I think the 1500s or 1600s to the early 1900s, but again, I haven't read a single book of his, just seen his name and recall the humongous size of his books.

If you aren't familiar with the site, for any fiction you read, you can go to www.fantasticfiction.co.uk. Gives you some idea of similar authors. Also gives you the sequence of series that writers wrote.

Welcome to the ever growing xx in xxxx category challenge!

How about The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie for the banned books category?

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

#25 Thanks so much Thrillerfan. I'll take a look at that website!

#26 Have you read The Satanic Verses? It's on my to-read list but as with a ton of the 1001 books list it kind of intimidates me. I have a couple books by Salman Rushdie but they are sitting sad and lonely on my shelves still....

The only Salman Rushdie book that I can recall reading is Midnight’s Children. I don’t remember going oh I need to buy more books by this author, but I had other things on my mind at the time (like boys :-)).

But I do remember all the controversy, the fact that he had to get body guards, and that people were actively trying to kill him because of it, etc.

Maybe I should put it on my wish list. . . or we could pick a month and say that we were going to read it then . . . what month would be appropriate? October?

DS
(Bruce’s evil twin :-))

Maybe in the new year it could be one of the planned reads? I have midnight's children sitting on my shelf of shame, waiting to be read

Like the birthday books idea but then again I have farther back to research than you! Chelle - starred - we will struggle along together - the year of your wedding as well as 12 in 12!

Hi Chelle! Found you... I LOVE your category names, they really made me smile! I love this part of the year, playing in my LT library looking for possible contenders, with all those categories sitting there just WAITING to be filled. Course, I might crash and burn by June, but half the fun's in the anticipation! ;)

Well I decided to try and get an early start and maybe, just maybe, I can fit 12 in each category. Probably still too ambitious, but we shall see. I'll be starting my 12 in 12 on 12/12 ;)

Paul let the struggle begin :)

Thanks Ellie! Finding categories and pictures was actually kind of fun :)

Great categories, Chelle! I just finished Out Stealing Horses and loved it - it's one of those must read before you die books.. Just a thought for you..;) Great pictures indeed!

I read some of Clavell's books and can expecially recommend Shogun which takes place in Japan and Taipan which takes place in China. That is, if you are a fan of historical fiction.

First one done! Read for 75 in 2011 & 12 in 2012



Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before
Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter by Nancy Atherton

Randomly picked up at a library sale. I've not read any by Atherton before, but will again! Great cozy mystery

Recently some people at the office & I got hooked on Aunt Dimity. They are fun!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

I think I am hooked now as well! I went and got the first in the series and I think I'll continue with them!

Still Life by Louise Penny
Read for 75 in 2011 & 12 in 2012
Category #12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors

This is the first book in a series of seven novels written by Canadian Author Louise Penny and I can’t wait to devour the rest of them!

Jane Neal is an artist who never shows her work, ever. After finally entering a painting in a local art show, she finds out that her work has been accepted into the final contestants. Two days later she is found dead in the woods, apparently a victim of a hunting accident.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is called in from the Sûreté du Quebec to investigate whether this was a horrible hunting accident or actually murder in disguise. Through the investigation we are introduced to some great characters from the townspeople and investigators. There were some I loved (Clara & Gamache) and some I detested (Agent Nichol) and I think that was exactly what Penny had planned.

This was a great novel and very enjoyable! I will continue with this series as soon as I can!

4*

Glad to see you enjoyed your first Louise Penny! I have only made it through the first couple of books in the series so far and hope to continue with it for my 12 in 12.

You guys are in for more treats! Enjoy!

Hi Chelle! I'm glad to see that you're in both this group and the 75ers. How is it possible that you've only been with us for barely a year?!? Seems like you've been here for an age.

Your reading of Still Life reminds me that I need to read the rest of the series - I've only read that one - since I own all of them, all I have to do is remember. Midnight's Children is one of my favorite books of all time, and while I (of course) own another 5 of his titles, I've only read one other (Haroun and the Sea of Stories) and also loved it. Why do I keep on doing this - reading one or two books by an author I enjoy and leaving it at that? Doesn't make sense. Oh well!

Off to rejoin the end of the year read-a-thon. Have a good night!

#39 Thanks Lori! I really enjoyed that one so I will have to get my hands on the rest of the books in that series

#40 I guess you have read all the Penny books Mamzel? I am looking forward to reading #2

#41 Aww thanks Laura! It feels like I've been a member for a long time, but I guess it has only been around 5 months or so?
I'm bad with that too, buying all the books in a series and then not reading them. I still have the first two of the Steig Larson books to read (that I probably won't!)
Enjoy the end of year read-a-thon!

Red Mist by Patricia CornwellRead for 75 in 2011 and 12 in 2012
Category #9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long (or in this case 498 pages long, but I'm still counting it!)

Cornwell and her Kay Scarpetta books have been some of my favorite books for many years, however the last couple books haven't been the same quality as previous books. Still enjoyable but not the same quality.

Set six months after the death of Kay's former Deputy Chief Jack Fielding Kay attends a women's prison in Savannah, Georgia to speak with Kathleen Lawyer, a convicted sex offended who molested Jack as a youth and gave birth to his daughter and murderer Dawn. Kay is on a quest to find out the truth behind Jack's death and the details of what happened on the night that Dawn attempted to kill Kay. Determined to hear Kathleen out she attends the prison against the judgment and advice of her husband Benton, and in attending sets off a string of events that are quite possibly all connected. Kay is drawn into an investigation that comes perilously close to home.

At almost 500 pages this is quite the chunster, but the first half of the book was quite slow with lots of detail on the background and history of the characters. Once the story actually got going it flew by.

Enjoyable but recommended only to people who have read the previous books as there is a ton of back history that will be hard to understand for anyone who has not read the rest.
3*

I used to eat up her books but I had to stop when she was trying to quit smoking at the same time I was also trying. Her whining was not helping me in the least. Somehow I never went back.

Love your categories and the graphics accompanying them! Good luck. I don't think I have read Red Mist although I have read tons of Scarpetta novels.

Mamzel, I could see why that would bother you. One of the things that bothers me is Scarpetta's "holier than thou" attitude towards Marino. He was trying to quit smoking, drinking and binge eating and her attitude is not helpful.

Thanks Kim! I enjoy the Scarpetta books, but the last two have bugged me a bit. I hope the next one is more like her earlier books.

The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
Read for 75 books in 2012, Orange January/July, 12 in 2012:Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before

Author stats: Female/Serbian-American
Pages: 338
Genre: fiction, historical, mystery
Medium: trade paperback
Acquisition: January 2012
Date Completed: January 4, 2012
Rating: 4.5

Natalia had a special relationship with her grandfather; friend, confidant, conspirator. Many years they spent together taking walks to the local zoo to spend time at the tiger enclosure, or spending hours reading out of The Jungle Book that he always had in his pocket throughout his life.

Natalia becomes a doctor, like her grandfather, in an unnamed Balkan country that has seen many years of war. While on a mission to help orphans in a neighbouring country she finds out that her grandfather has died, supposedly while enroute to visit her. While on her way to try and find out what happened to him and get his personal belongings back, the reader is treated to flashback stories from his youth and throughout his amazing life.

"Everything necessary to understand my grandfather lies between two stories: the story of the tiger's wife, and the story of the deathless man. These stories run like secret rivers through all the other stories of his life --- of my grandfather's days in the army; his great love for my grandmother; the years he spent as a surgeon and a tyrant of the University. One, which I learned after his death, is the story of how my grandfather became a man; the other, which he told to me, is of how he became a child again."

The story jumps from present day to flashbacks without defined lines and without any difficulty to follow the route Obreht was taking. She writes an almost magical tale of love and mystery, but while there is graphic content that had me wincing she still had me entranced. I loved how she left many things open for the reader to draw their own conclusions. I was amazed to read the author bio afterwards and find out this was her debut novel at the young age of 26! Amazing work for such a young author.

Hurricane Story by Jennifer Shaw
Read for 75 books in 2012 & 12 in 2012: Category #3 The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography

Author stats: Female/American
Pages: 92
Genre: non-fiction/memoir
Medium: hard cover
Acquisition: December 2011
Date Completed: January 5, 2012
Rating: 3.5

A touching tale of exile of epic proportions. Shaw tells of fleeing New Orleans during the Katrina hurricane at nine months pregnant and of giving birth the day the storm touched down. Told with 46 out of focus artistic photographs and one sentence descriptions, Shaw portrays her journey with her husband and new born son. Touching and sad she makes the reader feel her sorrow without actually showing any shots of the devastation in New Orleans.

I haven't tackled The Tiger's Wife and I am still undecided if I want to but you review does make the book sound interesting. Maybe.... someday.

I received The Tiger's Wife from my Santa pal. I look forward to reading it.

The Tiger's Wife has been on my wishlist for a while now, but like Lori, I keep wavering. Not sure why - it sounds good every time someone talks about it.

I saw Hurricane Story on ER - sounds fascinating!

The Drop by Michael Connelly
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up

For the first 200 pages I was sure I had read this book already. I started checking online to see when it was published and since it just came out I could not have read it. Yet I felt like I knew too much of what was starting to happen, how could that be possible? Well once I looked at a couple reviews it clicked, the book flap! There is way too much information in the publishers blurb! I had read the blurb a couple times online before I bought it and then by the time I read the book I knew what the first few chapters would be about! Note to self: don't read the book flap on books that I already plan to buy!

Once I got over my déjà vu I continued to read the book and it's a classic Bosch story: first class officer with a partner that he tends to leave out of the loop, tension between Bosch and the "higher powers", amazing police work catching criminals that otherwise might have gotten away.
While the books are not terribly hard to read and are pretty much mind candy for me, I will continue to read them and love them as long as Connelly continues to write them!
3.5*

I've only read the first couple of the Harry Bosch series but it is one I intend to continue with for a while. Good to know that even by book 17 they are still providing enjoyment to their readers.

Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up

What can I say about this book other than it's pure mind candy! I just love the Alex Cross novels and this one was as good as some of his earlier Cross novels. Eighteen books strong and this series is still one of my favorites!

Dead Cold by Louise Penny (published as A Fatal Grace in USA)
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is very quickly becoming one of my favorite lead characters! This is book #2 in the series and I found this one to be more enjoyable than the first.

It's Christmas in beautiful Three Pines, Quebec. The town is set with decorations and lights to take your breath away and the towns people are celebrating and cherishing Christmas time with one and all. Three Pines is a loving small town where neighbours know each others names and stop by for coffee and Christmas parties, until CC de Poitiers moves in at least. CC is an insufferable women with history in Three Pines and she is bent on spreading pain and discourse in the town until she meets her end at a curling funspiel in front of most of the residents of Three Pines.

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team are called in to try and work out how a woman can be electrocuted on a frozen lake in front of an entire town, while no one notices it happen! Meanwhile there are two other story lines going on behind the scenes and Penny does a great job of blending them all seamlessly.

I love how Penny can write about murder, deviant behaviour and all around unpleasantness but at the same time write such lovely things about the beauty of the town and the kindness and love that takes place in the town.
The only thing I did not like about this book was the fact that it has two names. Published as Dead Cold in the UK and Canada, and then published as A Fatal Grace in the USA. I actually prefer the USA title after reading the book, it just fits better.
4*

I'm a big fan too!

Nice to see book 2 kept your interest! I have only read the first two books in the series so far and hope to get back to the series this year.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #4) Oh to be young again: YA Lit

Eragon lives with his uncle and cousin in a modest farm house. They lead a simple, poor life until one day while hunting Eragon finds a jewel in the woods. When he attempts to sell it to get money to feed his family no one will buy it as they do not know what kind of jewel it is or what it could be worth. Eragon keeps the jewel and is awoken one night to find it cracking open. What was thought of as a jewel turns out to be a dragon egg. Quickly Eragon finds himself thrust into a world of dragons, magic and violence.
Once a farm hand without much future, Eragon now realizes that life has other plans for him.

This novel reminded me quite a bit of The Lord of the Rings but aimed more towards young readers.
3.5*

The Hangman by Louise Penny
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors

I found this quick novella on Kobo by Louise Penny and since she is my current author obsession I snatched it up. At only 99 pages it was a quick easy read with some of the same characters as the other Three Pines books. While it is not the same quality as the others it was still enjoyable.

This is the blurb from her website about the creation of this novella:

A brand new novella, with Chief Inspector Gamache and set in Three Pines, is now available through the publishers, Grass Roots Press. It's written as part of a programme called GoodReads Canada, which was created by national literacy organizations to publish books aimed at emerging adult readers. So, THE HANGMAN is written at a grade 3 level, for adults. Very clear, very simple. Not really the most complex plot or style, for obvious reasons.

I love your observations about Louise Penny. I'm a big fan too. I noticed that a number of Canadian mystery writers had recently written novellas geared toward adult learners but I hadn't realized that Penny had also contributed one. I'll have to look for this.

What a great idea! I haven't heard of any such project in the U.S. but I could see great potential in it. These books could also serve as a bridge for teens from YA to adult titles.

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #7) Morbid thoughts: 1001 Books to Read Before I Die (Books from this list that I DO NOT already own.), 1001 Books to read before you die

I have had a pretty busy month and although I wanted to join in on the Steinbeckathon I just didn't think I was going to be able to fit it in. Thankfully I read some of the reviews from the group read and realized that it was a pretty short book, so I decided to give it a shot. I am SO happy that I did as this was a really great read!

What I loved most about this book was that it didn't tell a big story, nothing huge happens really. It's a group of residents living in a poor area but living the way that makes them happy. Some squat in an old fish building and some squat in an old furnace that they have gutted and made into a home. They all could change their situation, but they are all content with the way things are

Cannery Row tells a lot about human nature, without preaching. It's a simple book where not much happens, but I found I didn't want to put it down anyway.

"It has always seemed strange to me...The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second."

4*

Definite contender for Steinbeck September for me after some great reviews here

The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #7) Morbid thoughts: 1001 Books to Read Before I Die , 1001 Books to read before you die, Orange January/July

I won't be posting a review about this novel as I didn't enjoy it. I can see why others would like it and I can understand why it won the awards that it did; interesting story, strong characters, insights into human nature, love and violence, etc. However, all that said I just did not like it.

I'm new to LT and now completely sure how the 12 in 12 works, but I do have a suggestion for a book for you that would fit multiple categories. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan is a YA, dystopian novel that also has zombies! I read it last year with my teenagers, and it was a pretty good read. I see that you have Divergent already in your library, not sure if you've read it or not, but all of us loved that which is YA and dystopian. The sequel Insurgent comes out this spring, so that would be another suggestion. I am going to check out Louise Penney as I have not read anything by her before. Love your categories by the way!

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out!
Looking forward to Insurgent!

Hi Chelle, sorry you didn't enjoy your last read, here's hoping your next one is more to your liking.

Well, I didn't plan on reading all of the Louise Penny books in one shot, but it looks like it could happen!
❤❤❤❤❤ these books!! Completely perfect for a stress free night!!


The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors ,

I really enjoyed this book but I had a hard time getting completely wrapped up in it. As much as I love fantasy and paranormal books, I know that all that is fiction. I have a hard time believing that there are people in the world who believe in ghosts and afterlife, psychics and séances, even though I know that is very closed minded of me. This book had some great back story on Chief Inspector Gamache and the secondary plot line was great, however the main plot was based around a séance which I had a hard time believing in a murder mystery. I prefer to keep my murder mysteries seperate from my paranormal novels. Either way it was still a great read! I'm officially hooked on Ms Penny.


The Murder Stone by Louise Penny
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors

This was by far the best read so far out of all the Penny books. I loved how she brought them out of their element, Gamache is on vacation with his wife when a murder happens and it doesn't take place in Three Pines. Only part of the team is brought in to investigate. It wouldn't be the same if most of the characters weren't there though, so she managed to mix in a little Three Pines time within the story. I was shocked to find out the final outcome, it was someone that I had not even thought of. Completely wonderful and I didn't want to put it down.
I want to continue with the next book, but I know I will be soooo sad when I run out of books in the series!
Such a dilema!

Looks like I won't have a hard time filling the Canadian category! ;)

LOL! Glad to see you are enjoying the series. I stalled my reading after the first two books because other books became a priority - damn the library system that manages me like a marionette with looming due dates ;-)

I will get back to the series..... really, I will!

Oh Lori, you must go back! Three Pines is calling your name!
***


The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors

Nope. No way. There is no way he did it. I don't believe it. I refuse to believe it.
Gah, must read the next one and find out what I'm missing!

(Thanks Caro (cameling) for this great book, great choice for a Christmas present!!)


Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors

*Sigh* Tres Amazing.
I can't write right now, I'm too busy wiping away tears. Must dry them so I can start the last book.

Noooo.... Can't.. Look...
Damn it all.... I looked.
***considers filling the rest of her 'next in series' and 'favorite author' categories with visits to Three Pines****

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors

During this book one word kept popping up over and over again and I think not only does it describe Clara's art, but I think it describes Louise Penny's novels very well. "Chiaroscuro" defined by dictionary.com states: the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, especially to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect. Literaly meaning is bascially "light-dark" and I think Penny has managed to write these novels with so much dimension and contrast, showing the darkness of murder and secrecy while showing the goodness of others and the belief that people can change for the better.

These are more than just plain murder mysteries, she writes these novels with such deep thoughts and adds in poetry and quotes from literary masters. Chief Inspector Gamache deals with the worst people, murderers, but he can still see the best in people. In each novel while explaining how he came to know who the murderer was he not only figures out the "who" but he also figures out the why, the emotions that start the ball rolling towards the final act. While not condoning murder, he comes to understand what brought each person towards that act.

I especially enjoy the fact that these are so intricately written and complicated that by the end of the book I am usually surprised to find the "who dun it" was not who I expected! I love it when a book surprises me and is not predictable!

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #4) Oh to be young again: YA Lit Fantasy February

Meg Murray and her brother Charles Wallace are different than other kids. Obviously brilliant but unable to see that in themselves, they feel odd and left out. Their father is a scientist that has been away for far too long on assignment and while people in town enjoy to ridicule them that he isn't coming home they know that he will return one day.

One day Charles meets a woman who can only be described as magical, and she enlists Charles, Meg and a boy named Calvin to undertake a very important and dangerous task that could help save the world and bring their father home.

This is a wondeful tale full of hope and love and is worthy of a read by all! It is an easy read and won't take much of your time ... unless you read the whole series ;)

Thanks to my Santa Thing buddy _debbie_ for this wonderful book!
3.5*

Great reviews and great categories! I am starring this thread, and looking forward to more reviews!

Congratulations on finishing up your Canadian category so quickly! I have one as well but don't have a book in it yet :P I am adding The Lure of the Labrador Wild to my wishlist as it sounds good!

I am also interested in your Zombie and Dystopian categories (I have a similar category with the two groups put in together). If you have not read The Handmaid's Tale yet, I think you might like it!

Hi Janice, thanks for visiting! Hope you find some books for your wishlist here :)
***


Hell's Angels: Into the Abyss by Yves Lavigne
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography

Hell's Angels: Into the Abyss documents the years in the life of Hell's Angel motorcycle club member Anthony Tait when he went from being a member of the club to being an FBI informant. He joined the club as a prospect in 1982 and over the next few years worked his way up the ranks to be one of the top 4 members on the west coast of the USA. For years he worked within the club and as an FBI informant, the only informant to ever penetrate the club fully. With his help in 1987 the FBI did simultaneous raids through the west coast and made over 40 arrests for charges ranging from drug trafficking to conspiracy to commit murder. Through this raid they were able to remove hundred of weapons, millions of dollars of drugs and cash and many criminals off the streets.

