BOOK #16

For me, the best thing about this book pledge are my choices. Right in my own house, depending upon my mood, I can find the right book. Am I feeling bad about myself? I know there's a self help book in there. Am I needing something romantic and light? I KNOW there's some chicklit in there. Do I need dark and twisted? For sure, I have some of that too. I think the pledge will get harder f0r me as I go along as my choices will dwindle. But, for now, I'm digging it.

Surprisingly enough, Meredith lent me this book last fall. She doesn't really believe much in gobbledygook in her life (fate, psychics, astrology, etc.) and this book definitely fell in that category. Sheer nonsense about a little girl's childhood imaginary friend that comes to life 30 years later. And of course, they fall in love and live happily ever after. I, however, believe in all the gobbledygook in life so I liked this book.

It's 200+ pages but it reads very fast and I read it in one afternoon.

Because I believe.

BOOK #15

I count myself in the minority as I'm not really a celebrity fan. There are some actors I like but that's about it. But I'm crazy about Isaac Mizrahi. Each Saturday morning, I spend at least an hour with him on his website watching his webisodes. I like him because he seems very down to earth and really listens to people about clothing. And he's helpful. Not snotty like so many designers. I would gladly let Isaac dress me every day.

While most style books belittle and berate women for what they should and shouldn’t wear, How to Have Style encourages them to dig down deep and discover what they actually like (about themselves and the world): and that’s a notion that can sustain and enliven. I wish more of the world was motivated by this kind of thinking.

Between this book and What Not To Wear, I think I'm getting closer to WHO I am when it comes to my fashion style. If you are at all LOST when it comes to dressing, please buy this for yourself or a friend. You won't regret it.

BOOK #14

I'm not a fan of sequels. In movies (Jaws 2, anyone?) much less in books. Surprisingly enough, Knit Two was much MORE enjoyable than its predecessor Friday Night Knitting Club. And I really liked the first one. Cried all over the ending like the little girl that I am.

I found the main character in the first book, Georgia Walker, to be whiny complete with chip on shoulder. Spoiler alert: she's not in this book and that's why it's better.

And that's all I'm gonna say. So if you like the chick-lit genre and need an entertaining easy breezy book, check it out.

BOOK #13

The biggest challenge for me with this pledge is not remembering WHY I have a certain book in my collection. When I pulled this one out, the title was familiar but I had no clue. All I do know about my collection is that each one of these books was the result of a purposeful buy or swap. It could be a recommend from one of my book blogs or a book someone told me about - or a million other reasons.

But, the upside of this pledge is discovering great books like this one. I was so engaged by this writer that I read this book in 2 1/2 train rides (or about 1 1/2 hours). And it wasn't the story so much as the actual writing that got me. This story is all set in one day. And I've come to really like this genre. Last year, I read a book called Last Night at the Lobster. It was all set in the last evening of a Red Lobster that was closing for good. These type of books always read very fast because the author doesn't have the luxury of spreading out the story for years, months or days. They have to get right to it. I find these books truly enjoyable.

This story weaves the lives of an entire street of people and the 'remarkable things' that do or don't go on in one day. Even though it's odd, I even enjoyed the author's lack of punctuation - the story almost seemed poetic without all the herking jerking around with punctuation.

I don't believe this book would be for anyone in my book club. Or for a lot of readers, actually. It's an oddity, a rarity and one must truly have a love for writing to appreciate it. It's probably the best book I've have read this year.

BOOK #12

The King, the Sorceress, the Trickster . . . they are members of the Circle of Twelve, primal human archetypes whose powers are manifest in us all. Most people never meet the Twelve, except in books and movies-but they exist. Those who have the Sight, like young Bobbi Yandro, can speak with them at will. Bobbi does not will-but her own budding powers are beyond her control. And when she becomes the mistress of Shane, a black mustang with eyes like blue fire, a horse who is more than a horse, events sweep her into the very hands of the Twelve. . .

Sounds good, huh? Given it's YA, I was impressed. Last year, I discovered the author, Nancy Springer, when I started hearing about her tremendous YA series called the Enola Holmes Mysteries (Sherlock Holme's younger sister). Which, of course, I gobbled up all three of them and then asked the Euless Library to order the last two - which they did. Ms. Springer writes pretty much in the YA genre and mysticality is always a strong theme. I have a few other of her books in my 2010 pledge so I'm eager to get those as well.

BOOK #11

Excuse my french, but this story was some fucked up shit. And I loved every minute of it.

