The Classy Bookshelf: 2013 in Review

Considering I got married this year, I'm really surprised I had much time to read at all.  I had a lovely, relaxing honeymoon and only read a couple of books while propped up on the beach.

I have LOVED being a member of goodreads for the past couple of years, and it really helps me to look back on my reading history and see how far I've come (and how many pages I've read!)

In 2010, I read 65 books and didn't document them particularly well on the blog.
In 2011 (the year I met Mr. RH and fell head over heels), I read only 39 books!
In 2012, I got engaged and got really happy and read 78 books!  Dang! 

And this year, drumroll please, I read 63 out of my goal of 69 books.  Only a 91%.  Whomp!

I can't decide if I need to up my goal or just hang tight for 2013.  Still a lot of big days ahead, I think!


I am still using my same color-coding system for recommendations...

MUST READS (Bold and green!)
Excellent Reads (Blue!)
Hated the Plot Reads (Red)
And the ones in black...meh.  Clearly they didn't make an impact.

1. Free Fall by Fern Michaels
2. Hide and Seek by Fern Michaels
3. Hokus Pocus by Fern Michaels
4. Fast Track by Fern Michaels
5. Collateral Damage by Fern Michaels
6. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
7. The City of Ember (Book of Ember, Book 1) by Jeanne DuPrau
8. The People of Sparks (Book of Ember, Book 2) by Jeanne DuPrau
9. The Prophet of Yonwood (Book of Ember, Book 3) by Jeanne DuPrau
10. The Diamond of Darkhold (Book of Ember, Book 4) by Jeanne DuPrau
11. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & The Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan
12. If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman
13. Size 14 is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot
14. Graceling (Graceling #1) by Kristin Cashore
15. The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson & The Olympians #2) by Rick Riordan
16. The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner
17. The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson & The Olympians #3) by Rick Riordan
18. The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson & The Olympians #4) by Rick Riordan
19. Where She Went (If I Stay #2) by Gayle Forman
20. The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2) by James Dashner
21. The Death Cure (Maze Runner #3) by James Dashner
22. This Little Piggy Went to the Liquor Store by A.K. Turner
23. Sleeping with Mr. Sexy by S. L. Scott
24. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
25. Thumped (Bumped #2) by Megan McCafferty
26. The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson & The Olympians #5) by Rick Riordan
27. The Giver (Giver Quartet #1) by Lois Lowry
28. Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
29. Fire (Graceling #2) by Kristin Cashore
30. Hana (Delirium #1.5) by Lauren Oliver
31. Gathering Blue (Giver Quartet #2) by Lois Lowry
32. The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) by Pittacus Lore
33. Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo
34. I Remember Nothing: and Other Reflections by Nora Ephron
35. Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles #1) by Kami Garcia
36. MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertsche
37. Larkspur Cove (Moses Lake, Book #1) by Lisa Wingate
38. Blue Moon Bay (Moses Lake, Book #2) by Lisa Wingate
39. Speaking from Among the Bones (Flavia de Luce #5) by Alan Bradley
40. Reached (Matched #3) by Ally Condie
41. Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella
42. The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa
43. Bad Habits: Confessions of a Recovering Catholic by Jenny McCarthy
44. Bossypants by Tina Fey
45. Beach Music by Pat Conroy
46. The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom
47. The Naming (Books of Pellinor #1) by Alison Croggon
48. The Riddle (Books of Pellinor #2) by Alison Croggon
49. The Crow (Books of Pellinor #3) by Alison Croggon
50. The Singing (Books of Pellinor #4) by Alison Croggon
51. Bitterblue (Graceling #3) by Kristin Cashore
52. Incarceron (Incarceron #1) by Catherine Fisher
53. The House that Love Built by Beth Wiseman
54. How I Lost You by Janet Gurtler
55. My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi
56. Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth
57. The Kill Order (Maze Runner #.5) by James Dashner
58. Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald
59. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
60. Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) Tahereh Mafi
61. The Bet (The Bet #1) by Rachel Van Dyken
62. Lost and Profound by Summer Felix
63. Hopeless (Hopeless #1) by Colleen Hoover  

By the numbers:

• 2011:  16,801 pages
• 2012:  25,706 pages
• 2013:  20,638 pages

It could have been much worse!

I read some REALLY excellent series books this year, as usual - it's my favorite way to read!  I like to get waay involved with my characters.

If you need a couple series to read:  The Maze Runner Series,  The Graceling Series, and The City of Ember are all pretty awesome.  And Percy Jackson and The Olympians if you're into a kids/YA series.

I'd love to hear what you read in 2013!  Send me the links to your book lists if you have one!

The Classy Bookshelf

Well.... I last posted a "Books" post in January.  I've read.... approximately 35 books since then.  I thought that wedding-planning would put a SERIOUS dent in my reading time.... but apparently not.

I think that, as the wedding gets closer (101 days as of today!), I will probably read less and less... but who knows!

Soo, how do I catch up?  Excellent question.

Today, I think I'll just recap January's reads and catch up from there.  If you really want to know what I'm reading.... Goodreads, dude. 

I read 16 books in January.

1. Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels
2. Hide and Seek by Fern Michaels 
3. Collateral Damage by Fern Michaels
4. Fast Track by Fern Michaels
5. Across the Universe by Beth Revis
6. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
7. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
8. The Death Cure by James Dashner
9. The Giver by Lois Lowry
10. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
11. The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
12. The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau
13. The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne DuPrau
14. The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau
15. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
16. Fire by Kristin Cashore

If you can't tell, I was having a "series" moment.  I really enjoy books that have a series, mostly because I can plow through a book in a couple of days and am always left wanting for more.

Books 1-4 (on today's list) are part of the Sisterhood Series by Fern Michaels... books 1-6 of this series kept me up all night reading.  The books above are books 7-8-9 of the series... and let's just say they probably were best left un-read.  And that is something I rarely say.

I was able to check-out the following series all-at-once from the local library (on my kindle!)- The City of Ember series by Jeanne DuPrau. I devoured this one, and I'm sure there's probably a movie deal already coming from it.  Definitely read this one.  

I actually haven't read the final book in the Graceling series by Kristin Cashore, but the first two books were excellent and I expect nothing less from the third.

Last but not least, I went through a series that - for me - is slightly different.  Because it was written from the male perspective.  Am I the only one who really only loves books when they're from a girl's perspective?   Am I genetically defective?

Nobody knows.  But The Maze Runner series by James Dashner is not new by any stretch of the imagination - but it was new to me, and I loved it. 

I'm a little bummed that I haven't picked up any good series books lately... but I've been adding to my bookshelf, and I'll definitely be sharing more soon.

Read anything good lately?

Classy Bookshelf: Bloggers Write. Crazy I Know.

So, there's something about a blogger turned book-author that I can't resist.  So, when I heard the hilarious Bloggess was going to be writing a book forever ago... I was into it. 

I realize the book has been out for 9 months now... but I just got around for it.

The book is a hilarious memoir about her crazy life and her family, but beyond being hilarious and just ridiculous, she also discusses anxiety and depression in a way that made me really, really enjoy this book.

So, if you're looking for a good laugh, this is it.

You reading anything good lately?  

The Classy Bookshelf: 2012 in Review

As you may recall, 2011 was not a good year for books for me, personally.  I hit an all-time low (of the 2 years I've been counting) of 39 books in 2011 and I was determined not to repeat the same mistakes twice.

My goal for 2012 was 65 since I failed so miserably on my goal of 70 for 2011... and I hit 78 books this year!!  I'm impressed because I feel like I fit a LOT into this year - both personally and work-related and wedding related.

So, it was a good year for books.  I feel like I read some great books and, per my normal routine, a LOT of fluff.  I enjoy a good entertaining read and don't beat myself because nonfiction doesn't often cross my eyeballs.

So, without further ado, my 2012 book list.  I will color code like I did last year.

MUST READS (Bold and green!)
Excellent Reads (Blue!)
Hated the Plot Reads (Red)
And the ones in black...meh.  Clearly they didn't make an impact.

1. Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
2. The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley
3. A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
4. Practice Cake by Dayla Moon
5. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
6. Wife by Wednesday by Catherine Bybee
7. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
8. It Looked Different on the Model by Laurie Notaro
9. The Wedding Bargain by Victoria Alexander
10. The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde
11. Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
12. The Lost Summer by Kathryn Williams
13. The Husband List by Victoria Alexander
14. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
15. The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
16. Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close
17. The Do-Over by Kathy Dunnehoff
18. Fallen by Lauren Kate
19. I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
20. Passion by Lauren Kate
21. Torment by Lauren Kate
22. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
23. Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
24. Heist Society by Ally Carter
25. The Marriage Lesson by Victoria Alexander
26. The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
27. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
28. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
29. Between Friends by Debbie Macomber
30. I Am Number Four by Pitticus Lore
31. Somebody Tell Aunt Tillie She’s Dead by Christina Miller
32. Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter
33. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
34. Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
35. Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah
36. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
37. A Summer Affair by Erin Hilderbrand
38. Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto
39. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green
40. Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate
41. Insurgent by Veronica Roth 42. Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari
43. Most Talkative by Andy Cohen
44. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
45. The Dead Girls Dance by Rachel Caine
46. Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine
47. Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine
48. Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine
49. Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine
50. Fade Out by Rachel Caine
51. Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine
52. Green Heart by Alice Hoffman
53. Heroes for My Daughter by Brad Meltzer
54. I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
55. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater
56. See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles
57. Looking for Alaska by John Green
58. Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews
59. Perfectly Dateless by Kristen Billerbeck
60. Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent
61. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
62. Rapture by Lauren Kate
63. Perfectly Invisible by Kristen Billerbeck
64. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
65. If I Die by Rachel Vincent
66. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling
67. Weekend Warriors by Fern Michaels
68. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
69. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
70. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
71. Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot
72. Big Boned by Meg Cabot
73. If It Was Easy They'd Call the Whole Damn Thing a Honeymoon by Jenna McCarthy
74. Size 12 and Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot
75. Vendetta by Fern Michaels
76. Perfectly Ridiculous by Kristen Billerbeck
77. The Jury by Fern Michaels
78. Lethal Justice by Fern Michaels 

