Coraline: The Graphic Novel by Neil Gaiman

Title: Coraline: The Graphic Novel

Edited By: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: Harper Collins 2008

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 186

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library; April Read-a-Thon; YA

Very excited about this graphic novel! I absolutely adored the book and the movie versions. And this volume does not fail to satisfy. The other mother is suitably creepy. The place views were gorgeous. And the action shots invoked movement. All things that I would expect to see in a graphic novel. Great quick read for a raining night!

Fables: Storybook Love by Bill Willingham

Title: Fables Vol. 3: Storybook Love

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: DC Comics 2004

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 190

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library; April Read-a-Thon

Definitely my favorite so far in the Fables series. This series it really growing on me. I just had to keep reading. Since it's a graphic novel, I read it in less than an hour.

The main story focused on the lingering problems of an unrequited love of Bigby to Snow, a fugitive Goldilocks, a poor Prince Charming, and a devious Bluebeard. I loved how they resolved (at least temporarily) some of the storylines set up in Volume 1. We also meet Briar Rose, second wife to Prince Charming (turns out Cinderella, who we met in Volume 1, was wife #3). And we encounter the mounted police made up of Fable rats and Lilliputians (you know, from Gulliver's Travels).

Beyond the main story, we got a story of Jack set in the Civil War, a two-parter concerning a noisy reporter, and the story of the Barleycorn vase. All three were entertaining, but the Jack story was my favorite. With an appearance and then disappearance of Death, Jack showed just how morally ambiguous he really is. I imagine this will come up later in the series.

The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance

Title: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance

Edited by: Tricia Telep

Publisher: Running Press 2009

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 468

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library; April Read-a-Thon; Fantasy

Twenty stories of time travel romance. What's not to love? Overall this collection was a lot of fun. Some stories were traveling back in time. A few from the future back to our time. And a few into the future. I think I liked the into the past ones the best. Instead of rating each story for the review (I did as I read them, just for me), I thought I would highlight my five favorite stories. In order of best to a little less than best:

1. "The Walled Garden" Michele Lang - A tales of safety, mystery, self-exploration. I couldn't tell if the story was a metaphor or meant to be taken literally. Doesn't matter really. The story is amazing. And Lang's writing is so lyrical. She doesn't give you all the answers, but that's the beauty of the story. Definitely need to look up her other works.

2. "Stepping Back" Sara McKenzie - A mysterious house hidden under the water in remote Australia. A woman escaping her old life (or is she?). A mysterious photograph. A receding reservoir. And a rip in time itself. A great story of self-discovery and romance.

3. "Iron and Hemlock" Autumn Dawn -- I have always loved gargoyles, shapeshifters, and faeries. This story put them all together with a time traveling woman. I loved the surreal quality of the story. I want to learn more about this mysterious world.

4. "MacDuff's Secret" Sandy Blair -- I connected to the main female character within the first paragraph. A passionate history teacher trying to manage five teenage boys? Sounds a lot like me. But then the story turned on its ear with a travel in time, a hunky Highlander, and a mysterious glen. I especially loved the ending to this story. Usually happy endings slightly annoy me, but this one was done well.

5. "The Key to Happiness" Gwyn Cready -- A bridesmaid meets a strangely familiar man at the reception. He tells her secrets, but she will only remember them as long as they keep their hands clasped. What happens when she releases his hand? A plot twist I saw coming a mile away, but the writing still made it enjoyable.

BTT: Personality

In a related question to last week’s–
I was reading the other day a quote from JFK Jr who said on the death of his mother, that she died surrounded by family, friends, and her books. Apparently, Jackie’s books were very much a part of HER, her personality, her sense of self.
Up until recently, people could browse your bookshelves and learn a lot about you–what your interests are, your range of topics, favorite authors, how much you read (or at least buy books).
More and more, though, this is changing. People aren’t buying books so much as borrowing them from the library. Or reading them on their e-readers or computers. There’s nothing PHYSICAL on the shelves to tell strangers in your home, for better or worse, who you ARE.
Do you think this is a good thing? Bad? Discuss!

I am one of those people that is holding onto physical books. I love browsing through bookstores. I love browsing through other people's collections. I really love discovering personality through libraries. I am concerned that going digital destroys the discovery factor. Of course, J has completely embraced the digital age. He's trying to convert me to digital. I'm resisting. It would be easier to put my books on a digital device and not carry around all these heavy books. But then I don't have the physical comfort of a book.

