33-35: Twilight 3/4 and Kleypas

35/52: Blue-eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas, 1.5/5 Stars
Someone said to me earlier this year that I wasn't reading enough female authors. I wasn't aware that this was the case. So, I started reading more female authors! However, if this book is indicative of what reading female authors is about (though I think it is not), then I want no part of it--every other page was about sex and the pages in between were about the things that a woman thinks and never says... just say it already!

34/52: Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer, 1/5 Stars
What? Is this book really necessary? It would have been nicer to find a way to answer the remaining questions in the third book rather than slog through this one.

33/52: Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer, 3.5/5 Stars
Best of the four books by far. Good balance. Large enough carrot to keep me starting the first sentence of the next chapter. Big battle at the end.

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Book #32 = New Moon by Stephanie Meyer, 1.5/5 Stars
Book #31 = Twilight by Stephanie Moon, 3/5 Stars
Book #30 = The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, 2.5/5 Stars
Book #29 = Breakable You by Brian Morton, 3.5/5 Stars
Book #28 = Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belski, 3/5 Stars
Book #27 = The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho, 1.5/5 Stars
Book #26 = The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, 3/5 Stars
Book #25 = Where the River Ends by Charles Martin, 4/5 Stars
Book #24 = Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin, 1.5/5 Stars
Book #23 = The Bullpen Gospels by Dirk Hayhurst, 3/5 Stars
Book #22 = When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin, 4/5 Stars
Book #21 = The Holy Man by Susan Trott, 4/5 Stars
Book #20 = Shopgirl by Steve Martin, 2/5 Stars
Book #19 = Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris, 1/5 Stars
Book #18 = On the Beach by Nevil Shute, 2.5/5 Stars
Book #17 = Sanibel Flats by Randy Wayne White, 3/5 Stars
Book #16 = The Wednesday Letters by Jason Wright, 4/5 Stars
Book #15 = The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander, 3.5/5 Stars
Book #14 = Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss,
Book #13 = Captivate! by Adam Nisenson, 2/5 Stars
Book #12 = Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, 3/5 Stars
Book #11 = Maggie by Charles Martin, 4/5 Stars
Book #10 = The Dead Don't Dance by Charles Martin, 3/5 Stars
Book #09 = Duma Key by Stephen King, 2.5.5 Stars
Book #08 = Every Woman Has a Story by Daryl Ott Underhill, 2/5 Stars
Book #07 = Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin, 3/5 Stars
Book #06 = Maybe (Maybe Not) by Robert Fulghum, 4/5 Stars
Book #05 = The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt, 1/5 Stars
Book #04 = The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis, 2/5 Stars
Book #03 = Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L'Amour, 3/5 Stars
Book #02 = The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson, 3/5 Stars
Book #01 = Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis, 3/5 Stars

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32/52: New Moon

32/52: New Moon by Stephanie Meyer, 1.5/5 Stars
Yuck. I pushed through this book for two reasons: 1). A friend asked me to read them all, 2). I want to find out what happens to Bella in the next two books. But I must say, it was a terrible struggle to complete this one, partly because I couldn't stand the movie. And, truth be told, I did the same thing reading the book as I did watching the movie: fell asleep often. I applaud the introduction of Jacob as the "other love," (i.e., the other tension on the axis of Bella's heart); we have often seen this template of the woman who wants the mystery of what's bad for her over the comfort of what's right for her--we see it often because it works, and haven't yet enough information to help Bella make her decision. For me, the book was practically ruined by all the nonsense that took place in Italy. Give me a break already. On to "Eclipse" during my rabid reading week!

