Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

Books Completed: 68
Completion Date: April 26, 2007
Publication Year: 2003
Pages: 576
Owned Prior to 2007
Book Two in the Women of the Otherworld series

Even though she’s the world’s only female werewolf, Elena Michaels is just a regular girl at heart -- with larger than normal appetites. She sticks to three feasts a day, loves long runs in the moonlight, and has a lover who is unbelievably frustrating yet all the more sexy for his dark side. Like every regular girl, she certainly doesn’t believe in witches. Then again, when two small, ridiculously feminine women manage to hurl her against a wall, and then save her from the hunters on her tail, Elena realizes that maybe there are more things in heaven and earth than she’s dreamt of.

Vampires, demons, shamans, witches -- in Stolen they all exist, and they’re all under attack. An obsessed tycoon with a sick curiosity is well on his way to amassing a private collection of supernaturals, and plans to harness their powers for himself -- even if it means killing them. For Elena, kidnapped and imprisoned deep underground, separated from her Pack, unable to tell her friends from her enemies, choosing the right allies is a matter of life and death.

Once again, since Kelley Armstrong is author of the month on Twisted Kingdom, you can click here to view the review.

Book Eleven in the Chunkster Challenge, Book Eleven in the 12 Months of Fantasy Challenge, Book Nine in the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Books Completed: 67
Completion Date: April 2007
Publication Year: 2002
Pages: 576
Owned Prior to 2007
Book One in the Women of the Otherworld series

Living in Toronto for a year, Elena is leading the normal life she has always dreamed of, including a stable job as a journalist and a nice apartment shared with her boyfriend. As the lone female werewolf in existence, only her secret midnight prowls and her occasional inhuman cravings set her apart. Just one year ago, life was very different. Adopted by the Pack when bitten, Elena had spent years struggling with her resentment at having her life stolen away. Torn between two worlds, and overwhelmed by the new passions coursing through her body, her only option for control was to deny her awakening needs and escape.

But now the Pack has called Elena home to help them fight an alliance of renegade werewolves who are bent on exposing and annihilating the Pack. And although Elena is obliged to rejoin her "family," she vows not to be swept up in Pack life again, no matter how natural it might feel. She has made her choice. Trouble is, she's increasingly uncertain if it's the right one.

Since Kelley Armstrong is the Author of the Month on Twisted Kingdom, I am jumping the backlog a bit and I posted her review already. You can find it by clicking here.

Helpless by Barbara Gowdy

Books Completed: 54
Completion Date: April 4, 2007
Publication Year: 2007
Pages: 320
Receieved from Harper Collins in 2007
Counts as both Spring Reading Thing and O'Canada Challenge Read

Helpless is Barbara Gowdy's brilliant new novel, a provocative, gripping story of an unthinkable act and a mother's heroic love for her child.

Rachel is an uncommonly beautiful young girl. With her tawny skin, pale blue eyes and chromium-blond hair, she is a cherished gift to her mother, Celia. Celia is a single parent holding down two jobs. All too aware of her own precarious equilibrium, she worries about Rachel's innocent longing for her unknown father.

When a blackout plunges the city into darkness and confusion, Rachel is snatched away. Celia, numb with terror and guilt about the choices she has made, confronts the reality of every mother's worst nightmare. The media coverage is tremendous. Closely monitoring it is Ron, a small-appliance repairman with a rare collection of vintage vacuums in his basement. Though Rachel is a stranger to him, he feels oddly connected to her, as though she is his responsibility. His feelings for her are, at once, tender, misguided and chillingly possessive.

Tapping into the fear and tension just below the surface of contemporary city life, Gowdy's clear-eyed prose artfully urges us to consider what we dare not look at too closely. With her uncanny ability to lay bare our common soul and to fearlessly explore the intricate complexities of love, Gowdy has created a masterful novel.

This is one of my favourite Canadian authors, so I always try and get her new books when they come out. The first time I read her was a couple years ago when I saw The White Bone in a second hand bookstore. I thought it was interesting that it was about an elephant, with her thoughts and impressions. Not the sort of novel that I usually see, so I thought I would read it for something different. My favourite book by her, though, is The Romantic. I really must reread it one of these days.

Anyways, this book was typical Gowdy writing, but it still did not beat The Romantic for me. It is about a very serious topic, child molestors and pedophiles. This is a topic that is seen in the news again and again, so it was a very real subject matter. Gowdy often writes very realistic child characters in her books, so this was not an exception. It was interesting to see things from the pedophiles point of view, from the childs point of view, and from the mother's point of view. It was very plausible that how the man talked himself into things is how it is done in real society. He made excuses for what he was doing the whole time that he was doing it.

It was nice to see a new novel by Gowdy, and while it was a very quick read, it was very interesting. Ron is creepy, but at the same time I feel a little bad for him. You can feel both disgust and sympathy at the same time. Rachel is a cute kid, and it was interesting to see how she justified everything that was happening to her. Overall, a good new novel from Barbara Gowdy. I look forward to a new one, but I am sure that will be a while yet.

4/5

My thanks to Harper Collins for this wonderful new book.

Look What I Found!

I was browsing the bookstore and on the new releases shelf I found a book that I was tempted to buy like RIGHT there, but I really do not have the money to pay full price for hardcovers. The sad truth. So, that means an amazon order! I plan to order it either tonight or tomorrow morning. This is the book I am all excited about:
From amazon, this is what it is about:

While the story of the Bluenose—her legendary speed and the famous races she won over the years—has often been told, Witch in the Wind explores the history of the Bluenose from a fresh new perspective. In Witch in the Wind, Marq de Villiers examines the history of this famous vessel against the social and economic backdrop of the east coast Atlantic shipping and fishing industries that spawned her. Unlike any previous examination of the Bluenose, de Villiers contextualizes the birth and death of this celebrated ship with rise of industrialization and the decline of the Age of Sail, and the impact of these changes on generations of families whose way of life depended on the sea. Witch in the Wind is an evocative journey into previously untold backstory of the Bluenose, exploring the place that built her, the men who sailed her and the industry that gave rise to her. De Villiers takes readers deep into the heart of Canadian maritime history, giving new life to the long-standing legend of the magnificent Bluenose.

