Dispatches from Fantastica

Movies

2012-10-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

Empire Magazine's 50 Greatest Independent Films (3/25)

#8 - The Usual Suspects (Feb '10)

#13 - Memento (June '10)

#48 - Cube (Jan '10)

AFI's Top 100 Movies of All Time (3/50)

#9 - Vertigo (March '10)

#33 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (June '10)

#66 - Raiders of the Lost Ark (March '10)

(for 101 in 1001)

Books (June 2010)

2010-06-29T22:59:00.004-04:00

Read both of these last week.

Completed 2/23/10

2010-02-24T12:25:00.003-05:00

The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles - 707 pages.

Feels like an epic fail

2008-08-13T16:09:00.002-04:00

I had been doing so well keeping track of this stuff.

My personal life sort of went to pieces back in April, and since then? Reading has been low on my priority list, although not as low as tracking what I read, clearly.

Books I know I have read since I last posted here:

"The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox" - Maggie O'Farrell
"Fieldwork" - Mischa Berlinski (the best book that ever took me nearly three months to read!)
"Past Mortem" - Ben Elton

(will edit this post as I think of more)

RIT - Amazing Page Race Book Challenge

2008-04-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

Total Pages Read for this Challenge: 8804!

From the Readers in Thongs blog:

Are you ready for a new book challenge?

RIT's Amazing Page Race Book Challenge may be just what you're looking for.

The rules are simple:

1. The object of this challenge is to read as many books as you can from your TBR pile from January through March 31, 2008. Record the number of pages you've read from each book. The person who has read the most pages by March 31, 2008 wins the contest (there will be prizes).

2. Books may come from any source you choose -- your own stash, the library, a friend's recommendation, other challenges... as long as it's published material and you've read it, it counts.

3. There will be "Pit Stops" twice a month for each player to log the books they've read (with author's name), and how many pages they read from the book. This means that if you start a book and for whatever reason find it isn't what you thought it would be, you get credit for the pages you've read. If you read a short story from a collection but do not finish the entire book, you can claim credit for the number of pages you read.

4. There will be "Detours" throughout the challenge. These occur between Pit Stops. These Detours will be beneficial to your overall page total, so check the group postings here for information on randomly posted Detours.

5. Indexes and Notes included at the end of non-fiction books do not count for the overall page total and should not be included in the individual book postings.6. Textbooks do not count for this challenge.

After each Pit Stop, totals for all participants will be posted at the RIT blog:
http://readersinthongs.blogspot.com

The blog site also has a button you can use if you have a webpage or blog of your own and want to let your readers know about our group and what we're doing. If you read a book during this challenge that you'd like to discuss or recommend to the rest of the group, please feel free to start a discussion about it. Some of the best books I've read recently have been books mentioned here and at the group Good Reads. So, let's get busy. And don't forget to check back now and then for those Detours.

2008-03-31T18:00:00.001-04:00

Book in Progress
Duma Key - Stephen King
592 pages

Total Pit Stops #1 - #5: 7378

Books Completed:

The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 320 pages
Fables: Sons of Empire - Bill Willingham - 200 pages

Angelica - Arthur Phillips - 331 pages
After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages

Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella - 384 pages

_________________________________

Total Pit Stop #6: 1426 pages

Completed 3/30/08 - Total pages read 8804

2008-03-31T11:42:00.002-04:00

Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella

384 pages

Total Pit Stops #1 - #5: 7378

Books Completed:
The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 320 pages

Fables: Sons of Empire - Bill Willingham - 200 pages
Angelica - Arthur Phillips - 331 pages

After Dark - Haruki Murakami - 191 pages
_________________________________
Total Pit Stop #6: 1042 pages

Completed 3/30/08 - Total pages read 8420

2008-03-26T11:32:00.003-04:00

After Dark - Haruki Murakami

191 pages

Total Pit Stops #1 - #5: 7378

Books Completed:

The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 320 pages
Fables: Sons of Empire - Bill Willingham - 200 pages

Angelica - Arthur Phillips - 331 pages

_________________________________

Total Pit Stop #6: 851 pages

Completed 3/25/07 - Total pages read: 8229

2008-03-16T21:10:00.003-04:00

Book in Progress

Angelica - Arthur Phillips

331 pages

Total Pit Stops #1 - #5: 7378

Books Completed:
The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 320 pages

Fables: Sons of Empire - Bill Willingham - 200 pages
__________________________________
Total Pit Stop #6: 520 pages

Completed 3/16/08 - Total pages read: 7898

2008-03-16T21:05:00.003-04:00

Fables Volume 9: Sons of the Empire - Bill Willingham

200 pages

Total Pit Stops #1 - #5: 7378

Books Completed:

The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller - 320 pages

__________________________________

Total Pit Stop #6: 320 pages

Completed 3/16/08 - Total pages read: 7698

2008-03-08T09:47:00.002-05:00

The Senator's Wife - Sue Miller
320 pages

Total Pit Stops #1 - #4: 6496

Books Completed:
Plea of Insanity - Jillianne Hoffman - 591 pages

The Kept Man - Jami Attenberg - 291 pages
____________________________________
Total Pit Stop #5: 882 pages

Completed 3/7/08 - Total pages read 7378

2008-03-02T16:12:00.003-05:00

The Kept Man - Jami Attenberg

291 pages

Total Pit Stops #1 - #4: 6496

Books Completed:

Plea of Insanity - Jillianne Hoffman - 591 pages

____________________________________

Total Pit Stop #5: 591 pages

Completed 3/2/08 - Total pages read 7087

2008-02-29T08:58:00.004-05:00

Plea of Insanity - Jilliane Hoffman
591 pages

TOTAL PIT STOPS 1 - 3: 4461 pages

Books Completed

Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris - 385 pages
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story - Diane Ackerman - 323 pages
Road Block - Non-Fiction Book Bonus - 25 pages

Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages
Heartsick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages
Yield - Heart Month - 25 pages

The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin - 216 pages

6 Degrees of Separation Character Game - 450 pages

___________________________________

TOTAL - PIT STOP #4 - 2035 pages

2008-2009 Suspense & Thriller Challenge

2008-02-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

Rules of this challenge:
* Read SIX (6) different (one from list above to total six) sub-genres of thrillers in 2008.
* Read SIX (6) different (one from the list above to total six) sub-genres of thrillers in 2009.

By the end of this challenge, you will have read 12 different sub-genres of thrillers. Don't worry about when you start this challenge. It officially ends on the very last day of December 2009. You have plenty of time!

Read about the 24 sub-genres here.

Date Joined:
February 29th, 2008

Sub-Genres Read:

Sub-genre #8 - The Legal Thriller

Plea of Insanity by Jilliane Hoffman

Completed 3/2/08.

Completed 2/29/08 - Total pages read 6046

2008-02-28T19:35:00.004-05:00

The Westing Game - Ellen Raskin
216 pages

TOTAL PIT STOPS 1 - 3: 4461 pages

Books Completed
Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris - 385 pages

The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story - Diane Ackerman - 323 pages

Road Block - Non-Fiction Book Bonus - 25 pages
Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages

Heartsick - Chelsea Cain - 324 pages

Yield - Heart Month - 25 pages
___________________________________
TOTAL - PIT STOP #4 - 1369 pages

Completed 2/28/08 - Total pages read 5830

2008-02-26T09:44:00.004-05:00

Heartsick - Chelsea Cain

325 pages

TOTAL PIT STOPS 1 - 3: 4461 pages

Books Completed

Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris - 385 pages
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story - Diane Ackerman - 323 pages
Yield - Non-Fiction Book Bonus - 25 pages

Obedience - Will Lavender - 287 pages

___________________________________

TOTAL - PIT STOP #4 - 1020 pages

Completed 2/25/08 - Total pages read: 5481

2008-02-25T17:23:00.003-05:00

Obedience - Will Lavender
287 pages

TOTAL PIT STOPS 1 - 3: 4461 pages

Books Completed
Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris - 385 pages

The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story - Diane Ackerman - 323 pages

Yield - Non-Fiction Book Bonus - 25 pages
____________________________________
TOTAL - PIT STOP #4 - 733 pages

Completed 2/24/08 - Total pages read: 5194

2008-02-20T09:14:00.007-05:00

The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story - Diane Ackerman
323 pages

TOTAL PIT STOPS 1 - 3: 4461 pages

Books Completed

Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris - 385 pages

____________________________________

TOTAL - PIT STOP #4 - 385 pages

Completed 2/19/08 - Total pages read 4846

2008-02-10T12:22:00.004-05:00

Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris
Hardcover - 385 pages

TOTAL FROM PIT STOPS #1 & #2: 3242 pages

Books Completed
The Glass Lake - Maeve Binchy - 757 pages

Curse of the Spellmans - Liza Lutz - 407 pages

ROAD BLOCK - Chick Lit - 25 pages

Sweetheart Bonus - 30 pages
_________________________________
PIT STOP #3 TOTAL: 1219 pages

Completed 2/10/08 - Total pages read: 4406

2008-02-08T12:18:00.001-05:00

Curse of the Spellmans - Liza Lutz
ARC Trade Paperback - 407 pages

TOTAL FROM PIT STOPS #1 & #2: 3242 pages

Books Completed

The Glass Lake - Maeve Binchy - 757 pages

_________________________________

PIT STOP #3 TOTAL: 757 pages

Completed 2/7/08 - Total pages read: 3999

2008-01-26T09:16:00.000-05:00

The Glass Lake - Maeve Binchy
Mass market paperback - 757 pages

PIT STOP #1 TOTAL: 1368 pages

Completed Books:
The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 357 pages
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages

Kiki Strike: The Emperess's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages
The Men's Guide to the Women's Bathroom - Jo Barrett - 297 pages

Alphabet Weekends - Elizabeth Noble - 425 pages

BONUS - 46 pages

_____________________________________

PIT STOP #2 TOTAL: 1874 pages

Completed 1/26/08 - Total pages read 3196

2008-01-24T21:59:00.000-05:00

Completed 1/26/08
Alphabet Weekends - Elizabeth Noble
Paperback - 425 pages

PIT STOP #1 TOTAL: 1368 pages

Completed Books:

The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 357 pages

Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
Kiki Strike: The Emperess's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages

The Men's Guide to the Women's Bathroom - Jo Barrett - 297 pages
_____________________________________
PIT STOP #2 TOTAL: 1403 pages

Completed 1/24/08 - Total pages read: 2771

2008-01-21T21:55:00.000-05:00

Completed 1/24/08

The Men's Guide to the Women's Bathroom - Jo Barrett

Paperback - 297 pages

PIT STOP #1 TOTAL: 1368 pages

Completed Books:The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 357 pages
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages

Kiki Strike: The Emperess's Tomb - Kirsten Miller - 369 pages

_____________________________________

PIT STOP #2 TOTAL: 1106 pages

Completed 1/21/08 - Total pages read 2474

2008-01-21T14:55:00.000-05:00

Completed 1/21/08
Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller
Hardcover - 369 pages

PIT STOP #1 TOTAL: 1368 pages

Completed Books:
The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 357 pages

Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller - 380 pages
_____________________________________
PIT STOP #2 TOTAL: 737 pages

Completed 1/20/08 - Total pages read: 2105

2008-01-19T18:57:00.000-05:00

Completed 1/20/08
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City - Kirsten Miller
Paperback ARC - 380 pages

PIT STOP #1 TOTAL: 1368 pages

Completed Books:

The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian - 357 pages

_____________________________________

PIT STOP #2 TOTAL: 357 pages

Completed 1/19/08 - Total pages read: 1725

2008-01-15T18:53:00.000-05:00

Completed 1/19/08
The Double Bind - Chris Bohjalian
Hardcover - 357 pages

PIT STOP #1 TOTAL: 1368 pages

Completed 1/15/08 - Total pages read: 1368

2008-01-13T17:07:00.001-05:00

Completed 1/15/08

The Wednesday Letters - Jason F. Wright

Hardcover - 280 pages

Completed Books:
Dating Dead Men (partial) - Harley Jane Kozak - 86 pages

Dating is Murder - Harley Jane Kozak - 339 pages
Dead Ex - Harley Jane Kozak - 335 pages

ROAD BLOCK - 25 pages

Half Broken Things - Morag Joss - 303 pages

____________________________
total pages read: 1088

Completed 1/13/08 - Total pages read 1063

2008-01-09T11:04:00.000-05:00

Completed 1/13/08

Half-Broken Things - Morag Joss

Trade paperback - 303 pages

Completed Books:

Dating Dead Men (partial) - 86 pages
Dating is Murder - 339 pages

Dead Ex - 335 pages

____________________________

total pages read: 760

Completed 1/8/08 - Total pages read: 760

2008-01-06T20:43:00.000-05:00

Completed 1/8/08
Dead Ex - Harley Jane Kozak
Hardcover - 335 pages

Completed Books:
Dating Dead Men (partial) - 86 pages

Dating is Murder - 339 pages
______________________________
total pages read: 425

Completed 1/6/08 - Total Pages Read: 425

2008-01-06T20:40:00.000-05:00

Completed 1/6/08

Dating is Murder - Harley Jane Kozak

Hardcover - 339 pages

Completed Books:

Dating Dead Men (partial) - 86 pages

______________________________

total pages read: 86

RIT Weight Loss Book Challenge

2007-12-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

CHALLENGE END TOTAL:

26 pounds 11 ounces!

From the Readers in Thongs blog:

Every serious book lover has a TBR pile, and for most of us those piles are gargantuan. They precariously lean either right or left, or they have outright taken over entire rooms.

From September 1, 2007, through December 31, 2007, Readers In Thongs are going to do something about this generalized TBR pile book bloat. During that time, members of the RIT group who want to participate will read as many books as they can from their TBR piles. They will also record the weight of the books they've finished. There will be bimonthly weigh-ins to check the progress of participants. There will also be a prize for whomever loses the most TBR pile weight.

Each person participating is responsible for commenting either in the RIT Group, this blog, or their own personal blog about what they've read. Reviews don't need to be elaborate; just the name of the book, the author, and whether the reader liked it. Those who want to write more are certainly welcome to do that, but it isn't necessary. Readers also have to keep track of the weight of the books they've finished since the final outcome depends on how much weight is lost not how many books were read.

