A Bundle of Books

The Fault in Our Stars

2012-01-13T23:55:00.000-08:00

Book #148 (Unique books)
Book #2 in 2012

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love."

January 13th - 1 day (about 9 hours) - 318 pages

Notes:

"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

--Julius Caesar, Shakespeare

oh my god sobbing forever. literally had me on the floor bawling. asdfuogyiaqo;sdhigsl

What I Wish For You

2012-01-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

Book #147 (Unique books)
Book #1 in 2012

What I Wish For You: Simple Wisdom For a Happy Life
by Patti Digh

"In the tradition of Dr. Seuss’s Oh, The Places You’ll Go! and Anna Quindlen’s A Short Guide to a Happy Life comes this gathering of wisdom ideal for any person, young or old(er), facing a transition. What advice do you wish you had heard—really heard—when you were graduating from high school or college? What words could you benefit from hearing again? When Patti Digh asked her readers this question as her own daughter was starting college, the resulting flood of pithy, heartfelt wisdom sparked the idea for this book. What flowed in was beautiful, thoughtful, poignant, and funny. Out of the hundreds of essays, six themes emerged:

Remember who you are
Know what matters most
Make peace with time
Let go of certainty
Learn every single day
Open up your hand

What I Wish for You features meaningful stories from Patti as well as illustrations and essays submitted by readers of her blog from around the world, resulting in a vibrant, intriguing, and life-affirming book ideal for the young graduate and beyond."

December 26th to January 9th - 15 days - 143 pages

Let It Snow

2011-12-26T14:23:00.000-08:00

Book #146 (Unique books)
Book #25 in 2011

Let It Snow: Three holiday romances
by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

"In three intertwining short stories, several high school couples experience the trials and tribulations along with the joys of romance during a Christmas Eve snowstorm in a small town."

December 11th to December 25th - 15 days - 352 pages

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Re-read)

2011-12-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

Book #24 in 2011

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky"Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up. "

December 10th to December 11th - 2 days - 213 pages

Notes:
♥ ♥ ♥
Love this book so much.

InterWorld

2011-12-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

Book #145 (Unique books)
Book #23 in 2011

InterWorld
by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves

"At nearly fifteen years of age, Joey Harker learns that he is a Walker, able to travel between dimensions, and soon joins a team of different versions of himself, each from another dimension, to fight the evil forces striving to conquer all the worlds."

November 22nd to December 9th - 18 days - 239 pages

Ender's Game

2011-11-21T19:02:00.000-08:00

Book #144 (Unique books)
Book #22 in 2011

Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card

"In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut--young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training.

Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers, Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister.

Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If the world survives, that is."

October 18th to November 21st - 35 days - 324 pages

An Abundance of Katherines

2011-10-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

Book #143 (Unique books)
Book #21 in 2011

An Abundance of Katherines
by John Green

"Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships."

October 14th to October 17th - 4 days - 227 pages

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

2011-10-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

Book #142 (Unique books)
Book #20 in 2011

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

"According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon--both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle--are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist..."

August 12th to October 14th - 60 days (2 months) - 398 pages

The Great Gatsby

2011-08-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Book #141 (Unique books)
Book #19 in 2011

The Great Gatsby
by F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Jay Gatsby is the man who has everything. But one thing will always be out of his reach...Everybody who is anybody is seen at his glittering parties. Day and night his Long Island mansion buzzes with bright young things drinking, dancing and debating his mysterious character. For Gatsby - young, handsome, fabulously rich - always seems alone in the crowd, watching and waiting, though no one knows what for. Beneath the shimmering surface of his life he is hiding a secret: a silent longing that can never be fulfilled. And soon this destructive obsession will force his world to unravel."

July 13th to August 20th - 33 days - 154 pages

Odd and the Frost Giants

2011-08-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

Book #140 (Unique books)
Book #18 in 2011

Odd and the Frost Giants
by Neil Gaiman

"Odd’s father perished in a Viking expedition, a tree shattered his leg, and the endless winter is making his neighbors dangerously grumpy. But perhaps Odd’s luck will change when he meets a bear, an eagle, and a fox who are more than what they seem to be."

August 11th - 1 day - 117 pages

Flush

2011-08-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

Book #139 (Unique books)
Book #17 in 2011

Flush
by Carl Hiaasen

"With their father jailed for sinking a river boat, Noah Underwood and his younger sister, Abbey, must gather evidence that the owner of this floating casino is emptying his bilge tanks into the protected waters around their Florida Keys home."

August 1st to August 10th - 10 days - 263 pages

The BFG

2011-08-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

Book #138 (Unique books)
Book #16 in 2011

The BFG
by Roald Dahl

"Kidsnatched from her orphange by a BFG (Big Friendly Giant), who spends his life blowing happy dreams to children, Sophie concocts with him a plan to save the world from nine other man-gobbling cannybull giants."

July 26th to August 1st - 7 days - 206 pages

Notes:
Chloe and I took turns reading chapters for half the book, and then I finished it. :3

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Re-read)

2011-07-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Book #15 in 2011

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
by J.K. Rowling

"Harry Potter, a fourth-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, longs to escape his hateful relatives, the Dursleys, and live as a normal fourteen-year-old wizard, but what Harry does not yet realize is that he is not a normal wizard, and in his case, different can be deadly."

June 28th to July 12th - 15 days - 734 pages

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning

2011-07-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Book #138 (Unique books*)
Book #14 in 2011

A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning
by Lemony Snicket

"Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.

With all due respect,
"

June 4th to June 5th - 1 1/2 days - 162 pages

Notes:
*I have read these lots of times but I'm counting it in my total because it's never been published here.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Re-read)

2011-06-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

Book #13 in 2011

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
by J.K. Rowling

"During his third year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter must confront the devious and dangerous wizard responsible for his parents' deaths."