It's one of the aspects of history I am interested in, our sea-faring past. I know the majority of my readers are not Canadian, but this excited me and I had to share. I promise I will get back to doing some quality posting soon. I have been REALLY busy lately.

Recent Arrivals

I have received a lot of fun books today!

I got:

Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert

The Matrix meets Interview with the Vampire in this sexy gothic thriller about two beautiful witch sisters and the love triangle that consumes the information thief who is drawn into their intrigues.

Season of the Witch tells the story of Gabriel Blackstone: hacker, information thief, and skilled “remote viewer.” Asked by a former lover to investigate the disappearance of her stepson, Gabriel’s suspicions fall on Minnaloushe and Morrighan Monk, two beautiful sisters who live in a rambling Victorian house in London. Independently wealthy, the sisters spend their time dabbling in alchemy and the ancient Art of Memory—invented by the Greeks and used by alchemists and magi such as Giordano Bruno and Leonardo Da Vinci. The sisters are white, or “solar,” witches, who aim to use alchemy not to turn lead into gold but to attain ultimate knowledge and therefore ultimate power. Gabriel soon becomes convinced that his client’s son had been murdered and that one of the women is the killer. But which one?

As Gabriel infiltrates the world of the sisters, he finds himself drawn inexorably deeper— becoming entranced even as he realizes that he is in mortal danger. When he is caught snooping, Gabriel must race to unlock their secrets before they can retaliate. To save himself— and the one he loves, presuming she is not guilty—Gabriel will have to fight one of the sisters within the landscape of her own mind.

The Love Season by Elin Hilderbrand (one of the books I won)

When Renata, newly engaged to a wealthy Nantucket summer boy, comes to the island to visit her fiancs family, she decides to confront her tragic past. She goes against her fathers wishes and visits Marguerite, the godmother shes been forbidden to see her entire lifethe one person who can unlock the mystery surrounding her mothers untimely death. But Marguerites life is not so simple and preparing dinner for her goddaughter proves much more complicated than either of them imagined. Whether it is in her Nantucket detail, her insight into the emotional dramas that shape peoples lives, the moments that define them, or the loves who rule them, Elin Hilderbrands storytelling abilities soar to new heights with every novel she writes.

The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny (for one of the books I won I got to pick what I wanted, and I picked this. I am having a terrible time finding books that I want lately, so this was really the only thing I could think of at the time.)

All ten of Roger Zelzany's classic Amber fantasy novels in one book! Join Corwin, Merlin and the others in wild adventures in the lands of Amber, Earth, and the Courts of Chaos, where the powers of Amber and Chaos constantly battle for supremacy through intrigue and adventure. Revisit Amber, the land of mystery, adventure and romance. Amber, the one true world. All other worlds, including our Earth, are merely Shadows.

The Halifax Connection by Marie Jakober (because I live near Halifax)

A Canadian counter-intelligence novel with a memorable romance at its heart, The Halifax Connection brings to life 1860s Montreal and Halifax with wit, action and a finale that will leave you breathless.

Canada in 1862 is still a few scattered colonies run by an indifferent British crown. As the American Civil War heats up south of the border, Southern Confederates flood into Montreal and Halifax, among them numerous spies and military officers planning secret missions against the Union – missions they hope will provoke a war between England and the United States, throwing the whole weight of the British Empire into the Confederate camp.

Erryn Shaw is a charming British aristocrat who has been banished to the colonies and now wants nothing more than to run a theatre. Instead, he is convinced to spy for the British and finds himself befriending arrogant Southern Rebels to learn of their plans. On a mission to Montreal, he gets wind of a sinister plot–a plan the Confederates believe will win them the war. And he can’t seem to find a way to stop it.

At the same time, he meets and courts an intriguing woman, Sylvie Bowen, who escaped the cotton mills of England seeking a better life. Though she’s drawn to Erryn’s charm and cleverness, she once met with disaster at the hands of the South, and he knows it is only a matter of time until she discovers his ties to the Rebels and turns against him.

Drawing on actual events, The Halifax Connection captures a fascinating and largely forgotten piece of Canada’s history. From the comfortable parlours and ballrooms of the bustling metropolis of Montreal to the back alleyways of the port town of Halifax, to the deadly high seas patrolled by Southern raiders, the novel draws a remarkable picture of Canada in the mid-1800s – its people, its power struggles, its hopes and its dreams.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Books Completed: 53
Completion Date: April 3, 2007
Publication Year: 2007
Pages: 544
Purchased in 2007

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks-like the gears of the clocks he keeps-with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the train station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

With more than three hundred pages of original drawings, and combining elements of picture book, graphic novel, and film, Brian Selznick breaks open the novel form to create an entirely new reading experience. Here is a stunning, cinematic tour de force from a boldly innovative storyteller, artist, and bookmaker.

I am so relieved that I bought and read this book in one day without paying any attention to the hype surrounding it. I was in Costco, planning to buy the new Oprah selection because I had heard good things and they had it there for half price. I had it in my hands, and then I was browsing and found this. It was quite simply something different with the combination of writing and drawings, and I just felt the need for something different. So, back down when The Road, and home with me came this book. I had it finished by the time I went to bed that night.

I will not say that this is the best read of 2007. I will not say that it absolutely blew my mind. It is not for me to say those things. For starters, it is only the beginning months of 2007, not the end ones. It is too early to say what the best book of 2007 is. As to blowing my mind, it is a book about a little orphan boy who lives in a train station. His father died tragically, leaving him to an alcoholic uncle who has interest in the boy only to help him with his work. Then, his uncle dies and he is left alone in the world. You feel bad for the kid, and you understand why he has to steal once in a while to get what he needs. He has been taking care of the clocks so that his presence will not be noticed, but he is still just a boy and very alone in the world.

I just liked the different medium. People have said that the writing was not great compared to the breath-taking drawings. I think the writing is on par considering that the pictures are supposed to tell the story as well. I really enjoyed the pictures. I thought they were very well done, and very nice to look at. People have said that they should not count towards page numbers read, well, I disagree. They are as much a part of the story as the writing. I took a course in university on fairy tales and it included picture books and looking at pictures. They are just as important as writing, in my opinion.

