In 2005 read 100 books

I did a final and official count. I had to add 1 because I listened to an audio book which I consider to be a real book, so the official count for 2005 was: 44.

Not quite 100, but I knew I would never make it that far. I still trumped my number in 2004 which was 18. I’m very proud of myself. :)

It’s so hard to rate books in this series because I like them so much, it’s all relative. I think Three to Get Deadly only got 8 stars in my LiveJournal review, but still, even then it’s a great rating compared to 70% of the books I read that fall below that or equal to it.

sigh

Needed more Morelli and had just enough Ranger to be a tease rather than a filling dose. The whole chasing Ranger thing wasn’t believable—everyone knows she wouldn’t turn in the man, if she could have caught him, which everyone also knows she couldn’t have.

Still, I was proud of Stephanie for catching the Trekkie (I’ve been to Trekkie TUBs, I understand how bad geeks can get), and finally collecting a decent paycheck.

Maybe it’s because I read books 3, 4, 5 and 6 in a row, but the whole formula of Stephanie chasing baddie involved in huge undercover scheme, Stephanie getting followed by various henchmen, Stephanie having various individuals break into her home, and Stephanie finally weaseling her way out in the end in a show down in her own apartment.. getting kind of old. I’ve decided to leave the rest of this series to next year so I can start reading a more variety of items.

Don’t get me wrong, I liked this book and I liked the series, but I need a little time off. I do know that 7 and 8 are supposed to be the best books… so I don’t mind putting that off until I feel a little more positive about how I’d receive another formulated plotline.

Less Lula, which is always great. This book is Ranger delicious! Lots of action from the man in black. We even find out where he gets all those freaktastic cars from and a little bit about his background.

What’s even worse than Stephanie Plum stumbling into the local crime scene per her usual? Her running into an old “buddy” who seems to have walked from the murders he committed in One for the Money. Ramirez has found Jesus and he wants to send poor Plum to meet him in person. Add in a few cheapskate old pookies and a few trips back to the funeral parlor and Stephanie is having her usual fun times in Trenton.

But what’s this? She’s decided to stop playing around and pick a man. Who does she pick? Ranger? Morelli? Cliff hanger! Ugh! I might not be able to get to those other books I wanted to read… at least not until I read Hot Six! MUST KNOW!! Torture!

Drool

The next in the series of capers for Stephanie Plum, klutz bounty hunter extrodiare. Maybe she’ll get her man, maybe she’ll get shot at, or maybe she’ll stumble into some bigger than life mystery that can wait at least one hour while she runs home to grab some of her mom’s meatloaf.

I liked this book better than Three to Get Deadly and One for the Money. Slightly squeaks out Two for the Dough. This volume is Morelli delicious!

I have to rate this book the lowest of the first three. It’s not that it’s really a bad book—plot wise it was more interesting than the first, and moved along just as quick as the second.

So why the lower ranking? One word.

Lula.

Ugh God. I HATE that character. Can’t you send that woman packing? Why on EARTH did Stephanie drag her ass around Trenton all day long? And all week long? If she wasn’t such a major character in this book, it might have easily been the best of the first three books. But alas, it’s not.

The latest in the Discworld series. I have mixed emotions about the book. It feels slightly disjointed at times—he spends pages on some things that feel they go no where and don’t mean much in the end. It’s rather confusing what is going on at some points and the descriptions of the caves are so similiar that you can’t remember which one he’s traveling in.

Over all, not bad, but not his best work either. Much better than the earlier books though.

Oh , and where can I buy me a Gooseberry ™?

I read this How – to as part of a Barnes and Nobles University online “course”. I like the general premise of the book. The examples were a bit on the lacking side.

I do not like her Time Management system, it’s horribly inflexible and basically doesn’t work for anyone who is not a housewife.

I had actually bought this book last year for a friend for Christmas. She had gotten into knitting a year ago September and had this on her wish list.

I have to say, I done good. It was a nice selection to send her. It has all the basics and some prints in the back. I think the patterns are a bit advanced in general, but they are something nice to work towards. Good reference book.

I might buy myself a copy or hold out hope of finding a used one.

I was slighltly disappointed in general with the size of this book. After having read Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers I kind of expected this book to be on a similiar note. It is a fun look at the male sex organ and an interesting read, but not quite what I expected. Nice pictures. :)

The next in the Discworld novel series by Terry Pratchett. I had read this one last year when I was reading the Guards series out of order. It’s nice to read this book again now that I know who the characters are.

This is really the first book in the series that introduces the Patrician as more than that “evil man in the castle”. You get to see a small window into his mind. I can now appreciate even more the amount of play he gets in the future Guard books since he doesn’t seem to be a pivotal character in any of the other character series.

Poor Lupin squiggle Sec’ PP.

And anyone has to love a swamp dragon who rearranges his inner organs just to impress a female.

I honestly didn’t realize that Sergeant Colon had also caught onto the whole Carrot is the king’s heir thing either. I knew Vetinari and Vimes knew.