Month: December 2008

End of Year Wrap-Up

2008 Challenge Wrap-Up

Tara

This is my year-end wrap up of the challenges that I participated in this year. 2008 was my first year being involved in reading challenges and I am overall quite pleased as to what I was able to accomplish.

1% Well-Read Challenge
May 1, 2008-Feb. 28, 2009
Read 10 books from 1001 Books to Read Before You Die
Progress: 1/10 [I’m really struggling with this challenge, I’m not sure I am going to be able to finish it.]

  1. The Shining by Stephen King
    Finished: Sept. 8 / Rated: 3.5/5

2008 2nds Challenge
Sept. 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 4 books by authors you’ve only read once before.
Progress: FINISHED

  1. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
    Finished: Sept. 7/ Rated: 4.5/5
  2. One Last Scream by Kevin O’Brien
    Finished: Sept. 15 / Rated: 5/5
  3. The Witness by Sandra Brown
    Finished: Sept. 25 / Rated: 4/5
  4. A Wicked Snow by Gregg Olsen
    Finished: Dec. 30 / Rated: 5/5

A Well-Rounded Challenge
July 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 1 book from 6 different challenges you’re signed up for.
Progress: FINISHED

  1. Initials Challenge: The Disappearance by J.F. Freedman
    Finished: July 8 / Rated: 3/5
  2. Celebrate the Author: The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
    Finished: July 16 / Rated: 4/5
  3. Series Season 2 Challenge: The Soul Catcher by Alex Kava
    Finished: July 23 / Rated: 3/5
  4. 1% Well-Read Challenge: The Shining by Stephen King
    Finished: Sept. 8 / Rated: 3.5/5
  5. 2008 2nds Challenge: One Last Scream by Kevin O’Brien
    Finished: Sept. 15 / Rated: 5/5
  6. Book Awards II Challenge: Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
    Finished: Nov. 14 / Rated: 3.5/5

Back to History Challenge
Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 12 books, either fictional or nonfictional.
Progress: DROPPED OUT
[I read 3 books for this challenge, but I just never could get into it so I decided to give up on it.]

Book-a-Week Challenge
Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 52 books
Progress: FINISHED

Book to Movie Challenge:
Sept. 1-Nov. 30, 2008
Read 3 books that have been made into movies
Progress: FINISHED

  1. The Shining by Stephen King
    Finished: Sept. 8 / Rated: 3.5/5
  2. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
    Finished: Nov. 14 / Rated: 3.5/5
  3. Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
    Finished: Nov. 30 / Rated: 4/5

Book Awards II Challenge
Aug. 1, 2008-June 1, 2009
Read 10 award winning books (at least 5 different awards)
Progress: 2/10 [Since this challenge continues on into 2009, I’m not concerned about where I’m at just yet.]

  1. Anthony Award: B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
    Finished: Aug. 6 / Rated: 3.5/5
  2. Anthony Award: Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
    Finished: Nov. 14 / Rated: 3.5/5

Celebrating the Author Challenge
Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 12 books, choose an author who is celebrating a birthday that month
Progress: FINISHED

  1. January: No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
    Finished: Jan. 3 / Rated: 4/5
  2. February: See Jane Die by Erica Spindler
    Finished: Feb. 15 / Rated: 5/5
  3. March: 1st to Die by James Patterson
    Finished: March 4 / Rated: 5/5
  4. April: ‘A’ is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
    Finished: April 3 / Rated: 3/5
  5. May: Marker by Robin Cook
    Finished: May 19 / Rated: 4/5
  6. June: The Deadly Dance by M.C. Beaton
    Finished: June 8 / Rated: 3/5
  7. July: The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
    Finished: July 16 / Rated: 4/5
  8. August: Night Fall by Nelson DeMille
    Finished: Aug. 14 / Rated: 4/5
  9. September: The Shining by Stephen King
    Finished: Aug. 8 / Rated: 3.5/5
  10. October: Dead by Sunset by Ann Rule
    Finished: Nov. 23 / Rated: 2/5
  11. November: By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin
    Finished: Dec. 26 / Rated: 3/5
  12. December: I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark
    Finished: Dec. 14 / Rated: 5/5

Eponymous Reading Challenge
March 1-May 31, 2008
Read 4 books whose title has a character name or description
Progress: FINISHED