June 24th to June 27th - 4 days - 435 pages

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Re-read)

2011-06-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

Book #12 in 2011

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
by J.K. Rowling

"When the Chamber of Secrets is opened again at the Hogswart School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, second-year student Harry Potter finds himself in danger from a dark power that has once more been released on the school."

June 22nd to June 24th - 2 1/2 days - 341 pages

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Re-read)

2011-06-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

Book #11 in 2011

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
by J.K. Rowling

"Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches."

June 20th to June 21st - 2 days - 309 pages

The Tenth Circle

2011-06-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

Book #137 (Unique books)
Book #10 in 2011

The Tenth Circle
by Jodi Picoult

"..............."

May 21st to June 10th - 21 days - 387 pages

Notes:
“Nothing is easier than self deceit for what each man wishes that he also believes to be true.”
– DEMOSTHENES

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

2011-05-21T13:41:00.001-07:00

Book #136 (Unique books)
Book #9 in 2011

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

"Told in the alternating voices of Dash and Lily, two sixteen-year-olds carry on a wintry scavenger hunt at Christmas-time in New York, neither knowing quite what--or who--they will find."

April 2nd to May 20th - 29 days - 260 pages

Looking For Alaska

2011-04-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

Book #135 (Unique books)
Book #8 in 2011

Looking For Alaska
by John Green

"Miles halter is fascinated by famous last words--and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps."

April 6th to April 15th - 10 days - 221 pages

Notes:
♥ ♥ ♥
That moment when you finish Looking For Alaska at 2 am and you are crying partly because of the book and partly because you don't know how any book you read again could ever be this amazing.

Anna and the French Kiss

2011-04-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

Book #134 (Unique books)
Book #7 in 2011

Anna and the French Kiss
by Stephanie Perkins

"When Anna's romance-novelist father sends her to an elite American boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school, she reluctantly goes, and meets an amazing boy who becomes her best friend, in spite of the fact that they both want something more."

March 31st to April 5th - 6 days - 372 pages

Notes:
♥

James and the Giant Peach

2011-03-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

Book #133 (Unique books)
Book #6 in 2011

James and the Giant Peach
by Roald Dahl

"A little magic can take you a long way...

When James accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start happening. The peach at the very tip of the tree starts growing, and growing, and growing... until it's as big as a house! When James crawls inside, he meets a houseful of oversized friends-- Grasshopper, Centipede, Earthworm, and more. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the adventure begins!"

March 3rd to March 30th - 28 days - 126 pages

The Red Pony

2011-03-03T10:37:00.001-08:00

Book #132 (Unique books)
Book #5 in 2011

The Red Pony
by John Steinbeck

"Tells a story of a young boy and life on his father's California ranch, raising a sorrel colt."

February 23rd to March 3rd - 9 days - 120 pages

The Witches

2011-02-22T23:07:00.000-08:00

Book #131 (Unique books)
Book #4 in 2011

The Witches
by Roald Dahl

" 'A REAL WITCH is easily the most dangerous of all the living creatures on earth.'

That's a pretty horrifying thought. More horrifying still is that real witches don't even look like witches. They don't ride around on broomsticks. They don't even wear black cloaks and hats. They are vile, despicable, scheming harridans who disguise themselves as nice, ordinary ladies.

So how can you tell when you're face to face with one? Read this story and you'll find out all you need to know. You'll also meet a real hero, a wise old grandmother and the most gruesome, grotesque gang of witches imaginable!"

February 21st to February 22nd - 2 days - 208 pages

Notes:
♥ ♥ ♥
Love this book.

Haven't read it since I was little. In probably about ten years. Mommy read it to me last in about one sitting when I was super sick. First time I've ever read it on my own.

One Bloody Thing After Another

2011-02-19T18:18:00.000-08:00

Book #130 (Unique books)
Book #3 in 2011

One Bloody Thing After Another
by Joey Comeau

"Jackie has a map of the city on the wall of her bedroom, with a green pin for each of her trees. She has a first-kiss tree and a broken-arm tree. She has a car-accident tree. There is a tree at the hospital where Jackie’s mother passed away into the long good night. When one of them gets cut down, Jackie doesn’t know what to do but she doesn’t let that stop her. She picks up the biggest rock she can carry and puts it through the window of a car. Smash. She intends to leave before the police arrive, but they’re early.

Ann is Jackie’s best friend, but she’s got problems of her own. Her mother is chained up in the basement. How do you bring that up in casual conversation? “Oh, sorry I’ve been so distant, Jackie. My mother has more teeth than she’s supposed to, and she won’t eat anything that’s already dead.” Ann and her sister Margaret don’t have much of a choice here. Their mother needs to be fed. It isn’t easy but this is family. It’s not supposed to be easy. It’ll be okay as long as Margaret and Ann still have each other.

Add in a cantankerous old man, his powerfully stupid dog, a headless ghost, a lesbian crush and a few unsettling visits from Jackie’s own dead mother, and you’ll find that One Bloody Thing After Another is a different sort of horror novel from the ones you’re used to."

February 17th to February 19th - 3 days - 165 pages

Me Talk Pretty One Day

2011-02-17T16:42:00.000-08:00

Book #129 (Unique books)
Book #2 in 2011

Me Talk Pretty One Day
by David Sedaris

"Me Talk Pretty One Day, published in 2000, is a bestselling collection of essays by American humorist David Sedaris. The book is separated into two parts. The first consists of essays about Sedaris’ life before his move to Normandy, France including his upbringing in suburban Raleigh, North Carolina, his time working odd jobs in New York City, and a visit to New York from a childhood friend and her rather bumpkinish girlfriend. The second section, "Deux" tells of Sedaris’ move to Normandy with his partner Hugh, often drawing humor from his efforts to live in France without speaking the French language and his frustrated attempts to learn it. Prior to publication, several of the essays were read by the author on the Public Radio International program, This American Life."

