First Reading List of 2011

I like to make list of books that I would like to read. Over the past year I have listed over 50 books and did not make a dent in those list what so ever. Below is a mini list. Just under 30 books that I would like to read. Some are series others are just single titles.

1. House Rules - Jodi Picoult
2. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
3. The Harry Potter Series - J.K Rowling (rest of series - 4 more books)
4. True Blood Series - Charlene Harris (rest of series - 8 additional books)
5. Second Chance - Jane Green
6. My Fair Lazy - Jen Lancaster
7. Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea - Chelsea Handler
8. Winter Garden - Kristin Hannah
9. Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs
10. Fly Away Home - J. Weiner
11. The Shack - W.P Young
12. The Other Woman - J. Green
13. Queen of Babble Series- M. Cabot (rest of series - 2 more books)
14. Three Cups of Tea - G. Mortenson
15. Memory Keepers Daughter - K. Edwards

Queen of Babble

Lizzie is a girl who just doesn't know how to keep quiet or mind her own business. Lizzie loves fashion and loves the idea of being in love.
This book is pure chick lit. It is mindless fluff that will keep you turning the page but at the same time anticipating what is coming next. The book is centered on a trip in Europe visiting 2 countries in and out of love. Lizzie finds her way from London to Paris and meets a stranger from America on the train. They travel and talk and wind up going to the same location! (surprise surprise!)
I found the characters interesting and the description of the vintage clothes and wine beautiful.The book for the most part is centered around events leading to a wedding at a Parisian winery.
I enjoyed this book. It was a fast read and was entertaining. Great for a quick read and for getting away from heavier subjects.

Dead to the World

This is the book 4 in the Sookie Stackhouse series or for those who watch the HBO "True Blood". If you are reading the series you know that these books are nothing more than a guilty pleasure. However, having Eric be the main star of this book and Bill out of the book from the first chapter made me LOVE this book!
I think that the books are getting better and better. This book brought the reader into the world of witches and other shape-shifters. This book was a really good read. There are some great romance scenes with Sookie and Eric and Alcide my favorite werewolf was around too! Great read and I am looking forward to the next one!
Read January 2011

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

After being a fan of the Twilight saga I had to read this spin off book. Bree was a character briefly mentioned in a fight scene. The readers know her fate and why she is killed. However, we never know where she came from or why she was a part of another Vampire coven.
Bree is a young vampire, at 3 months old. She would have been a 16 year old girl who was making poor choices in her life. She was changed to a vampire un-willingly and was just getting into the 'grove' of being a vamp. Bree was part of a coven that she didn't trust and ultimately wanted out of.
I enjoyed the writing style of this book. It still had Meyers signature in the wording yet it was such a jump from the pouting Bella and Edward story. This was a short and good read. I would suggest it to anyone who has read the Twilight Saga.
Read January 2011

Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban

Being that there are so many books in the HP series, I am going to keep the reviews on them short.

This book was great! Compared to the previous 2 books that I read in the series I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. There were more twist and turns in Harry's life. We got to meet more people in his life and see some friendships develop. Although the book is geared to Young Adults, I found them to be a quick read and entertaining. The series is worth reading so far and I plan on continuing on.

Read January 2011



The Secret Life of Cee Cee Wilkes

This book was a pick from my Book Club. I have never heard of Chamberlain before but she has it written over 15 books. This book was a fast read. The story of Cee Cee was beautifully written and interesting.
In the beginning of the book I was not sure that I would enjoy the story. The beginning plot seemed overly explained and there was so much detail that I felt as if I knew every thing about the character and would not learn more. I was wrong.  By the middle of the book I found my self thinking of what was going on with the characters when I was not reading the story. I was putting myself in the main characters and secondary characters shoes.
Chamberlain raises a lot of questions on the right way to "parent" and raise a child? What do you do when the truth is unfolding in front of your eyes? Also who are you when you have no family? I think this is a great book and a good read for just about any woman. The book raised a lot of great discussion questions for the book club and I find myself recommending it to others.
Read January 2011

My Horizontal Life

This was the first book I have read by Chelsea Handler. It is called "A collection of One Night Stands" but in reality it is a book about life experiences and also the pursuit of sex. I found the book to be entertaining and found my self laughing out loud at some points.

I am semi familiar with Handler. I have never watched her TV show but have seen her on other programs and award shows. I found the style of writing good. It flowed nicely and was easy to read. Some of the stories seem far fetched, but funny! I think there are many awkward stories out there and this hit on all different types of them. Along with getting to know her awkward family.

This book is a good light read and still interesting. I would suggest it for a good laugh or a summer beach read.

Read January 2011