Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Donna Lea Simpson (Book Review)

Title: Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark
Author: Donna Lea Simpson
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Available: Apr 1, 2009
Genre: Romance/Mystery
Why read: Sourcebooks ARC - thanks Danielle!

Lady Anne is not the typical "lady" of the late 1700's. She tried to be the hair-brained, I-need-a-husband lass, but when her fiance dies, it is a blessing for her. Having been left a considerable amount of money by her paternal grandmother, she decides she would rather be single and not have to hide her intelligence and quick wit. Not being a beauty, she doesn't have to worry about fending off any would-be suitors.

When Lydia, a dear friend and her deceased fiance's sister, writes her and begs her to come, Lady Anne immediately responds. Lydia hinted at there being mysterious things going on at Darkefell Castle and the possibilities of a werewolf. Unfortunately Lydia fails to tell the rest of the household of Lady Anne's imminent arrival.

Since there is no carriage to take Lady Anne from the post house to the castle, and it is nearing dusk, she sets out on foot. As darkness descends, she hears a howl and a woman's screams. Trying to find the woman in the dark seems futile, until, as luck would have it, she stumbles over her body - but it is too late. She continues to make her way to the castle and arrives, unannounced, covered in blood with questions already arising.

The Marquess of Darkefell is a brooding handsome man who finds Lady Anne to be very bothersome. She insists on prying into his family's secrets - secrets he wishes to remain hidden. At the same time, her seemingly unflappable resolve and calm around him has him mystified. He has never met a woman who has been immune to his charms. He is also entertained by her quick wit and intelligence.

I highly recommend this book. Donna Lea Simpson's writing style is very engaging and draws you in immediately. She gives great descriptions of both countryside and characters.

She had dressed her bonnet with some of the purple tulips from her crushed bouquet, and as they nodded above her shadowed face, she looked both absurd and oddly adorable. He glanced at the path then back at her. It was true her nose was a little too long and her chin too pointed. There was a faint equine suggestion about the nose and generous mouth. Her color was good, though, and her dark hair glossy; she glowed with health and vivacity. (from Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark, p 207, uncorrected copy)

"But cultivated gardens have their place, my lord," she said, ambling toward the eddy, a swirling, shadowed pool at the base of the waterfall. She stood on a humped hillock of moss and stared, admiring the sparkle of sunlight on the drops that scattered as a rivulet hit a rock. Mist billowed from the force of the falls and bedewed her cheeks. (from Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark, p 215, uncorrected copy)

You can almost feel the tension that Lord Darkefell feels when he is around Lady Anne - and her optimism in the face of crises abounds. I really enjoyed Lady Anne and am glad that I will get to read more of her in the future. Donna Lea Simpson has two more books coming out with Lady Anne - Lady Anne and the Ghost's Revenge and Lady Anne and the Gypsy Curse.

Be sure and read these other reviews for this book:

Medieval Bookworm
Peeking Between the Pages
Marta's Meanderings
The Tome Traveler's Blog
Cheryl's Book Nook

Sick

My daughter was sick on Saturday. My son got sick on Monday. - and yep, it caught me today. I will be back when I am feeling better...

How Not To Look Old - Giveaway!

In honor of my birthday yesterday, Hachette is allowing me to giveaway 3 copies of How Not To Look Old! (Ok ok – April Fools – they are not letting me do it because of my birthday – but just because they are great!)

Here is a little about the book: Charla Krupp knows that aging sucks! So she's here to help. It's every woman's dream: looking hip, sexy, fresh, and pretty--whether you're in your 30's, 40's, 50's, or 60's. Now it's every woman's necessity: looking younger will help you hold onto your job and your partner--particularly when everyone around you seems half your age. It's about making the ultimate "to-do" list of LITTLE beauty and fashion changes that pay off BIG TIME.

Charla Krupp, beauty editor and expert, known for her real woman's approach to looking fabulous, offers brutally frank and foolproof advice on how not to look old.