January 13th to February 17th - 36 days - 272 pages

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

2011-01-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

Book #128 (Unique books)
Book #1 in 2011

Will Grayson, Will Grayson
by John Green and David Levithan

"When two teens, one gay and one straight, meet accidentally and discover that they share the same name, their lives become intertwined as one begins dating the other's best friend, who produces a play revealing his relationship with them both."

January 2nd to January 13th - 12 days - 310 pages

My Name Is Memory

2010-12-30T18:40:00.000-08:00

Book #127 (Unique books)
Book #29 in 2010

My Name Is Memory
by Ann Brashares

"Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together-and he remembers it all. Daniel has "the memory", the ability to recall past lives and recognize souls of those he's previously known. It is a gift and a curse. For all the times that he and Sophia have been drawn together throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart. A love always too short. Interwoven through Sophia and Daniel's unfolding present day relationship are glimpses of their expansive history together. From 552 Asia Minor to 1918 England and 1972 Virginia, the two souls share a long and sometimes torturous path of seeking each other time and time again. But just when young Sophia (now "Lucy" in the present) finally begins to awaken to the secret of their shared past, to understand the true reason for the strength of their attraction, the mysterious force that has always torn them apart reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together. A magical, suspenseful, heartbreaking story of true love, My Name is Memory proves the power and endurance of a union that was meant to be."

December 22nd to December 30th - 8 1/2 days - 324 pages

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex

2010-12-22T10:32:00.000-08:00

Book #126 (Unique books)
Book #28 in 2010

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex
by Eoin Colfer

"Teenaged criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl must save the underwater fairy metropolis of Atlantis from danger, while battling a psychological affliction known as the Atlantis Complex."

December 3rd to December 21st - 19 days - 357 pages

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Re-read)

2010-11-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

Book #27 in 2010

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J.K. Rowling

"Burdened with the dark, dangerous, and seemingly impossible task of locating and destroying Voldermort's remaining Horcruxes, Harry, feeling alone and uncertain about his future, struggles to find the inner strength he needs to follow the path set out before him."

November 11th to November 19th - 9 days - 759 pages

The Number Devil

2010-10-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

Book #125 (Unique books)
Book #26 in 2010

The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure
by Hans Magnus Enzensberger

"Annoyed with his math teacher who assigns word problems and won't let him use a calculator, twelve-year-old Robert finds help from the number devil in his dreams."

October 9th to October 17th - 9 days - 262 pages

Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes

2010-10-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

Book #124 (Unique books)
Book #25 in 2010

Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes
by Roald Dahl

"Humorous retellings in verse of six well-known fairy tales featuring surprise endings in place of the traditional happily-ever-after."

October 10th - 1 day - 43(ish) pages

The Princess Bride

2010-10-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

Book #123 (Unique books)
Book #24 in 2010

The Princess Bride
by William Goldman

"Westley . . . handsome farm boy who risks death and much, much worse for the woman he loves; Inigo . . . the Spanish swordsman who lives only to avenge his father's death; Fezzik . . . the Turk, the gentlest giant ever to have uprooted a tree with his bare hands; Vizzini . . . the evil Sicilian, with a mind so keen he's foiled by his own perfect logic; Prince Humperdinck . . . the eviler ruler of Guilder, who has an equally insatiable thirst for war and the beauteous Buttercup; Count Rugen . . . the evilest man of all, who thrives on the excruciating pain of others; Miracle Max. . . the King's ex-Miracle Man, who can raise the dead (kind of); The Dread Pirate Roberts . . . supreme looter and plunderer of the high seas; and, of course, Buttercup . . . the princess bride, the most perfect, beautiful woman in the history of the world.S. Morgenstern's timeless tale--discovered and wonderfully abridged by William Goldman--pits country against country, good against evil, love against hate. From the Cliffs of Insanity through the Fire Swamp and down into the Zoo of Death, this incredible journey and brilliant tale is peppered with strange beasties monstrous and gentle, and memorable surprises both terrible and sublime."

September 25th to October 8th - 14 days (2 weeks) - 398 pages

Paper Towns

2010-09-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

Book #122 (Unique books)
Book #23 in 2010

Paper Towns
by John Green

"One month before graduating from his Central Florida high school, Quentin "Q" Jacobsen basks in the predictable boringness of his life until the beautiful and exciting Margo Roth Spiegelman, Q's neighbor and classmate, takes him on a midnight adventure and then mysteriously disappears."

September 22nd to September 25th - 3 1/2 days - 305 pages

The Phantom Tollbooth

2010-09-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

Book #121 (Unique books)
Book #22 in 2010

The Phantom Tollbooth
by Norton Juster

"A journey through a land where Milo learns the importance of words and numbers provide a cure for his boredom."

September 19th to September 22nd - 3 1/2 days - 256 pages

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

2010-09-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Book #120 (Unique books)
Book #21 in 2010

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
by Douglas Adams

"Back on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription, the mysterious disappearance of Earth's dolphins, and the discovery of his battered copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy all conspire to give Arthur the sneaking suspicion that something otherworldly is indeed going on. . . .

God only knows what it all means. And fortunately, He left behind a Final Message of explanation. But since it's light-years away from Earth, on a star surrounded by souvenir booths, finding out what it is will mean hitching a ride to the far reaches of space aboard a UFO with a giant robot. But what else is new?"

September 15th to September 18th - 4 days - 214 pages

Eat, Pray, Love

2010-09-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

Book #119 (Unique books)
Book #20 in 2010

Eat, Pray, Love: one woman's search for
everything across Italy, India, and Indonesia
by Elizabeth Gilbert

"This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls "Anne Lamott’s hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister") is poised to garner yet more adoring fans."

