1. Babyji
2. Water:Acsension
3. The Streetcar named Desire
4. The Great Gatsby
5. The Bell Jar
6. Bless Me Ultima
7. Pride + Prejudice (with Ms. Porter’s guidance)

I dont think I’m gonna make it..and most of those books are skool related, so I’m not sure it counts. I’ve just been so distracted. In fact, most of the time I’m distracted. but I read 7, so I’m sure 3 more wouldn’t have killed me. I should be finishing another book this month and so I will only be 2 books off my goal 5 years ago

My final book for this goal was a French Classic called Bonjour Tristesse which translates into “Hello Unhappiness”. It was written by Francoise Sagan when she was 18 and published in 1954.

I truly adored this book. Although thin and easy to read, it conveyed so much emotion and expression in one small book than so many overwritten books of today. I can’t begin to describe it, other than to say that if someone said it was a “coming of age” story they would be way off the mark.

Being a French book, this story is intellectual and based on the lead characters introspection and interactions with others rather than any sexual overtones. Yes she is young, hence the possible “coming of age” reference, but it’s more in a way of learning about the world and how ones actions have consequences, rather than just lovemaking, which gets a sideline mention to suit the story, not for any other reason.

My only fault with this book was that it ended too soon. I would love to have read more. 5 years ago

I have been blessed with not only a great life, but also a life in which I am free to read books. Imagine living in a world where such a general pastime is taken away from you? Hard to imagine isn’t it?

This year, I have been fortunate enough to have read some amazingly written and insightful novels that I truly do believe have touched me deeply. One such novel is Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns.

This book reflects on modern day life and up to date topics, but with a gentle prose that is easy to read. The story is straight to follow and contains all that we humans love to read – relationships, love, family, loss – it’s all there. Honestly, something for everyone. The history buff, the war fan, the romantic… and there isn’t really a hollywood ending.

He is a very clever writer and before you know it his hooks have you reading and saying to yourself “Yes I must do that… but I’ll just read another chapter…”

I give it a thousand splendid stars! 5 years ago

8. Two lipsticks and a Lover by Helena Frith, was a book designed to get to know all about the French woman. Instead you got a good insight into how badly the author wanted to be a French woman.

There was nothing new and insightful let alone amusing in this book. Well I found HER to be amusing.. (but in that let me laugh at YOU way…) She is obsessed with sex and lingerie leaving the impression that every French woman is out there having affairs, starving themselves to be thin, wearing matching lingerie (Isn’t that why lingerie is sold in matching sets?) and shopping only in expensive boutiques. The tiny chapter on intelligence even ended up about sex appeal.

No wonder the French think outsiders lack culture. I think the only culture this author had been exposed to has either grown in her shower or been in a yoghurt carton.

Besides the above mentioned, which took up the majority of the book, it did leave me with the urge to read more about France, keep learning the language, buy more lingerie (matching of course – is there any other kind?) and wanting to go live there for myself. I can only conclude that the author did something right for me to feel this way… but I just can’t work out what since she annoyed the crap out of me. I won’t be reading anymore of her books and I don’t recommend this one!

It is wishy washy at best. 5 years ago

7. The Quickie by James Patterson
I kept joking with my family that this book was so named due to the speed of which it could be read. I am pretty sure it was just knocked out during NaNoWriMo ;)
This was my first Patterson novel and I guess I was expecting something bigger and better, but it passed the time, had an ok but rather silly female lead. Honestly if she were as smart as she was made out to be she wouldn’t be in the situation he wrote about. The story contained a reasonable twist but nothing new, nothing compelling and certainly nothing brilliant.
A bit wishy washy…

6. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
This book is beautifully written and envelops you, transporting you into their world. Although it could be said to be a females book, I disagree as there is much to learn for everyone who is interested in history. Set in remote 19th-century China, this tale is of Lily and Snow Flower, and their imprisonment by rigid codes of conduct for women and their betrayal by pride and love. There is plenty of historical background in graceful prose. Her in-depth research into women’s ceremonies and duties in China’s rural interior discusses arranged marriages, women’s inferior status in both their natal and married homes, and the Confucian proverbs and myriad superstitions that informed daily life. Beginning with a detailed and heartbreaking description of Lily and her sisters’ foot binding the story widens to a vivid portrait of family and village life. I learnt a lot from reading this novel.
Worth Consuming!