I will not say that this is the best book ever, but I will say that it is a very interesting method to write a book and that it was an interesting experience. It is perfect for something different, and I think that it is enjoyable. Plus, the drawings are amazing.

4/5

She's Back

If you guys head over to Twisted Kingdom, you will find that Colleen Gleason has returned to answer not only our questions but any that you want to ask as well, so just head on over there. She is also giving away a copy of Rises the Night, so be sure and get your name in for that.

I won a Book!

Is that getting monotonous? It isn't for me! I love books in any shape or size, so getting to experience new authors is always a big treat for me. So, when Nath posted on Twisted Kingdom that Rene Lyons was guest blogging on Sanctuary's Finest, I decided to head over there and see what was going on. I have had Rene on my tbr list. I know, she really is not in my normal genre field, but I will break out of the comfort zone once in a while (J.D. Robb for example), and since she both makes appearances on my blog and joined in on the Bloggers Ten Books You Cannot Live Without Thing, I am all about the support. Long story short, I signed up for a draw for her new book, and I won a free e-book version. I will be reading it in the next couple days century, and then I will let everyone know what I thought about it. Thanks Rene for the book, I am looking forward to reading it! It's also very fitting that there is a TNA wrestler as the cover model, because I know who the author is, and Tom knew who the wrestler was. The way people connect. (And the look that Tom gave me when I told him why I was talking about said wrestler.)

Anyways, thanks Rene! I look forward to reading this book!

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Books Completed: 52
Completion Date: April 2, 2007
Publication Year: 2002
Pages: 194
Owned Prior to 2007
Read Number Three for the Once Upon a Time Challenge

The day after they moved in,
Coraline went exploring....

In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close.

The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.

Only it's different.

At first, things seem marvelous in the other flat. The food is better. The toy box is filled with wind-up angels that flutter around the bedroom, books whose pictures writhe and crawl and shimmer, little dinosaur skulls that chatter their teeth. But there's another mother, and another father, and they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.

Other children are trapped there as well, lost souls behind the mirrors. Coraline is their only hope of rescue. She will have to fight with all her wits and all the tools she can find if she is to save the lost children, her ordinary life, and herself.

Critically acclaimed and award-winning author Neil Gaiman will delight readers with his first novel for all ages.

To read my review of this book, click here.

Book Six in the 12 Months of Fantasy Challenge and Book Three in the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

Top 28 Books that Bloggers Cannot Do Without

It my neck of the woods it is the fifteenth, and you know what that means, I post the offical list for the books that bloggers cannot live without! I chose only books that received more than two votes, but I will post the books that recieved two votes and one vote in the coming days. I sort of have a plan.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings (including The Hobbit) by J.R.R. Tolkien
3. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
4. Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maud Montgomery
5. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
6. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
7. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
8. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
9. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
10. Little House on the Praire series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
11. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
12. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
13. The Bible
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Possession by A.S. Byatt
16. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
17. The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery
18. The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop
19. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
20. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
21. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
22. Sophie's World by Jostein Gaardner
23. The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne
24. The Time Quartet by Madeleine L'Engle
25. Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
26. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
27. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
28. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

This was really fun. My thanks to EVERYONE that joined in. What do you think of the list? Are there surprises? Are there books that should be there and are not? Do you think it is a good representation?

So, to show my appreciation, I got someone to choose a number between one and 48 (that's how many lists I received), and the winner is going to get to pick one of the books on the list of 28 that they would like to read. If you do not want to read any of them, you can pick a new number. The only catch is that you have to wait until May to receive your book because I am in exam-land, and cannot be expected to think coherently until then.

Anyways, the winner is number three:

Stephanie from Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic. Just let me know which book you want and I will ship it to you when I get the chance!

**** This list has been updated slightly because I forgot a list. My apologies to Caelum-Amo from Identity. I meant to save your blog for later, but I forgot to go back to it!

Ten Books You Cannot Live Without

***This a sticky post, please scroll down to see new posts***

This is just a reminder to people to join in on the Blogger List of Books They Cannot Live Without. I think this could be fun and interesting to see what books get the top spots. The final number will depend on how many people participate and how often there are duplicates in books.

Also, do not forget that it would be best to only include books that you have read, and they do not have to be your favourite books of all time, just the books that you think that you or the world could not be without. Try and limit yourself to ten, but if you need one or two extra, like for a Thursday Thirteen, that would be fine. Try not to go overboard!

The chance to join will run for a month, that will give people time to decide what they want to include on their lists, so get your thinking caps on! And, be sure if you join in you let me know somehow, preferably by commenting on my blog. Hopefully if people start joining word of mouth will carry and we can get even more people joining in.




Participants Lists:
Becky's Book Reviews
Chris's book-a-rama
Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic
Me
A Piece of my Mind
Nat
Tripping Toward Lucidity
Tanzanite's Shelf and Stuff
It's All About Books
3M's Booklist
Bookgirl's Nightstand
SciFiChick
Tempting Persephone
The Way I See It
An Adventure in Reading
In Season
Writing my Life Away
Book Nut
West of Mars
A Patchwork of Books
Travel and Reading
Morsie Reads
A High and Hidden Place
In Pink
Thrifty Reader
Caught Between Worlds
historical-fiction.net
Rene Lyons
Books Love Me
Life Long Reader
Literate Kitten
a Fair Substitute for Heaven
The Sheila Variations
Caged Minutes
The Dragon's Loss
My Piece of Heaven
Bookfoolery and Babble
Amelia's Passion
Jennie's B[ook]log
The Indextrious Reader
Yarn~Knit~Read~Lit
Tea Reads
Caribous Mom
Practicing Stillness
Between the Covers
Rhinoa's Ramblings
Stuff Running 'Round My Head
Stitches May Vary
Identity

Anyone else? Come on people, it's fun!

Some More Lists

Here are two lists that were sent to me through my comments and email.

