DFED Is Keen For 2015!

My name's Dawn - I live in Lexington, KY work in the horse industry, and this is my 7th year in the 75 Book Challenge Group - wow!! Welcome to my new thread and I can't wait to see what's in store for 2015!

Welcome back!

Hi Dawn! I saw on the Introductions thread that you love reading cookbooks. Me too! I especially love old ones. I have a bunch from the 1950's-60's that belonged to my mother.

Sandy K

Hi! I'm looking forward to seeing what you read this year! I'm sure I'll pick up at least a few good recommendations from your thread :)

I saw your post in Introductions, Dawn, and thought it would be fun to follow your thread this year.

I also enjoy horse and young adult/children's books.

Wow! We're practically through January and I haven't even posted anything on here - my apologies!!

Thank you to all who have visited the thread thus far - welcome!



#1 - Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden, pages (own). Burden is a descendant of the Vanderbilts and this is a look into her eccentric, alcoholic family.



#2 - The Vacationers by Emma Straub, 292 pages (library). The story of the Post's family vacation to Mallorca.



#3 - The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker, 375 pages (library). This has long been on my TBR list and is the cute story of Rickie-Jo Winstead trying to fit in to her new high school in the heart of Kentucky.



#4 - Grace by Mary Casanova, 195 pages (library). The newest modern American Girl story.

#5 - Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton, 291 pages (own). Anthony Bourdain's comment on the book cover was that this was the best cooking memoir ever. I see where he's coming from (plenty of detail on the day-to-day of being a chef) but I found Hamilton's lifestyle a little disconcerting...



#6 - The Passion of the Purple Plumeria by Lauren Willig, 468 pages (library). The latest in the Pink Carnation series that I've finally taken up again!

#7 - One Summer by Bill Bryson, audiobook (library). I am incredibly grateful that I finally saved up enough money to get a new CD player installed in my car so I can start listening to audiobooks again on my commute to/from work!! The old player was starting to eat them...



#8 - The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla by Lauren Willig, 481 pages (library). I was wrong in my last post - THIS is the latest book in the Pink Carnation series.



#9 - Chanel Bonfire by Wendy Lawless, 304 pages (own). Oh wow! First, I find the best memoirs/biographies in the clearance section at Half Price Books. Second, I'm surprised Lawless lived through her childhood mentally stable!



#10 - Marriage: Illustrated With Crappy Pictures by Amber Dusick, 163 pages (library). I read the author's other work Parenting: Illustrated With Crappy Pictures - this one (though it definitely had some true points) wasn't as good.



#11 - Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinski , audiobook (library). Once again, seriously glad I have a working CD player again! :) A story of an organizer with plenty of life problems that has to confront a hoarder and her life problems.

#12 - Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan, 340 pages (library). A book by one of my favorite comedians about one of my favorite subjects - this was better than Dad Is Fat.



#13 - Spoonbread & Strawberry Wine by Norma Jean Darden, 352 pages (own). A look at an African-American family's history through recipes. I've already got some earmarked to try!

>8 DFED: The CD player in my car stopped working all of a sudden a while back, and I miss it like crazy. I wish I could listen to audiobooks while I drive again! Ugh, maybe someday! Enjoy your commute :)

#14 - Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling, 222 pages (library). I needed to read something lighthearted lately and, though I know next-to-nothing about Kaling, this was a good fit. She's enjoyable and I'll be keeping an eye on her in the future!



#15 - Winterdance by Gary Paulsen, 272 pages (loan). My boss loaned this to me with high recommendations. There was a time period in high school where I read every dog sledding book I could get my hands on so I feel that I've read this before but it was still an enjoyable (and appropriate considering the time of year) read.



#16 - 30-Day Method by Tracy Anderson, 260 pages (library). I picked up some Tracy Anderson DVD's lately to work out to and wanted to see what her book had to offer. I find the workouts enjoyable and appreciated learning more about her "method" but I don't think the included diet is very sustainable...

#17 - Sideways On A Scooter by Miranda Kennedy, 342 pages (library). Kennedy comes from a wandering family and feels obliged to quit her "normal" life in NY and move to India to become a freelance journalist. I really enjoyed this close look at the real India and how historically unchanged it truly is, despite its reputation now as a technology center. I especially enjoyed the author's experiences and stories from a woman's perspective. This book made me so grateful that I live in the US!