Keep in mind, if you're looking to add to your reading list, I'm pretty damn easy to please.  I like a series, a little sexiness or mystery, and I'm not afraid of some young adult literature. 

I'm not sure where to go with books for 2013.  I am loving my Kindle (and believe it's one of the biggest reasons I read as much as I do)... but I'm scared what wedding-planning will do for my reading.

I hope to make it a good year and I've got a goal of 69 for the year.  Do not ask why I didn't make it 70..... that 7 just seemed like too big of a promise to keep.

Cheers to 2013!  Let me know if you're reading anything good, I am always on the hunt for suggestions. 

The Classy Bookshelf

I have been on a craaazy reading kick lately.  My kindle plus cooler temperatures equals an extremely happy Sarah.

So, what have I been reading?  I'm glad you asked.

For those of you who haven't read Divergent by Veronica Roth.... go catch up on that first.  Then pick up Insurgent. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book... I read it quickly and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.  That being said, not much actually happened in this book.  It was more of a placeholder for the next book in this trilogy.  Bring it on, I say!!






The next one was a random find from my local library (on my kindle booooyah!): The Scorpio Races.  This book was about a fictional island town and about man-eating horses that came from the water.

That being said... it was an interesting book.  The plot was compelling and it was an easy read - once you get past the language.  There were some interesting words and made-up stuff in this book so it took a while to get past it.  After that, I couldn't put it down!

This book isn't anything new or exciting - but it was pretty fantastic.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a non-fiction book - which is freaky for me.  Basically, hell has frozen over.

So the book is about Henrietta Lacks - the woman behind one of the world's biggest scientific breakthroughs of the early 20th century.

It was hard to get into this book and I didn't particularly know what I was getting into when I started the book.  But I give it two thumbs up!

Last but not least (for today!), Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot. 

This book is a mystery about a perfectly average woman finding herself and a new job... and this was a complete page turner.  Loved it!

That's what's on my bookshelf lately... what are YOU reading?!

I am reading crazily these days and I feel like I need a long list to keep me entertained!

Kindle Daily Deal, Go Now

For those of you with a Kindle... you should most definitely hop on over to Amazon today where one of my absolute FAVORITE books is on sale today for $1.99.

I've written about The Middle Place before, but it really is an amazing book.  The book is a memoir of Kelly Corrigan's family life and her father, who is her hero.

And if you need further convinced, watch this video on YouTube then sob your eyes out THEN go buy this book.

And if that doesn't convince you, nothing will.

(Amazon didn't pay me for this but if they want to sponsor my life... call me!)

The Classy Bookshelf: Teen Love

I had planned on posting every day this week.  How'd that work out?  Not so much.

In my defense, work has been hectic this week and I cannot get caught up on anything to save my life.  To-do list?  A mile long.

I cancelled my plans last night to come home and get some stuff done for work... and then I snuggled with my kindle all night instead.

Speaking of the Kindle... it has been most excellent for my reading this year.  I can fly through a good book in about 2 days.


My recent favorites seem to all be young adult fiction books.  Judge away, friends.

I wasn't really sure about this one - Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy.  By the end, I was eager to read the follow-up book.

You may remember Ally Carter from my last Classy Bookshelf post...  and I think she's done it again in this newer series, Heist Society.  I loved the suspense of this one.  Love!

I found this next one, Hex Hall, through What Should I Read Next after I read Matched by Ally Condie.

This book is about a young witch with more power than she knows what to do with... read this book in less than 24 hours.  LOVE!

In conclusions: I really like books written by people named Ally.

The End.

So, is summer good for your reading or bad?  I can go both ways - on one hand, I seem to have endless days to laze in the sun and read.  On the other hand, I'm always go-go-going and never seem to sit still long enough for a book.

Happy Thursday!! 

The Classy Bookshelf: Series-ly In Love

As I have stated before on The Classy Bookshelf, I enjoy, no, LOVE, a good series book.  Heck, I enjoy a bad series book.  (See: Sweet Valley High in my middle school years)

I have been on quite a reading kick lately.  Despite the fact that I haven't been paying for books lately (GO ME!!  Go public library!), I have still managed to find some decent books to check out and devour on my kindle.