Anyone who wants to participate in this challenge may do so and is free to use the graphic on their blog to let people know they're participating. However, only those who are members of Shelfari.com AND the Readers In Thongs Group are eligible for the prize and recognition on this blog.

All books count for this challenge. That means if you bought a book in October and put it on your TBR pile, if you read it and weigh it within the Challenge time frame, it counts. Books read for Group Reads also count, so this Challenge does not interfere with other reading obligations. In fact, one commitment merely compliments the other. For those who read strictly from the library, those books count too. Just make sure you post the title and author of the book in one of the designated places and keep track of the weight of the books you've borrowed.

Completed 1/4/08 - Pages read in January: 86

2007-12-21T11:39:00.000-05:00

Book in Progress
Dating Dead Men - Harley Jane Kozak
Hardcover - 14.7 oz

September, October & November Total: 22 lbs 2.9 oz

Books Completed (December):
The Devil's Picnic - Taras Grescoe (13.5 oz)

Foop! - Chris Genoa (14.2 oz)
Fables Volume Six - Bill Willington (9.6 oz )

Fables Volume Seven - Bill Willington (7.2 0z)
Now You See Him - Eli Gottleib (11.5 oz)

A Brief History of the Dead - Kevin Brockmeir (16.1 oz)
-------------------------------------------
26 lbs 11 oz

Completed 12/20/07 - Total weight loss 26 lbs 11 oz

2007-12-17T09:52:00.000-05:00

Book in Progress
The Brief History of the Dead - Kevin Brockmeir
Hardcover - 16.1 oz

September, October & November Total: 22 lbs 2.9 oz

Books Completed (December):

The Devil's Picnic - Taras Grescoe (13.5 oz)
Foop! - Chris Genoa (14.2 oz)

Fables Volume Six - Bill Willington (9.6 oz )
Fables Volume Seven - Bill Willington (7.2 0z)

Now You See Him - Eli Gottleib (11.5 oz)

-------------------------------------------

25 lbs 10.9 oz

Completed 12/16/07 - Total weight loss 25 lbs 10.5 oz

2007-12-17T09:50:00.001-05:00

Now You See Him - Eli Gottlieb
Paperback (ARC) - 11.5 oz

September, October & November Total: 22 lbs 2.9 oz

Books Completed (December):
The Devil's Picnic - Taras Grescoe (13.5 oz)

Foop! - Chris Genoa (14.2 oz)
Fables Volume Six - Bill Willington (9.6 oz )

Fables Volume Seven - Bill Willington (7.2 0z)
-------------------------------------------
24 lbs 15.4 oz

Completed 12/16/07 - Total weight loss 23 lbs 15.4 oz

2007-12-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

Fables Volume Seven: Arabian Days (and Nights) - Bill Willingham
Paperback (Graphic Novel) - 7.2 oz

September, October & November Total: 22 lbs 2.9 oz

Books Completed (December):

The Devil's Picnic - Taras Grescoe (13.5 oz)
Foop! - Chris Genoa (14.2 oz)

Fables Volume Six - Bill Willington (9.6 oz )

-------------------------------------------

24 lbs 8.2 oz

Completed 12/16/07 - Total weight loss 24 lbs 8.2 oz

2007-12-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Fables Volume Six: Homelands - Bill Willingham

Paperback (Graphic Novel) - 9.6 oz

September, October & November Total: 22 lbs 2.9 oz

Books Completed (December)
The Devil's Picnic - Taras Grescoe (13.5 oz)

Foop! - Chris Genoa (14.2 oz)
-------------------------------------------
23 lbs 14.6 oz

Completed 12/16/07 - Total weight loss 23 lbs 14.6 oz

2007-12-09T23:00:00.000-05:00

This was a tough book for me to get through - I tend to like my plots far more linear than this one was. There were some truly funny moments, but there were also some junior high-school-boy's-locker-room humor that I didn't find all that amusing. I don't know that I would pick up another book by this author.

Completed 12/16/07.

Foop! - Chris Genoa
Paperback - 14.2 oz

September, October & November Total: 22 lbs 2.9 oz

Books Completed (December)

The Devil's Picnic - Taras Grescoe (13.5 oz)

-------------------------------------------

23 lbs 0.4 oz

Completed 12/9/07. Total weight loss 23 lbs 0.4 oz

2007-11-28T06:38:00.000-05:00

This was certainly an interesting read, although I found it kind of slow and tedious in sections. It covers just about any taboo item you can ingest or inhale. Most interesting, at least to me, were the chapters on the coca plant (which is where cocaine comes from) and the last chapter on assisted suicide. Least interesting for me, suprisingly, was the chapter on chocolate (which, honestly? Chocolate as a taboo substance? Not so much.)

Completed 12/9/07.

