I found this survey on Misty's blog, . The rules are very simple. Just fill in the blanks with titles of books you've read in 2010. You can be serious or funny, whichever you'd prefer!

Describe Yourself:
How do you feel: (Minnesota is cold in the winter!)

Describe where you currently live: (I wish!)
If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Your favorite form of transportation: (Or, I guess I liked to travel while cloaked? This one was tricky.)
Your best friend is: (One of my best friends is named Anna.)
You and your friends are:
What's the weather like:
Favorite time of day:
What is life to you:
Your fear:
What is the best advice you have to give:

Thought for the Day: (Or, you know, don't. But it worked too well here.)
How I would like to die:
My soul's present condition:

To Ellen Manery, a brilliant, introverted, socially isolated fifteen-year-old, there is nothing good about the summer of 1967, especially when her parents decide to move to a small town in the interior of British Columbia. All the big ideas of the 1960s—the civil rights movement, the sexual revolution, women's rights—have not had much of an effect on this small community. Ellen has always been more interested in studying than a social life, but that begins to change when she meets Tony Paul, an eighteen-year-old who belongs to the Shuswap Indians and lives on the nearby reserve. When school starts it is Tony's friendship that gives Ellen the strength to endure the loneliness, racism, discrimination, and antifeminism she must face during her last year in high school. As Tony and Ellen's friendship turns into something deeper, they must decide if they can break free of society's rules and forge their own future.

Based on the summary, this book sounds completely thought-provoking, interesting and engaging, correct? Honestly, I found the aspects of this novel surrounding racism extremely well done. I wanted to like this novel, but something about it was just very “meh” for me.

At the start of the novel, Ellen is a character whose life revolves entirely around getting the best grades possible. She doesn’t have a lot of friends, and doesn’t make an effort to change that fact. Eventually, Ellen had a character arc and was willing to change, but this happened too slowly for me to feel passionate about this plot, because I was getting impatient. I wanted to love Tony, but his character just never clicked for me.

The writing of this story was another thing that never clicked for me. It wasn’t anything particularly special. Sometimes the characters would drop in a “That’s the way it is” sentence which was a bit too obvious for me.

While it had a lot of great content, I found The Way It Is poorly executed. However, I applaud the author for so boldly tackling issues of racism and feminism. I would certainly consider giving other books by this author a chance.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through .

Greetings, blog readers! I was extremely flattered to see that I have been nominated for the "Best New Blog 2010" category for the Readers' Choice Awards 2010, which are hosted by Natalie of Mindful Musings. If you'd like, feel free and stop by and vote for me. Yet regardless of who you vote for, be sure to stop by this page, because there are tons and tons of awesome blogs who have been nominated for awards. To vote, just click on the graphic above.

Thank you again for the nomination. I look forward to seeing which of the many blogs nominated takes home the award!

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

City of Bones seems to be a book that people either love or really didn’t care for. I’d heard very high praise of it and was also starting to feel like the only blogger who hadn’t read it, so I decided to pick up a copy for myself. I felt that while City of Bones was an original take on the paranormal, it had enough flaws that I couldn’t quite love it.

Who’s ever heard of a Shadowhunter before? I certainly hadn’t until reading this book. I found the mythology behind the Shadowhunters and The Clave completely fascinating, and I can’t wait to learn more about those aspects of the series. The rest of the plot kept me pretty interested until the end at which my brain just kind of said, “Really? Ew. No.”

I was kind of fifty fifty in terms of characters. I will say that I really liked Clary as a character, because she was strong and didn’t take any crap (even if she was a bit oblivious at times). Simon I loved. Jace, on the other hand, I wasn’t a huge fan of. While had a few funny lines, I found him too mean to be likable. I also must confess that while I know some people enjoyed Clare’s writing, I was not the biggest fan. Some of the metaphors and similes she used just didn’t quite work for me. I’m hoping that it will evolve and suit my tastes a bit better as the series continues.