  1. Diana’s Boys: William and Harry and the Mother they Loved by Christopher Anderson
    Finished: March 10 / Rated: 4/5
  2. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
    Finished: March 21 / Rated: 3/5
  3. The Widow by Carla Neggers
    Finished: March 24 / Rated: 4/5
  4. The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard
    Finished: March 31 / Rated: 5/5

Initials Reading Challenge
April 1-Nov. 30. 2008
Read 5 books whose authors have published under initials.
Progress: FINISHED

  1. The Deadly Dance by M.C. Beaton
    Finished: June 8 / Rated: 3/5
  2. The Disappearance by J.F. Freedman
    Finished: July 8 / Rated: 3/5
  3. Name Withheld by J.A. Jance
    Finished: July 27 / Rated: 3/5
  4. Glory in Death by J.D. Robb
    Finished: Aug. 26 / Rated: 4/5
  5. All the Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison
    Finished: Aug. 29 / Rated: 4.5/5

Medical Mystery Challenge
June 1-Nov. 1, 2008
Read 3 books in the medical mystery/thriller genre
Progress: UNCOMPLETED – Unfortunately I was unable to finish this challenge; in fact I did not read one single book for this challenge. Medical mysteries and/or thrillers just do not interest me. My original hope when I signed up for this challenge was to be able to expand my tastes, however, I did indeed fail at that. I knew going in that this challenge would indeed be quite a challenge for me, unfortunately I was unable to push myself for this challenge, better luck next time!

Numbers Challenge
Jan. 1-June 1, 2008
Read 5 books with numbers in the title
Progress: FINISHED

  1. No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
    Finished: Jan. 3 / Rated: 4/5
  2. Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark
    Finished: Jan. 11 / Rated: 5/5
  3. The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason
    Finished: March 2 / Rated: 4/5
  4. 1st to Die by James Patterson
    Finished: March 4 / Rated: 5/5
  5. 2nd Chance by James Patterson
    Finished: March 22 / Rated: 4/5

Presidential Reading Challenge
July 4, 2008-July 4, 2009
Read 5 books that has some connection to presidents
Progress: 0/5 – Since this challenge continues on into 2009, I am not worried about not finishing any books toward this challenge, but I have every intention on getting this challenge finished in 2009.

Series Challenge Season 2
June 1-Nov. 30, 2008
Finish as many series as you can
[I was only able to complete the Maggie O’Dell series]

  1. The Soul Catcher by Alex Kava
    Finished: July 23 / Rated: 3/5
  2. A Necessary Evil by Alex Kava
    Finished: Aug. 9 / Rated: 4.5/5

Suspense & Thriller Challenge
Jan. 1, 2008-Dec. 31, 2009
Read 12 books in 12 different subcategories of thrillers
[I have finished the required 6 books for 2008, I will be reading 6 more for this challenge in 2009]

  1. Political Thriller: The Assassin by Andrew Britton
    Finished: Feb. 28 / Rated: 4/5
  2. Romance Thriller: Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
    Finished: March 27 /  Rated:  4/5
  3. Terrorist Thriller: 3rd Degree by James Patterson
    Finished: April 7 / Rated:  4/5
  4. Medical Thriller: Marker by Robin Cook
    Finished: May 19 / Rated: 4/5
  5. Crime Thriller: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
    Finished: Aug. 28/ Rated: 3/5
  6. Serial Killer: All the Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison
    Finished: Aug. 29 / Rated : 4.5/5

Title Master Reading Challenge
March 1-July 1, 2008
Read 4 books whose title begins with the same letter (example: Mary Mary)
Progress: FINISHED

  1. Mary Mary by James Patterson
    Finished: June 3 / Rated: 4/5
  2. Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts
    Finished: June 5 / Rated: 4.5/5
  3. The Deadly Dance by M.C. Beaton
    Finished: June 8 / Rated: 3/5
  4. Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs
    Finished: June 29 / Rated: 3.5/5

What’s in a Name Challenge
Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 6 books based on the categories that Annie sets out.
Progress: FINISHED

  1. Color: Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark.
    Finished: Jan. 11 / Rated: 5/5
  2. Place: Murder in Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley by Mark Fuhrman.
    Finished: Jan. 21 / Rated: 4/5
  3. Animal: The Serpent Club by Tom Coffey.
    Finished: Feb. 6 / Rated: 3/5
  4. First Name: See Jane Die by Erica Spindler.
    Finished: Feb. 16 / Rated: 5/5
  5. Weather Event: Firestorm by Iris Johansen.
    Finished: March 9 / Rated: 4/5
  6. Plant: A Rose for Her Grave by Ann Rule.
    Finished: April 17 / Rated: 3/5