August 11th to September 14th - 35 days - 334 pages

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

2010-08-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

Book #118 (Unique books)
Book #19 in 2010

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
by Douglas Adams

"There is a long tradition of Great Detectives, and Dirk Gently does not belong to it. But his search for a missing cat uncovers a ghost, a time traveler, AND the devastating secret of humankind! Detective Gently's bill for saving the human race from extinction: NO CHARGE."

August 6th to August 9th - 4 days - 306 pages

A Wrinkle in Time

2010-08-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

Book #117 (Unique books)
Book #18 in 2010

A Wrinkle in Time
by Madeleine L'Engle

"Everyone in town thinks Meg Murry is volatile and dull-witted, and that her younger brother, Charles Wallace, is dumb. People are also saying that their physicist father has run off and left their brilliant scientist mother. Spurred on by these rumors and an unearthly stranger, the tesseract-touting Mrs Whatsit, Meg and Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin O'Keefe embark on a perilous quest through space to find their father. In doing so, they must travel behind the shadow of an evil power that is darkening the cosmos, one planet at a time. This is no superhero tale, nor is it science fiction, although it shares elements of both. The travelers must rely on their individual and collective strengths, delving deep within themselves to find answers."

August 3rd to August 5th - 2 1/2 days - 211 pages

B is for Beer

2010-08-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

Book #116 (Unique books)
Book #17 in 2010

B is for Beer
by Tom Robbins

"In this story for both children and adults, kindergartner Gracie decides to find out just what beer is and why her father likes it so much. Along the way she discovers more than she probably expected."

August 2nd to August 3rd - 1 1/2 days - 125 pages

The Lightning Thief

2010-08-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

Book #115 (Unique books)
Book #16 in 2010

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
by Rick Riordan

"Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson learns he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea. His mother sends him to a summer camp for demigods where he and his new friends set out on a quest to prevent a war between the gods."

July 28th to August 1st - 5 days - 375 pages

Notes:
Ha. Definitely called the betrayer from the beginning.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

2010-07-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

Book #114 (Unique books)
Book #15 in 2010

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer

"Meet Oskar Schell, an inventor, Francophile, tambourine player, Shakespearean actor, jeweler, pacifist. He is nine years old. And he is on an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. His mission is to find the lock that fits a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the attack on the World Trade Center. An inspired creation, Oskar is alternately endearing, exasperating, and hilarious as he careens from Central Park to Coney Island to Harlem on his search. Along the way he is always dreaming up inventions to keep those he loves safe from harm. What about a birdseed shirt to let you fly away? What if you could actually hear everyone's heartbeat? His goal is hopeful, but the past speaks a loud warning in stories of those who've lost loved ones before. As Oskar roams New York, he encounters a motley assortment of characters who are all survivors in their own way."

July 24th to July 27th - 4 days - 326 pages

Notes:
♥ Oskar ♥

The Cosmic Puppets

2010-07-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

Book #113 (Unique books)
Book #14 in 2010

The Cosmic Puppets
by Philip K. Dick

"Yielding to a compulsion he can’t explain, Ted Barton interrupts his vacation in order to visit the town of his birth, Millgate, Virginia. But upon entering the sleepy, isolated little hamlet, Ted is distraught to find that the place bears no resemblance to the one he left behind—and never did. He also discovers that in this Millgate Ted Barton died of scarlet fever when he was nine years old. Perhaps even more troubling is the fact that it is literally impossible to escape. Unable to leave, Ted struggles to find the reason for such disturbing incongruities, but before long, he finds himself in the midst of a struggle between good and evil that stretches far beyond the confines of the valley. "

July 19th to July 23rd - 5 days - 143 pages

The Wizard of Oz

2010-07-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

Book #112 (Unique books)
Book #13 in 2010

The Wizard of Oz
by L. Frank Baum

"After being transported by a cyclone to the land of Oz, Dorothy and her dog are befriended by a scarecrow, a tin man, and a cowardly lion, who accompany her to the Emerald City to look for a wizard who can help Dorothy return home to Kansas."

July 11th to July 14th - 4 days - 199 pages

Jitterbug Perfume

2010-06-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

Book #111 (Unique books)
Book #12 in 2010

Jitterbug Perfume
by Tom Robbins

"Jitterbug Perfume is an epic. which is to say, it begins in the forests of ancient Bohemia and doesn't conclude until nine o'clock tonight [Paris time]. It is a saga, as well. A saga must have a hero, and the hero of this one is a janitor with a missing bottle. The bottle is blue, very, very old, and embossed with the image of a goat-horned god. If the liquid in the bottle is actually is the secret essence of the universe, as some folks seem to think, it had better be discovered soon because it is leaking and there is only a drop of two left."

May 10th to June 19th - 41 days - 342 pages

Notes:
♥ ♥ ♥
I would've been finished much sooner, but the conference happened.

The Outsiders

2010-05-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

Book #110 (Unique books)
Book #11 in 2010

The Outsiders
by S. E. Hinton

"The struggle of three brothers to stay together after their parent's death and their quest for identity among the conflicting values of their adolescent society."

May 1st to May 10th - 10 days - 156 pages

Surviving the Applewhites

2010-04-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

Book #109 (Unique books)
Book #10 in 2010

Surviving the Applewhites
by Stephanie S. Tolan

"Jake, a budding juvenile delinquent, is sent for unschooling to the arty and eccentric Applewhite family's Creative Academy, where he discovers talents and interests he never knew he had."

April 27th to April 30th - 4 days - 216 pages

To Kill a Mockingbird

2010-04-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

Book #108 (Unique books)
Book #9 in 2010

To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee

"Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 6-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up."

