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I believe that you cannot be a good writer if you don't read.  Someone smart said that before I paraphrased it.  So in November of 2009 I made the optimistic goal of reading 60 books by the end of 2010.  That meant a book a week.  I was, perhaps, overly ambitious, but even if I don't quite make it to 60 I will have had an amazing journey, nonetheless.

I prefer to chose books I haven't read before, but that's not the rule.  I read a variety of things, and in order to prevent myself from choosing only one type of book, I sometimes randomly pull a book off a library shelf and read it - no matter what it is.  Even children's books, because those are some of the best.  (I don't count picture books.)  The fact that I read some of these books embarrasses me, but I have to include them or I'd never make my goal!

This is a list of what I've read so far, complete with brief synopsis and star rating system, (of my own design and opinion).


One star = don't waste your time
Two stars = worth a read
Three Stars = highly recommended
Four stars = don't miss it

The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall: A quick, inspiring read that affords the reader opportunity to evaluate their life and values.
Two stars.

Love Is Eternal by Irving Stone: The life and love of Mary Todd Lincoln, her difficult life and how it all turned out.  A sometimes tedious, but very worthwhile read.
Three stars.

Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella: Quick, fun read that is pure entertainment.
Two stars.

Cheaper By The Dozen by the Gilbreths:  The life of one amazing, large family, told by two of it's members.
Four stars.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling:  Obviously, modern classic.
Three stars.

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella:  Another of Kinsella's fast, fun reads.
Two stars.

Fat Girl - A True Story by Judith Miller:  Depressing and disheartening telling of the author's childhood as a fat girl.  It is one big ball of self-pity, disguised as self-acceptance.
One Star.

The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck:  Excellent, vivid book full of amazing imagery.  Story of a man who is trying to make it all happen. 
Four stars.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer:  Vampires in love, people in danger.  It's an awesome story, though I'm not sure how I feel about the writing.  Stay away from the movies.
Two Stars.

The Castaways by Elin Hilerbrand:  A group of friends evaluates their lives and relationships as they deal with the loss of some of their own.  It wasn't bad, but I wished for it's end.
One star.

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright:  A lovely author who I had not read before tells the story of siblings who devise a plan to make some of their deepest desires come true as each takes his turn at having a Saturday adventure.
Three stars.

Belles On Their Toes by the Gilbreths, again:  The Gilbreths have another winner with this one, but Cheaper By The Dozen is better.  This is still worth a read, as the story continues after the head of the family is gone and Mom takes the reins.
Three stars.

The Victory Club by Robin Lee Hatcher: An okay WWII story from the homefront, but kind of weak.  I wanted to connect with the women who were waiting for their loved ones to come home, but it didn't happen.
Two stars.

Remember Me?  by Sophie Kinsella:  Kinsella is a nice change after something hard to get through.  Easy, fast, and fun.
Two stars.

Mistress of Mellyn by Victoria Holt:  Excellent story of a governess sent to tend a mysterious child in a gothic mansion.
Three stars.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks:  If you read this love story, read it once, enjoy it, and don't go back.  It's not as good a second time through.  Always take a Valium when reading anything from Sparks.
Two stars.

The Best Little Girl in the World by Steven Levenkron:  Interesting story of a girl with an eating disorder; how it starts, how it works out.
Two stars.

Life Laughs by Jenny McCarthy:  Crass and unclassy from start to finish.  McCarthy thinks she's hilarious, obviously, but she's just gross.
No stars.

Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank:  Unbelievable story of a girl hiding in an attic with her Jewish family during WWII.  But you knew that, right?  Please tell me you knew that.
Four stars.

J.K. Rowling - The Wizard Behind Harry Potter by Marc Shipiro:  Not what I thought it was going to be because I didn't read the entire title.  This is a really weak biography that seemed to be directed at young adults, but it was painfully dull.
One star.

Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis:  Sci-fi adventure about a man kidnapped by space explorers from his own planet and taken to a strange new world...  Sci-fi is not my thing, but this was pretty interesting.
Three stars.

