More of the DNF category

Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith

From Amazon: With a wink and a nod to Bram Stoker, New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith unites the casts of Tantalize and Eternal in a delicious dark fantasy her fans will devour. Quincie P. Morris, teen restaurateuse and neophyte vampire, is in the fight of her life -- or undeath. Even as she adjusts to her new appetites, she must clear her best friend and true love, the hybrid werewolf Kieren, of murder charges; thwart the apocalyptic ambitions of Bradley Sanguini, the seductive vampire-chef who "blessed" her; and keep her dead parents’ restaurant up and running. She hires a more homespun chef and adds the preternaturally beautiful Zachary to her wait staff. But with hundreds of new vampires on the rise and Bradley off assuming the powers of Dracula Prime, Zachary soon reveals his true nature -- and a flaming sword -- and they hit the road to staunch the bloodshed before its too late. Even if they save the world, will there be time left to salvage Quincie’s soul?

From Me: I’m a little over teen paranormal but this one is fresher than most. Not quite enough to keep me reading at the busy end of the year but I flicked thru it to the end. The Light wins because the heroine keeps faith (which was a hard thing to get my head around, given she’s a vamp) and true love conquers all. Three stars for the bits I did read.

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson

Embargoed until May 2011 but from the back of the book: Christine wakes in a strange bed beside a man she does not recognise. In the bathroom she finds a photograph of him taped to the mirror, and beneath it the words “Your husband.” Each day, Christine wakes knowing nothing of her life. Each night, her mind erases the day. But before she goes to sleep, she will recover fragments from her past, flashbacks to the accident that damaged her, and then – mercifully – she will forget. Chilling, exquisitely crafted and compulsively readable, S. J. Watson’s debut novel Before I Go To Sleep is a psychological thriller of the highest order. It asks primary questions. Are there things best not remembered? Who are we if we do not know our own history? How do we love without memory?

From Me: It’s unfortunate but right from the start this reminded me of the Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore movie 50 First Dates. And as this debut novel takes itself very seriously indeed this probably won’t be the author’s favourite comparison. However Rowan Jaffe is to adapt it into a screenplay and I think it would be better on the big screen. It’s not often I say that but this should translate well to a two hour thriller. If you want to see a cover there are a couple of versions floating around the net - I prefer Text's australian cover to the English version (was the designer channelling Meyer's Host?) but this far out from publication neither may be final.

Boys Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman

From Amazon: You’re waiting for the postman--he’s bringing your A level results. University, a career as a journalist--a glittering future lies ahead. But when the doorbell rings it’s your old girlfriend; and she’s carrying a baby. You’re fine to look after it, for an hour or two, while she does some shopping. Then she doesn’t come back and your future suddenly looks very different.

From Me: I think this is the first title I’ve read that tackles the issue of teenage pregnancy from the father’s POV and it does it very well. I know it’s the first Blackman I’ve read (whenever I’ve thought about Noughts & Crosses it just hasn’t been on the shelf) but it won’t be my last.

Told alternately from the POV of Dante, 17 and with his life planned out and younger brother Adam, casual and seemingly carefree, it’s clever, insightful and oh so real – teenage pregnancy, abortion, homosexuality, death of a parent, suicide – there are a lot of topics in this book but they are covered very well, and very competently. There is also a lot of joy – I am assuming Blackman is a mother herself as the way she describes the overwhelming feelings of happiness and completeness that you can feel from just a simple thing – your child’s smile – is spot on, as are the descriptions of the despair that being so bloody tired from caring for a baby can bring on.

Five stars easily. Read it.

Rosebush by Michele Jaffe

"Jaffe manages the suspense marvelously while also unfolding Jane's emotional life...a winner." --Kirkus

From Amazon: Instead of celebrating Memorial Day weekend on the Jersey Shore, Jane is in the hospital surrounded by teddy bears, trying to piece together what happened last night. One minute she was at a party, wearing fairy wings and cuddling with her boyfriend. The next, she was lying near-dead in a rosebush after a hit-and-run. Everyone believes it was an accident, despite the phone threats Jane swears were real. But the truth is a thorny thing. As Jane’s boyfriend, friends, and admirers come to visit, more memories surface, not just from the party, but from deeper in her past . . . including the night her best friend Bonnie died. With nearly everyone in her life a suspect now, Jane must unravel the mystery before her killer attacks again. Along the way, she’s forced to examine the consequences of her life choices in this compulsively readable thriller.