Kelsey of told me that no matter what, I should finish reading this series, and I’m interested enough that I’ll definitely check out the next installments. Although City of Bones was good, I hoped and felt that it could have been more. Hopefully I’ll like Clare’s other work better.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book.

To all those who are celebrating, I hope that you are having a very Merry Christmas! If you celebrate another seasonal holiday, I hope you've enjoyed that as well :)

I wasn’t totally sure what to expect when I hit the “Rent” button on iTunes for this movie. The novel, while I think it has it’s optimistic moments, has some very realistic and somewhat graphic content. The Outsiders is definitely an excellent representation of the novel it’s based on.

I think the hardest thing about taking a story from the page and turning into a movie is preserving the prose, and the full effect of Hinton’s prose was kind of lost on me as I watched the movie. There were certain things that helped explain the characters to me as I read the novel, but that didn’t make it into the movie (and admittedly might not have worked) such as the difference between “tough” and “tuff.” My other small complaint was the music--they decided to go with instrumental, non-lyrical music, which was okay. I felt that some lyrical rock might have better fit the atmosphere, but it’s a matter or personal preference.

Aside from these two small complaints, The Outsiders was a fantastic movie. I have to say, I was afraid that it would be sugar coated and wouldn’t capture how Ponyboy felt amidst the socs, but instead the movie felt raw and honest. The serious aspects of the film about “staying golden” were very well done. I do wish that there had maybe been a bit more emphasis on why it would have been bad if Ponyboy ended up in a boys’ home, but that’s a minor complaint.

Overall, this is a fantastic adaptation, if you’re willing to see the seriousness of the novel captured on screen. I highly recommend The Outsiders to those looking for a serious and poignant film.

We all have our holiday traditions, whether it's putting a small stuffed moose right below the tree topper or baking the same sugar cookies every year. One of my traditions is re-reading two American Girl Doll books: Samantha's Surprise and Molly's Surprise. Each time I pick these up I am transported back to my childhood.

If you've ever had a female friend or sister that's somewhere around 8 to 13 years old, you probably know what an American Girl doll is. For those, here's a quick debrief: American Girl dolls are dolls that are fictional people, usually around ten years told and living in some historical time such as the early 1900s (Samantha) or during World War II (Molly), and each has six companion books. The titles and basic premises of all the books are the same with the girls' names and histories switched out. For example, every girls' Christmas book ends with "Surprise" and each girl gets the same type of present, but their stories are all different.

Sounds like it could get boring after a while, right? On the contrary! While the stories are a bit formulaic in terms of the plot, each individual is incredibly well developed. Every girl has different dreams, and different things that she wants out of life. Their dreams range from realistic to broader "What I want to be when I grow up?" questions. Every story definitely has it's moments of brightness and joy, but most importantly, love. I don't want to get too sappy, but it's great reminder that Christmas hasn't become totally commercial--for a lot of people, it's about being with family and friends, and upholding tradition.

So with that in mind, do you have any books or traditions that remind you of holidays from your childhood?

Greetings, my wonderful readers! I wanted to post today to tell you about an awesome new blog that will review books with animal related issues called . The blogger behind this blog is none other than my mother, Priscilla Paton!

Priscilla Paton may not be a familiar name to many of you, but she has written two books. One is called Howard and the Sitter Surprise, which I inspired by terrorizing my babysitters (aka pounding my head on the floor when they came). The other is a more academic book called Abandoned New England: Landscape in the Works of Homer, Frost, Hopper, Wyeth and Bishop (Revisiting New England).
If you're interested in animal issues or just want to stop by, be sure to say hi!

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

I am ready. I am ready to go to Paris, eat a baguette, see the sights and fall in love. If you are ready for an adorable, sweet, heart-thumping, nerve-wracking and fantastic novel, look no further.

Anna and the French Kiss is an adorable chick lit romance. While I definitely feel that it falls under the category of chick lit, I also feel guilty for giving it a label that might cause some readers to dismiss it, especially since this story isn’t just romance. It has amazing characters, pop culture references, and real characters with real problems.