The Pursuit of Happyness by Chris Gardner:  Oh, how I loved this movie.  It is tremendously moving.  The book?  Not so much.  It's full of Mr. Gardner's self-loving man-whore exploits, and left me wishing I only ever knew the Will Smith version of him.
Two stars.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson:  The town hooligans take over the traditional Christmas Pageant and change it for the better.
Four stars.

Danny, Champion of the World by Roald Dahl:  A boy and his father living in a gypsy trailer and running a gas station dive into the world of pheasant poaching.  Dahl is charming as always.
Three stars.

The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
Corrospondence between one of Satan's demons and his nephew in charge of winning the soul of one good, young man.  Highly thought-provoking.
Three stars.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Adventure taking place in Washington DC involving the Masonic Order and their secrets.  Captivating.
Three stars.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Classic and beautiful from open to close.
Four stars.

The Duggars: 20 and Counting by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar  (Don't judge - I was looking for homeschool and organization tips!)
Not quite what I hoped it would be.  Admire the Duggars, but this book was pretty dull.
One star.

The Confession by Beverly Lewis 
Story of an Amish girl on the hunt for her birth mother shortly after being shunned by her community and finding out she was adopted.  This is the second book in a series, and it's just mediocre at best.
One star.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Kinsella's best book, if you ask me.  Very good.
Three stars.

Exploits of a Reluctant (But Extremely Goodlooking) Hero by Maureen Fergus
Teenage ego and idiocy all wrapped into one strange package.  This book reads as a series of audio recordings by the main character who gets a taste of the real-world as he meets new friends and people in a new town.
One star.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway 
An old man takes the fishing trip of his life.
Three stars.

In Praise of Stay At Home Moms by Dr. Laura Schlessinger 
Pretty much what the title says.
Three stars.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A spoiled, lonely little girl finds herself in the care of a distant relative, and while exploring the grounds of his mansion, finds new friends, a secret garden, and something inside herself that she never knew was there, or missing, for that matter.
Four stars.

Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
Serial killer on the loose in Virginia, and medical examiner Kay Scarpetta in on the case, along with a mans-man detective.
Three stars.

The Truth About Stacy by Ann M. Martin 
(Yes, this is a book from the Babysitter's Club series, but I loved these as a kid and wanted to take a little trip down memory lane.  And like I said before, if I'm going to make my goal of 60 books by the end of the year, I have to count them all.)
For the series, and for the target age-group, three stars.

Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella
I felt sympathetic to none of the characters in this book.  In fact, the entire Shopaholic series irritates me.  The only books by Kinsella that I don't like.  I think it's because stupid people annoy me.
Two stars.


Matilda by Roald Dahl
Brilliant young girl, oppressed by her idiot parents and tyrant principal at school, adores her teacher and finds she has a special gift beyond intelligence.
Four stars.

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult 
A little girl who lives with brittle bone disease and her family move through the motions of a wrongful birth trial.
Three stars.


The Haunting by Joan Lowery Nixon
Intriguing, haunted house ghost story for young adults.
Two stars.


A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Young girl sent to boarding school misses her father tremendously but is the kind of child who never complains and makes the most of everything, even when her world is turned upside-down.
Three stars.


I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Possibly the last man on Earth battles his own demons as well as the tangible ones who lurk outside his shelter at night.
Three stars.


The Twits by Roald Dahl
Two vile people get what's coming to them.
Three stars.


The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
Very addicting book that we all can relate to - the boss from hell at a job we feel inadequate for.
Three stars.


The Four Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright
Charming sequel to The Saturdays - the family moves to the country and finds joy in the simple life.
Three stars.


How To Be Good by Nick Hornby
A woman who finds herself questioning her marriage, especially when her husband becomes a chronic do-gooder.  
Two Stars.


The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
A fascinating book written entirely in letters.  It dabbles in the effects of WWII and the German occupation of an island in the English Channel; friends are made and lives are changed.  
Four stars.


The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
A sadistic lottery throws a young girl into a "fight to the death" arena sponsored by her nation's capital. 
Four VERY enthusiastic stars.