While I didn't find Tait to be a very trustworthy character the FBI obviously saw something in him that made him their perfect informant. It's not often that you can find an informant in a motorcycle club that doesn't already have a criminal records or a history of drug use.

Although this book was a little difficult to get in to at first, the beginning was slow while explaining police procedures, it ended up being a very interesting topic. It's amazing to realize the amount of drugs and weapons available to criminals and how hard it is for police to actually get them off the streets. The violence in this book amazed me, the way the HA could take someone's life without a thought just because they needed to pay-back a rival club for a murder they committed. Even worse is the knowledge that the crimes they committed in the 80's are still being committed today, and they have become even more sophisticated in hiding them. Rivalries have become worse and the war between clubs has strengthened until things like the Bandido Massacre happen. Worth a read if you have any interested in true crime.
3.5*

"He who fights with monsters should look to it
that he himself does not become a monster.
And when you gaze long into an abyss, the
abyss also gazes into you."
Friedrich Nietzsche ~ Beyond Good and Evil

Bay of Fundy: A Natural Portrait by Scott Leslie
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography

Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT 4*

I had to scroll allllll the way to near the top of my thread to realize that this is the first novel I have finished since February 6th. Oh the shame!
At least this was a 4* read though! I love how Steinbeck takes the simplest story and turns it into something completely absorbing. There are some amazing reviews added already from the Steinbeckathon group so I won't bother to add anymore, other than saying I thought this was a book worth reading. I read it at work on a 12 hour nightshift so it won't take much of your time to read. So read it already! ;)

Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #10) It's a whole new world: Apocalyptic/ Post Apocalyptic/ Dystopian

4*

Allergy Alert: May contain spoilers.

Blood Red Road is the first book in the Dust Lands series and the debut novel by Young. This was a great first book and I can’t wait to see how she continues the series.

Set in a dystopian world where The Wreckers of a time before have destroyed their world; Saba and her family live in a poor, isolated way in an area going through a drought. Food and water is hard to come by and things are getting very tough and tensions are high. Just as her twin brother Lugh and her father have a huge argument a violent dust and lightning storm rushes in. On the heels of this storm comes a group of riders and they snatch Lugh and kill Saba’s father.
With only a few clues about the identities of the riders, Saba and her 9 year old sister Emmi must figure out who has taken Lugh and why. They will travel far further than they ever imagined and meet people that they could only have dreamt about. They take on a journey that is well above their maturity and skill level and they rise to the task magnificently!

I was very impressed with the flow of this book and the concept. I found that I had no trouble believing the realities of their world and the horrible things that happen in it. I was especially impressed that although this is a teen novel there was very little teen angst until at least 200 pages in and even then it was minor and not too whiny.
I would compare this to The Hunger Games or Divergent.

Thanks to Mark and everyone who suggested this one!!

Looking forward to seeing your thoughts about Blood Red Road. I have it on my list too...

Dissolution by CJ Sansom
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT
3.5*

Set in the 1500’s at the time of King Henry VIII and his war against the Catholic Church, this is the first book in the Matthew Shardlake Series.

Shardlake, a hunchback attorney, receives an urgent notice from Vicar Thomas Cromwell to investigate a murder of unusual circumstances. An officer of the court had been sent to the Scarsea Monastery to investigate possible ungodly and criminal acts and to make attempts at having the Abbot surrender the church to the King. Before he succeeds he comes to an untimely death by being beheaded by a sword and the church is desecrated with an animal sacrifice and theft of a relic.

Shardlake and his assistant must investigate the Abbot and Brothers and all the staff but unfortunately for Shardlake everyone seems to be guilty of something. Before he is able to investigate enough to have any leads the body count starts rising and he finds himself in the middle of multiple murders and trapped by a snowstorm. Tensions start to rise amongst those who are scared for their lives, those worried that the monastery is being closed, and those trying to hide their crimes.

I have a love/hate relationship with Shardlake. I loved following him investigate and make deductions and going down many wrong paths to find the right one, but I found his position hard to believe at times. He is a hunchback who is ridiculed for his deformity and he can be very naive, but at times he can be incredibly rude and demanding of those working with him. I wanted to slap him at times. Didn’t anyone say please in the 1500’s?

unfortunately for Shardlake everyone seems to be guilty of something.

Ahh..... my kind of murder mystery! I have book 4 on my TBR bookcase - am impulse buy in a used bookstore without realizing it was part of a series - and hope to start the series at some point.

79 Thoughts added :) Hope you read it sooner than later, it's good!

81 Lori, I hope you like it! Shardlake bugged me a bit, but the book was good on the whole.

77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up

The Pendleton is a grand residence built in the 1800's. Once the magnificent home of a tycoon and his family, it is now luxury apartments for the wealthy. Built at the highest point of Shadow Hill over a faultline to another time and place, The Pendleton has a history of episodes of violence and murder.
Every 38 years The One begins it's work on the residents and no one is safe. Shadows fleet across walls and monsters creep from around corners. Lives and sanity are under great threat.

Either the gates of Hell had opened or Tom had lost his mind, for there could be nothing like this entity outside the precincts of the damned except in the fevered fantasies of a raving paranoid psychopath.

There is nothing more disappointing than a great story with a weak ending. I had shivers reading parts of this book but then the ending was just tied up so neat and tidy, it just didn't fit.
2.5*

So maybe not. Good to know.

Hi Chelle! I hope the moving process is going smoothly. I'm glad you enjoyed The Wayward Bus. I'll have to check that out. Take care.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #4) Oh to be young again: YA Lit

John and Henry have been living on the run since they arrived on Earth 10 years ago. Constantly watching for signs and leaving at a moments notice. Of the 9 children that were on the flight from Lorien, John is number 4.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya
The Modagorians must kill each child in their proper order and John is next.

I thought this was great read and I gobbled it up and ran out to buy the second in the series. I found myself loving John and the people he ended up surrounding himself with. There was a scene when he stands up to a bully and kicks ass and I was rooting for him!
4* and recommended!

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #4) Oh to be young again: YA Lit

I'll be back ...

Even though the protagonist is 12 years old and the book is totally appropriate for teens, I don't think it is considered YA.
I hope you liked it. I find Flavia totally irresistable.

HI Mamzel :)
I'm not sure if it is considered YA or not, but it won the ALA Best Books for Young Adults so I think I shall leave it in this category

I did enjoy it actually. She is just too smart for her own good though! I will probably get the book 2 next month. I'm interested in seeing what she gets up to next

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #2) They Won't Stay Dead: Zombies

3*

Very odd and entertaining. I think I liked it because I haven't read the real Pride and Prejudice so I have nothing to compare it to. Just a odd little read.

Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography
A Century of Policing: The Ontario Provincial Police 1909-2009

This was a going away gift from my coworkers and this will be a book I cherish. After 7 years at the OPP and being able to celebrate the 100th Anniversity I am very proud to have been part of this organization.

Without bias I quite enjoyed this book. Full of great information on the origins of the agency and with some wonderful historical pictures of the detachments and officers from the early 1900's. The OPP is one of the largest police forces in North America with 6000 officers and 2700 civilian employees. It's hard to believe that this huge agency started with only 45 constables in 1909.

The Power of Six by Pitticus Lore
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #4) Oh to be young again: YA Lit

4*

Talk about a cliff hanger!! I have to wait until the next is out in August :(

Night of the Living Dead by John Russo (Part 1 of Undead)
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #2) They Won't Stay Dead: Zombies


It probably wasn't my best idea to read this at midnight when I am home alone. I'm pretty sure I won't sleep now. This book jumped right into action from only a few pages in and then stayed action packed the whole way though. I am glad I never watched the movie or I probably would never sleep again!
4.5*

LOL, so that's why you're up on librarything in the wee hours of the morning. I don't have such a scary excuse. I just can't sleep.

I vividly remember watching the film "Night of the Living Dead" many, many years ago at a Drive-In Movie. That was the most scared a movie has ever made me. i had nightmares for months after. It would probably seem tame today, but it was very unique and different at the time.

That's quite the cover!

Return of the Living Dead by John Russo (Part 2 of Undead)
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #2) They Won't Stay Dead: Zombies

3.5

Not as creepy as the first, or perhaps it's because I read it during an afternoon filled with sunshine instead of the middle of the night. Either way it was full of zombie's, looters and all the ugly details.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #10) It's a whole new world: Apocalyptic/ Post Apocalyptic/ Dystopian

Marissa Meyer's retelling of the classic fairytale Cinderella is as clever as it is unique. Cinder is a cyborg mechanic that lives and works in New Beijing. While she works long hard hours she doesn't see much, if any, of her wages as they go towards the bills of her step-mother and step-sisters.
When Prince Kai brings his broken android to Cinder for repair she finds herself becoming involved in something bigger than she could have ever imagined.

I really enjoyed this novel. It's a fresh new take on the original Cinderella story, but Meyer adds some major changes to the plot line and makes it her own version while leaving only small similarities to the original.
3.5*

I have that book in my library and I love the cover!

Cinder sounds kind of fun. Is it a fairly new book? It sounds like an old "golden age" theme revisited with a modern fairytale twist.

Hi Mamzel, I think it's an awesome cover too :)

Hi Katie. I think it just came out this year, January maybe? It's not your average "golden age" fairy tale, that's for sure. Hope you like it if you read it :)

*****

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #1) Birthday Books: From the year of my birth 1981,
1001 Books to read before you die

Saleem Sinai is born on the stroke of midnight. No, not just the stroke of midnight but also the stroke of India's independence. The Indian government has declared that any child born on the stroke of midnight at the hour of India's independence will be a special child. This sets the stage of Saleem's life, a special child who forms a group with the other special children, The Midnight's Children. These children turn out to be more special than the Indian government would want and Saleem's life is a tumultuous event from beginning to end.

