You realize that this book has a very literal title when you find out what's written inside. The Story of Forgetting is a brilliant yet tragic novel with two main characters and two side narratives, all of which gradually come together as the pages are turned. It begins with Abel, and his story of remembering falling in love with Mae, his brother Paul's wife. It continues with Seth, a lonely but "too-smart" teenager who pushes himself out of his shell to find more about his mother Jamie's past. Woven between the stories of Abel and Seth are the legend of Isidora and genetic history details of a disease called "early-onset Alzheimer's" in which the victim starts showing signs of dementia at an early age (age 30-50).

"At a certain point, the worse you get, the worse it is for everyone around you, but the better it is for you."

A couple of the characters in The Story of Forgetting have early-onset Alzheimer's, and the impact on their families is heartbreaking to be sure. But the ending of this novel, with its two long-awaited reunions, will most likely make you feel that The Story of Forgetting is one worth remembering.

Labels: Reading, Reviews

These reading challenges are hard to deny! I've decided to join just one more for this year, the What's in a Name? challenge. This one is unique in that it is based on categories. Here are my six choices:

1. A book with a color in its title:
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber

2. A book with an animal in its title.
Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest

3. A book with a first name in its title.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

4. A book with a place in its title.
When in Rome by Gemma Townley

5. A book with a weather event in its title.
Isaac's Storm: The Drowning of Galveston by Erik Larson

6. A book with a plant in its title.
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

Labels: Reading

In 2008, I have read 440 pages in 2 books.

General Literature = 2

* = one of my favorites

Rating Scale = 10 is highest

The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (6)

The Story of Forgetting by Stefan Merrill Block (7)

In 2008, I have listened to 0 hours in 0 audio books.

Labels: Reading

[My List]


[My List]


[My List]


Also participating in...

Alphabet Readers Challenge
[My List]

Reading Full Circle
[My List]

2New2U Challenge
[My List]

Reading My Name
[My List]

You Set It Paperback Challenge
[My List]

Every Month is a Holiday
[My List]

Romance Reading Challenge
[My List]

Themed Reading Challenge
[My List]

The Chunkster Challenge
[My List]

Labels: Lists, Reading

As my twelfth (!) and last book challenge for 2008, I've signed up for the Chunkster Challenge. The idea is to read 4 books that are 450+ pages each during 2008. Here are the voluptuous books that I plan to read this year:

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber (944 pages)

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (800 pages)

Abigail Adams: A Biography by Phyllis Lee Levin (592 pages)

Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer (592 pages)

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (512 pages)

Labels: Reading

My new blog is less than two days old and I've already been featured on a popular website, SteynOnline! Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating my accomplishment of fame a teensy bit, because I didn't do much to earn it. All I did was link to Mark Steyn's great book, America Alone, on my 2007 Reading List.

I finished reading the book just a couple of weeks ago. And in complete honesty, the only reason I gave it a 9 out of 10 instead of a full 10 was because I had to read it in chunks. I couldn't take it all in with one gulp; it was so chock full of fact and wit, it had to be sipped. It was a fantastic, informative read, although unnerving and somewhat disheartening to see the facts laid out in such stark light that indeed, one day in the future, it may well be America alone. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, just read the book.)

Pssst, Mr. Steyn: In case you happen to drop by, thanks for the link. You are a brilliant and brave man. Thank you for standing up for the truth and for refusing to stop writing about it even when the going gets tough. You have the agreement and support of millions.

Labels: Linkie Love, Politics, Reading

How fun is this? The Every Month is a Holiday reading challenge let's us celebrate something each month by reading a book related to that particular month in some way. Here are my choices:

January: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birthday is the 29th.
Mozart's Sister by Nancy Moser

February: President Ronald Reagan's birthday is the 6th, and Valentine's Day is the 14th.
I Love You, Ronnie by Nancy Reagan

March: Sandra Brown's birthday is the 12th.
Riley in the Morning by Sandra Brown

April: Jeffrey Archer's birthday is the 15th.
Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer

May: Military Appreciation Month
The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann

June: Summer begins.
The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by Loraine Despres

July: The Fourth (Independence Day)
Abigail Adams: A Biography by Phyllis Lee Levin

August: Frank McCourt's birthday is the 19th.
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt

September: The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 occurred on the 9th.
Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson

October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney

November: President George and First Lady Laura Bush's wedding anniversary is the 5th.
George and Laura: Portrait of an American Marriage by Christopher Andersen

