My November Reads

November Books:
Total books read: 16
New Authors: 6
Books in a Series: 12
Mystery: 0
Non-Fiction: 1
Romance: 7
Children or YA Fiction: 10

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Changeling by Delia Sherman
The Darkest Kiss by Gena Showalter
The Faery Reel edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling
The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep
Their Way Home by Melissa Van Rossum
Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine
Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine
The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine
Sunshine by Robin McKinley

Black Friday Shopping

Did anyone else brave the crowds and go shopping today? Hubby and I did over in Mobile, AL and OMG it was crazy! We did get some good deals though.

Darren (finally) broke down and bought a TomTom since he's been wanting one forever and we also got: three seasons of Nip/Tuck, two seasons of CSI: Miami, Hancock (which we just watched for the first time), and National Treasure 2. Then I got a few new clothes, a (much needed) belt, and a few books (the books altogether cost what one would have!):

Hot Mama by Jennifer Estep

Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

Real Vampires Live Large by Gerry Bartlett

Still it was a little crazy and claustrophobic at times too. Somehow, I can't wait for the after- Christmas sales though!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Teaser Tuesday- Treasure Island

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!
  

TREASURE ISLAND BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

"They got the money, you say? Well, then, Hawkins, what in fortune where they after? More money, I suppose?"

"No, sir; not money, I think," replied I. "In fact, sir, I believe I have the thing in my breast-pocket; and, to tell you the truth, I should like to get it put in safety."

Musing Monday-Reading Peer Pressure

How do you feel about wide-spread reading phenomenons - Harry Potter, for instance, or the more current Twilight Saga? Are these books so widely read for a reason, or merely fads or crazes? Do you feel compelled to read - or NOT to read - these books because everyone else is?

Well, I discovered the Harry Potter books a couple of years before the movies came out so that craze really didn’t have any effect on me… actually to tell the truth, I was probably one of the people who helped push it on people in my area lol.

Now the Twilight books are a different story. Everyone, and I mean everyone I talked to on these book blogs just about had read them and raved about them and although it had vampires in it (which means that I knew I would love them), I still put off reading them until the very last second. The week before the movie (which I also loved) came out matter of fact!

I doubt I’ve ever really been compelled to read something because everyone else is. If I do cave to all of the “OMG, this is so good- you have to read it”-’s then it is always because the book (or series) sounds interesting to me... or is something one of my online book groups is reading :)

glitter-graphics.com

Belated Blogiversary!

I'm a bad blogger! One of my commenters had to remind me that last Friday was my Blogiversary lol! So Up Close and Personal with LadyTink is officially a year (and a few days) old now. Thank you guys so much for everything!

Two New Challenges Joined

Okay, somehow I've decided to join two more challenges! The 1st in a Series and the YA Challenge. I'll sit down and write out a list of what I plan to read soon. The only hard part is waiting until it's 2009 to start!

1. Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson
2. Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn
3. Tall, Dark, and Dead by Tate Hallaway
4. The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (39 Clues)
5. Elvenbane by Andre Norton & Mercedes Lackey
6. The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
7. Dead Girls are Easy by Terri Garey
8. Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong
9. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
10. Marked by P.C. & Kristin Cast
11. The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
12. Evernight by Claudia Gray

1. The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (39 Clues)
2. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
3. Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris by RL LaFevers
4. A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
5. Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine
6. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
7. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
8. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
9. One False Note by Gordon Korman (39 Clues)
10. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
11. Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
12. Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

Award/ Meme

Thank you Alice Teh and S. Krishna for presenting me with this award/ meme!

Here are the rules:

Open the closest book to you, not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence, as well as two to five sentences following.

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SANTA CLAUS AS TOLD TO JEFF GUINN:

"How strange," I said faintly. It was odd to hear about someone finding me dead.

"Oh, don't worry, he said everyone mourned you greatly," Felix said quickly, mistaking my bewilderment for disappointment in public reaction. "There were tears all around, and loud wailing, and the decision was made to build you the greatest tomb any bishop ever had."


And finally, tag five people to pass on the award: Unfortunaly, I waited too long to do this and I think everyone has already done it. :( Please play along if you haven't though!

Dr. Dennis Leary's Why We Suck

Teaser Tuesday- Changeling

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.