From Me: I devoured this title – had to keep looking up from it tho to make sure I’d get off the train at the right stop! It’s cunning and thrilling, clever and devious and a very good teen read. It’s described by the publisher as Mean Girls meets Rear Window and that’s very apt. The suspense was very well played out and enjoyable even if it had me on edge for most of the night (I nearly hit the roof during one scene of S2 Mentalist finale - not cool. Laughable, but not cool).

There were a couple of moments when I went What??!! And another few I scoffed, but according to the resident teen it’s very realistic with regards to the almost compulsive need Jane has to fit in and be popular, and how she’s blinded to a lot of other things.

If you’re not or never have been one who feels a need to fit in this may not be the read for you, however Jaffe is now on our library list.

Matched by Ally Condie

From the publisher: ON HER SEVENTEENTH BIRTHDAY, CASSIA MEETS HER MATCH.  SOCIETY DICTATES HE IS HER PERFECT PARTNER FOR LIFE. EXCEPT HE'S NOT.
In Cassia's society, Officials decide who people love. How many children they have. Where they work. When they die. But, as Cassia finds herself falling in love with another boy, she is determined to make some choices of her own. And that's when her whole world begins to unravel . . .

This book is really clever. Really, really clever. With simple, not flowery prose, and inclusion of some classic poems it’ll drag you in. I absolutely devoured this book (despite it being a teen read) and I’m looking forward to where it might head in the next book of the series. By turns chilling and uplifting, with (again) clever use of classic poetry, it’s an easy recommend for any teen girl (especially as it doesn't contain any sex) and best of all, it’s a series!!!

Ally , you probably won't get to read this but it would be really interesting written from Xander’s POV too. No pressure!

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on that sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas

A Kiwi Night Before Christmas by Yvonne Morrison & Deborah Hinde

From the publisher: The much-loved poem by Clement Clarke Moore, originally released under the title 'A Visit from St. Nicholas' but better known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' is given a new slant in this Kiwi version. The weather is fine and hot and the family is staying at the bach for the Christmas holidays when a white-haired man in black singlet and shorts appears in the sky riding on a tractor drawn by six sheep. This is the ultimate read-aloud for Christmas in New Zealand. The rhyming text flows off the page and Deborah Hinde captures the colour of a truly New Zealand festive season. This new edition includes a full-colour press-out model of the beach bach that children can make for themselves, and a music CD!

The CD was still on rotation when I went up for my late night check on the boys, which should go to show that it’s still a favourite after a few years and readings. In this case the publisher’s blurb is completely accurate and the words just trip along. It was in this story that little Brian’s parents first appeared.

Santa’s Kiwi Holiday by Maria Farrer & Deborah Hinde

From the publisher: After all his hectic work Santa feels he needs a rest. He scans the globe for where to go. He wants sea and sun, not ice and snow - mountains, rivers, native bush. So where does he choose? Why sunny New Zealand of course. Over the days that follow Santa visits popular tourist sights throughout New Zealand until, with batteries thoroughly recharged, he returns to his North Pole home to prepare for next Christmas.

Reading this book reminds me of the John Hore Grenell version of “I’ve Been Everywhere, Man”. As a family we’ve tiki-toured our own country first of course so where Santa goes, we paved the way (sometimes literally although Bran has now outgrown that unfortunate stage). Love the illustrations on this one.

And here the link to Grenell’s version and a little bit of trivia for the John Denver fan – guess who he got the name from? Scroll to the bottom for a bit of a surprise.

Here Comes Santa: Mini Christmas Pop-Up by David Pelham

From the publisher: It's Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus is ready to deliver toys and goodies to all of the lucky girls and boys. Join Santa in this fantastic mini pop-up as he guides his trusty reindeer through a sleepy town to bring cheer and laughter to all on Christmas Day!

Being from 2008, this one could be a little harder to get hold of that our usual books, but it has its beautiful moments. The scene with the child lying in bed, pretending to be asleep yet as you move the page you can see the eye move – genius construction. So delicate, yet so real! This isn’t one to leave unsupervised with the toddlers as the pages may be destroyed (Santa’s hat on the last page is slightly askew in our copy) but the rhythm and rhyme are gorgeous.