I want a physical library in my house. I want to see the books that I've read or really want to read. I want to see the fruits of my labor. I am sad for the death of the physical, but I'm sure I'll get over it.

Small victory: J bought me a reading chair for the living room.

Quote Wednesday - Gladstone

Justice delayed is justice denied. -- William Gladstone

I don't usually get political on here, but in reality, I am political. I love reading about politics. I am that nerd that pays attention to bills in Congress and the state legislature. Of course, I did used to teach government, but it is also just one of my interests. In the future, i would love to go to law school. Not so much to be a lawyer, but to learn more about the law. My special interest is Constitutional law.

Which brings me to my thoughts this week. What the hell is going on with our government? Have they completely lost their minds?

For full disclosure: I voted for Obama, but don't agree with everything he does. I tend to lean left on the political spectrum. I am disgusted by extremists, but especially extreme right wingers like Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly. I listen to NPR. I read Mother Jones. I love watching The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. I find the (depressing) humor in the ridiculousness of our government and entities like Fox News.

Even with all this, I am wondering if any of lawmakers have bothered to ever read the Constitution. Bills that are being discussed and past aren't following the letter of the law. I am definitely not a strict constructionalist (I don't read the Constitution in a strictly literal sense), but I'm also not a flexible reader either. The Constitution changes withe the times, but the basic structure shouldn't. So why does our government now think they can do whatever they want without consulting our founding document?

Two big developments come to mind: the issues in Wisconsin and Libya (and by extension, all "non-wars").

While I don't agree with the recent Wisconsin laws denying collective bargaining rights to state employees, such as teachers, I have a bigger issue with how the law was passed. The Republicans and governor used sneaky underhanded deception to force a vote. The Democrats are definitely not in the clear as they fled the state to delay the vote. But the Republicans decided to vote and pass the law without the Dems in the statehouse. The way they went about passing the law is now under fire from the judge of the county. They didn't follow the Wisconsin constitution in regard to the procedure. We have state constitution to protect rights, lay out basic government structures, and annotate procedures to follow. Wisconsin republicans completely forget that last part. What's the point of having a constitution if we don't adhere to it?

On to Libya and all the other "non-wars" in our history (every military action since World War II). Did you know that to declare war the President needs a 2/3 vote of Congress? Because of this Constitutional imperative, the United States hasn't actually declared war since World War II. Vietnam, Korea, and Iraq were all "military operations" not wars. I am not going to get into war vs. pacifism here, but I will say that I tend to err on the side of diplomacy. The more concerning issue is the loopholes around a declaration of war. During Vietnam, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution Act which gives the President power to pursue military action without Congressional approval when the safety and security of the United States is threatened. It was meant to be a protection in the event of an attack. If the U.S. is invaded, the President can deploy the military without waiting for Congressional approval. Yet even under the War Powers Act, the President must get Congressional approval after 30 days to continue military action. We need to take a hard look at our foreign relations and military action. Is this authorized? Are the threats only perceived threats and not realistic? Do we need to jump to military action? Is our involvement in Libya truly justified? I am concerned that people aren't asking this questions. If that is the way we want to live, why bother with a Constitution and a republic. Why not just have a dictator?

Related note: Odyssey Dawn, the current operation in Libya, is being classified as a military engagement authorized by a United Nations Security Council Resolution. Okay, but who's the main funder and supplier of UN operations? The United States, of course.

Some days I want to be an apathetic citizen. I want to watch the news and not care. I want to be ignorant of our government and the Constitution. But I'm not. So when I see things on the news, I get angry and depressed. I see the faults of Congress, state legislatures, and our President. I want others to see them too. Hopefully awareness leads to positive change and a strengthening of our country.

Fables: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham

Title: Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: DC Comics 2003

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 112

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library; April Read-a-Thon; Fantasy

Definitely not as good as Legends in Exile, but still a good graphic novel. This story revolved around Fabletown's non-human inhabitants. They attempt a takeover of control of Fabletown and hopefully the Homelands. Of course, not everything goes as planned. And Snow White and Rose Red are caught in the middle. The twists and turns and intrigue weren't a surprise. I felt like I had read this story before. The plot was overdone and ol.d The characters were fairy interesting. However, Snow White was such a disappointment after her excellent debut. Read this volume in about an hour. It wasn't a wasted hour, but definitely not the best. Here's hoping that Volume 3 is better.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'd Like to See Made into Movies

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. If you can't come up with ten, don't worry about it---post as many as you can!

