Fall Into Reading 2010 **Little Update 10/28**

Every week on Tuesday Katrina will post a question for us FIR participants to answer. My post of answers can be found here
A LITTLE UPDATE 11/18/10
Well, here I am to do another update. It has been a little while but I have had a LOT of things going on. My reading has slacked off a bit in tandem with the 'real-life' stuff BUT I am still making a lot of progress. Out of my list of 33 - Yes, 33! - titles I have read {drum roll please...} THIRTY!! I have only THREE unfinished books on my list. I am DEFINITELY going to have to look for some other titles and add them because of the three left I am well into one which I only started last night and that leaves me maybe four days of reading...EEEKKKK!! 

Thanks for sticking with me throughout it all, everyone! God bless and keep reading!  

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A LITTLE UPDATE 10/28/10
It's me, the fearless reader again. I have startled myself by finishing the 7 Dark Tower series books. I am also, embarrassed or not, admitting to a new enthrallment: The Sookie Stackhouse series. Yes, those of you who watch HBO Original Series' know what I am talking about. I have been sucked into True Blood territory! The books are light hearted, funny, and also mysteries so they are right up my alley. I am  reading book three, Club Dead, right now. I've already read the first two, they are on my FIR 2010 Completed widget bookshelf. 
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A LITTLE UPDATE 10/15/10

Hello readers! Fall is well begun and hear me well, I do beg ya...Oops, sorry, too much Dark Tower lately! I have finished quite a few books already and so, since we still have MONTHS (yes, really, months!) to go on this fun adventure I have decided to add ALL the books that are Dark Tower related by our local boy, Stephen King to my reading list. The new books are added after the Dark Tower listings, starting with #20. 

Hi all!! I have waited for this since the Spring Reading Thing ended and it is FINALLY here! Of course, this also means that Autumn is here and crisp weather with beautiful sunny days (nice!) and chilly, rainy days perfect for staying inside, cooking up something satisfying and soothing and reading an awesome book or two! In fact, I finished two books that I had slated to put on my Fall Into Reading list but I finished both in two days, one last night and one this morning! They were:

Plum Spooky (A Between-the-Numbers Novel)
Plum Lovin' (A Between-the-Numbers Novel)

Both were excellent books! I have Sizzlin' Sixteen on order from the library AND a hold on it in audio format. Anyone who is following this and lives in Maine, we have a terrific resource from the Maine State Library where you can download audiobooks to your MP3 player for FREE!! Two per week and sometimes they are out or on hold, it is a popular service and they are awesome and worth the wait. Check out http://www.maine.gov/msl for more! 

I have a little widget in my sidebar, there to the right -----> see her? The cutie that says Fall Into Reading 2010? The one below it says Fall Into Reading 2010 Completed. So far I have moved three books from the top list to the bottom list. CREATED A WIDGET 9/23 for "Currently Reading." Also, I keep track of what I am reading, what I want to read next, and what I have read with the simple site www.goodreads.com Its totally free, I get no kick-backs for endorsing here, just the hope that some of you ladies will join and become my friends on that site so we can share books and reviews!

