A Well-Rounded Challenge Wrap-up

I'm steadily working my way through my 2009 challenges and have just finished  A Well-Rounded Challenge hosted by Teddy Rose at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time. I love doing this challenge each year because it helps me finish up other challenges. The idea behind A Well-Rounded Challenge is to pick 5 other challenges you are participating in and read one book from each challenge.


I chose to read books for these challenges:
1. Support Your Local Library Challenge - Left to Die by Lisa Jackson
2. Book Awards III Challenge - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
3. TBR Challenge - Irish Rebel by Nora Roberts
4. Raved About Reads Challenge - The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
5. 999 Challenge - Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning


If you click on Left to Die by Lisa Jackson or The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, you can see my reviews for those books. The others, unfortunately, I've been more lazy about reviewing. So here's a brief look at those books.

Nora Roberts's first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published in 1981 and introduced the characters of Travis Grant and Adelia (Dee) Cunnane. For Silhouette Book's 20th Anniversary, Roberts revisited the Grants and wrote Irish Rebel, the story of their eldest daughter, Keeley, and horse trainer, Brian Donnelly. It's a great little love story that has all the elements I've come to love in a Nora Roberts romance -- characters you can care for, believable dialogue, a fast-moving plot, and a sweet, happy ending.


The Subtle Knife, the second book in Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy, picks up where The Golden Compass left off. In this book, Lyra meets twelve-year-old Will Parry and, together, they move from world to world searching for Will's father and a very powerful and magical knife. I liked The Subtle Knife, but I thought The Golden Compass was much better. I'm slogging my way through the last book in this series, The Amber Spyglass, now and, I have to say, I'm losing interest quickly. Sad, because I really enjoyed the beginning of this series.

And, last but not least, Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning was one of my favorite reads for this challenge. Darkfever is the first book in the Fever series. In it, MacKayla (Mac) Lane travels to Ireland to hunt down her sister's killer. The only clue Mac has to go on is a mysterious message her sister left on her voice mail just before she died. As she tries to unravel what happened, Mac finds out that she and her sister had the unusual ability to see into the world of the Fae--a gift, or curse, depending on how you look at it, that could very well get Mac killed, too...  


So my favorite reads for this challenge were: Darkfever and The Graveyard Book, both paranormals and read in the month of October...hmmm...


The only new-to-me author in this challenge was Karen Marie Moning. I plan to continue reading the Fever series with book #2 - Bloodfever.


Thanks for hosting this challenge again this year, Teddy. I enjoyed choosing and reading books for it!

RIP IV Challenge Completed

The Readers Imbibing Peril (RIP) IV Challenge, hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings, ended on October 31.


Books read:
1. Left to Die by Lisa Jackson
2. Chosen to Die by Lisa Jackson
3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
4. Prime Time by Hank Phillipi Ryan


It's hard for me to pick a favorite book for this challenge. They were all so different and good in their own way! I had read one book by Neil Gaiman before this challenge (Stardust), but all the other authors were new to me. I have several more Gaiman books on my shelves already and I'm looking forward to reading more books by Jackson and Ryan. 


Thanks for hosting the challenge, Carl! I enjoyed picking and reading books for it.

Stick a Fork in Me...

...I'm done. The Read-a-Thon was a blast, but I'm packing it in for the night. I did manage to finish one book and I'm 3/4 of the way through another one. Altogether, I racked up 13 hours of solid reading and 441 pages.

I have a full day planned tomorrow, but I hope to get back and write up a wrap-up post sometime tomorrow night. Good luck to all the night owls out there still plugging along. Happy reading!

Half Way!!

OK, we're at the half-way point in the Read-a-Thon and I'm doing pretty well. For the last hour and a half I switched over to a young adult book called Leilani Zan by Barbara Casey. I'm glad I did; it was a great pick-me-up and my first finish of the Read-a-Thon.

Now for the mid-event meme:

1. What are you reading right now? I think I'll pick up Irish Rebel by Nora Roberts next. This is one of her older Silhouette novels and it's pretty short at 250 pages. Or maybe Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. Decisions, decisions...

2. How many books have you read so far? 1

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Oh, I have a whole stack of books that I'm looking forward to reading. But I doubt I'll get to most of them. Other than the ones I've already mentioned, I also have Black Hills and Visions in White by Nora Roberts that I wouldn't mind at least starting.