Read an excerpt.

Now for the rules!

1. Must be a resident of U.S. or Canada.
2. No P.O. boxes.
3. Giveaway will run until Friday, April 24th at midnight.
4. I will be giving away 3 copies if I get at least 30 people entered. For each 15 after that there will be an extra book - up to 5 books total.

How do you enter? (ALL ENTRIES MUST LEAVE EMAIL ADDRESS!)

1. Leave a comment telling me your age - (No that is an April Fool's joke again - just leave me a comment.)
2. For 2 additional entries - blog or twitter and leave a link back here.
3. For 2 more entries - sign up as a follower over on the left, where I can see your little picture!
4. If you already follow - either by RSS feed, email, etc - let me know and you will get your extra entries also.
5. Maximum of 5 entries possible.
   

Jantsen's Gift - WINNERS!

Congratulations go out to Martha E, Valorie, MJ, Olympian Lady and Sharon!

You have each won a copy of Jantsen's Gift. You have all been emailed. Please send me your mailing address within 72 hours or I will need to pick new winners!

Please spread the word - I will be hosting 3 more giveaways from Hachette and 3 giveaways from Multnomah later this week!

Wondrous Words 4-1-2009

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. To join in the fun, post your words on your blog and then leave a message over at Bermudaonion's Blog!

My words this week are from Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Donna Lea Simpson.

1. Stygian - Used like this: Stunted trees near the post-house huddled in stygian shadows, and shutters blotted out any light from the interior fire and lamps.

Definition: Gloomy and dark. Infernal; hellish.

2. palanquin - Used like this: King Irusan, sensed an admirer and so allows me to serve as his palanquin.

Definition: A covered litter carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers, formerly used in eastern Asia.

3. bruited - Used like this: There were ladies in society who kept a list of all eligible men, and he was on it, though never the first, for his abhorrence of marriage was well known and bruited about town as an example of his eccentricity.

Definition: To spread news of; repeat.

4. amour propre - Used like this: A woman of humble appearance needed all the help a talented hairdresser could summon so her image at that moment was shocking to Anne's modest amour propre.

Definition: self-esteem

5. crenellated - Used like this: "There," he said, pointing to the dark tower, a dry-moated, crenellated castle keep, "is the original section, the keep."

Definition: Having battlements.

6. phaeton - Used like this: Anne glanced toward the castle and noted a phaeton with a standing horse; she hadn't noticed it as her attention was turned toward the ruined section.

Definition: A light, four-wheeled open carriage, usually drawn by a pair of horses.

7. nacre - Used like this: Dew clung to her skin, giving it the sheen of nacre, and her pink tongue, darting out to wet her trembling lips, was a silly little enticement.

Definition: mother-of-pearl

8. sallies - Used like this: You make humorous comments, and I laugh at your sallies, Lady Anne.

Definition: A sudden quick witticism; a quip.

9. dudgeon - Used like this: He departed in high dudgeon.

Definition: A sullen, angry, or indignant humor.

10. pounce pot - Used like this: It had inside a multitude of drawers holding ink bottles, quills, sealing wax, seals, paper, a pounce pot, sand to fill it with, and a pen knife.

Definition: Pounce pots provided a means of drying ink once it had been written on a page. They were small containers with perforated tops (like pepper pots) that contained a powdery material that was sprinkled on the just written text to dry any excess moisture.

I could go on and on this week - I have learned many new words from this book!

Waiting on Wednesday: Once Upon a Fastball

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Once Upon a Fastball by Bob Mitchell

Publisher: Kensington Publishing

Available: April 28, 2009

Description: Your legacy is in the Attic.

The words leap from the cryptic poem left for Harvard professor Seth Stein by his Papa Sol, the doting grandfather who vanished without a trace two years earlier. It was Papa Sol who instilled an unquenchable passion for baseball in Seth’s soul; it was Sol who also ignited Seth’s obsession with history, spinning fabulous tales of times and people long gone.

