100 books in 2011 discussion

I will be posting my (hopeful) 100 books read in 2011 here!!

1) Great Short Works of Herman Melville

Genre- Classic

This book was much better than I was expecting. I had to read it for my American Literature class and was presently surprised. It is also much more classical than what I normally read, but was still easy to understand. I would recommend the short story Bartleby the Scrivener.

2) Hawthorne's Short Stories

Genre- Classic

I really really liked Hawthorne's compilation of short stories. The two best ones were "The Minister's Black Veil" and "Lady Eleanor's Mantle". I would definitely recommend it to those who like classical writings.

The Minister's Black Veil is about the Pastor of a small town parish who one day comes to service wearing a black veil covering his face. The town's people find it creepy and wonder if something bad happened to him. He continues to wear this veil every day for the rest of his life. Interesting concept.

Lady Eleanor's Mantle is about a prideful woman who gets what's coming to her. This one's probobly my favorite.

3) The Bite of Silence by Mary Hughes

Genre- Paranormal Romance

This book was definitely a guilty pleasure. It didn't have very much plot and was pretty much all about sex with a hot warrior vampire...but if a quick read is what you're looking for then read this book.

The heroine and her vampire have to save the world before it's too late.

4) Father Mine: Zsadist and Bella's Story

Genre- Paranormal Romance

How could I not LOVE this book? After reading the rest of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, I found this book, which I didn't even know had been written. It was soooo good. Everyone should read this series!

It starts off where their story ended. Bella has given birth to their baby girl, Nalla. Zadist hasn't even held her or played with her because he's afraid she will know that he is different. He doesn't want his daughter to be ashamed of her father who has the permanent bands of a sex slave. This was such a sweet story of Zadist overcoming his demons and them coming together as a family.

5) Born of Night: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre- Sci-fi/Romance

I randomly found this book at a used book store and I LOVED it! It's like a sci-fi/romance/warrior book. The main guy is super steamy!

Nykyrian has been trained his whole life to be a deadly assasin, but is now hunted by the League whom he left. It is now his job to protect Kiara, a wonderful ballerina who is now the target of an assasination because of her political father. AND...it's all in space! Very interesting story. I will be reading the rest of this series by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

6) Make Mine Midnight: Annmarie McKenna

Genre- Romance?

This book was okay. I'm not really sure if I would recommend it to other people because it was a VERY sexual book with threesomes. But if you're into that...then this is the book for you lol

7) The Awakening: Kate Chopin

Genre- Classic/Feminist Literature

This book was slow at first, but I was completely hooked by the end. It was written by Chopin in 1899 and is one of the very first feminist novels. I was surprised I liked this book because I don't really like "woman power" books all that much. lol.

The main character is bored in her life and wonders why she doesn't feel the need to do more housewifey mom things like her friends. Maybe it's because she's meant to do more. She feels imprisoned in her plain jane life and throughout the novel breaks out of the traditional house wife role.

8) Aphrodite's Kiss: Julie Kenner

Genre- Romance/Action

This book was interesting. It had magic and romance in it. I really liked the main girl, but the main guy was a little boring for me. Other than that, it was a really good book!

The heroine is half human and half magical. She must undergo a test to become able to work in the magic world like her half-brother and father. However, she still hasn't told her human mom what's up. She falls into the possession of a magical stone that the evil character (her uncle) needs to do his dastardly deeds.

9) Love at First Flight- Marie Force

Genre- Romance

I heard really wonderful things about this author, so when this book popped up for free on my kindle I had to get it. While I did enjoy the book in general, the whole ending really upset me. The ending was good, but it was one of those things that is so far fecthed you know it would never happen in a million years!! The female character is so indecisive it makes you want to pull your hair out and the main guy just sits around and waits for her to make up her mind for over a year because she just needs "time for herself" after she already decided to be with another guy over him. Like for real?? Come on! Any guy in real life would be like, see ya later! haha

Basically, if it's free- it's a pretty good read. If it's not free- don't buy it.

10) Murder a la Mode- McKevett

Genre- Mystery

This book was a really cute and fast read. It's about a private detective that gets chosen to be on the tv show man of my dreams, where she is going to be competing for the affection of Lance (the male model who graces the covers of harlequin novels). However, once the filming starts and there is a gruesome murder, it's up to Savannah to solve the crime and keep playing the game.

