#65 - List of Books - Fiction and NonFiction

Here is #65 as much as possible - my list of (not quite) 50 Fiction and NonFiction Books and Reviews.

Fiction:

1) Shopaholic and Sister - Easy and light reading. I read the Shopaholic series before I started this goal list and was delighted when this one came out.

2) In Her Shoes - my first Jennifer Weiner Book - I really enjoyed it.

3) Lost - Gregory McGuire - We all know I have been in love with this author since I first read Wicked. And this novel was no different - it was great. I had a hard time getting into it at first, but then as the story developed itself, you couldn't tell what was up or down and it kept you guessing right up until the end of the last page. A nice mix of Jack the Ripper, Alice in Wonderland, and A Christmas Carol combine in one novel. There was a bit of Peter Pan mixed in there as well. Anyway, I recommend this to anyone who likes a little twist ending.

4) The Queen�s Fool - not as good as the other Tudor novels, but still enjoyable

5.) The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Another Wow book. I couldn't put it down - I wanted it to never end and its just a wow factor for me.

6) Princess Bride � William Goldman - the abridged version. Oh my god - talk about torture. Thank god William Goldman wrote a better screenplay. Don't get me wrong - its still the same story, but Morgenstern did not write humor. The actors that brought the Princess Bride to life still had some of the same lines that were written, but they presented it with funny irony and in this instance, I must say I like the movie much better than the book!

7) 2nd and 3rd Traveling Pants - LOVED it. Once again, the author just gets it right on. I don�t remember much about the 3rd

8) Shopgirl � Steve Martin - (By Krissy) Another good read, however I think I will enjoy the movie a lot more. Its nice to know that Steve is something other than funny.

9) The Witches (recommended by Katie D). Just a reminder of how much I love Roald Dahl.

10) PS I Love You - I don�t think I stopped crying through this entire novel - it was that good. I am sure most have at least seen the movie and know what this is about - it�s a great love story.

11) Beaches -the book the movie with Bette Midler was based on. I found it lacking something. Its one of the first times that I will actually say the movie was better than the book. Not to mention that they were almost two completely different story lines. Even the names were different. You just really miss Bette's character coming to life on screen that you can't get in the book.

12) A Private Hotel for Genteel Ladies - now I have been waiting for this to be available in the library because it sounded like a good read. Boy was I disappointed - I only made it through the first five chapters before throwing it down in disgust. The author went everywhere with her story it didn�t' flow.

13) 13 Steps Down - I joined a book club at work (although we haven't met yet because everyone and their lives are too busy). Danielle selected this book and from what everyone did say at work, nobody has gotten into it. Now I forced myself to read it. But I don't like when the main character is a crazy serial killer. There is just something wrong about that.

14) If You Could See Me Now - by the same author who wrote PS I Love You so I thought I would enjoy it immensely. I had the worst time getting into this book and had to force myself to read it. I did start to like it a little once I got about halfway through it. It was hard because the main guy was imaginary and for me it made the book seem like an unreality which in some books can work, but this one didn't do it for me.

15) Two Little Girls in Blue - Mary Higgins Clark and her latest. Great read as usual - I don't think I was able to put it down. It was the story of a kidnapping of identical three year old twin girls. One is returned when the ransom is paid, but the other is presumed dead, but the other girl still communicates with her sister in twin talk. So they are able to find her before the kidnappers kill her.

16) Girl in Blue - Ann Rinaldi so another historical fiction. This I really liked because it told the story of a girl from Michigan who dressed up as a man to become a soldier in the Civil War and she ended up in Northern Virginia/DC as a spy. Sounds somewhat familiar.

17) The Virgin's Lover: another book about Elizabethean England from Phillipha Gregory; this time about Queen Elizabeth herself and her struggle to become and stay an unmarried queen; I really do find the books fascinating, but tend to forget as I move from book to the next all the king and queen details and who's who, but the royal families do tend to be complicated

18) Had a Good Time - this was by an author that my friend Laura recommended and it was a collection of short stories that the author used postcards that he found and created the stories based on them; it took place all across America and I really did enjoy it - I don't tend to read short stories very often - most of them made me cry, but what can you do?

19) Angels Fall - Nora Roberts; trashy romance mixed with mystery (LOVE IT)

20) Woman Who never Cooked - Another collection of short stories; I was hoping it would be more about kitchens or food, but instead it was about Jewish woman getting robbed, getting flowers, having affairs, being young, being old; it wasn't half bad but not something to revisit

21) Love Rosie - this book was adorable, the story of two friends in love with each other, but keep missing the opportunity in their lives to admit it to the other, so much that they don't end up together until they are 50! I love it because its a true love story, about two people can grow and grow apart and be with other people and then still discover their love for each other is too strong to overcome it.

22) Goodbye Lemon - This was excellent; the story about a man who returns home because his estranged father has a stroke and becomes incapacitated, can't speak, can't move, only part is working is his brain. The man in question also brings his girlfriend who he is planning on proposing to, but she starts to catch on to all the family secrets.

