Books read in 2013

1. Christmas in Sugarcreek by Shelley Shepard Gray (239 pgs)
2. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (454 pgs)
3. Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult (421 pgs)
4. Nadia Knows Best by Jill Mansell (463 pgs)
5. I Scream, You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson (300 pgs)
6. School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari (339 pgs)
7. Scoop to Kill by Wendy Lyn Watson (267 pgs)
8. You Against Me by Jenny Downham (413 pgs)




Number of Books: 8
Number of Pages: 2,896

Books read in 2012

1. The Thorn by Beverly Lewis (344 pgs)

2. The Judgment by Beverly Lewis (325 pgs)
3. Hate List by Jennifer Brown (405 pgs)
4. The Mercy by Beverly Lewis (303 pgs)
5. The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (180 pgs)
6. Miranda's Big Mistake by Jill Mansell (475 pgs)
7. The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis (323 pgs)
8. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (514 pgs)
9. Chalked Up by Jennifer Sey (289 pgs)
10. Lies by Michael Grant (447 pgs)
11. Plague by Michael Grant (492 pgs)
12. Smile by Raina Telgemeier (214 pgs)
13. Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (276 pgs)

Number of Books: 13

Number of Pages: 4,587

Books read in 2011

1. Gone by Michael Grant (558 pgs)

2. Vampire Kisses by D.S. Foxx (174 pgs)

3. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis (243 pgs)

4. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis (224 pgs)

5. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (194 pgs)

6. Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell (404 pgs)

7. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (390 pgs)

8. Hunger by Michael Grant (590 pgs)

9. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (360 pgs)

10. On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah (404 pgs)

11. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (386 pgs)

12. This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer (239 pgs)

13. The Hostile Hospital by Lemony Snicket (255 pgs)

14. The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook: What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love and Healing by Bruce D. Perry (246 pgs)

15. Grace by Shelley Shepard Gray (268 pgs)

16. A Simple Winter by Rosalind Lauer (388 pgs)

Number of Books: 16

Number of Pages: 5,323

Books read in 2010

1. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (563 pgs)
2. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (337 pgs)
3. Breaking Her Fall by Stephen Goodwin (408 pgs)
4. The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel: Claudia and Mean Janine by Ann M. Martin/Raina Telgemeier (162 pgs)
5. Fallen by Lauren Kate (452 pgs)
6. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis (248 pgs)
7. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson (630 pgs)
8. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (203 pgs)
9. House Rules by Jodi Picoult (532 pgs)
10. Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles (303 pgs)
11. When the Heart Cries by Cindy Woodsmall (326 pgs)
12. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (390 pgs)
13. Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin (368 pgs)

14. The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer (308 pgs)
15. Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (292 pgs)
16. Making Choices (Everwood) by Laura J. Burns (179 pgs)

17. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (341 pgs)

18. Night Road by Kristin Hannah (385 pgs)

Number of Books: 18
Number of Pages: 6427

In A Reading Rut

Ugh, so for the past two weeks I've been in a sort of reading rut. I was incredibly excited about starting a book that's been sitting on my bookshelf for about a year now: The Stolen Child by Kieth Donohue.

While the book is decent enough and there are parts that I have genuinely enjoyed so far...overall, this particular reading experience has been lacking. I don't find myself looking forward to picking up the book to continue reading. I think it's mostly because there are parts that are just slow moving and kind of boring, which is unfortunate because the premise is really interesting.

Now, I bet I know what you're thinking. Why don't I just stop reading the book and start a new one?

Because I have issues. lol. I am one of those people who can't not finish a book, even if I dislike it (although there have been a few exceptions: Little Earthquakes and Macbeth are examples.) It bothers me if I don't finish what I start (it took me 3 months before I finally gave up on Little Earthquakes!) and I'm always hoping that maybe the book will get better if I just read a little bit further...

I'm unsure whether I'll finish the book or not. Perhaps I might just put it aside for a while and pick it up later. I just hate wasting valuable reading time not enjoying a book and then not reading at all because I'm not looking forward to picking up the book again.

What do you all do when there's a book you're reading and not able to get into? How far do you read to give it a chance? And am I the only one who has a hard time abandoning a book?

Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Publication Date: September 1, 2009
Genre: Young Adult, SciFi/Fantasy, Dystopian

Summary (from book flap - SPOILERS FOR THE HUNGER GAMES): Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned hsi back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely conivnced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

Review: The wait for this book was almost unbearable. September 1st could not come soon enough. I was horrified when I realized that the closest bookstore to my house did not open until 9am, meaning I'd have to wait until I got out of work to hold a copy of the book in my hands! But the wait was worth every single second.

Catching Fire does not disappoint and is just as engrossing as The Hunger Games, with a mix of action and violence that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat throughout the novel. Collins does a great job at fleshing out her characters and giving them depth. I felt like I knew Katniss and Peeta and the residents of District 12. It's as if they were my own friends and family. There's nothing I love more than being so completely invested in such a vast set of characters. There are certain characters to whom I become emotionally attached. I've tried to explain this to other people but so far all I've gotten is a bunch of "Are you crazy?" looks. But this is one of those books.

I love the strength of these characters. Katniss is independent, strong-willed and has such a sense of compassion for those around her. It is characters like this that I am thankful for; because I hope that when I have children, they will have great characters in books to look up to.

If you have not read The Hunger Games please run, do not walk, to the nearest bookstore/library to get a copy. If you have read The Hunger Games, well, what are you waiting for? Go pick up Catching Fire!

Now if I could just be patient for the third book in the Trilogy...a feat I don't think I'll be able to accomplish ;)

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly book meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the Title & Author, too, so that other TT participants can add their book to their TBR list if they like your teasers.

My Teasers:

"Between the covers, a book can be a sin. I have spent many hours in such a waking dream, and once having learned how to read, I could not imagine my life otherwise."

~ p. 102, The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue