2008 in review

According to my GoodReads list, I read/listened to 69 books in 2008. Granted, that doesn’t count the many children’s picture books that I read for work (and for pleasure). I’m sure that number is well over 200.

Listed below are my top picks for 2008. If you look at my ratings on GoodReads, you may notice that some books that were rated with 5 stars didn’t make the list. Why? Because as I looked over the titles, I picked the ones that stood out. I may have LOVED a book when I first read it, but if months later I don’t think of it to recommend to others, then why should it be on my top list?


My top 10 books read in 2008 (in no particular order)

1. Unwind by Neal Schusterman (Teen)
2. The Wee Free Men: A Discworld Novel by Terry Pratchett (Children's/Tween/Teen)
   
3. My Bonny Light Horseman: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, in Love and War by L. A. Meyer (Teen)
4. Babymouse: Queen of the World! Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm (Children's/Tween)
   
5. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (Adult)
   
6. The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer (Adult)
   
7. Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner (Teen)
8. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (Adult)
   
9. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Teen)
10. Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black (Teen)

Top Audiobooks listened to in 2008(in no particular order)

1. Poison by Chris Wooding; read by Virginia Leishman (Teen)
2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon read by Davina Porter (Adult)
   
3. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon read by Davina Porter (Adult)
   
4. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz read by Christina Moore and a full cast (Children's)
   
5. Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L. A. Meyer read by Katherine Kellgren (Teen)
6. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray read by Jo Wyatt (Teen)
7. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray read by Josephine Bailey (Teen)
   
8. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray read by Josephine Bailey (Teen)
   

vampires, villagers, and high society...Oh, my!

That would pretty much sum up my reading lately, as I've several books to write about today.

Firstly, I listened to Good masters! Sweet Ladies! : voices from a medieval village by Laura Amy Schlitz. This book was the 2008 Newbery Award winner. The audio version is excellent. Each of the monologues and dialogues are read by different voices. The listener can visualize the life portrayed by the author. I highly recommend this title for not only the tweens it is written for, but for adults and teens as well.

I’ve finished two books over the last week or so. The Virgin’s Lover by Philippa Gregory – which is another book in her Boleyn series – and The Luxe by Anna Godbersen.

The Virgin’s Lover. This book begins before the previous story ends (The Queen’s Fool). It is the story of Queen Elizabeth I, her lover Robert Dudley and his wife Amy.

*sigh* I wish I could have been sucked into the story like I was with The Other Boleyn Girl. I’m debating whether I want to bother with anther book by this author. It isn’t that it was poorly written. It just didn’t keep my attention…which is why it took me several weeks to finish reading it.

The Luxe. The story begins with a funeral. Beautiful, young Manhattan society princess Elizabeth Holland tumbled out of a carriage and into the chilly Hudson River. Her body was not found. One what was to be her wedding day, instead an empty casket is being placed in the ground.

What happened to Elizabeth Holland? Only one person was with her in the carriage…her friend Penelope. Elizabeth’s younger sister Diana is full of grief, wondering if she somehow caused this terrible event to happen, while Elizabeth’s fiancé Henry is numb with grief. Few know what secrets Elizabeth was hiding…

While it might not sound it, it is a great light read. I’ve already placed the next book on hold.

Current reads:

Suck it Up by Brian Meehl . This is a book group choice.

I’m listening to Breaking Dawn. I’ll finish it. I want to know how it ends. BUT…the name geek in me is screaming. Won’t say why yet. I’ll save that for the actual review.

Fooled

I recently finished reading The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory. This is the next book in the Boleyn Inheritance series, and begins many years after when The Other Boleyn Girl finishes. Princess Mary is nearing 40, Princess Elizabeth is in her early 20s, and young King Edward is nearing death’s door.

The story follows young Hannah Green, the daughter of a printer who dresses as a boy. Hannah’s infrequent visions are noticed by a nobleman and his tutor, and she is begged as a Holy Fool. Afraid that her family’s dark secret – that they fled Spain after her mother was burned at the stake by the Spanish Inquisition, all because she was Jewish, Hannah accepts her fate.

When King Edward dies, Hannah becomes fool for the new monarch of England – Queen Mary. Hannah spends her time between Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth, trying to serve both, as well as Lord Dudley, the man who begged her for a royal fool.

To me, this story was not nearly as interesting or intriguing as The Other Boleyn Girl. I think this is due primarily to two reasons: 1. Hannah Green was not a real person. I love that aspect of The Other Boleyn Girl, and often looked up the people mentioned in the book to find out more of the history. 2. There wasn’t as many affairs as there were in the previous book, so the plots just weren’t as exciting. What can I say? Sex sells.

Regardless, I have started the next book in the series The Virgin’s Lover. This is the tale of Queen Elizabeth and Lord Robert Dudley. It begins during Queen Mary’s reign. And that is all I know about that.

current reads

Since I enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory so much, I'm reading the next book in the series: The Queen's Fool. While I enjoy the historical aspect of the story - I'm often checking wikipedia and other sources for more info about various characters - the tale itself isn't as intriguing as the previous novel. Maybe it will get better.

I'm also listening to a book - this one a teen novel. Poison by Chris Wooding is a fantasy novel. I've just finished the first CD and so far I'm very much enjoying the story. Yay!

Greetings from Sunny California!

Greetings, my few and faithful readers! I am typing from my motel room in the original land of Disney – Anaheim, California, where I’ve been for the past six days.

Let me tell you about the books I finished before the trip.

Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett was fantastic. I plan to read a few other titles in the series. It isn’t too often that a story has me often laughing out loud while reading it…and this one did. The talking amphibian (who thinks he was human once, but can’t remember for sure), the Wee Free Men’s fear of lawyers, Tiffany’s first, second and third thoughts…all had me guffawing.

The other book I finished recently was The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. This book - which was written for adults, but something teens may enjoy as well - has been very popular lately, as it was made into a movie. Now that the wait lists have subsided, I was finally able to get a copy from work.

There were times that the book was slow, but overall I really enjoyed the tale. Although I studied history in college, I concentrated more on the ancients (primarily Greece, Rome, Egypt and before), so there was much I didn’t know about the court of Henry VIII. I knew the basics…His spilt from the Roman Catholic Church…The many wives (and the beheading of a few)…The lack of legitimate sons, etc. But, I hadn’t heard the story of Mary Boleyn.

This is a work of fiction; however, it has a basis in factual history. I enjoyed Gregory’s embellishments, and respect that research she did in preparation for this novel. I plan to read the rest of the books in the “series”.

Before leaving for California, I was listening to book 4 of the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage.

That’s all for now. A good friend Robyn lent me Emma by Jane Austen to read on the plane, so I will probably start on it tonight.