December: Bill Bryson's birthday is the 8th.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Labels: Reading

I thought this was a cool reading challenge: Reading My Name gives the task to read at least two books by authors who share my name. Here are my picks:

He Loves Lucy by Susan Donovan
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann

Labels: Reading

My 9 picks for the You Set It Paperback Challenge are:

When in Rome - Gemma Townley
Elizabeth - J. Randy Taraborrelli
Haunted Ground - Erin Hart
The Saving Graces - Patricia Gaffney
Seasons of Her Life - Fern Michaels
The Unsung Hero - Suzanne Brockmann
The Devil You Know - Liz Carlyle
Kane and Abel - Jeffrey Archer
He Loves Lucy - Susan Donovan

Labels: Reading

This is an easy one! The 2New2U Challenge calls for us to read 2 books from 2 authors by whom we have never read anything. I've picked these two:

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann

Labels: Reading

My selected books for the Alphabet Readers Challenge (author/title) for 2008:

A - Abigail Adams: A Biography - Phyllis Lee Levin
B - The Bookshop - Penelope Fitzgerald
C - The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber
D - The Dante Club - Matthew Pearl
E - Elizabeth - J. Randy Taraborrelli
F - Four and Twenty Blackbirds - Cherie Priest
G - George and Laura: A Portrait of an American Marriage - Christopher Andersen
H - Haunted Ground - Erin Hart
I - Isaac's Storm - Erik Larson
J - Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke
K - Kane and Abel - Jeffrey Archer
L - Love in Another Town - Barbara Taylor Bradford
M - Mirabilis - Susann Cokal
N - The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri
O - Cold Sassy Tree - Olive Ann Burns
P - A Passionate Man - Joanna Trollope
Q - The Queen of the Big Time - Adriana Trigiani
R - Riley in the Morning - Sandra Brown
S - The Story of Forgetting - Stefan Merrill Block
T - The Town that Forgot How to Breathe - Kenneth J. Harvey
U - The Unsung Hero - Suzanne Brockmann
V - Veil of Roses - Laura Fitzgerald
W - A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson
X - ???
Y - You Remind Me of Me - Dan Chaon
Z - The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Labels: Reading

I'm joining in with the Themed Reading Challenge. My theme is "Guys" - as you see from my list below, all the books I'm reading for this challenge include male names in the titles.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke
Isaac's Storm - Erik Larson
Riley in the Morning - Sandra Brown
Carter Beats the Devil - Glen David Gold
Kane and Abel - Jeffrey Archer

Labels: Reading

Since I'm going to be reading some romance novels in 2008, I am joining the Romance Reading Challenge. Here's my list:

When in Rome - Gemma Townley
Carolina Moon - Nora Roberts
Love in Another Town - Barbara Taylor Bradford
Riley in the Morning - Sandra Brown
Seasons of Her Life - Fern Michaels
The Unsung Hero - Suzanne Brockmann
The Devil You Know - Liz Carlyle
He Loves Lucy - Susan Donovan
I Love You, Ronnie - Nancy Reagan

Labels: Reading

Yet another challenge that I'm participating in for 2008 is the Reading Full Circle Challange, hosted by Thoughts of Joy. This one was extremely fun to put together, because you had to link the list together so that it forms a circle with words in the title. I was finally able to find books on my TBR shelf that met this requirement. My link words are: You/Know/How/Town/Love. See below for my list:

I Love You, Ronnie - Nancy Reagan
More Than You Know - Beth Gutcheon
I Don't Know How She Does It - Allison Pearson
The Town That Forgot How to Breathe - Kenneth J. Harvey
Love in Another Town - Barbara Taylor Bradford
He Loves Lucy - Susan Donovan

Labels: Reading

In 2007, I discovered that I really enjoy reading memoirs and biographies. Fiction will probably always be my favorite type of read because of its escapist qualities, but there's something special about reading true stories of other peoples' lives. Some are inspiring, some are a bit sad, but most all include some lessons that can be applied to our own lives. So for 2008, I have joined the In their shoes Reading Challenge, where I have committed to read 5 biographies/memoirs. My list is below, and I will check them off as I read them.