#18 - Kentucky: Historic Houses and Horse Farms of Bluegrass Country by Pieter Estersohn, 256 pages (library). A picturesque look at some of the beautiful homes and farms in the area I live in - which only makes me more glad that I do live here!



#19 - How To Eat A Small Country by Amy Finley, 280 pages (library). Finley's marriage is in trouble and as a last-ditch effort to save it, she convinces her husband and their two small children to live in France. As she works on her relationship, she also takes on the task of exposing her family to each region of France and its regional food specialties.



#20 - Down Size by Ted Spiker, 263 pages (library). This is one of the most well-rounded (no pun intended!) books on weight loss I've come across in a long time. Spiker has a history of obesity - and also happens to teach a health writing class as well as be a contributor to Men's World magazine! Entered into the Ironman competition on a whim, he begins researching just what exactly it takes to lose weight.

#21 - I'll Drink To That by Betty Halbreicht, 272 pages (library). A surprisingly good memoir that I randomly picked up at my library. Via a series of random events, Halbreicht became the personal shopper at the Bergdorf Goodman store in NYC - and has remained so for over 40 years! A fascinating look at her shopping method and some of the characters she has dressed as well as the designers she has worked with along the way.



#22 - Spelling It Like It Is by Tori Spelling, 304 pages (library). I'm a sucker for Spelling's books. In this ones, she talks about her last two pregnancies as well as some real estate and business decisions she and her family made. My question is: why does she consistently insist on living way beyond of her means??



#23 - Wild From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed, audiobook (library). Our latest book club pick and what a good one! Though the author was pretty unprepared for her trip, this made even me want to start hiking (I would also be wholly unprepared). What I most loved was the automatic relationships she had with her fellow PCT hikers by virtue of them hiking the same trail.

#24 - Home Sweet Anywhere by Lynne Martin, 304 pages (library). The Martins give up their home and many of their belongings in their retirement years to essentially be "homeless" while also traveling the world. What a great idea!



#25 - Si-cology by Si Robertson, 231 pages (library). I'm a fan of the Duck Dynasty TV show and this is the second book of the family's I've read. Si's book was surprising in that he's such a crazy character while his book didn't really reflect that. Whereas, Jase's character is not as crazy, and his book, which I read last year, was.



#26 - The Silver Star by Jeanette Walls, audiobook (library). The Holladay sisters are abandonded by their mother so they move in with an uncle on their family's old VA estate where they are exposed to the small town mindset as well as old family secrets. I just loved the two sister's characters!

>14 DFED: I am pretty sure that I have a book by Jeanette Walls, perhaps even that one, on my wish list. I should check. It sounds interesting!

Goodness - I have some catching up to do!!



#27 - Mississippi Jack by L.A. Meyer, 624 pages (library). It's been awhile since I've picked up a Bloody Jack book but I've gotten right back into the storyline and I already have the next one out of the library!



#28 - The Traitor In the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee, 373 pages (library). What I thought was the last book in The Agency series. However, it seems there's a new one coming out this year??



#29 - Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis, 304 pages (own). I've had this classic on my cookbook shelf for sometime. Then, it was one of the ones damaged in our "flood" last year. Luckily I found this replacement and finally got a chance to read it through! I understand why this book may have turned the food world on its ear - such great history in recipes!



#30 - The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty Birney, audiobook (library). A cute children's book I picked up to listen to. Are there seven wonders to be found in the small town of Sassafras Springs? Eben McAllister aims to find out!



#31 - I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, 40 pages (loan). I saw this on someone else's thread and it reminded me that I read it awhile back in a bookstore! It's kind of a wryly funny book for a kid...



#32 - Orchard House by Tara Austen Weaver, 284 pages (library). A lovely book that is exactly what the title says: How a neglected garden taught one family to grow. Weaver's mother moves to Seattle to be nearer to her grandchildren and chooses a house with a great (but neglected) garden. She and her family slowly become closer through tending to the garden.



#33 - Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You A Pie by Robbin Gourley, 45 pages (library). Looking for some other Edna Lewis books at my library, I came across this children's book based on her cookbooks, and about harvesting.



#34 - Forever Chic by Tish Jett, 239 pages (library). One of those Frenchwomen seem to know how to live books :) Jett has plenty of good advice but its perhaps lost in references to purely French products and services. On the bright side, she's encouraged me to make an appointment with a Dermatologist - something that I've put off for far too long!

#35 - Don't Sing At the Table by Adriana Trigiani, 204 pages (library). A beautiful tribute to Trigiani's Italian grandmothers.