5. I Want To Watch
This book started off with a bang, then went no where. It was very disappointing as you waited the rest of the book for something to actually happen.
Not worth consuming

4. The Bride Stripped Bare
On the cover of my copy it is said to be written by “Anonymous” which is always intriguing. It is also not written in the first person, it uses “you” instead of “I” and it works! The Independent describes it as ””Wonderfully sensuous…witty in its construction…a subtle portrait of a modern marriage.” All of which I agree with but would add in friendship and betrayal. It’s also very bold and sexy.
Worth Consuming! 5 years ago

I’ve just finished reading The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. It’s only a small book, cleverly written from a 9 year olds view point but it packs a punch. The simplicity with which this book is written is brilliant and makes for a very easy read and a hard to put down novel. 5 years ago

I ordered Rebecca, thinking by the time I finish my first book “bless me ultima”, I’ll be able to get right into the second book.
Bad News: Bless Me Ultima is way too easy to put down and therefore I have only read up to page 10. Rebecca has been collecting dust on my dresser for two weeks now….and it is about 380 pages
Good News: There is still 5 weeks until I have to go back to skool, so I’ll have time to read them both.

Besides knowing my friends, I’m probably the only that has even attempted to read these darn books. 5 years ago

I just finished #10 – Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding

And another one down, and another one down… This goal is officially complete. 5 years ago

1. Babyji
2. Water:Acsension
3. The Streetcar named Desire
4. The Great Gatsby
5. The Bell Jar

So, I’m trying to read “Bless Me Ultima” but I’m having a very hard time focusing. I keep getting distracted. I must of read the first two pages atleast a dozen times. Then I have to read “Rebecca” and I’m still planning to read “Girlwise: How to be Cool, Capable, and in Control”. However, right now its at my dad’s house. And until I go over there….which i’m hoping is a long time from now, I wont be getting it back. 5 years ago

Two in two days.

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
and then…
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding 5 years ago

I signed up for 2 differant book reading goals on 43Things, this being the shorter of the 2. Though I’ve done it before, I wasn’t quite sure I could do the second one of 52 books in 52 weeks, but I knew I’d make 10 books in 2007. I’ve hit 14 books in 2007, so this goal is now crossed off!



~~Wendy



6 years ago

If I can read 10 this year, I’ll raise it next year. So far though I’ve only finished two that I’ve jotted down on the allconsuming website. Pretty terrible really considering I love to read.

Completed thus far:
1. Almost French
2. From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava

Both Worth Consuming! and recommendations for future reads are welcome! :) 6 years ago

not likely. still trying to decide/figure out about the ideal vs reality of books+defilement 6 years ago

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…And It’s All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson 6 years ago

Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson 6/10.

I do like this book, 6/10 isn’t a bad score to me anyway. It was easy to get into but it didn’t have enough substance to some of the chapters. It felt like it was just moving from one thing to another and sometimes things took way too long to happen.
I liked the characters and the story but I feel there was things missing from it and it could of been better. I will read the next in the series at some point because I think it’s a good idea for a series of books but I’m not in a hurry to go out and get the next one. 6 years ago

My main goal is to read at least 52 books this year but I figure this is a nice baby step goal.

I’ve read 6 so far. 6 years ago

1. Babyji
2. Water:Acsension
3. The Streetcar named Desire
4. The Great Gatsby
5. The Bell Jar

I’m currently reading ” Girlwise: How to be Cool, Capable, and in Control” 6 years ago

Star Man by Michael Francis 10/10

This was such an interesting book. It was written by the body guard to the stars – Michael Francis. This is one of the most intersting books that I’ve ever read. Maybe it interested me the most because he was the bodyguard of my favourite band (Bon Jovi) and he discusses in great detail the late 80’s tours that he was on with the band. What I have learnt about the band is shocking, the after show partys and what goes on in them. Everything from the girls to the drugs are mentioned and I enjoyed reading about it as it’s not something you ever get to read about in such an honest way.
I love this book, I think people who are fans of the bands discussed in this book will enjoy it more than those who don’t like any of the bands that feature in this book.

What a great book!! 6 years ago

Retribution by Jilliane Hoffman 10/10

This book is amazing!! From the first page till the last page this book was one hell of a thriller!! I loved it!!
I could barely put this book down because I was constantly wanting to know what was happening next, it didn’t disapoint me in anyway either and the story flowed with ease over the pages.