For this week's post, I took a look at the books sitting around my room. There has to be some books in here that I absolutely love, but haven't been adapted yet. Right? Not as easy as I first thought, but I did find some.

1. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series: I absolutely love the story of Jamie and Claire. This could be the next big series, like Twilight, but so much better.

2. The Walking Dead: I know it's already been made into a tv series on AMC and I love it. I just wish that they will continue the series for a couple more seasons.

3. Steamed by Katie MacAlister: This was a fun steampunk novel, albeit with a few issues. I could see the turned into a movie in the Indiana Jones style. I think it would be a fun action/adventure/fantasy.

4. Frank Beddor's Looking Glass Wars Trilogy: A re-imaging of Alice in Wonderland but with fun twists. I loved this trilogy and would love to see it come to life on the screen.

5. At the Scent of Water by Linda Nichols: And now for something completely different... A serious drama, but one that could be done beautifully on screen.

6. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore: The movie version sucked. We need a better adaptation of Moore's great graphic novel. And this time, it has to be rated R. None of this family friendly crap! Did any of the screenwriters even read Moore's work? It definitely wasn't family friendly.

7. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies trilogy: Just finished the trilogy and am in zombie (oops sorry) dreadful heaven. We have some beautiful adaptations of the original Austen work. Now we need to through some unmentionables in there and spice things up a bit.

8. Surrender Bay by Denise Hunter: I can see this working the Nicholas Sparks movie style. A feel good romantic drama.

9. Austenland by Shannon Hale: A fun Austenesque romantic comedy. The characters from this book are so memorable. With good casting, this could be an awesome film.

10. Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl Series: Harry Potter is ending. We need another good young adult adventure series brought to the screen. I vote Artemis Fowl! I know my boys would absolutely love it.

Dreadfully Ever After by Steven Hockensmith

Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After

Author: Steven Hockensmith

Publisher: Quirk Books 2011

Genre: Jane Austen; Zombies

Pages: 320

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: April Read-a-Thon; Zombies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and its prequel, Dawn of the Dreadfuls, were both New York Times best sellers, with a combined 1.3 million copies in print. Now the PPZ trilogy comes to a thrilling conclusion with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After.
The story opens with our newly married protagonists, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, defending their village from an army of flesh-eating “unmentionables.” But the honeymoon has barely begun when poor Mr. Darcy is nipped by a rampaging dreadful. Elizabeth knows the proper course of action is to promptly behead her husband (and then burn the corpse, just to be safe). But when she learns of a miracle antidote under development in London, she realizes there may be one last chance to save her true love—and for everyone to live happily ever after.

Great ending for an awesome zed filled trilogy. I love the first Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and the prequel Dawn of the Dreadfuls. This was a satisfying conclusion to the story.

Within the first few pages, Mr. Darcy is bitten by a dreadful. The following story finds Elizabeth trying desperately to save him. Lady Catherine attempting to thwart her plans while pretending to help (not really a spoiler if you remember the character of Lady Catherine). Kitty taking a more prominent role in the family since Lydia's marriage to Wickham. Mary becoming a self-assured woman. Mr. Bennet trying to keep everyone focused. And a host of new colorful characters. Definitely my favorite character of the book had to be Bunny with his pet rabbit Brummell, comedic relief with in the presence of unmentionables.

The book is fast paced yet not too fast. The writing is less Jane Austen than the other two books, but still retains the essence of her style of writing. The illustrations are a joy to peruse. I loved every minute of reading it. I'm sad to see the series end, but it's a good ending.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

#1 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
#2 Dawn of the Dreadfuls
#3 Dreadfully Ever After

Music Monday - Adele "Set Fire to the Rain"

I liked Adele when she debuted with her album, 19. But I really love her now. Her songwriting is amazing. She always tells a story with her words. And the music fits perfectly. There's something about her voice (possibly the raspy quality) that I just love. It makes her stand out from the pop crowd, those perfectly auto-tuned singers. This song has become my new favorite song. I listen to it at least once a day. Adele's new album, 21, centers on her recent breakup. I love how this song really lets us see into her feelings about the breakup. A guy that she thought would save her turned out to have a hidden side. I can feel the inner struggle. The great joy of being with someone and the tragedy of their hidden side. Amazing song!