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Yes. There's a lot of stuff going on in Florida this time of year. The weather has finally turned awesome! So to convince DH that I really want to sit inside and read all day is a tough sell. But he's been really good about not bugging me ;o).

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Not very many considering DH is cleaning out the garage all by himself. He's only asked for help once and it was really short. Thanks, honey!

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How slowly I read! Before I picked up the YA book I just finished I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. I'm really enjoying Gone With the Wind, but it's a really slow read! And at over 800 pages, it's going to take a while.

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? I think you guys are doing a marvelous job. I know you're doing a great job on Twitter, too, but I'm trying to stay off of there or I'll never get any reading done!

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Next year I'll make sure I have a better selection of short, lighthearted books to read when I get frustrated with my slow progress on densely written books.

9. Are you getting tired yet? Not yet!

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? I don't think so. Everyone seems to be doing great and having a good time!

OK, back to reading for me! Have fun everyone!

Read-a-Thon Update

I was planning to do an update before hour 10, but my internet's been down all day! Oh well, more time for reading ;o).

Currently reading: Leilani Zan by Barbara Casey

Pages read: 159

Amount of time spent reading:  7 hours

Books completed since I started: none

Comments: The reading isn't going nearly as fast as I'd like. I've mainly been reading Gone With the Wind and Eat, Pray, Love. I haven't even cracked open The Amber Spyglass today as I had planned. But I'm going to switch to Leilani Zan, a young adult novel that's been sitting on my shelf for years. It's only about 100 pages long so I'm hoping to polish it off before my next update. I hope that'll give me a nice feeling of accomplishment to help keep me going!

And speaking of helping to keep me going: I want to thank all the cheerleaders and other readers who have visited and left comments. They really help! Hopefully my internet connection won't flake out again and I'll get a chance to go visiting others later on tonight. But, for now, I'm back to reading!

Read-a-Thon Hour 1

And, we're off! The Read-a-Thon has begun. I started about a half an hour late because I'm a terrible morning person and didn't get up when my alarm went off ;o). But now I'm here for a while (at least until the urge to nap becomes so strong I can't stand it any more).

Now for the welcome meme written by Darcy a couple of Read-a-Thons ago:

Where are you reading from today? Right now I'm on the couch. But I also have a reading chair in my office. That chair isn't quite as comfy as the couch, but my office is a lot brighter. I get sleepy if I try to read in a dark area, so I'll move back and froth between the office and the living room to stay awake!

3 facts about me …

1. I'm a hopeless bookaholic, but I guess that goes without saying since I'm taking part in 24 hours of reading ;o).

2. I don't like chocolate. 

3. I love where I live ;o).

How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

I'm starting off with three books I'm already in the middle of:

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman - starting at page 102

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - starting at page 444

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - starting at page 35

I'd like to concentrate on these three for the day, but I have others (shorter books, fun little romances, and fast paced mysteries) scattered around the house, too, in case I get bored.

Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

I'd like to read for at least 12 hours and get around 500 pages read today.

If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?

I've done the 48-hour Read-a-Thon before, but this is my first time for the 24-hour one. I'd say the main thing is to have fun!


And, with that said, I'm off to read for a couple of hours before checking in again. Have fun, everyone!
  

Preparing for the Read-a-Thon

As many of you know, tomorrow is Read-a-Thon day! My start time is 8am. I doubt I'll make the whole 24 hours (I don't do well on to little sleep - WAY too crabby ;o)), but I'm planning to read as much as I possibly can before giving up!

The only problem is: I'm staring at a HUGE stack of books that need to be reviewed and I really don't want to spend anytime reviewing them tomorrow. I just want to read! So, before I go into a reading frenzy and pile up even more books that need to be reviewed, I'm going to talk about some of the the books I've finished in the last couple of weeks.

First up is Marley & Me by John Grogan. Marley & Me is the story of the Grogan family and their incorrigible yellow lab, Marley. Grogan chronicles Marley's many misadventures in a warm, and obviously affectionate, voice. And it comes across as a heartwarming story about how attached we get to our animals no matter how "bad" they seem.

I was a little worried that the book was going to be depressing but, although it does come to a natural conclusion, the book didn't really hit me that way. Instead, it left me with a smile and brought up many fond memories of past pets. It also made me kind of glad that I own cats who, while having quirks of their own, do not slobber on me and are not big enough to destroy an entire room ;o). If you're a dog, or an animal, lover you'd probably enjoy this one, too.  3.5 roses (Very Good).