1. Abigail Adams: A Biography by Phyllis Lee Levin

2. Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt

3. Elizabeth by J. Randy Taraborrelli

4. George and Laura: Portrait of an American Marriage by Christopher Andersen

5. Gone with the Windsors by Laurie Graham

Labels: Reading

One of my goals for 2008 is to not purchase any new books. For the entire year. I have dozens (okay, I admit... hundreds) of books that haven't yet been touched, just sitting on my shelves, waiting to be read. I simply shouldn't be spending money on more books when I already have a gracious plenty, practically my own personal library. To keep a nice focus, I'm joining a few book challenges for 2008. The first one I've signed up to participate in is the TBR (To Be Read) Challenge. The idea with this one is to get some of your older books off your shelf by choosing 12 of them to have read by the end of 2008. We can also pick 12 alternates, just to have a few more to choose from in case our original picks don't tickle our fancies. I'll be checking off the ones I've read throughout the year. So here's my list:

My 2008 TBR List

1. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik

2. Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris

3. Carolina Moon by Nora Roberts

4. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl

5. Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro

6. The Funnies: A Novel by J. Robert Lennon

7. The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw

8. Haunted Ground by Erin Hart

9. Innocence by Kathleen Tessaro

10. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

11. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

12. Love in Another Town by Barbara Taylor Bradford

Alternates

1. Mirabilis by Susann Cokal

2. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

3. The O'Reilly Factor by Bill O'Reilly

4. A Passionate Man by Joanna Trollope

5. Riley in the Morning by Sandra Brown

6. The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney

7. Seasons of Her Life by Fern Michaels

8. The Trespass: A Novel by Barbara Ewing

9. The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann

10. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

11. When in Rome by Gemma Townley

12. Widow's Walk by Robert B. Parker

Labels: Reading

In 2007, I read 15,383 pages in 51 books.

Art = 1
Bible Study = 1
Christian Fiction = 2
Educational = 2
General Literature = 6
Historical Fiction = 8
Humor = 2
Memoir = 5
Mystery/Thriller = 6
Nonfiction = 4
Poetry = 1
Romance = 3
Science Fiction/Fantasy = 3
Self Improvement = 3
Young Adult Fiction = 4

* = one of my favorites

Rating Scale = 10 is highest

The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived by Dan Karlan, Allan Lazar, and Jeremy Salter (7)

The Alchemist's Daughter by Katharine McMahon (7)

America Alone by Mark Steyn (9)

As Always, Jack by Emma Sweeney (9)

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant (7)

Blue Bayou by JoAnn Ross (8)

Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts (7)

The Book of Bunny Suicides by Andy Riley (7)

* The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne (10)

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (8)

Chasing the Dead by Joe Schreiber (6)

Consider This... by Barbara Ann Kipfer (5)

A Cup of Tea by Amy Ephron (7)

Daniel's Veil by R. H. Stavis (8)

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby (8)

The Dog is Not a Toy (House Rule #4) by Darby Conley (9)

Everyday Matters by Danny Gregory (8)

Garlic & Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl (8)

The Gilded Tongue: Overly Eloquent Words for Everyday Things by Rod Evans (8)

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (6)

Gramercy Park by Paula Cohen (9)

Grave Intent by Deborah LeBlanc (5)

* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (10)

Her Perfect Match by Kate Welsh (8)

* How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (10)

I'm Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers by Tim Madigan (9)

The Ladies of Garrison Gardens by Louise Shaffer (7)

Lifehacker: 88 Tech Tricks to Turbocharge Your Day by Gina Trapani (8)

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (9)

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos (8)

* Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell (9)

The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist (8)

Night Fall by Nelson DeMille (7)

O Come Ye Back to Ireland: Our First Year in County Clare by Niall Williams and Christine Breen (7)

On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle (8)

Our Covenant God by Kay Arthur (8)

Peony in Love by Lisa See (6)

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (8)

* Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy & Anguish by Mark R. Levin (10)

* Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter by Elaine St. James (10)

Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters (7)

Surprise Island by Gertrude Chandler Warner (8)

Sweet Anger by Sandra Brown (8)

* Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe (10)

The Taking by Dean Koontz (7)

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (8)

A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi (8)

Time Lottery by Nancy Moser (8)

Vengeance Fantastic by Denise Little (6)

Where the River Runs by Patti Callahan Henry (9)

* The Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg (9)

In 2007, I listened to 8.5 hours in 2 audio books.

* The Four-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris (9)

Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson (8)

Labels: Reading

In 2006, I read 18,308 pages in 57 books.