#36 - The Penderwicks In Spring by Jeanne Birdsall, 339 pages (library). A new Penderwick book?!?! Yay! In this one, Batty is fairly grown up with a new baby sister and has to deal with some rather grown-up issues along the way.



#37 - Memoir of the Sunday Brunch by Julia Pandl, 260 pages (library). Pandl's father was the owner of a well-known Milwaukee restaurant for years. And, he required all of his children to work the Sunday brunch growing up. Though this sounded pretty harsh to me, the book turned out to be a touching story of her relationship to her parents.



#38 - Madam Belle by Maryjean Wall, pages (library). My book club's most recent pick. If you want alot of Lexington, KY history, then this is your book! If you want alot of facts about Belle Brezing, then you should probably look elsewhere...

>16 DFED: Your post about the book with the word "sassafras" in it made me think of the sassafras tea that my grandmother used to talk about. Of course, sassafras used to also be used in root beer too, but I think that it is considered "poisonous" now. You wonder why it didn't kill all our ancestors.

I didn't know a new Penderwicks book was out! I immediately ordered it on amazon. Thanks for the mention!

thornton37814 - funnily enough, there's a guy at our farmer's market that sells sassafras! I had no idea it could be toxic...

alsvidur - you're welcome! I heard it through the grapevine too and I'm so glad I did!



#39 - Date Night In by Ashley Rodriguez, 287 pages (library). A cookbook with a story line (my favorite!), Rodriguez is failing to connect with her husband in what little free time they have. So, she begins a weekly date night, cooking a full meal for each other so they can have some one-on-one time.



#40 - Fed, White and Blue by Simon Majumdar, 308 pages (library). Majumdar is a Food Network celebrity of sorts. British-born, he marries an American who finally convinces him to become an American citizen - after he takes his own American journey based around food.



#41 - I Regret Nothing by Jen Lancaster, 303 pages (library). A new Jen Lancaster book?? Yes!



#42 - Soulless by Gail Carringer, 373 pages (library). Picked this one up on a whim - I've been meaning to read it for awhile. And, of course, now I'm hooked on another series!

#43 - Yes Please by Amy Poehler, audiobook (library). My book club's pick, I surprisingly enjoyed Amy's advice on life (I hadn't known much about her prior to the book).



#44 - While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax, 384 pages (own). I've had this on my wishlist for some time now and happily came across a copy in a used bookstore.



#45 - Psychos by Babe Walker, 276 pages (library). A follow-up to White Girl Problems, Babe's back from rehab and trying to re-align her life unsuccessfully.

#46 - Daughter of Empire by Pamela Hicks, 240 pages (library). This has been on my TBR pile for some time. Hicks is the daughter of Lord and Lady Mountbatten and was up front and personal to the freeing of India from British rule. She also accompanied the new Queen Elizabeth on her first world tour. A truly interesting read!



#47 - Lillian On Life by Alison Jean Lester, 240 pages (library). A sexually active "woman of a certain age" talks about love and loss.



#48 - Fin & Lady by Cathleen Schine, audiobook (library). Though an enjoyable tale, this had Auntie Mame written all over it...



#49 - Bluffton by Matt Phelan, 223 pages (library). I have someone on LT to thank for pointing this book out! We're both Buster Keaton fans, so I've already passed to book on to my husband to read.

Hi Dawn, I'm new here and just perusing posts. Looks like you have had some very good reads this year!

I also collect and read cookbooks, the older the better.

tess_schoolmarm - welcome!! I love old cookbooks too, though I haven't been reading as many of them this year as I'd like!



#50 - Keep Calm, It's Just Real Estate by Egypt Sherrod, 223 pages (library).



#51 - Joie de Vivre by Harriet Welty Rochefort, 304 pages (library).



#52 - Rainey Royal by Dylan Landis, 247 pages (own).



#53 - Stablemates by Margaret S. Johnson, pages (own). This is a recent used book find - I love old children's horse stories!



#54 - New Mercies by Sandra Dallas, 304 pages (own). One of my favorite authors...



#55 - Uncharted Terrtori by Tori Spelling, 214 pages (library). This is the only book of Spelling's that I haven't read yet.

#56 - Cabin Fever by Mandy Smith, 304 pages (own). An ER book - review to follow.



#57 - Blaze and the Indian Cave by C.W. Anderson, 47 pages (own). I loved Billy and Blaze books when I was younger! Glad to get my hands on one at a used book sale!



