I'm making it a goal to read 50 books in the New Year. Approximately one a week. I've joined 50bookchallenge for motivation and support and have a huge list of books that I want to read here. Once I've finished them, I'll add them to my lists at GoodReads & Shelfari. I'll also add them to a list here and add a short review.



1. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The first book in a long time to have me turning pages as fast as my eyes will let me and the first book in a longer time that made me cry. Coming as a recommendation from my mother, this book honestly feels like something I should be reading with her, not after her. The characters in this book come alive with the fervor of screen actresses and the drive of civil rights activists. I am more like Lily than I'd sometimes like to admit and her relationships with both her adopted family and with Zach are things I relate to and have been longing for since I was the tender age of fourteen. A beautiful, haunting novel written with the bitterness of age before happiness and the sweetness of honey, The Secret Life of Bees is a touching, hilarious walk through the way language creates life.


2. Death DuJour by Kathy Reichs

3. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
It took me a long time (maybe 2/3 of the book) to really be drawn in and feel like I wanted to finish the book. Though something didn't grab me from the start, I wanted to finish the story because I thought the premise was interesting and the themes involved were important. Pullman writes verbosely, but he is a fantastic storyteller and great intellect. When I finally got to the end of this book, I couldn't wait to start the next in the series. I felt as if the book were just getting started instead of wrapping up. It's definitely worth the read, even if it takes a while to come together.

4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

5. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
Like The Golden Compass, this book took me longer to get into than I thought it would. I didn't relate to the main character immediately, but almost immediately upon meeting Lyra again, I was drawn in even more than I was in the first book. The relationship between Will and Lyra is enchanting and mysterious, but not quite out of necessity. And, again with this book, I felt that it didn't really end, but was just beginning at the end of the book (great cliffhangers, seriously!). I'm hoping that The Amber Spyglass actually provides some sort of resolution and ties up the loose ends.

6. Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman (currently reading)
- A Study in Emerald: Fantastic, lovely, interesting, a little disgusting, but in that way that the twist and the end laughs in your face and says, "You should have guessed, but I am the trickster and you are too naive." The best parts of Sherlock Holmes with just a little of Lovecraft thrown in.
- The Fairy Reel: Better read aloud, methinks.
- October in the Chair: Lovely, interesting, whimsical, highly entertaining.
- Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire Though the title itself could be a book, this surprisingly short story is a fantastical mixture of the romanticism of Bronte's Jane Eyre, the macabre of Poe's The Raven, and the shrouded mystery of Longfellow's House of Seven Gables thrown into a short story and mixed up with a bit of humour.

7. Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
Much easier to get into initially than the earlier Inkheart, but dense and long as should be expected by any good German fantasy writer. Funke's characters are interesting, dark, twisted, funny, magical, and loveable. I've been on the edge of my seat since the beginning of the book and find it a great read, though 3/4 of the way through the book, I'm finding that it's starting to drag... I just want to know the ending already! (ETA: The ending? Pretty great... now I REALLY can not wait for the release of Inkdeath!!!!! I know it's already out in German. I have half a mind to read them all in the original German just because I can :P)

8. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
For the first time since The Secret Life of Bees, I have found 100% enjoyment in a book. Twilight is a page-turner in every sense of the word. Bella is an interesting main character, someone I can identify with, and Meyer's writing style is a breeze to read. It flows like a river and has twists and turns and shiny, polished pebbles of intrigue. I'm already a fan and I'm not half-way through the book yet. More, please! (ETA: Finished and even more satisfied. I can't wait to read the second and third! It's addictive, even if it is a glorified young adult romance novel.)

9. HUSH by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee

10. Lost Girls: Book 1 by Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie
While an erotic and sexually explicit graphic novel, the beginning of the Lost Girls story isn't gratuitous, it's about sharing and learning not to be ashamed of female sexuality despite the negative connotations that go along with exploratory sexual experiences throughout life, from puberty into adulthood. The artwork is interesting and provocative, but not particularly sexy. The historical and cultural backdrop surrounding the story is both appropriate and romantic. While I felt it was interesting and enjoyed reading it, when I'm finished with the other two, I may decide to sell the books. I have a feeling they are not the kind I will read again and again.

11. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
This book was meant for me to read right now. It's a beautiful adventure into the physical and spiritual realms of the world we live in and I just can't put it down. It's the precise answer to a lot of the questions about life I've been craving and I really just can't wait to discover what new Truth I will find on each next page.

12. The Lost Painting:The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece by Jonathan Harr
I'm not usually one for reading a lot of non-fiction, but this book just sucked me right in. In the same way that City of Falling Angels just completely enveloped me in art, history, and enigma, The Lost Painting reminded me why I studied art, why I loved it, and why it is so important to our future in society. Harr's prose is narrative wonder. I literally couldn't put the book down. It's been a fantastic journey, somewhat like The Da Vinci Code but with a true story, better writing, and much less violence. If you're an art lover or are interested in the evolution of society, go read this book.

13. Running Made Easy by Susie Whalley & Lisa Jackson
This book is a great guide for beginning runners. Though challenging, it's also encouraging and includes everything from motivational stories to tips on the right kind of shoes, the best routine, and marathons. The plan the authors lay out is both doable and challenging. I never feel like a failure, but I don't feel like it's easy. It's especially good because the book has pictures, graphics, charts and graphs, which keep me motivated, too. It also includes a ten-week program for getting started and a six-month brief running diary for those interested in tracking progress as a motivational tool. I recommend this book to anyone who is a first-time runner or for people who were runners but haven't been active recently and want to get back to their previous lifestyle.

14. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

15. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

16. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Definitely one of my new favourites. While enough different from the movie to be a different story, the main themes and characters are the same. Gaiman's prose is breezy, but substantial. I never felt particularly challenged by this book, but I never felt bored, either. Tristran is a fantastic and fallible main character and Yvaine is certainly a bit snarkier than in the movie. I must say that I was disappointed the comparatively small role the pirates played in the book and wish that they could have been elaborated on because that was one of my favourite parts of the movie. There were, of course, a few things in the book I wish they could have included in the movie, but book to movie conversion aside, this is definitely a great book. I'm sure I will read this one again. And probably again after that. And maybe again after that.

17. Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs

18. Vampire Knight: Vol. 1 by Matsuri Hino

19. Vampire Knight: Vol. 2 by Matsuri Hino

20. The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb & by Tim Sale

21. Dark Victory by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale

22. Vampire Knight: Vol. 3 by Matsuri Hino

23. Haunted Knight by Jeph & illustrated by Tim Sale

24. Trinity by Matt Wagner

25. The Seven Lady Godivas by Dr. Seuss

26. The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller (currently reading)

27. Vampire Knight: Vol. 4 by Matsuri Hino

28. Upside Down Inside Out by Monica McInerney

29. Tithe by Holly Black
Engaging, poignant, a very quick read. True to its byline, the story really is a modern faerie tale in every sense. It was everything a true faerie tale should be: dark, edgy, with bits of light that shine through, surprises and twists, elements of nature used as tools and weapons, dense with wit and romance and adventure. I'm a huge fan... for $7.00, what more could one want? I'm ready to buy the other two in the series (Valiant, Ironside). Oh, And I'm pretty sure that, unlike Stephenie Meyer, Holly Black deliberately gave her protagonist both wit and strength of character that will last though time and will only become more apparent as the teenager journeys through life.

30. WATCHMEN by Alan Moore (currently reading)

31. Such A Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster

32. Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

33. Valiant by Holly Black

34. Ironside by Holly Black

35. Angel: After the Fall Volume 1 by Bryan Lynch and Franco Urru





My Library

Books: To Read