First up, somebody mentioned a million years ago that they had started reading this series.  I hadn't a clue what it was about... but now that I know, it's totally up my alley.



 The Gallagher Girls' series is  a book about young female spies and their top-secret all-girls spy school.   It's totally adorable, and yes, young-adult but I'm into it.  They are quick, easy reads.  Perfect for the pool!

Next up, the Fallen series by Lauren Kate. 



These books could be considered science-fiction.  It's about fallen angels, demons, and magical powers.  I know it sounds cheesy, but there's a love story woven in and it's very compelling.  After adjusting to the mythical element, I flew through these books.  The fourth book is soon-to-be-released and I found out Disney has purchased the rights to all four books. Yes please!!

Next up... I've got the 50 Shades books ready to go as well as Insurgent.  I can't believe I haven't ditched my current book to read that one, actually.

Soo... what are you reading this week??

The Classy Bookshelf

Ever since I figured out how to check out library books to my kindle... fools, I have been a reading machine!!  Last night, in fact, I was up till almost midnight (hey, that's late here!) and texted Mr. RH in a moment of... umm, adrenaline-fueled hilarity (that's a stretch) to tell him that I was, and I quote, "a wild girl."  Cause I was up late in bed reading.

EXCITING TIMES, people.

So, I've been on a reading binge.  Something about the warm days and the sunshine has me wanting to curl up and plow through a good book.

One of the first things I read this year was Sisterhood Everlasting, the last book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.  

It's not quite exactly what you'd expect from the Pants series... but I loved this book.  It was a lot more emotional than I expected... but in the end, I loved it.  Took me a hot minute to get there, though.  It just very different.

Next up was Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, which I believe was recommended by somebody... couldn't tell you who though. 

 This book was not at ALL what I expected... but  yet again, couldn't put it down.  I believe it's classified as young adult... which, again, love.  Although if you had asked me 3 years ago if I was into young adult books I probably would have said no.

Go figure.

Last but not least (for today) is The Lost Summer by Kathryn Williams.

It's about a couple of middle-school aged girls at summer camp... and I just loved the story.  The innocence of camp and the pains of growing up... ohh, just such a great read - in my opinion.

Soo... there's your peek into my reading list today.  What are YOU reading?? 

I'm just finishing up a batch of books right now, I need suggestions.

Happy Tuesday!

The Classy Bookshelf: 2011 in Review

Last year, in 2010, I read 65 books.  I don't remember all of them, but I do remember the fact that I spent much of the year with a book in my hand.

This year, I was rolling right along with books and then... Mr. RH came along.  It's weird - because he loves books and loves to read - but our relationship caused my book reading to take a SERIOUS nosedive.  In the past, I'd spend 2 hours in bed reading every night.  Now... I stay up way past my bedtime to sneak in some quality time with him while our lives are still crazy and hectic.

I'm not sad about it - because the books will be around long after Mr. RH and I are old and gray - but I definitely need to put a little priority back on reading this year.  My grand total of books for this year?  39.

Out of my goal of 70.  Whoops.

So, without further ado, my book list.  I was going to add pictures and captions for all of them... but then it would be February and I would have carpel tunnel from this dang computer.

For reference, I am color coding all the books.  So you know which ones were the best:

MUST READS (Bold and green!)
Excellent Reads (Blue!)
Hated the Plot Reads (Red)
And the ones in black...meh.  Clearly they didn't make an impact.

1. The Other Mothers' Club, Samantha Baker
2. Big Stone Gap, Adriana Trigiani
3. Big Cherry Holler, Adriana Trigiani
4. Milk Glass Moon, Adriana Trigiani
5. Home to Big Stone Gap, Adriana Trigiani
6. If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Now, Claire LaZebnik
7. Remember Me?, Sophie Kinsella
8. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, Gregory Maguire
9. Very Valentine, Adriana Trigiani
10. Brava, Valentine, Adriana Trigiani
11. Gilead, Marilynne Robinson
12. Pretty in Plaid, Jen Lancaster
13. Home, Marilynne Robinson
14. The Host, Stephanie Meyer
15. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon 
16. Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2), Diana Gabaldon 
17. Voyager (Outlander #3), Diana Gabaldon 
18. Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4), Diana Gabaldon 
19. The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5), Diana Gabaldon 
20. A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6), Diana Gabaldon
21. An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7), Diana Gabaldon 
22. Bumped, Megan McCafferty
23. The Girls from Ames, Jeffery Zaslow
24. Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me, Chelsea Handler
25. The Idiot Girls' Action Adventure Club, Laurie Notaro
26. Autobiography of a Fat Bride, Laurie Notaro
27. Divergent, Veronica Roth
28. Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, Rhoda Janzen
29. Then Came You, Jennifer Weiner
30. I Love Everybody, Laurie Notaro
31. Matched (Matched #1), Ally Condie
32. There's a Slight Chance I Might be Going to Hell, Laurie Notaro
33. Heart of the Matter, Emily Giffin
34. Hush Hush (Hush Hush #1), Becca Fitzpatrick
34. Crescendo (Hush Hush #2), Becca Fitzpatrick
35. The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death, Laurie Notaro
36. Summer at Tiffany, Marjorie Hart
37. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Alan Bradley
38. Crossed (Matched #2), Ally Condie
39. One Fifth Avenue, Candace Bushnell