Can we discuss how much I love Anna? I admit, there were times when I got really frustrated her. Actually, scratch that--Perkins had me frustrated with all of her characters because I cared about them so much that I wanted everything to work out. Honestly, though, as I watched Anna’s friendship with St. Clair and watched all of her emotions, I kept thinking, “I know exactly what she means.” Plus, Anna is totally hilarious and ultimately learns from the mistakes she makes.

St. Clair is the perfect mix of charming and imperfect. Seriously, I want one for myself! With every witty comment, every line of dialogue, every moment between them, I knew what great chemistry Anna and St. Clair had. Perkins also describes Paris beautifully, and with this as the backdrop to the tension and drama between Anna and St. Clair, it was impossible not to fall head over heels for this book.

Frankly, I’m not sure if I can possibly fit everything that’s awesome and wonderful about Anna and the French Kiss into a review without said review turning into an epic poem. I went into this book in the mood for and hoping for a romance. I came out with so much more, and it proved to be better than I expected. Do not miss this book.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book. You should, too.

Today I have author Stephanie Dray here to talk about her novel Lily of the Nile and Cleopatra Selene. I asked Dray to talk about her novel in the context of other books about Cleopatra, and this is what she came up with. But first, a brief summary of the book (click to check out my review).

Heiress of one empire and prisoner of another, it is up to the daughter of Cleopatra to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers...

To Isis worshippers, Princess Selene and her twin brother Helios embody the divine celestial pair who will bring about a Golden Age. But when Selene's parents are vanquished by Rome, her auspicious birth becomes a curse. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young messianic princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. She can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the emperor from using her powers for his own ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother's dreams. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?

Thanks for having me as a guest here today. I was asked to write about one of my favorite subjects: books about Cleopatra’s daughter.

Cleopatra Selene was the sole survivor of the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt for almost three hundred years. Taken prisoner after her parents committed suicide, she was only eleven years old when she was marched as a chained captive through the streets of Rome. That she survived these horrors to become one of the greatest queens in the empire is a story that should inspire everyone, but Cleopatra Selene is virtually unknown.

Perhaps this is because she is entirely overshadowed by her more famous mother, but with a spate of books coming out about this most intriguing Egyptian princess, perhaps Selene will have her day in the sun.

The latest book about Cleopatra Selene is my own debut novel, entitled Lily of the Nile (Berkley Books, January 2011); I’m delighted to have the chance to compare and contrast the books that came before mine.

Selene is mentioned only briefly by the ancient historians. The first biography of her life appears to have been written by Beatrice Chanler in 1934. Chanler’ s book might be seen by academics as altogether too speculative for a biography--it supposes motives and often jumps into the heads of others like a benign omniscient narrator. For a commercial fiction writer, however, it is immediately recognizable as historical fiction. I was powerfully influenced both by Chanler’s lofty prose and her theory that Selene was a religious figure for Isis worshippers. Her book has long-since been out of print and it’s quite difficult to come by a copy of it; my own is one of my most treasured possessions because it moved me so. In fact, one of the motivations for my own work was to update Chanler’s ideas and make them more accessible for modern readers.

In 1971, Alice Curtis Desmond wrote a book entitled Cleopatra’s Children which covers both the end of Cleopatra’s life and the fate of her children, including Cleopatra Selene. This book is more firmly in the tradition of historical fiction and takes a number of creative liberties. For example, like me, Desmond imagined Selene being directly involved in her mother’s suicide. Though many of its theories have been disproved and it’s an old book, I would recommend it for young readers because of its direct, simple style.

Nine years later, Andrea Ashton would write Cleopatra’s Daughter, a romantic epic of Selene’s life, totally in keeping with the tradition of Bertrice Small. The book is filled with melodramatic flourishes, but she’s the first of the authors to approach Selene’s life with any concern for the Berber peoples over which Selene would rule as Queen of Mauretania. Though there’s no evidence that Selene and her husband Juba II ever set foot in Numidia, and recent scholars suggest they did not, Ashton threads genuine concerns about native populations and imperialism through her romance. Oh, sure, she gives us a spunky cheetah-keeping, chariot-driving heroine who has constant misunderstandings with her husband before they can find their happy ending. But she also sketches out some of the genuine difficulties a modern audience might have about a grown man marrying a fifteen year old girl and explores the psychology of exiled royalty like Selene and Juba with remarkable sensitivity.
ut this most intriguing Egyptian princess, perhaps Selene will have her day in the sun.