Announcements

Important Info on Upcoming Features

Tara

I wanted to let everyone know that I have been contacted about reading and reviewing “The Chemist” by Dr. Janson Mancheski. I have already been sent the book and will be starting to read it shortly. I also have been provided with a Q&A with Dr. Mancheski that I will be posting here on my blog in the next couple of days. But here’s the big announcement – I have also been provided with two extra copies of The Chemist so that I can host a book giveaway. Since I am new to this, please bare with me. However, after I read and review the book, I will indeed be accepting sign ups for the giveaway – PLEASE NOTE: Nothing is being given away just yet. I want to be able to provide a full review of the book before people sign up to win a book they are not interested in. However, I wanted to make this announcement so that people could be on the lookout for this upcoming activity. Please be aware that it could take me longer than usual to read this book since my husband and I have just purchased our first home and are in the process of starting some improvements to make the house our home. Just keep checking back here periodically and email me with any questions or suggestions at tarablythe7585@yahoo.com Thanks!!

Challenge Wrap-Up

Finished Challenge – 2008 2nds Challenge

Tara

I just finished Joy’s 2008 2nds Challenge. I really enjoyed this challenge, even though I waited until the very last moment to get my last book read! The rules were to read 4 books between September 1st and December 31st by authors that you had only read once before. Here’s what I read:

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
One Last Scream by Kevin O’Brien
The Witness by Sandra Brown
A Wicked Snow by Gregg Olsen

Favorite: One Last Scream (O’Brien)
Least Favorite: The Witness (Brown)
[Please note that it was very difficult to list my favorite and least favorite because I actually enjoyed all four of these books]

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, O, Read in 2008

A Wicked Snow by Gregg Olsen

Tara
A Wicked Snow
by Gregg Olsen

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 369
Rating: 5/5
Read: Dec. 26-30, 2008
Challenge: 2008 2nds Challenge; Countdown Challenge

First Line: The girl remembered the snow and the evil that had come with it.

When Hannah Griffin was a girl a terribly tragedy struck her family. She still remembers the flames of the fire that engulfed her house as well as the twenty bodies that the police found, three in the house and the rest buried in the back yard. The three in the house were that of her mother and two brothers. But the killer was never found and it remained one of the worst unsolved cases. Twenty years later Hannah is now a successful CSI with a loving husband and daughter. She still has difficulty dealing with her past, but things get ripped wide open when she opens a box that was delivered to her office that reads “Your Mom called…” With those three words, Hannah’s world is turned upside down.

I really enjoyed this book. This is the second Gregg Olsen book that I’ve read this year, the first being “A Cold Dark Place” which I also enjoyed a great deal. I’m definitely glad that I had this one on my shelf because it was a great way to end my 2008 reading! I highly recommend this book (as well as “A Cold Dark Place“) to anyone who is looking for a great mystery!

Challenge Wrap-Up

Finished Challenge – 2008 Celebrate the Author Challenge

Tara

I just finished Becky’s 2008 Celebrate the Author Challenge. The rules were to read 12 books, Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2008. The selection of the books had to correspond to the month that the author was born in. I struggled with my November selection, seeing as I just now finished it today (Dec. 26!), but I’m glad that I did get this challenge finished in time 🙂 And I’m definitely looking forward to the 2009 version of this challenge!

My list of what I read:

  1. January:  No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
  2. February: See Jane Die by Erica Spindler
  3. March:  1st to Die by James Patterson
  4. April: ‘A’ is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
  5. May: Marker by Robin Cook
  6. June: The Deadly Dance by M.C. Beaton
  7. July: The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
  8. August: Night Fall by Nelson DeMille
  9. September: The Shining by Stephen King
  10. October: Dead by Sunset by Ann Rule
  11. November: By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin
  12. December: I Heard that Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark

Favorite: See Jane Die (Spindler) AND I Heard that Song Before (Clark)
Least Favorite: Dead by Sunset (Rule)

AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, G, Read in 2008, READING CHALLENGES 2008

By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin

Tara
By Order of the President
by W.E.B. Griffin

Copyright: 2004
Pages: 608
Rating: 3/5
Read: Dec. 14-26, 2008
Challenge: Celebrate the Author

First Line: As he climbed the somewhat unsteady roll-up stairs and ducked his head to get through the door of Lease-Aire LA-9021 – a Boeing 727 – Captain Alex MacIlhenny, who was fifty-two, ruddy-faced, had a full head of just starting to gray red hair, and was getting just a little jowly, had sort of a premonition that something was wrong – or that something bad was about to happen – but he wasn’t prepared for the dark-skinned man standing inside the fuselage against the far wall.

When a Boeing 727 is hijacked from Angola and is flown to an unknown location, the various security agencies of the United States race against the clock to find out where this plane has been taken to and what the hijacker’s intentions are. Unfortunately, those same agencies end up in a power struggle to find the plane first. The President gets fed up with all the in-fighting and asks an outsider, Major Carlos G. Castillo, a West Point graduate and a pilot to get to the truth of the missing airplane. But what Castillo finds out in the end is not only surprising but terrifying, and Castillo must move very, very fast in order to wrap things up before it’s too late.

Military-esque books are very much out of my comfort zone, which is why it took me so long to read this book. However, I did really enjoy this one quite a bit, which would be why I hung in there to finish reading it. I would have given it a higher rating, but I thought that the ending could have been a lot better than it was. It was all a little too neat for my personal tastes. But this is the first in a series which I am definitely going to want to keep an eye on in the future.

READING CHALLENGES 2008

Countdown Challenge

Tara

countdownOkay, so 3M is hosting the Countdown Challenge. The point of this challenge is to read 9 books published in 2009, 8 in 2008, 7 in 2007 … you get the point. And the best part of this is that it’s actually RETROACTIVE to August 8th, 2008! So I’ve already done quite a bit of reading that can count towards this challenge.

Click here to visit the page of this Challenge.

Rules: As stated above, read 9 from 2009, 8 from 2008, etc., for a grand total of 45 books. This challenge is running from 8/8/08 until 9/9/09. Here’s my list:

2009

  1. Heart of Ice by Gregg Olsen
  2. The Osiris Alliance by Jack Ford
  3. The 8th Confession by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
  4. BoneMan’s Daughter by Ted Dekker
  5. The Dyodyne Experiment by James Doulgeris & V. Michael Santoro
  6. Dancing with Ana by Nicole Barker
  7. Swimsuit by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

2008 (Completed)

  1. A Cold Dark Place by Gregg Olsen
  2. One Last Scream by Kevin O’Brien
  3. Compulsion by Jonathan Kellerman
  4. Trust Me by Brenda Novak
  5. Quicksand by Iris Johansen
  6. The Chemist by Janson Mancheski
  7. Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain
  8. The Midnight Twins by Jacquelyn Mitchard

2007 (Completed)

  1. All the Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison
  2. Heartsick by Chelsea Cain
  3. Last Known Victim by Erica Spindler
  4. The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver
  5. In the Woods by Tana French
  6. I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark
  7. Over Your Dead Body by David L.

2006 (Completed)

  1. A Necessary Evil by Alex Kava
  2. Judge & Jury by James Patterson
  3. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
  4. The Witness by Sandra Brown
  5. The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
  6. Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris

2005

  1. Presumed Guilty: What the Jury Never Knew About Laci Peterson’s Murder and Why Scott Peterson Should Not Be on Death Row by Matt Dalton
  2. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
  3. To the Power of Three by Laura Lippman
  4. Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

2004 (Completed)

  1. Night Fall by Nelson DeMille
  2. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
  3. Black Creek Crossing by John Saul
  4. White Hot by Sandra Brown

2003

  1. The Falls by Karen Harper
  2. She Loves Me Not by Wendy Corsi Staub

2002

2001 (Completed)

  1. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
READING CHALLENGES 2008

RYOB 2009

Tara

ryob2009Okay, so MizB is challenging us to “Read-You-Own-Books” in 2009. I DESPERATELY need this challenge!!! This is something that will help me clear off some of these shelves that I have!!

Click here to visit the page of this challenge

Rules: Set the amount of books that you want to read from your shelves.  The challenge runs Jan 1 – Dec. 31, 2009.