MY LIST

1.  Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich I got this one read before we even officially began. I started it last night after dinner and couldn't stop. Finished in about 4 hours! It was terrific. It is the book between Fearless 14 and Finger Lickin' 15, both also excellent reads. I am now eagerly awaiting Sizzlin' 16 to come in...
2. Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich I picked this one up at 7:15 this morning and was done by 9:20!! This is the Between-the-Numbers to Twelve Sharp and Lean Mean Thirteen. Diesel really cracked me up in this one, but I think Lula made me laugh more in Plum Spooky. 
3. Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich This one is another between-the-numbers, its actually the second BTN book, Visions of Sugar Plums being the first.  Finished 9/30. Fabulous! I completely laughed my butt off. I could not stop. The level of my hilarity caused my hubby to pick this up and read it and now I have a MAN hooked on the Stephanie Plum novels. We fought over who got to read Sizzlin' 16 first!
4. Visions of Sugar Plums I cannot wait to read this one again. (Waiting for it to come in)
5. Sizzlin' 16 by Janet Evanovich. Completed 10/1. Another fabulous book! I truly could not put it down. Not only because it was terrific but also because my husband is now a closet Evanovich fan (particularly the Plum series) and if I turned my head he picked it up! I highly suggest reading the series in order but if you do it out of order that's fine too...Either way just spend some time in these books! They are GREAT for what ails you. You cannot stay sad, mad, or upset when reading about Stephanie Plum. 
6. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I saw the movie when it came out and from how good the movie was (and we all know how movies massacre books!) I have got to read it. I have it on inter-library loan request and should have it next Thursday.  I cried. That's all I can really say; the book was much more lovely than the movie, no pun intended. I am not going to give up spoilers on either but I will say this, and this is truly out of character for me, WATCH THE MOVIE FIRST if you haven't already. THEN read the book. That is totally backwards for me, yes, but I found IMHO that reading the book after seeing the movie fleshed the movie out a little more. I think for anyone reading the book then seeing the movie you will be tremendously disappointed in some ways thinking, "That didn't happen like that," or "Hey, they left out ______." SO watch it, THEN read it, and you can say "Wow, that is why XYZ happened or what so-and-so was thinking..."
7. The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. This is another one by the author of The Lovely Bones. My librarian pointed it out when I grabbed the first one and so I just had to add it to the list... Nearly as good as The Lovely Bones. Nearly. It is REALLY different from Ms. Sebold's usual style. The main character, Helen, is VERY hard to like. It is even harder to sympathize with her but the book is compelling nonetheless. Her mother was mentally unstable and after her father's suicide Helen must take over care of her mother. Those are all the spoilers I'm sharing...LOL! Read it yourself but DON'T expect ANYTHING similar to The Lovely Bones. 
8. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult Okay, make that three off my list...I started this one at lunchtime today and have only put it down for brief moments. I even broke my cardinal rule when the dh and I are out: conversation over silence in the car...I read the WHOLE way home!!! (and he detoured and did errands! I almost missed a stop at my favorite store, Bob's!) I really gotta see this movie now!
9. Out Live Your Life by Max Lucado. I finished this one at last the night before I had family court. After lots of prayer and trying to unsuccessfully talk with my ex-husband in mediation I have come to the conclusion that until a court situation comes out and it is JUST he and I then my valid points will never be heard. SO I am going to do the things that Lucado counsels in this terrific book and I am going to start living my life fully instead of in half-measures waiting for the other shoe to drop. 
10. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. While this was a very, very good book it was not quite what I expected. The back and forth points of view kept throwing me off track because I would really get into the story and be reading along quite fast and miss the chaning of a chapter or the changing of a passage to a flashback. This is a book that REQUIRES attention but it is well worth it! 
11. The Shining by Stephen King. Completed 9/26/2010. MUCH better than the films...way, way better especially to someone with a highly developed imagination. I was able to picture Jack Nicholson as Johnny in the book, even in the scenes they cut out of the movie. I am definitely going to stick to my promise to myself to read King before I watch the movies the books are made into.
12. The Gunslinger:  Dark Tower Book 1 by Stephen King.Completed 9/30. I forgot how these books draw the reader in. This was another one that seemed surgically attached to my hand. It followed me in the car, in the kitchen, in bed before lights out. I read it while waiting for pages to load on the PC (dial-up :o) ). I cannot wait to get through these again just to see what I've forgotten or attributed to the wrong book in the intervening years. 
13. The Drawing of the Three: Dark Tower Book 2 by Stephen King Completed 10/3. I am SO excited! I have GOT to get on to Book 3 and see Roland reunited with Jake... 
14. The Wastelands: Dark Tower Book 3 by Stephen King This is the book where Jake is re-drawn into Roland's world, Mid-World and the ka-tet is completed. This series is one I cannot tire of! 
15. Wizard and Glass: Dark Tower Book 4 by Stephen King The quartet have reached Topeka (No, not the one in Kansas!) and barely escaped Blaine the psycho monorail. Way to go, Eddie! Kill the ghost in the machine with a little illogic!! 
16. Wolves of the Calla: Dark Tower Book 5 by Stephen King Finished!! 
17. Song of Susannah: Dark Tower Book 6 by Stephen King Finished!!
18. The Dark Tower: Dark Tower Book 7 by Stephen King Finished!!
19. Firestarter by Stephen King Started 11/17/10. Realized that while I have seen the immortal Drew Barrymore in the movie I have never read the book. 
20. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I saw the ads for this movie but didn't see it yet. I decided I would read the book before seeing the film this time!
21. Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich. Finished on 9/27/2010. This one was LOADS of fun!! I am so thrilled that I took a chance and read it. I absolutely loved it. I am not going to give any hints but I'll say if you love one Janet Evanovich it is likely you will love them all!
22. Full Blast by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes.Finished 9/28/2010. I have another Evanovich series to read now. I am looking for the first three at the library tomorrow. The twists and turns in this one had me reading late into the night, I couldn't put it down until I found "whodunnit?!?" The end was a bit of a twist I didn't expect. REALLY GOOD!
23. Dark Harvest by Karen Harper. This one compelled me as well. Usually I like my Amish country stories heavy on the Amish, no outsiders allowed but this book has made me rethink that. Think of the 80's fim with Harrison Ford "The Witness" and make it better. Make the investigator a woman cop, injured trying to save a helpless little boy, and who redeems herself by saving the terrorized Amish...and that's THIS book. Give it a try if you like mysteries! 
24. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris Okay, the font used attracted my attention and the story blurb on the back pulled me. I read it in ONE night. Now I have to go add season 1 to my Netflix...arrgh! 
25. Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse #2 down. Completed it on 10/26. Started #3 last night. 
26. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris Completed 10/28
27. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris Completed 10/29
28. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris Completed 10/30
29. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris Completed 11/1
30. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris Completed 11/2
31. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris Completed 11/2
32. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris Completed 11/3
33. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris Completed 11/4
1. A note as regards the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris: I am NOT going to give spoilers, hints, tips, etc except to say if you are into the vampire/supernatural type of fiction you will love them. I have started to read SOME of these types again but not as much as I did before. I am currently waiting on Disc 1 of Season 1 of True Blood to arrive from Netflix {hands head in shame and slinks off to mailbox}

There's the list for now, everyone!! Have fun reading!! Let's Fall Into it!!