• Let the book fall open to a random page.


• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.


• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!


• Please avoid spoilers!
  

CHANGELING BY DELIA SHERMAN

Usually I like telling stories. I know all the patterns and the traditional plots that tell you what kinds of events usually go between "Once upon a time" and "They lived happily ever after."

Musing Monday- Reading Questions

Today's Musing Mondays asks us:

WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW?

See sidebar -->

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING, and WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT?
I recently finished all 4 Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer (loved first two, was disappointed with the others) and The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter which I really liked!

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WILL READ NEXT?

I need to read Changeling by Delia Sherman since it's due back soon but I kind of want to read Fire and Ice by Anne Stuart

WILL YOU READ ANY HOLIDAY-THEMED BOOKS SOON?

I've been thinking about re-reading The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guin and The Birds' Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin. I also have two anthologies to read Holidays are Hell & Wolfsbane and Mistletoe

Seven Random Book Facts

I was going to wait and do this tomorrow but once I started thinking about it, I easily had my 7 weird/ random book facts which Melody tagged me for.

The rules are:
Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share seven random and/or weird book facts about yourself.
Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

1. I think hardcovers are prettier but I prefer reading a paperback most of the time.
   
   
2. I spent most of my time in middle school volunteering in the school library but I hardly ever even went inside my high school library!
   
   
3. Despite the fact that I own over 200 books that I have never read (some I've had for years), I still continue to not only buy new ones but also pick up two or more a week from the library.
   
   
4. I love reading a book and then watching the movie based on it. I even created an online book group called Books Into Movies. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble keeping up with both my blogs and my group so the group isn't doing so well anymore.
   
   
5. I enjoy re-reading books I remember liking after about 5-10 years (sometimes sooner but rarely less than 2 years) because I forget things so easily. Also if I read the book when I was somewhat younger (like all Stephen King's books and some classics like The Secret Garden, Wind in the Willows, etc.), I'll discover things that I couldn't quite grasp before.
   
   
6. I treat my books like they're made of glass most of the time. Even if I bought the book second (or third)-handed and it's in terrible shape, it will usually look the same years later because I treat them just as good as I do the brand new ones I bought.
   
   
7. Non-fiction rarely intrigued me for years and then I realized that books I had avoided like biographies are essentially just books of trivia (I love trivia) and with the internet, I can look up what they're talking about (like when I read that Dolly Parton biography, the author would talk about a certain song and why she wrote it etc. and then I'd go listen to it online). I've also found that I enjoy doing this with books about animation or animated films like Michael Barrier's book Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age. I think it took me three months to read that one since I can read a little and put it down to read something else (not to mention all that looking stuff up stuff takes time) unlike regular fiction. Right now I'm reading Shirley Temple's autobiography which I've had ever since I was about 10 years old. I've never managed to finish it though so this will be a first for me. I'm enjoying looking up and watching her films while she's talking about them (and giving behind-the-scenes trivia).

Bookworm's Romance Reading Challenge 2009

I don't read as much straight romance as I do paranormal romance but Naida said that's okay so in addition to the 100+ Reading Challenge and the Library Book Challenge, I'm also joining her Romance Reading Challenge in 2009. Here are the rules:

1. Now, "Romance" isn't limited to steamy Harlequin novels. There is a huge selection of books in this category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance to name a few. As long as the story has romantic love between the two main characters your selection will fit this challenge. The novels do not need to have a happy ending either, there can also be unrequited love.
2. Choose at least 5 novels read them between Jan 1st though Dec 31st 2009. You can change your choices at any time. Crossovers between other challenges are fine.
3. Read them at your own pace in 2009 then come here and post the link to your review(s).
4. Link your "RRC" choices here with any of the graphics she provides here

I haven't quite decided on my list yet as I tend to read what I want when I want so a list wouldn't help me. I do plan to be one of the first finished with this challenge though!

To sign up head over to Naida's blog.

Twilight Madness

Yay!!! Twilight comes out next Friday! Yes, I finally got around to reading the series so now I’m all uber-excited to see it. I knew I would be like this, which is why I kept putting off reading the books until almost the last second. Ok, now I’ve got to go read Eclipse…

When Do You Decorate?

I have a question guys, when do you start decorating for the holidays? Or have you already decorated?