Despite the fact that I didn't finish many books this year, I still feel like I read a decent amount.  The Outlander series (books 15-21) were a massive undertaking.  I would say most of the books in the series were 800 pages long.

Last year, I read 24,447 pages - this year, 17,651.  A difference of 6,796.  Ooops.

If you need recommendations, definitely start with the ones I posted in green above.  I think they are all page-turners and I think I would read them all again.  If I didn't have a million other books that I want to get to soon!

Actually, I'm not sure I have that many that I want to read... but I'm sure after you all tell me what you read this year I'll have plenty to add to my list.  RIGHT?

Soo... what did you read in 2011??  Please please post the link if you posted a yearly book roundup - I'd love to read them and link them all up!

Here's to hoping I get a little more on-track in 2012.... or not.

(Also, you should totally be my friend on Goodreads.)

The Classy Bookshelf

I'm gonna just go out and admit it:  falling in love is pretty bad for one's Goodreads book count for the year.  Bad for reading overall.  I'm still keeping up with blogs (although I've hit "mark all as read" by accident TWICE in the past week) and I feel like I can comment decently enough.... but as for sitting down with a good book and reading the hours away?  I don't do it anymore.

And Goodreads is very friendly in letting me know I'm behind.

But the thing about books is... they'll still be there even if I ignore them cause I'm too busy falling in love.  I hope they'll forgive me.

The weird thing is... Mr. RH loves to read.  Love loves.  He's a book person.  But since we don't live together (not that I'm saying that's a good idea), I'm not just gonna pull a book out of my purse and start reading it while we're hanging out.  Or maybe I should?  

I still read before I go to bed at night, but lately I've been out much past my bedtime *cough* Mr. RH's fault *cough* so I am in bed for 5 minutes before my eyes are drooping. 

So, what have I been reading?  First and most recently, Hush, Hush and Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick.  This is a 3-part series (and the last book isn't coming out for a while!) and I was totally hooked.  Stayed up past midnight because I couldn't put them down.

 

Before that, I was reading I Love Everybody and There's a (Slight) Chance I Might be Going to Hell by Laurie Notaro.  Both decent reads but not the most compelling page-turners.

On Mr. RH's un-recommendation I read Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin.  I know that everyone read this book a year or so ago when it came out, but I just hadn't got around to it. 

I was intrigued by this story and really enjoyed the characters, as per norm for an Emily Giffin book.  Mr. RH hates this book because the end of the book is kinda sad.  I'm slightly inclined to agree but I think I tend to be more forgiving than he is... so I didn't hate it.  I read this one quickly, I was quite intrigued by the plot.

I'm pretty sure Miss Pink Sass made me read Matched by Ally Condie.  Love love love!  Blew through the pages in a couple days.  Can't wait for the sequel!   Also can't wait for Mr. RH to read it because I know he will love it and then I can tell him to shove it for making fun of my teenager book picks.

And last but not least, an oldie I picked up at Half-Price Books:  Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen.  This book is actually a memoir of the author's experience of surviving a terrible car wreck, her husband leaving her for a man from gay.com, and moving back home with her traditional, Mennonite parents.  It was funny and truthful at the same time... hence why I enjoyed it.

I had been working through a huge pile of Hawaii vacation books but I've just realized that I have nothing exciting to read in my pile.  Nothing at all in my pile, actually!

Soo..... what are you reading lately?

The Classy Bookshelf

Before Mr. RH dropped into my life, I was on a serious reading spree. Something about sun and summertime makes reading even more appealing.

I got Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me and read it in less than 48 hours. Chelsea is too funny!! I loved Are You There Vodka, It's Me Chelsea but haven't read Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang.


I picked up this next one from the endcap at Half-Priced Books in Indy and I'm glad I did. The Girls from Ames is a story about a large group of friends and their 40-year-friendship.

I really enjoyed this read, and I love any books about women and friendship. So beautiful.


This book was highly recommended by... everyone, with special shout outs to Pink Sass and Mojito Maven.