Seth is still searching for answers to Papa Sol’s disappearance when the poem leads him to a scuffed, yellowed baseball resting in a box handmade by his grandfather. A single touch of the rough leather thrusts Seth through the swirling vortex of history onto the streets of 1950s Brooklyn, and then to the greatest baseball game ever played, the Bobby Thomson “Shot Heard ’Round the World” play-off classic. In this surreal, sepia-toned site of past glory, Seth begins a wondrous, life-changing odyssey to find the answers he so desperately seeks.

Suspenseful, thought-provoking, funny, and poignant, this beautifully crafted novel is a joyous tribute to our inspiring and timeless national pastime, and a rare treasure for all those who love baseball.

What are you waiting for? Waiting on Wednesdays is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge Wrap-Up

Today is the final day of the Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge. It was required that you read 3 books. The books had to have a food name in the title OR be about cooking/eating OR have a place name in the title OR be about one (or more) person's travel experience OR be about a specific culture OR be by an author whose ethnicity is other than your own. They also needed to be middle-grade on up.

I was able to do four books:

1. Lessons From San Quentin - Bill Dallas (Place name in title)
2. The Spring of Candy Apples - Debbie Viguie (Food in title)
3. Trail of Crumbs - Kim Sunee (about food/eating, food in title, and author different ethnicity than mine)
4. The Fruit of My Lipstick - Shelley Adina (Food in title)
   

This was a fun challenge and I am glad that I participated. Thank you Book Nut for hosting!

Where Are You? 3-31-2009

I have gone to visit my friend at Darkefell Castle. She has written to me to tell me there are strange things going on - and has hinted at there being a werewolf! It is strange alright - the evening I arrived, there was no carriage to transport me to the castle! I had to walk, in the dark, and managed to stumble over a dead body! (Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Donna Lea Simpson)


Where is your reading taking you? Stop over at Adventure in Reading and share!

Teaser Tuesday 3-31-2009

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

But only if you see one close up, out of the water, do you get any real sense of how enormous it is, for then all that is normally concealed, the gigantic bulk of the ship that is under the waterline, becomes visible. It went up, and up and up, until I thought its very top was lost in the clouds. (Stone's Fall by Iain Pears - uncorrected proof, p 235)

I have a giveaway ending today! Jantsen's Gift Sign up is easy! I am also giving away 10 Things I Hate About Christianity - it is ending when I get 10 entries, and Do-Over is ending 4/20.

Happy Birthday!

TO ME!

And now, here is how they say it around the world!

Chestit Rojden Den! (Bulgarian)

Sun Yat Fai Lok! (Cantonese Chinese)

Hau'oli la hanau! (Hawaiian)

Yom Huledet Sameiach! (Hebrew)

Ilanga elimndandi kuwe! (Zulu)

Joyeux Anniversaire! (French)

Lá breithe mhaith agat! (Gaelic - Irish)

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! (German)

Fortuna dies natalis! (Latin)

No matter how you say it - it all means the same thing!

I share my birthday with the following people:

Ewan McGregor

Al Gore

Rhea Perlman

Gabe Kaplan

Christopher Walken

Richard Chamberlain

Shirley Jones

Leo Buscaglia

Rene Descartes

Is it anybody else's birthday today?

Archive of Book Reviews

Here is an archive of my book reviews since August of 2008.