Saleem tells the tale of his pathetic, turbulent life; a life he needs to tell about before he breaks into pieces as he can already feel the cracks forming. He tells the tale of a half deaf, cucumber snot nosed boy living someone else's life. For almost thirty-one years he rides the waves of India's political ups and downs and those of his family as well.

I can't tell you if I like this book as I still don't know. Too many times I wanted to put it down and walk away completely but then I would think about it again and pick it right back up. It is a difficult read, very dense and written in a way that made me reread sentences before they would make any sense.
It is hard to like Saleem, I found him rather whiny and his childhood nickname "snot nose" suits him in more ways than one, but not hard to want to find out where his life takes him and what the ending will be. There were parts that I laughed at and parts that made me cringe. I guess that's the sign of a good book when you feel strong emotions like wanting to hurl the book across the room but at the same time need to know the ending.
3.5*

The Night Eternal by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #10) It's a whole new world: Apocalyptic/ Post Apocalyptic/ Dystopian
4*

The Night Eternal is the third and final book in The Strain trilogy. Set two years after the initial outbreak of the vampire virus, Dr Ephraim Goodweather and gang are still resisting the current state of the world. After a mass extermination one third of the world's population is gone and a large portion of the rest are living or working in Blood Camps. Food is rationed to those working and complying and freedom is a thing of the past.

After many nuclear explosions there is a mud like film over the earth's atmosphere that now blocks all light except for two hours of weak light each day. The rain is a thick black substance and the animals and plants have started to die out. Life on earth has become a miserable existence for humanity at the hands of The Master and his race.

Eph and his gang are still trying to decipher The Lumen, an ancient book which holds the key to the destruction of The Master and the only way to rid the world of the vampires. He has not seen his son in the two years since he was kidnapped by The Master and Eph is desperate to find a way to get him back and kill the master once and for all.

This was another excellently creepy book but I was very sad to see the end of this trilogy.
4*

The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #8) Such a Rebel: Banned Books
4*

Another great reading experience brought to us by Mr Steinbeck
This novella was written in 1942 and is based in an unnamed town in Europe during an unnamed war. The town is taken by an invading force with surprisingly little resistance, at first. The townsfolk do not like being conquered and are willing to fight for their freedom. While there is not much they can do without weapons or an army of their own the townsfolk find ways to resist. That's basically what this novel sums up to: resist. Every person can help resist. Every person can play their part and make a difference.

Anyone can read between the lines and see Nazis and WWII here. Steinbeck doesn't name Hitler direct, but references to "The Leader" make it somewhat obvious. This isn't Steinbeck's typical work and it is said that he wrote it as propaganda for the war effort. While the book was quite popular in Europe, it was also banned. The punishment for being caught with it was death.

This was a short easy read with a big message. Worth the read in my opinion.

Nice review. I liked it, too. Glad your Jax is back safe and sound- that happened to us once and our poor little dog (toy poodle) had fallen into a basement window well in another neighborhood and wasn't found until morning. I know about the creepy house noises, too, as the husband always takes the kids camping for a week in the summer and I get the house all to myself. Which is great until about midnight when the house starts to sound like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie! Scary. Even with the dogs for company, I still found myself leaving the lights on and putting something on the tv just for background noise.

??? Why was The Moon is Down banned in Europe? I know Steinbeck's career suffered because he was labeled a communist, but it sounds like this work may predate that and it doesn't sound communist at all - but then again, The Grapes of Wrath doesn't strike me as communist either but it was part of the charges.

& I tried to read Midnight's Children several years ago and gave up. I wanted to finish reading it, but felt that I didn't have enough understanding of India's history and culture to make it through. I'm glad you did, but I still feel I would feel like I was drowning!

It was banned because it was propaganda for the Allies. In 1942 (when the book was published), during WWII, the Axis powers were invading and taking over cities all over Europe - just like the unnamed town in the book. Even though the book does not specifically mention Hitler or the Nazis, that is clearly who Steinbeck is referring to. The book encourages people to resist, to rise up and fight back by any means at their disposal. Therefore, the Axis powers banned the book - they did not want people to be encouraged to resist.

well, I couldn't have said it better myself :)

Okay, that makes sense. I was thinking it was banned by the countries that were free. Hitler certainly didn't believe in the right to free speech.

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #7) Morbid thoughts: 1001 Books to Read Before I Die.,
1001 Books to read before you die

How long would you wait for love? A few years, or a lifetime?
Florentino has loved Fermina since the first day he met her but after years of professing his love in the most romantic letters possible she has rejected him and married another. Now he must wait until she is a widow and only then hope that he will get a second chance at love.
Could you wait a lifetime for love?

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT,
Orange January/July
5*

It's always amazing when you pick up a book and from the first page in you don't want to put that book down. It's even more amazing when the book covers a horrible ugly topic that would make anyone want to shy away from that book, but yet it still somehow draws you in. This was the way I felt about We Need to Talk About Kevin.

Told in epistolary form with Eva writing letters to Franklin about their life and their family and how it all went wrong. Eva wasn't sure if she wanted children and after she had Kevin she realized that she felt nothing. Even moments after his birth when she was given Kevin to hold she realized that she didn't feel the feelings that she should have ... and the feeling was mutual from Kevin. From day one he was a screaming, plotting nightmare of a child. But could she have known what he would eventually become? Could she have prevented murder?

This book is torture for anyone who wants kids, isn't sure about wanting kids or has children that aren't grown up. Recommended to those that can handle tough, gritty situations and not recommended for pregnant women!!

Hi Chelle, I admit to just skimming your review of We Need To Talk About Kevin as I have it on my TBR shelves, but I did pick up on the 5 star rating! I guess I need to read this book sooner rather than later.

Aren't Louise Penny's books awesome? She quickly became one of my favorite authors after I read her first book. I hadn't heard of her until I saw her speak at a mystery book convention - she was so entertaining.

Looking forward to seeing what else you read this year.

Hi Judy! Yes you should bump it up on your list!

Hi LittleTaiko. I found Penny from the suggestions of other LT'ers and I was very happy when I finally started reading her. Looking forward to her next book later this year

Heat Wave by Richard Castle
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #15) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up
3*

Randomly picked from the library's audio section, Heat Wave is the promotional first book from the television show Castle. Nicki Heat is a detective that has been assigned a pain in the butt ride along names Jamieson Rook. While investigating the death of a wealthy man who has either jumped or been pushed off his balcony, Heat is forced to deal with Rook and the added drama that he brings along with him.

This was a good fluffy mystery to listen to while working on a project. Interesting but didn't require my full attention, which is what I needed

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #4: Oh to be young again: YA Lit
3.5*
Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite paranormal writers, not only because she is Canadian and lives less than half hour from my hometown but because she writes some awesome books. They are not even close to literary fiction and the book snobs would probably never read them, but they are perfect for a relaxing afternoon. While I prefer her Otherworld novels, the YA books are pretty decent as well.

The Calling in the second book The Darkness Rising series. It is pretty impossible to give a plot line for this book without giving information about the previous book, The Gathering.
I won't give anything away and just say that if you like paranormal books and don't mind YA books then give this series a shot. It's a nice easy read and pretty entertaining

The 39 Clues: Cahills vs.Vespers Book One: The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before
2*

Another random library pick and not my best pick ever. Only a 2 star read for me but I am starting to wonder if I missed something in the telling as all 12 of the posted reviews on LT give this book 4 & 5 stars.

Book 1 in the Cahills vs Vespers war, the vespers kidnap 7 people from the Cahill family and task two remaining members with a challenging mission and only once that mission is complete will the family members be returned.

Amy and Dan must attempt a heist that no one else has ever managed to pull off before, and with only one day to plan it. I found it hard to believe that anyone could pull of a high stakes caper with only one day to prep.

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before
3.5*
First in the Anita Blake vampire hunter series.

Anita is a zombie animator and licensed vampire executioner. She has been contacted by the police to assist in hunting down a murderer that has been killing vampires. Unfortunately the master vampire is also seeking Anita's assistance, but she is not as nice to work for as the police. Being hunted by vampires, zombies and ghouls Anita has to protect her life and hunt down a murderer.

This was a random library choice and unfortunately I enjoyed it very much. Unfortunately because there are 20 more books in the series and I need another series in my life like I need a hole in the head! I will be continuing with this series though

This may sound crazy but I have to say that I really like the earring design portraying on the cover of The Calling..... that is an earring, isn't it?

haha yes I think that is an earring, and it is quite nice ;)

Hi Chelle! I randomly started listening to the 39 Clues series last year, and they're great books for having on while working around the house. Nothing earth-shattering, easy mysteries and adventures written for kids, lots of unbelievable things happen, but it kind of doesn't matter. If I need something that requires zero brain activity but is entertaining, I grab one of these.

How's the house - all unpacked and settled in? And sorry to hear that you're in love with another series full of lots of books to catch up on - isn't that always the way? ;)

Warning: Some people get to Obsidian Butterfly and stop there. The Anita Blake books get near pornographic after that and some people don't like it.

Personally, I say bring it on. :D

Thanks Laura I think maybe I should go back and listening to the actual 39 clues. This was the one after the clue hunt and some things didn't click for me. I'm going to see if I can get a copy of the first 39 clues in audio and give it another shot.
The house is good, not even close to unpacked though. The basement will stay full of boxes for a while I fear, too much other stuff to do and most of the stuff still in boxes is extra stuff that we probably should throw out anyway!

Hmmm thanks for the warning Morphy! Kind of remind me of the JR Ward Books, Vampire porn! ;)
That reminds me that the next one is out, I need to get my hands on it!

