Here we go.....

It is the start of a new reading year and I have been challenged by my library colleague, Beth to read 100 books this year.  She is already way ahead of me but I cannot resist a challenge.  So, here we go with the list for 2011.

1. The Radleys by Matt Haig (a different kind of vampire tale....starting my year of with a fang!)
2. Rule of Nine by Steve Martini (not my favorite, Paul Madriani is getting a little stale)
3. The Alienist by Caleb Carr (good historical mystery, just a little gruesome)
4. Sherlock Holmes and the Shakespeare Letter by Barry Grant (I can't wait for the next one...some threads were left hanging)
5. Peak by Roland Smith (Go YA adventure with lots of meaty issues for young adults)
6. The Mozart Code by Scott Mariani (Good, DaVinci code-ish, thriller)
7. Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward (Very funny quirky mystery)
8. Unless it Moves The Human Heart by Roger Rosenblatt (beautifully written book on writing)
9. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin (southern, almost gothic, lots of twist....read this one!)
10. A Common Life by Jan Karon (Sweet, a little scattered, Father Tim and Cynthia in Ireland)
11. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (witches, vampires, science, magic, history....what could be better?)
12. Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen ( An old fashioned cozy mystery for a cold day)
13. The Sherlockian by Graham Brown (two mysteries 100 years apart, with Sherlock!)
14. Love, Inc by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout (Sweet and suprising YA girl lit)
15. The Secret Soldier by Alex Berenson (Action, suspense, bodies everywhere....)
16. Unpublished Memoir by a favorite customer (I hope that someone publishes this fascinating story)
17. Sixkills by Robert Parker (I can't believe that this is the last Spenser novel.....)
18. Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister ( pleasant, fun.....liked but didn't love)
19. Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran (Loved it.....historical fiction at it's best)
20. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (classic mystery and suspense)
21. AfterImage by Carla Malden (Affecting, heartwrenching memoir)
22. Withering Tights by Louise Rennison (Georgia has a cousin!  Hooray.....)
23. Family Honor by Robert Parker (The first Sunny Randall book....my heart still belongs to Spenser)
24. Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym (Cozy re-read)
25. One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde (weird, but so enjoyable)
26. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon (Venice, food, mystery......good stuff)
27. Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy (white house chef, kidnapping, mystery)
28 My One and Only by Kristan Higgins (light, fun, just ok)
29. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (I can't believe that I finished it so fast....I want more....)
30. You Better Knot Die by Betty Hechtman (Crochet, murder and recipes....the cozy trifecta)
31. The Happiness Project by Gretchn Rubin  (interesting concept with some good ideas)
32. Original Sin by Beth McMullan (wry, funny, suspenseful....good)
33. Secret Sanction by Brian Haig (great thriller.....thanks to Viv for the recommendation)
34. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen (lovely, a little magical and romantic...perfect for spring)
35. Bossypants by Tina Fey (Funny and smart)
36. My Korean Deli by Ben Ryder Howe (also funny and smart....)
37. The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney (dark and brooding....leaves some questions open)
38. The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly (sweet, fun, light read)
39. The Winter Garden Mystery by Carola Dunn (good cozy, fun characters)
40. Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin (Interesting look at theater camp)
41. Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon (the wonderful Inspector Brunetti is back)
42. Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson (lively YA, I had hoped for a different ending)
43. Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks (beautifully written literary and historical fiction)
44. Real Murders by Charlaine Harris (ehhh... I suggest her Sookie Stackhouse series instead)
45. A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd (excellent historical mystery.....Bess Crawford is a winner!)
46. The English Assassin by Daniel Silva (intense thriller with art restorer/spy Gabriel Allon)
47. Dead Spy Running by Jon Stock (just ok....)
48. The Sisters by Nancy Jenkins (good women's fiction)
49. Walking the Perfect Square by Reed Farrel Coleman (Excellent noir mystery)
50.  David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (What took me so long?  So great)
51. Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun by Lois Winston (cute cozy)
52. Strategic Moves by Stuart Woods (wretched)
53. A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny (dark and wonderful.....Three Pines continues to be a wonderful place for a murder)
54. Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos (lovely story of friendship and love)
55. The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted  by Bridget Asher ("grief is a love story told backwards")
56. The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card (good fantasy novel)
57. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (dark, beautiful, disturbing)
58. Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith (light look at an entertaining cast of characters)
59. Gods of Greenwich by Norb Vonnegut (so-so financial thriller, learned lots of new slang)
60. Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem (interesting, well written, hardboiled, literary)
61. The Borrower by Rebeccas Makkai (Amazing!)
62. Whose Body by Dorothy Sayers (old-fashioned, politically incorrect but enjoyable mystery)
63. The Leftovers by Tom Perotta (ehhhh.....)
64. The Dog Who Came in From the Cold by Alexander McCall Smith (charming, enjoyable)
65. Redemption Street by Reed Farrel Coleman (well written, intriguing characters, good mystery)
66. Adrenaline by Jeff Abbott (excellent thriller)
67. Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner (edgy little YA novel)
68. Kingmaker by Brian Haig (exciting spy novel)
69. The Orange Blossom Special by Betsy Carter (picture of Gainesville in the 50x)
70. The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini (mushy and good)
71. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill (unusual, well-written mystery)
72. Children and Fire by Ursula Hegi (subtle and powerful)
73. Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva (always a good read)
74.  Zeke Bartholomew Superspy by Jason Pinter (Really fun middle grade adventure)
75. A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George (complicated and interesting mystery)
76. Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin ( things are bad when I start reading pink YA books.....)
77. Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer (good saga)
78. Anthem for Doomed Youth by Carola Dunn (historical cozy mystery....good storm reading)
79. Shug by  Jenny Han (Good YA)
80.  Rip Tide by Stella Rimington (so-so spy novel)
81. It Looked Different on the Model by Laurie Notaro (really, really funny)
82. The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory (wonderful, romantic, fact filled historical fiction)
83. The Call by Yannick Murphy (unusual and very good)
84. The Christmas Thief by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark (ok....not the right season)
85. Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet (definitely the right season, very Agatha Christie)
86. The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman (good, if wordy, mystery)
87. The Affair by Lee Child (not my favorite.....or I am still upset that Tom Cruise is playing Reacher?)
88. A Test of Wills by Charles Todd (good English mystery)
89. Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen (fun cozy)
90. Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt (enjoyable legal thriller)
91. The Trail of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz (loved this....hope it is not the last)
92. One Day by David Nicholls ( a modern love story)
93. The Confession by Charles Todd (confusing but good)
94. Girls in White Dresses byJennifer Close (connected short stories about girls in the city)
95. Knit One Pearl One by Gile McNeil (sweet, but how do you knit a seahorse?)
96. Death is a Cabaret by Deborah Morgan (audio book with a terrible narrator distracted from the mystery.
97. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (back to Three Pines.....love these books)
98. Change of A Dress by Maya Gold (cute YA)
99. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz (Sherlock and Dr. Watson are back!)
100. Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott (wonderful story of her sons first year with his son)
101. L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais (well written, hardboiled mystery)
102. Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich (like coming home but with crazy relatives)
103. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (funny memoir)
104. You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs (funny, sad Christmas stories)
105. A Killer's Christmas in Wales by Elizabeth Duncan (cozy mystery in Wales)
106. The Matzo Ball Heiress by Laurie Gwen Shapiro (pure fluff!)
107. Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton (another cozy....love this series)