BY TITLE:

• 52 Ways to Wow Your Husband - Pam Farrell

A

• A Christmas Carol (Special Edition) by Charles Dickens
• A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy - Charlotte Grieg
• A Red Death - Walter Mosley
• A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
• According to Jane - Marilyn Brant
• Acne for Dummies - Herbert Goodheart, M.D.
• The Adventures of Snip in Oregon - Betty Moir
• Age Before Beauty - Virginia Smith
• All the World - Liz Scanlon
• Always Watching - Brandilyn and Amberly Collins
• An Offer You Can't Refuse - Jill Mansell
• And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie
• Angel and Apostle - Deborah Noyes
• Any One Can Die - James LePore
• The Arrivals - Meg Mitchell Moore
• Assaulted By Joy - Stephen Simpson

B

• B is for Bufflehead - Steve Hutchcraft
• Be Strong and Curvaceous - Shelley Adina
• Beach Trip - Cathy Holton
• The Belly Button Fairy - Bobbie Hinman
• Black Water - Joyce Carol Oates
• Blue Like Play Dough - Tricia Goyer
• Boneman's Daughter - Ted Dekker
• Bound by Guilt - C.J. Darlington
• The Bride Collector - Ted Dekker (2010)

C

• The Castaways - Elin Hilderbrand
• Choker - Elizabeth Woods
• The Christmas Edition - Robin Shope
• The Convenient Marriage - Georgette Heyer
• Coraline - Neil Gaiman
• Cousin Kate - Georgette Heyer
• Critical Care - Candace Calvert

D

• Damas, Dramas, and Ana Ruiz by Belinda Acosta
• Darklands: A Vampire's Tale - Donna Burgess
• Darkness Follows - Mike Dellosso
• The Dead and the Gone - Susan Beth Pfeffer
• Dead of Wynter - Spencer Seidel
• Deadly Charm - Claudia Mair Burney
• Dear Mom - Melody Carlson
• The Deepest Waters - Dan Walsh
• The Devlin Diaries - Christi Phillips
• Diamonds in the Shadow - Caroline B. Cooney
• Dinosaurs for Kids - Ken Ham
• The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari - Donita K. Paul and Evangeline Denmark
• Drinkwater - Eric Hopkins
• Duma Key - Stephen King
• Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund - Blaize Clement

E

• Echoes of Savanna - Lucinda Moebius
• Everyone Loves a Hero - Marie Force
• The Evolution of Shadows - Jason Quinn Malott

F

• Fatal Illusions - Adam Blumer
• Fire Me - Libby Malin
• Flavors - Emily Sue Harvey
• Following Polly - Karen Bergreen
• Fools Rush In - Janice Thompson
• For the Love of Pete - Julia Harper
• The Four Corners of the Sky - Michael Malone
• Frederica - Georgette Heyer
• Frenchman's Creek - Daphne du Maurier
• The Friends We Keep - Sarah Zacharias Davis
• From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler - E.L. Konigsberg
• The Fruit of My Lipstick - Shelley Adina
• 
  

G

• Gatekeeper - Robert Liparulo
• Gathering Blue - Lois Lowry
• The Girl She Used To Be - David Cristofano
• God's Healing Words - Siloam
• Grace for the Afflicted - Matthew Stanford
• Graveminder by Melissa Marr

H

• The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
• The Heart Shaped Box - Joe Hill
• Highland Master - Amanda Scott
• Holes - Louis Sachar
• Holly's Inbox - Holly Denham
• Hollywood is Like High School With Money - Zoey Dean
• The Hope of Refuge - Cindy Woodsmall
• House of Dark Shadows - Robert Liparulo
• The House on Mango Street - Sandra Cisneros
• How to Raise a Modern Day Joseph - Linda Massey Weddle

I

• I Can See You - Karen Rose
• I Do Again - Jeff and Cheryl Scruggs
• In the Shadow of Lions - Ginger Garrett
• In the Heat of the Bite - Lydia Dare
• It Happened One Bite - Lydia Dare
• It's All About Us - Shelley Adina

J

• John's Quest - Cecelia Dowdy
• June Bug - Chris Fabry

K

• Katt's in the Cradle - Ginger Kolbaba and Christy Scannell
• The Kingmaking - Helen Hollick
• The King's Legacy - Jim Stovall
• Kiss - Ted Dekker
• Knight of Desire - Margaret Mallory