Brian, The Big Brained Romney/Brian Saves Christmas, by Yvonne Morrison & Deborah Hinde

From the publisher: Brian is a new lamb born to a couple of the sheep that pull Santa’s tractor. But Brian doesn’t like rugby – or flying, for that matter. He’d much rather gaze at the stars than fly through them. But brainy Brian’s talents prove essential when the team are fog-bound on Christmas Eve.

Best read in the same tune as “Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer”, this is one we purchased as we loved this combinations version of a Kiwi Night Before Christmas (ours is complete with the bach but it comes in all formats, including a board version for little hands). What’s even better is our kids know someone who’s a bit like Brian, very smart and not easily merged into the group of rough-and-tumble boys that populate the school ground. So while the kids didn’t enjoy my singing voice much, we did have a good time spotting the “Kiwi” bits and a discussion about how it takes all sorts to get the job done.

The Polar Express by Chris van Allsburg

I am, quite frankly, a square. I like to know who, what, where – so much so that my loving family call me “Paulapedia”. Sometimes it’s not said with affection, but there you go. Sometimes my curiosity leads us on to greater things – and our December Reads are one of these things. And no, we’re not going on about the other things right now. That would be wrong on so many levels.

So we watched Tom Hank’s Polar Express a few years ago (I think we were sweltering in Bali at the time. Not so apt). As part of the special features there was an interview with Hanks and his wife Rita, talking about their family traditions. One was that the children chose a Christmas-themed story each night and the family sat down to read it together. Of course it's an idea I had to steal. And share. Lots of sharing!

This year we’re close to the 23 books we need (we read from the Gospel of Luke on Christmas Eve). To add to the fun, I wrap them all individually and they go into a basket. This year Bran chose the first title and yay! It’s the Polar Express. A perfect start to the month.

The basics of the story is a young boy is staying awake, trying to hear Santa’s arrival. Instead he hears the brakes of a steam train – the Polar Express. He jumps on board and heads to the North Pole and a major adventure.

If you haven’t read the book, you can get a preview at Google Books. Polar Express Google Books

& in the "also ran's" section...

A couple of DNF’s actually. Dammit.

• All I Want For Christmas by Amy Silver – I just didn’t get interested in the main character, enough that is to keep reading. However something safe for the great aunt or grandma to read.

• The Crowd Goes Wild Year in Sport – the show isn’t the same now Prime have moved it (I blame Hayley Holt, nice enough girl but not the same combo as Richardson, Mulligan, Sommerset & McConey) and this book just wasn’t there either. Good try tho. One for the BIL’s stocking maybe?

TK Roxborogh - Bloodlines

Amazon Description: 'Do not feel guilty that you do not love me like her.  Our union will be another story, Fleance.  I will be a good wife and an excellent queen.' Fleance is the new king of Scotland, but he is the ruler of a divided nation. According to his advisors he must marry a woman from a royal bloodline to strengthen his position.  It seems that Rachel, sister of Fleance's dead friend King Duncan will be the next Queen of Scotland, although Fleance cannot forget Rosie, his first love. But when Rachel is abducted, Fleance's position becomes even more dangerous and a bloody civil war seems inevitable. Love and duty collide in this gripping tale of valour and betrayal. The epic story that began with Banquo's Son continues.

Tania Roxborogh’s an Otago-based English teacher and her premise for this series was – What happened when Shakespeare’s Macbeth finished? The first title of the trilogy was Banquo’s Son, has Fleance growing up far too fast – fleeing to England after the murder of his father, and learning both love and the necessary skills that will enable him to enact revenge. I absolutely loved it and was waiting with a lot of anticipation for this one. Bloodlines is still a teen read (late teens, if you please) and IMO, suffers a little from the trilogy bug, in that the second title is never quite as good as the first or the last.

But having said that, it’s still a good read. Plenty of action and romance, which any teen wants, along with attention to the historical details (crafty teacher – get them learning while they’re being entertained although I was looking for any reference to flagstones) – I liked the sneak peek of William of Normandy and wonder how much of a part he will play in Birthright and thought Aha! at the wedding in the last chapter. I can’t say too much as really anything would be a spoiler but things are set up very nicely for Birthright and I’m looking forward to that one too.