11) The Great Gatsby- Scott Fitzgerald

Genre- Classic

The Great Gatsby is a classic. I've read it before, but I had to read it again for my American Literature class. I do remember liking it better the first time I read it...but it's still an amazing book.

Gatsby and Daisy were first loves. However, he was poor and went off to war and they couldn't be together. He comes back many years later once Daisy is married to Tom and has a child. Gastby is very wealthy and buys a house right across the lake from her. Gatsby has never gotten over Daisy and wants her to be his, but she is already taken. This story is about unrequited love and how dreams are often better than reality.

12)Collected Stories of William Faulkner

Genre- Classic

I read a couple of short stories by Faulkner for my English class, including "A Rose for Emily". I thought it would be better and I really really wanted it to be awesome because my name is Emily! lol, but it was kind of boring. It's basically about an old lady named Emily who kills her fiance and the community doesn't find out about it until she dies and they go into her room upstairs. She had been hiding the corpse upstairs and sleeping in the bed next to it. ewwww. This is definitely a gothic story and if you like this kind of stuff, then I recommend it. Most people who read it with me did not like it though.

13) The Yellow Wallpaper- Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Genre- Feminist Literature

This is a good short story which represents the inner struggle of women dealing with overbearing husbands and just the life of a woman before feminist and suffrage movements. It kind of made me feel claustrophobic when reading it, but I think that was the point.

14) The Sun Also Rises- Ernest Hemingway

Genre- Classic

The whole entire lost generation that Hemingway refers to and writes about in this novel is just depressing. The main character was in a war in which he was wounded and is now impotent. The woman he was in love with left him because he couldn't have sex with her anymore....and she is a complete SLUT bag who sleeps around with everyone in the novel even though she is engaged to another guy already. I wanted to slap some sense into her! lol. The book ends without any real closure. I think it was more of a description of how life was for the people of this time and how they were looking to the next generation for hope and a better world.

My favorite quote which Hemingway uses from Ecclesiastes is:

"One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever...The sun also ariseth".

15) Buried Child- Sam Shepard

Genre- Play

Oh my goodness! Where do I even start with this play?? It is so crazy, creepy, and weird. I dare say, even stranger than Edgar Allen Poe. It symbolizes the destruction of the american dream and the degeneration of familial values and relationships.
The destruction of memory is also an interesting theme to see play out.

16) Hungry For You- Lynsay Sands

Genre- Paranormal Romance

Just like every book in the Argeneau vampire series, I absolutely love this book!! The story of how vampires came to be is sooo different and interesting. Plus, the romance and sexy scenes are to die for. Definately read this series!

This is Sam's book. She is a chef who just opened her 2nd restaurant when everything goes wrong. Orders are being messed up, paints are the wrong color, the wrong carpet is put in...everything. Her new chef, is actually a vampire whom Marguerite wants to see if she's his lifemate. And he's not a chef at all. lol

17) True West

Genre- Play

uggghhh.. I have no idea why this play is so practiced. I wanted to read it in the first place because it's practically in the canon of famous plays. I was underwhelmed.

18) All the Pretty Horses- Cormac McCarthy

Genre- Western/Classic

This is a beautifully written and interesting book. However, I didn't really like the ending which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. This is definately a wonderful classic adventure.

This story is about John Grady Cole, who sets off from Texas to Mexico on his horse along with his best friend. They find jobs on a cattle ranch in Mexico and live out their dream. But sometimes things aren't always what you think they are.

19) Abandon- Meg Cabot

Genre- Fantasy/YA

This book is a modern version of the Persephone story. I read it because I love mythology, but I just found it to be somewhat lacking. It seemed like the heroine didn't even like the main guy most of the time and it was a little too YA for my taste.

20) Slave- Cheryl Brooks

Genre- Sci-fi/Romance

This book is different from anything I have ever read before! It is like a sci-fi romance novel with different alien species in it and everything. A lot of people did NOT like this book whenever I read the reviews for it, but I actually enjoyed it. It was also a free download for the Kindle, so why not get it?

She has been chasing her sister across the galaxy for years, ever since she was kidnapped right in front of her. Now her sister is said to be on a planet where the women are treated as sex slaves to the men and have no rights whatsoever. But how does a woman go to this planet and help someone escape? By finding a man to pose as her "owner". This is how she finds Cat, a slave whom she buys and then frees, as long as he will pretend that she is his slave long enough to get her sister back. Irony..lol

21) Ecstacy- Bella Andre

Genre- Erotica

I've never really been interested in Erotica before, but this popped up on my kindle as a free download. So I decided to give it a try. It is actually a pretty cute story and has an interesting plot line. I just wish it was a full length novel and had more development.

