The definitive list of books to read by Tara (blinger). Subject to change. Often.

----- means read
highlighted means there is still information outstanding
 

1. My Steve by Terri Irwin - 268 pages
2. The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - 486 pages
3. The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 2: The One Tree by Stephen Donaldson - 472 pages
4. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire - 495 pages
5. Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs - 432 pages
6. Next by Michael Crichton - 540 pages
7. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - 620 pages
8. The Davinci Code by Dan Brown - 593 pages
9. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - 324 pages
10. Hatter M: Volume 1 - 171 pages
11. Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir - 404 pages
12. Divine by Blood by P.C. Cast - 443 pages
13. The Last Anniversary - 388 pages
14. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll - 357 pages
15. Goddess of the Sea by P.C. Cast - 344 pages
16. The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 3: White Gold Wielder by Stephen Donaldson - >> pages
17. The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult - 388 pages
18. All the Kings' Women - 373 pages
19. Goddess of Spring by P.C. Cast - 360 pages
20. One for the Money - 290 pages
21. Goddess of Light by P.C. Cast - 329 pages
22. The Final Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 1: The Runes of the Earth by Stephen Donaldson - >>> pages
23. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory - >>> pages
24. The Final Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 2: Fatal Revenant by Stephen Donaldson - >>> pages
25. Two for the Dough - 301 pages
26. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - 353 pages
27. The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie - 359 pages
28. The Final Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 3: Against All Things Ending by Stephen Donaldson - >>> pages
29. The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory - >>> pages
30. Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot - 308 pages
31. Three to get Deadly - 300 pages
32. Helen of Troy: Goddess, Princess, Whore by Bettany Hughes - 412 pages
33. The Illiad by Homer - 408 pages
34. Jennifer Government by Max Barry - 335 pages
35. Helen of Troy by Margaret George - 606 pages
36. Avalon High by Meg Cabot - 280 pages
37. The Odyssey by Homer - 324 pages
38. Great Big Beautiful Doll: The Anna Nicole Smith Story by Eric & D'eva Redding - 239 pages
39. The Pact by Jodi Picoult - 451 pages
40. Sacha Baron Cohen: The Unauthorized Biography: From Cambridge to Kazakhastan by Kathleen Tracy - 263 pages
41. Arch Enemy by Frank Beddor - Book 3: The Looking Glass Wars - >>> pages
42. Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot - >>> pages
43. Queen of Babble gets Hitched by Meg Cabot - >>>> pages
44. A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the Second: The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket - 190 pages
45. Jaded by Lucy Hawking - 248 pages
46. Date Expectations: One Man's Voyage Through the Lonely Hearts by Paul Reizin - 301 pages
47. First Impressions by Jude Deveraux - 340 pages
48. A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the Third: The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket - 214 pages
49. A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers - 354 pages
50. A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the Fourth: The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket - 194 pages
51. The Longest Way Home by Robert Silverberg - 213 pages
52. A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the Fifth: The Austere Academy by Lemony Snicket - 221 pages
53. From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology edited by Lawrence Cahoone - 600 pages
54. A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the Sixth: The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket - 259 pages
55. Markham Thorpe - 280 pages
56. Uglies - 425 pages
57. The Hobbit - 280 pages
58. Man of the Month Club - 336 pages
59. Prey - 365 pages
60. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - >>> pages
61. The Thin Pink Line - 296 pages
62. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood - >>> pages
63. How to Meet Cute Guys - 251 pages
64. Girls in Pants - >>> pages
65. I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes - 420 pages
66. Forever in Blue - >>> pages
67. The Spell Book of Listen Tayor - 374 pages
68. Misconceptions - >>> pages
69. All American Girl by Meg Cabot - 232 pages
70. The Iron Tree - >>> pages
71. All American Girl: Ready or Not by Meg Cabot - 215 pages
72. Infidelity for First Time Fathers - >>> pages
73. Cranberry Queen - >>> pages
74. Urgent - 171 pages
75. God's Callgirl - 505 pages
76. Desire: Awakening God's Woman - 381 pages
77. The Spanish Bride - 286 pages
78. Middlesex - 529 pages
79. Phaic Tan - >>>pages
80. Troy - 358 pages
81. The Last Summer (of you and me) - 306 pages
82. Pride and Prejudice - 435 pages
83. Claudia: Daughter of Rome - 368 pages
84. Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult - >>> pages
85. Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult - >>> pages
86. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult - 455 pages
87. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult - >>> pages
88. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult - 484 pages
89. Goodnight Nobody - 371 pages
90. Raising Girls - >>> pages
91. Raising Boys - >>> pages
92. Redeeming Love - >>> pages
93. The Memory Keeper's Daughter - 401 pages
94. Gene of Isis - 621 pages
95. The Dragon Queen - >>> pages
96. The Black Madonna - >>> pages
97. She Went All The Way by Meg Cabot - >>> pages
98. Aphrodite's Blessings - >>> pages
99. Goddess of Yesterday - >>> pages
100. The Secret Life of Bees - >>> pages
101. House of Night: Book 1: Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast - >>> pages
102. House of Night: Book 2: Betrayed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast - >>> pages
103. House of Night: Book 3: Chosen by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast - >>> pages
104. House of NIght: Book 4: Untamed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast - >>> pages
105. House of Night: Book 5: Hunted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast - >>> pages
106. House of Night: Book 6: Tempted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast - >>> pages
107. Goddess of the Rose by P.C. Cast - >>> pages
108. Goddess of Love by P.C. Cast - >>> pages
109. Warrior Rising by P.C. Cast - >>> pages
110. Goddess of Camelot by P.C. Cast - >>> pages
111. Brighid's Quest by P.C. Cast - >>> pages
112. Digital Fortress by Dan Brown - >>> pages
113. Alter Ego - 353 pages
114. Elphame's Choice by P.C. Cast - >>> pages
115. Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman - >>> pages
116. The Time Traveller's Wife - >>> pages
117. Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult - >>> pages
118. Songs of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Picoult - >>> pages
119. Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult - >>> pages
120. Mercy by Jodi Picoult - >>> pages
121. Second Glance by Jodi Picoult - >>> pages
122. Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult - >>> pages
123. Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult - >>> pages
124. Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult - >>> pages
125. Love in the Time of Cholera - >>> pages
126. Tuesdays with Morrie - >>> pages
127. Sense and Sensibility - >>> pages
128. The Mediator (Book 5) by Meg Cabot - >>> pages
129. The Mediator (Book 6) by Meg Cabot - >>> pages