#58 - Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot, 434 pages (library). A new Princess Diaries book?? Including a wedding?? Squee!



#59 - Picnic In Provence by Elizabeth Bard, 368 pages (library). If you enjoyed Bard's Lunch In Paris, then you'll definitely enjoy her further tales of marriage to a Frenchman and a move to Provence!

#60 - Castles In The Air by Judy Corbett, 308 pages (library). Corbett and her fiancee buy a collapsing castle in Wales and proceed to restore it with much help from people all around the globe.



#61 - Sheepish by Catherine Friend, 280 pages (own). I was so excited to see this book that's been on my TBR list forever, for sale at a used book shop!! A lovely look at what it means to be "sheepish."



#62 - Eleanor by Barbara Cooney, 40 pages (library). I forget now who on LT brought this author to my attention, but I'm so glad they did!



#63 - Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, (library). Weirdly, on a recent trip to Maine I saw this book for sale in alot of shops. Since I saw the author mentioned, I thought it was high time I read it!

O, I *love* Miss Rumphius! I need to see if I can find a copy of Eleanor...

#64 - Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, audiobook (library). A look into Singapore high-society. The characters are certainly "crazy rich" and it makes me wonder how true-to-life this story might be...



#65 - The Good Shufu by Tracy Slater, 336 pages (library). Slater has a comfortable life in Boston by herself with no plans to move or get married. Yet, on a business trip to Asia, she falls in love with a Japanese man, whom she eventually marries. My question is, how long do you have to be married to a foreigner before you finally bother to learn their language??!

>26 DFED: Mrs. Rumphius is a classic!

#66 - Hugo & Rose by Bridget Foley, 345 pages (library). Wow, just, wow! Since Rose was five, she's visited an imaginary island in her dreams every night where she has adventures with Hugo. So, what happens when she finally meets Hugo in real life??



#67 - Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart, 270 pages (own). A surprisingly moving book about Stewart's chance purchase of a farm in Spain. Very "A Year In Provence."



#68 - Bound For Oregon by Jean Van Leeuwen, 176 pages (own). Mary Ellen's dad decides to leave their farm in Arkansas and go to Oregon. She's not so sure about the trip and apparently this was based on the journal of a real Mary Ellen Todd.



#69 - The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham, 296 pages (own). Sometimes you just need some hilarious chick lit! Another classic Wickham novel.



#70 - Secrets of a Fashion Therapist by Betty Halbreich, 204 pages (library). I read Halbreich's biography earlier this year so thought I'd read her fashion advice as well! There's definitely some solid advice in this book.



#71 - Eating For England by Nigel Slater, 320 pages (own). A lot of the references in this book were lost on me because I'm not British. But, it was still quite a funny book! I'd love to see someone do a similar book about the US.



#72 - The Interrupted Tale by Mayrose Wood, 385 pages (library). The fourth book in the Incorrigible Children series. I've already put the next one on hold at the library!

#73 - The Unmapped Sea by Mayrose Wood, 404 pages (library). The fifth (and latest) book in the Incorrigible Children series - poor Penelope!!



#74 - The Book of Wanderings by Kimberly Meyer, 354 pages (library). Not to discount this book, but if you've read Traveling With Pomegranates, you've read this story. Meyer goes on a pilgrimage with her college-age daughter from Germany to the Holy Land following the path of a medieval monk named Felix Fabri.



#75 - The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton, (library). It is so appropriate for me that this is my 75th book! I made my husband read this, it's so cute and funny and I'm definitely buying a copy for my nephew!

Congrats on 75!

Congrats!

Congrats on reaching 75!!

Thank you scaifea, drneutron and thornton37814!!

Rodzina by Karen Cushman, 215 pages (library). Another book by one of my favorite authors about the orphan trains.



#77 - Life On The King Ranch by Frank Goodwyn, 344 pages (own). I've always wanted to know more about the world-famous King Ranch. The author actually grew up there in the 30's!

Oops - it's been awhile, hasn't it??



#78 - China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan, 377 pages (library). Follow up to Crazy Rich Asians - more outrageous wealth, more high fashion designers and Rachel finally gets to meet her father!



#79 - Sixpence House by Paul Collins, 246 pages (library). Ever heard of Hay-on-Wye, Wales? Well, now I want to go! Collins moves his wife and small child to this town of books to live out a dream.



