50bookchallenge: Recommendations

Winter posted his list of books read in 2004. I saw several there that interest me as well as many that I've read before.

Bookie's list contains a lot of books that I'd like to read in 2005.

Mystery and Cooking

This book has been the first one in my "currently reading" list for months and months. Truth be told, I got really sick of it and simply set it aside. Custard's Last Stand is the eleventh book in Tamar Myers' series set in a Pennsylvania Dutch community. Mennonite Madgelena Yoder is the proprietor of a bed and breakfast which caters to the rich and famous. The plots have tons of puns and silly plot twists and in general are fun to just breeze through. For some reason, I got really fed up with the characters and just did not want to continue reading. But, having reached my 50 Book goal, I decided that this book wasn't going to be carried over into 2005. So, I set myself to reading it each time we took out of here in the car. And, again to be honest, I did enjoy reading it — even sharing some of the funnier lines with Steven as he drove.

Audio Books

Two of the books I have "read" this year were books on CD. First was The Sunday Philosophy Club which I bought while on a business trip so I'd have something to listen to during long drives. Next, I checked out Split Second from the Sanger Public Library to listen to on my commutes to and from the office. I'm now listening to The Education of Mary on those lonely drives.

To be read . . .

For months, I've had the following books displayed on the home page as my "to be read" stack. These books were passed on to me by my mother-in-law, and I certainly do intend to read them, but they just don't seem to be moving to the top of my stack.

Since I just picked up 5 books from the library, I'm updating the home page to show the books I'm more likely to read soon.

Tamora Pierce and the land of Tortall

Lately, I've been reading through Tamora Pierce's various quartets set in and around the mythical land of Tortall. I discovered these books when I picked up two books from Gretchen's bedroom on my last visit to Richmond. After reading (and thoroughly enjoying) them, I placed an order to Amazon.com to get the rest of that series and two more boxed sets. I'll be sending all the books (the ones I borrowed and the ones I bought) to Jan's house for her and the girls.

Protector of the Small

The first series I read (but the third written and in chronology) was the Protector of the Small series starring Keladry, the first girl to openly enter training for Knighthood. The stories refer to the previous two series so I felt compelled to read them.

The Song of the Lioness

The Song of the Lioness quartet tells the story of Alanna, the first Lady Knight. Unlike Kel, she had to pretend to be a boy when she went to the training facility for pages.

The Immortals

The Immortals tells the story of Veralidaine, nicknamed Daine, who wields a natural and wild magic rather than The Gift as is more common. Her wild magic gives an ability to communicate with animals, heal them, and even to transform herself into an animal when necessary.

50 Book Challenge Update

I just got through updating the 50 Book Challenge community site with information about my progress so far. I've now read 36 books toward the challenge of 50, which means that I must complete at least 14 books during December. I think I've got a good chance of making it. My monthly totals this year have been:

• January - 9
• February - 6
• March - 13
• April - 10
• May - 20
• June - 16
• July - 11
• August - 11
• September - 11
• October - 12
• November - 11