23) Woman of Independent means - A story of a woman from the late 1800s until the 1950s written all through letters; well written and enjoyable, but also sometimes too dry for my taste

24.) The Devil Wears Prada - loved it! Much better than the movie

25) Angels and Demons - I had a hard time with this one because I read DaVinci Code first and I kept saying, but what but what. Still a good fast paced read

26) Boleyn Inheritance -another Tudor story; somehow I can't get enough and somehow I still can't keep it all straight

27) Memory Keeper's daughter - wow, read this one on my trip to Michigan in the car. GREAT BOOK! It is the story of a doctor who has twins, then realizes one has down's - he gives the child to his nurse to take to an institution and instead she takes the girl to raise herself. In that one moment he changes all of their lives when he makes that decision, it was a tearjerker.

28) The Constant Princess - Katherine of Aragon - I think as King Henry's first wife, she was by far my favorite queen of the Tudor clan. I love how the author wrote the story as if Katherine and her first husband really loved each other and that it was this love she clung to in the end.

29) Anything Considered � Peter Mayle - one of my favorite British authors. This is a true suspense/mystery novel that takes place in France and Monaco.

30) Son of A Witch � Gregory McGuire - I couldn�t put this down; I loved Wicked, but struggled through it. Now with this one, I could understand it much better and I could truly enjoy his writing.

31) Roy � God of Small Things (BH) - Amazing story. Its funny how one event can change everyone�s life.

32) I am Charlotte Simmons - I am Charlotte Simmons - My first Tom Wolfe. It only took me seven months to get thru the damn thing since I kept putting it down. I can't say that it was horrible, but I can't say it was that good. I hated the way it ended by just leaving you hanging.

33) Thistle and the Rose - eh, this was a Tudor novel written by Jean Plaidy back in the 80s I think. It was okay.

34) Kissing the Witch - My first lesbian novel. It took me half way through the book to actually realize this.

35.) The Stranger � Albert Camus - (I put the synopsis from amazon) The plot is simple. A young Algerian, Meursault, afflicted with a sort of aimless inertia, becomes embroiled in the petty intrigues of a local pimp and, somewhat inexplicably, ends up killing a man. Once he's imprisoned and eventually brought to trial, his crime, it becomes apparent, is not so much the arguably defensible murder he has committed as it is his deficient character. The trial's proceedings are absurd, a parsing of incidental trivialities--that Meursault, for instance, seemed unmoved by his own mother's death and then attended a comic movie the evening after her funeral are two ostensibly damning facts--so that the eventual sentence the jury issues is both ridiculous and inevitable.

36) Little Earthquakes - another Jennifer Weiner; I thought it was great

37) Candide - Very much a classic; kind of dark and depressing

38) Good in Bed - I liked it because it told the story of a person of bigger means; meaning not some gorgeous skinny creature

39) Remind me why I need a Man - Fabulous - while the title should say it all, it actually is about a woman who feels like her biological clock is ticking and she needs to find a boyfriend. On the way she must revisit all of her ex-boyfriends in order to find out why it didn�t work out between them. She discovers that after all- if Prince Charming hasn�t showed up as of yet, she doesn�t need him too - she has herself.

40) Pilgrims - Elizabeth Gilbert - the woman who changed my life with her personal tale; a series of short stories about people who are trying to find their way.

41) The Woman Who Wouldn�t - Gene Wilder - Who knew the comic could write; very easy reading and enjoyable to the end.

42) The Choice - Nicolas Sparks - Heart moving as usual

43) Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult is amazing and chilling.

44) Dud Avocado - a very Breakfast at Tiffany�s novel; took place in France which was fantastic

45) Shopaholic and Baby - another absolute delight

46) The Next Thing on My List - my first book for my new book club. It�s the story about a woman who gets into a car accident and her passenger dies. The woman finds a list of this girls that is 20 things to do before I turn 25, so she decides to complete the list for her. Of course it reminded me of my own list that I have yet to complete.

47) Show Boat - the book that was created into one of my favorite musicals. I must say I enjoyed the musical a lot better. I couldn't finish it because it was due and it was boring.

48) The Pact - by Jodi Picoult - Amanda D's author that she recommended to me. This too was very chilling. Its about two teenagers who supposedly had made a suicide pact, but only one died and the other was accused of murder then. It is also about the two families coping since they were best friends and the two had grown up together.

Non Fiction Books:

1) Pictorial history of Michigan - need I say more, it�s a picture book

2) In Cold Blood - I bought In Cold Blood by Capote to read on the airplane when I flew out to Fairfax. Oh my - it was brilliant. I couldn't believe that he was actually able to reconstruct the murder as if he were actually there or just writing the story himself. And you could feel his connection to the main focus - Perry - the murderer. If you haven't read it, you should - I am looking forward to the movie.

3) Ghost Towns of Michigan � Volumes I, II, and III. - too bad I am not a ghost hunter

4) Five People You Meet in Heaven (recommend by Krissy)- I think there wasn't a moment that I didn't stop crying in this book. It was so amazingly beautiful.

5) We�re Just Like You, Only Prettier - We're Just Like You, Only Prettier - a whimsical look at Southern women and this one particular southern belle's views on women in the south compared to us Yankees. It was funny.