#80 - My Organic Life by Nora Pouillon, 261 pages (library). I've never heard of Pouillon but apparently, she started the first-ever certified organic restaurant in the US, based in Washington, DC. A look at her life which spans the breadth of the food industry as well.

Dead Heat by Joanna Campbell, 176 pages (own). Still slowly trying to catch up on this favorite series from my childhood.



#82 - That Book Woman by Heather Henson, pages (library). A boy thinks reading is useless, despite being delivered books to his remote Appalachian home via a librarian on horseback! Wouldn't that have been an exciting job for the time??



#83 - Island Boy by Barbara Cooney, 35 pages (library). I'm quickly growing to love Cooney's stories - especially the illustrations!



#84 - A Little Women Christmas by Heather Vogel Frederick, pages (library). I saw this one on Whisper1's thread. The illustrations blew me away!



#85 - Displacement by Lucy Knisley, 156 pages (library). I enjoy Knisley's graphic novels - this one about a cruise she takes with her grandparents.



#86 - Spinster by Kate Bolick, pages (library). A thought-provoking read for all women!



#87 - Hattie And The Wild Waves by Barbara Cooney, 38 pages (library). Another Cooney book.

#88 - Maritcha by Tonya Bolden, 47 pages (library). I happened upon this tale of a free African-American girl growing up in NYC in the mid-1800's.



#89 - Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal, 312 pages (library). The interwoven tale of Eva Thorvald's life as a great chef in Minnesota.



#90 - The Accidental Empress by Allison Pataki, 495 pages (library). My mother-in-law recommended this one to me and I loved reading another novel about Sisi, Empress of Austria!



#91 - Grace Stirs It Up by Mary Casanova, 177 pages (library).



#92 - Again Josefina by Valerie Tripp, 39 pages (library). A couple of American Girl series' follow-up books.



#93 - The Bride's House by Sandra Dallas, 374 pages (library). The story of three generations of women and the "Bride's House" in Georgetown, CO.

#94 - That Summer by Lauren Willig, audibook (library). An ultimately spooky tale. Julia Conley inherits her great aunt's house outside London and delves into her family's history.



#95 - A Field Guide To Awkward Silences by Alexandra Petri, 309 pages (library). I swear I should get paid for promoting this book - I've gotten so many people interested in reading it because I laughed so hard at it! A must read - but don't eat or drink while doing so!!

>36 DFED: I read Sixpence House several years ago. It did make me want to make a visit to Wales. I've read a couple others that you've read recently and have a few on my TBR list.

thornton37814 - sorry if I'm adding to your TBR pile! :)



#96 - Nonna's House by Jody Scaravella, 288 pages (own). I received this ARC copy at a book event back in the Spring and finally got around to reading it. Lovely Italian grandmother stories along with some great sounding recipes!



#97 -My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl, 327 pages (library). Any fan of Reichl's has been looking forward to her cookbook and rest assured, I'll be ordering a copy for myself soon!



#98 - Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling, 228 pages (library). Mindy's not-as-funny follow up to Why Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me?.



#99 - Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York by Paul Gallico, 192 pages (own). What a lucky find at my library's annual used book sale! I found the prequel to this, Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris at the same book sale years ago!

Book 100 reached - woot!! Wasn't sure I'd do it this year....



#100 - Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger, audibook (library). Been meaning to "read" this for a long time and thought it would be appropriate for Halloween. And, oh my, what an ending!



#101 - Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod, 258 pages (library). A lovely find at my library. The illustrations are just gorgeous - I'd love to subscribe to her letters!



#102 - The Green Bough by Ann Ritner, 255 pages (own). The kind of story I love to find at used book sales - a cozy family story.

Congrats on passing 100!

thornton37814 - thanks! My reading time has been pretty limited this year, so I'm surprised!



#103 - To School Through The Fields by Alice Taylor, 183 pages (own). Another great find from my library's big book sale.



#104 - Feels Like Far by Linda Hasselstrom, 244 pages (own). A happy coincidence - I've had this on my shelf for awhile, finally finished it and come to find out, I read her first book last year! (Windbreak)

Oh, I love To School Through the Fields! I also read that author's An Irish Country Christmas, which I think you'd like a lot.

#105 - Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson, 329 pages (library). Jenny Lawson is back with a hilarious book, focused on mental illness.



#106 - The Lost and Found Pony by Tracy Dockray, pages (library). Happened to come across this cute book!