For your enjoyment, the complete lyrics (with my fave bit in bold):

I let it fall, my heart, And as it fell you also claim it. It was dark and I was all right, Until you kissed my lips and you saved me. My hands they’re strong, but my knees were far too weak, Stand in your arms without fall into your feet, But there’s a side to you that I never knew, I never knew. All the things you say that where never, where never true, And the games you play, you always, always win.

But I set fire to the rain, Watch it pour as I touched your face, Let it burn while I cry, Cause I heard it screaming at your name, your name!

When I’m with you I could stay there, Close my eyes, feel you’re here forever, You and me together, nothing is better! Cause there’s a side to you that I never, never knew, All the things you say that where never true, never true, And the games you play, you would always, always win.

But I set fire to the rain, Watch it pour as I touched your face, Let it burn while I cry, Cause I heard it screaming at your name, your name! I set fire to the rain And I feel lost into the… And it felt something nice, Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time!

Sometimes I wake up by the door, …gone…waiting further. Even that… I can’t help myself from looking further.

I set fire to the rain, Watch it pour as I touch your face, Let it burn when I cry, Cause I heard it screaming your name, your name I set fire to the rain, And I feel lost into the… Cause I knew that was the last time The last time, oh, oh!

The Resolution

After months upon months of waiting in limbo, a resolution seems to be on the horizon. It looks like a decision might be made and I can move on. Unfortunately, the resolution brings up its own set of questions. Questions that I am having trouble answering. Questions that will affect more than just me. Questions that could change the future for the worse or be a good situation. I really can't tell right now. But I do know that a resolution is just want I need right now. In honor of the past week's events, I give you Jack's Mannequin:

Side note: J and I bought a dining room table and a reading chair. I love shopping! And they are so cute. They'll be here for when I finally get move out Omaha.

Unusual Suspects edited by Dana Stabenow

Title: Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery and Fantasy

Author: edited by Dana Stabenow

Publisher: Ace Trade 2008

Genre: Paranormal; Mystery

Pages: 320

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library; April Read-a-Thon

Interesting collection of fantasy and mystery stories. Like all collections, I liked some and not so much for others. Instead of trying to summarize the entire book, I thought I would list all the stories, share a few thoughts, and rate the stories.

"Lucky" Charlaine Harris -- A great Sookie Stackhouse short story. A nice fill in between novels with some great characters (both new and old). 5 stars
"Bogieman" Carole Nelson Douglas -- Loved the plot. Really want to read more of her work. 5 stars
"Looks are Deceiving" Michael Stackpole -- I got very confused very quickly. His world sounds pretty interesting, but I obviously need to read some of his other works first. 2 stars
"The House of Seven Spirits" Sharon Shim -- Great ghost/mystery story. I was definitely impressed. 5 stars
"Glamour" Mike Doogan -- Interesting world, but really couldn't get into the story. 3 stars
"Spellbound" Donna Andrews -- Witches, mages, gremlins, and origami? Perfect crazy story. Reminded me of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. 5 stars
"The Duh Vice" Michael Armstrong --Good sci fi story. 4 stars
"Weight of the World" John Straley -- Wow! What an awesome story featuring Santa Claus, elves, and "the list." 5 stars
"Illumination" Laura Ann Gilman -- Good start to what looks like an interesting character. 4 stars
"The House" Laurie King -- Loved loved loved this ghost story with a twist. 5 stars
"Appetite for Murder" Simon Green -- Great mystical whodunit. I really want to read more of his Nightside world. 5 stars
"A Woman's Work" Dana Stabenow -- Too many names and odd plot lines. I couldn't even finish this story. 1 star

Fables: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham

Title: Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2002

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 128

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library; April Read-a-Thon; Fantasy; A to Z Authors: W

When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters have created their own peaceful and secret society within an exclusive luxury apartment building called Fabletown. But when Snow White's party-girl sister, Rose Red, is apparently murdered, it is up to Fabletown's sheriff, a reformed and pardoned Big Bad Wolf, to determine if the killer is Bluebeard, Rose's ex-lover and notorious wife killer, or Jack, her current live-in boyfriend and former beanstalk-climber. Collects FABLES #1-5.