I picked up Divergent and couldn't put it down!! This book is definitely reminiscent of The Hunger Games and I found it just as enjoyable. When does the next book come out?! (Not until next year! BOOO!)
Last but not least, somebody recommended Laurie Notaro to me. I can't for the LIFE of me figure out who it was, but I must thank you.

Laurie writes hilarious books about her life... and I am obsessed. I've purchased all the books she's published so far and can't wait to dig into more of them!!


I've got some vacation time coming up in the next couple weeks and I can't figure out what else I need to be reading... what's on YOUR bookshelf, ladies?

Hit me with your best beach reads!

So. Much. Reading.

I feel like I have neither the time nor energy to post lately because I've been reading. And reading and reading.

Since March 10th, I have been reading the Outlander series. I finally finished An Echo in the Bone, which is the 7th and final (for now) book. Holy page-flippin overload.

According to Goodreads, those books are 6,793 pages long. Sweet baby Jesus. I think that's around 90ish pages per day. Every day. And did I mention that these books weigh a pound or so each? They're HUGE!

I have started to get accustomed to reading lots of pages quickly because otherwise I would have never finished the series.

Which is how at 4 pm yesterday I started (and fisnished by 11 pm) Bumped by Megan McCafferty.
Bumped is.... an interesting book. The story itself is fascinating - a world in which all people above age 18 are infertile gives rise to a culture of teen pregnancy and, basically, teen pregnancy for hire.

I liked it somewhat... but to be honest, all the weird slang/terminology used in the book weren't quite my cup of tea. For a book so short, I barely caught onto the language before it was over.

So I'm ready to get back into the groove of frothy chick lit that doesn't consume my entire being. I love me a good series, but I think Outlander might be my first and last jump into the never-ending long book series. I can't handle it!

Got any excellent book picks for me to check out while I'm working on my tan??

Books and Movies

This past weekend, I saw Water for Elephants.

I had read the book a few months back and I have to say... I was kind of lukewarm about it. It's a great story, don't get me wrong. I just wan't into it. For some reason I have a harder time "getting into" stories that are written from the male point of view.

It was good and enjoyable, I just didn't love it.

The movie?

Love.

(Image from here)

I loved the movie. My friend and I were completely spellbound. For the first time in... ever? - I enjoyed the movie more than the book. I know, I know. Crazy.

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Meanwhile, I have been reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. It is definitely not my usual frothy Chick Lit book... but in a way it is. Frothy historical fiction, if you will. A love story.
The thing about these books is HOLY COW they are LONG! I have never ever been one to complain about a book being too long (unless it's boring) but man, each of these books is 800 pages. I'm currently on the 4th book (of 6) and have been reading the series exclusively since March 22nd - over a month!

I love them but wow... long. Definitely not for you if you're a slow reader.

I have 2 more Outlander books to go - but I'm planning ahead and I know my bookshelf is way too empty once I finish these couple books.

What else should I be reading? I've had suggestions for Black Heels to Tractor Wheels so that's on my list... but otherwise, I'm fresh out.

Suggestions? Read anything good lately? Or ever? I love old books too - what's your favorite?

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Meanwhile, if you follow me on twitter you might know that I've been undertaking a craaaazy diet to help fix some crazy symptoms I've been having lately. I have zero energy for anything so forgive me if posting is spotty for the immediate future. I'm hoping to feel better soon!

Happy Tuesday!

The Classy Bookshelf

Happy Tuesday friends, welcome to another edition of The Classy Bookshelf.

Get your reading lists out (Goodreads anyone?) because this week's two books are a must-read in my opinion!

Because I had loved my last experience with SMC graduate Adriana Trigiani, I was super-pumped to read her newest series. Very Valentine and Brava, Valentine are (according to google) the first two parts of a trilogy about 33-year-old Valentine who is carrying on her family's couture wedding shoe business.


Of course, she has her share of romantic rendezvous along the way which were entertaining and heartbreaking all at the same time.

The thing I loved most about these books is that Valentine struggled to decide what was most important in her life - work and her passion for it or love. I think that's something we can all relate to in one way or another.

My to-read book pile is getting mighty low this week... what are you reading??

The Classy Bookshelf

So far this year, I have been on a reading jag. Read, read, read... I can't get enough.

Until this book.
I got Wicked, the book, based on one of your suggestions. And while I like the story... this is just a tough read for me.

The style of this book... ack, it's just killing me. I don't know why, but I am just struggling! I've been reading it for well over a week now.

Anyways, today's my day off so I am going to plow through this and finish... otherwise I may never finish.

So. Tell me what you're reading today. Or planning on reading today. Cause I don't know if I can survive this book much longer.

(And I apologize to the person who recommended this to me. I just... can't. Color me a dumb blonde, I like my chick lit.)

Also, I haven't seen the musical either. Something tells me I would love it more if I had seen it first.