Most recently, Cleopatra Selene was memorialized by the acclaimed historical fiction writer, Michelle Moran. explores the famous people, trials, customs and architecture of Rome in the Augustan Age. She takes the liberty of imagining Selene as an architect and inventing an anti-slavery activist known as the Red Eagle to represent slave revolts of the age.

Lily of the Nile differs from Michelle Moran’s wonderful novel in emphasis and style. While we both attempt to recreate the traumas of Selene’s childhood and her triumphs over them, I chose to explicitly adopt Beatrice Chanler’s idea of Selene as a messianic figure; this story is written in the tradition of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Mists of Avalon, but with a more ancient setting. For example, because magic was real for the Romans and the ancient Egyptians, magic is real for Selene too, and her goddess speaks to her through bloody hieroglyphs that carve themselves into her hands. I portray Selene as the heir to her mother’s charm, the worthy adversary that Augustus wants. Whereas Michelle Moran applied an archaeological lens to her book, I wanted to focus on the significance of the Augustan Age in the progress of women’s equality and spirituality.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Stephanie!

Stephanie Dray is the author of a forthcoming trilogy of historical fiction novels set in the Augustan Age, starting with . Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today. She remains fascinated by all things Roman or Egyptian and has–to the consternation of her devoted husband–collected a house full of cats and ancient artifacts.

She is currently sponsoring the , the deadline for which is March 1, 2011, but join her now for updates and a chance to of Lily of the Nile and additional prizes.

Heiress of one empire and prisoner of another, it is up to the daughter of Cleopatra to save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers...

To Isis worshippers, Princess Selene and her twin brother Helios embody the divine celestial pair who will bring about a Golden Age. But when Selene's parents are vanquished by Rome, her auspicious birth becomes a curse. Trapped in an empire that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, the young messianic princess struggles for survival in a Roman court of intrigue. She can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her hands, nor can she stop the emperor from using her powers for his own ends. But faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to resurrect her mother's dreams. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is win-or die?

I have to admit, adult historical fiction genre is one I rarely read. I think I’m afraid that it’ll involve melodrama, inaccuracy too flamingly bold to ignore and far more sex than is appropriate to the story (really, where do I get these ideas?). Lily of the Nile proved to be absolutely none of these things and left me craving the sequel.

This was definitely a book that I didn’t want to set down--the one upside of the 2 feet of snow in 12 hours blizzard was that I had every excuse to stay on the couch all day and immerse myself in Dray’s world. With that being said, I confess that I set the novel down once, about 50 pages in, just to look in my old Roman history textbook and see what I could find about Cleopatra and her daughter, Cleopatra Selene, who the novel focuses on. Turns out I could hardly find a thing about Cleopatra Selene, so I think it’s safe to say that Dray writes about a period that isn’t often touched on.

Dray’s novel is fantastically paced. Some might wish that she was more descriptive, but I think she did a nice job of briefly touching on events that are best summarized as opposed to described play by play. The descriptions of the Roman feasts definitely made me hungry. To top it off, Dray creates complex characters that were interesting to read about and kept me guessing. My only real complaint about this book is that I questioned how realistic a couple of plot points were, but after turning the final page I still really wanted to get my hands on a copy of the sequel.

Lily of the Nile surprised me in the best way possible. It may not be the most thought-provoking book I’ve read, but it approaches history from a new angle and kept me turning the pages.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publicist in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you!

