Goal Met and Exceeded

I began my 165th book for the year today, passing my goal of reading 100 books in 2009. I thought 100 would be a challenge, but as I kept reading found I could do about 1000 pages a week. I know the books I have chosen to read are not Pulitzer prize winners, but they are very entertaining and that's the whole point of reading. To be entertained, taken away to a new world, time or people makes reading enjoyable. If a person tells me they don't like to read, I always reply that they haven't found the right book yet. The right book can transport a person and they do so much, much better than TV or movies, which become what someone else has created for you to view. An author can create a world that you fill in with your own colors, emotions and experiences. All of who you are contribute to the story, because all of your experiences color how you interpret life.

The majority of what I've read this year has been paranormal romance, as most of you know. I like that genre because, typically, the female character is strong and independent. She can rely on herself to save herself, which I really like. It's so different than the romances from the 70s and 80s where the female has to rely upon the male to save her. However, the male is an important component to the books, hence the word romance in Paranormal Romance. The male lead brings his strength, but also his weakness and together the two characters are stronger than they were by themselves. I like that bit the best. Strength in the relationship and how we can be better together by bringing all of our strengths and weaknesses together and become even better people.

I love that through the books, by talking about them and sharing them, I've developed new friendships and strengthened old friendships. Books give you people and worlds to talk about and talking brings people closer.

Some favorite authors this year:
Karen Chance - Great female character
Jennifer Crusie - outstanding, quirky female leads and the men that love them
Christina Dodd - PR and CR. Darkness Chosen was a fave PR series
Jeaniene Frost - My second PR series. Absolutely love this series! Cat + Bones = yum!
Diana Gabaldon - The Outlander Series has been around for a while, but she just published another book in the series. I'll probably start it after the series I just started. Jamie and Claire are the best!
Rachel Gibson - CR and very fun
Charlaine Harris - My first PR series and the first books I read in 2009. Great series - Sookie Stackhouse and it's a show on HBO, but be forewarned, it's very explicit on TV. Not so much in the books.
Linda Howard - CR/thriller. I have been listening to her mainly on CD as I'm driving for work. Very good characters and relationships.
Larissa Ione - Have only read one of her series - the incubus brothers and liked it very much
Angela Knight - Great future PR type series - Time Hunters
Kathy Love - fun vamp series
Katie MacAlister - oh Katie! She has a few series: Aisling Grey, contemporary and Dark Ones. The first Dark One I read, I just laughed at some of the lines as they were so ridiculous! But, by the time I got to the end of the book, I cared enough about the characters that I bought the second one, so I could find out what happened to the people. That's what's writing is all about - causing your reader to grow attached to the characters and having them wanting more. Her books are always a fun read.
Richelle Mead - Dark Swan series is great. She has a Georgina Kincaid series that I would like to try and she as a YA series, Vampire Academy that is very good.
Stephanie Meyer - I didn't read it this year, but honorable mention goes to Stephanie for Edward, Bella and, sigh, Jacob. (Thank you Tyler for bulking up to bring Jacob to life for us!)
Karen Marie Moning - Highlander series - just found this series (thank you Christy!) and yum! She has a Fever series that I just started today.
Rick Riordan - Youth series. I've only read The Lightning Thief, but I'm looking forward to finishing the series.
Lynsay Sands - A whole fam bam of vamps, but with a twist. Love the Atlantis and nanobots concept!
Gena Showalter - Lots of different series to love. Alien Huntress, Atlantis, Lords of the Underworld - yummy men!
Christine Warren - I started with Novel of the Others, thinking I was getting one of her Cin Craven books, but it was great anyway! Big Bad Wolf was the bomb!

A list of faves for the year. I'm excited to see what 2010 brings.

A Favorite on My List

Jennifer Crusie, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways!

1. Sassy, irreverent, curvy, smart, witty, can-hold-her own, but could use some help, female characters
2. Smart, handsome, becomes-amazed-by-the-woman male characters
3. People, places or situations that are a bit quirky
4. A wonderful cadence to her writing that just gets me giddy reading it
5. A way of connecting the reader to the character that makes me totally "get" her characters
6. Strong female leads in all the books
7. Has written lots of books for me to read (I guess you can read them too)
8. The Dempsey family
9. She gets him in the end and he finally, and irrevocably, he gets her in the end
10. Tells a wonderful story, time after time.

If you haven't had the opportunity to read Jennifer Crusie, please, with all haste, get thee to a bookstore and pick up one of her books. You'll be glad you did :)

Counting Down Until Christmas

Just finished wrapping the rest of the gifts. Made a huge Christmas play list for the iPod. One more day of work, then home with the family. Madison & Dan coming home on Christmas Day. Five family Christmases to do before the season is over.

Merry Christmas!