From Bowled Over and Out who is having technological problems:

The Runes of The Earth, Stephen Donaldson
Signs of Life - Gaia, James Lovelock
Stories From Shakespear, The Complete Plays
Vanity Fair, Thackeray
Mustn't Grumble, Terry Wogan
Middlemarch, George Elliot
Wessex Tales, Thomas Hardy
I Claudius and Claudius the God, Robert Graves
Soul Mountain, Guo Xingjian
Don Quixote, Cervantes

From Louise, who had a blog but decided to get rid of it:

The Sound of One hand Clapping – Richard Flanning
- I have read this book a few times and each time a different part appeals to me.

The Black Jewel Trilogy – Anne Bishop
- This book opened a whole new genre for me and it is also a superb story

The Babysitters Club – Ann M Martin
- I read everyone I could get my hands on when I was a kid. I so want to be Claudia when I was younger.

The Power of One- Byrce Courtenay
- I read this book for the first time when I was 14 and it really pulled me back into reading and I still love it every time I go for a re read

War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
- This is an amazing story beautifully written and the sense of achievement when I finished the book was worth the weeks that it took me to read it

Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
- I just loved everything about this book.

The Bridge to Holy Cross (Tatinana & Alexander) – Paullina Simmons
- I was going to say the whole trilogy but then I realised that this one was the best in the series and it is the only one I would consider re reading.

The Red Tent – Anita Diamant
- This book started me on a religious journey and for that I am gratefully plus it is just a really good story

Fall on your knees – Ann Marie MacDonald.
- This book was given to me by someone I used to work with and I have now tried to convince everyone I know to pick up this book. It is dark and disturbing and it is a wonderful piece of writing.

And one is for all the great books I have yet to read and all the books I have loved but didn’t quite make this list.

I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn

Books Completed: 51
Completion Date: April 1, 2007
Publication Year: 1996
Pages: 186
Owned Prior to 2007
April Read for the Back to History Challenge

In this brilliantly imagined novel, Amelia Earhart tells us what happened after she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared off the coast of New Guinea one glorious, windy day in 1937. And she tells us about herself.

There is her love affair with flying ("The sky is flesh") . . . .

There are her memories of the past: her childhood desire to become a heroine ("Heroines did what they wanted") . . . her marriage to G.P. Putnam, who promoted her to fame, but was willing to gamble her life so that the book she was writing about her round-the-world flight would sell out before Christmas.

There is the flight itself -- day after magnificent or perilous or exhilarating or terrifying day ("Noonan once said any fool could have seen I was risking my life but not living it").

And there is, miraculously, an island ("We named it Heaven, as a kind of joke").

And, most important, there is Noonan . . .

One of the aspects to history that always interested me is the mystery of what happened to Amelia Earhart 70 years ago. Over the years, there have been lots of theories, but it is still unknown what happened all those years ago. When I read the non-fiction accounts and the articles I always find myself wondering if everything was done back then to assure what happened to her and her co-pilot, or if that is just the gift of hindsight.

In this particular novel, Jane Mendelshohn toys with the idea that they were stranded on a deserted island, and that is the theory that scientists and other professionals are hoping to prove this summer. Is that not scary, though, to find out that her and Noonan might have survived for a great deal of time on an island, and they died before anyone found them. That is the theory that makes me wonder if everything that could have been done at the time was done. There seems to have been a lot of information that they were presented with that they ignored. It is a scary thought, really it is.

Mendelsohn dreams up a great little book. She uses what we do know, the events leading up to the disappearance, but then she goes on to imagine what happened after radio contact was lost. She dreams up their island, what life was like for them on the island, and touches on her imagined reason for why they were never found. She makes them very self-sustaining, though. It would even be possible if they lived anywhere near how she has them live, if they were in fact on an island they stayed alive for quite some time.

All in all, an interesting look at what happened to Amelia Earhart.

4/5

Book Four in the Back to History Challenge.

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Books Completed: 50
Completion Date: March 2007
Publication Year: 2000
Pages: 322
Purchased in 2007
Book One in The Dresden Files
Second Read for the Once Upon a Time Challenge

Harry Dresden--Wizard
Lost items found. Paranormal investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things--and most of them don't play too well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a--well, whatever.

There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get... interesting.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

I know that I normally post my fantasy reviews on Twisted Kingdom, but I am just so far behind on reviews that I have to get some posting done! This will at least bring me to April, but it will not catch me up entirely.

I had been hearing a lot about The Dresden Files, but I never got around to buying anything in the series because I wanted book one, and the bookstores only ever seem to have the newest books in series. So, I waited a long time before I finally found this book in the bookstore last month. I could have ordered it online, but something else always took its place.

Right, so this a series about Harry Dresdan. He is a wizard. The fact that his name is Harry might make people think that he is copying another famous wizard series, but I think he is actually named after Harry Houdini. That's the name, right? Actually, his full name comes from famous magicians, but since I am not really up on that sort of thing, I could not tell you which magicians.

This book was entertaining. Here we have a wizard who offers his services of finding things to the general public, but most people seem to be a bit scared of him. So, he is not very busy at the best of times. When he does get a case in this book, the woman seems in quite a hurry to get away from him. It is only when the police want him that his career has any chance of paying the bills. Some of Harry's background is explained in this book, but I think there are a lot more details that can be explained in the coming books. This book talks about his family and his wizard career before he began looking for lost objects. It's an interesting tale!

One of the things I liked about this book was the humour. Take Harry and a female and you can almost expect a laugh, unless they are running for their lives, of course. (And even then...) He can find lost objects, but he cannot interact with the opposite sex. He is quite awkward at it, to be honest. Butcher also includes some of the other magical folk that we have learned to love since the time of Tolkien. Ever wondered how to catch a faery? Dresden helps you out with that useful piece of information. Never know when it might come in handy!

Next time my book-buying desires win out over my willpower to stay off Amazon, I will be buying book two to this series, so expect to see more reviews of books by this author in the coming months. I could almost say that this is sort of like J.D. Robb, just with less sex and more magic. I say that because while it is marketed as fantasy, it could easily appeal to people that are not too drawn to that particular genre.

