read 100 books in 2007

Well it looks like 100 books will be an ever elusive goal for me. I only managed to read 73 books this year.

My best year was 2005 where I managed 87, but even in 2006 I read 78. So this year was my worst yet. Though with the house hunting and stuff going on, I did have to spend a lot of my reading time doing research and other stuff related to moving cross country. :)

In any case, to catch up through year end, book numbers 71 thru 73 are listed below:

#71 Glass Houses: The Morganville Vampires, Book 1 by Rachel Caine

#72 Cirque Du Freak #7: Hunters of the Dusk by Darren Shan

#73 Cirque Du Freak #8: Allies of the Night by Darren Shan

I know this is completed, but I wanted to add December on as a final total!

105. Chart Throb – Ben Elton
106. Life Swap – Jane Green
107. Stardust – Neil Gaiman
108. Girls In Love – Jacqueline Wilson
109. Life In Dance – Darcey Bussell
110. The Rebel Fairy – Deborah Wright
111. Sophie’s Bakery For The Broken Hearted – Lolly Winston
112. Girls Out Late – Jacqueline Wilson
113. What The Lady Wants – Jennifer Crusie
114. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald

110. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

109. Witch Child by Celia Rees

Book Category: Literature & Fiction
Completed: December 31st

Book Lover:

‘Women do different things when they’re depressed. Some smoke, others drink, some call their therapists, some eat … And I do what I have always done – go off on a book bender that can last for days.’

Whenever she’s in crisis – her marriage ends, her career stalls, her fantasy man shows signs of human frailty – Dora (named after Eudora Welty) escapes into not one, not two, but a carefully selected stack of books, shutting the door on the outside world until she emerges from her book binge strong enough to face her problems. Books have always been her saving grace, sheltering her during a difficult childhood and arming her with lessons and epigrams that are right for nearly every situation. But life is more complicated than a–book–a–day, and people – like her ex–alcoholic mother and judgmental sister – aren’t as compliant as beloved characters in a novel …

Whether she’s being seduced by a quotation–quipping Quixote, or explaining death to a child by reading from ‘Charlotte’s Web’, Dora is Every–reader, and her charming story, shot through with humour and humanity, will delight anyone who’s ever sought solace in the pages of a book.
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Some may love this book but for me it did not really do it.
It took me at least 130 pages to get a bit into the story and even though it did get a bit better, I was left a bit disappointed.

Never really could indentify with the main character I guess. Can’t put my finger on it.

7 out of 10

108. Lisey’s Story by Stephen King

Read this one in a day!

Love this series

Book Category: Thriller
Completed: December 29th

Book Description:

Bestseller Koontz (The Husband) delivers a thriller so compelling many readers will race through the book in one sitting. In the Hitchcockian opening, which resembles that of the cult noir film Red Rock West (1992), Timothy Carrier, a quiet stone mason having a beer in a California bar, meets a stranger who mistakes him for a hit man. The stranger slips Tim a manila envelope containing $10,000 in cash and a photo of the intended victim, Linda Paquette, a writer in Laguna Beach, then leaves. A moment later, Krait, the real killer, shows up and assumes Tim is his client. Tim manages to distract Krait from immediately carrying out the hit by saying he’s had a change of heart and offering Krait the $10,000 he just received. This ploy gives the stone mason enough time to warn Linda before they begin a frantic flight for their lives. While it may be a stretch that the first man wouldn’t do a better job of confirming Tim’s identity, the novel’s breathless pacing, clever twists and adroit characterizations all add up to superior entertainment.
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Finished reading this morning.
As always a joy.(well minus one time) It was a quick read. I had some trouble getting into it at first but once I did I could not stop reading. I do think his books seem to look a lot like each other. (The Husband for instance) but still very enjoyable.

8.5 out of 10

My festive read of the year!