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Book #31 = Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, 3/5 Stars
Book #30 = The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, 2.5/5 Stars
Book #29 = Breakable You by Brian Morton, 3.5/5 Stars
Book #28 = Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belski, 3/5 Stars
Book #27 = The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho, 1.5/5 Stars
Book #26 = The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, 3/5 Stars
Book #25 = Where the River Ends by Charles Martin, 4/5 Stars
Book #24 = Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin, 1.5/5 Stars
Book #23 = The Bullpen Gospels by Dirk Hayhurst, 3/5 Stars
Book #22 = When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin, 4/5 Stars
Book #21 = The Holy Man by Susan Trott, 4/5 Stars
Book #20 = Shopgirl by Steve Martin, 2/5 Stars
Book #19 = Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris, 1/5 Stars
Book #18 = On the Beach by Nevil Shute, 2.5/5 Stars
Book #17 = Sanibel Flats by Randy Wayne White, 3/5 Stars
Book #16 = The Wednesday Letters by Jason Wright, 4/5 Stars
Book #15 = The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander, 3.5/5 Stars
Book #14 = Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss,
Book #13 = Captivate! by Adam Nisenson, 2/5 Stars
Book #12 = Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, 3/5 Stars
Book #11 = Maggie by Charles Martin, 4/5 Stars
Book #10 = The Dead Don't Dance by Charles Martin, 3/5 Stars
Book #09 = Duma Key by Stephen King, 2.5.5 Stars
Book #08 = Every Woman Has a Story by Daryl Ott Underhill, 2/5 Stars
Book #07 = Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin, 3/5 Stars
Book #06 = Maybe (Maybe Not) by Robert Fulghum, 4/5 Stars
Book #05 = The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt, 1/5 Stars
Book #04 = The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis, 2/5 Stars
Book #03 = Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L'Amour, 3/5 Stars
Book #02 = The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson, 3/5 Stars
Book #01 = Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis, 3/5 Stars

Follow us at the Twitter hashtag #52bks52wks!

See last year's list of 53 books...

31/52: Twilight

31/52: Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, 3/5 Stars
I sit atop a fence post on this one. On one side, I see the author's intent to write from the perspective of a teen, which accounts for the simple nature of the writing. Inside the head of a teen girl, no less, there is much to get exhausted about. On the other side, more difficult words were thrown in randomly that broke the simple nature of the verse, and that was bothersome, as if the author was looking to up the reading level or purposefully teach the reader new words--we want to stay in the world she's created, not grab a dictionary or computer to look up these rarely used words. I think the book is meant for the mass market and not the critical reader, so it doesn't score too highly in my personal ledger, but I see how telling a simple story can elicit great fan fare. I mean... I did read it in less than 24 hours.

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Book #30 = The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, 2.5/5 Stars
Book #29 = Breakable You by Brian Morton, 3.5/5 Stars
Book #28 = Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belski, 3/5 Stars
Book #27 = The Fifth Mountain by Paulo Coelho, 1.5/5 Stars
Book #26 = The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, 3/5 Stars
Book #25 = Where the River Ends by Charles Martin, 4/5 Stars
Book #24 = Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin, 1.5/5 Stars
Book #23 = The Bullpen Gospels by Dirk Hayhurst, 3/5 Stars
Book #22 = When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin, 4/5 Stars
Book #21 = The Holy Man by Susan Trott, 4/5 Stars
Book #20 = Shopgirl by Steve Martin, 2/5 Stars
Book #19 = Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris, 1/5 Stars
Book #18 = On the Beach by Nevil Shute, 2.5/5 Stars
Book #17 = Sanibel Flats by Randy Wayne White, 3/5 Stars
Book #16 = The Wednesday Letters by Jason Wright, 4/5 Stars
Book #15 = The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander, 3.5/5 Stars
Book #14 = Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss,
Book #13 = Captivate! by Adam Nisenson, 2/5 Stars
Book #12 = Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, 3/5 Stars
Book #11 = Maggie by Charles Martin, 4/5 Stars
Book #10 = The Dead Don't Dance by Charles Martin, 3/5 Stars
Book #09 = Duma Key by Stephen King, 2.5.5 Stars
Book #08 = Every Woman Has a Story by Daryl Ott Underhill, 2/5 Stars
Book #07 = Wrapped in Rain by Charles Martin, 3/5 Stars
Book #06 = Maybe (Maybe Not) by Robert Fulghum, 4/5 Stars
Book #05 = The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt, 1/5 Stars
Book #04 = The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis, 2/5 Stars
Book #03 = Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L'Amour, 3/5 Stars
Book #02 = The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson, 3/5 Stars
Book #01 = Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis, 3/5 Stars

Follow us at the Twitter hashtag #52bks52wks!

See last year's list of 53 books...