Another Book Challenge: July Book Blowout

Saw this over at Marg's, and it look interesting. Oh, what the heck, another challenge will be fun. The July Book Blowout challenge is being hosted by Mrs. S. from Blue Archipelago.

I read more during the summer so I'm challenging myself to read 15 books for July.

New Classics

I saw this list over at Ana's blog and then at Marg's blog. It looked like fun, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon.

Here's the list of The New Classics according to Entertainment Weekly:

The books that I've read are in blue and the books that I'm planning on reading are in red.

1. The Road , Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars' Club, Mary Karr (1995)
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)
11. Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer (1997)
12. Blindness, Jose Saramago (1998)
13. Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (1986-87)
14. Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates (1992)
15. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Dave Eggers (2000)
16. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood (1986)
17. Love In The Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1988)
18. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike (1990)
19. On Beauty, Zadie Smith (2005)
20. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding (1998)
21. On Writing, Stephen King (2000)
22. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Díaz (2007)
23. The Ghost Road, Pat Barker (1996)
24. Lonesome Dove, Larry McMurtry (1985)
25. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan (1989)
26. Neuromancer, William Gibson (1984)
27. Possession, A. S. Byatt (1990)
28. Naked, David Sedaris (1997)
29. Bel Canto, Ann Patchett (2001)
30. Case Histories, Kate Atkinson (2004)
31. The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien (1990)
32. Parting the Waters, Taylor Branch (1988)
33. The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion (2005)
34. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (2002)
35. The Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst (2004)
36. Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (1996)
37. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (2003)
38. Birds of America, Lorrie Moore (1998)
39. Interpreter of Maladies, Jhumpa Lahiri (2000)
40. His Dark Material, Philip Pullman (1995-2000)
41. The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (1984)
42. LaBrava, Elmore Leonard (1983)
43. Borrowed Time, Paul Monette (1988)
44. Praying for Sheetrock, Melissa Fay Greene (1991)
45. Eva Luna, Isabel Allende (1988)
46. Sandman, Neil Gaiman (1988-1996)
47. World's Fair, E.L. Doctorow (1985)
48. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (1998)
49. Clockers, Richard Price (1992)
50. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen (2001)
51. The Journalist and the Murderer, Janet Malcom (1990)
52. Waiting to Exhale, Terry McMillan (1992)
53. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon (2000)
54. Jimmy Corrigan, Chris Ware (2000)
55. The Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls (2006)
56. The Night Manager, John le Carré (1993)
57. The Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe (1987)
58. Drop City, TC Boyle (2003)
59. Krik? Krak! Edwidge Danticat (1995)
60. Nickel & Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich (2001)
61. Money, Martin Amis (1985)
62. Last Train To Memphis, Peter Guralnick (1994)
63. Pastoralia, George Saunders (2000)
64. Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
65. The Giver, Lois Lowry (1993)
66. A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace (1997)
67. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (2003)
68. Fun Home, Alison Bechdel (2006)
69. Secret History, Donna Tartt (1992)
70. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell (2004)
71. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Ann Fadiman (1997)
72. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon (2003)
73. A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (1989)
74. Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (1990)
75. Cathedral, Raymond Carver (1983)
76. A Sight for Sore Eyes, Ruth Rendell (1998)
77. The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro (1989)
78. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert (2006)
79. The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (2000)
80. Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney (1984)
81. Backlash, Susan Faludi (1991)
82. Atonement, Ian McEwan (2002)
83. The Stone Diaries, Carol Shields (1994)
84. Holes, Louis Sachar (1998)
85. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson (2004)
86. And the Band Played On, Randy Shilts (1987)
87. The Ruins, Scott Smith (2006)
88. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby (1995)
89. Close Range, Annie Proulx (1999)
90. Comfort Me With Apples, Ruth Reichl (2001)
91. Random Family, Adrian Nicole LeBlanc (2003)
92. Presumed Innocent, Scott Turow (1987)
93. A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley (1991)
94. Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser (2001)
95. Kaaterskill Falls, Allegra Goodman (1998)
96. The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown (2003)
97. Jesus’ Son, Denis Johnson (1992)
98. The Predators' Ball, Connie Bruck (1988)
99. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman (1995)
100. America (the Book), Jon Stewart/Daily Show (2004)

Dead Cold

Another one of those afternoon reads. Dead Cold by Louise Penny, is the second of the Armand Gamache series.

Here's the blurb:

Winter in Three Pines and the sleepy village is carpeted in snow. It's a time of peace and goodwill - until a scream pierces the biting air. There's been a murder.