22) Free Me My Love- Jesse Casavant

Genre- Erotica

This was a free kindle download, which is really the only reason I would read it. While it is a short story, the plot develops soo fast that you can't even get a feel for the characters. I found myself feeling that the wife was just a really annoying biotch, which the husband had been a secret sadist all along. If you're looking for an erotica with subpar sex scenes and no character development...look no further.

23) In the Spotlight (The Mayne Attraction #1)- Ann Mauren

Genre- Romance/Action

I am now addicted to this series! It doesn't hurt that the main guy(s) are smoking either!! lol. The beginning of the book seemed a little bit long winded, but once the action/romance got going it was non-stop. Recommended!

24) Sex Stalker- Darren Burton

Genre- Erotica

Another free download, what a surprise. It was a rather short story, but had some preeetty good scenes if ya know what I mean lol. The main guy is pretty bored in his life, until he gets a message from a woman who calls herself M. She remains a mystery during the short story and continues to send him messages until they eventually meet one night in a dark hotel room....i'll let you imagine the rest. lol

25) Upon the Midnight Clear- Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre- Paranormal Romance

This is the 2nd book in the Dream-Hunter series. While I still liked it and the plot, it didn't really seem very well developed. It was a full length book, but could've been a short story.

It was about Aiden O'Connor, a jaded hollywood actor who is sick and tired of backstabbing people taking avantage of him. So he retreats to his house on top of a hill. That is, until his jailbird brother releases the God of Pain to kill him.

The Heroine of this story, Leta, is the Goddess who previously trapped Pain and stopped him from entering the human world. It is now her mission to put an end to Pain's murders and protect Aiden in the process, melting his hard exterior and giving him someone to trust again.

26) Born of Fire- Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre- Sci-Fi/Romance/Action

This is the 2nd book in the league series. The timeline is a little off from the first book and follows Syn. He is a convict with a bounty on his head for a crime he didn't commit. Shahara Dagan is a seax, a bounty hunter committed to bringing those who commit crime to justice. These two are an unlikely pair, especially considering Shahara turns Syn over to his enemies twice lol. She learns the truth about him and what an amazing generous man Syn can truly be. Soooo Great!

27) Born of Ice- Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre- Sci-Fi/Romance/Action

This is the 3rd book in the league series. It follows Devyn, Syn's son, who is an ex-assasin/runner to planets that need medicine and supplies. Alix is a slave and must gain Devyn's trust and then betray him to his enemies in order to free her mother and sister who are held captive. I love the main guy in this one, he isn't as tormented as the heroes in the first two books and much more relateable.

This series is absolutely amazing!!

28) Fire and Ice- Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre- Sci-Fi/Romance/Short Story

This is a shorter story in the league series revolving around Adron, Nykyrian's son. Adron is an ex-assasin, scarred and crippled by life in the service. Livia is a princess who is doomed to have an arranged marriage with an man older than her father. The man wants her for her virginity, which is a precious commodity in her world. She decides she would rather give her innocence away to someone she chose, rather than have it taken from her. She knows she will be severly punished by her father, but it's worth it for that one night and she would no longer have to marry the old man. Fate intervenes when Livia slides into Adron's booth to escape her guards. She helps him overcome his stubborness and pain as they fall in love. This couple is very sweet and this is a really great short story!

29) Fantasy Lover- Sherrilyn Kenyon

Genre- Paranormal Romance/Fantasy

This is the prequel to the Dark-Hunter Series by SK, which is why it is marked as #0.5 I thought the story was great! It's about Julian, a love slave who can be conjured out of a book and must please whoever called him. The heroine was convinced by her best friend to summon Julian, but doesn't believe that anything will happen. Boy, is she in for a surprise.

30) Dark Peril- Christine Feehan

Genre- Paranormal Romance/Action

This is the 21st book in the series and it hasn't gotten old yet! I still absolutely love the carpathian men and their search their lifemates. This is Dominic's story, who had previously decided to go undercover on a suicide mission. He had given up all hope of ever finding his lifemate in this life...then he finds her of course haha. Great, interesting read.