100+ Reading Challenge

I don't do a whole lot of challenges even though I should but I joined J. Kaye's 100+ Reading Challenge at the beginning of the year and as of October I completed it. I doubt it, but maybe I can reach 200 by the end of the year (at which point I'll post a list of my 2008 reads)!

If you would like to sign up for 2009's 100+ Reading Challenge, J. Kaye has the info here.

3 Wishes

Over at A Novel Menagerie, Sher is asking if you could have any three wishes (only pertains to your personal life) come true, what would you wish for?

The first thing I would wish for would be, of course to be rich so I could buy my own home (with my own library in it) and keep my mom and my mother-in-law comfortable for the rest of their lives. Plus, being able to travel the world whenever I’d like would be really cool and there are a couple celebrities I wouldn’t mind meeting.

My second wish is I’d like to be able to pop into what I‘m reading. I know, weird. Still, I’d like to be able to read a book and have the option of going into the story. Not interact with the characters or anything, just see what the author describes instead of imagining it.

My last wish is also going to different, I’d like to be able to talk to animals. Not learn-their-language-Rex Harrison-Doctor Dolittle-style but rather just be able to converse with them (like Eddie Murphy in the Dr. Dolittle remakes).

7 Random Things About Me Meme

Mo from Un-Mainstream Mom Reads tagged me for this meme:

1. I've been reading since I was 3 years old. I was reading Stephen King before I was even officially a teenager but at the same time, I have never had a problem with reading young adult fiction either. Matter of fact, I'm reading one now!


2. I'm not exactly OCD but I do have a thing about germs. If I think something is dirty (like a doorknob) I can't talk myself out of going to scrub my hands. Which is sometimes a problem since I can't stand to have dry hands and constantly am putting lotion on my hands.


3. The very day after I graduated from high school, I moved from Georgia to Mississippi with my then-boyfriend (now husband). I've never really enjoyed being away from my mom for long periods of time so despite living down here for almost 3 years, I'm still very homesick.


4. I love old movies (especially musicals) and music. I'm probably one of the few 21 year olds who can can recognize Bing Crosby from Dean Martin just by ear lol.

5. Walt Disney is one of my most favorite people who have ever existed. I'm crazy about Disney movies and I love watching the bonus features where there is usually an episode of the Disneyland show. 9 times out of 10 I usually end up crying though.

6. I'm funny about my books. I'll take in some that are falling apart but I still treat them just as if they were brand new- like they're made of glass lol. I also have over 200 books I haven't read that I own, some of these have been sitting on my shelves for years...

7. Oh and I also have a thing about doing things in order like reading and reviewing. Even if a book can stand on it's own I refuse to read it until I've read it's previous ones (I have broken this rule once or twice so it's not set in stone). I'm 31 book and 19 movie reviews behind (about 3 months worth) because I also refuse to do my posts out of order.

Yep, I know how weird I am. How weird are you? If you've done this already, please leave a link in the comments. If you haven't, I would love for you to do so!!!

USA Today's Top Selling Books - Meme

I've seen this in a few places but I stole this meme from The Pop Culture Junkie.

Here are the rules: bold what you've read, italicize what you own, star* books on your TBR list!