4/5

1919 Misfortune's End by Paula Phelan

Books Completed: 49
Completion Date: March 2007
Publication Year: 2007
Pages: 240
Received as a Review Copy in 2007

Two American families face a year of enormous significance, turmoil and change. The War to End All Wars was over. The Plague of 1918 had swept through urban areas with a vengeance, killing more than a million citizens and then mysteriously subsided. But instead of celebrating their survival through these excruciating times, four million workers went on strike, inflation hit 500%, and prohibition became law - unleashing the pestilence of organized crime. Good and bad times live side by side as people move from a simpler past through tumultuous times and reach out in search of a new future. The hope of carving out a new life motivates our characters who are enjoying early advancements in radio communication, entertainment and the inventions for the home. Although the characters did not know it at the time, the groundwork for the roaring 20s was being set with the casting off of old ideas, a devil may care attitude and a relaxing of social mores. The year 1919 is a reminder that things can always get worse, but through the vibrancy of the human spirit, things can get better too.

The problem with being a bit of a moody reader is that I do not always read books when I should. I really meant to read this book when I received it, and I started it, but it got put aside until I finished it at the very end of last month. First up, I like the cover image to this book. It's old fashioned, and the people actually look like they could have lived in 1919. They are even not smiling, very realistic. A lot of historical fiction nowadays you look at and you can tell that it is obviously a modern model or style.

One of my favourite things about this book is that the author works Helen Keller into the story. It got me thinking about how much I have enjoyed reading about her off and on throughout the years, but it has been a while since I read anything pertaining to her. It was a nice reminder of what was missing off my reading lists. Relatively speaking, this is a very short book, and considering it covers a year and two families, I think the author manages to make the page length work. Sometimes with short books the action seems rushed, and if this book covered a decade or so, that might have been a problem, but she limits it to a year, and it works out quite well for her.

My only problem with this book is how she has not just chapter breaks, but she has each chapter broken into small sections with a header that tells you what is going to happen in the section. I prefer a book to have chapters than none at all, but I prefer not so many section breaks. I am not sure if I had flipped through this book at a store I would have bought it for that very reason. I read a lot, I am allowed to be slightly picky from time to time. Sometimes pickiness is misguided, though. I am glad that I got the chance to read this book. 1919 is the year after everything and before the nation was at war again, but she covers the aftermath well and the effects it had on people in the world.

It also mentions the Boston molasses incident. I do not know how many people know of that particular occurance, but it is so crazy to think that it was a problem and it ended peoples' lives. Death by molasses, a horrible way to go, I would think.

Anyways, a good novel about a year that does not normally get that much attention (although, the molasses incident is mentioned in The Birth House as well).

3.5/5

READ TWISTED KINGDOM

Colleen Gleason guest posted!

Read!

Click here

Sorry this is not very informative, I have to rush out again.

She's giving stuff away, though!!!!

I'll fix this later. EVERYONE READ

Once Upon a Time Reading Challenge Update and Something Else

I just wanted to announce that I offically have read five books for the Once Upon a Time Challenge. I likely will read more off the list in the coming months, but I am done my challenge of reading 5 books off my list. I am a bit behind in my reviews. I have been taking time to read, but I have not had a lot of time to review. Anyways, the five books are:

1. Dragons of the Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
2. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
4. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
5. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

I loved all five of these books, so I recommend them all. Reviews will be forth-coming.

And, I am excited to say that I won another book for the BAFAB thing. This one from The Indextrious Reader!!!! I am excited to get all these books in the mail. This time, I am getting "Lucky Girls" by Nell Freudenberger. Lots of good reading to look forward to, get ready for the reviews!
My mother thinks I should go buy a lottery ticket. I don't think I am going to press my luck... I am just going to watch my mailbox.

A Few Announcements

I am very excited to announce that Colleen Gleason, the author of The Rest Falls Away and Rises the Night, will be guest blogging on Twisted Kingdom, and that is not all. Next Wednesday she will be back to do an interview, so I just wanted to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to make an appearance at Twisted Kingdom tomorrow, and also, if anyone has any burning questions that they want to ask Colleen, just comment here or TK, or email them in if you want them to be a total surprise, and we will make sure they get asked. Try and have them in by the weekend, though.

Next, there are only five days left of my Ten Books Bloggers Cannot Live Without meme, of sorts, and I was wondering if I was going to get anymore lists? I am pretty excited to announce the winners and the grand list, but I was hoping a few more people would join in? Also, let me know if you posted a list and I missed it, or if you see a list and I overlooked it. Or, even if people posted their lists in your comments. I do not want anyone to be overlooked!

Lastly, the coolest thing happened. I gave The Birth House away to two people. I gave it to the winner, Lynne, and to Marg from Reading Adventures because I told her that when it came out in paperback I would send her a copy, so what better time than BAFABW. Well, good karma happened, I won two books from other people having the competition. I won a book from Musings of a Bookish Kitty where I could pick a book for fifteen dollars or less, that was really hard, but I will get into that in another post. I also won a book from Lesley's Book Nook. This one was picked out for me, which was great, and I am getting The Love Season by Elin Hilderbrand. I am really excited because these last few weeks have been very very stressful.

Now, would everyone like to know the biggest news of all? If I do not screw up and do something stupid, yesterday was my last day of undergraduate classes. That means, that in like a month, I am going to GRADUATE FROM UNIVERSITY!!!!! I am pretty excited, and nervous, but mostly excited.

BAFAB Winner

I ended up with 19 people interested in The Birth House, so what I did was assigning everyone a number and got Tom to pick a number between 1 and 19. I didn't really have time to write everyones name out. School is crazy right now, and that is pretty much all I have time for. So, anyways, it is my pleasure to announce that the winner of the book is number 17,

Lynne

So, as soon as I get your address, Lynne, I will send a copy your way. I wish I could send everyone a copy because it is a great book, but I am not that rich. Everyone should just buy it and enjoy it.

Thinking Blogger Awards

Very cool thing, I got nominated by Stephanie, from Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic for one of the Thinking Blogger Awards that has been circulating around the blogosphere. To be honest, as much as I am thrilled to be nominated, I hate having to pick five blogs that I like above all others. Thanks for the nod, though, Stephanie. I am very glad you took the plunge and got a blog! I love having one, I think they are fun to update and read.