Book 14: Divine By Choice by P.C. Cast - 358 pages

My little synposis: Shannon Parker is just adjusting to her life as Epona's Goddess Incarnate in Partholon - oh and being married to a sexy centaur - when she is suddenly pulled out of her new home reality and thrown back to modern-day Oklahoma. Given that she's pregnant with ClanFintan's baby, she hastens to get home, but not before determining what evil is sending the weather in Oklahoma crazy and why the hell Rhiannon brought her back in the first place. Oh, and what to do about the gorgeous Clint, her centaur husband's very human mirror image.

I really did not enjoy this book half as much as Divine By Mistake. I really think ClanFintan is a big part of the appeal of the story, and Clint just didn't quite stand up to the same role for me - I think a big part of ClanFintan's appeal is the fact that he is a centaur. Clint was far more moody and he got on my nerves. I also was really unhappy with the explanation Cast gave for why Rhiannon was so evil. I won't ruin it for anyone but for me some things are not acceptable even for the 'greater good' as the goddess Epona basically used as her excuse for letting certain things happen. And Shannon's justification for the turn her relationship with Clint took was just a total cop-out in my opinion - there's a big difference between your centaur husband and his human mirror image, no matter what reality you're in. I did enjoy the book, especially the first 100 or so pages, but I really just wanted to go back to Partholon, so I kinda dragged my heels further in. A shame really, because a lot of people have said how much they enjoyed this one, and given how much I loved the first one I was hoping too. Even so, I will read the third one Divine by Blood but I think I'll give it some time before I do.

14 / 50 books. 28% done!

 

6161 / 15000 pages. 41% done!

Book 15: Oddly Enough: Unbelievably outrageous but true stories from the news edited by Robert Basler - 256 pages

My little synopsis: As the title suggests, a collection of crazy stories collected by Reuters News over several years. Just those little 'What in the weird?'  articles you find that fill up a page between the 'actual' news and the ads.