April 21st to April 26th - 6 days - 323 pages

120 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

The Tomato Soup Chronicles (Re-read)

2010-04-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

Book #8 in 2010

The Tomato Soup Chronicles
by Zephyr Goza

"The story of Raymond C. Hayes, a man who accidentally orders his own assassination, is a sarcastic and scathing dark comedy by 18 year old author Zephyr Goza. Written out of order, the tale follows the increasingly unfortunate Ray in his transition from an office number cruncher at a job he hates to being the target of a mysterious and poorly operated hit organization known only as Adventures, Inc."

April 12th to April 20th - 9 days - 195 pages

119 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
♥ ♥ ♥

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

2010-03-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

Book #107 (Unique books)
Book #7 in 2010

The Tales of Beedle the Bard
by J.K. Rowling

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers' attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger's new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales."

February 21st to March 11th - 19 days - 111 pages

118 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

The Giver

2010-02-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

Book #106 (Unique books)
Book #6 in 2010

The Giver
by Lois Lowry

"Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives."

February 8th to February 23rd - 18 days - 180 pages

117 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

A Lifetime of Secrets

2010-02-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

A Lifetime of Secrets
complied by Frank Warren

PostSecret.

February 17th to February 21st - 5 days

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets

2010-02-25T13:11:00.000-08:00

Book #105 (Unique books)
Book #5 in 2010

I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six Word Memoirs By Teen Famous & Obscure
edited by Rachel Fershleiser and Larry Smith

"This is a book with nearly 800 authors (all aged thirteen to nineteen) and 800 characters (all real, as far as we know) and 800 stories (which can be read in any order). What every story has in common is that each was written about the author's own life, and that each is the exact same length: six words."

February 13th - 1 day - 184 pages

116 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

The Vampire is Just Not That Into You

2010-02-25T13:05:00.000-08:00

Book #104 (Unique books)
Book #4 in 2010

The Vampire is Just Not That Into You
by Vlad Mezrich

"Are you in love with a vampire? Are you worried that you might not be his (blood) type? Do you wonder whether that cold stare means he isn’t interested . . . or if it’s because he’s been dead for three centuries (nothing personal)? Have you tried to coax him out of his crypt with a flash of your neck or a near-death situation that requires him to save you at the very last possible moment? Have you ever considered what it will be like to introduce him to your mother? Even though your vampire’s skin is transfixingly translucent, he can still be very hard to read. Sometimes he’s simply holding back his true feelings, resisting the urge to bite you in the chance that one day you will truly love him. And other times . . . well, he’s just not that into you. "

February 6th to February 8th - 3 days - 176 pages

115 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Love, Stargirl (Re-read)

2010-02-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

Book #3 in 2010

Love, Stargirl
by Jerry Spinelli

"Still moping months after being dumped by her Arizona boyfriend Leo, fifteen-year-old Stargirl, a home-schooled free spirit, writes 'the world's longest letter' to Leo, describing her new life in Pennsylvania."

January 25th to February 5th - 12 days - 274 pages

114 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
♥ ♥ ♥

Stargirl (Re-read)

2010-01-23T18:02:00.000-08:00

Book #2 in 2010

Stargirl
by Jerry Spinelli

"In this story about the perils of popularity, the courage of nonconformity, and the thrill of first love, an eccentric student named Stargirl changes Mica High School forever."

January 22nd to January 23rd - 2 days - 186 pages

113 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
♥ ♥ ♥

The School of Essential Ingredients

2010-01-21T21:38:00.000-08:00

Book #103 (Unique books)
Book #1 in 2010

The School of Essential Ingredients
by Erica Bauermeister

"Eight students gather in Lillian's Restaurant every Monday night for cooking class. It soon becomes clear, however, that each one seeks a recipe for something beyond the kitchen as Chef Lillian, a woman whose connection with food is both soulful and exacting, helps them to create dishes whose flavor and techniques expand beyond the restaurant and into the secret corners of her students' lives."

January 9th to January 21st - 13 days - 240 pages

112 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Remarkable Names of Real People or, How to Name Your Baby

2009-12-31T17:39:00.000-08:00

Book #102 (Unique books)
Book #50 in 2009 (!)

Remarkable Names of Real People or, How to Name Your Baby
by John Train

"Train's first Hilarious laugh out loud collection of authentic names ever inflicted on real people with charming b&w drawings by Pierre Le-Tan."

December 31st - 1 day - 64 pages

111 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Tricks

2009-12-30T17:27:00.000-08:00

Book #101 (Unique books)
Book #49 in 2009

Tricks
by Ellen Hopkins

"Five troubled teenagers fall into prostitution as they search for freedom, safety, community, family, and love."

December 27th to December 30th - 4 days - 627 pages

110 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Nightlight

2009-12-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

Book #100 (Unique books)
Book #48 in 2009

Nightlight
by The Harvard Lampoon

"About three things I was absolutely certain. First, Edwart was most likely my soul mate, maybe. Second, there was a vampire part of him–which I assumed was wildly out of his control–that wanted me dead. And third, I unconditionally, irrevocably, impenetrably, heterogeneously, gynecologically, and disreputably wished he had kissed me. "

December 25th to December 27th - 3 days - 154 pages

109 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Life, the Universe and Everything

2009-12-23T19:43:00.000-08:00

Book #99 (Unique books)
Book #47 in 2009

Life, the Universe and Everything
by Douglas Adams

"The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky above their heads--so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals stand between the white killer robots of Krikkit and their goal of total annihilation.
They are Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered space and time traveler, who tries to learn how to fly by throwing himself at the ground and missing; Ford Prefect, his best friend, who decides to go insane to see if he likes it; Slartibartfast, the indomitable vicepresident of the Campaign for Real Time, who travels in a ship powered by irrational behavior; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-head honcho of the Universe; and Trillian, the sexy space cadet who is torn between a persistent Thunder God and a very depressed Beeblebrox."

