The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate

Hello All,

Gallery Books graciously sent me an advance reading copy of The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate for review. I enjoyed it, and if I didn't need my sunshine & warmth so much, Maine might be on the list of places to move to.

Holly Maguire spent her summers with her Italian grandmother, Camilla Constantina, who owned Camilla's Cucinottta, and told fortunes to locals and tourist alike. Camilla also taught cooking classes. After one more terrible break-up, Holly moves to her grandmother's, just prior to Camilla's death.

Holly tries to pick up the pieces of her life with Camilla's recipes and cooking school, even though Holly does not quite have the natural knack of cooking that Camilla had. Holly puts a lot of focus and energy into learning the recipes and begins to teach the classes, learning from her students as they learn from her. She also has the opportunity to cater, and while this situation presents its own challenges, Holly is able to add this to her new life.

The Love Goddess' Cooking School is a lovely story, with tributes to the past, to Maine and to learning from others as one gets to know oneself. Recommended.

Happy Reading!
Patti

Magician's Muse by Linda Joy Singleton

Hello All,

Linda Joy Singleton was kind enough to offer copies of her newest book, Magician's Muse, to young adult librarians on the YALSA-BK listserv, and I was one of the lucky recipients.

Magician's Muse is about a young woman who is a seer--she can see things that are going to happen, but was persecuted for it at her previous high school. Since then, Sabine has been living with equally talented grandmother, who welcomes and acknowledges Sabine's gifts. In this book, Sabine sees her ex-boyfriend, a magician, being held prisoner at a remote location, surrounded by men in formal attire, including capes. Despite warnings and concerns of her current boyfriend and friends, she goes off to investigate and see if she can help him. The muse part of the title and plot are about a failed woman magician from the past who claims to be helping a woman magician in the present become part of the magician's world, which in this book, belongs to men. Sabine has to go up against evil magicians and an angry ghost in order to set things right.

When Ms. Singleton sent me her book for review, she didn't know I was the kind of person who would feel I needed to read the previous 5 in this series. I wasn't sure either, but I read the first in the series, Don't Die Dragonfly, and was hooked--I had to read all of them to read Magician's Muse. The Seer is one of the best young adult series I've read in a long time, and with its tight story arc and sequence, I am so glad I didn't have to wait six months to a year between each book! I loved the characters, especially those who become close to Sabine and support her. And the stories kept me turning the pages in each book.

Not only do I recommend Magician's Muse, the final chapter of this series, but I recommend the whole Seer series! Enjoy!

The Seer series is: 1) Don't Die Dragonfly, 2) Last Dance, 3) Witch Ball, 4) Sword Play, 5) Fatal Charm and 6) Magician's Muse

Happy Reading!
Patti

Q & A with Reed Farrel Coleman

Hello All!

I am thrilled to share with all of you a question-&-answer session I had with author Reed Farrel Coleman. I have had several opportunities to meet and talk with Reed at various conventions over the years, and look forward to seeing him at Poisoned Pen on October 20 to get my new copy of his latest book, Innocent Monster.

Without further ado:

"I read about 2-3 years worth of your columns in Crimespree, one of your short stories, two of your Moe Prager books, one book you wrote under the pen name of Tony Spinosa, and I own the book that you edited, Hard-boiled Brooklyn. Of all the hats mentioned above, which do you, or did you, enjoy the most?

The one you didn’t mention: poet. I started writing it when I was 12 and published it on and off for years. I have taken it back up again and am now a co-editor of The Lineup, a journal featuring poems on crime.

Why did you write several books under the name Tony Spinosa?

It’s a long boring contractual thing, but I figured since I had to do it I might as well have some fun with it. I don’t think you’ll be seeing any new novels from Tony, but an occasional short story might pop up.

How did the concept of co-authoring a book with Ken Bruen (Tower) come about? How did you like this particular process of writing?

Tower was Ken’s idea and he invited me along for the ride…and what a ride it was. The process on the book was the most difficult thing I ever went through as an author and it was the best. It made me stretch like crazy and question my talents and skills and my sanity. I am much the better writer for it.

What’s your favorite piece of writing that you’ve had published? (I know, it’s like naming a favorite child - feel free to name 2 or 3 favorites).

In sixth grade I wrote a story called “Hector the Garbage Collector” that I thought was the coolest thing ever. My poem “Commentary, Sorry” I’ve always been particularly fond of. As to novels … Let’s go with Innocent Monster.

