The Countdown Challenge 2010

I signed up for the Countdown Challenge last year, and wasn't quite able to finish it. But, I had so much fun and read some books that had been on my shelf forever so I am going to give it another try this year.

1. The goal of this challenge is to read the number of books first published in a given year that corresponds to the last digit of each year in the 2000s — 10 books from 2010, 9 books from 2009, 8 books from 2008, etc. The total number of books required, therefore, is 55.
2. This challenge lasts from 9/9/09 through 10/10/10.
3. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and your lists may change at any time.
4. Sign up using Mr. Linky.
5. Have fun reading!



2010 - Completed
1. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (review coming soon)
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (review coming soon)
3. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah (review)
4. Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren
5. Kisser by Stuart Woods
6. Avenging Angels by Mary Stanton
7. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
8. Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
9. Lucid Intervals by Stuart Woods
10. Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

2009 - Completed1. Dragon House by John Shors (review)
2. The Promised World by Lisa Tucker (review)
3. Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz (review)
4. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (review coming soon)
5. Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay (review)
6. Hothouse Orchid by Stuart Woods (review coming soon)
7. Die for You by Lisa Unger (review coming soon), audio
8. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (review)
9. Lift by Rebecca K. O'Connor (review)

20081. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (review)
2. The Dirty Secrets Club by Meg Gardiner (review coming soon), audio
3. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (review)
4. Disquiet by Julia Leigh (review coming soon)
5. Impossible by Nancy Werlin (review)
6. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (review)
7. A Gift from Brittany by Marjorie Price
8.

20071. Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr (review coming soon), audio
2. Undercover by Beth Kephart (review coming soon)
3. Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas (review)
4. Bright Light, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster
5. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
6.
7.

20061. The Thin Place by Kathryn Davis (review)
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

20051. Let Me Go by Helga Schneider (review), audio
2.
3.
4.
5.

20041. Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth by Jenny McCarthy (review)
2.
3.
4.

20031. A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me by Jon Katz (review)
2.
3.

2002
1.
2.

20011. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (review)

Book Spotlight: A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman

Today is my tour date for the book tour for A Disobedient Girl. Unfortunately, life got in the way...So, today will be a book spotlight post, and my review will be up in a few days.

Book Info:

A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Atria (July 21, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9781439101957

Genre: Multi-Cultural Fiction

Set against the volatile events of the last forty years of Sri Lankan history, A Disobedient Girl traces the lives of three characters whose interwoven fates and histories force them to answer life’s most difficult questions. Beautiful, haunting, alive, and brimming with truth, it is, above all, a novel about extraordinary circumstances that change life in an instant and the power of love to transcend time and place.

The story begins with two little girls, mistress and servant, one with every luxury and opportunity that money can buy and the other with nothing but her yearning for a better life. Together, they grow up bound by love, betrayal, resentment, and an impossible secret.

Then there is Biso, a devoted mother of three, who risks everything to escape from the hands of her tyrannical husband. But her journey, which begins with such hope, takes her on a disastrous path that ultimately leads her to give her life over to strangers she never imagined she would have reason to know, binding her story with that of the girls in the most unexpected and heartbreaking of ways.

A Disobedient Girl is a compelling exploration of personal desire set against the volatile backdrop of class and prejudice, as three women journey toward their future, united by a shared history but separated by different fates. A bold and deeply moving account that spans three decades of love and loss, it is a tale about the will to survive and the incredible power of the human spirit to transcend the unforgiving sweep of tragedy.

About the Author:

Ru Freeman is a Sri Lankan writer whose political journalism and fiction has been published internationally. She lives in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.

Her debut novel, A Disobedient Girl, will also be published in Dutch, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese and Hebrew. She calls both Sri Lanka and America home and writes about the people and countries underneath her skin.

Visit Ru Freeman’s website HERE.

Review: Dead Time by Stephen White

Book Info:
Dead Time by Stephen White
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Signet; (August 4, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780451223777
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Rating: 4/5

Psychologist Alan Gregory is struggling to deal with his newly adopted son and repair his shaky, though generally improving, marriage. Then Alan'x ex-wife, Merideth, reappears, seeking help she feels only Alan can give. Suddenly Alan is pulled into a mystery that reaches back years to a camping trip at the Grand Canyon involving Merideths's fiance' and five friends whose lives were changed forever when a young woman mysteriously vanished from the Canyon floor.

I have been reading this series for years. I get a little behind at times, but these are characters I feel comfortable with. It usually doesn't take me long to get back into the rhythm of White's books. Dead Time started out a little rough for me though. The sentences seemed long and meandering, with lots of parentheses and dashes. Once I got used to the feeling of his writing again it moved along a little smoother.

Alan is a really likeable character. He is solid and someone you can count on. In Dead Time his marriage to Lauren is going through a rough patch and he didn't seem quite as reliable as usual. This was a good thing though, as sometimes he comes across as a little too unflappable. I've never been a fan of Lauren's though, so I wasn't sad to see her part in the book was minimal.