Local police are baffled. A spectator at the annual Boxing Day curling match has been fatally electrocuted. Despite the large crowd, there are no witnesses and - apparently - no clues.

Called in to head the investigation, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache unravels the dead woman's past and discovers a history of secrets and enemies. But Gamache has enemies of his own. Frozen out of decision-making at the highest level of the Surete du Quebec, Gamache finds there are few he can trust. As a bitter wind blows into Three Pines, something even more chilling is sneaking up behind him...

Once again Chief Inspector Gamache is called to Three Pines, to investigate the murder of C.C. de Poitiers. But this time around the victim is not well liked in the community. She's considered a mean, vindictive witch. There were quite a few people of interest. Slowly Gamache realizes that there's a connection between the murder in Three Pines with the murder of a homeless woman in Montreal.

It's wonderful visiting with the characters of this series. It's like visiting with old friends. The quirkiness of Gabri and Oliver, the bitchiness of Ruth, Clara's kindness and Myrna straight forward talk. Loved it! I kept on going back and forth thinking of who could commit such act, but in the end I understood why happened. And my heart went out to the character.

Can't wait to get my hands on the next book of the series!

Dead Cold by Louise Penny (4/5) Mystery; Published: Headline (2006); Series: # 2, Inspector Armand Gamache; Canadian author; 100 + Reading Challenge (22); Library book;

Catherine of Braganza

I found this book completely by chance. I was browsing up and down the aisles at the library. Just checking to see anything would pop out. When something caught my attention. A coat of arms. The Portuguese coat of arms. It was Margaret Campbell Barnes‘ With All My Heart. It’s the love story of Catherine of Braganza, a one sided one, in my opinion, but still it’s a love story.

Here’s the blurb (taken from book):

The young convent-bred Princess of Portugal who came to Restoration England attended by a vigilant army of ladies-in-waiting, must have seemed to many of her contemporaries a rather pathetic figure. For to be the bride of a king whose father had been sent to the scaffold by his own subjects - a king moreover who was a heretic and whose success with women such as beautiful and ruthless Lady Castlemaine was a byword - was frightening venture offering only slender chance of happiness. But Catherine of Braganza was a woman of passionate integrity, and from the moment she set eyes on the darkly handsome Charles at Portsmouth she loved him utterly. To be the wife of such a man was no bed of roses. His flagrant infidelities enraged and anguished her; but Catherine learned gradually how to hold her own with dignity and courage, and this story of the quietly pretty girl who became the dearly-loved and cherished wife of Charles II, is one of the most impressive of the author’s novels.

Although I knew about Charles II philandering ways, I was still shocked that he did it right in front of his wife. He had no qualms about it either. He had the gall to suggest his mistress to be one his wife's Ladies of the Bedchamber, and he didn't stop there, he even gave one a title. My heart went to Catarina (Catherine), here's this woman who is love with her husband and she has to endure the constant parade of women. And she does it with grace and civility. There are certain times that you see her temper and irritation rise, and I kept on hoping that she would grab one of those women and give them a swift kick in the behind. But no such luck!

Even with his adulterous ways, I enjoyed the story. Catarina completely and utterly loved him, and at times you could see his caring warmth towards her. For instance, during an illness Charles II stayed with Catarina all throughout, and during her feverish ramblings he appeased and took care of her.

I think what I enjoyed the most was the ability that the author had to suck me in. Even though I wanted to throw the book against a wall several times, I didn't. I kept on reading, hoping and wishing that Chuck would redeem himself, and knowing that he wouldn't...but a girl can hope.




With All My Heart by Margaret Campbell Barnes (4/5) Historical Fiction; Restoration England; Published: McDonald & Co. (1951); New Author; 100 + Reading Challenge (21); Library book;

The Teacher and the Personal Trainer

Another afternoon read. I could have chosen a longer book, but I’m craving short reads, nothing that will take no longer than a day or two to read. I want it short and sweet, with a dash of spice in the mix.

And I got it all with His Son’s Teacher by Kay Stockham. Here’s the blurb:

Nick Tulane ordinarily won't admit weakness—in himself or in those he loves. But when he learns his son is about to fail in school, the single father is desperate to find a tutor. And Jennifer Rose is perfect.

In fact, Jen might be too perfect. Nick's starting to fall for the attractive teacher, and he can't let that happen. Because opening up to Jen means sharing the secret that has always made him feel like an outsider in his own family. Still, with his son showing signs of following in his footsteps, Nick can't keep the truth hidden. But once she knows, will Jen accept him…weakness and all?

