What's In A Name 4 Wrap Up

Well it is New Year's Eve so I need to do finish up my What's In A Name 4 post! I did finish this challenge and these are the rest of the books I read for this challenge.

Number in the Title--

13 Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson.

This book was really good. It was about a girl whose Aunt died and left her 13 blue envelopes. Sh had to go to Europe and travel and follow the path her aunt left her through the letters. She had to finish the tasks in one letter before she moved on to the next. It is a book that captures your attention and doesn't let go.

Jewelry or Gem in the Title--

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.

I loved this book. I have wanted to read this for years and I finally sat down and read it in October. It is one of the first mystery books ever written. It is told by a variety of characters and is so witty and funny. I highly recommend this book! It is amazing.

Size in the Title--

The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

I love the Thin Man movies so I finally decided to read the book. I listened to the audiobook. It is a very funny who dunnit set during prohibition! Nick and Nora Charles unwillingly solve a murder and get entangled with bootleggers, gangsters and wealthy people. However, the chapter on cannibalism was unnecessary and gross! But altogether a really good book.

This challenge probably would have been more interesting if I had deliberately read the books for the challenge but it just happened that I read books that fit into that category. I think for What's In a Name 5 I will pick the books at the beginning of the year that I will read. That might make it a little more challenging.

Thankfully Reading 2011: Wrap-Up

It has taken me awhile to write my wrap up post since I have been so busy with school. I happy with the reading I got done over the weekend. It wasn't as much as I had planned but I was able to read a couple of books I had been wanting to read for awhile.

I read the last half of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. This book was wonderful. I really enjoyed it. It was very suspenseful at the end and I caught myself holding my breath through some of it.

Next I read Pegasus by Robin McKinley. I bought this Nook book as soon as it came out but knew that was a book I would want to be able to read in just a few days. I am glad I waited. It was a terrific book! Once again she created this magical world that sucks you in. Love it!

Next I started on The Girl Who Played With Fire audio book. I basically just listened to this when I was driving or cooking. This is another great book. I haven't finished it yet but I am having a hard time turning it off when I have school work to do.

The next book I read was Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy. This was a good book. I always enjoy the mishaps and adventures of Ollie.

I started on The Bullpen Gospels by Dirk Hayhurt but I haven't had the chance to finish it yet.

I am happy with all the reading I got done over Thanksgiving and I am hoping when school lets out next week I will have a very Merry Reading December!

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2011

11/26 10:00 am
I have decided to do all my Thankfully Reading updates in one blog post. Just makes it easier especially since I am blogging from my phone. I have finished one book: Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and am 138 pages into Pegasus by Robin McKinley. I really haven't had much time to read yet since I have been spending time with family and trying to finish up some school projects. Finals start week after next and I shouldn't be reading at all. I am really loving Pegasus. I love how Robin McKinley creates these worlds that are unlike anything else and you really have to concentrate to figure out how the world works. I like that the magic in her books just isn't the same old magic that is in every other book. It always works differently.
Jenn asked us what book we were most thankful for. Last year I talked about the Betsy-Tact books. This year I am most thankful for the Hunger Games. I was in a post Harry Potter sadness thinking there would never be any new, good Harry Potter like books when I discovered the Hunger Games. Now I am not saying they are as good as HP because they aren't. However, I loved diving into that world and am happy to have had those to read. I am looking forward to rereading the books again before the movie comes out in March. Well back to reading! I will check in later.

11/26 4:45 pm
I still haven't had a chance to get much reading done. I am on page 228 of Pegasus. I also started an audiobook, The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson while out and about today. I don't think I will get to my goal of having three books read during Thankfully Reading because tomorrow I have school work and errands to run. Well back to reading before my husband gets home!

11/26 10:26 pm
I have had a much better afternoon reading! I finished Pegasus. The ending was so abrupt and I was very, very disappointed until I read online that she split the book into two books. That was a relief because it really would have been a terrible ending. I listened to a little more of The Girl Who Played With Fire while I made dinner. Then I started on Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy. I love the White House Chef series. They are such a fun read. I have been saving that book to read and when I found out the new one comes out in January I decided to read it. I am 125 pages in and loving it. I enjoy the character of Ollie so much. I feel like she is an old school heroine who just gets into the worst scrapes without meaning too. I can't wait for the new book to come out!

11/27 9:00 pm

I finished Buffalo West Wing last night and started on The Bullpen Gospels by Dirk Hayhurst. It is hilarious and touching and sad. I love baseball and this is a great glimpse into the real world of minor league baseball. I am 84 pages into this book as I haven't had much time to read today due to my massive piles of homework and driving to and fro. I also managed to get some more audio book time with The Girl Who Played With Fire.

Thankfully Reading Post #1

I decided to get my Thankfully Reading off to a good start at midnight by deciding to finish up Girl With A Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I finished the last forty pages. What a great book! I have the next book in the series on an audiobook and I really wish I had brought it to my parents. But since I didn't I am going to get started on my next book which is Pegasus by Robin McKinley. I love her books. Beauty is one of my all time favorite books. I think it's funny that even though I have my Nook and I am only staying one night at my parents I still packed two regular books. Old habits never die! Hopefully I can get more reading in tomorrow in between a family photography shoot and the pile of school work I have to do before school ends in two weeks.

I also started a new Twitter handle to go with this blog! ReadingSusan. Follow me today!

What's In A Name 4: Evil in a Title

I read Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire for the evil in a title category. I will say this book was a struggle to get through. I have come to the conclusion that I just don't like his books. The first half of the book was really, really slow and depressing. The last half of the book was a little more interesting and went a little faster. It basically continues the story of Wicked after Elphaba dies and follows her son Liir. He is not really sure he is her son and he has a lot of struggles and bad times. The majority of the book is just depressing things that happens to him. But I finally did finish it after about six months.

What's In A Name 4: Life Stage

I am way behind on my What's In A Name posts! I read Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close for the Life Stage category. This book was so good. It has a dark undertone but is also really funny. This book is a collection of stories about college friends and their heartbreaks, disappointments and triumphs in life. It is very real to life how different people act when they get married and have kids. I loved the one story about the girl who had six bridal showers and made her bridesmaids come to all of them. This book was very witty and funny and I highly recommend it.

Thankfully Reading 2011

It is getting close to that time of year again.: Thankfully Reading over the Thanksgiving holiday. This was the first book challenge I ever did and it inspired me to do more. Hopefully I will be able to get in a lot of reading in between preparing for a law debate and cooking lots of yummy food. Can't wait!