A very funny little read that I kind of just picked up when I was bored. Some of the stories are just absolutely ridiculous - plenty probably earned themselves a Darwin Award at some point. All in all, thoroughly enjoyable.

 

15 / 50 books. 30% done!

 

6417 / 15000 pages. 43% done!

Book 16: The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot by Jeffrey Archer - 101 pages

My little synopsis: The story of Jesus from when he meets his Judas till after his death is retold from the persepective of Judas by his son Benjamin. Apparently, Judas wasn't such the bad guy that everyone made him out to be.

This was very well done. Archer mixes his own narrative of Jesus' life with text from the various gospels to pull off a very good story. Having never actually sat down and read each specific gospel to identify the differences (my Catholic school upbringing seemed to focus more on the Old Testament, so I'm all over Genesis, but not so much Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), Archer has also provided a handy, dandy little reference section at the back that goes over some of the differences and similarities between this gospel and the four acknowledged ones. All in all, very interesting.

 

 

16 / 50 books. 32% done!

 

 

6518 / 15000 pages. 43% done!

Currently reading:
- From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology edited by Lawrence Cahoone - 600 pages
- My Steve by Terri Irwin - 268 pages
- The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 2: The One Tree by Stephen Donaldson - 472 pages
- Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs - 432 pages

And coming up:
- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - 620 pages
- The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - 486 pages
- Next by Michael Crichton - 540 pages

This chapter felt like it took absolutely ages to write - partly because it just dragged and partly because I was away for half of May (and studying for my CA exam - which I passed - for the other half). However today, just before June is out, I finally finished it. It's the shortest chapter so far, but I feel it wraps up a lot of nice little points and moves through the development of the characters quite well. So in the end I am happy with it, even after all the angst. Hopefully the next chapter will be a little better - this is the one where I decide whether I split it into two or stick to one slightly bigger chapter. I will see how I go.

On with the statistics...

111874 / 176000 words. 64% done!

 

195 / 306 pages. 64% done!

 

12 / 20 chapters. 60% done!

Book 13: Divine By Mistake by P.C. Cast - 537 pages

My little synopsis: Shannon Parker, Oklahoma school teacher, finds her life turned upside down when a car accident caused by a bad storm lands her in the alternate reality of Partholon where she is believed to be Rhiannon, the Beloved of the Goddess Epona. Sure, its nice to be waited on hand and foot and all, but being mistaken for her nasty, selfish Partholon counterpart, and being forced into an arranged marriage with a centaur is not exactly her idea of a good time. Nor is the fact that, just as she's starting to get her head around everything, she discovers that Partholon is under attack from the vampiric Fomorians. Oh, joy!

I have had this book on my shelves for about two years, discovered at the book shop after I went on the hunt for another of P.C. Cast's books, Goddess of Spring, (also still sitting on my book shelf - I read about it the local newspaper, and just had to buy it!). I finally decided to read it, and man, I'm glad I did. The great thing about this story is that its just so easy to read - there's no insane vocabulary, no over stretching concepts - just pure unadulterated fun (sprinkled with a little bit of scary bad guy stuff to mix it up - oh and hot centaurs!!). Cast's story never tries to be more than it is - a fun little romantic romp. Shannon/Rhiannon/Rhea (as she later comes to be known) is a fun main character, and though she seems to adapt awfully well to her new life (my one grievance - why do people in these stories never, ever freak out?? What's up with that? If I suddenly woke up in an alternative reality, I think I'd freak - Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series seems to be the only story that actually does this well),  the random occasions where she says the wrong word - and then has to explain herself - or is completely lost as to what to do in a situation are downright hilarious. ClanFintan, the centaur she is forced to marry, is an awesome male lead, even if he's a little overly romantic (aren't men always that way in romance novel? What's up with that?). And I got an enormous kick out of Shannon's constant Star Trek jokes/analogies etc. Finally, an author acknowledges how Star Trek things are relevant forms of description for almost anything! Basically, the one word to describe this book is fun - I couldn't put it down and have put all other books on hold to read the sequel Divine By Choice. Don't read it if you are expecting some thought-provoking, challenging novel about the nature of humanity. Do read it if you want to enjoy a few hours of your life!

 

13 / 50 books. 26% done!

 

 

5803 / 15000 words. 39% done!

Currently reading:
- From Modernism to Postmodernim: An Anthology edited by Lawrence Cahoone - 600 pages
- My Steve by Terri Irwin - 268 pages
- The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 2: The One Tree by Stephen Donaldson - 472 pages
- Divine By Choice by P.C. Cast - 358 pages

And coming up:
- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - 620 pages
- The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - 486 pages
- Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs - 432 pages

Book 12: Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs - 382 pages

I read this book on several plane flights around the Middle East and Europe, and like all the other Kathy Reichs, I struggled to keep my attention on it. Basically, this one sees Tempe take on some warring biker gangs who, along with taking out each other, manage to take out various innocents, some of who's bones have only recently been discovered, in varying parts of North America. I get really bored with all the technical stuff, that somehow doesn't seem realistic conversation for even a scientist. While Reichs' writing is sound, I also find that the involvement of random people she knows in the cases a little far-fetched - first her best friend, then her sister and now her nephew. I know family members etc of cops can be targeted by criminals, but I find this consistent theme kinda annoying. I also felt that she was a little slow figuring out the Ryan thread - I mean, has this woman not watched a crime show before?? Maybe, I'm just a little cynical (crime is just not crime unless Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler are fighting it!), and I do intend to keep with the series, more cause I wanna know what happens between her and Ryan. But I do think I will read it in tandem with something else to prevent myself from getting bored from now on!

5266 / 15000 pages. 35% done!

12 / 50 books. 24% done!

Currently reading:
- From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology edited by Lawrence Cahoone - 600 pages
- My Steve by Terri Irwin - 268 pages
- Divine by Mistake by P.C. Cast - 537 pages
- The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 2: The One Tree by Stephen Donaldson - 472 pages

And coming up:
- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - 620 pages
- The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - 486 pages
- Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs - 432 pages

Now, am off to celebrate Queensland's State of Origin victory! 
 

Book 11: The Host by Stephenie Meyer - 617 pages

My oh my! Whoever said this book is similar to Twilight was obviously specifically looking for similarities rather than simply taking this book on its own merits because it is positively brilliant! Yes, it does suffer from the same not-so-great writing skills that seem to afflict Meyer, but the story itself, the characters, the plotting, is so much better!! I am more a sci-fi than a vampires person (I'm of the school of thought that aliens are a far more likely concept than vampires, and get rather infuriated when people group aliens in with very mythical creatures such as vampires, werewolves and elves!) and a part of me did wonder if I prefered this book because I myself am writing a sci-fi romance, an alien love story, but I do really think that Meyer just plotted this story so much better and I have so many things to say about it! Firstly, yes, Wanda and Melanie were self-sacrificing like Bella, but where it seemed stupid in the case of Bella, Meyer was smart enough to make the personality characterisitic fit with her two characters in this instance, because of outside reasons - Wanda becasue it was a part of her species make-up, and Melanie because of her brother and partner. Moreover, I personally think Meyer did an excellent job of making all the males even the annoying ones like Kyle, hold their own appeal and yet be very different in their personalities (I actually found the character of Kyle highly amusing simply because I have a brother myself called Kyle and the banter between Kyle and Ian was so like my own brothers!). I loved Jared and Ian equally in the same way Wanda did, and I could see all their points of view. I was unable to pick a side - I genuinely wanted everyone to win. Moreover, Meyer does one thing in her stories that really annoys me for its lack in other books (and its something I try to rectify in my own stories, probably more strongly than Meyer does) - there is not just two or three main characters, who you know inside and out, but a 'supporting cast', all those random people in our lives that make it up and make it whole, but who aren't necessarily there for every minute. Meyer includes all these people, sometimes to the point that I get confused as to who is who (I did in Twilight). I love this about The Host, I love Jamie and Doc and Jeb and every little random character that has an influence on Wanda and Melanie's lives!
My only real criticism for The Host is that Meyer really does not research the science/lore side of her stories - she lacked this in Twilight, and she lacks it in The Host. She really tries to make her science sound cool and exciting, without getting into the fine detail which tends to put off a lot of people, but she ends up just sounding like a kid's overactive imagination. Dragons that fly through a jelly sky and fire acid - hmmm, yeah, okay! What I do love is the more simplistic approach to sci-fi and the fact that she has broached the very small genre of sci-fi/romance. If she, with her Twilight fame, can get people into this genre, than it gives hope for me and my story - which I believe belongs to this type of genre too - and perhaps get people thinking about beyond their own small lives.