Here are the rules of the Thinking Blogger Awards:

1. If you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Link to that post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. Optional: Proudly display your "Thinking Blogger Award" with a link to the post that you wrote.

My list:

Marg from Reading Adventures is a given. If it wasn't for her, I may never have joined the blogsphere. Plus she writes great reviews and gives me lots of recommendations for my TBR list.

Sassymonkey from Sassymonkey Reads has always been one of my favourite blogs to read. She's also likes me and has a hard time making lists of my favourite things because I do not want to leave anything out!

booklogged from A Reader's Journal, lots of great book-related posts on this one.

Angela from SciFiChick. I read a lot of fantasy now, but once upon a time my genre of choice was sci-fi. The more I read Angela's blog, the more I start glancing in the sci-fi section at the store. Reading her blog is like revisiting old friends, and one of these days, I will start reading the books again.

As for the last one. I just cannot decide! There are a lot of great blogs other there. I am going to say Daphne from Tanzanite's Shelf and Stuff. A realitively new blog, but I have enjoyed reading all her posts and stuff so far.

I really like all the blogs I visit. I would not visit people otherwise, but if I had to choose, there are my five. Of course, I really like Stephanie's blog too, but she nominated me first.

2007 Spring Reading Thing

As of right now, I have finished all the books that I wanted to read for this challenge. I made a list of 20, and I only had to read 5. If I read more books off the list, fine, if I do not then it does not matter.

The Five Books Were:
1. Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda
2. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
3. Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange
4. Helpless by Barbara Gowdy
5. The Extra Large Medium by Helen Slavin

The rest of the reviews are forth-coming, but it was nice to clean off the TBR pile even that little bit. I might read more of the books on the original list, we will have to see.

Dragons of the Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Books Completed: 48
Completion Date: March 2007
Publication Year: 1984
Pages: 439
Book One in The Dragonlance Chronicles

Lifelong friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart. They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then. Not until a chance encounter with a beautiful, sorrowful woman, who bears a magical crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world.

No one expected them to be heroes.

Least of all, them.

This is my first book read and reviewed for the Once Upon a Time Challenge. To read the complete review of this book, click here

Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange

Books Completed: 47
Completion Date: March 2007
Publication Year: 2007
Pages: 329
Received as a review copy in 2007

Pride and Prejudice is the most popular romance of all time, and in this enjoyable retelling Amanda Grange allows us to see the events of Jane Austen's famous novel from Mr Darcy's point of view.

Scenes only hinted at in the original are here recorded in detail and brought to life as Darcy writes of his horror at discovering his sister's plans to elope with George Wickham, his efforts to separate Charles Bingley from Miss Jane Bennet and his disgust at having to arrange a marriage between George Wickham and Miss Lydia Bennet.

But, most satisfying of all, he discloses his feelings for Elizabeth. Darcy's Diary records the full story of their courtship, from initial hostility to their eventual love, before revealing a tantalizing glimpse of their early married life.

In March I was offered the chance to read this book by the publisher and even though I am not really the biggest Pride and Prejudice fan in the world, I decided that it would be interesting to see an authors interpretation of how Mr. Darcy saw everything. It is too bad Jane Austen never had the idea when she was alive to write another book from the other perspective, I am sure it would have been a big success!

Anyways, I quite enjoyed this read. It is a quick one written in diary format, but I found that it was quite easy to picture Mr. Darcy sitting at his desk writing these things. It is interesting how the author saw Darcy's side of the story. Now, here is a question for you, it has been quite some time since I read Pride and Prejudice, so I was wondering, am I right in thinking that his first name was never revealed or was it and I just do not remember? I just had to ask. Maybe one day I will reread Pride and Prejudice and see.

This book is quite good for a diary-style book. It is hard to write books in that style because you want the diary to be believable, but at the same time there is an expectation that the writing always capture the readers attention. I just have a thing with diaries and books written in that style, I just find them interesting reading. Especially old diaries from long ago people. From doing the The Books Bloggers Cannot Live Without poll, I am finding that I am talking to a lot of people when I say that this is good fan fiction. It captures Darcy quite well, and even though I found myself with Colin Firth's (he's the one in the new movie right?) voice in my head, I recommend that everyone read the inner thoughts of the infamous Mr. Darcy.

I especially like how Grange refers to his feelings towards Elizabeth Bennet's mother and when some people tell Mr. Darcy just how wrongly he says things to the people that he encounters! All your favourites are here, you just see a different side of them.

3.5/5

Happy Easter!

I know that it is still a few days until Easter, but I have all my reviews for the next few days written ahead of time because I am going to have my head in some very large books and it might be after Easter before I have the chance to pull it back out! I just wanted to take this oppurtunity to wish everyone a good weekend, lots of chocolate, and maybe even some good reading!

Do not forget that the Books You Cannot Live Without thing stops on the 15th. Everyone keep your eyes open and let me know if I missed anyone. Also, if anyone put their lists in your comments, let me know, and I will put all those submissions together and post them on my own blog on the 14th.

I also forgot to mention that I will be drawing for The Birth House on Sunday, so tune in then to see who the lucky reader is! I am very happy so many people are interested in not just a Canadian author, but one from my area. Very cool!

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

Books Completed: 46
Completion Date: March 2007
Publication Year: 2006
Pages:
Received from Random House prior to 2007.
Part of The Myths series

This book counts for both The Spring Reading Thing and The O'Canada Challenge.

The internationally acclaimed Myths series brings together some of the finest writers of our time to provide a contemporary take on some of our most enduring stories. Here, the timeless and universal tales that reflect and shape our lives–mirroring our fears and desires, helping us make sense of the world–are revisited, updated, and made new.

Margaret Atwood’s Penelopiad is a sharp, brilliant and tender revision of a story at the heart of our culture: the myths about Penelope and Odysseus. In Homer’s familiar version, The Odyssey, Penelope is portrayed as the quintessential faithful wife. Left alone for twenty years when Odysseus goes to fight in the Trojan Wars, she manages to maintain the kingdom of Ithaca, bring up her wayward son and, in the face of scandalous rumours, keep over a hundred suitors at bay. When Odysseus finally comes home after enduring hardships, overcoming monsters and sleeping with goddesses, he kills Penelope’s suitors and–curiously–twelve of her maids.

