Cover to Cover Challenge discussion

86. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (finished 8/31/10)
- Very good book. I will probably never read it again, I am not sure I would be strong enough. It evoked a lot of emotion in me through out the story and I'm not sure I could want to venture through that again, but it was a good book and I would recommend it.

87. Whack a Mole by Chris Grabenstein (finished 9/2/10)
- Still not as funny as the first, but I like the character development and the personality of the two main characters. These are light, but good mysteries and I am enjoying the series.

88. Forgotten God by Francis Chan (finished 9/3/10)
- I liked this book but I think I would have done better with it if it had been a physical book as opposed to audio. There were quotes that I would have liked to have gone back to or written down and couldn't so I was slightly more removed than I would have liked to have been.

89. Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt (finished 9/9/10)
- This was another good book in the series. It was not nearly as funny as the others and was a little harder to piece together but it was still a good story. I would give this a 3.5 stars whereas I normally give them 4.

90. Murder on the Menu by Miranda Bliss (finished 9/10/10)
- This was a light read. For some reason this series is enjoyable, but also hard for me to be captivated by. I still think I just don't really get the friendship of the two main characters and how they get along. It just doesn't ring true to me and I find myself a little annoyed with the ditzy best friend frequently.

91. The James Deans by Reed Farrel Coleman (put down 9/13/10)
- I was hoping that this book would be a little like The Chicago Way, a more modern hard boiled detective book, but for the life of me I could not get into it. I lasted about 100 pages before giving up.

92. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (finished 9/16/10)
- I haven't actually finished this, but haven't decided if I'm putting it down or if I will finish it for the sake of finishing it. I was listening to the audio and came across a few glitches with the last disc. Truth be told, I didn't get into the book well and I don't really car about finishing it. Was anyone else disappointed by this book?

Tiffany wrote about Life of Pi:
I was listening to the audio and came across a few glitches with the last disc. Truth be told, I didn't get into the book well and I don't really car about finishing it. Was anyone else disappointed by this book?

I was really disappointed as it came with raves. I did like the beginning but was disappointed with much of the book. It was slow and dragged much of the middle but the beginning and the end were good so I gave it 3*.Still, I had hoped for a 4 or 5* experience.

Donna wrote: " was really disappointed as it came with raves. I did like the beginning but was disappointed with much of the book. It was slow and dragged much of the middle but the beginning and the end were good so I gave it 3*.Still, I had hoped for a 4 or 5* experience."

I finished the book not because I really cared, but for the sake of finishing it. I only ended up giving it 2*. I hope some of the other ones I recently have had recommended suit my taste better.

93. My Very Own Murder by Josephine Carr (finished 9/21/10)
- I was surprised to find that I liked this book. I kinda found it charming and wanted to finish though there are many things in the book I disagreed with. I don't normally do well at all with books where a character is having an affair and trying to justify it and while it bothered me tremendously, I did keep reading the book. There were also some other things I disagreed with, but something kept me coming back.

94. Lemon Tart by Josi S. Kilpack (finished 9/22/10)
- I heard about this book when the third in the series was put up on the first reads. I went to my library to see if they had it, and they didn't, but when I put in a request, they ordered the whole series plus some of her others. I'm glad they did. It was a fun, quirky series with an older main character which I don't usually connect with.

95. Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning (finished 9/27/10)
- This was a very good book with some concepts that I am going to need to come back to several times. It goes back to basics on many things and discusses what it means to trust God.

96. The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke (finished 9/30/10)
- Fun short read. Definitely a kid's book that adults can enjoy.

97. Mr. Monk is Cleaned Out by Lee Goldberg (finished 10/1/10)
- If you like the show this is a good book. I also like that Monk's brother, Ambrose, makes an appearance.

98. Churched by Matthew Paul Turner
- I've read one of the other books he read and while this was good, I preferred the other better. This one had a lot of good stories, but didn't really discuss how he grew in his faith in spite of us, which is what I was expecting.

99. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (finished 10/6/10)
- This was a good audio. After the last audio I read, I probably consider it even better than it maybe was. The beginning and the end of this book are a little long for me, but I thought it was a good, entertaining mystery. I will continue with the series. Though it's probably not as good as its hype, if you enjoy mysteries, it's a worthwhile read.

100. Trail of Blood by Lisa Black (finished 10/11/10)
- By far the best book in the series. I really enjoyed this one. I will admit I like stories that seem to be cold cases and this was that so it immediately got my favor. But I think it was well told and interesting.

101. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (put down 10/10/10)
- Just could not get into this book. I tried in the summer with the actual book and it was okay but not captivating, but then tried again with the audio and it did nothing for me so I finally just put it down.

102. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis (finished 10/13/10)
- So far my favorite in the Narnia series.

103. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (finished 10/20/10)
- This was a reread as I think I must not have been awake the first time I read it and my friend said I needed to look at it again before I read the next ones in the series. It was much better this time through and left me with a better understanding of why people love the book.

104. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis (finished 10/24/10)
- Another good book in the series. I was interested to find that it seems as if very little happens in any of these stories and yet each an a definitely adventurous story. My friend pointed out it is because you see the change brought on by Aslan and get to know His character. I am looking forward to the next book!

105. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman (finished 10/26/10)
- This was a re-read for me that I haven't looked at in a long time. It's a simple concept about how people feel loved and how it varies for different people. IT's fun to see what you and friends or loved ones are and how to show them that you care. Basic book but good concepts.

106. Practical Glamour by Constance Dunn (finished 11/1/10)
- This was a good, practical guide to presenting your best self. In some cases it gets depressing to figure out how to fit everything in, but when you are at a stage where you are curious what to do and know you want to change something, this is a good reference.

107. The Help by Kathryn Stockett (finished 11/6/10)
- I really hadn't thought I would like this book because it was so hyped, but I actually really enjoyed it. I listened to the audio of the book and after a few tracks the voices really grew on me. My one complaint was that the characters didn't sound their age and so I kept being thrown off whenever reference would be made to the women being middle aged because they sounded young. I enjoyed the audio though.

108. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (finished 11/10/10)
- My favorite in the series so far

109. Mastering the Art of Communication by Michelle F. Poley (finished 11/13/10)
- It was an okay book, but not as helpful as I would have liked. I guess I wanted a book that helped me realize how I come across to people and read what people are doing or saying non-verbally for me. THis seemed helpful for the business world, but less so in the every day field.

110. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen (finished 11/14/10)
- This book just didn't live up to its hype for me. It was okay, but I wasn't particularly drawn in by it.

111. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (finished 11/15/10)
- Let's just admit I totally cried. It was a good book, probably my favorite or second favorite in the series. I loved Puzzle.

112. The Lotus and the Cross by Ravi Zacharias (finished 11/17/10)
- I am not quite sure what I thought of this book, it was not what I expected in the least. I am not sure I liked the "conversation" that took place, but I think I would enjoy a non-fiction writing by this author if he does those. I will look into it.

113. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.
- I was surprised to like this book as much as I did, but I actually quite enjoyed it.

114. 1st to Die by James Patterson
- Looks to be an interesting series that I will begin to read for a little bit.

115. There and Back by George MacDonald
- Another good book and the third in the Curate Trilogy. He just writes so well and you really end up feeling attached to the characters by the time the book is done.