Jennifer is recently divorced and let’s just say her ex was an ass, she has issues, mainly weight issues, along with a few emotional scars that she’s never been able to leave behind. Nick a successful business man has a few issues of his own, but he needs help for his son. So they barter, Jennifer will tutor his son in exchange for his help at the gym.

I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved the characters. Nick’s insecurities and his fear for his son was so touching and heartfelt. Jenn’s love for what she does and how she wants to help the little boy and his dad. But it was her spunk that kept me going. Loved her!

His Son’s Teacher by Kay Stockham (4/5) Romance; Published: Harlequin (7/2008); Harlequin Super Romance # 1502; Series: # 2, The Tulanes of Tennessee; 100 + Reading Challenge (20);

Would You Like Some Cheese With That Whine?

I simply love cuddling on my coach with a book on a rainy afternoon. So I went searching downstairs in my TBR pit, I didn’t too far into the pile, I picked up one of the most recent Harlequin SuperRomance. Just the perfect size for an afternoon read!

I came up with A Marriage Between Friends by Melinda Curtis. Here’s the blurb:

They were just friends when they got married. Jill desperately needed a father for her unborn child, and Vince Patrizio wanted to give them both his name. And if Jill could ever learn to love him, he'd consider himself a fortunate man.

Then Jill walked out of his life.

But eleven years later, it's Vince's turn to have his say. Arriving in Jill's sleepy California town, he has plans to transform it into a mini Vegas…to reclaim his wife…and to meet the son who should have been theirs.

And Vince isn't leaving until he gets what he came for.

I was barely done reading the first chapter when it hit me…the heroine is a whiner! Lovely, just what I needed. Whiny heroines are a pet peeve of mine. Complain if you must, but do you have to whine! Get a grip. So you can see that I didn’t like Jill all that much. I liked Vince but something about him got on my nerves as well.

The plot itself was interesting. I enjoyed the banter between Jill and Vince, but Vince and Teddy were the show stoppers.

Not great, not terrible, it was a good read for a rainy afternoon.

A Marriage Between Friends by Melinda Curtis (2.5/5) Romance; Published: Harlequin (7/2008); Harlequin Super Romance #1501; Mini Series: Marriage of Inconvenience; New Author; 100 + Reading Challenge (19);

Canada Reads: King Leary

I've finished reading the third book for my version of Canada Reads. I made a personal challenge. I will read all the books listed for the CBC's Canada Reads challenge. I don't have a time line, let's face it reading thirty five books may take a while, especially when I tend to be very moody reader.

King Leary by Paul Quarrington, was selected and won Canada Reads 2008. The book was championed by Dave Bidini.

This was my first time reading Paul Quarrington. He's one of those authors that I've known about but never got around to reading.

Here's the blurb for King Leary (taken from Canada Reads):

Tracked down by a young advertising executive, King Leary is invited to Toronto to record a ginger ale commercial alongside the NHL’s newest hockey sensation.

Leary travels to the big city with his roommate and a slightly off-kilter male nurse, but he’s also accompanied by his ghosts: Clay Clinton, his one-time best friend and former hockey manager; Manny Oz, Leary’s challenger for the crown; and the hockey-playing monks of Bowmanville Reformatory, where Leary’s career began.

The trip is a sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-wrenching odyssey that reveals the truths of Leary’s not-always-illustrious life.

It took me so long to read this book. Usually I can read a book in a few days, but this it took me over two weeks. Mind you, I was reading other books along the way, but I wouldn't be looking for others if this one kept my interest.

I did not dislike the book, I found it good, but there were areas that I struggled with. I found Percy Leary to be egotistical, lonely and mean spirited towards his children, but I enjoyed his memories, mainly the ones at the Bowmanville Boys' reformatory. Also I really liked how the book ends. I found that it was a fitting end for a hockey player.

King Leary by Paul Quarrington (3/5) General Fiction; Published: Doubleday Canada (1988); New Author; Canada Reads; 100 + Reading Challenge (18); Library book;

Still Life

One of my resolutions this year was to read more Canadian authors, I haven't been very successful but I working on it.

I'm not sure how I heard about this book, and somehow I ended up with it in my library book bag. It's the first book of a series, by a Canadian author, Louise Penny, and it's set in a small town in Quebec (bonus!).

Here's the blurb for Still Life:

As the early morning mist clears on Thanksgiving Sunday, the homes of Three Pines come to life - all except one…

To locals, the village is a safe haven. So they are bewildered when a well-loved member of the community is found lying dead in the maple woods. Surely it was an accident - a hunter's arrow gone astray. Who could want Jane Neal dead?