Art = 1
Fantasy = 5
Non-Fiction = 8
General Literature = 15
Historical Fiction = 10
Horror = 2
Humor = 1
Mystery/Thriller = 5
Reference = 3
Romance = 7

* = one of my favorites
Rating Scale = 10 is highest

100 One-Night Reads: A Book Lover's Guide by David C. Major & John S. Major (6)

An Accidental Greek Wedding by Carol Grace (8)

All That Matters by Jan Goldstein (9)

Angels by Billy Graham (9)

* Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan (9)

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie (7)

Best of Blogs by Adrienne Crew & Peter Kuhns (7)

The Best American Short Stories - 1996 edited by John Edgar Wideman & Katrina Kenison (6)

Black Creek Crossing by John Saul (6)

Black Rose by Nora Roberts (10)

Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts (9)

* Come Thirsty by Max Lucado (10)

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede (10)

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son, Book One by Dean Koontz and Kevin J. Anderson (8)

The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody by Will Cuppy (7)

* Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray (10)

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson (9)

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman (9)

First Impressions by Nora Roberts (8)

* Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve (9)

A Good Year by Peter Mayle (7)

Grand Avenue by Joy Fielding (7)

Homecoming by Belva Plain (7)

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons (7)

How Far Will You Go? by Evelyn McFarlane & James Saywell (7)

The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan (8)

The Illuminator by Brenda Rickman Vantrease (9)

In the Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food by Stewart Lee Allen (7)

* Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (10)

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins (6)

Lighthousekeeping by Jeanette Winterson (6)

The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue (8)

The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey (8)

Mount Vernon Love Story by Mary Higgins Clark (9)

Murder at the Library of Congress by Margaret Truman (7)

My Little Blue Dress by Bruno Maddox (3)

Night by Elie Wiesel (8)

Once and Always by Judith McNaught (8)

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich (9)

The Preservationist by David Maine (9)

Prospect Street by Emilie Richards (8)

* The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory (10)

Red Lily by Nora Roberts (9)

Roads Not Taken by Gardner Dozois & Stanley Schmidt (6)

The Sensualist by Barbara Hodgson (5)

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley (5)

Stardust by Neil Gaiman (8)

The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux (8)

* Susannah Morrow by Megan Chance (10)

Term Limits by Vince Flynn (8)

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough (9)

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell (7)

Toothpaste for Dinner by Drew (9)

The Weatherman by Steve Thayer (7)

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher (5)

World of Pies by Karen Stolz (9)

You Are Here by Katharine Harmon (7)

In 2006, I listened to 53 hours in 5 audio books.

* A Different Drummer: My Thirty Years with Ronald Reagan by Michael Deaver (10)

* Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson (10)

God in Sandals by Margaret Montreuil (7)

Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick (7)

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (8)

Labels: Reading

In 2005, I read 15,416 pages in 46 books.

Classics = 5
General Literature = 17
Mysteries = 4
Non-Fiction = 9
Romance = 6
Science Fiction/Fantasy = 5

* = one of my favorites
Rating Scale = 10 is highest

* 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (10)

Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler (8)

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (6)

Book Lust by Nancy Pearl (8)

Butterfly by Kathryn Harvey (8)

Bygones by LaVyrle Spencer (8)

A Can of Peas by Traci DePree (9)

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson (7)

* The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (10)

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman (8)

* Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn (9)

* Girls' Poker Night by Jill A. Davis (10)

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls (10)

God in the Oval Office by John C. McCollister, Ph. D. (9)

* Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (10)

Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts (8)

Julie & Romeo by Jeanne Ray (8)

* The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A. J. Jacobs (10)

Life of Pi by Yann Martel (8)

Lightning by Dean Koontz (6)

Lincoln's Dreams by Connie Willis (6)

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (6)

The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton (9)

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (7)

More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl (8)

The Perfect Summer by Luanne Rice (7)

Pompeii by Robert Harris (8)

PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives by Frank Warren (8)

The Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch by Haywood Smith (8)

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis (9)

Second Hand by Michael Zadoorian (8)

The Secret History by Donna Tartt (6)

The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope (9)

She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb (6)

Shopgirl by Steve Martin (8)

Snow by Tracy Lynn (8)

Southampton Row by Anne Perry (8)

States of Mind by Brad Herzog (9)

Sudden Sea by R. A. Scotti (9)

* Sullivan's Island by Dorothea Benton Frank (10)

The Summons by John Grisham (8)

* The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (10)

The Villa by Nora Roberts (8)

Waiting for Gertrude by Bill Richardson (7)

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (7)

* Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb by Brian Lamb (10)

Labels: Reading