128 books down, 94 days to go.

Justi again!  Cousin, where are you?!  Anyway, we're now in the double digits.  Aah!
So I finished up the Everworld series...I can't say I liked the end.  The last book was small, however, so it's not going on the official account.
Betrayals, book two of Strange Angels...if you recall, I read the first book about a month ago...was okay.  Lili St. Crow, the author, maintains her writing style that makes me want to groan.  She's a good author, but the climatic bits are dulled by interludes of details; the characters keep a surreal feel, very hard to relate to.  I'm continuing the series, not for her writing, but for the conceptual ideas she created.  They've got me hooked.
The Space Between Trees is a sad little novel, with a disappointing but realistic denouement.  A body is found in the woods, and when Evie makes a new friend, she becomes entangled in a different life.  It's thrilling, realistic, and, at this age, it's easy to connect with the characters involved.
Into the Wild.  This isn't a novel...well, in the loosest sense of the word, it is.  In 1992, Chris McCandless walked into the Alasken frontier--his body was found a few months later.  The author, a reporter, is piecing the young man's life together.  I read this for my English class--I've no idea why.  It isn't my type of read, but, nevertheless, it was interesting.



So, three more books down!  Now, the random fact of the day...try it!

Take the last two digits of the year you were born, and add the age that you will be in 2011...whatever you'll turn to.  The sum will always be 111.
Example: 94+17=111.

125 books down, 101 days to go

Four more books from Justi.
Two more books from Everworld, Understand the Unknown and Mystify the Magician.  Only one more book to go in that series, so I'm excited.  I've got no clue how it's going to end, so I'll try not to spoil anything when I get to that post!
'I'll Get There; It Better be Worth the Trip' is a book about a young boy.  It's easy to relate with him; however, pitying him makes it hard to see any faults he may have.  Warning to all: do not read this book lightly.  Please don't.  I made that mistake, and I almost ruined a touching story.  Don't put it down when you realize what's happening--just keep on reading.  I'm sure you'll understand the title when you get to the end.
The Beast of Noor was a 500 page book about a fantasy world in which a wolf-like beast haunts a family.  Pure adventure, no mystery or other edges to give this book a proper sendoff.  Hanna and her brother, Miles, must fend for each other as they try to survive in a magical world.  If you love fantasy, this would be good; as it were, a lot is left hanging.  However, I have a feeling there's a series to this, so I'll be looking that up.

More than 80 spelling variations are recorded for Shakespeare's name, from “Shappere” to “Shaxberd.

Love from Justi!  Elizabeth, are you still reading?

121 books down, 108 days to go.

Three more books for Justi, and a pile waiting on my bookshelf to be read!  Elizabeth, you still there?
I read two more books in Everworld, Brave the Betrayal and Inside the Illusion.  First time I'm able to post for this series, really--each book is usually less than 200 pages.  But they're getting a bit longer.  Basically, four kids are in this strange world that the gods created thousands of years ago.  They've given up getting fully home--when they fall asleep, they're home enough.  But now they need to survive, and that's harder than it sounds in a place of gods and magic...
Crave was the other book I read.  It's the first vampire book I've read in a while that I really loved.  Shay is the Sick Girl, with an unknown blood disease.  She knows she's dying.  But then she starts to get Gabriel's blood...who and what is he to her?  I can't wait for the next book of the series to come.  It's thrilling, makes you love both characters, and it's predictable in a way that keeps you anticipating more.
So, 108 days to go, with 121 books down!

118 books down, 118 days to go.

Two more books down. =)
Echo is a confusing book about a young girl trying to figure out her life.  Tons of view shifts, and I suppose if you like reading depressing books about modern LA and Hollywood, and even New York, it's good.  For me, despite the references to fantastical creatures, it didn't hold anything special.
The Amaranth Enchantment, on the other hand, is a must read.  I feel like I'm trying to sell something here...anyway, Lucinda lost everything when her parents died.  Ten years later, the past comes back to haunt her.  A complete spin-around of a fairy-tale, with bits and pieces of all of the most well-known stories.  The ending was what sold it for me.  The author is more than willing to put her characters in embarrassing situations, and yet make you smile all throughout the last page.
So, 118 books down, 118 days to go...same number.  Ironic, to say the least...keep on reading!