The Classy Bookshelf

As I have stated a thousand times before... I love me some books in a series. Twilight, Sookie Stackhouse, The Hunger Games, The Shopaholic series... and on and on and on.

Just recently, I read the Big Stone Gap Series by Adriana Trigiani. I loved it.

As some background, Trigiani was actually a graduate of my alma mater, Saint Mary's College. I had heard of her while I was at school and that several of her books were NY Times Bestsellers. Obviously I was excited before I even read them.

This series contains four books: Big Stone Gap, Big Cherry Holler, Milk Glass Moon, and Home to Big Stone Gap.

Each books tells about a little slice of adulthood in Ave Maria's (that's the main character) life. From singlehood to wedded bliss to motherhood, this book felt so very real. I felt like I knew the characters and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next.

I read the whole series in under 2 weeks, so if that's any indication... you should definitely read these books.

The End.

What are YOU reading now?

2010 in Books.

In January of 2010 I joined Goodreads... and it has definitely been one of the best decisions I made this year!

I love looking and seeing what books I read at what times... and how long it took me to read some of them.

In all, I read.... drumroll please....

65 books this year.

(Goodreads says it's 64 cause apparently I forgot one of the Sookie Stackhouse books as I flew through them. I read it, just didn't mark it on Goodreads, oops!)

Wow! That seems like a ton, especially considering that the sum of all those books is 24,447 pages.

Some were great, some were bad... but you've probably seen the reviews of my favorites and least favorites here around the blog.

Because I clearly suck at writing books reviews... here's the quick and dirty reviews guide for you:

MUST READS (Bold and green!)
Excellent Reads (Blue!)
Hated the Plot Reads (Red)
And the ones in black... I clearly don't remember what they were about. Awesome, right?

So, without further ado... my 2010 book list:

1. The Idea of Love, Megan Lewis
2. The Fixer Upper, Mary Kay Andrews
3. Do Me, Do My Roots, Eileen Rendahl
4. Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling #1), Megan McCafferty
5. Second Helpings (Jessica Darling #2), Megan McCafferty
6. Charmed Thirds (Jessica Darling #3), Megan McCafferty
7. Sushi for Beginners, Marian Keyes
8. Fourth Comings, (Jessica Darling #4), Megan McCafferty
9. Savannah Blues, Mary Kay Andrews
10. Perfect Fifths (Jessica Darling #5), Megan McCafferty
11. Dear John, Nicholas Sparks
12. Watermelon, Marian Keyes
13. Little Altars Everywhere, Rebecca Wells
14. Mountains Beyond Mountains, Tracy Kiddler
15. Something Borrowed, Emily Giffin
16. Something Blue, Emily Giffin
17. The Nanny Diaries, Emma McLaughlin
18. The Last Song, Nicholas Sparks
19. American Wife, Curtis Sittenfeld
20. Prep, Curtis Sittenfeld
21. The Secret of Joy, Melissa Senate
22. The Help, Kathryn Stockett
23. Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1), Charlaine Harris
24. Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse #2), Charlaine Harris
25. Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #3), Charlaine Harris
26. Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse #4), Charlaine Harris
27. Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse #5), Charlaine Harris
28. Definitely Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #6), Charlaine Harris
29. * All Together Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #7), Charlaine Harris (Goodreads says I skipped this one, but I definitely didn't.)
    
30. From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse #8), Charlaine Harris
31. Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse #9), Charlaine Harris
32. Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse #10), Charlaine Harris
33. Mating Rituals of the North American Wasp, Lauren Lipton
34. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Stephanie Meyer
35. Little Earthquakes, Jennifer Weiner
36. Easy on the Eyes, Jane Porter
37. The Choice, Nicholas Sparks
38. Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
39. Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
40. I Will Carry You, Angie Smith
41. Such a Pretty Fat, Jen Lancaster
42. Little Bitty Lies, Mary Kay Andrews
43. Hissy Fit, Mary Kay Andrews
44. Bright Lights, Big Ass, Jen Lancaster
45. Firefly Lane, Kristin Hannah
46. The Hunger Games (Hunger Games #1), Suzanne Collins
47. Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2), Suzanne Collins
48. Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3), Suzanne Collins
49. Savannah Breeze, Mary Kay Andrews
50. My Fair Lazy, Jen Lancaster
51. Fly Away Home, Jennifer Weiner
52. Commencement, J. Courtney Sullivan
53. Love Walked In, Marisa de los Santos
54. Belong to Me, Marisa de los Santos
55. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone (HP #1), J.K. Rowling
56. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets (HP #2), J.K. Rowling
57. Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (HP #3), J.K. Rowling
58. Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (HP #4), J.K. Rowling
59. Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix (HP #5), J.K. Rowling
60. Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince (HP #6), J.K. Rowling
61. Mini Shopaholic, Sophie Kinsella
62. Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher
63. The Secret Life of Ceecee Wilkes, Diane Chamberlain
64. Deep Dish, Mary Kay Andrews
65. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows (HP #7), J.K. Rowling

I would like to thank the lovely designhermomma for suggesting Jen Lancaster books. They are hilarious and true and I devoured them all.

