53 Books You Can't Put Down

I've had this list on my computer desktop for months. I don't even remember where it came from. I've never taken the time to actually go through it. Besides, it's not like I don't have enough reading material. As we speak, I have 174 book samples just waiting to be purchased and read. Some of those are on this list. Forced sedentarianism  (okay, so I made up this word---but it really says it all) has given me time to catch up on all those Ted Talks, layout processes, Apple Keynotes and tons of blog reading. Reading anything about books is always at the top of my list. I certainly don't want to miss a thing! After all, y'all, people come to me for book recommendations!

My criteria these days for putting a book on my "sample" (actually, my "to be read") list is one of these three reasons:
1. The book comes highly recommended from another bibliophile who I respect. Maybe respect isn't quite the word. Let's change that to another bibliophile whose recommendations I trust---knowing we share similar tastes and interests in books (Connie, Stephanie, Sandy, Chrissy).

2. The book has 4.5 stars on Amazon with at least 100 ratings.

3. The book is by one of my favorite authors. In that case, I don't care about the ratings. But, I do beware of books that come out right before Christmas. Usually, the author is meeting a deadline. I've found that those books often are not their best work.

Currently, I'm reading Orphan #8. This one came recommended by Chrissy. It's really good so far. I love books around the turn of the century or the early part of the 1900's. It's about a little girl in an orphanage who is used for medical experimentation. It seems downright barbaric that something like this could happen. There's one twist in the book that I was not happy about, but I guess the author wants to keep you guessing.

Here's the list with a few comments from me. The ones in green I have downloaded to my sample list. The ones in blue are those I've already read.

53 Books you can’t put down:

Never Let Me Go---Kazuo Ishiguro

Safekeeping---Jessamyn Hope

The Book of Night Women---Marlon James

The Time Traveler’s Wife---Audrey Niffenegger (saw this movie, so won't bother with the book. I liked it really well.)

11/22/63---Stephen King (I’ve always loved Stephen King---until IT. I quit reading for a decade and have just within the last 5 years---started up again. I forgot what a genius he is. Add Mr. Mercedes to your list).

Who Asked You---Terry McMillan

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time---Mark Haddon

Circle of Friends---Maeve Binchy (I read this in the 1980’s).

Legend---Marie Lu (another series---I’m not ready to tackle)

Season of Storms---Susanna Kearsley

Thirteen Reasons Why---Jay Asher

Dark Places---Gillian Flynn (personally, I thought Sharp Objects was better)

Ready Player One---Ernest Cline (sci-fi)

Zone One---Colson Whitehead

Maybe Someday---Colleen Hoover

The Orenda---Joseph Boyden

Luckiest Girl Alive---Jessica Knoll

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe---Benjamin Alire Saenz

All the Light We Cannot See—Anthony Doerr (I haven’t met too many WWII sagas that I did not like).

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven---Susan Jane Gilman

The Lying Game---Sara Shepard

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World---Haruki Murakami

Think of a Number---John Verdon

Heart of Darkness---Joseph Conrad (I read this in highschool and don’t really remember much about it. I might have to read it again).

Reconstructing Amelia---Kimberly McCreight (so very good with many twists).

Salvage the Bones---Jesmyn Ward

The New York Trilogy---Paul Auster

And the Sea Will Tell---Vincent Bugliosi

Kindred---Octavia E. Butler

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo---Stieg Larsson (you really should read the other two in the series---all excellent)

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August---Claire North

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer---Michelle Hodkin

Devil in a Blue Dress---Walter Mosley

Life as We Knew it---Susan Beth Pfeffer

Midnight’s Children---Salman Rushdie

Rosemary’s Baby---Ira Levin (read this in the 70’s---creepy)

Eleanor & Park---Rainbow Rowell

Shantaram---Gregory David Roberts

Native Son---Richard Wright

The Secret History---Donna Tartt

The Name of the Wind---Patrick Rothfuss

Daughter of Smoke & Bone---Laini Taylor

A Piece of Cake---Cupcake Brown

And Then There Were None---Agatha Christie (I started reading AC in the 7^th grade. I'm not sure how I discovered her as my mother did not read AC. I remember feeling all grown up carrying around The Murder of Roger Acroyd! I always loved them---but haven’t read any in years)

Heart-Shaped Box---Joe Hill

Seraphina---Rachel Hartman

Blasphemy---Sherman Alexie

Crime and Punishment---Fyodor Dostoevsky (another I feel like I’ve read in highschool, but can’t really remember)

The Light of the World---Elizabeth Alexander

I Am Pilgrim---Terry Hayes

Consequences---Aleatha Romig

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close---Johathan Safran Foer

The Mountain Story---Lori Lansens

The Last Time We Say Goodbye---Cynthia Hand

Things You Won’t Say---Sarah Pekkanen

A Fall of Marigolds---Susan Meissner (this one is so good---goes back and forth in time---another style I love)

The Boston Girl---Anita Diamant

First Frost---Sarah Addison Allen

The Book of Unknown Americans---Cristina Henriquez

Before I Go---Colleen Oakley

Inside the O’Briens---Lisa Genova (just go this for book club).