L

• The Laceyville Monkeys - Harriett Ruderman
• Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark - Donna Lea Simpson
• The Lake That Stole Children - Glenn Clark Douglas
• Last Breath - Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins
• Last Light Over Carolina - Mary Alice Monroe
• Lessons From San Quentin - Bill Dallas
• Let's Walk the Talk - Danae Dobson
• Little Star - Anthony DeStefano
• Living a Charmed Life - Victoria Moran
• Living Inside the Testimony - Betty Collier
• The Lost Hours - Karen White
• Lost in Las Vegas - Melody Carlson
• The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

M

• Madewell Brown - Rick Collignon
• The Magician's Assistant - Ann Patchett
• The Maidenstone Lighthouse - Sally Smith O'Rourke
• Mama's Got a Fake I.D. - Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira
• Marked By Passion - Kate Perry
• Me, Just Different - Stephanie Morrill
• Meet Einstein - Mariela Kleiner (Kid's book)
• Merely Magic - Patricia Rice
• Messages to Myself - Helen McIntosh
• Messy Tessy - Leah Orr
• The Midwife's Confession - Diane Chamberlain
• Miranda's Big Mistake - Jill Mansell
• Miss L'eau - T. Katz
• Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing - Kathy Cano-Murillo
• Mom Needs Chocolate - Debora M. Coty
• The Mudhogs - James Dalton
• Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man - Claudia Mair Burney
• Murder Take the Cake - Gayle Trent
• My Forbidden Desire - Carolyn Jewel

N

• Never Been Kissed - Melody Carlson
• Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
• New York Debut - Melody Carlson
• Nothing But Trouble - Susan May Warren
• The Noticer - Andy Andrews

O

• The One Day Way  - Chantal Hobbs
• One Scream Away - Kate Brady
• Out of Time - Monique Martin

P

• Passport Through Darkness - Kimberly Smith
• Past Midnight - Mara Purnhagen
• Pendragon's Banner - Helen Hollick
• Pleasure Unbound - Larissa Ione
• The Poison Tree - Erin Kelly
• The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship - Lisa Verge Higgins

Q
R

• Rachel's Tears - Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott
• Ravens - George Dawes Green
• Reading Lips: A Memoir of Kisses by Claudia Sternbach
• The Red Red Car - Manjula Naraynan
• The Red Siren - M.L. Tyndall
• Refuge: A True Story of Faith and Civil War - John and Bessie Gonleah
• The Road - Cormac McCarthy
  

S

• Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man - Van Draanen, Wendelin
• Scared - Tom Davis
• The Science of Kissing - Sheril Kirshenbaum
• Scrapping Plans - Rebecca Seitz
• Scream - Mike Dellosso
• Scream for Me - Karen Rose
• Secrets to Happiness - Sarah Dunn
• Seduced by Destiny - Kira Morgan
• Simple Wishes - Lily Dale
• So Close the Hand of Death - J.T. Ellison
• So Not Happening - Jenny B. Jones
• The Song of the Silk Road - Mingmei Yip
• The Sound of Sleigh Bells - Cindy Woodsmall
• The Spring of Candy Apples - Debbie Viguie
• The Stones - Eleanor Gustafson
• The Strange Man - Greg Mitchell
• Summer in the South - Cathy Holton
• Surrender the Dark - L.A. Banks

T

• Talking to the Dead - Bonnie Grove
• Texas Blue - Jodi Thomas
• This Side of Heaven - Karen Kingsbury
• Too Many Visitors for One Little House - Susan Chodakiewitz
• Trail of Crumbs - Kim Sunee
• The Truth About Vampires - Theresa Meyers

U
V

• The Valentine Edition - Robin Shope

W

• Walking with Wolf - Kay Chornook
• Watcher in the Woods - Robert Liparulo
• Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
• The Werewolf Upstairs - Ashlynn Chase
• What the Dead Know - Laura Lippman
• Why Shoot a Butler? - Georgette Heyer
• Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr
• Wild Highland Magic - Kendra Leigh Castle
• Wither by Lauren DeStefano
• Wolf Fever - Terry Spear
• Words - Ginny L. Yttrup

