It’s Monday. What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week.

Well, with the new year and a read-a-thon I had a very productive week. I hope to continue this pattern for quite some time this year and get some major reading accomplished.

Read Last Week:

1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
2. The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
3. What My Cat Has Taught Me About Life by Niki Anderson
4. Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot
5. Dear Jane Austen by Patrice Hannon

Reading This Week:

1. Heartsick by Chelsea Cain
2. The Killing Circle by Andrew Pyper
3. Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell (audiobook)

REVIEW: Dear Jane Austen

Title: Dear Jane Austen
Author: Patrice Hannon
Finished: January 3, 2010
Pages: 156
Published: 2005
Format: paperback

This tiny little book is a fun read. Author Patrice Hannon takes the form and prose of Jane Austen and current times to create a great advice book for women. “Readers” submit a letter to Jane Austen who replies taking examples out of her own text and the relationships of her characters. Each section incorporates something for each major Austen work, plus others.

The modern day letters incorporate mainly advice about love and relationships, sometimes friends, but often reflect something an Austen character has faced in the past – living together before marriage, marrying for money, fear of commitment, and how to gain a guys interested (among other things).

It was cute and easy to read, plus fun for any Austen fan.

*challenges: chill baby chill, countdown challenge, 1010 challenge, new author challenge, a-z challenge, ryob challenge, 100+ challenge

Other Reviews:

• The Book Worm

REVIEW: Queen of Babble

Title: Queen of Babble
Author: Meg Cabot
Finished: January 3, 2010
Pages: 309
Published: 2006
Format: First Edition

Only my second experience with Meg Cabot and I’m starting to enjoy her more and more.

Queen of Babble is an adult series Cabot created not long ago about a girl just graduating from college who plans an elaborate trip to visit her British boyfriend for the summer only to find out her head of heals love is not so perfect and neither is her boyfriend.

It takes me awhile to get into these books and get with the flow her Cabot’s writing, but once I got past the annoying boyfriend who had no clue and moved onto the other cute boy it was much easier. I enjoyed the book immensely and cannot wait until I can pick up book 2 and continue the journey.

Lizzie and her friends are quite hilarious and I hope that if I were in this situation my friends (and family) would be saying the very same thing to me.

*challenges: chill baby chill, countdown challenge, 1010 challenge, a-z challenge, support your local library challenge, 100+ challenge, 1st in series challenge, 2nds challenge, what’s in a time challenge

What an Animal II Challenge – Completed

Kristy at Passion for the Page is hosting part II of the What An Animal Challenge.

1. Read at least 6 books that have any of the following requirements:

a. there is an animal in the title of the book
b. there is an animal on the cover of the book
c. an animal plays a major role
d. a main character is (or turns into) an animal (define that however you’d like

2. The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)–dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark…dragon, mermaid, centaur, vampire, werewolf…you get the idea…
3. Challenge runs from July 1, 2009 to February 28, 2010.

I thought I still had 1 more book to go until I realized that The Angel Experiment counted since the kids are actually birds. Looking forward to this one again next year.

MY LIST:

1. Marley and Me by John Grogan
2. Four Blind Mice by James Patterson
3. Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson
4. Free Stallion by Amber Tamblyn
5. The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
6. What My Cat Has Taught Me About Life by Niki Anderson

REVIEW: What My Cat Has Taught Me About My Life

Title: What My Cat Has Taught Me About Life
Author: Niki Anderson
Finished: January 1, 2010
Pages: 183
Published: 1997
Format: hardback

The first book of the new year!!

This was a cute book I’ve had lying around my house for quite awhile – received as a gift. The book is full of stories about cats and their mischief and quirks. It was fun reading to see that my cats (past and present) are not the only ones who do crazy things and whose personality traits often reflect humans.

There wasn’t much depth to the book, but for cat lovers it could be the perfect read. It also correlates not only habits of cats but how those activities can teach you a life lesson. Furthermore, there are great quotes and good tips on treating cats for ailments.

*challenges: what an animal, chill baby chill, 1010 challenge, new author challenge, a-z challenge, RYOB challenge, 100+ challenge, tbr stack