Looking Back/Looking Forward

So here it is, New Year's Eve 2010.  In just a few hours we will be turning the page on a new year and starting fresh with all the hopes and dreams and resolutions that accompany every January 1st.

This has been quite a year in Bookmama's world.  Last January 1st, I did not know where The Open Book would be located or if it would even be in existence.  I found a great new space and made plans to move.  By the beginning of February, we were packing up.  By the end of February we were on the move to Glovers Lane.  By the end of February, we were also aware that Books and Books was moving to town and that our already challenging business would enter into a fight for its bookstore life.  Thanks to the support of many friends and neighbors, we got moved, settled and have enjoyed a new life in our beautiful (if a little funky) new space.

Personally, I saw one daughter graduate from high school and head off to college.  My youngest started high school and I can see a time on the horizon when my book filled nest will be empty. I tried to read 100 books and only reached 86.....but tomorrow is the start of another reading year! I have learned so much from my customers at the bookstore and my patrons at the library.  I live a life filled with amazing people and lots and lots and lots of books.

So...looking forward to 2011, I am ready for the adventures, challenges, joys and the very rare moments of contemplation that life hands me. I try to remember that each day is precious, even those that make me feel like I am running like crazy to stay in the same place.  

I wish you a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.........

Thankful

As I contemplate the peeling of potatos and chopping of onions in preparation for another Thanksgiving feast, I want to take a moment to think about all the things I have to be grateful for. I may not live in the nicest house, or drive a fancy car but I have so many wonderful things in my life, that it is nice to take a moment to acknowledge them.

The thing I am most grateful for is my family.  I have two beautiful, smart, funny daughters who are fun to spend time with and help me so much with the bookstore.  I have sisters and parents and nieces and nephews, all of whom are flying through life at their own pace, dealing with some issues and experiencing some joys.  I get to check in with their lives and occasionally spend time with them and learn from them all the time.

I have a roof over my head that is comfortable and warm.  I have a car that takes me to work and pretty much everywhere else I want to go.  I have more books than any human being should have. I have good food to eat. I have two crazy cats that amuse me and curl up purring next to me while I read. My life, though hectic, is filled with basic creature comforts.

Things are not perfect.  Perfection is not something I even seek these days.  I think I have grown to have the wisdom to know that "enough" is a blessing and that even those that seem to have it all, have their own problems.

So, yes, I am grateful for all that I have.  I hope that this Thanksgiving you all have much to give thanks for as well.

The Magic of Harry Potter

I stayed up way too late last night re-reading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.  I am going to see the movie, of course, but I had been meaning to re-read it for a few years.  When it first came out, I devoured it so fast that I missed the details. J.K. Rowling tells a story like no one else.  She is also a skilled writer, describing the sites of Harry's triumphs and tragedys and the interactions between Harry, Hermoine and Ron in a way that you can almost see and hear them.

There have been some interviews with J.K. Rowling in which she says that she might someday consider writing another Harry Potter book.  As a bookseller, I should be jumping up and down and praying for an early release of whatever she chooses to write.  But I am not hoping for more.  Harry Potter was a phenomenon, special to the place and time in which it was released.  As we await the last movie, reflecting the final chapter of the story, there is a bittersweet feeling that you get at the end of a long and wonderful journey. You might go back and retrace your steps, but the journey will never be the same.  The wonder of discovery comes only the first time around.

And there was a sort of innocence that allowed children and adults alike to love the Harry Potter stories.  Somewhere along the way, the innocence has dimmed a bit.  It is not that we are jaded, exactly, but time and technology have changed so much from the time of the release of the first Harry Potter book.  We live in a different world than the one that existed in 1997.

So, as much as I would love to dress up as Professor McGonagall again and fill my big black cauldron with jelly beans, I think that Harry Potter should remain frozen in time.  I look forward to introducing new generations of readers to the books, and hanging out on rainy weekends watching all the movies in a row. I will enjoy the photos and memories of many happy book release parties.  And I will keep my fingers crossed that lightning will strike again and that in a pub in Ireland or a coffee shop in Minneapolis a writer is writing a story that will grab a generation and take them on an amazing ride.

Falling Leaves

I always think that the new year should start in September.  Here in Westhampton, the summer ends with a bang on Labor Day and everything changes.  Suddenly there are places to park at Waldbaums, school lunches to pack, fewer customers to serve and a completely different feel to the world.  Even when the warm weather lingers on, a sea change has come and you can feel it.

So I have been thinking of some autumn resolutions to take into this new season.  I have great plans for innovations and promotions at The Open Book, but I am making resolutions of a more personal nature.  I am making resolutions about books.

You see, I am up to my ears in books.  I have books everywhere in my life.  Of course, the store is filled with books.  But my car is also filled with books, as is my house. So this year I am going to do what librarians do and "weed" my library.  Here are the questions that I am going to ask myself when deciding whether to keep a book.