X
Y

• Yesterday's Embers - Deborah Ramey
• Yours for the Taking - Robin Kaye

Z

BY AUTHOR:
A

• Acosta, Belinda - Damas, Dramas and Ana Ruiz
• Adina, Shelley - Be Strong and Curvaceous
• Adina, Shelley - The Fruit of My Lipstick
• Adina, Shelley - It's All About Us
• Andrews, Andy - The Noticer
• Atwood, Margaret - The Handmaid's Tale

B

• Banks, L.A. - Surrender the Dark
• Bergreen, Karen - Following Polly
• Blumer, Adam - Fatal Illusions
• Brady, Kate - One Scream Away
• Brant, Marilyn - According to Jane
• Burgess, Donna - Darklands: A Vampire's Tale
• Burney, Claudia Mair - Deadly Charm
• Burney, Claudia Mair - Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man

C

• Calvert, Candace - Critical Care
• Cano-Murillo, Kathy - Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing
• Carlson, Melody - Dear Mom
• Carlson, Melody - Lost in Las Vegas
• Carlson, Melody - Never Been Kissed
• Carlson, Melody - New York Debut
• Castle, Kendra Leigh - Wild Highland Magic
• Chamberlain, Diane - The Midwife's Confession
• Chase, Ashlynn - The Werewolf Upstairs
• Chodakiewtz, Susan - Too Many Visitors for One Little House
• Chornook, Kay - Walking With Wolf
• Christie, Agatha - And Then There Were None
• Cisneros, Sandra - The House on Mango Street
• Clement, Blaize - Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund
• Collier, Betty - Living Inside the Testimony
• Collignon, Rick - Madewell Brown
• Collins, Brandilyn and Amberly - Always Watching
• Collins, Brandilyn and Amberly - Last Breath
• Cooney, Caroline B. - Diamonds in the Shadow
• Coty, Debora M. - Mom Needs Chocolate
• Cristofano, David - The Girl She Used to Be

D

• 
  
• Dale, Lily - Simple Wishes
• Dallas, Bill - Lessons From San Quentin
• Dalton, James - The Mudhogs
• Dare, Lydia - In the Heat of the Bite
• Dare, Lydia - It Happened One Bite
• Darlington, C.J. - Bound by Guilt
• Davis, Sarah Zacharias - The Friends We Keep
• Davis, Tom - Scared
• Dean, Zoey - Hollywood is Like High School With Money
• Dekker, Ted - Boneman's Daughter
• Dekker, Ted - The Bride Collector (2010)
• Dekker, Ted - Kiss
• Dellosso, Mike - Darkness Follows
• Dellosso, Mike - Scream
• Denham, Holly - Holly's Inbox
• DeStefano, Anthony - Little Star
• DeStefano, Lauren - Wither
• Dickens, Charles - A Christmas Carol (Special Edition)
• Dobson, Danae - Let's Walk the Talk
• Douglas, Glenn Clark - The Lake That Stole Children
• Dowdy, Cecelia - John's Quest
• du Maurier, Daphne - Frenchman's Creek
• Dunn, Sarah - Secrets to Happiness

E

• Ellison, J.T. - So Close the Hand of Death

F

• Fabry, Chris - June Bug
• Farrell, Pam - 52 Ways to Wow Your Husband
• Force, Marie - Everyone Loves a Hero

G

• Gaiman, Neil - Coraline
• Garrett, Ginger - In the Shadow of Lions
• Gonleah, John and Bessie - Refuge: The True Story of Faith and Civil War
• Goodheart, Herbert MD - Acne for Dummies
• Goyer, Tricia - Blue Like Play Dough
• Green, George Dawes - Ravens
• Grieg, Charlotte - A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy
• Grove, Bonnie - Talking to the Dead
• Gruen, Sara - Water for Elephants
• Gustafson, Eleanor - The Stones

