My Own Little Book Corner

The Risk Pool by Richard Russo A great book with wonderful character development. This is the type book that stayed with me after the last page was read. I think Mr. Russo does a great job of making the characters real people with flaws like we all have but also that tiny spark of goodness. This is one of my favorite books so far this year. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J.K. Rowling After hearing references to Harry Potter in sermons, I thought maybe I should read the series. I know it is a Young Adult series that caught on with the older crowd too. The style is definitely YA, but I did enjoy this first book. I enjoyed it enough that I was looking forward to reading the next one ..... Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling Reading this one right after the first book was probably not a great idea. The YA aspect really stood out to me. I almost felt as if I was re-reading the same story, just with a different set of circumstances. I've decided to try rea...

I have never thought I'd like an audio book. I've listened to different audio Bible's from time to time and while I've liked doing that, I find myself letting my mind wander. Since it had been a while since I had tried listening to a book, I thought I'd give it another chance. I checked out an audio book from our library, downloaded it to my mp3 player and have been listening while working out. I usually read a book while at the gym, but logistically that is not always easy to do. The book has to fit in the rack just right, I have to turn pages, I can't read when I jog, etc. So far the audio book has been a perfect fit. Plus I refuse to listen to it at home, so that gives me a little incentive to go work out. I think maybe I'm on to something.

I read 15 books in January. They are quite a mix of styles and topics. My favorites this month were Night , The Justice Game, American Wife and Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons . The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton A classic but not one of my favorites. Predictable from beginning to end. I really wanted to take a pen and change it up some. The Brambles by Eliza Minot I would classify this book as an "easy read" but it actually deals with a lot of heavy topics - death, eating disorders, adoption, marriage issues and even a stalker. Surprisingly it was not a depressing book, but in some ways an encouraging one. It did take me a while to get use to Ms Minot's style of writing, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Night by Elie Wiesel Wow! What can you say about a book that is a true story of being in a concentration camp. Such a sad, compelling story of survival. This should be a required book for everyone. City of Light by Lauren Belfer I enjoyed this historical ficti...

What am I thinking? I signed up for a reading challenge. There's no prizes, no recognition, no rewards - except meeting the challenge and hopefully discovering some good books. Since the most books I've read in one year is 120 and the past 2 years I've been stuck on 59, this is going to be quite the challenge. I am also trying to include as many Pulitzer Prize winners as I can in my reading. I know I won't read them all because frankly, they don't all appeal to me and I think reading should be for enjoyment, not drudgery. I do find it interesting that most people who have posted in the group do not expect to meet the challenge. I am starting the new year with full intentions of reading 144 books, but if I don't, it won't be the end of the world. Just something to shoot for. If you're interested in joining the group - check it out at Goodreads.com