I would like to thank the gorgeous PinkSass for forcing me to read The Hunger Games trilogy and then for fretting about it because she was nervous I wouldn't like them. I, of course, LOVED them. Definitely set a high benchmark for 2010 books.

I would like to thank the original members of the #TwilightPosse (that would be miss Megan Tree and Pink Sass) along with Rachel for forcing me to read Harry Potter. They sat next to my bed for days and weeks on end because I was so afraid to undertake such a challenge... but holy cow, I loved them. I'm definitely re-reading them this year.

And to all of the other sweet girls who have left me book suggestions on random posts all year long: THANK YOU! I just dove through my inbox and pulled out a ton more of your suggestions - I can't wait to get started on them!

And of course if you've read anything good lately I want to know about it. I'll share the good ones if you do too!

Here's to just as many awesome books in 2011!

Bloggy Book Club. Also Known as The BBC.

I was so excited when I posted about my craft project on Monday. So excited.

And now, 3 full days after I started the craft project - it's still not complete!!

It will not dry. Will. not.

For the love. And now I have nothing else to blog about because I keep thinking about a stupid craft project. It's maddening.

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Well, if you've read anything on this old blog you know that I love to read. Love it.

So when the lovely Rachel and Erin started a book club on the internet? You know I was into it.



Somehow I missed the first book because I was too tired to order it off Amazon.

This month's selection is Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan.

It's about four girls who attend an all-girls college - something I know alll about. In fact, I fancy myself a bit of an expert on the topic. Take that.

I'm not going to go into details on this post with my thoughts because in the BBC (Blog Book Club, officially known as Book Beginnings and Bookends), they are breaking the book into 2 parts. Which is handy cause the book is broken into two parts. Smart!

Part 1 focuses on life during college (I think). I actually read part 2 last night so of course I'm gonna start confusing the two.

And now I'm just gonna answer the BBC questions for part 1.

1. Which girl do you identify the most with?
Ohh, this is tough. Well, I'm definitely not an April. That leaves Celia, Sally, and Bree. Celia, to me, is the every-girl. For some reason, her major traits don't jump out at me. Bree is the girl who came to college engaged, so I can relate to her a bit there. Not that I was engaged, but I was in a serious relationship all through college - so I know where she's coming from; however, I didn't go on to become a lesbian. And then there is Sally - the girl who's mom died. I can definitely identify with her since my mom died my sophomore year of college. I remember girls (strangers) walking up to me in the hallways at school and telling me that I was living their worst nightmare and they didn't know how I made it through every day.

So which girl do I identify with? Sally and Bree. Minus the lesbian thing.

2. If you're a college student or graduate, what similarities or differences do you see between this story to your own college experience?

I just had to read this book because of the fact that I went to an all-girls, Catholic college. It was a weird choice for me that caused many freak-outs before I arrived... but I loved it from the moment I stepped foot on campus.

On one hand, the book does a great job portraying this college setting. Girls in PJs at all hours of the day. Feeling comfortable enough to know your professors outside of class. Being 100% in your element on campus. All true.

Even the "lesbians until graduation" thing has a tiny bit of truth. On one hand, I can most definitely say I knew of maybe half a dozen girls in my four years who were out-and-out lesbians on campus. Knew of, not knew personally. So I felt like that was a bit overblown... but then again, the college I attended was predominately Catholic... and we know how the Catholic church officially feels about gays.

So - what I'm saying is - no, there were not lesbians lurking around every corner (that I know of). But I have also attended enough 21st birthday parties to know that plenty of kisses have been exchanged. True story.

The thing about an all-girls campus is that it's a sisterhood. Not having been in an actual sorority - I can only imagine that my college experience was like a 24/7 sorority. Borrowing dresses and jewelry, sharing clothes, stealing snacks (read: booze), Bachelor-TV watch parties, movie nights.... and on and on and on.

Having a giant campus family is a once-in-a-lifetime experience... and I'm sure if you've read around here for any length of time while I was at school you can see that I wouldn't trade it for a thing.

3. Which girl do you think has changed the most since her time in college? In what ways has she changed?

To me, they have all changed - and this is something my friends and I have gone through in the past year. The part that I feel differs from the book is this: my friends and I might go months without speaking. Over a year in some cases. But - you put us in a room back together and it will feel like nothing has changed. Several of my friends are married - but none of us have passed the baby test so maybe that will be a definitive change.

Anyway. That got a bit ramble-y.... but if you haven't picked up Commencement yet - you totally should! It is not at ALL what I expected... stay tuned for Part 2!

Happy Wednesday!