6) Little Red Book of Selling - Dana, my ADOC had me read this for work. And while some of the points were interesting, I still don't see my job as selling. Granted it is, but sales and catering differ in lots of ways. And the way you sell a wedding is very different from selling some other products. But I guess its useful reading books that make you think about it.

7) Food and Love - Food and Love - nonfiction. A very interesting concept that food and love work together. This very religious guy and that might be why I didn't enjoy the complete book, but just parts drafts together an idea that food affects your relationships and if your relationships are bad, you make bad food choices, therefore affecting physical and emotional health, in turn affecting your relationships. A lot of interesting notions that the bible can teach us how to eat healthy and that any diet you should try should be one that the bible teaches you to have. However, him and I differ in the sense that he believes food was created to nourish your body and sustain you. I feel that food was developed to invoke more than nourishment. I feel it awakens passions and emotions and I would rather have a passionate relationship with food than another person. But that in turn according to this guy means I am usually making the wrong food choices and that is why I am alone. And he said if you are single, you should let God into your life to fill the void that is there and while I am not a religious person, I do feel that it could help a little, but nobody that I know wants to fill that deep void with God - they want somebody that can tangibly be touched.

8) Why I�m Still Single - self help books - I hate to love them, but yet I still read them. This book was written from a male and female point of view, however, I still felt that it was more male dominated in the sense that its a bad thing for a woman to be single.

9) It�s a Chick Thing - a cute book full of real life stories of friends from all different places, different times, and such

10) Question Behind the Question - borrowed it from Chet since he got it from AOL - it made me want to gag - it was all about taking person responsibility and not blaming anyone with things are going wrong, however its not always your fault

11) Cooked - This was a really good story about a chef in Vegas (at Cesar's) who spent his youth and early adulthood as a major drug dealer in LA. Then its about how spending time in the prison kitchens turned his life around and made him a great chef. Decent read

12) Its a Wonderful Lie - 26 Truths about Being in your 20s - I am sure I will enjoy this more when I am in my 30s, but it was a series of stories from writers about all those "lies" that people think is what your 20s is all about - having the greatest job, the greatest apartment, an expendable income, etc.

13) Robert Mondavi's Autobiography - I've always loved wine but this was an eye opener on how the California and America's wine industry began. Robert Mondavi was a genius and I highly recommend this for people who like to read and who love wine.

14) Elephant Secret Sense - I never thought that I would read a book that was my favorite animal and that it would involve so much science and political statements/movements. This was a good way to learn more about elephants and how they live and how they are surviving in Africa in his day in age.

15) Without You � Anthony Rapp - Finished it on the airplane from Michigan. Excellent read - Anthony Rapp, the guy from Rent wrote the book and it was about his sexuality, the loss of his mother, his experience with Rent, etc.

16) Wedding Book of Etiquette (2001) - Just wanted to learn more about certain wedding etiquette so I can sound intelligent when I speak with my clients.

17) Eat, Pray, Love - a book that changed my life and gave me new perspective (well not completely, but it was very moving and brilliant)

18) A Year in Provence - this is prolly the real story that changed my life. I re-read it just to read the sequels as well. This book made me realize that I really truly want to live in France one day and when it talks about wine and food, I just know I belong there!

19) Toujours Provence - a sequel - equally enjoyable

20) Check Please - Janice Dickinson�s novel about dating, men, and beauty or some crap like that. It was actually very amusing

21) French by Heart - this was a book about a Southern American family moving to France for four years (due to her husband�s job) and their life and experiences there. How the neighbors are appalled that their kids play in the backyard without shoes on is hilarious.

22) Cest la Vie - this is another Frenchie book set in Paris. This one is about a woman who becomes widowed at an early age and decides to move to Paris for a year and then she decides to stay.

23) He�s Just Not that Into You (KP) - ha, the story of my life

24) Encore Provence - the last in the series

25) Chocolates on the Pillow Aren�t Enough - Jonathan Tisch - This guy is the manager of a big chain of hotels and talks about how customer service takes more than just the simple things that people expect at a hotel, but also is able to relate this concept to real life business which I thought was grea

26) tNarrative of Frederick Douglass - this book should be a requirement in school - it is an amazing true life story and I have a newfound respect for this great man who is part of America�s history

27) Portable Wine Tour � Napa Valley - of course I read this in preparation of my vacation this year

28) Woman on the Vine - bought this in Napa at Robert Mondavi; it�s great - basically interviews and stories from various women in the wine industry from Gina Gallo to the simplest winemaker

29) Around the World in 80 Dinners - another great travel book written by an American couple who decides to travel to 11 countries and write about the food they encounter while there; I need to travel!!!

30) Marley and Me - I have never cried so hard in my life except when my own childhood dog passed away; I want a puppy so bad, but know that now is not the proper time, but I truly agree with him that dogs are special things. Marley reminds me of my mom�s dog, Maddy.

31) Kiss My Tiara - also a recommendation from Krissy. Sorry babe, but I have to give this one a big eye roll. Do we really need to buy a book that tells us what our girlfriends and mothers do all the time?

32) 21 Proms - Short stories about author's experiences with prom.