#107 - My Fat Dad by Dawn Leman, 318 pages (library). Leman grew up with an overweight dad that tried every diet known to man. Her dad's habits greatly shaped her life.

#108 - An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler, 250 pages (own).



#109 - A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, 320 pages (own).

Both of these are re-reads for me. Still loving the beauty of Adler's book!

It's time for some catching up!



#110 - Voracious by Cara Nicoletti, 283 pages (library). The author is a chef and breaks down her favorite books by time period and created a recipe for each book. I only wish I had read more of what she had, then I probably would've enjoyed the book more. The illustrations, however, are beautiful!



#111 - Quench The Lamp by Alice Taylor, 239 pages (library). I enjoyed the last book I read by Taylor so much, I got out the only other one my library had. This is Taylor's teenage years in Ireland.



#112 - The Bee Cottage Story by Frances Schultz, 160 pages (libary). Schultz is an editor of House Beautiful magazine and this is the story of her purchase and renovation of "Bee Cottage."



#113 - Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton, 304 pages (library). If you've never had a chance to visit the Humans of New York blog, I urge you to do so!



#114 - More Than Happy the Wisdom of Amish Parenting by Serena Miller, 326 pages (library). Miller meets Amish families through her work as an author and she begins to see how well behaved Amish children are. This is her research into why, but I think it really talked more about Amish culture, which I find fascinating.



#115 - Anne of Green Gables, My Daughter and Me by Lorilee Craker, 239 pages (library). Craker relates the Anne of Green Gables stories to her life as an adopted child and her adoption of her own daughter from Korea.



#116 - My Confection: Odyssey of a Sugar Addict by Lisa Kotin, 248 pages (own). An Early Reviewer book - review to follow.



#117 - Sleeping Arrangements by Laura Shaine Cunningham, 240 pages (own). Cunningham's childhood is an unusual one. Her widowed mother dies young, leaving her two bachelor uncles and eighty-year-old grandmother in charge of her upbringing in an unusual community in the Bronx.

#118 - The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama, audiobook (library). Though I enjoyed the insight into the marriage process for Indian families, but boy did this book need editing!!



#119 - Spotted In France by Gregory Edmont, 240 pages (loan). A co-worked loaned this book to me. Edmont travels from Paris, France to the south with his Dalmatian, JP on a motor-scooter.



#120 - A Beginner's Guide to Paradise by Alex Sheshunoff, 447 pages (library). I particularly loved the intro questions to each chapter of this book, but it's a weird read. I guess I can't really relate to someone who up and leaves everything and everyone he knows to live on a Pacific island - someplace he's never been before (and, frankly, doesn't sound that exciting)?

#121 - Raising Demons by Shirley Jackson, 306 pages (library). Why did this book sound so familiar?? Because I've read it before!! However, I really didn't mind the re-read - Jackson's tales of her family life are highly amusing.



#122 - Margarita Wednesdays by Deborah Rodriguez, audiobook (library). I haven't read Rodriguez's Kabul Beauty School, but I enjoyed this tale of her recovery from PTSD via a new life in Mexico.



#123 - 300 Sandwiches by Stephanie Smith, 318 pages (library). You may have heard about this one already. Smith "cooks" her boyfriend her first meal for him and he promises that if he gets 300 sandwiches more, he'll propose! So Smith starts a blog and deals with backlash from the online community because of her engagement circumstances.

Goal for the end of the year? Finish some of those nearly finished books!! Here are two that meet that goal:



#124 - The Lazy Girl's Guide to a Fabulous Body by Anita Naik, 224 pages (own). A silly British health book I picked up at my infamous library's book sale. Though I did appreciate some of the workout ideas and it's straightforwardness.



#125 - Trespassers Will Be Baptized by Elizabeth Emerson Hancock, 276 pages (own). The author is a Baptist preacher's daughter in KY. This book made me cry as she questions what it means to be (or not to be) a preacher's daughter.

#126 - Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky, 240 pages (own). The follow-up to Anatomy of a Boyfriend, this book was a little too much of a drag compared to the first book.



#127 - Born to Run by Neil Johnson, pages (own). A childhood book of my husband's about a young racehorse's life.



#128 - A Secret Gift by Ted Gup, 384 pages (own). Though a fascinating story of the author's grandfather's gift of $5 to needy persons one holiday season in Canton, OH during the Depression, this book just dragged! It definitely could have used some editing!

If anyone would like to follow me to my new thread - you can find it here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/210868#