The Mask By Dean Koontz
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #1) Birthday Books: From the year of my birth 1981

Written over 30 years ago you can tell that this is one of Koontz's earlier works.
Paul and Carol can not have children and are going through the process to adopt. While at the lawyers office a large storm breaks out and an extreme lightning show starts and shatters the window that Paul and the lawyer and standing in front of. This is one of many bizarre events that will make Carol believe that someone is trying to stop them from adopting.
When a young girl comes into their life after an accident with amnesia Paul and Carol want to help her until the police can locate her family. Little do they know that by letting Jane into their lives they could be inviting in the end of their lives.
Short and interesting novella, but definitely not the best work by Koontz.
3.5*

The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012: #8) Such a Rebel: Banned Books
4*

This was an amazing movie and the story is just as great. One of the few movies that hold true to the book.
Narrated by Red, he tells the story of Andy Dufresne over the course of their life together inside prison. Andy was incarcerated for the death of his wife and her lover, a crime that he did not commit.
I won't tell much about the story as it isn't a long one and should be experienced by the reader in full.

One of the things that Stephen King does best is write horror without the obvious aspects. No one jumps out and goes BOO, no one gets murdered and there are no ghosts or ghouls. What Stephen King manages to do is show the horror of being an innocent in prison, showing the full weight of day after day and year after year. The horror of being raped and spending time in solitary for someone else's crime. The horror of wasting your life away inside when you know that you don't deserve to be there, and the horror of knowing there is absolutely nothing that you can do about it.

I'm catching up on your posts, and I loved the fact that you went on a Louise Penny spree this month. Her books are great. They keep getting better and better with each new one.

I also agree with your assessment of Kelley Armstrong. The literary snobs would turn up their noses, but my daughter and I love the books and we're eagerly awaiting the conclusion of the Darkness Rising series.

I adore the movie Shawshank Redemption. It's one of the few King's they didn't make a hash of. It's brutal yet filled with hope.

Welcome Mathgirl40. Looks like we share some favorite authors. I think there is a new Armstrong book coming out in July, the next Savahnah book I think

I agree Morphy. Did you ever see the mess they made with Thinner?

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography

Odd, Odd, Odd
Review to be added

I loved, loved, loved Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. Who knew there were so many different ways to go? Definitely a different topic but really fascinating.

>126 ChelleBearss: Nah, and probably won't now!

125 - I've heard it said that the end of the film was changed after one of those focus group things and nearly everyone says that they prefer the end of the film and that it improves on the book however I feel that by changing the ending they subtly altered the message of the story - the novella ends with "I hope" whereas the film is a little more pat and complete (trying to avoid spoilers for those folk who won't have seen the film!)

I'm a fan of open endings as well as downbeat endings and things left for the viewer's/reader's imagination rather than having to have things spelled out

I prefer firm endings and hopeful endings - probably why I loved the movie!

Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up
4*

Gods of Gotham is a work of historical fiction set in New York city in 1845; the year of the first police force in NYC and the great potato famine in Ireland. Timothy Wilde was a barman until a fire burned down a large portion of Manhattan and left him with a disfigured face. Tim's brother Val has gotten him a position on the newly assembled Copper Stars police force working in the poverty stricken 6th ward. Tim is about to give up his position and walk away from the force when he stumbles into a little girl covered in blood. The events that follow force Tim to deal with horror after horror and tax him to his limits and tests his abilities to be a proper police officer.

I found this book very easy to get absorbed into. Tim is great character that I couldn't help but love and want him to succeed. I will be keeping and eye out for the sequel!
Recommended

I added Gods of Gotham a couple days ago after seeing another review on 12 12. Glad to see you liked it! It makes me think it deserves its place on my WL.

Hope you like it Katie! I thought it was pretty good!

Bodily Harm by Margaret Atwood
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #1) Birthday Books: From the year of my birth 1981

Rennie is a young journalist who has found her life coming to pieces. Surviving breast cancer has left her struggling with her life and her sadomasochistic relationship with Jake has come to an end.
Rennie decides to run away from life temporarily and takes a travel piece on a small caribbean island. However Rennie arrives at the island in the middle of an election and unrest and finds herself mixed into things that she has no business being mixed in.
This novel is all about power and as with any Atwood book I came away with more unanswered questions than I did answers.

Calico Joe by John Grisham
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up

Paul Tracey has had little contact with his father over the years until he gets a call saying his father is dying. Paul knows that this will have little impact on his life but feels it is time to close some open wounds from his past.
"After a few minutes, I admit the truth - life without Warren will be the same as life with him."

Paul revisits his childhood as the son of a major league ball player and the son of the most hated man in baseball in 1973. Paul will travel many miles to try and make Warren face up to the wrongs that he did in the past and get closure for themselves and for the man who Warren ruined everything for.

John Grisham steps outside his norm of writing legal thrillers and delivers this touching story. You don't have to like baseball to enjoy this story.

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #8) Such a Rebel: Banned Books,
1001 Books to read before you die

*** Will include spoilers***

I find it very hard to believe that this novel was first published over 70 years ago as some of the main topics, like unions and labor disputes, are still affecting people today. Steinbeck took real life occurrences and turned them into a masterful novel about survival and strength.

Tom Joad and his family have lost their land during the depression and Oklahoma Dustbowl and have decided to migrate to California for work after seeing a handbill advertising the need for fruit pickers. Unfortunately they are not the only family with this idea and the highways are packed with thousands or hundreds of thousands of people trying to find a better life.

After heartbreak on the road the family arrives in California and they quickly realize that it won't be as easy as they had thought. With thousands of workers applying for every open position it becomes very hard to find work. When they do find work the wages are well below what they should be because the farmers know that for every worker that wants 30 cents an hour there is a man with a starving family that will work for 20 cents so he can bring home some food that day.

This book will pull your heart strings in one paragraph and make you angry in the next. Steinbeck does a great job of taking you on the journey with the Joads and you can feel their pain and their happiness. The joy they feel when they see the California valley or when they find a government camp with working toilets and running hot water. The heartbreak and pain they feel when a member dies or when there is not enough to eat. You can be proud at the strength they hold and how they take care of each other, even in their weakest states. This is a novel that will stay with me for much longer than the time it took to read it.

"Rich fellas come up an' they die, an' their kids ain't no good an' they die out. But we keep a'comin'. We're the people that live. They can't wipe us out; they can't lick us. We'll go on forever, Pa, 'cause we're the people."

When my daughter read Grapes in high school, I took the family down to Salinas. We visited the Steinbeck museum, and of course, went over the hills to Monterrey. They were building a monstrosity on the waterfront, a combo storefront with hotel rooms upstairs. It completely blocked off the water view from the main street and IMHO completely destroyed the small fishery town feeling. Why did developers do that and why in hell did the planning commission allow it??? I regretfully feel I will never return to Monterrey.

52) The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up,
3.5*

King's latest edition in the Dark Tower series is actually meant to come after the fourth book. While stuck hiding out from a storm Roland tells his ka-tet a story within a story.
Roland tells the kat-tet of his early days as a gunslinger. He was sent to rid a town of a "skin-man" that had been terrorizing the people. While helping the town he finds a young boy that had barely missed becoming prey to the beast and while trying to keep the boy calm Roland tells him a story about a young man and a magical quest.

I loved Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers! :)

11th Hour by James Patterson
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up
3*

Lindsay Boxer isn't letting pregnancy slow her down while she investigates two different sets of murders. A millionaire with ties to drugs has been gunned down in the washroom during a school pagent with a gun that has been stolen from police evidence lockup. Could it be a vigilante cop?
Meanwhile two heads have been found in a bizarre scene and Lindsay must find the bodies along with the murderer.
11th book in the Women's Murder Club series, and while it was a good read it certainly wasn't the best of them all.

The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #1) Birthdays Books: From the year of my birth 1981
3*

Christina Evans lost her son Danny a year ago in a horrible accident when his backpacking group's vehicle left the road. Danny's body was too mangled for Christina and her ex to look at the body. It's been a year and the dreams have started again and strange things keep happening to Tina. When Tina starts seeing "NOT DEAD" written on a chalk board in her home and then on her office printer she thinks someone has a horrible sense of humor. Very quickly Tina will find out that there is a whole lot more to Danny's car accident than she could have ever thought.

This was one of Koontz's earlier works, published under a pen name. The edition I have is a reworked edition that Koontz has "improved upon". I really enjoyed this book once I got over some of the minor plot issues.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #9) Chunky Monkeys
4*

What a ride! I loved Divergent and was hoping that Roth could keep going with the second book and she did! Once again she has left me waiting for the next instalment!

Sometimes YA books get into a slump of teenage drama and hormones gone crazy, but Roth keeps the romance to the necessities and keeps the story moving page after page.
I won't give a plot summary as there is too much to give away. If you haven't read the first book Divergent, go get that one first! If you have read the first one then why haven't you read Insurgent yet??

Rabbit, Run by John Updike
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #7) Morbid thoughts: 1001 Books to Read Before I Die List
1001 Books to read before you die
4.5*

Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom was a high school basketball star and now life as an adult with real responsibilities isn't really what he thought it would be. Trapped in a crappy job and a marriage with a pregnant alcoholic Rabbit decides to flee at the spur of the moment. He has no idea where he is going, he has no idea where he wants to be; he just knows he doesn't want to stay there anymore.

I would have thought it would be hard to enjoy a book in which I hated all the characters (and I mean all of them) but surprisingly I did enjoy it. Rabbit is a lazy, misogynistic man and his wife is a weak alcoholic that can't be on her own. Together they are horrible and apart they do horrible things.
This is a dark, depressing book in which I hoped the characters could pull it together to do what they should but felt that it would probably get worse as it progressed and I was right.
I plan on reading the rest of the tetralogy and since two of the books were awarded the Pulitzer Prize I imagine the series will only get better.