Landline---Rainbow Rowell

Yes Please---Amy Poehler (this has turned up on many lists. I just might have to read it).

The Girl on the Train---Paula Hawkins (very good, but I didn’t really get all the hubbub).

Pride and Prejudice---Jane Austen (another that I think I read in highschool, but can’t really remember---it’s free, so I downloaded to my Kindle)

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand---Helen Simonson

Jane Eyre---Charlotte Bronte (loved, loved, loved it in highschool---should read it again. Wuthering Heights by Emily, her sister is my ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOK! Oh Heathcliff! This one wasn't on the list---I put it there.

The Sugar Queen---Sarah Addison Allen

Anne of Windy Poplars---L.M. Montgomery

Outlander---Diana Gabaldon’s (this has been on my list for awhile---I really need to get to it)

Arabella---Georgette Heyer

Fifty Shades of Grey---E L James (not sure why this is on the list. I read the first one because I wanted to be in the know. Pretty disturbing and not particularly well written---as if I'm the one to judge as the author laughs all the way to the bank!

A Spool of Blue Thread---Anne Tyler

There you have it. Let me know which ones you've read and consider that I MUST read.

Another Batch of Layouts

Warm & Cozy

#Storyteller

Operation Organization

Christmas in New York

Remodel

Another Problem

And I really can't complain because I don't have too many problems---and this barely even qualifies for a problem---more like an annoyance. But here goes.

How do you read a magazine online? Okay, I get the reading part---even making the print larger so you can actually read it. But how do you "clip" articles or recipes you might like to refer back to? Or even to just print something. For example, there's a great scrapbook magazine that is only available online. How I wish I could just order and PAY for a print copy---but sadly scrapbook magazines are just about all gone now. The free online magazine is called Jot. It's supercool, but I would like to be able to make notes of ideas and techniques as I go along. Surely there's an easy way to do this. Anybody??

Don't make me go back to pen and paper!!

What a Waste!

You know that first time you wake up in the morning, but it's not time to get up? You still have 27 minutes. You waste 27 minutes laying there because you have to go to the bathroom, but you don't want to get up because it's not time to get up. So instead you think you'll doze back to sleep but you can't because, well, you know. You toss and turn, waste the 27 minutes, get up, take care of business and now it IS time to get up.

Why, oh why don't I just get up right away and give myself back those 27 minutes? It certainly weren't a pleasant way to spend 27 minutes. What a waste!

Starbucks Update

Remember my recent post: "I Never Knew?" about my Starbucks card being hacked? Well, it's been a huge hassle. I called and thought it was all straightened out. I patiently (okay, not so patiently) waited for my new card with my $97.00 to come in. the gist of it was that the old card was cancelled and the new card was on the way. It never did arrive.

Since I didn't have the card, I wasn't using it---and therefore not even getting credit for the drinks I did buy. I went online---just for the heck of it---and---you've probably guessed---it was HACKED AGAIN!!! I guess by the same person.

I had to call back a second time about a week and a half ago. At first I couldn't get through---I kept getting disconnected---three times. Someone would answer, I'd launch in to my story and then, disconnect! You know how aggravating that is. I went back online and sent an email that way. Before you can submit your question/problem you have to put in your account number. I NO LONGER HAD THE CARD!!! And, I had deleted it from my Passbook on my phone. I was really frustrated, but somehow, I got my email through and someone emailed me back. Apparently, Starbucks has good records because they referenced my first call. The email told me that someone would be calling me within 24 hours---and they did! Yeah for Starbucks.

When I answered the phone, I thought, "Great, I have to go through all of this explaining again!" But, no. The person on the other end already was up to speed on my situation. She said that what happened is that my first card somehow was NOT cancelled and the $97.00 was reloaded on to it. That's how the criminal was able to scam them for another $97.00. This representative said that finally that card was cancelled. She had me change my password on my account. Of course, it's not one I can easily remember anymore---uppercase, lowercase, symbol and number---you know the drill. I did it and wrote down the new password in my handy-dandy password keeper.

The card was supposed to arrive in 3-5 days. Well, I was pretty sure they must have been using the pony express because a week later, it still hadn't arrived. Come on, all the way from Seattle? Mail has gotten really slow when it takes two days here in town these days. Still, I waited.

Yesterday made it 10 days. I told myself that if it didn't arrive, I was going to have to call back again. Of course, I said that on day 7, 8, 9. But this time I really meant it. Lo and behold---it came!!! I was one happy convalescent! That plus that fact that my friend, Karolyn---who NEVER even does Starbucks---stopped and picked up my favorite "ventiicedblackteashakenwiththreeequalsplease!" I was so happy! It's the little things.