Another graphic novel to add to my growing comic addiction. This one intrigued me because of the subject matter: fairy tale characters. I love anything with fairy tale stories or characters. And this one did not disappoint. A pulpy detective story featuring the murder of Rose Red. I loved the inclusion of all kinds of various characters (my fave: Prince Charming who married and divorced both Snow White and Cinderella). Each had a very different personality than their original story, which is definitely a good thing. I find most old versions of fairy tales very flat when to comes to characterization. This volume had loads of personality.

As to the story line, I like the premise and most of the execution. The only part I didn't like: the ending. Having the killer of Rose Red be exposed during a party felt way too staged. I wasn't buying the staged wrap-up of the story. It was a bit of a let down after a great story.

Fortunately, this was volume one of the Fables series. I didn't even realize it when I started reading. Now I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry

Title: The Amaranth Enchantment

Author: Julie Berry

Publisher: Bloomsbury 2009

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 308

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Support Your Local Library; YA; April Read-a-Thon

I really enjoyed this book. It had dashes of fantasy, dashes of romance, dashes of a coming-of-age story, dashes of action. I sped through the book loving most pages. It really reminded me of Howl's Moving Castle... maybe that's why I loved it so much. There was lots of parallels from the lost little girl to the witch. Although in this case the witch was a good witch. The only part that I just couldn't beleive was the ending. The crazy twist wasn't so crazy. In fact, it was downright deus ex machina. And if we remember my previous Top 10 Tuesday: Bookish Pet Peeves, I hate stories that end with a deus ex machina effect. Annoying! I would have prefered a much more belieavable conclusion to the story line.

BTT: Visual

So … the books that you own (however many there may be) … do you display them proudly right there in plain sight for all the world to see? (At least the world that comes into your living room.)
Or do you keep them tucked away in your office or bedroom or library or closet or someplace less “public?”

Right now all of my books are stuck in boxes due to the limbo state I am stuck in. So there's a little stack of books (and when I say little I huge) next to my bed. Unfortunately, they aren't displayed in any way.

In the future, I would love to have my books displayed. We've decided that almost every room will have bookcases. The theater will house media related books. The kitchen with cookbooks and food related books. The office with fairly boring textbooks (well boring to everyone besides geeky nerds like us). The boys' room with their books obviously. And the living room with everything else. I want to see all my books. I want to peruse them. I want the living room to look like cozy library nook. (And J bought me a reading chair today!!! I am so excited! Now I need the bookshelves and my books out of storage)

Out of My Blogging Mind

The past few days have been crazy. And when I say crazy, I mean crazy! I've caught up with some friends, had a few good dinners, cleaned and reorganized the boys' room, had a big meeting today, and gotten ready to fly to Omaha tomorrow. All in all, I am exhausted. And my blog has suffered for it. I've actually read two books since my last review post, but haven't gotten around to reviewing the finished. I promised myself I would stay on top of it, but time just got away from me. The only reason Music Monday posted was because I finished it last Friday and scheduled it to post. Working ahead, but not enough.

I want to get back on the blogging wagon tomorrow. I am going to try and get the reviews done and posted and get my usual Quote Wednesday up. Of course, I will be trying to do this while traveling to Omaha and then spending some quality time with J. We'll see how it goes.

So, Hello my blog! I have neglected you for a few days. I promise to be a better blogger this week.

"All Along the Watchtower"

For this Monday I am changing up the post. Usually I pick an artist or one song from an artist. Today, I thought I would highlight one of my favorite songs. One that has been covered by a multitude of artists. Originally released in 1967 by Bob Dylan, the song has many reincarnations. Four different versions alone appear on Dylan's albums and he performed it in concert the most of any of his songs. That's saying a lot for any song. The song was written in the year after Dylan's motorcycle accident. In that year, he had a child and supposedly became more interested in the Bible. Critics have pointed to Isaiah 21:5-9 as a possible inspiration. According to an interview with Dylan from 1968, the song starts at the end of the story and works backward. I love this effect. The listener works to figure out the story as the song progresses.

