Okay so this was started by =intergalacticstock in her new project FiveAwesomeGirls in this video

Anyway her plan is to read 50 books in 2008 and shes invited anyone who wants to to join along, so here I am joining! and anyone else who wants to join should totally do this too!

I'm going to show my progress with these and I'm going to update my list once every couple of weeks.

I've decided to add a little good or bad + why after I've finished reading the books I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum.

Book List: 30 of 50
1. Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb
Okay book, not anything special IMO. Pretty crappy books if you compare them to her Farseer and Tawny man books but thats only because those were so good. It was well written, good story line and all. Worth a read if you haven't anything better to read, but it just didn't appeal to me, I'm not exactly sure why, they just didn't.

2. Empire by Orson Scott Card
I'm a little iffy on this one. It was definitely worth the read, but there was some stuff I didn't like. Interesting and mostly believable storyline but a lot of things (the terrorist attack for one) were just too sudden. Like the characters are just walking around, hanging out and all of a sudden somethings happening for no apparent reason. It read a bit like a big budget action flick, not a whole lot of character development. The weapons like the mechs and bikes also seemed a little far fetched to me but thats probably because in my mind the book is set in present or within 10 years of now (it never gives a year that I recall) when really it could have been 50 or so years and I guess given that time they could be realistic.

3. Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card
I cannot believe it took me so long to read this book, it was amazing! I read it in one sitting, its that good. If you haven't read Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow you need to get on it. Now.

4. Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
Totally not a fan of this book. The series was recommended to me by someone, I don't remember who, and so I bought like the one book with all ten books in it and so I'll probably end up reading the whole book just because I have it, but as of right now I'm unimpressed. Its a modern fantasy story. In the beginning the guy starts out with amnesia, he doesn't remember who he is, what hes doing, but apparently hes a bad ass because he breaks out of the hospital and finds people who know him and says all this really general and vague stuff so no one knows he doesn't know whats going on. Eventually he does figure out who he is and whats going on, but by that time I was already annoyed.

5. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
I loved this book. Its about this 18 year old guy, Colin, who's was a child prodigy and he only dates girls named Katherine. He's dated 19 of them, and all 19 have dumped him. After K-19, dumps him his best friend, Hassan, decides its time for a road trip. They end up down in Tennessee (I think it was Tennessee) Where he decides to form The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability which will allow anyone to determine how long a relationship will last and who will dump who. It was smart and funny with awesomely quirky characters and the math nerd in me totally loves the theorem.

6. Before the Dawn by Max Allan Collins
Didn't like this too much. It's a prequel the Dark Angel series, starting from the night of the escape to the first show. The characters just didn't feel right to me, the way they were written didn't match up to who they were in the show. Like O.C.'s past just didn't fit with her character at all. It bothered me that they tossed another X5, Seth, into the escape. I get the purpose of it, but it just didn't sit right for me and the fact that he was working with Logan and Logan never told Max when they met was just not in character. They did mention that he felt guilty and whatnot and that was why he didn't say anything about Seth, but like I said, didn't feel right. You know how when you read a story and suddenly you read a line and you're just completely jolted out of the story? It was like that through a lot of it, but then again there were some parts I was really into too. I'm hoping the other two will be better.

7. Skin Games by Max Allan Collins
Sequel to the Dark Angel television series, written after the show ended on a cliff hanger and got canceled. It's about the siege at terminal city and a serial killer skinning cops. (it was better than it sounds) It was a lot better than the prequel, but still nothing great. Worth a read if you liked the series as much as I did. I didn't like how at the end of the book the siege was resolved. It was way too easy. The book took place over a matter of days and I thought it was resolved way to quickly.