31) How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire- Kerrelyn Sparks

Genre- Paranormal Romance/Comedy

I absolutely love this series! This is the first book I read and the story was great. It's a wonderful mix of romance, action, and tongue-in-cheek comedy. The only thing I disapprove of is the title. It has absolutely nothing to do with the plot and makes the book sound cheesy.

32) Vamps and the City- Kerrelyn Sparks

Genre- Paranomal Romance/Comedy

This was Darcy's story. She was one of Roman's previous harem girls who decides to get a job once they are kicked out by his new wife. She now works for DVN and is producing a vampire reality tv show, with one twist. There are vampire and human men competing for their own harem (the humans just think it's like the bachelor haha).

The premise of this one is pretty corny, but interesting. This is my least favorite in the series, but I would still recommend reading it that way you understand the undercurrents of the plot that runs through the whole series.

33) Be Still My Vampire Heart- Kerrilyn Sparks

Genre- Paranormal Romance/Action

This book was great! Way better than the 2nd one in the series. This is Angus and Emma's story. I think that this book has more action in it than the others. Emma is a kick ass heroine who can handle her own.

34) The Undead Next Door- Kerrilyn Sparks

Genre- Paranormal Romance/Action

LOVE this book. It is finally Jean Luc's turn to find love and he finds it in a rather unexpected place...Texas!

As a couture high style designer, Jean Luc lives in the lap of luxury and is from the center of the fashion world, Paris. However, the media has started to notice one little problem, he isn't aging. So he decides to go live (hide) in small town Texas for the next couple decades and then re-emerge as his own son as to divert attention away from himself. Then he meets Heather.

35) All I Want For Christmas is a Vampire- Kerrilyn Sparks

Genre- Paranormal Romance

This is Ian's story. Ian is a centuries old vampires stuck in the body of a 15 year old boy. After seeing all of his friends find the love of their lives, there is only one thing he wants, to find true love. With the new invent of a "stay awake" drug, Ian is able to age and he has a lot of making up to do.

36) Secret Life of a Vampire- Kerrilyn Sparks

Genre- Paranormal Romance

This is the 6th book in the "Love at Stake" series.

Giacomo di Venezia or Jack to his friends, is Casanova's son and a sexy vampire...need I say more?

37) The Turn of the Screw- Henry James

Genre- Mystery/Supernatural

This is an old ghost story written in the late 1800's. I view it as a precursor to the more violent horror novels we have now, like Stephen King.

The most captivating aspect of this novel is its ambiguity. Are things what they seem? What do the ghosts want with the children? What does the theme of corruption have to do with the innocence of children?

The premise involves a governess who comes to the country home of Bly to care for two children whose parents have died and whose uncle does not want to be bothered. However, the story soon take on a creepy and unsavory air when the governess sees ghosts at Bly, who quite possibly are after the innocent souls of the children in her care.

38) Selected Poems (unabridged)- Emily Dickinson

Genre- Poetry

A short and wonderful collection of poetry written by the inspiring, yet sometimes dismal Emily Dickinson.

She is poignant. For example, Page 23

"I wonder if when years have piled-
Some thousands- on the cause
Of early hurt, of such a lapse
Could give them any pause;

Or would they go on aching still
Through centuries above,
Enlightened to a larger pain
By contrast with the love"

39) Warrior- Cheryl Brooks

Genre- Scifi Romance

Leo's book is #2 in the series. They're all so amazing.

40) Rogue- Cheryl Brooks

Genre- Scifi Romance

Tycharian's book is #3. This might have been my favorite :)

41) Outcast- Cheryl Brooks

Genre- Scifi Romance

Lynx's book was also really good, but wasn't my favorite. Even though I really liked Bonnie.

42) Fugitive- Cheryl Brooks

Genre- Scifi Romance

Manx's book is crazy sexy.

43) Hero- Cheryl Brooks

Genre- Scifi Romance

Trag finally gets his own book! And you meet the first Zetithan female.

44) Cane- Jean Toomer

Genre- African American Literature

I had to read this for class and did not like it at all. I don't recommend it.

45) 100 Selected Poems- ee Cummings

Genre- Modern Poetry

Cumming's style is very interesting. Not my favorite, but a different read.

46) Death Comes for the Archbishop- Willa Cather

Genre- Fiction/Religious

47) The Big Sleep- Raymond Chandler

Genre- Mystery/Crime Noir

48) The Complete Stories- Flannery O'Connor

Genre- Fiction/Suspense

49) The Bell Jar- Sylvia Plath

Genre- psychological/semi-autobiographical