Lover Reborn by JR Ward
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #9) Chunky Monkeys
4*

Vampire porn at it's best! I hope she writes another in this series soon!

The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #8 Such a Rebel: Banned Books
1001 Books to read before you die
4.5*

So good!! Review to be added

Interesting review of Rabbit, Run. I remember hearing it was wonderful when I was in high school, and I remember trying to read it and being turned off in the first two pages, and always thinking it's something I *should* like. You're review makes it clear why I couldn't get much farther than the library shelves! Those weren't the kind of characters I would've understood then. Maybe I'll try it again now.

Hidden by Kelley Armstrong
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors
4* (long novella)

Clay and Elena take the twins to a cabin near Algonquin Park to celebrate Christmas as a family. Unfortunately they discover that there is a mutt wolf living in town and he poses a threat to their family. Elena discovers that there was an accident with a young man and wolves ate parts of him after his death. Elena must work quickly to find out if it was real wolves or if they have a man-eating mutt on their hands.

I just love Clay and Elena and this novella was pretty good.

Gideon's Sword by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before
4*

As a young boy Gideon Crew witness his father gunned down and he grew up not knowing the truth behind the incident. After visiting his mother in her final moments of life she confides in Gideon the truth and makes him promise to avenge his father's death.
After 10 years of planning Gideon's day has come, but someone else knows about what Gideon has done and puts Gideon in a position to take a job that he doesn't dare refuse.

This is the first book in the Gideon Crew series and I will be looking forward to reading the second!

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #8) Such a Rebel
1001 Books to read before you die
4*

George and Lenny are farm workers who travel together, Lennie is "slow" and George takes care of him. They were forced to flee from the last farm they worked on because Lennie had an incident with a girl that could have got him in a lot of trouble.

The two men dream of having their own land and Lennie constantly wants George to tell him about the crops they will have and the rabbits that Lennie will take care of as Lennie has a passion for furry things.
Lennie and George get a job working on a new farm and right off I got a feeling that things were not going to go well for them. The farm has a rich cast of characters and while Lennie and George's dream bring hope to the book, the background of the novel speaks of great depression.

This was a relatively short novel but it packs quite an emotional punch. I have yet to find a Steinbeck novel that I didn't feel strong emotions while reading and I just love how straightforward his prose is.

ETA
I have just realized that I have managed to partially fill my Banned Book category with 3 of Steinbeck's novels! For such a great writer he really got banned a ton!

65) Seizure by Kathy Reichs
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #4) Oh to be young again: YA Lit
3*

Second book in the Virals series, Tory Brennan and friends are still learning how to deal with their new powers. When they get some bad news, the LIRI centre may be shut down and they all could be faced with moving away, they become desperate and determined. Tory figures out a plan to find enough money to save the centre and keep her pack of friends together.

This was not quite as good as the first book and a little far fetched but still a good read.

Oh yes, Steinbeck spoke too clearly. He was banned often simply because he spoke for the underclass, which meant he was "communist" whether he was one or not. I've got Of Mice & Men on my wishlist! I hope I can get to it in our Steinbeck September.

The Coroner's Lunch by Collin Cotteril
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before)
4.5*

Dr. Siri is an elderly Doctor that wants to retire but is forced into taking the position of the only Coroner in communist Laos. His normally slightly boring job becomes quite a bit more interesting when a series of suspicious deaths come to his table. With his interesting cast of morgue staff he sets off to solve the suspicious deaths, but someone else plans on stopping Dr Siri in his tracks.

I keep trying to dodge the Cotteril series bullets that have been flying around LT like some crazed paintball event.... The only thing stopping me from starting this one is I wanted to listen to it on audiobook but I wasn't really taken with the reader's voice. I may revisit the whole Dr. Siri down the road.... especially if everyone keeps rating the books so highly!

I've got this book loaded on my Kindle to read on my flight on Saturday. It's taking a lot of effort not to sneak a peak! I read his book Killed at the Whim of a Hat and loved the setting and characters.

They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long
4*

A true vampire book where the vampires are evil creatures bent on taking over the world. They don't sparkle and they don't want to fall in love with you; you are their dinner.

Mysterious disappearances, murders and grave robbing are only the beginning. The Master has a plan to take over the world, city by city, starting with Los Angeles.
How do you stop a vampire attack when no one believes in them?

69) Gideon's Corpse by Preston & Child
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up
3.5*

Thoughts to be added

"They don't sparkle and they don't want to fall in love with you; you are their dinner."
There aren't very many of these nowadays, are there?! Let's hope the tide turns soon. :)

The Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography
4.5*

At the age of sixteen Marina is taken from her family and placed in Evin Prison as a political prisoner. She is interrogated, tortured and sentenced to death by firing squad. At the last second she is saved by an interrogator that has used his connections and has gotten Marina's sentence reduced to life in prison. However that kindness comes with a price; Marina must convert from Christianity to Islam and become his wife.

Marina tells the true story of her life before, during and after Evin Prison and the trials and torture that she had to endure to survive. This is a horrible tale of the evils that masquerade as justice. Nemat writes beautifully of maintaining hope, faith and love during the worst time of her life.

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT
4*

This was a small book with a lot to say about human nature and the way a person can view their own history. Tony Webster has lived a safe and average life and is now nearing old age. He remembers for the reader his school friends and a past relationship that went sour. When he receives a letter from a lawyer he starts to realize that what he remembers might not be exactly the way history played out.

"What you end up remembering isn't always the same as what you have witnessed.”

I quite enjoyed this book. I may go back an reread it another time as I feel that there are parts that I didn't quite "get". There is a quote in the book where someone says to Tony ”You don’t get it. You never did.” and towards the end of the book that quote could have been aimed at me as there are spots that I feel I clearly missed something.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long
Orange January/July
3.75*

I have seen many amazing reviews and glowing recomendations for this novel and if I hadn't seen all those wonderful reviews I probably would have Pearl Ruled this book at page 50. This is very hard novel to get into due to Mantel's choppy writing in the beginning, the dense subject matter and many, many characters to keep straight. Not to mention the way Mantel keeps refering to Cromwell as "he" in places that could be confused with other characters. I think this would be much more enjoyable to someone who has a good grasp on the history behind the novel.

It took much effort and will power (and some peeks at the tutored thread hosted by Chatterbox and Smiler69) that I stuck through it. It took me six days to finish the first three hundred pages but after about two hundred pages the story starts to flow smoothly. I gobbled up the last three hundred and fifty pages in one night. Once I got a handle on the characters and the style of writing then the story really took hold for me. By the end I realized that I had really enjoyed the book and especially the way Mantel makes Cromwell funny in a deadpan sort of way. "If Anne were my wife, he thinks, I'd go out for the afternoon. She looks haggard, and she cannot stay stil; you wouldn't trust her near a sharp knife."

I really look forward to picking up Bring up the Bodies!

Hi Chelle, Wolf Hall was the same for me. It took me 200 pages to actually get caught up in the story, and I never quite settled into her writing style. Of course, once the story grabbed me, I couldn't put it down.

I felt the same way about Sense of An Ending. It was really enjoyable and I know that someday I'll want to reread it and see what other things I pick up.

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT
4*

Not quite a novel but not really short stories, A Visit From the Goon Squad is a series of chapters written as different characters during different times of their life and different years. Ranging from past and future it tells the story of how time can be a bitch. "Time's a goon, right? You gonna let that goon push you around?" Each chapter tells the tale of six degrees of separation of a sort, each new character has been part of a past story in either a major or minor role in the previous characters life.

I quite enjoyed this book but one chapter was written as a series of power point slides and it did not translate well into audio format! I think I will find a paper copy to check out that particular chapter.
Recommended :)

Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long
Booker Prize
5*

Set on the eve of the opium wars the story revolves around a former slave ship The Ibis and it's motley cast of characters that are traveling to Mauritius; coolies, convicts, and stowaways and the ship's crew. With many different lives involved the novel is long in the setting up the background of their stories and each person's reasons for ending up on the ship and their involvement in the opium trade and how it is changing their lives.

This has a very complex plot and with so many characters it is hard to summarize but it was quite an enchanting read and I can see why there has been so much hype on LT about this one and the second in the trilogy River of Smoke. I plan on continuing with the trilogy right away. I just hope Ghosh has started writing the third!

Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT
3.5*

Riley Jenson is part werewolf and part vampire and highly desired. Werewolves want her, vampires want her and evil organizations want to capture and breed her. When she wakes up naked beside a dead man and has no recollection on how she got there she knows she is in trouble. Riley must escape captivity and hunt down the mad man behind it all.

I've just discovered a feature of the public library's website where I can keep a list of books I want to read. Sea of Poppies is on it now. It sounds right up my alley!

I think I'll have to add Sea of Poppies to my TBR list now for sure - there've been too many raving reviews to ignore! I'm nearly done with the Riley Jensen series (only 2 left), and they're always good, fun, brain candy books that I can't put down! Keri Arthur has a few other series out there, but I'm worried that I won't like them as much as I do Riley.

Hope you're doing well, Chelle!

HI Mamzel! I keep track of my wishlist here on LT and it's getting pretty huge!

HI Laura! I am doing well thanks! :) You should add Sea of Poppies but make sure to make use of the glossary of terms! I didn't realize it was there (on ebook it's at the back) and I was a tad confused with some of the terms.

I am reading Sea of Poppies now, and though I like it, there is a lot to keep track of. Thanks for the hint about the glossary of terms.