Lyrics (my favorite lines in bold):

There must be some way out of here Said the joker to the thief There's too much confusion I can't get no relief

Businessmen, they drink my wine Plowmen dig my earth None of them along the line Know what any of it is worth

No reason to get excited The thief, he kindly spoke There are many here among us Who feel that life is but a joke

But you and I, we've been through that And this is not our fateSo let us not talk falsely now The hour is getting late

All along the watchtower Princes kept the view While all the women came and went Barefoot servants, too

Outside in the distance A wildcat did growl Two riders were approaching The wind began to howl

Versions and ratings:

Bob Dylan: Ignore the video on this one, just listen to the song. I couldn't find an awesome one of Dylan, so this will have to do. #1 version of course!

Jimi Hendrix: Dylan loved this version and even attributed Hendrix to his own changing of the song in subsequent years. #3

U2 1989: #6

Dave Matthews Band, Woodstock 99: #2 Hands down my favorite version of this song (after Dylan of course). I love the slow build. I love Matthews' voice (reminds me of Dylan at times). Every time they play this song, it's always slightly different.

Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young 2004: The sound quality isn't as good as the others, but I thought I would throw it in for comparison. #5

Pearl Jam 2006: #4

Bear McCreary: From Battlestar Galactica (the tv show). Interesting version. It has definitely grown on me after multiple hearings. #6

March 2011 Wrap-Up

Books Read and Reviewed (25 books)

Autumn - David Moody
A Zombie's History of the United States - Dr. Worm Miller
Hello, Gorgeous! - MaryJanice Davidson
Sex and the Single Vampire (Dark Ones novel) - Katie MacAlister
Sleeping with the Fishes - MaryJanice Davidson
Swimming without a Net - MaryJanice Davidson
Fish Out of Water - MaryJanice Davidson
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex - Mary Roach
Blue Bloods - Melissa de la Cruz
Masquerade (Blue Bloods #2) - Melissa de la Cruz
Revelations (Blue Bloods #3) - Melissa de la Cruz
The Van Alen Legacy (Blue Bloods #4) - Melissa de la Cruz
Keys to the Repository (Blue Bloods novel) - Melissa de la Cruz
The Black Moth - Georgette Heyer
The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5) - Rick Riordan
Under Cover - Mary Janice Davidson
Perez Hilton's True Bloggywood Stories - Perez Hilton
The Rough Guide to Blogging
Surrender Bay - Denise Hunter
Misguided Angel (Blue Bloods #5) - Melissa de la Cruz
Bloody Valentine (Blue Bloods novel) - Melissa de la Cruz
The Facebook Book: A Satirical Companion - Greg Atwan & Evan Lushing
Really Unusual Bad Boys - MaryJanice Davidson
Date with a Devil - Anne Stuart, Cherry Adair, and Muriel Jensen
Steamed - Katie MacAlister

Current Read

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry -- so far interesting YA fantasy read

Books I Gave Up On (1 books)

Drop Dead, Gorgeous! by MaryJanice Davidson - liked the first one, but not the second. Just couldn't get into it at all.

Books Bought (13 books)

Half Price Books (clearance sale, all books $1)

The Reader - Bernhard Schlink
The Smart One and the Pretty One - Claire LaZebbnik
Something Borrowed - Emily Giffin
Something Blue - Emily Giffin

Half Price Books (Spring Break sale)

Love the One You're With -Emily Giffin

Borders (Closing Sale)

Warrior (The Blades of the Rose #1) - Zoe Archer
Scoundrel (The Blades of the Rose #2) - Zoe Archer
Stranger (The Blades of the Rose #4) - Zoe Archer

Barnes and Noble (Birthday Gift Card)

Boneshaker - Cherie Priest
The Sweet Far Thing (Gemma Doyle #3) - Libba Bray
Pride and Prejudice: Dreadfully Ever After - Steven Hockensmith
The Mysterious Benedict Society (#1) - Trenton Lee Stewart
Rebel (The Blades of the Rose #3) - Zoe Archer

Comments

Wow! That's a lot of books. A lot of middle of the road reads, a few not so good ones. I would have to say that I my favorite for the month was Autumn by David Moody. I just found the sequel (Autumn: The City) at the library. It's moving up my TBR pile.

On my life besides books, it was a month of birthdays. Mine, my dad's, J's, and the boys. Lots of celebrations and craziness. And now the house is filled with even more toys. We really need to do a complete cleanout soon.

Now we're off to spring break! and beginning April's reading.