1 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
2 Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution - Robert C. Atkins
3 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown*
4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
8 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
9 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling, art by Mary GrandPre
10 Who Moved My Cheese? - Spencer Johnson
11 The South Beach Diet - Arthur Agatston
12 Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
13 Angels & Demons - Dan Brown
14 What to Expect When You're Expecting - Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, Sandee Hathaway
15 The Purpose-Driven Life - Rick Warren
16 The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom*
17 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
18 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
19 Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus - John Gray
20 The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
21 Rich Dad, Poor Dad - Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter
22 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
23 Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... And It's All Small Stuff - Richard Carlson
24 The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
25 Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
26 Twilight - Stephenie Meyer*
27 The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
28 The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
29 The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
30 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
31 A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle
32 Oh, the Places You'll Go! - Dr. Seuss
33 The Four Agreements - Don Miguel Ruiz
34 Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
35 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
36 Body-for-Life - Bill Phillips, Michael D’Orso
37 New Moon - Stephenie Meyer *
38 Night - Elie Wiesel, translations by Marion Wiesel and Stella Rodway
39 Chicken Soup for the Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen
40 The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw
41 Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer*
42 The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
43 Wicked - Gregory Maguire
44 Good to Great - Jim Collins
45 Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer*
46 Eragon - Christopher Paolini
47 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
48 Your Best Life Now - Joel Osteen
49 In the Kitchen With Rosie - Rosie Daley
50 Simple Abundance - Sarah Ban Breathnach
51 A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer
52 A Million Little Pieces - James Frey
53 The Testament - John Grisham
54 Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger
55 Deception Point - Dan Brown
56 The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
57 Marley & Me - John Grogan
58 Dr. Atkins' New Carbohydrate Gram Counter - Robert C. Atkins
59 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
60 The Brethren - John Grisham
61 The South Beach Diet Good Fats Good Carbs Guide - Arthur Agatston
62 The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town - John Grisham
63 For One More Day - Mitch Albom
64 The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg*
65 The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
66 The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow
67 What to Expect the First Year - Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff, Sandee Hathaway
68 Love You Forever - Robert Munsch, art by Sheila McGraw
69 Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
70 A Painted House - John Grisham
71 The Rainmaker - John Grisham
72 Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
73 Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier
74 The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time - Mark Haddon
75 Life Strategies - Phillip C. McGraw
76 Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Laura Hillenbrand
77 The Summons - John Grisham
78 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt*
79 The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
80 The Runaway Jury - John Grisham
81 Goodnight Moon Board Book - Margaret Wise Brown, art by Clement Hurd
82 The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
83 Snow Falling on Cedars - David Guterson
84 The Giver - Lois Lowry*
85 Embraced by the Light - Betty J. Eadie
86 The Chamber - John Grisham
87 You: On A Diet - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
88 The Prayer of Jabez - Bruce Wilkinson
89 Holes - Louis Sachar*
90 Digital Fortress - Dan Brown
91 The Shack - William P. Young
92 The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger
93 Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
94 A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
95 The Seat of the Soul - Gary Zukav
96 Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
97 The Partner - John Grisham
98 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
99 Eldest: Inheritance, Book II - Christopher Paolini
100 The Broker - John Grisham
101 The Street Lawyer - John Grisham
102 A Series of Unfortunate Events No. 1: The Bad Beginning - Lemony Snicket
103 The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
104 Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer
105 The King of Torts - John Grisham
106 The Tipping Point - Malcolm Gladwell
107 The Horse Whisperer - Nicholas Evans
108 Hannibal - Thomas Harris
109 The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
110 Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
111 The Glass Castle: A Memoir - Jeannette Walls
112 My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
113 The Last Juror - John Grisham
114 The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
115 Left Behind - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
116 America (The Book) - Jon Stewart and The Writers of The Daily Show
117 The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
118 John Adams - David McCullough
119 The Christmas Box - Richard Paul Evans
120 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - Ann Brashares
121 Sugar Busters! - H. Leighton Steward, Sam S. Andrews, Morrison C. Bethea, Luis A. Balart
122 Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
123 The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
124 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life - Don Piper, Cecil Murphey
125 The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien
126 1776 - David McCullough
127 The Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller
128 Where the Heart Is - Billie Letts
129 The Ultimate Weight Solution - Phillip C. McGraw
130 Protein Power - Michael R. Eades, Mary Dan Eades
131 Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Marci Shimoff
132 Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
133 Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
134 Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
135 You: The Owner's Manual - Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
136 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List - Patricia Schultz
137 Self Matters - Phillip C. McGraw
138 She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
139 1984 - George Orwell
140 The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis *
141 The Millionaire Next Door - Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
142 The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
143 The Zone - Barry Sears, Bill Lawren
144 The Pilot's Wife - Anita Shreve
145 The Lost World Michael Crichton
146 Atonement - Ian McEwan
147 He's Just Not That Into You - Greg Behrendt, Liz Tuccillo
148 Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
149 The World Is Flat - Thomas L. Friedman
150 Cross - James Patterson

Total Number Read: 36

My October Reads

I meant to do this the other day! Oops!!! I'm working on a couple of new posts right now and they should be up in the next few days.

October Books:
Total books read: 5
New Authors: 4
Books in a Series: 4
Mystery: 1
Non-Fiction: 0
Romance: 0
Children or YA Fiction: 2

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
The Ghost and Mrs.McClure by Alice Kimberly
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn