The Book Challenge discussion

Just finished Happiest Toddler on the Block How to Eliminate Tantrums and Raise a Patient, Respectful and Cooperative One- to Four-Year-Old Revised Edition. I like a good amount of the things this guy says, but I think these books could be half the lenght. After a while, you begin to see that all of the situations are solved by the same four or five solutions. We'll see how they work on my "spirited toddler"!

Still working on Which Lie Did I Tell?.

Finished Which Lie Did I Tell? and Loch Ness Monsters and Raining Frogs The World's Most Puzzling Mysteries Solved. Starting Dead Until Dark either while I'm at work or on the train this evening.

Finished Dead Until Dark. Started Living Dead in Dallas. A girl in my office is supplying me with the series, so she has someone to talk about it with. They're easy reads, so I'm all for it. While Sookie gets on my nerves from time to time, these books seem easier to swallow than Twilight. I'm not pissed off while reading! lol

Finished Living Dead in Dallas. It was better than the first one, but Harris's writing is atrocious -- I found several glaring spelling errors throughout the book that actually caught me so off guard that I got confused about what really happened. I will keep reading though, because the series is entertaining enough. I am taking a break for a couple days, so I can read It's Not Me, It's You. This woman is seriously funny.

Finished It's Not Me, It's You Subjective Recollections from a Terminally Optimistic, Chronically Sarcastic and Occasionally Inebriated Woman last night. Quick, fun read. Man, Stefanie Wilder-Taylor sure has led an interesting life. This morning I started Club Dead, the third Sookie Stackhouse book.

Just finished Club Dead. I think as I go along, the books get a bit better. I still think Sookie is a little hypocritical, but at least she seems to be realizing it herself. Definitely think I might be becoming a fan of Eric.

Before I start the next Sookie book, I'm reading Confessions of a Backup Dancer. The way this book is written is annoying as hell, and the fact that it's told through the eyes of a 17-year-old. The whole thing is grating my nerves, but it should be a quick read, so I will survive. I've had the book on my shelf for at least a few months, if not for a year. So, I want to read it.

So, I'm already thinking out my 2010 challenge. The last couple years, I haven't really done much of a challenge, beyond number of books. I think, I'm going to aim for a certain number of pages. What do you think? 100,000? 500,000? 1,000,000?

Finished Confessions of a Backup Dancer. Not much work to do today, or many people to talk to, so I had a lot of downtime. I wonder if I have any unread books sitting in my desk?

Just finished reading The Dead Travel Fast Stalking Vampires from Nosferatu to Count Chocula. I'm so glad that I finally got around to reading this, since this was one of the first books on my TBR here! It was fun. Lots of history on Vlad Dracula and Bram Stoker. Lots of fun anecdotes on Nuzum's attempts to find "vampires" today, and traveling around the world in pursuit of an explanation.

Now, it's back to Dead to the World.

Just finished Dead to the World. The short break from work last week threw me off of my reading groove, but I did manage to get a few pages into another book on Saturday night. I started reading What Do You Do All Day? A Novel -- not sure how I'm feeling about it right now, it has a bit of a The Nanny Diaries vibe to it, and I HATED that book by the end. We'll see. I'm going to give it a chance. I almost always stick with books to the end. Though, Leigh is supposed to bring me a couple more of the Sookie Stackhouse books to read. Fluff reading that I can pick up and put down constantly at work, without feeling like I've missed something.

So, here's my thinking for next year's challenge: 65 books, 20,000 pages. That's an average of a little over 300 pages per book. I also have a few books, I specifically want to have read by the end of the year. I'll start the list here and will surely add to it, as the pop up in my mind.

The Book Thief
The Book of Lost Things
Nine and Counting
The Girl With the Pearl Earring
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff

Just finished What Do You Do All Day?. It wasn't entirely what I expected, but I liked it. It got better as it went on. I felt like Jennifer was very whiny and really didn't see what a good thing she had. At least she realized at the end.

Last night, before I went to bed, I read the first few pages of Pretty in Plaid A Life, a Witch, and a Wardrobe, or, the Wonder Years Before the Condescending, Egomanical, Self-Centered Smart-Ass Phase -- I was already laughing, just 10 pages in. I can't wait to read more. I'm glad I brought it in to work with me!

Finished up Pretty in Plaid A Life, a Witch, and a Wardrobe, or, the Wonder Years Before the Condescending, Egomanical, Self-Centered Smart-Ass Phase. Funny all the way through. Now, I'm going to focus on Stiff The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, while I'm on break this week from work.

I finished Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. This book easily made it onto my all time favorites list. Might be the best book I've read this year. Now, I'm starting The Stupidest Angel A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, Version 2.0.

I finished The Stupidest Angel A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, Version 2.0 last night. Fun. After reading Lamb, I definitely didn't laugh as much, but I zoomed right through the book. It was nice having already read both Lamb and Lust Lizard, so I was familiar with most of the characters. Looking forward to reading The Island of the Sequined Love Nun, so I can get to know Tucker and Roberto the Fruit Bat a little better. Today, I'm reading Confessions of a Shopaholic - started it on the train last night. Should finish it before the end of the week. Wonder if I can beat my record of 7 books that I read last month!

I finished Confessions of a Shopaholic on the way into work. I enjoyed it. Gave it four stars. It was cute and quick. I found myself identifying with her financial issues a bit, too. Not nearly on the same scale. But, I liked the way everything turned around for her at the end. Just a feel good story. I'll probably pick up the next in the series from the library.

I finished Stiff The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers this morning on the train in. I would give it about 3.5 stars, but rounded up to 4, rather than down. I liked Roach's humor in this book. I think it made it a little easier to swallow the subjects she covered in this book. I think what stopped me from giving it 5 stars was really nothing to do with her writing, but just my discomfort with the treatment of animals by agencies and schools. I'm just a sucker.

I'm now working on something a little less morbid, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan.

Melissa wrote: "I finished Stiff The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers this morning on the train in. I would give it about 3.5 stars, but rounded up to 4, rather than down. I liked Roach's humor in t..." I read this during the summer on the beach and was constantly reading out loud and laughing with everyone about Roach's humor! Our students read it for Reading Olympics, so I am glad this nonfiction book gets into more students hands!