Okay … so I am going to set a goal of 50 books. And at least 25 of those books must be on my shelves before January 1st. That way I’m cleaning out some of my books that I currently own and leaving some wiggle room for newly acquired books 🙂

My list will be kept here:

  1. Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  2. Jack & Jill by James Patterson (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  3. Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  4. C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  5. Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  6. To the Power of Three by Laura Lippman (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  7. Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  8. The Secret Between Us by Barbara Delinksy (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  9. The 6th Target by James Patterson (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  10. Hearstopper by Joy Fielding (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  11. The Broken Parachute Man by Robert B. Bolin (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  12. Heart of Ice by Gregg Olsen (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  13. Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  14. Capital Offense by Kathleen Antrim (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  15. 7th Heaven by James Patterson (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  16. Whispers by Lisa Jackson (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  17. The 8th Confession by James Patterson (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  18. A Tisket, a Tasket, a Fancy Stolen Casket by Fran Rizer (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  19. Snagged by Carol Higgins Clark (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  20. In a Dark Time by Larry Watson (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  21. Sail by James Patterson (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  22. Cat & Mouse by James Patterson (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  23. The Piper’s Sons by Bruce Chandler Fergusson (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  24. Executive Privilege by Phillip Margolin (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  25. An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  26. She Loves Me Not by Wendy Corsi Staub (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  27. When the Bough Breaks by Jonathan Kellerman (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  28. Michelangelo’s Notebook by Paul Christopher (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  29. The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  30. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  31. ‘D’ is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  32. A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  33. Pop Goes the Weasel by James Patterson (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  34. The Murder of Laci Peterson by Cliff Linedecker (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  35. The Double Eagle by James Twining (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  36. Silent Witness by Richard North Patterson (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  37. Denial by Keith Ablow (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  38. The Aztec Heresy by Paul Christopher (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  39. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  40. No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  41. Roses are Red by James Patterson (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW
  42. The Sorority: Eve by Tamara Thorne (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  43. The Sorority: Merilynn by Tamara Thorne (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  44. The Sorority: Samantha by Tamara Thorne (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  45. Violets are Blue by James Patterson (Acquired in 2009) REVIEW
  46. The Book of Names by Jill Gregory & Karen Tintori (On shelf before 2009) REVIEW

Acquired in 2009: 26
On Shelf Prior to 2009: 20

READING CHALLENGES 2009

2009 Celebrate the Author

Tara

celebratetheauthorBecky is again hosting the Celebrate the Author Challenge. I was a participant in the 2008 challenge and have thoroughly enjoyed myself, so I am definitely looking forward to participating in the 2009 challenge. I have not completed my list as of yet, but I am working on it.

Click here to visit the page of this challenge

Rules: Read 12 books between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2009. You choose the books that you read based on when the author is having their birthday.

  1. January: Deal Breaker, Harlan Coben REVIEW
  2. February: Evil at Heart, Chelsea Cain REVIEW
  3. March: Heartstopper, Joy Fielding REVIEW
  4. April: ‘D’ is for Deadbeat, Sue Grafton REVIEW
  5. May: Whispers by Lisa Jackson REVIEW
  6. June: The Surgeon, Tess Gerritsen REVIEW
  7. July: Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone, J.K. Rowling REVIEW
  8. August: When the Bough Breaks, Jonathan Kellerman REVIEW
  9. September: The Godwulf Manuscript, Robert B. Parker REVIEW
  10. October: The Eleventh Victim by Nancy Grace REVIEW
  11. November: Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris REVIEW
  12. December: No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark REVIEW

Musing Mondays

Musing Mondays – Reading on the Go (12/15/08)

Tara

musing-mondays-bigToday’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about reading on the go…

I always like to have a book with me at all times – call it a nerdy grown-up security blanket – and rarely do I leave the house without slipping one into my bag (even if I KNOW I’m not going to have a chance to read it). Do you take a book with you? Do you take whatever book you’re currently reading, or do you have a special on-the-go book? And do you have a preference for a these types of book (paperback, hardback; short stories; poetry etc)?

This is my first time participating in Musing Monday’s! So here goes:

I almost always have a book with me. Whenever I’m buying a purse I always make sure that I get one big enough to put a book in! I love those little purses – but the books don’t fit in them! Anyways, back to the point of this post. I always take whatever book I’m currently reading. Even if I know for a fact that I will not have time to read it, it always goes with me. There are only a few instances when I will take the book out. For example, my husband and I had to go to his office’s Christmas party this past Friday evening – I took the book out because it just made the purse too heavy and I knew I wouldn’t be able to read it. Also we went to NYC last month to see our SIU Salukis play at Madison Square Garden, so when we were sightseeing I left my book in the hotel room. But overall, I really almost always keep a book with me. Also, for the second part of the question – I always carry a paperback book. Very rarely do I read hardback books, only when I get them from the library because I can’t bring myself to buy them, therefore my books are 98% paperback and that’s what I pick up to put in my purse.