Erin McKean - The Secret Lives of Dresses

Amazon Description: Dora has always taken the path of least resistance. She went to the college that offered her a scholarship, is majoring in "vagueness studies," and wears whatever shows the least dirt. She falls into a job at the college coffee shop, and a crush on her flirty boss, Gary. Just when she's about to test Gary's feelings, Mimi, the grandmother who raised her, suffers a stroke. Dora rushes back home to Forsyth, NC, and finds herself running her grandmother's vintage clothing store. The store has always been a fixture in Dora's life; though she grew up more of a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of girl, before she even knew how to write, Mimi taught her that a vintage 1920s dress could lift a woman's spirit. While working there, Dora befriends Mimi's adorable contractor, Conrad. Is he after Dora, or is working from a different blueprint? And why did Mimi start writing down--and giving away--stories of the dresses in her shop? When Mimi dies, Dora can't get out of town fast enough and cedes control of the store to her money-hungry aunt who wants to turn it into a t-shirt shop for tourists. But ultimately, she returns to Forsyth, willing to battle whatever may stand in the way of her staying there. Dora can trade her boring clothes for vintage glamour, but can she trade her boring life for one she actually wants?

The Amazon description probably gives away too much but the only true fault I found with this book is it gallops to the end. It’s a good storyline, realistic dialogue and bonus! No sex scenes, so safe to give to Grandma or the MIL as a present (so refreshing after the last book I read! Romance is not dead yet after all). And the secret lives of the dresses – cool idea.

Alison Weir - The Captive Queen

 

Amazon description: It is the year 1152 and a beautiful woman of thirty, attended by only a small armed escort, is riding like the wind southwards through what is now France, leaving behind her crown, her two young daughters and a shattered marriage to Louis of France, who had been more like a monk than a king, and certainly not much of a lover. This woman is Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, and her sole purpose now is to return to her vast duchy and marry the man she loves, Henry Plantagenet, a man destined for greatness as King of England. Theirs is a union founded on lust which will create a great empire stretching from the wilds of Scotland to the Pyrenees. It will also create the devil’s brood of Plantagenets – including Richard Cœur de Lion and King John – and the most notoriously vicious marriage in history. The Captive Queen is a novel on the grand scale, an epic subject for Alison Weir. It tells of the making of nations, and of passionate conflicts: between Henry II and Thomas Becket, his closest friend who is murdered in Canterbury Cathedral on his orders; between Eleanor and Henry’s formidable mother Matilda; between father and sons, as Henry’s children take up arms against him; and finally between Henry and Eleanor herself.

I normally enjoy Weir’s books and devour them. This time I keep stuttering and stopping to readjust my set- there’s something not quite right about this novel. The author is a best seller in both fiction and non-fiction but frankly I enjoyed her biography a lot more. This is a little too short to do justice to the times and the extra-ordinary life that Eleanor lived; and a lot too heavy on the bodice ripper. If you’re looking for a fictional Eleanor and Henry, try Sharon Penman’s trilogy (When Christ and His Saints Slept, Time and Chance & The Devil’s Brood). For the non-fiction, Weir’s own work does nicely. Disappointing really – Innocent Traitor was so much better.

Suzanne Collins - Hunger Games #3 - Mockingjay

I’ve been waiting what seems like ages to read this one, the conclusion to the pretty awesome Hunger Games trilogy (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay). While it’s ostensibly a teen read, I’ve converted a few “adults” to reading them.

Way back when I read the first title, I was so excited. I’d compare reading it to the same level of excitement I got when reading CS Lewis’ Narnia books – adventure, good vs evil, a whole new world and every other good thing. If you haven’t read any of the series, it’s a must to read in order – and avert your eyes from the next bit.

The Hunger Games are set in a post-apocalyptic world of what was the US. There are 13 districts that support the Capitol by paying tributes – and once every few years, those tributes are two children from each district who compete against each other in the Hunger Games arena until death claims all but one. When Katniss Everdeen competes, taking the place of her younger sister Prim, she causes the game to change. President Snow and the Games are under pressure and the Rebels choose Katniss, the human Mockingjay, as their emblem of the Rising. But Snow has a weapon to use against Katniss – her district and her family, and most of all, Peeta.

Book three wraps away nearly everything in a good, clean package. Action and suspense vie with a little romance (only right as Katniss is getting older, but nothing graphic or un-needed) in a fast paced, smooth conclusion. I put down Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for this – and I definitely don’t regret it!