H

• Ham, Ken - Dinosaurs for Kids
• Harper, Julia - For the Love of Pete
• Harvey, Emily Sue - Flavors
• Heyer, Georgette - The Convenient Marriage
• Heyer, Georgette - Cousin Kate
• Heyer, Georgette - Frederica
• Heyer, Georgette - Why Shoot a Butler?
• Higgins, Lisa Verge - The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship
• Hilderbrand, Elin - The Castaways
• Hill, Joe - The Heart-Shaped Box
• Hinman, Bobbie - The Belly Button Fairy
• Hobbs, Chantal - The One Day Way
• Hollick, Helen - The Kingmaking
• Hollick, Helen - Pendragon's Banner
• Holton, Cathy - Beach Trip
• Holton, Cathy - Summer in the South
• Hopkins, Eric - Drinkwater
• Hosseini, Khaled - A Thousand Splendid Suns
• Hutchcraft, Steve - B is for Bufflehead

I

• Ione, Larissa - Pleasure Unbound
• Ishiguro, Kazuo - Never Let Me Go

J

• Jewel, Carolyn - My Forbidden Desire
• Jones, Jenny B. - So Not Happening

K

• Katz, T - Miss L'eau
• Kaye, Robin - Yours For the Taking
• Kelly, Erin - The Poison Tree
• King, Stephen - Duma Key
• Kingsbury, Karen - This Side of Heaven
• Kirshenbaum, Sheril - The Science of Kissing
• Kleiner, Mariela - Meet Einstein (Kid's Book)
• Kolbaba, Ginger and Scannell, Christy - Katt's in the Cradle
• Konigsberg, E.L. - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

L

• LePore, James - Any One Can Die
• Liparulo, Robert - Gatekeeper
• Liparulo, Robert - House of Dark Shadows
• Liparulo, Robert - Watcher in the Woods
• Lipmann, Laura - What the Dead Know
• Lowry, Lois - Gathering Blue

M

• McCarthy, Cormac - The Road
• McIntosh, Helen - Messages to Myself
• Malin, Libby - Fire Me
• Mallory, Margaret - Knight of Desire
• Malone, Michael - The Four Corners of the Sky
• Malott, Jason Quinn - The Evolution of Shadows
• Mansell, Jill - An Offer You Can't Refuse
• Mansell, Jill - Miranda's Big Mistake
• Marr, Melissa - Graveminder
• Marr, Melissa - Wicked Lovely
• Martin, Monique - Out of Time
• Meyers, Theresa - The Truth About Vampires
• Mitchell, Greg - The Strange Man
• Moebius, Lucinda - Echoes of Savanna
• Moir, Betty - The Adventures of Snip in Oregon
• Monroe, Mary Alice - Last Light Over Carolina
• Moran, Victoria - Living a Charmed Life
• Morgan, Kira - Seduced by Destiny
• Moore, Meg Mitchell - The Arrivals
• Morrill, Stephanie - Me, Just Different
• Mosley, Walter - A Red Death

N

• Naraynan, Manjula - The Red Red Car
• Nimmo, Beth and Scott, Darrell - Rachel's Tears
• Noyes, Deborah - Angel and Apostle

O

• O'Rourke, Sally Smith - The Maidenstone Lighthouse
• Oates, Joyce Carol - Black Water
• Orr, Leah - Messy Tessy

P

• Patchett, Ann - The Magician's Assistant
• Paul, Donita K and Denmark, Evangeline - The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari
• Perry, Kate - Marked By Passion
• Pfeffer, Susan Beth - The Dead and the Gone
• Phillips, Christi - The Devlin Diaries
• Purnhagen, Mara - Past Midnight