116 books down, 120 days to go.

Three more books.  Yeah, I wanted more, but I was, um, busy.  This is Justi, btw.
The Poison Apples was a cute read, following the tale of the evil stepmothers and going one step further--getting payback.  It isn't hard to sympathize with the characters, and even without too much fairy tale allusion, this book has a surreal feel to it, along with that notion of the difference between fairy tales and real life.





I also read Tattoo, and its sequel, Fate.  Four best friends get superpowers when they put on temporary tattoos..and unravel a plot about the Sidhe, a race of fairies from Celtic legend.  I had recently gotten fascinated with the Sidhe, so I was happy to find a book that expanded on both Greek and Celtic mythology.  The ending of the second book was a little...well, not as climatic as I thought it should have been, but the first book makes you want to be one of the friends.

113 books down, 130 days to go.

Two more books for Justi.  This is what comes with spring break. I've read more, but those books have been less than a hundred pages, so we're not counting them...
Midnight Predator--not too great.  Interesting idea, mercenary vampire hunters, a rebuilding civilization, but it passes by too fast to be considered worthwhile.  The main character, with her own demons, makes for a strong lead, and if this was part of a series, I could see the confusion, but as a loner it would be something to skip.  Harsh of me, maybe, but still...
Secondhand Charm--I loved this one.  Fast, and it could have used more plain discussion, but the writing is great, and the storyline sweet and interesting.  Evelyn, known in her town as a healer, gets the chance to go to University.  But after her ship is capsized at sea, she must learn a secret about her family and herself.  Hint: the summary inside the book cover is doesn't explain anything at all.  Just read it; I can almost guarantee you'll be smiling.

So, more books coming.  Hopefully.

111 books down, 132 days to go!

Two more books for Justi.  More on the way...spring break here, and I've found several books to occupy my time with.  Question of the day: Elizabeth, have you blogged for The Summoning yet?  You've blogged for The Awakening and the Reckoning, but I'm not sure about the first book in the series...and I want to read that series!
Strange Angels...overall not a bad read.  Not sure I'm willing to continue with the series, but if you like horror, drama, and grotesque imaging, this is the right book.  Dru Anderson and her father hunt, well, the paranormal.  But when something goes wrong, she has to find somebody new to side with.  The only bad things about this book were the long, complicated sentences--made for slow action sequences--and the same analogies repeated again and again (referring to sleepy as rubbing grain out of eyes).
The next book I read I finished in a few hours.  A fast read, keeps you going...Everworld: the Search for Senna.  Great for a fast paced and adventurous read.  I'm going to start the series as soon as Monday comes and I can grab the next book.  Basically, David and three other teens get somehow sent to a, well, parallel world.  Confusion as they meet Loki, learn of different gods and cultures, and embark on a Viking raid.  Tons of fun...
So, more books are coming.  And where are my cousins?!  Wait, did they go on that trip...?
Love Justi!

109 books down, 136 days to go!

Three more books for Justi!
The Search for Truth, the third book in Erec Rex...it was okay.  Basically, Erec continues in his quest for the kingdom.  Not great, but the ideas are fun, and I can't wait to read the fourth book.  Which might take a while, since I can't find it at the local library, and I really don't want to have to buy it...
The End is, you guessed it, the last book to the Series of Unfortunate Events.  Really, read this series.  Interesting, extremely witty...the ending is, well, strange, to say the least, but it was the only way to end.  Plus the 'Fourteenth Chapter'...really, read this.  It might not make your favorites, but you'll appreciate it in the long run!
Raven...I managed in one day.  All you Twilight fans, look no further for another good book.  Okay, so it's immortals, not vampires, but it's fast paced, full of philosophical questions on the right to immortality, on being changed and all...plus the characters are pretty lovable.  I need to see if there's more to this than one book...

Well, 109 books down, 136 days to go.  I think we're now ahead of last year...that's a good thing!