Greetings, wonderful blog followers! Christmas is near and we just got two feet of snow where I live. With the end of the year impending, I'm starting to plan my 2011 reading (and it looks like it's going to be another great year). I'm already planning to participate in the (check out my list ), but am adding to more challenges to my list.
Click on the photo to find out more information about this challenge. I'm going to aim for Level 3 for this challenge and read at least 15 books. Here's some of what I hope to read. Some of these are the first in a series, and if I like those I will likely continue with the series. If you have other recommendations, please leave them in the comments!

This year, I decided to take part in the Booklovers Secret Santa. I always love Secret Santas, and my package came Friday!
Isn't it all beautifully wrapped? Since I have limited self-restraint, I tore into the packages within five minutes. Here's what Santa, or Kristen of , got me.
-Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (I can't wait to read this one!)
-The Home for Broken Hearts by Rowan Coleman (Never heard of it but it looks interesting!)
-How To Tame A Modern Rogue by Diana Holquist (I've been meaning to try more adult romance and this one looks good.)
-Ghiradelli Holiday chocolates (I've already eaten one of the Eggnog ones. So tasty!)
-Books to Check Out journal (An excellent way for me to write down titles of books I want to read while on the go!)
-Snowman post-it notes and an adorable candy cane pen (I love post-it notes! These are too cute!)
-A card!
Thanks so much for the wonderful gifts, Kristen! I can't wait to use them all!

Digger thrives as a spy and sneak-thief among the feuding religious factions of Gerse, dodging the Greenmen who have banned all magic. But when a routine job goes horribly wrong and her partner and lover Tegen is killed, she has to get out of the city, fast, and hides herself in a merry group of nobles to do so. Accepted as a lady's maid to shy young Merista Nemair, Digger finds new peace and friendship at the Nemair stronghold--as well as plenty of jewels for the taking. But after the devious Lord Daul catches her in the act of thievery, he blackmails her into becoming his personal spy in the castle, and Digger soon realizes that her noble hosts aren't as apolitical as she thought... that indeed, she may be at the heart of a magical rebellion.

I went into StarCrossed with zero expectations. I hadn’t read many reviews of it, and wasn’t totally sure what it was about. I just signed up for an ARC tour because the premise sounded interesting. StarCrossed certainly satisfied me in that expect.

Maybe it’s just the type of books I read, but I don’t know of many YA books where the characters are thieves (I know of some with spies, though). In the first couple of chapters, before learning Digger’s backstory, it’s kind of hard to see where she might have qualities that make her traditionally good as a person, and instead she’s depicted as someone just trying to survive. I liked that honest representation, because I think (as sad as it is) that there are people out there who are like this (granted, I am an optimist and tend to believe there is more good than evil in the world). However, by the end of the novel I actually felt that Digger was a fairly loyal character.

I have to say that I really liked all of the other characters as well. Not only are they all interesting, but with all of the plot twists Bunce threw in I was constantly wondering who I could trust. I will say that this is a fantastic book for you to read if you want political intrigue without too much romance (and I say more power to Bunce for not having a huge romantic plot. Not every story needs it!). Occasionally it felt like the story got a little to slow, but it always picked up again fairly quickly.

StarCrossed has surprised me, because I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did! I’m still thinking about how much I enjoyed getting to know Digger and everyone else on this cast of characters. I understand there’s a sequel in the works, and I can’t wait to see where Bunce takes things next! If I haven't yet persuaded you to give this book a chance, check out the awesome book trailer.

2010 is drawing to a close. I realize the year isn't over yet, but I wanted to take the time to fill out this survey started by Jamie over at , because I think it's an awesome way to look at a year of books in retrospect.
1. Best book of 2010?
Way to start with the hardest question! :P I re-read Pride and Prejudice at the beginning of the year, and that is always a favorite of mine. Otherwise, I absolutely loved Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen and North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.

2. Worst book of 2010?
Actually, my book for this question is an ARC that's not coming out until 2011, and is Entwined by Heather Dixon. It looked great but just fell really flat for me. My review will be up in early April, I believe.