PS - the NZ cover isn't as pictured; I am still waiting on the supplier to send it :)

Nalini Singh - Angel's Blood

Nalini Singh seems the opposite to L&P – world famous, but not in New Zealand. A bit of research shows she’s been in NYT best seller lists; nine books in her Psy-Changelings series and soon to be three in the Guild Hunter series, plus a few others. She lives in Christchurch, has not a bad blog and a good website (warning – DO NOT go on this at work. J)

Anyway, as Nalini is signing at our Borders Armageddon stand, I picked up one of her titles, Angel’s Blood, the first of the Guild Hunter series. Christine Feehan raves about the author so if you like well-imagined paranormal, you should like the books.

Amazon description: Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad. The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.

It’s been my “bus book” for a few days but I will admit to burning part of dinner last night as I had to finish it and know what happened. Cue protests from the kids. Overall, a solid 4 stars. Love how it’s in our world (like the Dark Hunter series, it’s a recognizable place, in this case, New York City), good plot, well written, leaves a bit to the imagination – I’m rushing onto book two now. And in case you were wondering, now that I've read this I get where LA Weatherly got her Angel idea from. But you already know how I feel about THAT book...

you against me - jenny downham

A while ago I read an absolute tear-jerker of a book. Tears, because it was so well written and both simple and complex; with a lot of smiles, because it was so realistic. That book was Downham's Before I Die. A really good review of it can be found here, on the Guardian's site.

On Chris' slush pile was Downham's latest, You Against Me. It's about teens again - Mikey, whose sister has been allegedly attacked and raped, and Ellie, sister to the supposed rapist. Again, its realistic and confronting and so far (up to chapter 13) it's living up to my expectations.

If you have a teen girl, go out and buy these novels. Read them first & you'll be amazed at the conversations you'll be having with your girl. I was.

EDITED TO UPDATE: This is a good read. Not a great read, but certainly good. While Downham's first didn't pull punches, I got the feeling that towards the end, in this book she did. Rape, denial, false allegations have such a taboo to them, even more so that a child dying, that there were avenues that I thought she could have gone down. All in all tho, still one to get the mind thinking.

old favourites

Cleaning up in the garage this weekend I came across some old friends. Solid romance, lots of laughs. I wish she'd write some more!

The series starts when cat burglar Samantha Jellicoe finds out she's been double-crossed, and saves the life of (very hunky) English billionaire Richard Addison. With a strong supporting cast that flow thru the four books and one novella, it's fun and fresh to read. Love the Star Wars mentions.

The Whitcoulls Top 100

As I am bopping around the work kitchen, singing in my head (thanks resound from my philistine workmates) I went from Alejandro by Lady Gaga (don’t ask, but did anyone else wonder if she/he was just another Madonna personality? No? Well, at least then I am unique) to wondering how many of the latest Whitcoulls Top 100 I had read.