I also finished Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer not long ago. Into Thin Air is a haunting, first-hand account of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster that claimed the lives of five people. I know absolutely nothing about mountain climbing, but Krakauer clearly details the preparations needed for such a climb and the risks of climbing a mountain like Everest. He also gives the reader some knowledge of the type of person who is drawn to this type of challenge and his gripping tale of the events of that fateful day in May made the book impossible to put down.

Into Thin Air won the 1998 Alex Award which honors books that are written for adults but that may have a special appeal to young adult readers. If you enjoy adventure books that pit people against nature, this would be a good one for you. 4 roses (Excellent).

There are many reviews of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson out there in the blogosphere. Like many of them, I also thought The Girl with the Dragoon Tattoo is a wonderful thriller. In this first book of the series Mikael Blomkvist, a magazine writer and publisher who has recently been convicted of libel, and Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant computer hacker and private investigator, of sorts, are hired by a wealthy industrialist to find his niece who has been missing for nearly forty years. 


While it took me a few chapters to get into the book, in the end, I really enjoyed it. This is the first book that I read entirely on my iPhone, but it certainly won't be the last. I'm finding that I really like reading e-books and I'm currently trying to decide between the Kindle and the Nook. In the meantime, I have a few other books loaded onto my iPhone to read as well. 4.5 roses (Highly recommended)


 Well, that's three reviews off of my stack! I still have five more and whatever books I finish for the Read-a-Thon tomorrow, but it's a start!

24-hour Read-a-Thon

I haven't been blogging much lately. Mostly because I'd rather be reading ;o). As a consequence, I'm really behind on book reviews. And I'm planning to join in the semi-annual Read-a-Thon this Saturday, too. This is not likely to help the situation any. But, what the heck? It'll be fun. Maybe in between reading I'll put up a review or two. Then again, maybe not... 

Here are a few of the books I might tackle this Saturday:

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman - I'm reading this one now. I'm actually hoping to have it finished by Saturday. But if not, it's first on my list.

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman - the logical follow-up to The Subtle Knife but I'm not sure I can handle reading them back-to-back. We'll see.

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning - this one is on my Kindle for iPhone. Reading on my iPhone screen isn't a problem and it might make for a good change of pace.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - I've started this one, but just barely. It has nice short chapters which might make for another good change of pace.

Black Hills by Nora Roberts - I'm putting this one on the list because Nora Roberts can always suck me in.  

Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart - a large print book I've had on my shelves forever. I don't know where I got it, but that large print might come in handy during the wee hours of the morning LOL.

I certainly won't get all of these read. But if I can just make a dent in my TBR pile, I'll be happy. Want to join the Read-a-Thon? Sign up here.

September 2009 Wrap-Up

Books read and reviewed this month:
Islands by Anne River Siddons
Left to Die by Lisa Jackson
Crazy Hot by Tara Janzen
The Gravedigger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates
Chosen to Die by Lisa Jackson
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Books read that still need to be reviewed:
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
From the Heart by Nora Roberts

Books abandoned: none

Favorite book read this month: Easy choice this month: The Graveyard Book was by far my favorite this month. Although Into Thin Air, Left to Die, and Chosen to Die were also pretty good.

Books I could have done without: I didn’t enjoy The Gravedigger’s Daughter all that much. The ending was fantastic, but there was too much rambling in the middle for my taste.

Challenges completed:
Countdown Challenge - 45 books read
Support Your Local Library Challenge - 25 books read

Challenges joined:
Countdown 2010 Challenge
Readers of Romance Fall 2009 Challenge
Fall Into Reading 2009

Challenge progress: (those without an end date end on 12/31)
R.I.P. IV (ends 10/31/09) - 3/4
Readers of Romance Fall 2009 (ends 11/30/09) - 4/15
Book Awards III Challenge (ends 12/1/09) - 3/5
Fall Into Reading 2009 (ends 12/22/09) - 2/15
999 Challenge - 51/81
TBR Challenge - 4/12
Read Your Own Books (RYOB) Challenge - 36/50
100+ Challenge - 65/100
Pages Read Challenge - 20,702/30,000
A Well-Rouned Challenge - 2/5
What an Animal II (ends 2/28/10) - 1/6
Sookie Stackhouse Challenge (ends 6/30/10) - 2/9
Countdown 2010 Challenge (ends 10/10/10) - 4/55
Perpetual Challenges:
New Classics Challenge - 23/100 (1 this month)
Around the World in 80 Books - 12/80 (1 this month)
Science in Fiction - 7 read (0 this month)
Book Around the States Challenge - 25/50 (1 this month)
Raved-About Reads - 20 read (1 this month)

Currently Reading:
Too Much Temptation by Lori Foster
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (award winner)
Marley & Me by John Grogan

Plans for October:
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Black Hills by Nora Roberts
Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart
Vigorous Mind by Ingrid Cummings
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss

Anyone read any of these? Have a recommendation on where to start?