I understand that you are a teacher at Hofstra University. How did this come about, and what do you like about it?
About five years ago they asked me to be the dinner speaker at the banquet commemorating the end of their summer workshop program. They liked my speech so much, they asked if I might like to teach a class the following year. I’ve been teaching a summer class there ever since. I like teaching and I think I’m good at it, but I’d rather be writing.

Questions I borrowed from the online newsletter Shelf Awareness: a) what was your favorite book as a child? and b) what book are you an evangelist for?

a. Honestly, as a child I didn’t have a favorite book. As a young teen I loved 1984.

b. That’s easy: Adult- Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell, YA: King Dork by Frank Portman

What are you reading right now?
Gone ‘Til November by Wallace Stroby

I got the impression from one of your columns that you don’t like blogging - if true, why?
I understand why people do it. I’m glad people do it. Thank you for inviting me to your blog, by the way - I very much appreciate the generosity. I just don’t get why writers do it. The energy they use for blogging takes away from the energy they would use for their real work. Besides, I have no great urge to share details of my everyday life. What I want to express, I express in my work. What I want to say, I say to the people I want to say it to.

What do you think of the other aspects of social media that are now common marketing tools - namely Facebook and Twitter?

If I had my druthers, I might do Facebook, but not Twitter. It just cuts against who I am. But the reality of the world and the marketplace are such that I do both. It’s funny that you call it social media, but both you and I use the word market. Again, I don’t judge people who do it gladly for doing it. I just wish I could focus my energies on my work. I think this makes for a fascinating discussion which I will probably take up from time to time in my Crimespree column. Thanks for being a faithful reader of the column. It’s fun to write.

Tell us about your series with Moe Prager, and the latest in that series, the new book Innocent Monster.

Innocent Monster is the sixth installment in the Moe Prager series. It deals with Moe, now in his early 60s, taking on the case of a kidnapped 11-year-old art prodigy named Sashi Bluntstone. It’s three weeks after she’s gone missing, but Moe is desperate to solve the case and thereby repair his ruined relationship with his daughter Sarah. Moe expects only tragedy, but is dogged in his pursuit through the underbelly of the New York art scene. As always, Moe finds much more than he set out looking for.

The series is a different take on the usual PI protagonist. Moe is for the most part a happily married family man with a stable business and a normal social life. He’s an ex-cop who never made detective and it is the urge to prove himself that drives him at first. But he inevitably falls into the abyss of dark secrets and cover-ups, some of which he is complicit in prolonging. As William Faulkner once said, “The past is never dead. It isn’t even past.” And each Moe book proves his point.

* * *

Reed Farrel Coleman has published eleven novels—two under his pen name Tony Spinosa—in three series, and the stand-alone Tower co-written with award-winning Irish author Ken Bruen. He’s won the Shamus Award for Best Novel of the Year three times, won the Barry and Anthony, and twice been nominated for the Edgar. He is a co-editor of The Lineup and was the editor of the anthology Hard Boiled Brooklyn. You can reach Reed on his website, Facebook, or Twitter."

Thank you so much to Reed for his time and answers and to Sara J. Henry for putting this together! This was an honor and a thrill for me and my blog.

Happy Reading!

Patti

The photo on the left is from Reed's website, and the one the right was taken with my camera of Reed and me at Bouchercon 2009.

Good Enough to Eat by Stacey Ballis

Hello All,

I received Good Enough to Eat by Stacey Ballis at a very appropriate time in my life. The main character Melanie Hoffman has just gotten divorced, and so have I--different circumstances, but both Melanie and I have gone through big and interesting changes as a result.

Melanie has achieved what so many women work at and obsess over--she lost over 100 pounds and has gotten herself to a healthy weight. She has also changed jobs, from being a lawyer to owning a small gourmet take-out cafe called Dining by Design. The food she offers is healthy, calorie conscious and good. The good marriage Melanie thought she had is not, and she is blind-sided by the fact that her husband leaves her for an overweight woman.

Good Enough to Eat starts each chapter with descriptions of comfort foods, or remembered foods from Melanie's childhood, and then moves on to what is triggering the want of comfort. Melanie learns so much in this book, with the occasional two steps back that happens to everyone going through a life change like a divorce. She strengthens her current friendships, opens her own door and cafe to a young woman in her own transition, and develops new relationships, including a new man in her life.

