Read 175 Books in 2007

59. Blue Is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz
60. White Is for Magic by Laurie Faria Stolarz
61. Sword and Sorceress I edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley
62. The Good Ghouls’ Guide to Getting Even by Julie Kenner
63. Windfall by Rachel Caine
64. You On a Diet by Mehmet C. Oz and Michael F. Roizen
65. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
66. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
67. The Great Snape Debate by Amy Berner, Orson Scott Card, and Joyce Millman
68. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
69. Firestorm by Rachel Caine
70. The Novice’s Tale by Margaret Frazer
71. Renegade’s Magic by Robin Hobb
72. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett (audiobook)
73. My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding by Various
74. The Autumn Castle by Kim Wilkins
75. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (audiobook)
76. Oh My Goth by Gena Showalter

49. Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day by Joan Bolker
50. The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce
51. Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
52. Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
53. Chill Factor by Rachel Caine
54. Bite Me If You Can by Lynsay Sands
55. Mairelon the Magician by Patricia C. Wrede
56. The Magician’s Ward by Patricia C. Wrede
57. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
58. Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay

32. Sebastian by Anne Bishop
33. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
34. For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison
35. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
36. Specials by Scott Westerfeld
37. Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli
38. You Suck by Christopher Moore
39. Kitty Takes a Holiday by Carrie Vaughn
40. Wizards at War by Diane Duane
41. The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires by Katie MacAlister
42. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
43. I’m the Teacher, You’re the Student by Patrick Allitt
44. Prophecy and Public Affairs in Later Medieval England by Lesley A. Coote
45. White Night by Jim Butcher
46. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
47. Damsel Under Stress by Shanna Swendson
48. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

I thought the situation in the first book was really messed up, but I don’t think that really compares to what Heather gets herself into with this book! Not much happens on the Cooper front, which I’m a bit disappointed in, but lots of other stuff happens and Heather once again solves the murder mystery, putting herself (and others) in danger while doing so.

I’ve heard many good things about this book, but I wasn’t sure if it would live up to the expectations. It took me about halfway to really get into it, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. It might not be the best book I’ve read this year, but it was definitely very enjoyable, and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.

I’m way off target for this goal, but I’m okay with that. I’m not having as much time to read these days, so I’m trying to read really good books in the time that I do have. :)

This was a really nice book about Mia. Short but very sweet and I love what Michael did for her birthday!

If I didn’t know the name of the author, I would never place this author as the same one who writes the Harry Dresden books. This first book in the Codex Alera series is a completely different type of story (much more traditional fantasy-based). It is extremely well-written and the world that Butcher has created is amazing. My only issue is that the world is so fully developed that it took a while to really understand how this world worked – I think I spent at least the first half of the book trying to figure it all out (and there are still many questions that I have), which took away a bit from the story itself. The characters might not have the same place in my heart that Harry and Bob and their crew have, but I did enjoy reading this book very much.

I love the crossing of historical fiction with romance and with the modern day frame story. I was pleased with how everything wrapped up in this book, until right at the end – mostly because it left a few items as cliffhangers and I don’t yet have the next book to read!

I’ve read (and enjoyed) three other Samaria books, and this one has been waiting on my shelf for quite a while. I’m so glad that I read it because it was fantastic. The only negative was that it ended! I wanted to keep going with the characters and find out even more about what happens to them.

I’m thinking that romance isn’t really a great genre for a short story. What I like – the development of a relationship – just doesn’t have room to grow in a short story. Those that do try to develop a whole relationship fall flat because so much gets skipped. There were a few stories in this book that I thought were okay. There were several that were dull. And there were quite a few that I just didn’t like at all. I kept reading because since each is told by a different author, I wanted to give each one a separate chance, but I really should have given up as no story satisfied me and I just became frustrated during each one.