Books of the Month

Here's my bedside table with my current assortment of literature. I'm usually reading 2-4 books at a time and the rest are just waiting in the wings.

I've told you before, I'm a bookaholic. Certifiable. I literally cannot go to sleep at night without reading first. My goal is always to get into bed by 10:00 so I can read till 10:30.

Honestly, it helps me empty my brain before I try to sleep. Instead of racing thoughts of schedules, meal plans, international shipping, car pooling, etc. I push all of that out and stick stories in instead. Makes for cool dreams too!

I was inspired by a cousin's blog earlier this month where she listed all the books she read in 2007. I don't usually keep track; I sort of devour and move on (same thing I do with mint chocolate). But I thought it was fun to have a record of what she'd read, so I started a list myself.

Now that January is a memory, I thought I'd share the books I read last month and give you a little review on each. Maybe one will end up on your bedside table!

1. The Alchemyst - Michael Scott - Fantastic story! Harry Potter fans will recognize the main character: Nicholas Flammel. We meet him in modern day San Fran and follow him through part one of a magic-meets-real-life adventure with two teenagers.

2. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy - Ally Carter - This is book two. The first was I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You. Both are very fun, light, and clever. Girl in secret spy boarding school - great premise.

3. Each Little Bird That Sings - Deborah Wiles - Thanks Megan who gave this to me for Christmas! Slice of life of a girl whose family owns the small town funeral parlor. It's a good balance of fun and serious. Happy moments and sad moments. I actually cried. And then smiled at the end.

4. A Heart Like His - Virginia Pearce - Great down-to-earth stories and suggestions about how to get your heart out and doing what it's supposed to do instead of curling up and hiding in your chest. I needed it.

5. Pirates! - Celia Rees - Loved this one! Fantastic pirate story, told by (and from the point of view of) women who become pirates by a crazy twist of fate.

6. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - Intense. Deep. Moving. Really made me think and really helped me understand the historical and cultural experience of the people. My only note: not a PG book.

7. The Storyteller's Daughter - Cameron Dokey - A retelling of the 1001 Arabian Nights. Scheherazade is one of my favorite characters but I found this story fell a bit flat. The characters were not as emotionally engaged as I'd like and the story was just a retelling without any new creative bits. A good light story, though.

8. The Looking Glass Wars - Frank Beddor - So, you think you know what happened to Alice in Wonderland? Think again. Very clever. Book one of a trilogy and I want to read more...

9. London Calling - Edward Bloor - Time travel, of course. Modern teen goes back to 1940 London during the blitz. I liked that there are several stories here and a message that makes you think.

OK, that's it for January. It's almost 10:00 and I've got a book calling my name...