The Devil's Picnic - Taras Grescoe
Paperback - 13.5 oz

September & October Weight Loss Total: 15 lbs 11 oz

Books Completed (November)

Diana Tregarde Investigates - Mercedes Lackey (28.9 oz)
Fables Volume Three: Storybook Love (9.6 oz)

The Almost Moon - Alice Seibold (14.4 oz)
The Book of Lost Things - John Connelly (13.4 oz)

Fables Volume Four: March of the Wooden Soldiers (11.2 oz)

Fables Volume Five: The Mean Seasons (8.0 oz)
Switchcraft - Mary Castilo (8.0 oz)

29 and Counting - Julie Tilsner (10.3 oz)
---------------------------------
22 lbs 2.9 oz

Completed 11/27/07 - Total weight loss 22 lbs 2.9 oz

2007-11-23T22:21:00.001-05:00

When it comes to self-help books, I definitely have a problem. But I only take them seriously when they tell me to do something I'm already doing anyway. And as much as I hate to admit it, I'm definitely turning 30 in the near future. In all seriousness, this was an interesting read, and (for the moment anyway) made me feel a little better about the big three-oh, so it gets a thumbs-up from me.

Completed 11/27/07.

29 and Counting: A Chick's Guide to Turning 30 - Julie Tilsner
Paperback - 10.3 oz

September & October Weight Loss Total: 15 lbs 11 oz

Books Completed (November)
Diana Tregarde Investigates - Mercedes Lackey (28.9 oz)

Fables Volume Three: Storybook Love (9.6 oz)
The Almost Moon - Alice Seibold (14.4 oz)

The Book of Lost Things - John Connelly (13.4 oz)
Fables Volume Four: March of the Wooden Soldiers (11.2 oz)
Fables Volume Five: The Mean Seasons (8.0 oz)

Switchcraft - Mary Castilo (8.0 oz)

---------------------------------

21 lbs 8.6 oz

Completed 11/22/07 - Total weight loss 21 lbs 0.6 oz

2007-11-21T23:28:00.000-05:00

Can't stop reading. SO good. I need to stop buying them though - these are *expensive*.

Completed 11/22/07.

Fables Volume Five: The Mean Seasons - Bill Willington

Paperback (Graphic Novel) - 8.0 oz

September & October Weight Loss Total: 15 lbs 11 oz

Books Completed (November)
Diana Tregarde Investigates - Mercedes Lackey (28.9 oz)

Fables Volume Three: Storybook Love (9.6 oz)
The Almost Moon - Alice Seibold (14.4 oz)

The Book of Lost Things - John Connelly (13.4 oz)
Fables Volume Four: March of the Wooden Soldiers (11.2 oz)
---------------------------------

20 lbs 8.6 oz

Completed 11/23/07 - Total weight loss 21 lbs 8.6 oz

2007-11-19T20:41:00.000-05:00

This was a cute read, although it got confusing at times after the main characters switched bodies. I enjoyed it, but won't remember a thing about it six months from now - it just wasn't that kind of book.

Completed 11/23/07.

Switchcraft - Mary Castilo

Paperback - 8.0 oz

September & October Weight Loss Total: 15 lbs 11 oz

Books Completed (November)

Diana Tregarde Investigates - Mercedes Lackey (28.9 oz)
Fables Volume Three: Storybook Love (9.6 oz)

The Almost Moon - Alice Seibold (14.4 oz)
The Book of Lost Things - John Connelly (13.4 oz)

Fables Volume Four: March of the Wooden Soldiers (11.2 oz)

Fables Volume Five: The Mean Seasons (8.0 oz)

---------------------------------
21 lbs 0.6 oz

Completed 11/19/07 - Total weight loss 20 lbs 8.6 oz

2007-11-18T19:11:00.000-05:00

This series of comics? NOT for kids. They're graphic, bloody, and more than a little upsetting, considering the subject matter. Also, I am *completely* hooked. The art is gorgeous, the storylines are compelling. This series is going to get a spot of honor right next to everything "Sandman".

Completed 11/19/07.

Fables Volume Four: The March of the Wooden Soldiers - Bill Willingham
Paperback (Graphic Novel) - 11.2 oz

September & October Weight Loss Total: 15 lbs 11 oz

Books Completed (November)
Diana Tregarde Investigates - Mercedes Lackey (28.9 oz)

Fables Volume Three: Storybook Love (9.6 oz)
The Almost Moon - Alice Seibold (14.4 oz)

The Book of Lost Things - John Connelly (13.4 oz)
---------------------------------

19 lbs 13.4 oz

Completed 11/18/07 - Total weight lost - 19 lbs 13.4 oz

2007-11-09T19:50:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure what I expected when I bought this book, but it certainly wasn't this. An odd story that I mostly enjoyed, although there were certainly slow parts.

Completed 11/18/07.