I waited until today to register the new card. It's not like me at all to have negative thoughts, but I was just sure it was going to be difficult. Nope, it was easy as pie. Starbucks knows their stuff! I even got the new card back on my Passbook on my phone. I'm all set. It'll be awhile yet before I can use it, but I'm ready.

You woulda thought that the criminal would have at least been earning stars for me. The way I figure, I should have had at least two free drinks coming. Hey wait a minute. If I took those free drinks, I guess I'd of been a thief too.

Good not to have been tested.

More Layouts

 Beautiful churches in Great Britain

 #THAT didn't last long

 Pedal Tavern

 We NEED to be Together

bushwacking

 Communication Problems

 I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with the BEACH

TOTALLY ORGANIZED

Confessions of a Bibliophile

I don't often do this, but decided to tag along about my reading habits with Sian from High in the Sky. She tagged on to fellow reader Helen of the blog I Will Bloom. Here are my thoughts on the subject:

Do you have a certain place at home to read?

I read all over the house. First thing in the morning, I sit in my chair and catch up on blogs. I should be doing that on the treadmill, but I've gotten out of the habit. I pick up my current book every afternoon and sit in Butch's recliner for that. Later in the day, I"ll sit outside on the front porch swing. I ALWAYS read before and IN bed. I cannot go to sleep with winding down with my book. I probably read about an hour and a half a day. Sunday is my favorite reading day where I'll read up to 4 hours. You will find me lying on the couch for long reads like that.

A bookmark or a random piece of paper?

Now that I use my Kindle exclusively, I no longer use a bookmark. When I did, it was a nice bookmark. Some of my favorites were made by the grands. I moved them from book to book. Cookbooks are another story. I have several bookmarks in each one. At least it's a way to continue to use them. I never turn down page corners unless it's a magazine. I could not defile a book like that!

Can you stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter or number of pages?

I prefer to stop reading at a new chapter. Since that isn't always possible, I can stop anywhere---for sure at the end of a paragraph. It doesn't really matter where I stop as I always have to go back a page to refresh my memory as to where I am anyway. It doesn't happen very often, but if I'm under the gun to get a book read for book club, I'll count the days I have left and then read the number of pages daily to meet the goal. I cannot imagine belonging to a book club and NOT reading the books. Why bother?

Do you eat or drink while reading?

I have a drink by my side all day long, so I do drink while I read. Drink---not to be confused with an alcoholic beverage! I have tea in the morning and water the rest of the day---with an occasional glass of wine thrown in. I never eat while reading on my computer, but will have a snack during my afternoon "read." Lately, it's been a banana popsicle.

Do you watch TV or listen to music while reading?

TV---never---but it's in the background sometimes while reading blogs. Music---most of the time. I like to listen to classical music since it's less distracting.

One book at a time or several at once?

I never read more than one book at a time on my Kindle. But I used to read print books more than one at a time---occasionally. The genres had to be completely different---like fiction vs non-fiction. I could never read two books of fiction at the same time as I would never be able to keep them straight.

Reading at home or everywhere?

I read everywhere. That's why I love having the Kindle app on my phone. That way I am never without my books. Plus, I love how the phone app syncs with my Kindle. I never have to figure out where I am.

Reading aloud or silently in your head?

I read silently in my head. If I ever came across anyone reading aloud to themselves, I'd think they were a little "off!"

Do you ever read ahead or skip pages?

Absolutely NOT! In fact, I am so obsessive about it, I read everything in the book including the critics comments, forwards, end notes, author's bio, author's notes, discussion questions---I read it all. Okay, maybe not the bibliography! 

Do you ever write in books?

I almost said "never" but then remembered that when I read print books, sometimes I'd make brief notes of the characters with a brief description or relationship---in pencil---at the beginning---especially when it comes to family sagas and you need to keep all the different generations clear in your mind.

I'm adding a couple questions myself.

What genre do you prefer?

Historical fiction is my favorite. I want to learn something when I read. Books based on true events or facts are so interesting to me. I read many genres---biographies, mysteries, self-improvement, classics and some science fiction. That's why I like my book club. It exposes me to books I wouldn't ordinarily pick up on my own. 

Do you have any book related regrets?

I have a huge book regret! Now that I am completely, totally hooked on my Kindle, I have a beautiful library full of print books that I don't use. 

Sometimes I'll sit in there with my Kindle in front of the fireplace to read. But the actual books themselves are gathering dust. I used to love to browse the book stores and would frequently come home with a hundred dollars worth of books. Now, if I get book ideas, I just make a list until I can get to my Kindle. Connie taught me a little trick a couple years ago that has saved me so much money. Rather than buy the books that I want to read, I just add them to a "sample" list. That way, when I am ready to start a new book, I can go there and pick one. Currently, I have over 150 books on my "sample" list.