8. After the Dark by Max Allan Collins
Worse than Skin Games, better than Before the Dawn. This one brings up the unresolved issue of Seth (the stupid, made up X5 tossed into the escape in Before The Dawn) between Max and Logan. A couple inaccuracies bothered me as well, for example, Logan doesn't need the exoskeleton to walk since he'd had the blood transfusion from Joshua in the TV show, he just used it as a kind of enhancement thing. Also, the way Joshua was portrayed was a little off to me. It seemed like he was kind of dumb... I mean, I'm aware hes not the brightest crayon in the box, but he just seemed too dumbed down in this for me.

9. Looking for Alaska by John Green
This book is about a kid named Miles who is fascinated by peoples last words. He moves from Florida to an Alabama boarding school to, as poet Francois Rabelias said, "seek a Great Perhaps." While there he meets a girl, Alaska Young, and is quickly drawn into the crazy labyrinth of her life. The chapters, ominously labeled by days before and after, hint at a terrible event that will leave Miles reeling and forever changed. I highly recommend this book to everyone, seriously, go to the library or go out and buy it.

10. Feed by M.T. Anderson **SPOILERS**
This book is set in the future where everyone has feeds (computers) wired into their brains and this group of friends go to the moon for spring break and meet this girl there who decides to "rebel against the feed." I put that in quotation marks because thats what is says in the dustcover, but she didn't really rebel very much. I think this had the potential to be a really great book, but it failed. It really could have been a really powerful, don't-let-technology-consume-your-life slap in the face but it wasn't. It does make the point of being careful how much technology you allow to overtake your life, but it wasn't strong enough. I wanted revolutionaries. I wanted people to reject the feeds and rebel against becoming machines. They didn't. I guess when you think about it, that is a more realistic book but it made for a much less powerful one.

11. The Bermudez Triangle by Marueen Johnson
This story is about a group of three girls, Avery, Nina, and Mel. During the summer after their 11th grade year, Nina goes away to college for an early admissions program. Its the first time the girls have ever spent a significant amount of time apart and while Nina is gone she meets a boy and back home Mel and Avery hook up. A pretty good book. I really liked that while it was about a relationship of two girls, it wasn't just about that. It dealt with a slew of issues related to all sorts of pressures of growing up that affect all teens, gay or straight, like leaving your friends for the first time, feeling left out when your friends find new relationships, standing up for yourself against an overbearing parent, trying to maintain a long distance relationship and more. The fact that all these different pressures and problems along with the difficulties of being a gay teen were addressed really made it a good book for all teens regardless of sexual orientation.

12. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
First book in the Blurbing Book Club (although I fail at making a blurb for it...) This is about a shy seventeen year old girl named Ginny, who's unconventional artist Aunt sends her on a wild trip around Europe via 13 blue envelopes. This was a really cute book, I enjoyed it. It was a light, easy read with a cute, if predictable, storyline. I imagine most teenage girls would really love it, so if you have a teenage girl, or if you happen to be one, go buy this book. If it does nothing else it will make you want to take a trip around Europe.

13. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
I find myself having a difficult time not being completely caught up in the conspiracy of this book. I mean, how much of it is true? because it all seems completely plausible to me. It was a great read, so if you can't read it, you should.

14. Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
Children's book told from the perspective of 12 year old Elijah Freeman. Its set in the 1850s and is about this town of former slaves in which Elijah is the first child born free. It was a good book, although I hated that the words were the way people talk, like afore and I axed you a question and stuff like that and it took me awhile to get used to. Anyway, good book, if you have a son/daughter who's around 6th grade, or you are around 6th grade or you just happen to enjoy children's books go check it out.

15. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Antiwar book about the bombing of Dresden altho the bombing took up a very small part of the book. The first word that comes to mind with this book is weird. It was a weird book. Not in a bad way at all, it was a good book. It was all little short bits about different moments in this guys life. My favorite part was definitely the bit where he describes the money tree, it was a really small, kind of irrelevant part of the book but it was just so perfect. Anyway, good book, its a classic, you should read it.

16. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
LOVE this book! First book in a series about a girl who moves to a small town (Forks, Washington) and falls in love with a vampire. It's just awesome, young adult book, I don't know if anyone who isn't a teenage girl would like it buuut if you are, and you like vampires, I can pretty much guarantee you'll love this book.

17. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
Second book in the series, I still loved this book, but I didn't like it as much as I liked Twilight. I think thats really just because Edward (the vampire) wasn't in most of it, and I really love Edward. I'm not entirely sure what to say about these books, theyre just so awesome you have to read them to get the full appreciation of the awesomeness. They're addicting. Once you pick it up you won't be able to put it back down.

18. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer
Third book in the series (4th doesn't come out until august!! ) I'm not sure which I liked better, this one or Twilight. They were both amazing. I cannot wait for the fourth book. I read this and the previous book over a period of 24 hours and theyre like 500 pgs a piece. Thats how good they are. Go read them. You wont regret it.

19. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Ghoul Trouble by J. Passarella
Enjoyable book, I've read A LOT worse, but I've also read a lot better as far as buffy books go. If you're a fan of the TV series you'll probably enjoy it.

20. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Afterimage by Pierce Askegren
Not so great. Pretty crappy actually. Very VERY predictable, most of the buffy books are, but this one REALLY was. A lot of the characters didn't really feel right to me either, but I'm rather picky about that so its possible that its just me.

21. Cut by Patricia McCormick
About a girl who gets sent to an institution for cutting. Didn't really like it, it was alright. Nothing spectacular.

22. The Pact by Jodi Picoult
Love love love loved this book. Jodi Picoult is one of my new favorite authors, shes really great. Its about these two teens who grow up together and eventually fall in love. Then one of them is found dead with the other holding the gun in an apparent suicide pact. I love the way Picoult weaves the past and present time lines together and doesn't let the full story of Emily's death come out until the very end. Not good for people who like sugary sweet happy endings.

23. Tomorrow, When The War Began by John Marsden
Another book I've completely fallen in love with. In a series of 7 its about a group of kids in Australia who go camping in the bush for a few days only to come back and find their country has been invaded and their families taken has POW. These books were written about ten years ago but it really feels like it could happen today. Its very realistic and keeps your attention to the very end.

24. The Dead of Night John Marsden
Next book in the tomorrow series. Same comments as above.

25. A Killing Frost by John Marsden
Third book in the tomorrow series. Same comments as above.

26. Darkness Be My Friend by John Marsden
Fourth book in the tomorrow series

27. Burning For Revenge by John Marsden
Fifth book in the tomorrow series

28. The Night is for Hunting By John Marsden
Sixth book in the Tomorrow series

29. The Other Side of Dawn by John Marsden
Seventh book in the Tomorrow series

30. Paper Towns by John Green
Read the advanced readers copy, wow, just WOW. It was really really good. I still think I like Looking for Alaska better, but this one was still really amazing. I'm not going to say anything about the plot at all since to book isn't out yet (I can't believe i got an advanced copy!!) but suffice it to say, you need to buy it when it comes out!! (oct 16th)


Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer (Out August 2nd)
The honor of the queen by David Webber
On Basilisk Station by David Webber
The Short Victorious War by David Webber
Neuromancer by William Gibson
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families by Philip Gourevitch
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty
Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
A Rose for Melinda by Lurlene Mcdaniel
Still She Haunts Me by Katie Roiphe
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Portal Through Time by Alice Henderson
The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
Identical by Ellen Hopkins (Out in August)
Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (out june 16th)





So thats totally not anywhere near 50 books so if anyone has any suggestions I'm up for everything, young adult, fantasy, scifi, maybe even some nonfiction, so give me everything you got, oh and if you could give me like maybe a mini summary or a hey this is why its great when you suggest a book I'd appreciate it


Did You Know?

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If every home in the U.S. replaced 5 regular light bulbs with energy efficient compact florescent bulbs it would be the equivalent of taking 8 million cars off the road for a year.

More than 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail. and about 28 billion gallons of water are wasted to produce and recycle junk each year.

Fight Global Warming

Greek Disk -- Recycle your technotrash

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