Review: Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Title: Prime Time

Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan

# pages: 280

Date published: 2009

Genre: mystery with romantic elements

Series: 1st Charlotte McNally mystery

Rating:

Highly Recommended

First sentence(s):

Between the hot flashes, the hangover and all the spam on my computer, there's no way I'll get anything done before eight o'clock this morning. I came in early to get ahead, and already I'm behind.

What is it all about? Charlotte McNally, better known as Charlie, has been in the news biz for twenty-some-odd years. Now, at forty-six, she's worried she's about to be replaced by a twenty-some-odd-year-old. Her past Emmy's notwithstanding, Charlie is sure she's not going to be able to come up with another fabulous story for November sweeps. At least she's sure until she opens her e-mail program and finds some refinancing spam. Is it the story she's been hoping for? Or is it just a wild goose chase? A wild goose chase that leads her directly to the office of Josh Gelston. But is Josh the handsome, sweet man he seems? Or is he the instrument of her eventual downfall? Charlie's not certain. As her investigation advances and she works to secure her job and her shot at another Emmy, Charlie must also make sure she doesn't lose her life in the process. 

Random thoughts: Great new series. I like Charlie and found her fun to read about. The plot was nicely done and the ending a surprise. And this may be a little strange, but I like the feel of the book, too. Am I the only one that's really pleased when a publisher makes a book that feels good in your hand? I'm very happy to find this new (to me) author and I'll definitely pick up the next book in the series, Face Time.

Fun tidbits:

• Hank Phillippi Ryan’s Website
• 2007 Agatha Award Winner for Best 1st Novel
• Here's a list of the books in the Charlie McNally series so far: 

1. Prime Time (2007)
2. Face Time (2007)
3. Air Time (2009)
4. Drive Time (2010)

Recommended for: If you like J. D. Robb, Janet Evanovich, or James Patterson, you would probably enjoy Ryan, too.

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I picked this book to help me complete the following reading challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge, Pages Read Challenge, RIP IV Challenge, Read Your Own Books Challenge, Readers of Romance Fall 2009 Challenge, Fall into Reading 2009 Challenge, and the 999 Challenge.

Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Title: The Graveyard Book

Author: Neil Gaiman

# pages: 307

Date published: 2008

Genre: Children's fiction

Rating: 


 Highly Recommended

First sentence: 

There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.

What is it all about? A little boy's parents are brutally murdered in the night. The infant wanders into the graveyard next door and is protected, raised, and educated by its ghostly residents. Here, the boy, now named Nobody (Bod, for short) Owens, explores, has adventures, and meets ghouls, an ancient Indigo Man, and the Sleer. But venturing outside the graveyard is even more dangerous. Not only does Bod have to deal with schoolyard bullies, but he runs the risk of being found by the man named Jack.

Random thoughts: What a throughly delightful book. It is, in turn, spooky, exciting, witty, and tender-hearted. It is absolutely perfect Halloween reading for adult and tweens alike (I'm not sure I'd recommend it for younger children - it can get kind of scary in parts, but tweens and older as well as mature younger kids should be able to handle it just fine).

Favorite scene: I've been inside the caves on Wawel Hill in Krakow, so I enjoyed reading about Silas, Miss Lupescu, and Kandar's trip inside them.

Favorite quote:
Bod speaks to Silas, his guardian, about people who have committed suicide:

"They kill themselves, you mean?" said Bod. He was about eight years old, wide-eyed and inquisitive, and he was not stupid.

"Indeed."

"Does it work? Are they happier dead?"