The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly
Paperback - 13.4 oz

September & October Weight Loss Total: 15 lbs 11 oz

Books Completed (November)

Diana Tregarde Investigates - Mercedes Lackey (28.9 oz)
Fables Volume Three: Storybook Love (9.6 oz)

The Almost Moon - Alice Seibold (14.4 oz)

---------------------------------
19 lbs

Completed 11/7/07 - Total Weight Loss 18 lbs 1.6 oz

2007-11-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

Yet another case of not having my book with me and needing something to read. Still totally in love with this series. I need to go out over the weekend and pick up the fourth book.

Completed 11/7/07.

Fables Volume Three: Storybook Love - Bill Willingham

Paperback (Graphic Novel) - 9.6 oz

September & October Weight Loss Total: 15 lbs 11 oz

Books Completed (November)

Diana Tregarde Investigates - Mercedes Lackey (28.9 oz)

---------------------------------
17 lbs 8 oz

Completed 11/9/07 - Total weight loss 19 lbs

2007-11-02T21:50:00.000-04:00

Reading this book is sort of like when you drive by a huge pile-up on the highway. You just can't look away, but at the same time you're completely horrified. Now, I'm not saying that's going to be true for everyone, but it was certainly true for me. I'm not saying it was a bad book, though - just not for me.

Completed 11/9/07.

The Almost Moon - Alice Sebold
Hardcover - 14.4 oz

September & October Weight Loss Total: 15 lbs 11 oz

Books Completed (November)
Diana Tregarde Investigates - Mercedes Lackey (28.9 oz)

Fables Volume Three: Storybook Love (9.6 oz)
---------------------------------

18 lbs 1.6 oz

Completed 10/18/07 - Total Weight Loss 15 lbs 11.1 oz

2007-10-19T10:57:00.000-04:00

Still really enjoying this series, so I picked up the third one to read as well. At this rate, I'm going to have spent more on this one series of graphic novels than I usually spend on books in six months!

Completed 10/18/07

Fables Volume Two: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham

Paperback (Graphic Novel) - 7.1 oz

September Weight Loss Total: 12 lbs 0.6 oz

Books Completed (October)
The Big Over Easy - Jasper Fforde (9.9 oz)

The Quickie - James Patterson and Michael Lewidge (10.8 oz)
Fables Volume One: Legends in Exile - Bill Willingham (7.7 oz)

The Queen of Broken Hearts - Cassandra King (13.3 oz)
The Feast of Love: A Novel - Charles Baxter (9.7 oz)

---------------------------------

15 lbs 4 oz

Completed 11/2/07 - Total weight loss: 17 lbs 8 oz

2007-10-14T20:59:00.000-04:00

I'm not really sure why it took me so long to finish this one - it was almost 800 pages, but it was three separate novels and interesting throughout. I'm undecided on whether or not I'd read something else by this author - I liked it, but didn't love it.

Completed 11/2/07.

Diana Tregarde Investigates - Mercedes Lackey
Hardcover - 28.9 oz

September Weight Loss Total: 12 lbs 0.6 oz

Books Completed (October)

The Big Over Easy - Jasper Fforde (9.9 oz)
The Quickie - James Patterson and Michael Lewidge (10.8 oz)

Fables Volume One: Legends in Exile - Bill Willingham (7.7 oz)
The Queen of Broken Hearts - Cassandra King (13.3 oz)

The Feast of Love: A Novel - Charles Baxter (9.7 oz)

Fables Volume Two: Animal Farm - Bill Willingham (7.1 oz)
---------------------------------
15 lbs 11.1 oz

Completed 10/14/07 - Total weight loss 15 lbs 4 oz

2007-10-11T06:34:00.000-04:00

I loved this book. That said, I think you have to be in the right place in your life to really appreciate the stories that Charles Baxter tells. This book is not for the broken-hearted, or for those who have become cynical or jaded about love. I can't wait to see the movie, even though I've heard it doesn't do the book justice.

Completed 10/14/07.

The Feast of Love: A Novel - Charles Baxter
Paperback - 9.7 oz

September Weight Loss Total: 12 lbs 0.6 oz

Books Completed (October)
The Big Over Easy - Jasper Fforde (9.9 oz)

The Quickie - James Patterson and Michael Lewidge (10.8 oz)
Fables Volume One: Legends in Exile - Bill Willingham (7.7 oz)

The Queen of Broken Hearts - Cassandra King (13.3 oz)

---------------------------------

14 lbs 10.3 oz

Completed 10/10/07 - Total weight loss 14 lbs 10.3 oz

2007-10-04T21:00:00.001-04:00

I really enjoyed this book; there was a lot going on and the characters were fantastic, but the ending was way way too abrupt for my taste. It's not that often I really feel like a book NEEDS to be longer, but this book needed at least another couple chapters to wrap up all the plotlines.

Completed 10/10/07.