Another of my favorite aspects of this series is that it is set in Boulder, CO. I grew up near there and love to see all the familiar landmarks mentioned. It makes me feel a bit closer to the characters. Not much of Dead Time is set in Colorado, but this is still a solid installment to the series. 4 stars

Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Book Info:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; (March 10, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780385736817

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 3.5/5

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future: between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is not my usual kind of book. I really enjoy YA books, but tend to gravitate more towards those that deal with social issues. I don't really get into the paranormal or sci/fi books. I'd seen The Forest of Hands and Teeth mentioned on a few blogs, saw the audio come though the library, but passed it up. But then I saw Beth mention how the narrator was amazing, and for that reason alone, I decided to give it a try.

And even though this wasn't my usual type of book I'm glad I listened to it. The narrator, Vane Millon, was wonderful. The story was compelling, but her narration really made the book stand out. She didn't really focus on character voices as much as some narrators do, and that worked fine for me. It was her inflection and emotion that really came through and made this book really stand out.

Mary was an interesting character. She's always led a sheltered life. She's been told this is your path in life and she followed that path right along with everyone else. It is once she starts questioning the status quo that the book gets interesting. I love seeing her struggle with the safety of what she knows against the draw of what might be.I started this audio not too long after I read The Chosen One (review), and even though the setting are very different, the characters went through many of the same struggles.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is the first book in a trilogy. The second, The Dead-Tossed Waves will be coming out in Spring 2010 and the third will be out Spring 2011. I will be on the look out for the audio versions of these for sure. 3.5 stars

Review: The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

Book Info:
The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (August 18, 2009)
ISBN-13: 9780061624773
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4/5

Towner Whitney, the self-confessed unreliable narrator, hails from a family of Salem women who can read the future in the patterns in lace, and who have guarded a history of secrets going back generations. Now the disappearance of two women is bringing Towner back home to Salem - and is bringing to light the shocking truth about the death of her twin sister.

The Lace Reader is filled with wonderful characters. Towner is a fascinating. I love flawed characters, and I especially love characters who don't try to hide their flaws. She lays all her faults and family history on the table right at the beginning. Eva is another character I would have loved to spend more time with. We mostly get to know her through other characters memories, but you can tell she is a wonderful, caring person.

The atmosphere in The Lace Reader is haunting. There is an air of mystery that hangs over the whole book like a fog. And like a fog, you don't get the whole story revealed to you at once. The story is slowly pieced together, and it comes together perfectly.

My one complaint about the book is the similarity to another book I read a year or two ago. I hate any kind of spoiler so I won't mention the other title, but I was a little disappointed that The Lace Reader wasn't as original as it first appeared to be. Overall, The Lace Reader was a captivating story and I would recommend it. 4 stars

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for organizing this tour

Some additional info about the book:

The Lace Reader’s book trailer

Soon, LaceReader.com will also have a downloadable t-shirt iron-on design and printable signage for booksellers.

In the September issue of Book Page, there will be a sweepstakes in which the grand prize is a trip for two to Salem, two nights at The Hawthorne Hotel, and a guided Lace Reader tour of Salem with Brunonia.

Brunonia is also headed back out on tour. Check the link for the schedule and to see if there is a stop near you.

The White Queen Winner!

Thank you to all who entered my giveaway for a copy of The White Queen by Philippa Gregory.

The lucky winner is....gaby317

If you didn't win and can't wait any longer to read The White Queen by Philippa Gregory you can purchase it by clicking on the link.

Review: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

Book Info:
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade (December 27, 2005)
ISBN-13: 9781863254786
Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
Rating: 2.5/5

Nothing ever goes right for Eloise. The day she wears her new suede boots, it rains. When the subway stops short, she's the one thrown into some stranger's lap. And she's had her share of misfortune in the way of love. So, after deciding that romantic heroes must be a thing of the past, Eloise is ready for a fresh start.

Setting off for England, Eloise is determined to finish her dissertation on two spies, the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. But what she discovers is something historians have missed: the secret history of the Pink Carnation-the most elusive spy of all time. As she works to unmask this obscure spy, Eloise has more and more questions. Like, how did the Pink Carnation save England from Napoleon? What became of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian? And will Eloise Kelly escape her bad luck and find a living, breathing hero of her own?

I have a bad habit when it comes to series books. If I hear of a series that sounds interesting I will immediately start collecting all the books in the series that are already published. I know that I really should read a book or two and decide if I even like the series before I do this, but for some reason I can't help myself...The Secret History of the Pink Carnation is a great example of why I really need to do this, as this book just wasn't for me. Luckily, I think I only have the first three in the series.

I would consider The Secret History of the Pink Carnation more historical romance than historical fiction, and if I'd known this before reading the book I probably wouldn't have even picked it up. While there were a few historical details in the book, the story could have been set in pretty much any time period. The plot pretty much revolved around the attraction of the main characters with a little mystery thrown in to break things up.

I found Amy, the main character in the historical setting, annoying. She was determined to be a spy, but I found her to be scattered and almost dim-witted. She jumped to some of the most ridiculous conclusions. I think this must have been meant to be charming in a funny sort of way, but it didn't work for me.

Eloise, the main character in the modern setting, hardly showed up in the book at all. As she is supposed to be the link that ties all the books together I was surprised how little of her we see. I didn't find her part all that inspiring either. The brief glimpses we see of her are pretty standard chick lit.

I know there are lots of people who like this series, but it didn't work for me at all and I won't continue reading it. If you enjoy your historical books with more romance in them, this may be a series for you. 2.5 stars