Hi Rhonda, hope it helps! I know it would have helped me to have from the beginning

Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT


In Wolf Hall Henry VIII had fought to absolve his marriage to Katherine and after much work Thomas Cromwell and crew secured that and made the way for the King to marry Anne Boleyn. Now after less than three years of marriage and one living daughter and many miscarriages the King is disenchanted with Anne.
"What," he now wonders, "if there is some flaw in my marriage to Anne, some impediment, something displeasing to Almighty God?"
Anne has failed to give the King a son as promised and the King now has eyes for a new woman. Thomas Cromwell must make the King happy and bring down the Queen.

I found this second instalment much easier to fall into rhythm with. Since most of the characters were introduced in Wolf Hall the reader can spend less time trying to figure out the players and just enjoy the novel. Mantel has a unique style of writing and I found once I figured out her style it was quite enjoyable. While still a difficult read it was very much worth the effort.
4.5*

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before
2.5*

Vampire fluff without much substance and too much sex/romance. I won't be continuing this series.

Happy to see you and other LT readers have found Bring Up the Bodies easier reading than Wolf Hall. I have made to the second chapter of part 5 of Wolf Hall - page 484 - and I keep checking to see how march farther to get to the ending!

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before
4*

I found this novel hard to put down, which was what I desperately needed right now!
Jackson Brody is a private investigator that has been approached by three different people looking for his help to bring to a close three quite old events. Two sisters are looking to Brody helplessly to solve the thirty-four year old disappearance of their baby sister; a father is in need of closure after the ten year past murder of his favorite daughter; a woman wants help finding a missing person twenty-five years after her sister murdered her husband.
I loved the way Atkinson wove these very different families and stories and brought Brody's own history into the story. I ended up guessing the ending in only one of the three stories and I was quite intrigued by the ending. I will be picking up the rest of this series at some point

I've only heard good things about Case Histories. Hopefully, someday it will rise to the top of my TBR.

I finally got around to watching the BBC production fo Case Histories - at least the first episode. Definitely made me interested in reading the books and your review confirmed that it was worth reading.

Hi Katie! I really enjoyed it and recommend moving it up your TBR pile!

Hi Stacy! I've never seen the BBC production. Maybe I'll have to try and get my hands on that!

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long.
Orange January/July
3.5*

I am amazed that there are so many awesome books out there that start terribly. Award winning books that are an absolute bore for far too long before turning into something worth reading. The Lacuna was this way in my opinion. Terribly slow to begin and had me wondering what the story could possibly be about that was worth reading. At least one hundred pages went by before I actually cared about the story line but thankfully by page 300 or so it became a book I didn't want to put down.

I find this novel extremely hard to summarize without giving away much of the plot. It's a complex and complicated book with quite a point to make. I found that it took most of the book for some of the points from the beginning to make sense.

One quote stuck with me after I closed the book.
"Why does a person spend money on a stamp, to spout bile at a stranger?"

Recommended to those that have a lot of patience for slow moving books.

Love the quote. I've got Prodigal Summer but haven't read any Kingsolver yet. I need to get around to it!

Great review, Chelle! I've often wondered about that title, but, like Katie, I already own Prodigal Summer so I should probably read that first before delving into more new titles by a new-to-me author. *sigh* So many books....

Hope you're enjoying your weekend so far!

I found another of her books, The Poisonwood Bible also hard to get into but then impossible to put down after a point. Unfortunately, I found Prodigal Summer unpleasantly preachy.

Pay Me in Flesh by K. Bennett
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #2) They Won't Stay Dead: Zombies
3*

Mallory Caine is a lawyer in L.A. and she also happens to be a highly functioning zombie. Not stumbling around randomly eating anyone who gets in her way, but a fully functioning lawyer who happens to eat brains after work to survive.
Mallory takes a case of a young vampire that has been accused of killing a cop, but Mallory knows she is innocent as it was Mallory that ate his brains. Now she has to prove the vampire is innocent without getting herself caught.
This was a fun easy read with some decent characters. Not what I would have expected from a zombie book.

I've had The Lacuna lying around for quite a while now and keep thinking I'll read it someday. At least now I'll be better prepared for when I do! Thanks for the warning about the slow start.

Ah, I'd heard Zombie books were the next wave and I was wondering how they could make a stupid creature that interesting - I should've guessed they'd make them smart. ;)

Mamzel - thanks for the warning.

Yes, mamzel, thanks for the warning. Just to clarify, is it Jesus-preachy or political/viewpoint-preachy?

Viewpoint preachy. Save the Earth!!!

Aunt Dimity and the Duke by Nancy Atherton
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up
3.5*

A great cozy mystery for lazy summer afternoon reading!

Emma is a 40 something computer geek and avid gardener that has recently been dumped by her longtime boyfriend Richard. He has now gotten married to a girl half his age and Emma is feeling all of her age and more. She had a trip to England planned with Richard and decides to take the trip anyway.
When she arrives she meets elderly twin sisters in a garden and they recommend that she take a trip to see the gardens of a Duke. When she arrives she gets much more than a garden viewing! Before long she finds herself with a beautiful room, a new job that she had not planned for and isn't sure that she wants, a gorgeous new man to drool over and a murder to solve. Add in the delightful cast of characters and of course a visit from Aunt Dimity and it makes for fun, easy reading.

Thanks, mamzel!

Nice review, Chelle. My Mom is a big fan of this series, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to start reading them. This sounds charming though, and will be picked up from my parents house over the weekend! Thanks!

Hi Laura! These are perfect for days when you need something that isn't complicated or dense. I was pleasantly surprised when the "who dun it" wasn't what I expected

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT
5*

It is the morning of Nick and Amy Dunne's five year wedding anniversary and Amy has gone missing. Their home shows signs of a struggle and there has been blood shed. Has Nick harmed Amy or has someone else come in to their home and taken her?
This roller coaster of a psychological thriller is told in alternating perspectives between husband and wife and it's hard to tell which narrator is reliable, if either of them really are. Flynn throws in so many twists that just when I thought I had the story figured out she took another turn and showed me how wrong I was.

It's best not to sample too much of this book ahead of reading it. Skip the reviews and don't bother with the book jacket, just pick this "amazing" book up and start reading! I don't think you will regret it.

& I think I've read enough reviews of Gone Girl to know it's good. Thanks for the advice. ;)

I've been telling all my friends to read Gone Girl - great thriller!

Gone Girl sounds like a great read. I've also been meaning for ages to read one of Kate Atkinson's novels, as several people have recommended her to me. Glad to hear you liked Case Histories.

Cammykitty, littletaiko, mathgirl40: I think anyone who likes mystery, suspense and a little bit of creepy will enjoy Gone Girl!

I've heard enough about Gone Girl to put it on the wishlist - most reviewers say to not read anything about it before actually reading it - intriguing!!

Ack - I'm number 351 at the library! Here's hoping they all read quickly. :)

I'm "only" 291 at my library - I might just fold and buy it. :-)

Okay, heading over to my library to put myself on the wait list. It will show up some time next year when I'm on a new challenge with tons of spaces for mysteries. I only have two spaces left now. Sadness.

My library has rental copies of Gone Girl, 150 regular copies and 112 copies on order. It actually has no waiting list. Wow. I didn't look at the audio version, but they have that too. I guess I'm lucky.

There are over 1400 people on the waiting list and I only have 10 spots left for reserving books. I think I'll wait until the hubbub dies down.

I'm 120 of 231.

>201 Morphidae: Wow! You must have a huge library system!

wow I'm amazed at the responses for Gone Girl!
Morphy 1400 is huge! I would end up giving up on the hold and just buying a copy! I got mine on Audible and it was pretty good to listen to, for anyone who likes listening to audiobooks

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Read for 75 books in 2012
12 in 2012:Category #10) It's a whole new world: Apocalyptic/ Post Apocalyptic/ Dystopian
4*

A man and his son are trekking across the remnants of America towards the coast in a post-apocalyptic world. "The Road" they walk is miserable, savage and highly dangerous. As they walk they encounter scorched ruins from the old world; homes that have been searched for any useful items or food, stores that have been scavenged of everything including the shopping carts and charred and frozen corpses that have been exposed for years.
As "the man" and "the boy" walk they encounter many hazards and dangers; they are exposed to the elements and must find ways to stay warm, they are constantly on the brink of starvation and they must hide from people who would steal from them and cannibals that would steal their lives.

This is a dreary, haunting read but surprisingly beautiful. McCarthy uses his austere prose to describe the details of their miserable existence with undertones of love and hope within all the despair. The love of father and son keeps them walking longer than they might have if they had been alone. The father's desperation to protect his son at all costs will affect your emotions.

While The Stand by Stephen King is still my favorite post-apocalyptic novel, The Road is an easy second.
Highly recommended!

Actually, my waiting list is so large it didn't calculate it last night. I'm about 1385 of 1391 for Gone Girl. Well, I'll guess I'll read it next year. And that's with 150 copies and 112 on the way.

>203 mamzel: Yes, I think it's one of the larger libraries in the nation. "Forty-one libraries. More than 5 million books, CDs and DVDs in 40 world languages. Around 1,750 public computers. Eleven library board members. One great system serving 1.1 million residents of Hennepin County."

>204 ChelleBearss: It helps that they have 150 copies.

>206 cammykitty: Ha! You must be in the Minneapolis area.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Read for 75 books in 2012
12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT
5*

All I have to say is Amaze-balls! That was a great read and totally helped me take my mind of my wedding stressing! I have 50 million things to do but instead I spent my day finishing this book because I didn't want to put it down!
Highly recommended!

> 208 - What a great, succinct review Chelle! Adding it to my list for future reading.

@207 - Morphidae - yes, you are so right! To be honest, I was happier when Mpls and Hennepin county were separate systems and I could use both. Right now, I'm jealous of the St. Paul libraries - they're pretty & seem to have more hours, but I could be imagining it.

@208 - I've got to see a book that earns an "Amaze-balls."

Loved Ready Player One - it was such great fun, especially for someone who grew up during the 80's!