The Queen of Broken Hearts - Cassandra King
Hardcover - 13.3 oz

September Weight Loss Total: 12 lbs 0.6 oz

Books Completed (October)

The Big Over Easy - Jasper Fforde (9.9 oz)
The Quickie - James Patterson and Michael Lewidge (10.8 oz)

Fables Volume One: Legends in Exile - Bill Willingham (7.7 oz)
---------------------------------
13 lbs 13 oz

Completed 10/4/07 - Total weight loss 13 lbs 13 oz

2007-10-04T20:52:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if reading graphic novels is cheating a little, but damn, this was good. I want to go out and buy the rest of the series and hoard them to reread over and over like I did with Neil Gaiman's Sandman series. I'm not normally a big fan of comics, but with a neat premise like this one, I can't help myself.

Completed 10/4/07.

Fables Volume 1: Legends in Exile - Bill Willingham
Paperback (Graphic Novel) - 7.7 oz

September Weight Loss Total: 12 lbs 0.6 oz

Books Completed (October)

The Big Over Easy - Jasper Fforde (9.9 oz)

The Quickie - James Patterson and Michael Lewidge (10.8 oz)

---------------------------------

13 lbs 5.3 oz

Completed 10/3/07 - Total weight loss 13lbs 5.3 oz

2007-10-02T18:03:00.000-04:00

Is it horrible that I think I liked James Patterson better when he wrote his own books? I mean, I really enjoyed the Alex Cross series, as far as I read. But this? Meh. There were a few really good moments, but the character development, really, was sub-par, and the ending was worse than trite. It wasn't a complete waste of time, but I've certainly read better.

Completed 10/3/07.

The Quickie - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Hardcover - 10.8 oz

September Weight Loss Total: 12 lbs 0.6 oz

Books Completed (October)

The Big Over Easy - Jasper Fforde (9.9 oz)
---------------------------------
12 lbs 10.5 oz

Completed 10/1/07 - Total weight loss 12 lbs 10.5 oz

2007-09-26T18:20:00.000-04:00

Now this was a fun book.

It took me a really long time to read because life kept getting in the way, but every single time I picked it up, I giggled. As soon as I dig myself out of the backlog of books I'm committed to reading, "The Fourth Bear" is getting added to the books in queue list.

Completed 10/1/07

The Big Over Easy - Jasper Fforde

Paperback - 9.9 oz

Books Completed:

The Law of Similars - Chris Bohjalian (9.1 oz)

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (6.4 oz)

The Art of Kissing - William Cane (6.1 oz)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (7.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (8.7 oz)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (11.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (18.1 oz)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (21.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (38.1 oz)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (42.6 oz)

The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club - Jessica Morrison (9.6 oz)

All-Encompassing Trip - Nicole Del Sesto (14.3 oz)

---------------------------------

12 lbs 0.6 oz

Completed 9/24/07 - Total weight loss 12 lbs 0.6 oz

2007-09-23T12:22:00.000-04:00

This was a weird book. And I liked almost all of it. There were a few ... let's say sketchy ... moments towards the end that very nearly ruined it for me. The afterword though? More than makes up for it.

Completed 9/24/06

All-Encompassing Trip - Nicole Del Sesto
Paperback - 14.3 oz

Books Completed:

The Law of Similars - Chris Bohjalian (9.1 oz)

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (6.4 oz)

The Art of Kissing - William Cane (6.1 oz)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (7.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (8.7 oz)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (11.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (18.1 oz)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (21.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (38.1 oz)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (42.6 oz)

The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club - Jessica Morrison (9.6 oz)

---------------------------------

11 lbs 2.3 oz

Completed 9/23/06 - Total weight loss: 11 lbs 2.3 oz

2007-09-21T16:35:00.000-04:00

I don't know that I've ever read a book where I have identified with the main character quite so much. I totally saw myself in Cassie Moore. I loved this book, I really did. If it weren't part of a book ring (meaning I have to send it on to the next reader), it'd probably have a place on my keeper shelf. Maybe I'll pick up another copy to put away for a day when I'm feeling blah because this book could totally cheer me up.

Completed 9/23/06.

The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club - Jessica Morrison

Paperback - 9.6 oz

Books Completed:
The Law of Similars - Chris Bohjalian (9.1 oz)
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (6.4 oz)
The Art of Kissing - William Cane (6.1 oz)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (7.2 oz)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (8.7 oz)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (11.2 oz)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (18.1 oz)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (21.2 oz)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (38.1 oz)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (42.6 oz)
---------------------------------
10 lbs 8.7 oz

Completed 9/21/07 - Total weight loss: 10 lbs 8.7 oz

2007-09-20T09:59:00.000-04:00

Meh. Seriously. Part of me really wanted the whole Harry Potter series to live up to the hype. For me? Not so much. Rowling certainly took some risks with this last book, but it just wasn't enough. I mean, I'm glad I've read them, but there's no way these belong on my "keeper" shelf.