In a long and distinguished career with the Sûreté du Quebec, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache has learned to look for snakes in Eden. Gamache knows something dark is lurking behind the white picket fences, and if he watches closely enough, Three Pines will begin to give up its secrets…

The beauty about reading a book that is set in Canada, is that it's set in familiar territory. You know that the Thanksgiving that the characters are celebrating is in October, you know exactly what a double double from Timmy's tastes like, the changing of the leaves, the list goes on and on. It's like spending time in your back yard.

So as you can imagine (and see) I enjoyed the setting. I'm not certain if the town of Three Pines is fictional or not, but I certainly enjoyed visiting it. I loved that the author told us the story on how town got its name. And because it's such a small town, everyone knows each other, and the characters that were introduced just seemed to belong there. They relationships between characters was well written and the dialogue was very good. It's the small things like the banter between two old friends that really makes it believable for me.

I found the book very easy to read, it was fast paced, it kept me guessing. Just when I thought I had it figured out, I started doubting my suspect. But at the end I wasn't too surprised on who was guilty of committing the crime.

Still Life by Louise Penny (4.5/5) Mystery; Published: Headline (2005); Series: # 1, Inspector Armand Gamache; New Author; Canadian Author; 100 + Reading Challenge (17); Library book;

Friday Fill-Ins # 76

This week's Friday Fill-Ins questions are:

1. My family is high up on my bucket list.

2. My favorite quote is "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace."; it's from Sonnets From The Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

3. Reading inspired me to start blogging.

4. Strawberries are best with whipped cream.

5. I was having a beach adventure in the last dream I remember having.

6. The most enjoyable time to go for a walk is early evening.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching TV with my husband, tomorrow my plans include swimming and shopping and Sunday, I want to enjoy Father's Day with my children and husband!

Friday's Feast # 193

This week's Friday's Feast questions are:

Appetizer
Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?

I think of myself as a realist borderline optimist.

Soup
What is your favorite color of ink to write with?

Black ink.

Salad
How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?

I get my nails done every three weeks. I get a pedicure every other month. I get them done at a nail salon.

Main Course
Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it?

I books a few years ago. It was pretty exciting.

Dessert
In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?

We have the family Mac in the family room, plus we have a laptop.

Cleaning up...ghosts

The debut novel by Wendy Roberts, The Remains of the Dead kept me up most of the night. Not complaining, it was my own fault I started it just at bedtime and had to finish it.

Here's the blurb:

Sadie Novak has got the kind of job that kills cocktail chatter dead: She owns Scene-2-Clean, a crime scene cleanup company. And if wiping up after murders weren't spooky enough, she can also see and talk to the ghosts of the victims.

When a grieving relative hires Sadie and her employee, ex-cop Zack Bowman, to clean up after the murder-suicide of Trudy and Grant Toth, Sadie figures she's bound to encounter at least one chatty ghost. But instead she finds herself talking to Kent, a man she meets at the scene who is very much alive - so much so that Sadie agrees to go on a date with him.

When a ghost does appear - the oddly silent Trudy - the spirit seems determined to prove her husband's innocence, and inspires Sadie to track down the real killer. But as Sadie scours the crime scene, she quickly realizes that she's in way over her head, that Kent has a strange connection to the dead couple, and that someone wants her to give up the ghost...for good.

It was one of those mysteries that just cannot put down. Read one chapter and you're hooked, you just have to read until you are done. And that's what I did. It kept me guessing until the bitter end - just an expression. It twisted one way and then the other, and my gosh I had it wrong from the beginning. And then at the end, it surprised me! Not the ending with the crime, but with what happened with Sadie's friend. I was completely floored, I didn't see that one coming. I just don't know what else to say about it without spilling out the secrets of the book...so, I'll zip it.

The Remains of the Dead by Wendy Roberts (4/5) Contemporary Mystery; Paranormal: Ghost; Published: Obsidian (12/2007); Series: # 1, A Ghost Dusters Mystery; New Author; Canadian author; 100 + Reading Challenge(16); Library book;

BTT - Clubbing

This week's Booking Through Thursday question is:

A combo of two suggestions by: Heidi and by litlove

Have you ever been a member of a book club? How did your group choose (ot, if you haven’t been, what do you think is the best way to choose) the next book and who would lead discussion?

Do you feel more or less likely to appreciate books if you are obliged to read them for book groups rather than choosing them of your own free will? Does knowing they are going to be read as part of a group affect the reading experience?

Yes, I have. Actually it's very simple, we take turns. The person that suggests the book, leads the discussion.

I tend to enjoy reading books chosen for me, usually they're books that I wouldn't necessarily would choose and more times than not I enjoy them. Knowing that I'm reading a book for a discussion, I actually take notes, and call me strange, but sometimes I even research...lol