Read 50 books in 2009.

I have recently become employed – yes, I am finally teaching some writing courses!!! I haven’t stopped reading but I have been pinched for time in keeping this (and other goals) updated! I think there’s a shot I’ll make it! I just need to post my lil book review testaments! I seriously plan on setting down and commiting them all (10!!)to “multimodal text” within the next few weeks! Bring on FALL BREAK!

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
(2nd in the Twilight series)

Interesting read….I can see the appeal the series has for the teen set….the relationship between the two lead characters is that crazy teenage all-consuming love that we all remember so well with a jacked up vampire/werewolf twist….I’m interested to see where the 3rd book is going. I think Bella’s behavior is a little obsessive and somewhat erratic, and she tends to be a little thoughtless but I guess it goes with the age. I can’t wait to see the movie….I have a feeling the werewolves are going to be smoking hot =)

Eternals by Neil Gaiman

Another fabulous graphic novel by Gaiman. The story centers around the Eternals, a group of immortals created by the Celestials(aka Giant Alien Robot Things). The Eternals were created to act protectors of the Earth and all its inhabitants. Their enemies are the “changing people” or “deviants”....who pretty much look like monsters. The story covers a lot of cool theories about some of humanity’s greatest myths and mysteries…I hope there’s more to come from this series =) A must read!

Night by Elie Wiesel

This book is one of the most disturbing memoirs I have ever read…..of course, I fully expected to be disturbed since the novel covers the author’s times spent in the concentration camps during WWII but I didn’t imagine anything like this. Wiesel is so graphic, not just about the horrors the Jews suffered, but about the death of his faith in God. Several times throughout the course of this book, I found myself tearing up. Almost 65 years after the fact, I am still blown away by what occured during this horrible war. This book is a MUST read, if only to keep history from repeating itself.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseine

Just like with the first novel I read by Hosseini, I was completely blown away. There are so many things I take for granted in life, and reading about how the Afghan women were/are treated gives me a new appreciation for all that I have. My Mamaw always told me that women were stronger than men because they can endure and this novel proves that to me more than anything. Although the story Hosseini tells is hard, gritty, and very real, the expression of emotion and culture makes A Thousand Splendid Suns a thing of beauty.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

I’ve had this YA novel for a while but I just hadn’t gotten around to actually reading it. I’m glad I did! It has some serious themes (sexual assault, peer pressure) but it also has moments of sheer hilarity! The characters in the novel are so believable….it took me back to my high school days (gag) and reminded me of those agonizing moments of puberty/growing up that we all suffer through. A great read and an excellent addition to my future classroom library!

The Zen Commandments Ten Suggestions for a Life of Inner Freedom by Dean Sluyter

I checked this book out in hopes that it would help me find something that I was looking for and to be honest, there was a glimmer of something there. I’m going to have to reread this book because it did require some concentration on my part and if I was interupted during reading (which I CONSTANTLY was)it threw me off. I found myself connecting to Slutyer and the guidance he tries to provide. He’s not preachy and that’s what I’ve been looking for. Again, I dug it and think this book is something I will need to revisit over and over again.

The Phoenix Endangered by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
(Book Two of The Enduring Flame)

I was so enthralled by the first book that I had to continue reading the second book immediately! Again, this story is a continuation of Harrier and Tiercel’s journey to defeat the rogue Wildmage who is trying unleash the Endarkened back into the world. Everything I love about fantasy/sci-fi is present and accounted for: magic, romance, heroism, elves, dragons, monsters, adventure…...all the good stuff!! It breaks my heart into a thousand pieces to say that I won’t be able to complete the triology until September when the 3rd volume is released!

The Phoenix Unchained by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
(Book One of The Enduring Flame)

Catering to the sci-fi/fantasy geek buried just below the surface, I found this series by luck! It’s a sequel to The Obisidian Triliogy (by the same authors) and takes place just a little over a thousand years later…..you can’t imagine my glee as I was an enormous fan of the aformentioned series! It’s full of action, adventure, romance, magic, Elves, and all the good stuff! My advice is to start with the first triology and work your way down! It’s so detailed and visual with complex characters and a well developed plot…..and yes, I am an ENGLISH major describing a sci-fi/fantasy piece of literature….I’m not ashamed :) Bottomline…READ IT!

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

This book was fantastic. IT took me a while to get into it but I think that was more me than the book itself. It’s a really emotional read and it gives an eye-opening look at what was and what is Afghanistan. Not only is it chocked full of all the good stuff (trials and tribulations of life) but it also offered a whole new cultural experience for me. Can’t wait to read more by this author.