December 21st to December 23rd - 3 days - 159 pages

108 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

2009-12-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

Book #98 (Unique books)
Book #46 in 2009

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
by Douglas Adams

"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened."

December 16th to December 21st - 6 days - 165 pages

107 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Re-read)

2009-12-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

Book #45 in 2009

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams

"Don't leave Earth without this hilarious international bestseller about the end of the world and the happy-go-lucky days that follow...about the worst Thursday that ever happened and why the Universe is a lot safer if you bring a towel."

December 14th to December 16th - 2 1/2 days - 143 pages

106 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
♥

Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid

2009-12-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

Book #97 (Unique books)
Book #44 in 2009

Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can't Avoid
by Lemony Snicket

"Life is a turbulent journey, fraught with confusion, heartbreak, and inconvenience. Unfortunately, this book will not help. Instead, this book of wit and wisdom offers a selection of alarming but inescapable truths from the work of Lemony Snicket, along with selections from his unpublished papers and remarks he has made at dinner parties and anarchist riots."

December 11th - 1 day - 168 pages

105 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Glass

2009-12-10T22:31:00.000-08:00

Book #96 (Unique books)
Book #43 in 2009

Glass
by Ellen Hopkins

"Eighteen-year-old Kristina is determined to manage her crystal meth addiction in order to take care of her newborn son, but when the pull of the drug becomes too strong, her greatest fears are quickly realized."

December 7th to December 10th - 4 days - 681 pages

104 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

John Dies at the End

2009-12-07T13:55:00.000-08:00

Book #95 (Unique books)
Book #42 in 2009

John Dies at the End
by David Wong a.k.a. Jason Pargin

"This may be the story of John and David, a drug called soy sauce, and other-worldly beings invading the planet. Or, it may be the story of two beer-drinking friends who live in an unnamed Midwestern town and only think something horrific is going on. But the important thing is, according to the narrator, 'None of this is my fault.'"

December 4th to December 7th - 3 1/2 days

103 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
♥ ♥ ♥
HOLY OH MY GOODNESS I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH.

Stayed up into all hours of the night reading. 4:00 AM the first night, 4:30 AM the second night, 5:30 AM the third night (but then was way overly tired and had to go to sleep with about 16 pages left). I am very proud of this staying-up-all-night-to-read business.

Dead Until Dark

2009-12-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

Book #94 (Unique books)
Book #41 in 2009

Dead Until Dark
by Charlaine Harris

"Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana, but she keeps to herself and doesn't date much because of her "disability" to read minds. When she meets Bill, Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's the type of guy she's waited for all of her life, but he has a disability, too--he's a vampire with a bad reputation. When one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next."

November 22nd to December 2nd - 11 days - 292 pages

102 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

My Secret: a PostSecret book (Re-read)

2009-12-01T21:08:00.001-08:00

My Secret: a PostSecret book

compiled by Frank Warren PostSecret.

November

PostSecret: Extraordinary confessions from ordinary lives (Re-read)

2009-12-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

PostSecret: Extraordinary confessions from ordinary lives

compiled by Frank Warren

PostSecret.

November - 276 pages

Crank

2009-11-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

Book #93 (Unique books)
Book #40 in 2009

Crank
by Ellen Hopkins

"Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter, gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina. Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul - her life."

November 16th to November 17th - 1 1/2 days - 537 pages

101 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Fight Club

2009-11-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

Book #92 (Unique books)
Book #39 in 2009

Fight Club
by Chuck Palahniuk

"The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is, you DO NOT talk about Fight Club. If someone says stop, goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. Two guys to a fight. One fight at a time. No shirts, no shoes. Fights will go on as long as they have to. If this is your first night at Fight Club, you have to fight."

November 10th to November 15th - 6 days - 208 pages

100 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Cut

2009-11-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

Book #91 (Unique books)
Book #38 in 2009

Cut
by Patricia McCormick

"While confined to a mental hospital, thirteen-year-old Callie slowly comes to understand some of the reasons behind her self-mutilation, and gradually starts to get better."

September 19th to November 6th - 49 days - 168 pages

99 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
Only two of those days actually spent reading (the 19th and 6th).

The Tomato Soup Chronicles (Re-read)

2009-10-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

Book #90 (Unique books)
Book #37 in 2009

The Tomato Soup Chronicles
by Zephyr Goza

September 27th to October 18th - 22 days - 195 pages

98 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
♥

I started it, but then didn't keep reading for a while, hence the large amount it took to finish. There were really only about, oh, four days spent reading.

Buy it here(do ittttt!):
http://www.lulu.com/content/7369845

The Tomato Soup Chronicles (Read to me)

2009-10-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

The Tomato Soup Chronicles
by Zephyr Goza

Sometime between August 24th and August 31st - Like, 2 of those days - 195 pages

97 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
♥ Chloe and I got Zephyr to read it to us during first session of camp. (Ohsnaptheauthorreadittouswhatnow.)

Buy it here(you know you want to!):
http://www.lulu.com/content/7369845

Fahrenheit 451

2009-08-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

Book #89 (Unique books)
Book #36 in 2009

Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury

"It was simple. Everyone knew it. Books were for burning... along with the houses in which they were hidden. Guy Montag knew it. He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs nor the joy of watching pages consumed by flames... never questioned anything until he met a seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past when people were not afraid. Then he met a professor who told him of a future where people could think... and Guy Montag suddenly realized what he had to do. And he became a fugitive in a flaming hell to do it!"