3. Most Disappointing Book of 2010?
Entwined was disappointing, but otherwise I have to say Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus. I think books are like significant others: in order for you to really like them, there has to be chemistry, a certain inexplicable spark. I thought the whole premise of Shadow Hills was interesting, but it just never clicked for me. However, I'd like to see where Hopcus goes with it, so I'd definitely read a sequel.

4. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2010?
Definitely The Dark Divine by Bree Despain! Not only was this a really original take on werewolves, Grace (the main character) had a fantastic character arc.

5. Book you recommended to people most in 2010?
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, closely followed by Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver.

6. Best series you discovered in 2010?
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, but also the Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I have Beautiful Darkness in my TBR pile, and I can't wait to see where they take their exceptionally well-crafted tale next. I also loved Need by Carrie Jones, and can't wait to pick up the other books in that series.

7. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2010?
Suzanne Collins and Lauren Oliver!

8. Most hilarious read of 2010?
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. I loved the high school he crated in this book! I also really enjoyed Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, although that's technically a play.

9. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2010?
Oh, easily The Hunger Games trilogy. I was one of those people who bought and read Mockingjay the day it came out. Honorable mention also goes to The DUFF by Kody Keplinger and Crossing Lines by Paul Volponi.

10. Book you most anticipated in 2010?
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. The day before it came out I drove to Target for the sole purpose of seeing if they had put it out early (they hadn't). It's a good thing I wasn't at home the day it came out, because I would've been so antsy waiting for the package. Instead I came home at 5, and there it was.

11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2010?
The cover for Sea by Heidi R. Kling, which is completely breathtaking. It also helps that the book is fantastic.

12. Most memorable character in 2010?
I'm going to divide my answer to this into two separate categories. In terms of a bookish crush, I loved Sam for Shiver. Poetry loving, guitar playing super cute werewolf? Yes, please! Mr. Thornton of North and South was also great, but let's not forget our Austen men, Henry Tilney and Mr. Darcy.

Otherwise, Infinite Darlene from Boy Meets Boy and Astrid from Rampant were both great. Mrs. Bennett also had me cracking up, but hopefully that goes without saying.

13. Most beautifully written book in 2010?
This is another answer that I'm splicing into two parts. For adult books, I re-read Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf earlier this year and I think Woolf's prose is beautiful. I still prefer To the Lighthouse, but I wind up loving everything I read by her.

In terms of YA, I have to go for Shiver. Stiefvater's prose was just so poetic to me. Before I Fall gets an honorable mention here as well, as that had some jaw-droppingly gorgeous writing in it. The last honorable mention goes to The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff--I can't wait to pick up more by her.

14. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2010?
It's not technically out until June of 2011, but Crossing Lines by Paul Volponi. I don't want to say anything about it as very few summaries are online, but read this book when it comes out.

15. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2010 to finally read?
North and South and Northanger Abbey! I wound up seriously loving both of these.

Book Blogging in 2010 (optional)

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2010? This is such a tough question! I love , , , , , , and . This is, however, a microscopic portion of blogs I love!

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2010?
Probably of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?
I think my post on ratings and how other bloggers do them, called "" easily takes the cake in this case.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else's blog?
Jordyn of recently did a post called about depression and how reviewers react to characters who are suffering from it. However, I also always love discussion posts from April of , Jessica of , and Adele of . This last bit should go without saying, but I also loved reading everyone's Speak Loudly posts.

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
I think , because I got some awesome books, attended a few panels, and had lunch with some totally awesome bloggers!

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2010?
Seeing our community come together as a whole when Wesley Scroggins tried to ban Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It was great to see everyone standing up for what they believe in and voicing their opinions.

But I guess on a more personal note I've also enjoyed moments such as hitting 100 blog followers.

7. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)
I've discovered some awesome new bookstores this year! Thus far my favorites have been and . They both have great selection as well as awesome author events.

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi of .