"Sometimes. Mostly, no. It's like the people who believe they'll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you." (p. 104)

Fun tidbits:

• Neil Gaiman’s Website
• 2009 Newbery Metal winner and Hugo Award Winner for Best Novel

About the Author: Novelist Neil Gaiman has sent a British businessman tumbling into a fantastic underworld and had a devil and angel comically conspiring to thwart the Apocalypse. He found his biggest success, though, in Death, Dreams and Destruction -- and the four other similarly named siblings who controlled the reins of the human race's emotional impulses in his graphic-novel series The Sandman, a wholesale rejuvenation of graphic fiction that had everyone from Tori Amos to Norman Mailer spinning with, yes, Delirium.

Recommended for: Everyone

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I picked this book to help me complete the following reading challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge, Pages Read Challenge, RIP IV Challenge, Book Awards III Challenge, 999 Challenge, Well-Rounded Challenge, Raved-About Reads Challenge, and the Read Your Own Books Challenge.

Fall Into Reading 2009

It's that time of year again! Katrina at Callapidder Days is hosting the Fall Into Reading challenge again this year.

Here are the rules Katrina has posted on Callapidder Days:

** Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this fall. Your list can be as long or as short as you’d like. (Also, feel free to modify your list during the challenge if it’s not working for you.)

• 
  
• **Write a blog post containing your list and submit it to this post on Katrina's blog.
• 
  
• **Get reading! The challenge goes from today, September 22nd, through December 20th.
• 
  
• **Check out other participants’ lists and add to your own to-read-someday pile!
• 
  
• **Write a post about your challenge experience in December, telling us all about whether you reached your goals and how Fall Into Reading went for you. But remember: this is a low-pressure challenge that should be fun. As long as you do some reading this fall (and enjoy it!), that’s good enough for me.

In order for me to complete a number of challenges this fall, I need to at least read the following books before December 22nd (actually, I need to read more than this to complete all of them, but I didn't want to overwhelm myself by listing all the books I need to read ;o)):

1. Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan
2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
3. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
4. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
5. Nerd in Shining Armor by Vicki Lewis Thompson
6. Vision in White by Nora Roberts
7. From the Heart by Nora Roberts
8. Black Hills by Nora Roberts
9. Too Much Temptation by Lori Foster
10. The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
11. Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber
12. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
13. Rose Cottage by Mary Stewart
14. Amethyst Dreams by Phyllis Whitney
15. Irish Rebel by Nora Roberts

Well, that list should put a dent in quite a few of the challenges I'm trying to complete before the end of the year. Let the reading begin (or continue, as the case may be)!

Review: Chosen to Die by Lisa Jackson

Title:  Chosen to Die

Author: Lisa Jackson

# pages: 460

Date published: 2009

Genre: romantic suspense

Series: Sequel to Left to Die

Rating:


 Very Good

First sentence(s):

Regan Pescoli was hot.

Not in the sexual sense.

What is it all about? As I mentioned in my review for Left to Die, Chosen to Die is the continuation of part of that story. In this book, Detective Regan Pescoli is captured by the "Star Crossed Killer." Will her her lover, Nate Santana, partner, Selena Alvarez, and the rest of the Grizzly Falls police task force be able to find her before it's too late?

Random thoughts: I enjoyed reading the conclusion of the Star Crossed Killer's story. I thought I had figured out who the serial killer was several times only to realize later that I was wrong. I love it when an author's plot twists and turns enough to keep me guessing.

But, having said that, I also had a few issues with the book.

**Spoiler Alert: There is a spoiler below for Left to Die, the book that comes before this one. Scroll down to where it says "End spoiler alert" if you're planning to read Left to Die. **

First of all, in the beginning of this book, the killer that was mistaken for the Star Crossed Killer at the end of Left to Die is still alive and being questioned by the police. That's a problem since the killer in Left to Die died at the end of the book! This wasn't a huge deal for me, but I could see where it might drive other readers a little nuts. And it did lower my rating of the book a bit. I found it a little embarrassing on the author's (and her editor's) behalf.

**End Spoiler Alert**

The bigger deal for me was that never felt like Jackson fleshed out Nate Santana very well. He just seemed kind of passive to me and I never really felt like I got to know him. But, overall, I enjoyed the book and will probably read more by this author in the future.

Fun tidbits:

• Lisa Jackson’s Website
• I'd like to thank Joy Strazza of Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting for sending me a review copy of Chosen to Die. 

About the Author: Lisa Jackson is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of more than seventy-five novels, including Shiver, Fatal Burn, Deep Freeze, and The Morning After. She has over ten million copies of her books in print. She lives with her family and an eighty-pound dog in the Pacific Northwest.