July 29th to August 22nd - 25 days - 147 pages

96 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Exegesis

2009-08-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

Book #88 (Unique books)
Book #35 in 2009

Exegesis
by Astro Teller

"It's the story of an artificial intelligence researcher and her creation, a program named Edgar, who develops self-awareness and must come to terms with its own existence. Through their e-mail--their only means of interaction--we watch them deal with the ramifications of Edgar's development, which includes the government's desire to capture Edgar and our cultural fear of Frankenstein's monster."

August 10th - Less than 12 hours (6, maybe?) - 224 pages (Maybe. That's what the internet said, the pages aren't actually numbered.)

95 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Dreadful Acts

2009-08-10T13:09:00.000-07:00

Book #87 (Unique books)
Book #34 in 2009

Dreadful Acts
by Philip Ardagh

"Twelve-year-old Eddie Dickens survives encounters with an escape artist in a runaway hearse's coffin, a hot air balloon bearing the escape artist's lovely assistant, a gas explosion, and a jewel thief on the run."

August 5th to August 10th - 6 days - 128 pages

94 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
Read most of it aloud to Chloe, but she had to leave so I finished it myself.
Although I've read it before, I'm not counting it as a a re-read because it hasn't been posted on here before.

A House Called Awful End (Re-read)

2009-08-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

Book #33 in 2009

A House Called Awful End
by Philip Ardagh

"When eleven-year-old Eddie Dickens's ill parents become 'a bit crinkly round the edges,' he is taken by his great-uncle and great-aunt, Mad Uncle Jack and Mad Aunt Maude, and embarks on adventures that involve strolling actors, St. Horrid's Home for Grateful Orphans, and a carnival float shaped like a giant cow."

August 2nd to August 4th - 3 days - 117 pages

93 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
Took turns reading aloud with Chloe.

A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears (Re-read)

2009-08-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

Book #32 in 2009

A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears
by Jules Feiffer

"Prince Roger is sent on a quest, the purpose of which is to turn the carefree young prince into a sober man and worthy monarch. Roger gets everything wrong--except for the meaning of life, and that he gets right."

August 3rd to August 4th - 2 days - 180 pages

92 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
Read aloud to Sean and Chloe. ♥

Where the Sidewalk Ends (Re-read)

2009-07-31T16:17:00.001-07:00

Book #31 in 2009

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings
by Shel Silverstein

"A boy who turns into a TV set and a girl who eats a whale are only two of the characters in a collection of humorous poetry illustrated with the author's own drawings."

July 30th - 1 day - 166(?) pages

91 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Stardust

2009-07-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

Book #86 (Unique books)
Book #30 in 2009

Stardust
by Neil Gaiman

"Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing, not even a fallen star, is what he imagined."

July 27th to July 28th - 2 days - 235 (8 with acknowledgments) pages

90 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Luna

2009-07-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

Book #85 (Unique books)
Book #29 in 2009

Luna
by Julie Anne Peters

"Fifteen-year-old Regan's life, which has always revolved around keeping her older brother Liam's transsexuality a secret, changes when Liam decides to start the process of 'transitioning' by first telling his family and friends that he is a girl who was born in a boy's body."

July 24th to July 25th - 2 days - 248 pages

89 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

God's Debris: A Thought Experiment (Re-read)

2009-07-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Book #28 in 2009

God's Debris

by Scott Adams

"Imagine that you meet a very old man who -- you eventually realize -- knows literally everything. Imagine that he explains for you the great mysteries of life: quantum physics, evolution, God, gravity, light, psychic phenomenon, and probability -- in a way so simple, so novel and so compelling that it all fits together and makes perfect sense. What does it feel like to suddenly understand everything? God's Debris isn't the final answer to the Big Questions. But it might be the most compelling vision of reality you will ever read. The thought experiment is this: Try to figure out what's wrong with the old man's explanation of reality. Share the book with your smart friends then discuss it later while enjoying a beverage."

July 23rd (about 12:30 AM to about 8:10 PM) - 1 day - 132 pages

88 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Coraline

2009-07-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

Book #84 (Unique books)
Book #27 in 2009

Coraline
by Neil Gaiman

"Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others."

July 22nd - 1 day, about 6 hours - 162 pages

87 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

The Graveyard Book

2009-07-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Book #83 (Unique books)
Book #26 in 2009

The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman

"Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place-he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade. Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are things like ghouls that aren't really one thing or the other."

July 19th to July 21st - 3 days - 312 pages

86 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Specials

2009-07-19T12:12:00.000-07:00

Book #82 (Unique books)
Book #25 in 2009

84 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Specials
by Scott Westerfeld

" 'Special circumstances'--the words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a rumor...and now she's been turned into one of them--a superamped fighting machine engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more. It all come down to one last choice--listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same."

July 11th to July 19th(12:00 PM) - 9 days, though only 5 days spent reading - 372 pages

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Read to me)

2009-07-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
by J.K. Rowling

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince brings us Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as Lord Voldemort becomes ever more powerful with his followers increasing day by day in this continuing battle between good and evil. Harry searches for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort, and thereby finds what may be his only vulnerability."

Sometime in the week of July 12th through 17th - 652 pages

83 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Notes:
MJ was reading aloud to Chloe, and at RU Fun I joined in listening. Started 200 pages in, MJ read 200 pages, then they left and I finished the last 200 pages myself. (Will eventually read the first 200 pages, once I find my copy of HBP.)

Edit 12/11/09: Never went back and read the first 200 pages. =P Does it still count? I guess I'll just leave it.

Edit 12/23/09: Decided to not count it toward my total count for the year. Numbers are updated accordingly.

Heartbeat (Re-read)

2009-07-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

Book #24 in 2009

82 books read total (re-reads, audiobooks, etc. (since 2007))

Heartbeat
by Sharon Chreech

"Twelve-year-old Annie ponders the many rhythms of life the year that her mother becomes pregnant, her grandfather begins faltering, and her best friend (and running partner) becomes distant."