I thought this book was on track as far as someone going through a divorce, and also learning to accept herself and her imperfections as she grows into her new life. I liked the ending too.

Highly recommended, and I'm glad that Melissa Broder (Penguin Group) and serendipty sent this book to me at this time. For those who want to know, yes, recipes are included.

Happy Reading,
Patti

Disclaimer: The only compensation this reviewer received was a copy of this book for review

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Hello All,

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Yes, I'm adding my voice to the many who will be blogging and otherwise voicing their opinions about this young adult novel. Mockingjay is the best of The Hunger Games trilogy, in my opinion. It heads in a different direction than the other books, namely, there is not a competition called The Hunger Games in it.

Katniss has been reunited with her family and best friend Gale in a neighboring district to her own, as hers has been annihilated. She is disoriented at the beginning of this novel, based on injuries incurred at the end of the last novel (very important--read this trilogy IN ORDER), and the hits just keep on coming. Katniss is used as a hero, and a pawn by several political viewpoints; she realizes this, and tries to keep herself centered throughout the political posturing that goes on. She definitely is a rebel against The Capitol, but she has her own ideas of how she wants to resolve some of the problems. Unfortunately, most of them she is not able to implement; she is forced to follow the goals and ideas of others.

Peeta has been held in The Capitol since the end of their last Hunger Games, and is also being used as a pawn against Katniss. He is mentally tortured into believing that Katniss is his enemy, and once they are reunited, it takes quite a bit of time and help for Peeta to begin to believe he can trust Katniss.

Towards the end of the book, Katniss, Peeta and Gale are among those sent on a mission to attack the Capitol; Katniss's own personal mission is to kill President Snow, but during this mission, amazing things happen, including several very good twists.

Saying much more would give away the end, but I'm happy with Katniss's choice of life partners, and I'm glad the end is honest with how Katniss lives with everything she's been through. Mockinjay brings the trilogy to a well-thought out closure

Happy Reading,
Patti

Long Division by Jane Berentson

Hello All,

I read Long Division by Jane Berentson because I received it for review from Plume (Penguin Group). It was not what I expected from reading the back cover.

Annie Harper is a third grade teacher whose boyfriend is deployed to Iraq. She decides to write a book about being on the homefront while he is away. Again, it wasn't what I expected--she does not socialize with other women whose husbands/boyfriends are deployed, she does not socialize with other girlfriends; she starts working on her book, and buys a chicken for a pet. I did find lots of humor in the book--having a chicken for a pet, the endless entertainment of third graders, Annie's commentary in general. And I think she's a terrific teacher. But I feel that Annie is too young and too self-absorbed to write a book about the homefront. I felt that Annie was pretty selfish overall--she wasn't as giving or supportive as one would expect from a girlfriend whose boyfriend's fighting a war.

The other aspect of the book that would have made me put it down had I not been reading it for review were the footnotes. I, personally, do not enjoy or see the reason for footnotes in a fiction book. There were footnotes on almost every page. I found this very distracting, and feel that there should have been a way to put what was in the footnotes into the narrative.

Back to a more positive point, there was an interesting twist that I didn't see coming, though when I look back on the book, I should have. I think it's a good twist, but more than that would be a spoiler.

Recommended for younger adult readers.

Happy Reading!
Patti

Tomorrow River by Lesley Kagen

Hello All,

Tomorrow River by Lesley Kagen is a Southern thriller with a gothic feel to it. Told through the eyes of an eleven year old girl, Shenandoah Carmody, it is the story of her search for her missing mother, the responsibilities that she has taken upon herself in helping around the house, and caring for her twin sister who stopped speaking the night their mother disappeared. There are traditions and responsibilities that the Carmody name carries in their small town, and Shen needs to be careful of where she and her sister are seen and what she asks, as everything gets back to her father, who is a judge in that small town.

The secrets are revealed slowly, making the reader a bit nervous, as the reader will realize things that an eleven-year-old wouldn't. Just when you think enough has been unraveled within this family and the town, more comes to light. Good storytelling, especially for those who love tales of the South and for those who love a little gothic in their novels.

Happy Reading!
Patti

Disclaimer: The only compensation this reviewer received was a copy of this book for review.

The Black Cat by Martha Grimes

Hello All,

I finally read my first Richard Jury mystery (and I can hear several fellow mystery fans saying "You haven't read Martha Grimes?!"), and it was the most recent in the series, The Black Cat. It was very kindly sent to me for review by Viking.