#	TITLE	AUTHOR	STATUS
1	The Millennium Trilogy	Stieg Larsson	to read
2	The Twilight Saga	Stephenie Meyer	sadly, have read
3	The Time Traveler's Wife	Audrey Niffenegger
4	My Sister's Keeper	Jodi Picoult	read
5	Cross Stitch	Diana Gabaldon	owned & read
6	The Lord of the Rings	J. R. R. Tolkien	owned & read
7	Pride and Prejudice	Jane Austen	owned & read
8	Life Of Pi	Yann Martel
9	To Kill a Mockingbird	Harper Lee	read - 5th form?
10	The Lovely Bones	Alice Sebold
11	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows	J. K. Rowling	owned & read
12	The Bronze Horseman	Paullina Simons
13	Jamie Does...	Jamie Oliver
14	The Da Vinci Code	Dan Brown	read
15	The Passage	Justin Cronin
16	61 Hours	Lee Child	read
17	Genesis Plague	Michael Byrnes
18	Open: An Autobiography	Andre Agassi
19	The Hobbit	J. R. R. Tolkien	owned & read
20	The Power of One	Bryce Courtenay	read
21	Kite Runner	Khaled Hosseini
22	The Pillars of the Earth	Ken Follett	read
23	The Bible		owned & read
24	Book Thief	Markus Zusak
25	Memoirs of a Geisha	Arthur Golden
26	The Magician	Raymond E. Feist	owned & read
27	Ordinary Thunderstorms	William Boyd
28	The Clan of the Cave Bear	Jean M. Auel	read
29	Angels and Demons	Dan Brown	read
30	Little Vampire Women	Alcott , Messina	you must be joking!
31	Brethren	John Grisham
32	Notebook	Nicholas Sparks	read
33	Into the Wilderness	Sara Donati	read
34	Mao's Last Dancer	Li Cunxin
35	No Logo	Naomi Klein
36	A Thousand Splendid Suns	Khaled Hosseini
37	Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time	Mark Haddon	read
38	The Other Boleyn Girl	Philippa Gregory	read
39	The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe	C. S. Lewis	owned & read
40	Nineteen Minutes	Jodi Picoult	read
41	Her Fearful Symmetry	Audrey Niffenegger
42	As the Earth Turns Silver	Alison Wong
43	A Short History of Nearly Everything	Bill Bryson
44	Poisonwood Bible	Barbara Kingsolver
45	Moonfleet	Rob Lloyd Jones & Alan Marks
46	Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone	J. K. Rowling	owned & read
47	Gone with the Wind	Margaret Mitchell	owned & read
48	Lost Symbol	Dan Brown	read
49	Shantaram	Gregory David Roberts
50	The Memory Keeper's Daughter	Kim Edwards	read
51	Tour De Lance: The Extraordinary Story of Lance Armstrong's Attempt to Reclaim The Tour De France	Bill Strickland
52	Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	J. K. Rowling	owned & read
53	Wuthering Heights	Emily Bronte	read
54	9th Judgement	Patterson , Paetro
55	River God	Wilbur Smith	owned & read
56	Angela's Ashes	Frank Mccourt	read
57	Jessica	Bryce Courtenay
58	Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China	Jung Chang	owned & read
59	The Catcher in the Rye	J. D. Salinger	read
60	Collaborator	Gerald Seymour
61	Dune	Frank Herbert	read
62	Recipe for Life	Nicky Pellegrino	read
63	The Tea Rose	Jennifer Donnelly	read
64	Tomorrow, When the War Began	John Marsden
65	The Alchemist	Paulo Coelho
66	Rachel's Holiday	Marian Keyes
67	The Girl in Times Square	Paullina Simons
68	Birdsong	Sebastian Faulks	read
69	Chocolat	Joanne Harris	read
70	The Search	Nora Roberts	owned & read
71	A Fine Balance	Rohinton Mistry
72	Jane Eyre	Charlotte Bronte	read
73	Mister Pip	Lloyd Jones
74	World Without End	Ken Follett	read
75	Kane and Abel	Jeffrey Archer	read
76	Vampire Academy	Richelle Mead	you must be joking!
77	The Pact	Jodi Picoult
78	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix	J. K. Rowling	owned & read
79	Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy	Douglas Adams	owned & read
80	Host	Stephenie Meyer	owned & read
81	I Know This Much is True	Wally Lamb	owned & read
82	Killing Floor	Lee Child	read
83	April Fool's Day	Bryce Courtenay	read - cried
84	Bridget Jones Diary	Helen Fielding	read
85	Northern Lights	Philip Pullman	read
86	Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	J. K. Rowling	owned & read
87	Bohemian Girl	Kenneth Cameron
88	Eragon	Christopher Paolini	owned & read
89	Love Story: Starring My Dead Best Friend	Emily Horner
90	Eat, Pray, Love	Elizabeth Gilbert
91	Atonement	Ian Mcewan	read
92	Flying Carpet To Baghdad: One Woman's Fight for Two Orphans of War	Hala Jaber
93	Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society	Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
94	Stand	Stephen King	read
95	Tully	Paullina Simons
96	This Charming Man	Marian Keyes
97	We Need to Talk about Kevin	Lionel Shriver	read
98	Captain Corelli's Mandolin	Louis De Bernieres	read
99	Perfume: The Story of a Murderer	Patrick Suskind
100	House Rules	Jodi Picoult

hmm, not as many as I thought. However, I have The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as my "bus book" this week, and even tho the Examiner rated the movie "Eat Pray Snore" that's on my shelf too. As well as the new Lloyd Jones. Oh heck, I haven't read Mr Pip yet...