In Homer the hanging of the maids merits only a fleeting though poignant mention, but Atwood comments in her introduction that she has always been haunted by those deaths. The Penelopiad, she adds, begins with two questions: what led to the hanging of the maids, and what was Penelope really up to? In the book, these subjects are explored by Penelope herself–telling the story from Hades — the Greek afterworld - in wry, sometimes acid tones. But Penelope’s maids also figure as a singing and dancing chorus (and chorus line), commenting on the action in poems, songs, an anthropology lecture and even a videotaped trial.

The Penelopiad does several dazzling things at once. First, it delves into a moment of casual brutality and reveals all that the act contains: a practice of sexual violence and gender prejudice our society has not outgrown. But it is also a daring interrogation of Homer’s poem, and its counter-narratives — which draw on mythic material not used by Homer - cleverly unbalance the original. This is the case throughout, from the unsettling questions that drive Penelope’s tale forward, to more comic doubts about some of The Odyssey’s most famous episodes. (“Odysseus had been in a fight with a giant one-eyed Cyclops, said some; no, it was only a one-eyed tavern keeper, said another, and the fight was over non-payment of the bill.”)

In fact, The Penelopiad weaves and unweaves the texture of The Odyssey in several searching ways. The Odyssey was originally a set of songs, for example; the new version’s ballads and idylls complement and clash with the original. Thinking more about theme, the maids’ voices add a new and unsettling complex of emotions that is missing from Homer. The Penelopiad takes what was marginal and brings it to the centre, where one can see its full complexity.

The same goes for its heroine. Penelope is an important figure in our literary culture, but we have seldom heard her speak for herself. Her sometimes scathing comments in The Penelopiad (about her cousin, Helen of Troy, for example) make us think of Penelope differently – and the way she talks about the twenty-first century, which she observes from Hades, makes us see ourselves anew too.

Margaret Atwood is an astonishing storyteller, and The Penelopiad is, most of all, a haunting and deeply entertaining story. This book plumbs murder and memory, guilt and deceit, in a wise and passionate manner. At time hilarious and at times deeply thought-provoking, it is very much a Myth for our times.

This is a very short book, and that book description is really long, so I am not sure how much more can be said without telling you the whole book....

Anyways, I am going to be honest, I am not a big Margaret Atwood fan. I know that she is a Canadian icon, but she is just not what I would call my favourite author. For me, she is a hit or miss author that I feel compelled to keep reading because she is a famous, female, Canadian author. I am not so big on the famous, but she is female and Canadian, so those are big pluses for me. So, now I am sure you are wondering what the hits were, well, I will tell you: Oryx and Crake and The Handmaid's Tale. Now, I still have a lot of her books left to read, so that can change, but so far, she is just okay.

On to The Penelopiad. I really liked this book, making it a hit. I like Greek and Roman mythology and books that are centred around it are interesting to me. So, even though I was not interested in Atwood's other newer books, I felt compelled to give this a try. It tell the story of Penelope and Odysseus. It is all about the women, though. Normally mythology tends to pay attention to the warriors and the gods, but this story is told from Penelope's point of view and talks about the injustices that were done to her and to the women that served her that were killed.

So, here we have a book where you can hear Penelope's side of the story. If you are still not convinced, read it because there is a trial set in modern day where Odysseus is brough up for his crimes. That was pretty interesting, I have to tell you. The book is divided into sections, Penelope will talk and then there is a song or story or something told from someone else, and then it is back to Penelope again.

I now have three hits from Atwood, so all is well! My thanks to Random House for sending me this book!

4/5

The Birth House by Ami McKay (and a surprise)

Books Completed: 45
Completion Date: March 2007
Publication Year: 2006
Pages: 400
Reread for a class at school

The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter to be born in five generations of Rares. As a child in an isolated village in Nova Scotia, she is drawn to Miss Babineau, an outspoken Acadian midwife with a gift for healing. Dora becomes Miss B.’s apprentice, and together they help the women of Scots Bay through infertility, difficult labours, breech births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling sex lives. Filled with details as compelling as they are surprising, The Birth House is an unforgettable tale of the struggles women have faced to have control of their own bodies and to keep the best parts of tradition alive in the world of modern medicine.

This was a reread. Ami McKay is a local author, so my Women Writers class decided to add this book to the course list this year. The offical release of the paperback was also done at my university, so that was pretty cool. Sadly, I missed it, but I had intended to be there. Anyways, I was really bad and only went to the first class we discussed the book because I hate it when books I love get over analyzed. I can never look at a book the same way again. It was great to reread it, though. I still strongly recommend this book, and she has made an appearance on the Ten Books That Bloggers Cannot Live Without. She is not a top book, but her book is still circulating around, and many people have not had the chance to read it.

To read my original review of this book, you can see the review here.

So, because Ami McKay is a local, because I know that some people want to read it and have not yet, and because it is buy a friend a book week, I am going to buy someone Ami McKay's book. Join in even if you have read it, if too many people have read it for it to be a good idea for a give away, I will change the book, but the idea is for it to be the book I give away. Everyone knows the drill, just comment on this post and I will draw a name at the end of the week.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda

Books Completed: 43
Completion Date: March 2007
Publication Year: 2006
Pages: 272
Received from Random House Prior to 2007

He’s one of America’s most recognizable and acclaimed actors–a star on Broadway, an Oscar nominee for The Aviator, and the only person to ever win Emmys for acting, writing, and directing, during his eleven years on M*A*S*H. Now Alan Alda has written a memoir as elegant, funny, and affecting as his greatest performances.

“My mother didn’t try to stab my father until I was six,” begins Alda’s irresistible story. The son of a popular actor and a loving but mentally ill mother, he spent his early childhood backstage in the erotic and comic world of burlesque and went on, after early struggles, to achieve extraordinary success in his profession.

Yet Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is not a memoir of show-business ups and downs. It is a moving and funny story of a boy growing into a man who then realizes he has only just begun to grow.

