Recent Book Activity

Check out Paperbackswap.com! It's like the second best website ever (bookcrossing being the best of course). Plus I've had bunches of people join bookcrossing after receiving one of my books! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Looking for used book sales? Bookfinder

Looking for Official Bookcrossing Zones? OBCZ

I would like to take some space to acknowledge the role of the Nancy Drew series in developing my love of reading and my all-time favorite author, Pearl S. Buck.

To Trade or Not To Trade? Anything on my available or tbr shelf I'd be willing to trade (US Only).

Current Reading Theme: In case you are wondering why some of the words in the titles of the books I'm reading are in red, I'm taking a random path through my Mt. TBR. I started with the oldest book on my shelf. The next book has to have one of the words from the previous title in its title. When I fail in matching, I just start over with the next oldest book.

Currently reading:

• Setting Free the Bears by John Irving
  
• A Journey by Tony Blair (Audio CD)
  
• Ladies Own
  
• The Great Transformation by Karen Armstrong
  

Some Books from my shelf caught in the wild:
• Reflections in the Nile by J. Suzanne Frank (1/23/2004)
  
• Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio (3/23/2004) <--- New Member!
  
• Jabez by Thom Lemmons (4/22/2004) <--- New Member!
  
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (7/2/2004) <--- 2 New Members! Made it all the way to Australia!
  
• The Search by Iris Johansen (11/29/2004) <--- New Member!
• Left For Dead by Kevin O'Brien (4/27/2005) <-- New Member!
  
• Lake News by Barbara Delinsky (6/22/2005) <-- Caught Twice! Two New Members!
  
• No Second Chance by Harlan Coben (8/8/2005)
  
• Tara Road by Maeve Binchy (8/25/2005) <-- New Member!
• A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler (11/5/2005)
• The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (12/2/2005)
  
• Earthly Possessions by Anne Tyler (12/7/2005)
  
• The Ladies' Man by Elinor Lipman (12/13/2005) <-- New Member!
  
• Letters from a Nut by Ted L. Nancy (12/16/2005) <-- New Member!
  
• Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler (12/24/2005) <-- Made a trip to South Africa?!
  
• Always Coming Home by Ursula K. Le Guin (12/26/2005) <-- Released July 2004!
• Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty (1/2/2006) <-- Caught twice! 1 New Member!
  
• Cane River by Lalita Tademy (3/1/2006)
  
• Blindfold by Diane Hoh (3/3/2006)
  
• England, England by Julian Barnes (3/10/2006)
  
• Safe Harbor by Luanne Rice (3/18/2006) <-- New Member! Released in Tampa, but caught by someone who lives here in Illinois!
  
• Mirror Image by Sandra Brown (4/9/2006)
  
• An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears (5/8/2006) <-- Caught in Rome!
  
• Jennifer Government by Max Barry (5/20/2006) <-- New Member!
  
• Just Above A Whisper by Lori Wick (5/26/2006)
  
• Uncommon Clay by Margaret Maron (6/27/2006)
  
• The Maze by Catherine Coulter (8/1/2006) <-- New Member! How did it get to Wisconsin?
  
• The Rags-To-Riches Wife by Metsy Hingle (9/8/2006)
  
• A Vengeful Deception by Lee Wilkinson (9/15/2006) <-- New Member!
  
• Do Not Disturb by Christie Ridgway (9/16/2006) <-- New Member!
  
• His One-Night Mistress by Sandra Field (9/22/2006)
  
• The Goddess Abides by Pearl S. Buck (10/20/2006) <-- Released in April 2005!
  
• Underfoot by Leanne Banks (10/30/2006)
  
• Reap The Wind by Iris Johansen (12/7/2006) <-- How did it get to Kansas?
  
• Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (12/29/2006)
  
• Evening by Susan Minot (2/20/2007) <-- New Member!
  
• Dispatches by Michael Herr (3/2/2007) <-- New Member! Released in Nov 2004!
  
• Scandalous by Lori Foster (3/8/2007) <-- Caught Twice!
  
• Tempting Mr. Wright by Sue Civil Brown (5/7/2007) <-- New Member!
  
• If the Slipper Fits by Elaine Fox (5/29/2007)
  
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (6/29/2007) <-- Caught Twice!
  
• The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser (7/8/2007) <-- New Member! 1 of 8 of my books she found!
  
• Stick Shift by Mary Leo (7/9/2007) <-- New Member! Released in September 2006!
  
• Second Glance by Jodi Picoult (7/10/2007) <-- A bookray that got caught in Cyprus?!
  
• The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier (7/12/2007) <-- New Member! My first Panera release journaled!
  
• Bride for a Night by Patti Berg (7/27/2007) <-- New Member! How did it get to Las Vegas?
  