Hidden Prey by John Sandford
Read for 75 books in 2012
12 in 2012:Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before
3*

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Read for 75 books in 2012
12 in 2012:Category #3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography
4*

Hi Chelle, I'm impressed with your 12 in 12 progress. Nice Job! I've abandoned mine and don't think I'll even attempt it again.
Now if I can just find your regular thread.............

Ten Thousand Saints by Eleanor Henderson
Read for 75 books in 2012
12 in 2012:Category #6) Who?: Authors I have not read before
3.5*

Animal Farm by George Orwell
Read for 75 books in 2012
12 in 2012:Category #7) Morbid thoughts: 1001 Books to Read Before I Die
1001 Books to read before you die
4*

My husband loved Ready Player One as well. Now he'll try just about anything I get for him off an LT recommendation.

We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee
Read for 75 books in 2012
12 in 2012:Category #3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography
4* (Audio 8 hours, 14 minutes)

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
Read for 75 books in 2012
12 in 2012:Category #9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long
3.5*

This was the second book in a trilogy and I quite like it. It took me a long time to read it because of how busy my life has been so I think that took away from my enjoyment of it. If I had been able to read it at a consistent pace I think I would have rated it higher, but my reading was choppy and spread out over several weeks. I'm still looking forward to the next instalment though.

Chelle, I am getting ready to pick up Shadow of Night again myself, after not touching it for a couple of weeks. I too fear that my lack of obsessive reading of it has lessened the enjoyment. But that's okay - I know a re-read of the series is in my future at some point, so I'll do a better job then. :) Hope you're having a good night!

Seems appropriate to follow up Animal Farm with We Bought a Zoo - what did you think of Zoo? It sounds perhaps interesting, or perhaps sentimental.

I just saw the movie of We Bought a Zoo so I'm interested in your thoughts on the book.

Hi Laura
I kept picking it up and reading 5 pages and then putting it down for a few days. That went on for the last few weeks before the wedding. I think you should be fine with it if you try and read more than 5 pages at a time ;)

Hi Camykitty & Morphy.
I really enjoyed We bought a zoo and now I'd like to watch the movie. There were a lot of emotional parts to the book but there were a lot of really funny and cool bits too. I listened to it while I was baking for the wedding so my attention wasn't perfect but I did enjoy it. There were a few dull spots that I probably would have wanted to have livened up a bit, but for the most part it was a pretty enjoyable read.

I read that the movie is a lot different from the book, so be forewarned. But it was an enjoyable light-hearted movie.

??? Hmmm ??? Now I'm curious about how different the movie and the book were. Movies seem to borrow titles and characters from books, who cares about the facts or plot! I read Cousin Bette after the movie came out. One character dies in the opening scene of the movie, & when I read the book I kept slipping notes under a friends door Pg 40 and she's still alive. Page 90 and she's still alive. Pg 160 and she's still alive...

I like both versions of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil but one is nonfiction and the other almost completely whole cloth. I just think of them as two stories that share a setting and title.

Rabbit, Redux by John Updike #7) Morbid thoughts: 1001 Books to Read Before I Die.

How was Rabbit, Redux? It's on my list of possibilities for next year for my 1001 category.

Hi Stacy. I wish I had time to do real reviews right now but life got really insane really fast!
I enjoyed Rabbit, Redux and I just finished Rabbit is Rich. I find Updike's books to be very negative but interesting. Rabbit Angstrom is such an A-hole but the character makes for good reading

Posting these here as I am almost finished and I need inspiration to keep it going!! My goal was 6 books in each category and some categories I managed to read many more!



1) Birthdays Books: From the year of my birth 1981
1) Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
2) The Mask by Dean Koontz
3) Bodily Harm by Margaret Atwood
4) The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz
5) Rabbit is Rich by John Updike
6)


2) They Won't Stay Dead: Zombies
(because I read a ton of paranormal fiction but zero zombies)

1) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Janes Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith
2) The Night of the Living Dead by John Russo
3) Return of the Living Dead by John Russo
4) Pay Me in Flesh by K. Bennett
5)
6)


3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography

1) Hurricane Story by Jennifer Shaw
2) Hell's Angels: into the Abyss by Yves Lavigne
3) Bay of Fundy: A Natural Portrait by Scott Leslie
4) A Century of Policing: The Ontario Provincial Police 1909-2009
5) Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
6) The Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
Extras:
7) Wild: From Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed
8) We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee


4) Oh to be young again: YA Lit

1) Eragon by Christopher Paolini
2) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
3) Darkest Powers Bonus Pack by Kelley Armstrong
4) I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
5) The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
6) The Power of Six by Pitticus Lore
Extras:
7) The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
8) Seizure by Kathy Reichs


5) Ohhh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up

1) The Drop by Michael Connelly
2) Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson
3) 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz
4) Heat Wave by Richard Castle
5) Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye
6) Calico Joe by John Grisham
Extras:
7) Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King
8) 11th Hour by James Patterson
9) Gideon's Corpse by Preston & Child
10) Aunt Dimity and the Duke by Nancy Atherton


6) Who?: Authors I have not read before

1) Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter by Nancy Atherton
2) The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht
3) The 39 Clues: Cahills vs.Vespers Book One: The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman
4) Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
5) Gideon's Sword by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
6) The Coroner's Lunch by Collin Cotterill
Extras
7) Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
8) Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
9) Hidden Prey by John Sandford


7) Morbid thoughts: 1001 Books to Read Before I Die List
1) Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
2) The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
3) Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
4) Rabbit, Run by John Updike
5) Animal Farm by George Orwell
6) Rabbit, Redux by John Updike


8) Such a Rebel: Banned Books

1) The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck
2) The Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
3) The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
4) The Color Purple by Alice Walker
5) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
6)


9) Chunky Monkeys: Books over 500 pages long.

1) Red Mist by Patricia Cornwell
2) Insurgent by Veronica Roth
3) Lover Reborn by JR Ward
4) They Thirst by Robert R. McMammon
5) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
6) Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
Extras:
7) The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
8) Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
9) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak


10) It's a whole new world: Apocalyptic/ Post Apocalyptic/ Dystopian

1) Blood Red Road by Moira Young
2) Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3) The Night Eternal by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan
4) I'm starved for you by Margaret Atwood
5) The Road by Cormac McCarthy
6) Delirium by Lauren Oliver


11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT

1) The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck
2) Dissolution by CJ Sansom
3) We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
4) The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
5) A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
6) Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur
Extras:
7) Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
8) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
9) Ready Player One by Ernest Cline



12) Look, a Moose!: Books by Canadian Authors

1) Still LIfe by Louise Penny
2) Dead Cold by Louise Penny
3) The Hangman by Louise Penny
4) The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
5) The Murder Stone by Louise Penny
6) The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
Extras:
7) Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny
8) A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny
9) Hidden by Kelley Armstrong

STILL NEED TO FINISH:
1 birthday book
2 zombie books
1 banned book

Thanks for the Rabbit update. You're right, the books (at least the first one) was quite negative but yet quite fascinating. Strange.

Good luck on finishing your challenge - you're almost done!

Your getting really close, Chelle - do you have all your reads lined up and ready to go?

Four books left - that is awesome Chelle!

Doing great! For your zombie book you could try After the Apocalypse by Maureen McHugh. I'm only one story in, but that first one was really unique.

You're so close -- congratulations!

Thanks Stacy!

Hi Judy! I think I've got them all lined up, but I reserved the right to change my mind hehe
Birthday Book: I'm going to stick with an old favorite, Stephen King, and re-read Cujo which I haven't read for many years
Zombie books: I am going to try World War Z again and see if I can finish it. And then I'm going to try and find a copy of Already Dead by Charlie Houston
Banned Books: I am waiting for a hold to come in at the library for The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Thanks Katy, Maybe I'll try that one next year. I'm just about Zombie'ed out ha

Thanks Christina!

Cujo by Stephen King
I'll never look at strange dogs the same way again...

Haha, that was one of the books that took me completely off-guard - I was much too young when I read this. How could a sweet doggy ever be threatening?! Big mistake! :)

I love teasing little yappy dogs by calling them Cujo! Ticks off their owners!

>239 mamzel: I wouldn't get ticked off, I'd crack up. Maia is so... wimpy.

I've made Cujo into a verb. When a dog starts barking and rearing up at the end of his leash, I describe it as "the dog went all cujo."

The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

Not one of my final four but it fits into my Canadian category

I've started World War Z now :)

World War Z by Max Brooks
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #2) They Won't Stay Dead: Zombies
Good read but not worth the build up in my mind. It took me a year to finally finish it and while I enjoyed it once I got into it, I didn't completely love it.
I don't think I'll watch the movie but I do think my husband would love it!


Already Dead by Charlie Huston ( 3.75*)
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #2) They Won't Stay Dead: Zombies

Yet another series that I am getting sucked into! Great, fast read and I loved it! I plan on reading the second in the series sometime soon


The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (4*)
Read for 75 books in 2012,
12 in 2012:Category #8 Such a Rebel: Banned Books
1001 Books to read before you die
As always Atwood tells a great and seriously eff'ed up story! I am surprised it took me this long to finally read this one and I'm glad that I did!

That's it for this challenge folks! See you at the 2013 thread! :)

Congratulations on completing your challenge Chelle!

Congrats!

!!! Congrats !!! See you in 2013! Are you going to take a break, or are you going to start 2013 early? I'm thinking I'll start 2013 in a few days.

Congrats!

Congratulations!

Woo Hoo! See you in 2013!

Congrats!! See you at the next one! :)

Congratulations! See you at next year's extravaganza! :)

Just stopping by to repeat my congratuations, Chelle.

Congratulations on finishing your challenge! See you next year. :)

Just catching up to say Congratulations!

THANKS everyone!
See you at the 2013 thread :)
http://www.librarything.com/topic/145088