Completed 9/21/07.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J. K. Rowling
Hardcover - 42.6 oz (2 lbs 10.6 oz)

Books Completed:

The Law of Similars - Chris Bohjalian (9.1 oz)

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (6.4 oz)

The Art of Kissing - William Cane (6.1 oz)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (7.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (8.7 oz)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (11.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (18.1 oz)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (21.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (38.1 oz)

---------------------------------

7 lbs 14.1 oz

Completed 9/19/07 - Total weight loss: 7 lbs 14.1 oz

2007-09-16T10:49:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's just an over-load effect (after all, I'm reading all of these books consecutively rather than one a year), but I'm sort of bored by the whole thing. One more to go - I hear the ending of the series is just about perfect - which means I'm likely to be disappointed.

Completed 9/19/07.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling
Hardcover - 38.1 oz (2 lbs 6.1 oz)

Completed 9/16/07 - Total weight lost: 5 lbs 8 oz

2007-09-14T12:31:00.000-04:00

Despite the fact that, yet again, I was totally sucked in, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the last one. Two more to go. At this point, I have to know how the story ends.

Completed 9/16/07.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J. K. Rowling

Paperback - 21.2 oz (1 lb 5.2 oz)

Books Completed:

The Law of Similars - Chris Bohjalian (9.1 oz)
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (6.4 oz)

The Art of Kissing - William Cane (6.1 oz)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (7.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (8.7 oz)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (11.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (18.1 oz )

---------------------------------

4 lbs 2.8 oz

Completed 9/13/07 - Total weight loss: 4 lbs 2.8 oz

2007-09-11T12:28:00.001-04:00

Okay, I admit it. I'm officially sucked in. I'm flying through these books and getting very little else done. Three more to go.

Completed 9/13/07.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J. K. Rowling
Paperback - 18.1 oz (1lb 2.1oz)

Books Completed:
The Law of Similars - Chris Bohjalian (9.1 oz)

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (6.4 oz)
The Art of Kissing - William Cane (6.1 oz)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (7.2 oz)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (8.7 oz)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (11.2 oz)
---------------------------------
3 lbs 0.7 oz

Completed 9/11/07 - Total weight lost: 3 lbs 0.7 oz

2007-09-10T14:37:00.000-04:00

Despite being over a hundred pages longer, it was a quicker read than any of the first two. Perhaps I'm actually starting to get into this?

Completed 9/11/07.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling
Paperback - 11.2 oz

Books Completed:

The Law of Similars - Chris Bohjalian (9.1 oz)
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (6.4 oz)

The Art of Kissing - William Cane (6.1 oz)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (7.2 oz)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (8.7 oz)

---------------------------------

2 lbs 5.5 oz

Completed 9/9/07 - Total weight loss: 2 lbs 5.5 oz

2007-09-07T14:49:00.000-04:00

Better than the first, but I'm still not getting what all the hype was about. I think I'd really be enjoying these if they weren't so ridiculously over-rated. But I'm still moving on to book three.

Completed 9/9/07.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
Paperback - 8.7 oz

Books Completed:
The Law of Similars - Chris Bohjalian (9.1 oz)

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (6.4 oz)
The Art of Kissing - William Cane (6.1 oz)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (7.2 oz)
---------------------------------
1lb 12.8 oz

Completed 9/7/07 - Total weight loss: 1lb 12.8 oz

2007-09-06T11:40:00.001-04:00

An interesting start to the series. I don't know that I would have picked up the next book, though, if I had read this when it first came out. I'm not opposed to reading YA books, but they rarely hold my interest. However, since I've been told that starting with book three, they improve greatly, I'm going to press on.

Completed on 9/7/07.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J. K. Rowling
Paperback - 7.2 oz

Books Completed:

The Law of Similars - Chris Bohjalian (9.1 oz)
Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (6.4 oz)

The Art of Kissing - William Cane (6.1 oz)

---------------------------------

1lb 5.6 oz

Completed 9/6/07 - Total weight loss: 1lb, 5.6 oz

2007-09-05T20:08:00.001-04:00

Definitely a cute book - not exactly educational, but interesting.

Completed on 9/6/07

The Art of Kissing - William Cane

Paperback - 6.1 oz

Books Completed:
The Law of Similars - Chris Bohjalian (9.1 oz)

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (6.4 oz)
------------------------------------------------------

15.5 oz

Completed 9/5/07 - total weight loss 15.5 oz

2007-09-03T18:09:00.001-04:00

"Neverwhere" is one of my favorite books of all time; I enjoyed this book, but at the same time, it did not live up to my expectations of Gaiman. There are some wonderful, laugh out loud moments, but I wanted more substance to go with them.

Completed 9/5/07

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman
Mass Market Paperback - 6.4 oz

Books Completed:

The Law of Similars - Chris Bohjalian (9.1 oz)

Completed 9/3/07 - total weight loss 9.1 oz

2007-09-03T13:51:00.000-04:00

Not quite as good as "Midwives" but still an excellent book.

completed on 9/3/07

The Law of Similars by Chris Bojhalian

Trade Paperback - 9.1 oz