This may have been the darkest, twisted, most imaginative book I have ever read. Even more so than one of Stephen King's books. Which is ironic since Heart Shaped Box was written by his son. Perhaps the deranged writer DNA was passed down. Who knows.

Basically a story of a goth rock god who collects the dark, twisted occult like objects. Ends up buying a man's suit that is supposedly 'haunted'. And boy is it ever. Turns out the suit inhabits the step-father ghost of a previous girlfriend. But as the story develops, even more layers are added into the background of the ghost and the ex-girlfriend. Very shortly after the book begins, so does the tortuous journey of the characters. Absolutely chilling. When my pledge is done, I fully intend to read Joe Hill's first book.

Meredith found this book on our trip to the Wylie bookstore "Eerie Books" which leads me to think that maybe another trip will be warranted when it's time for new books.

Highly recommend this book. But you could save it for some terrifying beach reading during the summer.

BOOK #10

I'm not one to jump on the bandwagon when a book is loved by EVERYONE. I totally distrust the hype. I've been burned too many times. So Water for Elephants has been sitting in my house for more than a year. I think I was put off by the title. I really had no idea what it was going to read like. But, now that I have read it, I only wish I had read it sooner.

It was a great ride. I love first person books. So few authors write that way. When it's first person written, the read is much faster. And I love books about an obscure subject I know nothing about. So this book was a double win for me. I've never been a fan of circuses due to the animal abuse but this was a historical peek at it. I was instantly visually sucked into this world. I can see the characters, smell the animals and feel some of the luxury. Circuses are way better in books.

And of course, I was prepared to be sad over what I thought the ending would entail. I was pleasantly surprised and loved the author even more for giving this wonderful story a very deserving ending. Sara Gruen has written two other books, Riding Lessons and Flying Changes. I have already posted those two books to my post pledge book.

And oh yeah....SQUEE! My first ten books down. 80 more to go!

BOOK #9

During one of my book hunts on the internet, I came across a list. "50 Books Written by Women that Every Woman Should Read." I jumped all over that as I am terrible about reading women authors. And we should empower each other. Surprisingly enough, this book was on the list. I had never heard of Barbara Parker but I'm glad I know of her now. This was a page turner and I could barely put it down. And because today, I am lazy - I'm going to cut and paste on of her reviews from amazon.

Miami’s hard-partying culture is the backdrop for Parker’s latest, a stand-alone featuring CJ Dunn, defense lawyer to the rich and famous. CJ knows a a lot about partying, having done her share with boyfriend Billy Medina, who throws some of the classiest galas in town. When pretty Alana Martin disappears from one of them, Rick Slater, bodyguard-driver of a local politician, is tagged as the last to see her, and CJ, with a possible CNN gig to entice her, agrees to manage the fallout. Slater claims he is innocent, but as curious CJ investigates, she finds herself not only becoming more skeptical of her client but also recalling her own youthful mistakes. Parker’s earlier novels, especially her Gail Connor series, have earned kudos, but this one is less successful. The multiple story threads mostly come together by the close, but not without some stretching, and the prose this time sometimes verges close to cliché. That said, Parker has her fans, and female lawyers are a hot commodity in the genre at the moment.

I Love Steve Martin

What a genius! Actor, hilarious funny man and author?!? Wow! I just read a quirky novella by him called The Pleasure of My Company. It was charming. It's about an obsessive compulsive man who comes to terms with his quirks thanks to his willingness to impress a toddler.

Nice read! Ended a bit suddenly, but that didn't damage it overall.

Now, do I finish Drood (which is enormous) or pick something new? Decisions, decisions.

BOOK #8

Last year, Meredith and I took the day off and went up to Wylie. In search of a new bookstore called Eerie Books. In our minds, we were envisioning an old, dusty kind of store with all kinds of cubbyholes chock full of cool, twisted books like we all love. Not so. It was just a small shop on main street. No sense of charm or eeriness about it. The town was charming and we had a nice lunch. And, of course, we each found some new books to read. This was one of my picks.

This book is really a work of art. It combines a world of fantasy intertwined with spastic renderings of some of our favorite childhood stories. I wasn't a bit bored by the book although some of the reviews out on goodreads.com have been not exactly polite. I did find it sad at times and very funny at other times. It's just a story of a little boy lost.

Meredith has dibs on the book so I'm gonna hold it for her but I do recommend it for everybody. Definitely a good read.