All in all, probably the first story I've read this year that has truly captured my attention and imagination - enough to push my own characters out of my head for a couple of days - and I'm glad I read it. If she decides to go for a sequel of this story, I do believe it will be a far more valuable addition to the world of literature than any of the Twilight sequels. Oh, and I'll sign any petition for a movie of this book you shove at me!!

 

 

11 / 50 books. 22% done!

 

4884 / 15000 pages. 33% done!

Currently reading:
- From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology edited by Lawrence Cahoone - 600 pages
- My Steve by Terri Irwin - 268 pages
- Divine by Mistake by P.C. Cast - 537 pages
- Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs - 395 pages

And coming up:
- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - 620 pages
- The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - 486 pages
- The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 2: The One Tree by Stephen Donaldson - 472 pages

Ah, another chapter down and no matter what now (ie, extra chapter around 14) I am definitely over half way now. This chapter was a weird one, I spend through the first 60-70% and then got stuck. I have determined this is as a result of Adam, who I seem to take ages to write scenes with. Some of my friends have suggested that this is because of I want his character to be done right, which I'm inclined to agree with basically because he is the only real main human adult male character and I want to make sure he seems realistic so I don't scare off the male audience. Also, I found that I discovered a metaphor in this chapter that I'd included without even realising it (sometimes I feel like I'm not telling the story, but that the story is telling itself and I am simply a conduit, half the time I don't get the little nuances of the story til after I've written them - a very weird feeling). I changed this chapters title three times, from Boss Man to Bossy Boots to The Puzzle. And having said that, on to the number crunching (see why I'm an accountant!) Have kept the words, pages and chapters the same as still fairly accurate.

105042 / 179000 words. 59% done!

 

184 / 311 pages. 59% done!

 

11 / 20 chapters. 55% done!

Am going on holidays in four days, so no access to computers to write, but will take a notebook and hopefully kill some of chapter 12 while i'm away. Hopefully will make up the lost time of the next couple of months as I'm not doing CA this coming semester, so I'll have June to September to myself, even if it is busy season (sigh!).

Book 10: The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 1: The Wounded Land by Stephen Donaldson - 499 pages

My little synopsis: Thomas Covenant returns to the Land, four thousand years after his first time there (ten years in his world), but this time a woman from the real world, Linden Avery is accidentially dragged along with him. When they get there, they find that the Land has fundamentally changed since Covenant's last adventures there. The old Lords of Revelstone are gone, replaced by the mysterios Clave, and the Land is tormented by Lord Foul's cruel Sunbane. So off, Covenant and Linden go to save the Land...again!

Be warned, may be some spoilers below! - but it was written in the 80s so I figure I'm pretty safe!

Wow, this book was awesome! I never thought I'd say that about a Thomas Covenant book, but I so enjoyed this book. I finished the first Thomas Covenant trilogy over a year ago - at the insistence of my aunt - and really didn't enjoy it all that much. Actions of Covenant's in the first book, and his constant whining from them on really rubbed me up the wrong way, but I'm one of those people incapable of not finishing a series, so though I put it off, I finally forced myself to read the first book of the second trilogy. And man, I am glad I did! This story featured such a turnaround in Covenant's character, as a result of the introduction of the character of Linden Avery. For once, Covenant's attention wasn't solely on himself, and his character, and the story, benefitted from it. Covenant also went on less about leprosy this time round which was good because it got so annoying after awhile in the previous trilogy. I understand that leprosy is a focal point of the story, but it was so tiresome! I especially enjoyed the parts of the story told from Linden's perspective, and the dependency that developed between the two of them, along with the maybe relationship was so enjoyable after all that happened in the first series. I also enjoyed the side characters of Hollian and Sunder, who were very cool and the Haruchai and the Giants are always fun! A lot of people have told me that the second trilogy is just a re-telling of the first, but I totally didn't get that vibe. Personally, I think most fantasy novels of this type are very similar (lots of walking, often a ring, unlikely hero/heroine, save some strange place, blah, blah, blah) and its definitely the characters that make or break them. Thankfully this time around, Covenant saved the story (even if he hasn't quite saved the Land yet!).