July 10th to July 11th(finished by 10AM) - 1 day, I suppose - 180 pages

Hate That Cat

2009-07-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

Book #81
Book #23 in 2009

Hate That Cat
by Sharon Creech

"Jack is studying poetry again in school, and he continues to write poems reflecting his understanding of famous poems and how they relate to his life."

July 10th - 1 day, almost 1 sitting - 153 pages

Notes:
♥ :D

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2009-07-10T20:37:00.000-07:00

Book #80
Book #22 in 2009

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky

"Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up. "

July 8th(11:40ish PM) to July 10th (3:47 PM) - 2 days, really - 213 pages

Notes:
♥
Loveylovelove.
I just wanted to keep reading forever.

American Gods

2009-07-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

Book #79
Book #21 in 2009

American Gods
by Neil Gaiman

"Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that she's been killed in a terrible accident. Flying home for the funeral, as a violent storm rocks the plane, a strange man in the seat next to him introduces himself. The man calls himself Mr. Wednesday, and he knows more about Shadow than is possible. He warns Shadow that a far bigger storm is coming. And from that moment on, nothing will ever he the same..."

June 11th to July 7th (8th technically, 12:30AM) - 27(8) days - 588 pages

Neverwhere

2009-06-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

Book #78
Book #20 in 2009

Neverwhere
by Neil Gaiman

"Richard Mayhew is a plain man with a good heart---and an ordinary life that is changed forever on a day he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. From that moment forward he is propelled into a world he never dreamed existed---a dark subculture flourishing in abandoned subway stations and sewer tunnels below the city---a world far stranger and more dangerous than the only one he has ever known..."

June 8th (around 6PM) to June 10th (9PM) - 2 1/2 days - 370 pages

Notes:
This book is fucking amazing.
I fell in love with it by page 40.

Castle in the Air

2009-05-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

Book #77
Book #19 in 2009

Castle in the Air
by Diana Wynne Jones

"Having long indulged himself in daydreams more exciting than his mundane life as a carpet merchant, Abdullah unexpectedly purchases a magic carpet and his life changes dramatically as his daydreams come true and dangerous adventures become daily fare."

May 17th to May 19th - 3 days - 298 pages

Howl's Moving Castle

2009-05-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

Book #76
Book #18 in 2009

Howl's Moving Castle
by Diana Wynne Jones

"Eldest of three sisters in a land where it is considered to be a misfortune, Sophie is resigned to her fate as a hat shop apprentice until a witch turns her into an old woman and she finds herself in the castle of the greatly feared wizard Howl."

May 5th to May 15th - 11 days - 302 pages

The Game

2009-05-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Book #75
Book #17 in 2009

The Game
by Diana Wynne Jones

"Sent to a boisterous family gathering in Ireland by her overly strict grandmother, orphaned Hayley feels out of place until her unruly cousins include her in a special game involving travel through the mythosphere, the place where all the world's stories can be found, and where some secrets of her past are revealed."

May 3rd to May 5th - 3 days - 179 pages

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

2009-05-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

Book #74
Book #16 in 2009

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
by Michael Scott

"While working at pleasant but mundane summer jobs in San Francisco, fifteen-year-old twins, Sophie and Josh, suddenly find themselves caught up in the deadly, centuries-old struggle between rival alchemists, Nicholas Flamel and John Dee, over the possession of an ancient and powerful book holding the secret formulas for alchemy and everlasting life."

April 19th to May 3rd - 15 days - 375 pages

Pretties

2009-04-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

Book #73
Book #15 in 2009

Pretties
by Scott Westerfeld

"Tally's transformation to perfect and popular including her totally hot boyfriend is everything she always wanted. But beneath the fun and freedom something is wrong and now Tally has to fight for her life because what she knows has put her in danger with the authorities."

April 9th to April 16th - 8 days - 370 pages

The Lovely Bones

2009-04-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

Book #72
Book#14 in 2009

The Lovely Bones
by Alice Sebold

"When we first meet Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. As she looks down from this strange new place, she tells us, in the fresh and spirited voice of a fourteen-year-old girl, a tale that is both haunting and full of hope. In the weeks following her death, Susie watches life on Earth continuing without her-her school friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her family holding out hope that she'll be found, her killer trying to cover his tracks. As months pass without leads, Susie sees her parents' marriage being contorted by loss, her sister hardening herself in an effort to stay strong, and her little brother trying to grasp the meaning of the word gone. And she explores the place called heaven. It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets. There are counselors to help newcomers adjust and friends to room with. Everything she ever wanted appears as soon as she thinks of it-except the thing she most wants: to be back with the people she loved on Earth. With compassion, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie sees her loved ones pass through grief and begin to mend. Her father embarks on a risky quest to ensnare her killer. Her sister undertakes a feat of remarkable daring. And the boy Susie cared for moves on, only to find himself at the center of a miraculous event."

March 31st to April 9th - 10 days - 328 pages

Meditations in an Emergency

2009-04-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Book #71
Book #13 in 2009

Meditations in an Emergency
by Frank O'Hara

"Now I am quietly waiting for

the catastrophe of my personality

to seem beautiful again,
and interesting, and modern.

The country is grey and
brown and white in trees,
snows and skies of laughter
always diminishing, less funny
not just darker, not just grey.

It may be the coldest day of
the year, what does he think of
that? I mean, what do I? And if I do,

perhaps I am myself again.

--Excerpt from Mayakovsky, by Frank O'Hara"

March 27th to April 6th - 11 days - 52 pages

Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There

2009-03-31T11:24:00.000-07:00

Book #70
Book #12 in 2009

Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There
by Lewis Carroll

"'Alice laughed, 'There's no use trying,' she said, 'one can't believe impossible things.'

'I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen.
'When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.'"

March 21st to March 30th (31st technically) - 10 days - 110 pages