Recommended for: If you enjoy reading romantic suspense books by Allison Brennan, Linda Howard, or Karen Rose, you would probably enjoy Lisa Jackson's books, too.

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I picked this book to help me complete the following reading challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge, Pages Read Challenge, RIP IV Challenge, Readers of Romance Fall 2009 Challenge, 999 Challenge, Read Your Own Books, and the Countdown 2010 Challenge.

Review: The Gravedigger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates

Title: The Gravedigger's Daughter

Author: Joyce Carol Oates

# pages: 582

Date published: 2007

Genre: literary fiction

Rating:


 Okay

First sentence:

One afternoon in September 1959 a young woman factory worker was walking home on the towpath of the Erie Barge Canal, east of the small city of Chautauqua Falls, when she began to notice that she was being followed, at a distance of about thirty feet, by a man in a panama hat.

What is it all about? The Gravedigger's Daughter is the story of Rebecca Schwarts. Born on a boat in New York Harbor as her parents arrive in America after fleeing Germany in 1936, Rebecca and her family move to a small upstate New York town where her father gets a job as a gravedigger. An educated man, Jacob Schwarts feels demeaned and insulted by the people of the town and the way he chooses to deal with these emotions will have far-reaching effects on his family.

When she is mistaken for another woman, Hazel Jones, by a man in a panama hat on the Erie Canal towpath one day, she vehemently denies being that woman. But, when her violent husband almost kills her and their son one night, Rebecca decides to leave him and take on the persona of Hazel Jones. More than 20 years later, she will find out the amazing truth about the man who made contact with her on the towpath and the real story of Hazel Jones.

Random thoughts: I read The Gravedigger's Daughter because my bookclub picked it for its September selection. I struggled through most of the book with a feeling of "I just don't care what happens to Rebecca." If I had not been reading it for the bookclub, I probably would have put it down and never looked back. But, then, at about page 500, the book suddenly got a lot more interesting. Unfortunately, the book is only 582 pages long. And, ultimately, I didn't like the ending either. Sigh...

Favorite quote(s): 

Remembering backward is the easy thing. If you could remember forward, you could save yourself... (p. 16)

The compulsion to be happy only complicates life. Gallagher had had enough of complications. (p. 393)

Fun tidbits:

• Website about Joyce Carol Oates
• New York Time Book Review's review of The Gravedigger's Daughter
• The Gravedigger's Daughter was partially based on the life of the author's grandmother

Recommended for: I'm not sure I'd recommend The Gravedigger's Daughter. But if you want to try a book by Joyce Carol Oates, try We Were the Mulvaneys. I read that book a couple of years ago and I still think of it from time to time. I liked that one quite a bit. I've also heard that Zombie is very good.

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I picked this book to help me complete the following reading challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge, Pages Read Challenge, 999 Challenge, Read Your Own Books (RYOB) Challenge, and the Countdown 2010 Challenge.

Support Your Local Library Challenge Complete

This year, J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog hosted a challenge to read library books. I have a ton of books on my shelves, but that doesn't prevent me from going to the library at least every other week or so and getting more, so I joined the challenge. I chose the middle level and set a goal to read 25 library books between 1/1/09 and 12/31/09. Although I'm sure I'll read more library books before the end of the year, I've read 25 so I'm calling this challenge complete.


Here are the 25 library books I've read. I bold, purple ones were my favorites:

1. Dewey: The Small-Town Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
2. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
3. The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner
4. True Colors by Kristin Hannah
5. Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstein
6. Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
7. The Lost Pet Chronicles by Kat Albrecht
8. Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
9. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
10. It Happened in Florida by E. Lynne Wright
11. The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers by Harold Schechter and David Everitt
12. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
13. A History of Smuggling in Florida by Stan Zimmerman
14. Knit Together by Debbie Macomber
15. Hidden Evidence by David Owen
16. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
17. Behind the Mystery by Stuart Kaminsky
18. Prayers for Bobby by Leroy Aarons
19. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County
20. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
21. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
22. Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr
23. True Stories of Law & Order by Kevin Dwyer and Jure Fiorillo
24. Hot Damn!: Alligators in the Casino, Nude Women in the Grass, How Seashells Changed the Course of History, and Other Dispatches from Paradise by James W. Hall
25. Left to Die by Lisa Jackson