My Excuse...

If you've been paying attention, you'll see that my reading has slowed down quite a bit in the last few months. I can't blame it completely on it being summer and having more going on...

I'm pregnant! I'm almost 15 weeks along, due in early March.

And along with that...I'm feeling miserable! Nausea, vomiting, just overall a lack of energy to do much of anything. I usually read before bed, but find myself going to bed earlier and earlier lately, which cuts out reading time. My other main time for reading is on my lunch hour, but with being sick and missing work, I'm often working through my lunch hour when I'm feeling ok, to make up time. So that has cut into my reading time too!

So, that's my big excuse for not reading as much, and being so slow about blog updates. I'm hopeful that I'll be feeling better soon, and getting some more energy back so that I'll be able to keep up a little better...

Harry Potter Series

I've spent the last 6 weeks or so revisiting the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. I had wanted to re-read this series for awhile, but am always wary of doing so right before one of the movies comes out. So, I put it off until after seeing The Half Blood Prince. Once I saw the movie, I couldn't put it off any longer!

I adore these books, and the movies, but had only read each of them once. I've seen each of the movies countless times - I have most of them memorized by now, but they never seem to lose their magic. I was a late-comer to the books. My husband had seen the first movie and had me watch it with him. After seeing that movie he became interested in the books and started to read them. I kept putting it off, thinking I would rather see all of the movies first. But eventually I had to give in. We both anxiously awaited the release of the final book when it came out, and we both get excited when a new movie comes out.

There were so many details from the books that I had forgotten! It was so much fun to re-read them, and I did so slowly, since the first time I had read through them so quickly. I really was able to enjoy each of them, and get things out of them that I hadn't before. I think my favorites still hold true. I love book 3 - The Prisoner of Azkaban. I also love book 5 - The Order of the Phoenix. After seeing the 6th movie, I think I enjoyed that book even more this time around. Book 7 is bittersweet...the end. It's great, but I'm sad to see it end. I'm thrilled there will be two movies, because I think they'll be able to get a lot of the details in...plus, I'm just excited that there are still going to be TWO more new movies, not just one. Something to look forward to.

Overall, these books are brilliant. I don't know anyone who has read them that hasn't loved them. I'd definitely say that it's the best series I've ever read. They are so magical! Anyone who hasn't picked these up yet definitely needs to do it. You won't regret it! I'm sure I'll be re-reading them again soon, probably after the last two movies are out.

I'm so far behind!

I haven't reviewed any books I read in July yet! It was a smaller number than previous months, so hopefully I'll be able to get caught up. I haven't been reading as much lately, but I'm enjoying the Harry Potter series for the second time right now. I'm taking my time getting through them.

One of these days I'll get some quick reviews up of the other books I read in July. Stay tuned!

June in Review

I didn't think I would have much time to read this month, but I ended up reading 13 books!

I read nine new authors (new to me) and each book I read was by a different author. Some were parts of series (started 4 series, continued 2 others), and some were stand alone. Ten were young adult books.

My favorite of the month was Willow by Julia Hoban. I also really liked Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen.

Overall, a pretty good month of reading. I don't think I'll have any trouble getting to my goal of 100 books for 2009, since at the end of June I'm up to 78 already!

Looking forward to more good books in July!

Review: Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson

Summary from Barnes and Noble:
First Betsy Taylor loses her job, then she's killed in a car accident. But what really bites is that she can't seem to stay dead. And now her new friends have the ridiculous idea that Betsy is the prophesied vampire queen, and they want her help in overthrowing the most obnoxious power-hungry vampire in five centuries.

Undead and Unwed is the first book in an adult series. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it was a good read. Lots of humor and the fact that the story was based in Minnesota was fun, since that's where I live. Betsy's a great main character, and I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series!

Rated: 4/5

Review: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Summary from Barnes and Noble:
It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I love Sarah Dessen! I think she writes great young adult novels, and I always feel so connected to the characters. This newest one was no exception. I really can't say enough about the way she writes her books - I can never put them down, and always find myself really rooting for the characters. I really liked the fact that not everyone was who Auden thought they were. She made snap judgements about people, but learned much more about them once she let herself open up to them a little.

Always looking forward to reading more by Sarah Dessen!

Rated: 4.5/5

Review: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Summary from Barnes and Noble:
Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words.
Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.
In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

I had heard good things about this young adult novel, and really enjoyed it. I have to say, I never thought I would care much about a story about faeries (I think I've said that before!) but I was really interested. I didn't realize that the book was the first in a series, so of course now I'm disappointed that I have to wait for the next book to come out, but I'll definitely be checking it out!

I'm interested to see how Laurel will divide her time between the two worlds that she's a part of, and how the people around her will be affected.

Rated: 4.5/5

Review: The Shack by William P Young

Summary from Barnes and Noble:
Mackenzie Allen Philips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

I'd been interested in reading this book for awhile, since I had heard so much about it. It was definitely a lot different than everything else I've been reading lately, but I was anxious to see what all the buzz was about.

The story is really powerful, and I was in tears through most of the first half of the book (ok, and a lot of the second half too!). After that, it got a little wordy at times, and was pretty deep, but definitely a powerful story that made you think a lot. I can see why people have been drawn to it. I don't consider myself a super religious person, but I don't think it necessarily matters when reading this book.

Overall, a good read and I'll be recommending it to others that I think will enjoy the message.

Rated: 4/5

I'm Behind!

I'm hoping to find some time to update with new reviews and a wrap-up of June very soon!

I found time to read a lot this past month, but not much time to blog!!

Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

This is a childrens/young adult book.

Summary from Barnes and Noble:
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family . . .

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with this book, but I had heard good things. I really enjoyed it. It's geared more towards younger people, but is a great story that I know a lot of adults have liked too. It was very creative and kept me turning the pages. I think it would be a great book for young boys. I know it has been compared to Harry Potter in that way (although the story is quite different).

Rated: 4/5