For review:
by Alex Flinn
by Paul Volponi
by Heather Dixon
by Elizabeth C. Bunce
by Terra Little
by Lauren DeStefano
Gifted:
swag!
by Cynthia Kadohata
by Ned Vizzini
by Gaby Triana
by Ann M. Martin
Bought:
North and South miniseries on DVD
by Sarah Ockler
by Anna Jarzab
by Kristin Cashore
by Stephanie Perkins

Read:
by Alex Flinn (Look for my review in February!)
by Paul Volponi (I won't review this one until the book is released in June 2011.)
by Elizabeth Gaskell ()
Currently reading:
by Heather Dixon
by Cassandra Clare
by Neil Pasricha
What I plan to read:
by Elizabeth C. Bunce
by Joanne Dahme
by Julie Kagawa
by Stephanie Perkins
by Alexandra Bracken

Greetings, wonderful readers! Today, I'm doing something a little different. I'm going to present the BBCs list of "Big Reads" and provide my own snarky comments where applicable. Apparently the BBC believes that most people have only read 6 of the books on this list. Titles I've read are in bold, and titles I want to read are italicized. Apparently I’ve read 39 of these books, which is okay, although so many are in my TBR pile.

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

2. The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien

3. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

4. Harry Potter Series – JK Rowling

5. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee

6. The Bible (Obviously, I've read parts of this. Just not the whole thing.)

7. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

8. Nighteen Eighty Four – George Orwell (We're only at number 8 and I've already read 6. Bwhahaha.)

9. His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman

10. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

11. Little Women – Louisa M Alcott

12. Tess of the D’Ubervilles – Thomas Hardy

13. Catch 22 – Joseph Heller

14. Complete Works of Shakespeare (I have read A LOT of Shakespeare. But not the complete works. I think the only people who have read the COMPLETE works of Shakespeare are those who have their PhDs in that area. I may try to achieve this goal, however. But still. Dear BBC: be realistic.)

15. Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier

16. The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien

17. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulk

18. Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger

19. The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger (I’m dying to read this one, I even have it on my shelf. Making it a goal to read it before my next birthday, on April 1st.)

20. Middlemarch – George Eliot

21. Gone with the Wind – Margaret Mitchell

22. The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald

23. Bleak House – Charles Dickens

24. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy (I find it interesting how many doorstoppers are on this list.)

25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

26. Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh

27. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28. Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck

29. Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

30. The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

31. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

32. David Copperfield – Charles Dickens (Clearly, the BBC loves Dickens. I like Dickens, so I’m okay with it.)

33. Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis

34. Emma – Jane Austen (I plan on reading this for next Jane In June.)

35. Persuasion – Jane Austen (I feel that for a lot of people who love Austen, this is their favorite Austen.)

36. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe – CS Lewis (Really guys? You just listed the Chronicles of Narnia above. As part of the Chronicles of Narnia, this doesn’t need to be here! *facepalm*)

37. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

38. Captain Correlli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres

39. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden (This one was such a quick read, I really enjoyed it when I read it.)

40. Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne

41. Animal Farm- George Orwell

42. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

43. One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44. A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving

45. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

46. Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery

47. Far from the Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy

48. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

49. Lord of the Flies – William Golding

50. Atonement – Ian McEwan (I really didn’t like the recent film they made of this book. Ugh.)

51. Life of Pi – Yann Martel

52. Dune – Frank Herbert

53. Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons

54. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen (Clearly, the BBC also loves Austen. I approve.)

55. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth

56. The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57. A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

58. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night – Mark Haddon

60. Love in the Time of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

62. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov

63. The Secret History – Donna Tartt (I swear, I really do want to read all of these. Are you guys getting with this blog is called Consumed by Books?)

64. The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold (I loved Sebold’s writing when I read this book, I ought to watch the movie.)

65. Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas (Or, as my brother likes to say, the Count of Monte Crisco.)

66. On the Road – Jack Kerouac

67. Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

68. Bridget Jones Diary – Helen Fielding (A rare case of enjoying the movie more than the book. The book, however, is still great.)

69. Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
 (I find it appropriate that this is right below Bridget Jones Diary because my friends and I wonder how often Salman Rushdie gets asked where the toilets are because of that movie.)
70. Moby Dick – Herman Melville

71. Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens (Next time I read this book I will just put the Oliver soundtrack on a loop in the background. Food, glorious food!
)
72. Dracula – Bram Stoker

73. The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson

74. Noted from a Small Island – Bill Bryson (I can't believe I spent a year abroad in England and haven't read this book.)

75. Ulysses – James Joyce (I’ve read parts of this. Not an easy read but good.)

76. The Inferno – Dante

77. Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome

78. Germinal – Emilie Zola

79. Vanity Fair – William Makepiece

80. Possession – AS Byatt (I’ve had this for years and have been dying to read this but haven’t.)

81. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

82. Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

83. The Color Purple – Alice Walker

84. The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

85. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

86. A Fine Balance – Robinston Mistry

87. Charlotte’s Web – EB White

88. The Five People You Meet in Heaven – Mitch Albom

89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90. The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton

91. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad (I have read this one, but every time I read I feel like it passes by two quickly for me to absorb much. It got better the second time, but still.)

92. The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93. The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks

94. Watership Down – Richard Adams

95. A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

96. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute

97. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

98. Hamlet- William Shakespeare (Same remark as with Narnia. The Complete Works of Shakespeare are listed above, so why is this here?)

99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl

100. Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

Milton is a sooty, noisy northern town centered around the cotton mills that employ most of its inhabitants. Arriving from a rural idyll in the south, Margaret Hale is initially shocked by the social unrest and poverty she finds in her new hometown. However, as she begins to befriend her neighbors, and her stormy relationship with the mill-owner John Thornton develops, she starts to see Milton in a different light.

Various friends, bloggers and professors have been nagging me to read North and South, and eventually while talking about the mini-series on Twitter, Gail of decided to fix this problem by hosting the North and South read-a-long. I cannot believe I waited this long to read this novel. Beautifully written and filled with multi-dimensional characters, North and South now has a place on my favorites shelf.

Maybe it’s the fact that I hang out with so many Austen lovers, but I’ve heard a lot of people compare this novel with Pride and Prejudice, so I wanted to clear the air in regards to this. Don’t get me wrong, the two novels definitely have their similarities. However, the two female protagonists are very different. Margaret Hale is expressive of her opinions, but she’s also very religious. North and South also deals much more with the industrial class and issues surrounding trade, which was really interesting. I think I’d absorb it better if I re-read the novel.

The entire novel was wonderfully paced, especially the romance. Gaskell kept throwing in plot twists, and I never quite saw them coming. I found Thornton to be a dynamic and entertaining as a love interest, yet still attractive. Mrs. Thornton, his mother, is a character who I enjoyed hating throughout the novel. By the time the story ended, I loved how everything tied together.

North and South has been one of the most fantastic books I’ve read this year. I’ve met characters who I look forward to revisiting in future readings. Fans of Austen will love North and South. I can’t wait to read more by Gaskell.

Disclosure: I purchased a copy of this book.

Today, I have one copy of The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green up for grabs. I received my own copy of this for review, and it looks super fun. Don't you love the cover? If you're still not enticed, check out the synopsis below.

The crystal ball will give you answers about love and life... but at what price?

Smart and sexy-"smexy," as termed in the novel-Risa Green's fabulously original, warm, and funny teen debut follows a trio of best friends as they navigate love, lies, school, and family-with some unlikely supernatural help. Erin inherits a plastic crystal ball and a set of cryptic instructions from her free-spirited aunt. Erin and her two best friends laughingly give it a try and discover that this particular crystal ball has an uncanny knack for being accurate-but as with all magic, it comes with limits and a price.

Risa Green brings to vivid life friendships and romance-with the perfect supernatural twist.
Praise for Notes from the Underbelly:
"...uproariously tart..." -Entertainment Weekly
"Debut fiction that's a cut above the usual chick-lit fare."-Kirkus

Want to win? Here are the rules.
*One winner will receive a finished copy of The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green.
*Open interntionally.
*The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. on December 15th.