1. Do you love it? (This is the easy one.....if you really truly love it, it must stay)
2. Is it autographed and do you like the author enough to care?
3. Has time, dust or the bunny rabbit caused damage to this book?
4. Are you really going to get around to reading it someday or are you fooling yourself?
5. Does it belong to someone else? (If so....it is going to its rightful home.  I will no longer be a book thief)
6. Did it make you laugh or cry?  (If it can evoke emotion, it is probably a keeper)
7. Would someone else be really happy to read it? (Give it away....sharing books is a joy)

I am sure there are more questions I should ask.  But if I spend anymore time making lists of questions, the books will never be culled and you will someday find me lying beneath piles of books, looking  like the Wicked Witch of the East under Dorothy's house, without the cute shoes.....

Happy New Year

I just changed some of my settings on this blog and this reposted with today's date.  Well it is Rosh Hashanah, so shana tova and enjoy a reprint of my January post!

Welcome to a new year of reading! Once again I am going to keep a list of the books I have read this year. I hope you enjoy looking at the list and reading my mini-reviews. Looking back at 2009, I enjoyed remembering all the good books I read. I know that this year will bring some books to fall in love with, some books that surprise me and some real page turners. Here we go....

1. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (My 3rd Inspector Gamache book. I really enjoy Penny's writing and the mysteries are intriguing)
2. Mr. Dixon Disappears by Ian Sansome (Quirky little mysteries with a kind of pathetic main character)
3. Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott (I love Lamott's writing style but this is a tough book for the mother of teenagers - beautiful and sad)
4. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (Odd Science Fiction book by the author of the Thursday Next series)
5. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny (I just love this series....)
6. Apple Turnover Murders by Joanne Fluke (silly, cozy mysteries...perfect for a snowy day)
7. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (I told you I am hooked on these.)
8. Where's My Wand by Eric Poole (For fans of Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris)
9. The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival by Ken Wheaton (Quirky, funny, just good)
10. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (Great YA mythological adventure)
11. Reckless by Andrew Gross (Good page turner, realistic likeable characters)
12. Bite Me by Christopher Moore (Funny vampires, vampire cats, and San Francisco)
13. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (A parable that makes you think; simple yet powerful)
14. Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman (A literary mystery with interesting characters)

15. Finny by Justin Kramon (If you love Dickens and John Irving, you will love this one)

16. Libertad by Alma Fullerton (A prose poetry book that will break your heart)

17. Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen (A cozy English mystery with flappers)

18. Welcome to Shirley by Kelly McMasters (Brookhaven Laboratory and Shirley in the 80's)

19. The Mapmakers Wife by Robert Whitaker (True adventure.....nonfiction for a change!)

20. Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin (Purely enjoyable chick lit)

21. Becoming Jane Eyre by Sheila Kohler (Beautifully written fictionalized memoir of Charlotte Bronte)

22. The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (Great time travel/historical fiction. I could not put it down)

23. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen (Southern Magical realism...so good)

24. The Spellmans Strike Again by Lisa Lutz (What!? This is the end of the Spellman series? NOOOO)

25. Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill (Darkly funny look at the life of a reluctant Laotian coroner)

26. House Rules by Jodi Picoult (Great story and I feel like I learned alot about Aspergers)

27. Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo (good, cozy read)

28. State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy (ditto)

29. A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters (Amelia Peabody keeps travelling and stirring up trouble)

30. The God of the Hive by Laurie King (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes continue to solve crimes together)

31. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse cavorts with vampires, werewolves and fairies)

32. You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up by Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn (Funny look at a marriage between two pretty neurotic people)

33. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender ( Haunting, beautiful writing, great characters.....read this!)

34. Women Food and God by Geneen Roth ( An interesting approach to food issues)

34. Little Bee by Chris Cleaves (Intense, very very good)

35. Still Sucks To Be Me by Kimberly Pauley (Fun teen vampire book)

36. Stitches by David Small (Powerful graphic novel)

37. Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser (subtitle says it all: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow)

38. The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine ( I loved the modern day Austen story)

39. Let's Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell (Beautiful affecting memoir of friendship)

40. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (Great YA road trip novel)

41. Tinkers by Paul Harding (beautiful writing, confusing but wonderful)

42. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich (perfect beach read.....you have to love Grandma Mazur)
43. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (the original hard-boiled detective novel)
44. A Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gorokhova (Fascinating memoir of a childhood in Russia)