10 / 50 books. 20% done!

 

4267 / 15000 pages. 28% done



Currently reading:
- From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology edited by Lawrence Cahoone - 600 pages
- My Steve by Terri Irwin - 268 pages
- The Host by Stephenie Meyer - 617 pages
- Divine By Mistake by P.C. Cast - 537 pages

And coming up:
- The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - 486 pages
- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - 620 pages
- The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 2: The One Tree by Stephen Donaldson - 472 pages

Back to studying I must go...am so sick of tax!

Book 9: A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the First: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket - 162 pages
My little sister has been harrassing me to start this series for ages (which is ironic really cause she's been reading it for two years and is only up to book eight, so I figure I'll probably beat her to the end anyway!) and she really loves it, so I finally thought I get started seeing as each book is pretty short anyway. I can see why kids and adults alike have enjoyed it - it wouldn't be so bad as a parent to read this story to your kids every night, as its a lot of fun, with enough dark humour to keep the average adult interested, but relatable enough for most kids. The three Baudelaire orphans - whose parents die in a fire that occurs under suspicious circumstances - are sent to live with their distant relative Count Olaf, who's a diabolical dude and wants nothing more to get his hands on the Baudelaire orphans' sizeable fortune. It's a funny little romp, and I'll have a go at the next one at some point.

9 / 50 books. 18% done!

 

3768 / 15000 pages. 25% done!

Currently reading:
- From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology edited by Lawrence Cahoone - 600 pages
- The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 1: The Wounded Land by Stephen Donaldson - 499 pages
- My Steve by Terri Irwin - 268 pages
- The Host by Stephenie Meyer - 617 pages

And coming up:
- The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - 486 pages
- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - 620 pages
- Divine by Mistake by P.C. Cast - 537 pages

Book 8: Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs - 436 pages

So I stuck with it and picked up the second Temperance Brennan book. I'm not usually a reader of crime novels as I prefer to watch my crime and read my fantasy (don't ask me why), so I'm not sure what the general formula is, but I did feel this was a lot like the first book. Basically, whilst Tempe is doing some work for the Catholic church - who are trying to have a long dead nun made a saint - she is called to a arson killing that seems to have ties to all over Canada and the U.S. There's a big chunck of stuff about cults, and religious fanaticism and brainwashing, which just seems all pretty standard. There are two main things that bug me about these books. Firstly, any scenes that aren't in a lab - and therefore not an indepth discussion about whatever process Tempe is doing - seem very, very cliched. I don't want to give too much away to someone who hasn't read them, but there are several romantic scenes that are just too typical for me. Having said that, I am super picky when it comes to sex/romantic/makeout scenes as I'm of the belief that 90% of authors screw them up, so maybe my standards are just too high. My other issue is that when Tempe is discussing a case with someone, or asking one of various colleagues questions regarding a subject she doesn't know tons about, the conversations sounds very much like interviews...'So tell me, so and so, about blah...' It gets on my nerves. Having said that, these are more nit-picking things than anything, so maybe its just me. I do think that if you're in to complex crime mysteries, that you would find these stories very interesting. And I will keep going with the series, probably as much a result of my weird 'have to finish the series' compulsion as for any enjoyment of the series.

I do have one question I hope someone can answer though - does anyone know how old Andrew Ryan is? I can't remember reading it anywhere...?

8 / 50 books. 16% done!

 

3606 / 15000 pages. 24% done!


Currently reading:
- From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology edited by Lawrence Cahoone - 600 pages
- The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 1: The Wounded Land by Stephen Donaldson - 499 pages
- A Series of Unfortunate Events: Book the First: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket - 162 pages
- My Steve by Terri Irwin - 268 pages

And coming up:
- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown - 620 pages
- The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory - 486 pages
- The Host by Stephenie Meyer - 617 pages

I have just one goal now - to finish the Wounded Land before May 14th, which is when I leave for Dubai. I have a stack of books to take with me - nice big thick ones for the various long haul flights between Brisbane, Dubai and London (am so excited!!!!!!). Let's see if I can do it!