• The Room-Mating Season by Rona Jaffe (7/29/2007) <-- My second Panera release journaled!
  
• Heaven Sent by Judi McCoy (8/14/2007) <-- 2 New Members! <-- Travelled from Illinois to Florida!
  
• Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (8/26/2007) <-- New Member!
  
• Kiss Me,Katie!/Hug Me, Holly! by Jill Shalvis (8/27/2007)
  
• Making Waves by Nancy Drew (9/25/2007) <-- New Member!
  
• This Side of Evil by Nancy Drew (10/15/2007) <-- New Member!
  
• Accordion Crimes by E. Annie Proulx (11/19/2007) <-- New Member! Another Panera release!
  
• Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas (11/26/2007)
  
• Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella (12/15/2007) <-- Another Panera release!
  
• The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan (12/23/2007) <-- Book released over 5 years earlier! New Member!
  
• The Ex-Factor by Andrea Semple (12/30/2007) <-- Another Panera release!
  
• Whole Lotta Trouble by Stephanie Bond (3/14/2008) <-- Release Alerts at Work!
  
• Lord of Desire by Paula Quinn (5/14/2008) <-- Panera!
  
• Duets : Something About Ewe/the Purrfect Man by James Dale (6/1/2008) <-- New Member! Just showed up on her desk at work?!
  
• The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (6/12/2008) <-- New Member!
  
• The Exile by Peral S. Buck (6/14/2008) <-- New Member! Released three years ago and maybe somewhere in Central America?!
  
• Child of My Heart by Alice McDermott (6/14/2008) <-- New Member!
  
• Whispers and Lies by Joy Fielding (7/1/2008)
  
• Cider House Rules by John Irving (7/14/2008) <-- New Member!
  
• Taken: The Spaniard's Virgin by Lucy Monroe (8/10/2008) <-- New Member!
  
• The Master by Colm Toibin (9/8/2008)
  
• Water Method Man by John Irving (9/22/2008) <-- New Member!
  
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (1/3/2009) <-- New Member!
  
• Book Lover by Jennifer Kaufman, Karen Mack (4/27/2009)
  
• Looking Glass by A.J. Matthews (5/20/2009) <-- New Member! Somehow made it to Arizona!
  
• First Lady by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (10/9/2009)
  
• Tricky Business by Dave Barry (10/15/2009)
  
• Absalom Absalom by William Faulkner (11/1/2010)
  
• Who You Know by Theresa Alan (11/28/2010) <-- New Member!
  
• You Have To Kiss A Lot Of Frogs by Laurie Graff (12/10/2010)
  
• The River King by Alice Hoffman (2/11/2011)
  
• Bad Girl Bridesmaids by Susanna Carr (4/23/2011) <-- Somehow made it to South Carolina!
  
• Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen (7/16/2011)
  
• Original Cyn by Sue Margolis (12/23/2011)
  
• Keeping Up Appearances by Jennifer McKinlay (1/27/2012) <-- New Member!
  
• Mike, Mike and Me by Wendy Markham (2/12/2012) <-- New Member!
  
• Slightly Engaged by Wendy Markham (2/16/2012)
  
• The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte (3/8/2012) <-- New Member!
  
• Undead and Unemployed by MaryJanice Davidson (3/15/2012)
  
• High Heels and Holidays by Kasey Michaels (4/9/2012)
  
• Game for Anything by Bella Andre (4/12/2012) <-- New Member!
  
• Always the Bridesmaid by Whitney Lyles (5/12/2012) <-- New Member!
  

Read so far in 2012: 20

1. 1/6/2012 Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks (playaway)
   
2. 1/7/2012 Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras (Audio CD)
   
3. 1/11/2012 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith (playaway)
   
4. 1/14/2012 Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
   
5. 1/16/2012 Our Lady of the Lost and Found by Diane Schoemperlen
   
6. 1/19/2012 Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger
   
7. 1/25/2012 Packing for Mars by Mary Roach (playaway)
   
8. 1/30/2012 The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan (playaway)
   
9. 2/10/2012 Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich (Audio CD)
   
10. 2/20/2012 The Rabbit Factory by Larry Brown (Audio CD)
    
11. 2/20/2012 Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie (Audio CD)
    
12. 3/1/2012 Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich (Audio CD)
    
13. 3/10/2012 The Help by Kathryn Stockett
    
14. 3/12/2012 The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde (Audio CD)
    
15. 3/20/2012 26A by Diana Evans (Audio CD)
    
16. 3/28/2012 The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde (Audio CD)
    
17. 4/5/2012 The Wild Girl by Jim Fergus (Audio CD)
    
18. 4/12/2012 The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris (Audio CD)
    
19. 4/20/2012 Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde (Audio CD)
    
20. 5/2/2012 The White Queen by Phillipa Gregory (Audio CD)