Complete List of Books I've Read in 2011

Books I’ve Read in 2011

1. The Devil in the White City – Erik Larson - 447 pages
2. Hocus Pocus – Kurt Vonnegut - 336 pages
3. Gone With the Wind – Margaret Mitchell - 960 pages
4. Galapagos – Kurt Vonnegut - 336 pages
5. The Clothes on Their Backs – Linda Grant - 293 pages
6. Lady in Waiting – Susan Meissner - 352 pages*
7. Octopussy and the Living Daylights – Ian Fleming - 128 pages
8. Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen - 335 pages
9. Strengths Finder 2.0 – Tom Rath - 183 pages
10. The Charlatan’s Boy – Jonathan Rogers - 320 pages*
11. A Fist in the Hornet’s Nest – Richard Engel - 272 pages
12. The Miracle of Mercy Land – River Jordan - 352 pages*
13. Skin Tight – Carl Hiaasen - 416 pages
14. Departures – Christy Miller - 208 pages*
15. God Bless You Dr. Kevorkian – Kurt Vonnegut - 96 pages
16. The Making of Hoosiers – Gayle L. Johnson - 240 pages
17. What Are You Waiting for? – Dannah Gresh - 192 pages*
18. Pretty in Ink – Karen E. Olsen - 320 pages
19. Ink Flamingos – Karen E. Olsen - 320 pages
20. The Missing Ink – Karen E. Olsen - 320 pages
21. Driven to Ink – Karen E. Olsen - 320 pages
22. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – J. K. Rowling - 320 pages
23. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – J. K. Rowling - 352 pages
24. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J. K. Rowling - 448 pages
25. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – J. K. Rowling - 752 pages
26. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – J. K. Rowling - 870 pages
27. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – J. K. Rowling - 652 pages
28. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J. K. Rowling - 784 pages
29. The Stand – Stephen King - 1472 pages
30. How To Be Cool – Johanna Edwards - 368 pages
31. Sacred Cows – Karen E. Olsen - 304 pages
32. The Unoriginal Sinner and the Ice Cream God – John R. Powers - 448 pages
33. Eat Pray Love – Elizabeth Gilbert - 352 pages
34. Ruby – Francesca Lia Block - 224 pages
35. Guilty Pleasures – Laurell K. Hamilton - 329 pages
36. The Laughing Corpse – Laurell K. Hamilton - 304 pages
37. Circus of the Damned – Laurell K. Hamilton - 336 pages
38. The Lunatic Café – Laurell K. Hamilton - 384 pages
39. Bumped – Megan McCafferty - 336 pages
40. Divergent – Veronica Roth - 496 pages
41. The Harvest of Grace – Cindy Woodsmall - 352 pages*
42. The One-Day Way – Chantel Hobbs – 224 pages*
43. The Help – Katheryn Stockett - 464 pages
44. Secondhand Smoke – Karen E. Olsen - 272 pages
45. The Lost City of Z – David Grann - 448 pages
46. Mercy Come Morning – Lisa Tawn Bergren - 240 pages*
47. A Game of Thrones – George R. R. Martin - 720 pages
48. A Clash of Kings – George R. R. Martin - 784 pages
49. Raised Right – Alisa Harris - 240 pages*
50. The Halloween Tree – Ray Bradbury - 160 pages
51. Out of a Far Country - Christopher Yuan - 240 pages*
52. The Walking Dead Compendium One – Robert Kirkman - 1088 pages
53. Tamsin – Peter S. Beagle - 288 pages
54. Mine is the Night – Liz Curtis Higgs - 464 pages*
55. A Storm of Swords – George R. R. Martin - 1216 pages
56. The Christmas Singing – Cindy Woodsmall - 208 pages*
57. The Dragons of Chiril – Donita K. Paul - 416 pages*
58. A Feast for Crows – George R. R. Martin – 1104 pages
59. A Sound Among the Trees – Susan Meissner – 336 pages*
60. The Canary List – Sigmund Brouwer – 304 pages*
61. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larsson – 672 pages
62. Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management – Peggy Johnson – 335 pages**
63. Reference and Information Services in the 21st Century: An Introduction – Kay Ann
Cassell – 429 pages**
64. A Dance With Dragons – George R. R. Martin – 1040 pages
65. The Girl Who Played With Fire – Stieg Larsson – 752 pages
66. The Scroll - Grant R. Jeffrey and Alton L. Gansky - (still reading)

Total pages read: 28,173
Average 1 book every 5 days
Averaged 77 pages a day

Of those 15 were received for free (ones with the asterisks) and I reviewed them on amazon and my blogs:
http://barbarianlibrarian1.blogspot.com/
http://cataldisbooks.blogspot.com/

** Textbooks (and yes I really did read all the chapters)

Tis the Season for a Good Read

Nothing is nicer than curling up with a good book when it's cold outside. Nothing... except perhaps adding some eggnog and a warm fireplace into the mix :) The only trouble is that this is my finals week... and I'm supposed to be working on projects. Aw hell, who needs a degree anyway. So after working on one of my projects for a good oh... 30 minutes, I started to read Susan Meissner's "A Sound Among the Trees." 3 1/2 hours later and here I am. It was good enough to not put down, which is more than I can ask for. The story follows Marielle as she enters into her new husband's and his ex great-grandmother-in-law's old civil war era house, Holly Oak. Not only must Marielle adjust to becoming a step-mother to two young children, she must come to terms with Adelaide (the ex-great-grandmother-in-law) and the supposing haunting of Holly Oak. Supposedly, the ghost of Susannah Page (a rumored civil war spy and traitor, as well as ancestor) lurks in the giant old house to ensure that all it's inhabitants suffer. The first half of the book is told through the eyes of Marielle and Adelaide and the second half is long lost letters written by Susannah that paint the true picture of Holly Oak and it's inhabitants. Overall, it was suspenseful and very well written. It may have started off a little slow, but by the time I started reading the letters of Susannah I was hooked. I highly recommend this book, it's fast paced and hard to put down. The ending is wrapped up perfectly. This is the second one of Susan Meissner's books that I've read this year and enjoyed. I can't wait to read more from her!!

Pure Holiday Drivel

This little Amish holiday romance I'm about to review for you is not worth your time trust me! The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall is quite literally one of the worst books I have read in a very long time. This short little story follows young Mattie through the holidays as her world is turned upside down. First, Mattie loses her precious cake shop to a fire and must move back to Pennsylvania with her parents until the spring when a new shop can be built. Second, she must come to turns with her old best friend and lover, Gideon, who seems to be everywhere she is. She must sort out all the old feelings that she still has for him even though he broke her heart three years ago. Finally, she must come to terms with her true feelings for her beau, Sol, and discover if he really is her soul mate. This story is beyond predictable. One chapter in and you can properly guess the outcome of the entire story. It's mushy, gushy, cheesy, and utterly over the top. It also isn't nearly as holiday centered as I thought it would be. Overall, if you find this book in your presence, PASS ON IT! It isn't worth your time!

On a side note, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

“I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

So It Begins!

Here's the first post of many (hopefully!). I just needed another site that I could post my book reviews or share anything that passes my fancy. Not too much going on with me right now though. Although, I did finish reading Compendium One of the Walking Dead series last night! It's horrifically awesome! I learned the hard way not to get too attached to characters because they all seem to die off in this comic series. No matter how gory and depressing it gets though I still can't get over how much I love it! I really need to get a hold of more of the comics though. I've only got read up through 57 and I want to get all caught up. I'm addicted!! Must read for anyone...over the age of 12. lol. Disclaimer - it is NOTHING like the tv series. I can't decide which one I like more. They're both great!