It is the story of turning points in Alda’s life, events that would make him what he is–if only he could survive them.

From the moment as a boy when his dead dog is returned from the taxidermist’s shop with a hideous expression on his face, and he learns that death can’t be undone, to the decades-long effort to find compassion for the mother he lived with but never knew, to his acceptance of his father, both personally and professionally, Alda learns the hard way that change, uncertainty, and transformation are what life is made of, and true happiness is found in embracing them.

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, filled with curiosity about nature, good humor, and honesty, is the crowning achievement of an actor, author, and director, but surprisingly, it is the story of a life more filled with turbulence and laughter than any Alda has ever played on the stage or screen.

After reading Joan Didion, I signed up for The Spring Reading Thing, and I put this book on my list. A lot of people were mentioning interest in this book, so I made it my first read for the challenge.

Everyone has memories from their childhood that reflect their parents. Something that their parents did enough that it stuck with you. One of my memories was M*A*S*H. My parents used to watch this show when I was small, I think it would have all ready been in the rerun stage or close to it, and I never forgot it. Nowadays, if I see an episode on I will sit down and watch it myself. Who knows if I even like the show, it just has happy memories for me. Alan Alda was always my favourite, I will never forget when he guest starred on ER, my favourite television show at the time. It was a big deal! I cannot wait until they release that season on DVD.

When I picked this book up, I knew it was going to be a humourous read. It might touch on serious subject matter and have its dark moments, but it is Alan Alda and I like to think that he always has to have at least one laugh, so I knew I was in for some smiles. First up, this book has one of the best first lines I have ever read. I read lots of books, and I never remember the first line, but when a book starts off with “My mother didn’t try to stab my father until I was six", you know that you are going to have those words stuck in your mind for some time to come.

The title of this book is great too, even though it is a very literal title, he really did have one of his dogs stuffed and that horrifies me on many levels. I really do not think anyone should ever have their dog stuffed, even as an attempt to make a child feel like the dog is still around. That is just creepy. The title could also refer to life in general and how you should never let yourself get stuffed, because that means you are doing the same thing over and over again. People need variety in life.

This memoir covers more than just Alda's acting career, it talks about his life from early childhood to near the time that he published this book. It talks about the jobs that he would have and how he suffered to make ends meet when he was just starting out, but it also talks about his life in general. There are the funny scenes, there is how he always felt like he had to compete with his father, and how he never understood his mother. In a very short book, Alda captures his life and makes you laugh along the way.

4/5

Amelia Earhart

Today I decided that I was going to read a historical fiction book that I have had waiting for me for quite some time, I Was Amelia Earhart by Jane Mendelsohn. It is really short, and I am pretty much almost done, but it got me thinking about what happened to her and all that, and then the weirdest thing happened. The author of Nefertiti, Michelle Moran, has a blog where she posts articles on historical stuff that is being discovered and researched and such, and today, she posted about the very subject that I was thinking about: Amelia Earhart. So, in spirit of the fact that I am reading a fiction book about her, here is the link to the article on Michelle's blog. I think her blog is interesting anyways, she saves people interested in this sort of stuff from having to search for it themselves. Anyone have any thoughts on Earhart? I have always been interested in what happened to her, but I have stayed away from the non-fiction accounts because they are just theories. Until anything is known for sure, they are not all that much more reliable than a novel. Although, I have to say my favourite theory has always been the alien abduction. I will be looking forward to hearing if they find out anything more if they get enough funding for their expedition in July!

March in Review

Books read in March 2007:

1. Map of Bones by James Rollins
2. 'Tis Pity She's a Whore (for school)
3. Wideacre by Philippa Gregory
4. Valiant by Holly Black
5. Pistache by Sebastion Faulks
6. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran (review forthcoming closer to release date)
7. A Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
8. Conspiracy in Death by J.D. Robb
9. Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda
10.The Revenger's Tragedy (for school)
11.The Birth House by Ami McKay (reread for school)
12.The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
13.Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange
14.Dragons of the Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
15.Misfortune's End by Paula Phelan
16.Storm Front by Jim Butcher (finished sort of on the border of March and April)

TBR Challenge:
For the TBR Challenge I counted Map of Bones by James Rollins. He is one of my favourite authors, it just seems to take a bit to get me inspired to read him because I do not want to rush through his books. It is nice to have a challenge inspiring me to dig through my TBR pile.

Chunkster Challenge:
I also counted Map of Bones for the Chunkster Challenge as it is 560 pages.

Spring Reading Thing:
I just joined this reading challenge this month, and I have all ready read three books for it: Never Have your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda, The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, and Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange.

12 Months of Fantasy:
I did not read as much fantasy this month as I normally do, so I actually did not read a book for this. I am not too concerned because I read more than one in January and February, so I really could just count passed months books. What I will likely do it just count two reads from this month.

O'Canada Challenge:
I counted The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. I actually liked this book by her, I am not a big Atwood fan.

Back to History Challenge:
The terrible Wideacre by Philippa Gregory. That was a challenge, all right!

Once Upon a Time Challenge:
Another new challenge which I am aiming to read 5 books in. So far I finished: Dragons of the Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, as well as Storm Front by Jim Butcher. This take care of one regular fantasy read and one urban fantasy read. In a dreamworld, I would like to read at least ten of the books on this list by the time the challenge is over, but a lot can happen between now and then.

*** Edited to Add***

People always ask me what my favourite book read is, and I always forget to add it. I think for this month it was Michelle Moran's Nefertiti for historical fiction, Dragons of the Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, and Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda for non-fiction. All three of these books were great! I liked other books, too, mind you, but I can my least favourite read no problem. Shall we guess? If you said Wideacre by Philippa Gregory, you are one hundred percent correct. Oh, and Map of Bones by James Rollins for general fiction was another favourite. So, I read 4 really really good books this month, some really good ones, and then one that I would like to never have to see again. Overall, pretty good reading month!

Also, I have not reviewed it yet, but I think most people know that Pride and Prejudice is doing very well on the Ten Books You Cannot Live Without thing, so I just wanted to point out that Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange is currently in stores, and as fan fiction goes, it was a pretty interesting look at Mr. Darcy's side of the story. The review should be up soon.