Challenge: 50 Books discussion

I had such a great year of reading in 2010, I decided to document it again this year. I finished 54 books in 2010 and there were very few on that list that I would not recommend to others. I'm very excited for this new year of reading!!

1) The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

It was better than the first one, but not one of my favorites. If all of my friends did not totally rave about these books, I would not pursue the third one. That said, I think I'll read a few other books before I get to the last of this trilogy!

hi beth, i felt similar. loads of friends were raving about the trilogy saying how great it was etc. it was good but i did not get the hype.

2)Between Here and April by Deborah Copaken Kogan

I don't really know what to say about this book....it was somewhat interesting & compelling, and disturbing and also a little boring at times.

2011 is not off to the best reading start, but I'm confident there are some great reads in my future!

3)A Whole Nother Story by Cuthbert Soup

This sort-of counts even though I read it out loud to my children. I did read it after all :o). Anyway, it was a super creative and funny book that we all enjoyed. Plenty of laugh out loud moments as this zany tale unfolds. We are hoping there is a sequel on the way!

4)Prospect Street by Emilie Richards - this was an easy to read and engrossing book!

5)Thin Is the New Happy by Valerie Frankel

6)The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg

7) The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan - loved this book! So funny & heartfelt!

8) Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

9) Project: Happily Ever After: Saving Your Marriage When the Fairytale Falters by Alisa Bowman..I read an article about this book and it sparked my curiosity, but
I skimmed a lot. What I did read was okay. She raises some great points and is definitely very honest in her writing. Maybe I'd feel differently if my marriage was in crisis.......

10) A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay

Beth wrote: "10) A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay"

Oooh, what did you think of this one?? I loved Sarah's Key, so I'm curious how this one may compare! I noticed it doesn't exactly get rave reviews on Goodreads.

Amy wrote: "Beth wrote: "10) A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay"

Oooh, what did you think of this one?? I loved Sarah's Key, so I'm curious how this one may compare! I notic..."

I loved Sarah's Key too! This was not even close to that - almost boring. It wasn't badly written, just not much of a story. I'm really picking mediocre books this year.....

11) Rescuing Rose by Isabel Wolff~ not nearly as good as "A Vintage Affair", but it was a decent read.

12)Left Neglected by Lisa Genova - this was okay. It was a subject that I had not heard about before and I found the condition of "Left Neglect" very interesting to read about, but the story itself was little flat. Genova's book Still Alice is a much better read!

13)Once Upon a Time, There Was You by Elizabeth Berg ~ one of my favorite authors, but not one of my favorite books.

Amiga Beth, for an incredible Adventure, Mystery & Journey, please check out the epic novel "My Bad Tequila" and see why all the 5 STAR Reviews! Gracias & Enjoy, rico http://www.mybadtequila.com

14)The Anatomy of Wings by Karen Foxlee~ an okay YA read. It had some real depth at times, but at others it was disjointed and didn't really communicate the real feelings & issues of the central character, Beth.

15) Tales from the Bed: A Memoir by Jenifer Estess ~ Loved this book!! It is a very personal and touching book about Jenifer Estess's tight relationship with 2 of her sisters and her battle with ALS. Together they started Project ALS, an organization created to find a cure for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). It's an amazing organization that I've supported for a few years in honor of a friend that is currently fighting the fight for his life with ALS. It's a wonderful book!

16) Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy..... This was Binchy's first novel. I loved it! Just the kind of book I needed during a stressful time. Maeve Binchy rarely let's me down when I need a good story!

17) These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner ~ great historical fiction read!

18) The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain - wow! A great read that grabbed my attention and didn't let go until the end. It's a real page-turner of a story! Loved it!

19)Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen

20)Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography by Rob Lowe

21) I Remember You by Harriet Evans ~ this book lacked a lot of things like depth of character and character development, but I loved the story and enjoyed reading it

22)The Season of Second Chances: A Novel by Diane Meier - this was a slow, sweet novel. I loved it!

23)Escape by Carolyn Jessop~ an interesting story, but not very well written. It dragged on in many places.

24)Seeing Julia by Katherine Owen~ great beach book!

25) Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan - I liked this book, but I feel like it just ended all of a sudden.

26) The Island by Elin Hilderbrand -perfect beach read!

27)The Outside Boy by Jeanine Cummins ~ This is a gem of a book written from the perspective of an 11 year old boy named Christopher who is a "traveller" or a gypsy in Ireland in the 1950's. It is wonderfully simple to read, but very thoughtful, thought-provoking and beautifully written!

28)Clean by Alejandro Junger~ not my usual kind of book, but I'm becoming more interested in the body's ability to heal itself and find it's own balance. I read this cover to cover and found it very interesting even though it specifically refers to a cleansing program developed by the author. There were many interesting theories presented in this book.

29)Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott ~ great book about parenting an out-of- control teenager. Perfect timing for me on this one; although it is not my own child I am dealing with at the moment, I am involved with a young adult dealing with some very serious stuff. This book was a work of fiction, but it hit close to home and I thought it was very well-written. I've always loved Anne Lamott.

30)The Beach Trees by Karen White ~ great read!!!

31) Joy For Beginners by Erica Bauermeister ~ This book had highs and lows for me. It discusses a group of women and their experiences while completing a task or adventure that they fear. I loved several of the characters and their stories, but found a few of them completely flat and boring.

32) Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson ~ compelling story with a twist. The book lacked a lot in terms of character development (none), consistency, credibility, but the story was interesting if nothing else.

33) Just Breathe by Susan Wiggs ~ fine, easy read. A typical, predictable, chick-lit book. I'm ready for some heavier stuff for my 50 reads this year!

34) Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman - loved this book!!

I'm a little off schedule for 50 books this year....we'll see how it goes, but I was very happy to find a good read this time around. I'm having a year of quite a few mediocre reading it seems. Maybe the tide is turning!

35) Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella - I didn't like this book much at the beginning, but it grew on me and I was engaged about halfway through. It was a sweet little read.

36) Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakesby Roisin Meaney -

37)Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt ~ I was just in the mood for this kind of book, so I really liked it.

Don't think I'm going to make 50 this year, but I'm still plugging along

38) The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue

39) Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen Degeneres

40) The Divorce Party

41) The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

42) Falling Home by Karen White

43) !The Giftby Pete Hamill ~ I love Pete Hamill's books!

Not going to complete my 50 book challenge this year, but I just started another book which will be my first read for my 50 book goal in 2012! A 2 week vacation in January should help me get a head start next year!

Happy New Year!