The Black Cat has several references in the book--there is the pub called The Black Cat, and no less than 3 actual black cats, one of which goes missing for awhile.

I enjoyed this book very much, and now need to go and read the rest of the series involving Richard Jury, who in this book is a Superintendent. He has a decent sense of humor, something I personally like in a main character. He is intelligent, and makes connections in quickly and in a reasonable way.

The murders that occur involve women who are escorts, dressed very well in designer clothes and shoes when they are found. Here it reads a little like Vogue magazine, with a lot of designer name-dropping, and Jury and his male co-workers learning a little about women's fashion. Jury even starts noticing women's shoes. Two of these murders occur in London, one in Thames Valley, so for awhile it is not certain if the murders could be connected. The mysteries were solved fairly and in an interesting way; again, I look forward to reading more Jury novels.

One idiosyncrasy that distracted me slightly was that there were two animals that communicated with each other--it worked with the story, but I'm not sure it worked for me.

I highly recommend The Black Cat by Martha Grimes.

Happy Reading!
Patti

Willis, Cook, Dean--Memorial Weekend Reading

Hello All,

I've been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time, especially once I figured I could turn it into a 4 day weekend :), so I stockpiled some books. I'm in the middle of some, we'll see if they get finished this weekend.

My first book finished was Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. This was a reread for me, and one I was hesitant to read the first time, due to its descriptions of the bubonic plague. I enjoyed it much more this time around. Connie Willis has several books and stories that center around a time travel method that is part of Oxford University. I believe the first story is Fire Watch, from the short story collection of the same name. I read these to return to To Say Nothing of the Dog, the first Connie Willis I read 8-10 years ago.

Doomsday Book is about Kivrin, a young university student who wished to be sent back to the 1300s, so it is carefully planned that she be sent to the year 1328, about 20 years before the Plague comes to Oxford. Due to a modern flu epidemic that hits Oxford just as Kivrin is sent, she is accidentally sent to the year 1348, exactly when the Plague arrives. She is ill when she completes her time travel, and is taken in by a relatively wealthy family of the time. Kivrin recovers, and fits into the family just before Christmas as a nursemaid to their two girls Agnes and Rosemund. As the book progresses, there are two storylines, that of Kivrin, as she hears more & more rumors about people being sick in what she thinks is 1328, and the book's modern setting, where her adviser suspects but can't prove she was sent to the wrong time. The flu epidemic is terrible, and there are quarantines and death, finally making her adviser ill, and resulting more time being wasted as people try to figure out when Kivrin is (they know where she is). As people sicken horribly around her, Kivrin eventually deduces what they have, and finally asks what year it is; the terrible truth is that it's 1348. Kivrin does what nursing she can, but she can't help enough. The parallel storylines are very interesting, showing how far we've come in health services, but that nature evolves too. This book is highly recommended to those who like time travel and/or history.

The second book I finished was The Wildwater Walking Club by Claire Cook, which, if classified, would be considered "women's fiction". I enjoyed this book very much. It is the story of Noreen, a 40-something single woman who takes a buyout when her company is bought out. She spends a few days mourning this change, and then gets up and starts walking. She meets two neighbors on these walks and they join her for everyday walks. I liked the friendships, and the fact that not everything was smooth with them. One of them, Rosie, owns a lavender farm, and the women decide to go from Massachusetts to Washington State for a lavender festival. How they make this decision, and all of what occurs before, during and after makes for a good read. I am inspired to return to my walking :). Recommended for those who like books about women's friendships.

Third book finished was Bellfield Hall by Anna Dean. A reviewer friend of mine wrote a good review about this title, but I was disappointed. Miss Dido Kent is chaperon to her niece Catherine, who is jilted by her fiance at their engagement ball. Catherine is unsure of the reasons for the engagement being broken, but she is still in love with her fiance. And then there is the matter of the dead woman found in the shrubbery. I hoped this book would be one I liked, as it is set during the Regency period in England, and the main character is an intelligent woman. Unfortunately, I thought this book was slow-moving, unclear in places, and I just didn't care about any of the characters very much.

I had an extra day for my weekend, but didn't finish any more books (I think I'm in the middle of about 4!)