This is the authors first book which is a surprise because it’s utterly amazing and very well written. It’s a true thiller in the sense of how a thriller should be and I will be buying another book by this author.

I must recommened that if you read this book don’t start it late at night when your sat in bed. It starts off pretty scary and it had me checking my bedroom window lol

10/10 – I’d give it more if I could ;o) 6 years ago

and 10 books is the chellange that i might be accomplish
so far

2 Dolores Claibourne
1 Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince 6 years ago

I usually read a book a week. 6 years ago

Stardust by Neil Gaiman 10/10

I loved this book from start to finish, it is one of the best books that I have ever read!!
I loved every single page of this book, I loved the story, the characters and the way it is set out.
I started reading it less than 24 hours ago and simply couldn’t put it down and finished it an hour ago wanting more of this.

I will be buying more Neil Gaiman books in the future because if this book is anything to go by then his other books should be good too!! 6 years ago

1. 1984
2. Shampoo Planet
3. Less Than Zero
4. Streetcat Named Desire 6 years ago

1. Babyji
2. Water:Ascension
3. The Belljar
4. The Streetcar Named Desire
5. We will attempt to read a new book within a week and a half (spring break). 6 years ago

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 9/10

I finished this book a couple of days ago but I have only just got around to filling this in!!

I enjoyed this book! I must admit that I did find it hard to get into at first. In fact I picked up the book and put it down after a chapter because I didn’t think that it was the sort of book that I would normally read. A few weeks later I picked it up again to give it another go because I thought I should give it more than a chapter to see what it is really like.
So I started to read it again and I would read a chapter here and there when I had time and I liked it but I didn’t think it was my sort of book but having said that, the more I read it the more I got into it. I was really enjoying it but was having trouble finding time to pick it up often. I got to about page 150 at the beginning of this month and then put it down until about 5 days ago when I was ill and unable to do anything else. I then read the rest of the book (350 pages) in less than three days and that’s because I couldn’t put it down. It was just an amazing story that was well told and I could see it happening in front of my eyes, I felt so much part of the story and was wanting so much to find out what was going to happen and I also had an idea what I wanted to happen and I thought it wouldn’t happen so I was even more pleased when it had the amazing ending that I wanted!!
I loved it, it was a great book!!

I watched the film the night and I finished the book and it was a great film but it didn’t live up to the book. They could of made the film longer (maybe three hours) and added so much to the book. I would of added different things to the film and taken other things out. It is good but not as good as the book!! 6 years ago

The Bad Mother’s Handbook by Kate Long 10/10!!

I LOVED this book from start to finish!! It was amazing, I couldn’t even put it down until I had finished it. I only managed to put it down to eat and sleep.
I love the style of writing and speech in this book because it’s set not far from where I live so I could actually here the words being spoken as if it was happening in front of me. I know people who don’t know the accent (lancashire accent) will wonder what it going on with the words but for me I hear people talk like that all the time so it was nice to come across it in a book.
The story was amazing and the three main characters of the book (Nan, mother & daughter) were so real and so believable that they could of been my neighbours.

Brillant!! 6 years ago

Morrigan’s Cross by Nora Roberts 8/10.

I really liked this book. It was interesting and thrilling and very exciting. It wasn’t as faced paced as I would of liked but that’s maybe me just wanting it to move on faster so I could find out what happens.
I can’t wait to read the second book in this trilogy because it’s been left in the middle of the story and it is very exciting and I can’t leave it hanging like it is. It was a good read and I did like it, otherwise I wouldn’t of read the last half of the book in 2 days like I did. 6 years ago

I think I’ll start reading “The tales of the Greek Heroes” now then slowly move on to:

4. Hieroglyphics Book
5. Sign Language Book 6 years ago

Write Great Essays! by Peter Levin 10/10.

This is possibly one of the best achedemic books that I have ever read. It is amazing and written in a simple way that anyone can understand. It has great tips and advice and I find I can use it in so many writing situations.

I will probably be dipping in and out of this book over the next year.
I did buy it in order to help me with my essay writing skills in hope it would improve them and thus help me get higher marks so I am still to see if I can get higher marks.

All in all this is a great book and one I will always have around me using it. 6 years ago

Reading is someting you should do daily it keeps the brain cells active. I am a true believer in reading. For writyers it pays the bills. 6 years ago