Q
R

• Ramey, Deborah - Yesterday's Embers
• Rice, Patricia - Merely Magic
• Rivedeneira, Caryn Dahlstrand - Mama's Got a Fake I.D.
• Rose, Karen - I Can See You
• Rose, Karen - Scream for Me
• Rowling, J.K. - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Rowling, J.K. - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Ruderman, Harriett - The Laceyville Monkeys

S

• Sachar, Louis - Holes
• Scanlon, Liz - All the World
• Scott, Amanda - Highland Master
• Scruggs, Jeff and Cheryl - I Do Again
• Sebold, Alice - The Lovely Bones
• Seidel, Spencer - Dead of Wynter
• Seitz, Rebecca - Scrapping Plans
• Shope, Robin - The Christmas Edition
• Shope, Robin - The Valentine Edition
• Siloam - God's Healing Words
• Simpson, Donna Lea - Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark
• Simpson, Stephen - Assaulted By Joy
• Smith, Kimberly - Passport Through Darkness
• Smith, Virginia - Age Before Beauty
• Spear, Terry - Wolf Fever
• Stanford, Matthew - Grace for the Afflicted
• Sternbach, Claudia - Reading Lips: A Memoir of Kisses
• Stovall, Jim - The King's Legacy
• Sunee, Kim - Trail of Crumbs

T

• Thomas, Jodi - Texas Blue
• Thompson, Janice - Fools Rush In
• Trent, Gayle - Murder Takes the Cake
• Tyndall, M.L. - The Red Siren

U
V

• Van Draanen, Wendelin - Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man
• Viguie, Debbie - The Spring of Candy Apples

W

• Walsh, Dan - The Deepest Waters
• Warren, Susan May - Nothing But Trouble
• Weddle, Linda Massey - How to Raise a Modern Day Joseph
• White, Karen - The Lost Hours
• Woods, Elizabeth - Choker
• Woodsmall, Cindy - The Hope of Refuge
• Woodsmall, Cindy - The Sound of Sleigh Bells

X
Y

• Yip, Mingmei - The Song of the Silk Road
• Yttrup, Ginny L. - Words

Z

Musing Mondays 3-30-2009

Musing Mondays is hosted by Rebecca at Just One More Page.

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about recording your reading…Do you keep track of what and/or how many books you read? How long have you been doing this? What's your favorite tracking method, and why?If you don't keep track, why not? (question courtesy of MizB)

I have kept track of my reading very sporadically over the years. I would get into big "lists mode" - where I would have to record everything that I was reading, or every book that I owned by certain authors - or I would decide I was only going to read books off of certain lists (award winners, bestsellers, etc). Like I said-very sporadic.

Then, a few years ago I started keeping track of what I read in an excel spreadsheet - here are the results. Starting in July 2006 - read three books for that year. . . Then 2007 I read 28 books. In 2008 I read 43 books - I also started blogging in August of last year - and joined book challenges, so that increased my reading. Then, this year I have taken off - I have already read 34 books and hope to finish two more before the end of the month. This spreadsheet lists the title and author, as well as number of pages (or hours if it is audio) and the year it is published.

I also am currently keeping track of the books that I own by about 20 different authors - from Stephen King to Nora Roberts. Each author has their own spreadsheet - these lists have all the books that the authors have written - and then it is noted whether or not I have it and if it is hardbacked or paperbacked - that way I know where to find it if I need it.

Then, I have a spreadsheet that keeps tracks of all my challenges that I have joined and the books that I have read (or want to read) for each of them. When a challenge is completed (or failed, as the case may be) it is moved to a new tab of that spreadsheet.

I also have a list of all the ARCs that I have requested or received - this sheet has different tabs for books that I have found from different bloggers as well as books that I have won. I may not be as OCD as Rebecca says she is - but I appear to be well on my way!

It has been really wonderful to find a group of people that have reawakened my passion for reading, and have introduced me to so many wonderful books! Thank you blogging community!