Hope everyone else's reading was enjoyable over the long weekend!
Happy Reading!
Patti

Miss Julia Renews Her Vows by Ann B. Ross

Hello All,

Boy, have I been missing out! I read the first Miss Julia years ago, and was recently sent her newest book, Miss Julia Renews Her Vows for review--what a good time! It has Southern hospitality, manners and charm, lots of humor, interesting characters, and a mystery or two!

In this series entry, Miss Julia finds her plate quite full of things to resolve to her satisfaction. Heather Marie, her first husband's former mistress, is pregnant with twins and is beginning to show--first order of business is to get her married. Next, an old friend moves back to town, and within a few days of being back, accuses another friend of Miss Julia's of assault and robbery. Last, and most annoyingly, Dr. Fred Fowler, the doctor who tried to prove her incompetent after her first husband's death, has been hired by their church to provide a marriage enrichment course (Dr. Fowler has never been married and lives with his mother).

Miss Julia resolves all of the above in the most proper of ways, and by (mostly) telling the truth, just as a lady would.

I'm ready to read through this series, and am sad that I have to wait a year for the newest Miss Julia book!

Happy Reading!
Patti

A Bolt from the Blue by Diane A. S. Stuckart

Hello All,

Several months ago, Diane A. S. Stuckart contacted me, and asked if I would read, and possibly review her new book, A Bolt from the Blue. I said yes. What she didn't know about me is that I prefer to read series in order, so I borrowed the first two in this series from the library, The Queen's Gambit and Portrait of a Lady, so that I could "catch up" with the characters. For myself, I'm glad I did, for the story arc and growth of the main character, but the books do not have to be read in order.

This series is subtitled "A Leonardo Da Vinci Mystery", but it is told from the viewpoint of one of his apprentices, Dino. Dino's real name is Delfina and she is a young lady of marriageable age who cuts her hair, borrows her brother's clothes and runs away on the eve of her engagement to a much older man. She wants to learn to paint, and feels she can best learn from a master such as Leonardo Da Vinci, by becoming one of his apprentices.

In A Bolt from the Blue, Dino has helped the Master, as the apprentices call Leonardo, solve several murders in the Milan court where they live. The bolt from the blue of the title is Leonardo's flying machine, and I believe the title also applies to the fact that Leonardo hires Dino's father, an acclaimed cabinetmaker, to help with the project. Just as the three of them are trying out a prototype of the flying machine, one of the apprentices is killed, and he has sketches of the flying machine on him.

The story speeds up a bit from this point on, but not too fast--many exciting and interesting things happen. The flying machine is stolen, Dino's father is kidnapped, Dino and another apprentice travel undercover to search for both, and, and...well, it gets a little complicated, with some excellent twists.

I like the strength of character that Dino/Delfina shows by leaving her family and disguising herself as a boy in order to learn from Leonardo Da Vinci. She gets herself into some dangerous situations, but between her own wits and Da Vinci's back-up, she escapes with her life, and her disguise, intact.

As a young adult librarian, I am also happy that this series can be recommended to teens--it has good historical details, Da Vinci is a name that many teens will know, and young women will enjoy Delfina's strength of character.

Happy Reading!
Patti

Disclaimer: The only compensation this reviewer received was a copy of this book for review.

Top 100 Children's Books of All Time

Hello All,

From my friend's blog, Confessions of a Bibliovore, with thanks:
"It's a rule of the internet - you give us a list, we'll give you a meme. Another rule is that if it exists, there is a fetish community for it, but this post has nothing to do with that.

This one's based on Betsy Bird's top 100 children's books of all time and has been bouncing happily around the kidlitosphere since Betsy announced the number one book on Monday morning. It's very simple, bold the ones you've read."

I've added my own twists (one copied from Bibliovore)--I've starred the ones I read as a child, and italicized ones that are still very important to me:

100. The Egypt Game - Snyder (1967)
99. The Indian in the Cupboard - Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe - Boston (1954)
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches - Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking - Lindgren (1950)
94. Swallows and Amazons - Ransome (1930)
93. Caddie Woodlawn - Brink (1935) *
92. Ella Enchanted - Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School - Sachar (1978)
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall - MacLachlan (1985)
89. Ramona and Her Father - Cleary (1977)*
88. The High King - Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday - Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek - Wilder (1937)*
84. The Little White Horse - Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief - Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three - Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book - Gaiman (2008)
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family - Taylor (1951)*
78. Johnny Tremain - Forbes (1943)*
77. The City of Ember - DuPrau (2003)
76. Out of the Dust - Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog - Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers - Norton (1953)*
73. My Side of the Mountain - George (1959)*
72. My Father's Dragon - Gannett (1948)
71. The Bad Beginning - Snicket (1999)
70. Betsy-Tacy - Lovelace (1940)*
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society - Stewart ( 2007)
68. Walk Two Moons - Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher - Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins - Cleary (1950)*
65. Ballet Shoes - Streatfeild (1936)*
64. A Long Way from Chicago - Peck (1998)
63. Gone-Away Lake - Enright (1957)*
62. The Secret of the Old Clock - Keene (1959)*
61. Stargirl - Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - Avi (1990)
59. Inkheart - Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - Aiken (1962)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 - Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars - Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins - Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG - Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows - Grahame (1908)
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (2007)
51. The Saturdays - Enright (1941)*
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins - O'Dell (1960)*
49. Frindle - Clements (1996)
48. The Penderwicks - Birdsall (2005)
47. Bud, Not Buddy - Curtis (1999)
46. Where the Red Fern Grows - Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass - Pullman (1995)
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Blume (1972)*
43. Ramona the Pest - Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie - Wilder (1935)*
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond - Speare (1958)*
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - Baum (1900)
39. When You Reach Me - Stead (2009)
38. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Rowling (2003)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Taylor (1976)
36. Are You there, God? It's Me, Margaret - Blume (1970)*
35. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Rowling (2000)
34. The Watsons Go to Birmingham - Curtis (1995)
33. James and the Giant Peach - Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - O'Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic - Eager (1954)
30. Winnie-the-Pooh - Milne (1926)
29. The Dark Is Rising - Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess - Burnett (1905)*
27. Alice I and II - Carroll (1865/72)*
26. Hatchet - Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women - Alcott (1868/9)*
24. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Rowling (2007)
23. Little House in the Big Woods - Wilder (1932)*
22. The Tale of Despereaux - DiCamillo (2003)
21. The Lightning Thief - Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting - Babbitt (1975)
19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Dahl (1964)*
18. Matilda - Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee - Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy - Fitzhugh (1964)*
15. Because of Winn-Dixie - DiCamillo (2000)
14. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia - Paterson (1977)
12. The Hobbit - Tolkien (1938)
11. The Westing Game - Raskin (1978)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth - Juster (1961)
9. Anne of Green Gables - Montgomery (1908)*
8. The Secret Garden - Burnett (1911)
7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)
6. Holes - Sachar (1998)
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - Koningsburg (1967)*
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Lewis (1950)
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Rowling (1997)
2. A Wrinkle in Time - L'Engle (1962)*
1. Charlotte's Web - White (1952) *

Interesting. I've only read a little over 1/2, 56 out of 100. I did not include books I'm not sure I read, or ones I started but didn't finish.

Looking forward to a Young Adult/Teen list similar to this.

Happy Reading!
Patti

Hiatus or Life Got in the Way of My Blog

Hello All,

I have missed blogging very much, but unfortunately my personal life has taken a bit of energy and focus away from my blog. I hope to return to blogging on a regular basis in the near future.

Meanwhile, the following is what I have read so far in 2010 (some of which is rereading, which I tend to do when stressed):

Buffalo Bill's Defunct by Sheila Simonson

Murder Carries a Torch by Anne George (reread)

A Poisoned Season by Tasha Alexander (reread)

Death Assemblage by Susan Cummins Miller

Death Was the Other Woman by Linda Richards,

Queen's Gambit by Diane Stuckart

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (fiction)

And Justice There is None by Deborah Crombie (reread)

The First Rule by Robert Crais
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves (reread)

Village Diary by Miss Read (reread)

Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves (reread)

Portrait of a Lady by Diane Stuckart

Bloody Tower by Carola Dunn

Photo Finished by Laura Childs

Maltese Manuscript by Joanne Dobson (reread)

Blind Justice by Bruce Alexander (reread)

The Grub-and-Stakers Quilt a Bee by Alisa Craig (reread)

Now You May Weep by Deborah Crombie (reread)

Earthly Delights by Kerry Greenwood (reread)

Eggs Benedict Arnold by Laura Childs
Murder Boogies with Elvis by Anne George (reread)
McCafferty's Nine by Elizabeth Gunn
In a Dark House by Deborah Crombie
A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander (reread)

I hope 2010 has brought good reading to all of you, and I look forward to sharing more about books with you in the near future.

Happy Reading!
Patti