Books From 2006

This post just recaps my leisure and required reading from 2006.

★Why Didn't You Get Me Out? -Frank Anton
A true story. Good read. Writing wasn't terrific, lots of information was repeated and the story kind of jumped around but I found it very educational.

★ Ellen Foster -Kay Gibbons
Very quick read. Interesting characters, kind of roundabout story line...didn't feel like it ended right.

Fast Women -Jennifer Crusie
Quick read. Not deep but still fun to read. A little on the romance novel side.

★ ★ ★ ★ Cell -Stephen King
Read it in two days. Awesome read. I love his stuff, that is why he is my favorite author. The characters are awesome and you get into them right away and the story just flies. Definitely recommend!!!

Serpent's Tooth -Faye Kellerman
Definitely like the husband's stuff better. Research wasn't done well. Felt it was a little farfetched for crime fiction.

★ ★ ★ ★ Naked in Baghdad -Anne Garrels
Finally got around to this loaner from my sister. Great book, I loved the insight and all the information about the pre-war Iraq and what the people were thinking and doing. By the end, I really felt like I knew Annie. I listen to NPR quite frequently, so I will be listening for her. Definitely recommend from a historical and character aspect.

★ ★ Merrick -Anne Rice
This was published a while ago but I had gotten away from her stuff because I was never able to get into Violin. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the original vampire and witch stories so this was a nice combination of the two.

★ ★ ★ ★ The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh -A.A. Milne
A reread of one of my favorite characters. I love having all the stories with the original illustrations in one book.

★ ★ ★ Wintering: A Novel of Sylvia Plath -Kate Moses
Interesting read. Don't know that I have read any of Ms. Plath's work but plan to now. Character was easy to relate to and the house in the country was to die for.

★ ★Worth More Dead -Ann Rule
Got hooked on true crime by my mom years ago and we have both been Ann Rule fans for ages. Good book, stories were great and awful at the same time.

★ ★Isabel's Daughter -Judith Ryan Hendricks
Good read, I loved the characters but wish the ending had been a bit more finished. I am not big on open endings.

★ ★ True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters -Elisabeth Robinson
Good book. Would recommend. Easy characters to relate to and a quick read.

★The Undomestic Goddess -Sophie Kinsella
Very fast read, started and finished on 5 hour flight from west to east. Chuckled a few times, fun characters.

★ Speak Softly, She Can Hear -Pam Lewis
Kind of a stressful book. I got into the characters and then felt their stress the entire time I was reading it. I enjoyed it, but it started off weird.

★The Reader -Bernhard Schlink
Another kind of weird one. Enjoyed it after I got into it but didn't really see the plot as moving towards anything. Got great reviews so I might be missing something.

★ ★A Wedding in December -Anita Shreve
Good book, really enjoy this writer. Her characters are always easy to get into. Quick read, would recommend.

★ ★ Amy and Isabel -Elizabeth Strout
Interesting read. Took a while for me to figure out the time jumping that was going on but enjoyed myself nonetheless. Would recommend.

★ ★ Size 12 Is Not Fat -Meg Cabot
Fun book. Reminded me of the Evanovich books. Character was easy to relate to and the plot was fun and mysterious. Definitely would recommend.

★ ★Velocity -Dean Koontz
Nice little mystery...had me going from start to finish. He knows how to write them.

★ ★ ★The Pearl -John Steinbeck
Reread for me...I have a bunch of classics hanging around that I go back to occasionally. Good story, but not one of his best.

★ ★ ★ ★ Kite Runner -Khaled Hosseini
Absolutely one of the best books I have read this year. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. Great characters, and insight into a culture I know very little about. It made me what to travel to Afghanistan some day.

★ ★ ★ Good Grief -Lolly Winston
Great book even though it is a bit sad and hard to picture going through. I felt for the character the entire time. I am sure I would be in such a state if the same thing happened to me.

★ ★ Welcome to my Planet -Shannon Olson
Fun quick read...a bit predictable but still fun. I thought her mom was quite funny.

★Children of God Go Bowling -Shannon Olson
Second in the series...I didn't like it as well as the first one but once again a quick fun read. I cried with this one.

★ ★Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman -Elizabeth Buchan
Good book, I enjoyed the pace, the characters and the plot. Was hard to read in parts because of personal issues but still a good read.

★ ★ Paging Aphrodite -Kim Green
Another book club selection and it was another fast read. I enjoyed the format and the characters even if the story was a bit predictable or cliche.

★ ★ ★ The Accidental Tourist -Anne Tyler
Everyone has always recommended this book but I had never read it. I loved the characters but Macon made me very anxious in the first part of the book. I thought the ending seemed forced and not well thought out and that at times the author was just going for shock value on things that happened in the book to take the reader from one extreme to the next. I would recommend but not highly.

★ ★ Lady Luck's Map of Las Vegas -Barbara Samuel
Enjoyed this quick read. Characters are interesting and the plot is definitely unique. I would recommend

★ ★ ★ The Book of Joe -Jonathon Tropper
Read this one in one day. Was sucked into the story and the characters right away. Thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend. Plot was a bit predictable but still good to read. Loved the process of moving back and forth in time. I was enthralled in both stories.

★ ★ A Lesson Before Dying -Ernest J Gaines
I checked this out a few weeks ago thinking I hadn't read it and only got a few pages in and realized that I had, quite some time ago. It is a good read, although not a cheerful book.

★ ★ Ladder of Years -Anne Tyler
This was a good book but not the best. I thought it was weird how she left and I thought the end was very short and rushed. I did get sucked into the characters and I did enjoy the read.

★ ★ ★ ★The Salmon of Doubt -Douglas Adams
Fabulous book. I love Douglas Adams and I thought this book was a good way to see a side of him that many have never seen. The story is not exactly done but all the other material is what make it a great book. It is sad that Douglas died when he did, because we are missing so much.

★ ★ ★Twelve Sharp -Janet Evanovich
These books are always so much fun for me...fast and hilarious, if not a bit predictable. The chemistry between the three main characters is enough to drive me crazy. I am glad my mom turned me onto them and I plan to spread the desire to a friend or two.

★ ★ ★ ★ Lisey's Story -Stephen King
Got this book when it came out earlier this month. Stephen King is one of my favorite authors so I was excited to read this one. It is a great book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it..

★ ★ Knitting Under The Influence -Claire LaZebnik
Quick read for our book club. Enjoyed the book although it was a bit predictable. Definitely falls into the typical chick lit catagory.

★ Same As It Never Was -Claire LaZebnik
Same author as above. Her first book. Fun quick read but irritating in that the timetable in the story didn't work. Not as good as the knitting one.

Information Systems Management in Practice -Barbara McNurlin and Ralph Spraque, Jr.
My textbook for this semester. I didn't get it all in but I got most of it in. Didn't like it much, could have used a better book for this class.

★ Inside Delta Force: The Story of America's Elite Counterterrorist Unit -Eric Haney
Interesting read, but felt a bit self serving and perhaps more information than needed to be shared.

★ ★ ★ The Lady in the Lake -Raymond Chandler
A gift from my sis...can't believe I never read this one before. Great murder mystery and looking forward to reading them all.

★ ★ ★The Big Sleep -Raymond Chandler
Another Chandler mystery. Great story and definitely has me wanting more.