Promises

I was introduced to Charles de Lint's books during the summer of 2002 when my mother pushed his books on me. She bought me perhaps five books from his Newford series over one weekend while she tried to find out more about The Onion Girl, a book she had seen many people reading and for which was the cause for her to get me to read de Lint's books in the first place. Little did she know The Onion Girl would take nearly a year for me to get a copy of, but it was a good wait as I was able to fill myself with other books in the series first. And how I did love that one! I happily dove into it's sequel, Widdershins, three years later. That said, I would have been utterly disappointed had I not been able to get my hands on this one.

#23 Charles de Lint: Newford: Promises to Keep (September 2007)

This book may not mean much to those who are new to the series and have not come to love Jilly, the heroin of this particular book and also favorite character of the author himself. For me, though, it was treasure. I got from it exactly what I wanted, and the only thing that could possibly have been missing that the other Newford books didn't give beyond the clues of. I'm a well satisfied de Lint reader.

This book explains a bit more about Jilly herself, and her past between her life in Tyson and her life as a college graduate. You see a part of Jilly that is not her 'we'll their a$$' self, but rather her journey on the way to becoming such. Besides the obvious, it had me thinking of Memory and Dream, the first book I read by de Lint and the second, if not first, book in the series. I'm thinking a rereading, if not of the complete series, then of part of it, is due soon.

Thursday Next Adventure Continues

I can't believe I missed this one when I was doing updates. Jasper Fforde has been one of my favorite authors for the last four years maybe. I had meant to read his first book, The Eyre Affair, much sooner than that, but didn't get around to it. It all worked out for the best, though, or I would not have read Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre before reading it.

#14 Thursday Next in First Among Sequels (August 2007)

I was so happy that this series would continue! I had thought it would end with Something Rotten. I enjoyed this book immensley, though feel it's not quite like the author's other books in this series. I found myself disappointed that the Cat did not make an appearance, nor did Thursday's father. I also missed the intensity of the main book being used within First Among Sequels, as Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, one of my favorite books, wasn't there much at all. Better luck next time, Mr. Fforde!

Salem

I read this one for a U.S. Women's history class.

#22 Lawrence Gain and Juliet H. Mofford: Cry "Witch!" The Salem Witchcraft Trials (September 2007)

Introduction to the 'Twilight' series

In honesty I think I walked by Stephenie Meyer's Twilight a few times in the past, but never once picked it up to see what it was about. I found out a little here and there on LibraryThing from a friend, and got the first book last month. I couldn't put it down! Within a very short amount of time reading, I was hooked, and did little else but read. Twilight was amazing, and I used the last of my money save for $6 on the next book, New Moon, nevermind I would be broke for a week. That book, too, proved to be amazing, but I missed some things that weren't as much of the book as they'd been for the previous one. Hearing the third was greater, I pouted while waiting for the day to come that I could buy that one. Then I got my prize from a LibraryThing book review contest*, and happily ordered it using part of my winnings. Eclipse was perfect! Having completed the series so quickly, I join the group of impatiently waiting people for fall 2008 to arrive, and with it the next book in the series.

#17 Twilight (August 2007)
#18 New Moon (August 2007)
#19 Eclipse (August 2007

*The review contest was for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

YA Fantasy

I thought I was tired of these, but gave two a try, and the other I just had to read.

#15 Charles de Lint: Newford: Little (Grrl) Lost (August 2007)

This is the one I had to read. Charles de Lint is one of my favorite authors. Not wanting to pay full price for the hardcover, I put this book on my BookMooch wishlist hoping to either get it there, or wait for the paperback. Someone on BM had an ARC copy! I was the first to mooch it, and within two weeks, it was in my home. Of the author's YA books, this one most reminds me of The Blue Girl, however, I liked this book much more.

#20 Neil Gaiman: Stardust (September 2007)

Knowing full well it was a book, I couldn't go see the movie without first reading the book. I managed to read it in time to see the movie, and on the very same day I finished the book on. The two were very different from one another, but both were enjoyable.

#21 Frances Hardinge: Fly By Night (September 2007)

I got this book from someone on BookMooch, who had also registered it on BookCrossing. I hope they don't mind that I plan to keep it! This book was lovely. I will definitely reread it one day.

Fiction

Looks like the numbers are down for this category! ;) Funny enough, I used to read loads of mainstream fiction.

#7 Elizabeth Flock: Me and Emma (May 2007)

I found this book in a used bookstore. I'd been searching endlessly for an interesting book when none could be found. I picked this book off a shelf with thoughts of Jane Austen's Emma (a TRB for me) in my head. I was stunned into silence as the I read the backside of the book. Bits of it made me think of life experiences and the cruelty my sisters and I suffered from a stepparent we once had. Knowing I might be doing myself damage and causing myself grief by reading this book, I took it home with me. I was crying before I finished the first page and this book stirred my memories, but it was a very good and also very sad.

#16 Jodi Picoult: My Sister's Keeper (August 2007)

This is the first and only book I've read by this author so far. I was very shocked by the ending. I liked it enough that I've mooched three other books by her since reading this one. (Two sit in my TBR pile having been first read by my mother; the other is still in the process of being delivered.)

Works of Jane Austen

I originally meant to read all of her works before Jasper Fforde's newest Thursday Next book, First Among Sequels, was released this July. With the reading of Northanger Abbey, I decided I just wouldn't do this. There were too many books I wanted to read and too little time to read them in. I did have classes to think about as well.

#2 Sense and Sensibility (March 2007)
#6 Northanger Abbey (April 2007)

I do still have plans to read all of Jane Austens works, and soon. The next one I'll read will probably be Mansfield Park, which I bought back in April. I've bought and received quite a few books lately which require reading and understanding of all of her works before I can read them. Others are simply continuations of Pride and Prejudice, which I've read several times.

* Lost in Austen, and The Jane Austen Addict.
** Darcy's Story, Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, and Mr. Darcy's Daughters.

Harry Potter Reread Pre 07/21/07

Since this took up most of my reading this year, it seems the best place to start. This was rather interesting as it was both the last chance to reread the series before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out, and the fact that I was able to do this reading copies published by the United Kingdom. (This was all entirely thanks to BookMooch, and people from outside the United States willing to send books outside their countries. Thanks!)

#1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (February 2007)
#3* Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (March 2007)
#4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (April 2007)
#8 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (June 2007)
#9 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (June 2007)
#10 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (June 2007)

Then there are the nonfiction** Harry Potter books...

#5 Ben Schoen: Mugglenet.com's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7? (April 2007)
#11 Galadriel Waters: New Clues to Harry Potter: Book 5 (July 2007)
#12 David Langford: The End of Harry Potter? (July 2007)

* What is up with this order? :) This is the order not of the series, but the order for which I have and am reading books this year. I didn't always reread the series through, but read things in between.
** I actually read some that aren't mentioned here because I skimmed through them. Also, I've read other nonfiction books on Harry Potter in the past.

Updating

It seems I haven't been here for a little over three months. I think I was just too busy during the summer. All work and no play! I should still be busy because term has picked up, of course...

I was was thinking how to display the books I most recently read on my LT profile when I remembered this place. That said, I'm going to write posts for each of those books.