45. The Ten Year Nap by Meg Wolitzer (Funny and pointed, great writing)

46. Pride and Avarice by Nicolas Coleridge (Funny take on modern English society)

47. A Brush with Death by Elizabeth Duncan (Cozy Welsh mystery)

48. Brava Valentine by Adriana Trigiani (I loved this book....Valentine is a great character)

49. Tales from the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell (light and fluffy)

50. In Harm's Way by Ridley Pearson (A good mystery but a little confusing)

51. Our Kind of Traitor by John Le Carré (Thumbs down, I am sorry to say)

52. Amagansett by Mark Mills (History and mystery and the east end of Long Island!)

53. Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane (So, so, so good......buy this one when it comes out!)
54. Dead Line by Stella Rimington ( Another great MI5 story)
55. Room by Emma Donoghue (disturbing, beautifully written story)
56. The Life and Opinions of Amy Finawitz by Laura Toffler-Corrie (cute, ya, New York story)
57.  The Viognier Vendetta by Ellen Crobsy (good, almost a cozy)
58. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (great ending to my new favorite YA series)
59. The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass (beautifully written, character driven story)
60. Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult (one of my favorites.... )
61. The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming (more British spies....page turner)
62. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (good YA fantasy)
63. The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva (Gabriel Allon is back and better than ever)
64. Black Echo by Michael Connelly (the first Harry Bosch book.....hardboiled page turner)
65. The Night Bookmobile by Audrey Niffenegger (interesting graphic novel)
66. Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh (Agatha Christie-esque mystery)
67. A Lonely Death by Charles Todd (Post WWI mystery, shell shock, serial killer and English countryside)
68. Up From the Blue by Susan Henderson (Beautifully written, emotional and fabulous characters)
69. No! I Don't Want to Join a Bookclub by Virginia Ironside (Hilarious, especially if you are a woman of a certain age....)
70. The Sentry by Robert Crais (Joe Pike and Elvis Cole......a great pairing)
71. Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (YA story of teenage hackers and the Department of Homeland Security.....really good)
72. The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer (Wicked humor, suburban life, intelligent characters)
73. Worth Dying For by Lee Child (Jack Reacher lives!)
74. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (A re-read in time for the movie....made me cry the second time)
75. A Few Green Leaves by Barbara Pym (Comforting, English, vicars and lots of tea)
76. Plea of Insanity by Jilliane Hoffman (Legal and Psychological Thriller)
77. I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron (Funny, one-hour read)
78. Silent Mercy by Linda Fairstein (ehhh.....)
79. How Did You Get This Number? by Sloane Crosley (laugh out loud funny)
80. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by  P.D. James (good classic mystery)
81. Good Eggs by Phoebe Potts (lovely graphic novel about infertility.....really)
82.  Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry (makes you want to visit Salem....great characters)
83. The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey (good, noirish mystery.....loved the writing)
84. The Fifth Floor by Michael Harvery (just as good as the first)
85. Fire and Ice by Dana Stabenow (OK. Alaska setting is interesting)
86. Strange Return of Sherlock Holmes by Barry Grant (great!!0

Lollygagging

I have gotten terribly behind on my reading. The chaos of the summer, getting the girls ready for school....oh, you have heard all my excuses before. But here it is September and I have only read 52 books this year. Will I ever make 100?? Stay tuned.

I am tempted to dive into Jonathan Franzen's Freedom despite its immense length and my limited time. The Corrections is one of those novels that I still remember years after I read it. I am not sure that I would say that it is a novel that I loved, but it certainly made an impression on me. Early reviews of Freedom and a quick reading of the first chapter have intrigued me. I am also interested in the debate over whether this book would be classified as "women's fiction" had it been written by a woman. Jason Pinter, one of my favorite mystery authors, interviewed two prominent women authors, Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner, in the Huffington Post regarding their views on this debate.

A book that I did take time to read this summer and truly loved was Lets Take the Long Way Home by Gail Caldwell. I wrote a long review of it for the Rogers Memorial Library "By the Book" blog. I love this book for its fine writing and lovely description of a friendship. If you have a chance to pick it up, please do.

So I need to stop writing and start reading! Come by the store and tell me what you have read that you loved this summer.

And, as always, keep those pages turning.....