Follow Friday - New Year's Resolutions

Parajunkie, who hosts Follow Friday, has asked this week's question:

 What are your new years book blogging resolutions?
So, here's my answers, but I constantly throughout the year set goals, so these will change, or more likely, be added to:

1.  Spiff up my blog. I wish it were cuter; I'm looking for a new design on a low or no budget.  I also want to add some buttons from sites I visit often, instead of just listing them. I need to figure out how to do a summary page of book reviews, alphabetically.  Is there an easy way to do this, or do you just have to do it by hand?

2.  Everyone says this, but everyone should!  Comment more.  I read hundreds of blogs posts every day.  I don't want to "spam" and just say "nice job" but sometimes I even think of something I'd like to add, but I don't because of TIME.

3.  Keep reading.  I read 115 books this year, so I don't think I can do much more than that, but I don't want to get so bogged down in blogging that I stop reading.

4.  Don't read so much.  I know that contradictory, but I do have lots of other things I like to do -- sew, cook, embroider -- and I want to make sure I have time for some of that.

5.  Write better reviews.  Sometimes I think they are kind of superficial.  My policy is to write the review before I start the next book, and I think I need to keep it pretty much that way.  I hear people say that they have 10 or so reviews to write -- I just don't think I could do that!  But, I don't want to rush my reviews either.  Sometimes I need to think more about the book before I just start writing. I also want to add a rating system, include the publishers and page number information (this is fairly easy, I just can't seem to remember to do it!)

6.  Interview authors.  I'm afraid.  But I want to do this.  Wish me luck.

7.  Of course, find some new blogger friends.  Love you guys!

It's been interesting reading all of your resolutions.  Keep them coming and good luck to all of you in keeping them!  Happy New Year, everyone.

End of Year Survey and Tope 10 of '10!

Jamie, the Perpetual Page Turner, has created this end of year survey.  Go check out all the responses!  Here' the best I can do:

1. Best book of 2010? This is hard. I’m going to go for two:  The Help by Katheryn Stockett and Revolution, by Jennifer Donnelly. I’m mostly a YA girl, and these are both adult books (but appropriate for YA, so I guess that’s OK.)

2. Worst book of 2010? I don’t really have a worst – some books I didn’t like, but there were several of those, and I don’t know which was “worst.”

3. Most Disappointing Book of 2010? I had heard so many good things about The Girls from Ames, and really couldn’t even finish that book.  Just not my type of book.

4. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2010? Maybe Red Glass by Laura Resau.  This book sat on my library shelves for a long time, and I didn’t even consider reading it until a blogger reviewed it.  I really enjoyed that book!

5. Book you recommended to people most in 2010? True Colors by Kristin Hannah.  Since I’m the “librarian” in the family, I always bring lots of books to our family vacation.  Everyone read this, even my 83-year-old mom who probably hasn’t read a novel in 20 years!

6. Best series you discovered in 2010? Stiefvater-Shiver, Linger, etc. and also Skinned by Wasserman (haven’t read the sequel yet, though.)

7. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2010? Lauren Oliver, holy crap.  What great stuff from her so far….

8. Most hilarious read of 2010? The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. I don’t know why, but that precocious little girl had me laughing out loud!

9. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2010?  Delirium, by Lauren Oliver.  My heart was a poundin’!

10. Book you most anticipated in 2010? Can I say the Kindle III? I waited until the new version came out to get one, and it was a long wait!

11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2010? I love The Luxe series covers, and since I read Splendor this year, I will say that one. I also love Fallen  and Torment by I haven’t read those yet. Oh.. and Hush, Hush! (It was a good year for covers!)

12. Most memorable character in 2010? Flavia De Luce (from #8.) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Lisbeth), the narrator of The Lacuna (Harrison Shepherd).

13. Most beautifully written book in 2010? I don’t know this one. Too many to choose from.

14. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2010? Little Bee, The China Study,  Sarah’s Key

15. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2010 to finally read? To Kill a Mockingbird.

 Book Blogging in 2010 (optional)

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2010? I have lots of favorites.  I just started blogging a few months ago, and I like different things about a lot of blogs and bloggers.

 2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2010? I don’t know this one either.


3. Best discussion you had on your blog? I did a post on being a “Bad Reader” because I only like mostly junk, and not non-fiction very much.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else's blog? A couple of bloggers have talked about negative reviews and I found those interesting. Also, the discussions about e-readers.

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)? I like Follow Friday, Book Blogger Hop, and In My Mailbox.  I’m currently participating in a Holiday Break Reading Challenge that has been lots of fun.  Oh, and of course, Book Blogger’s Secret Santa!  That was awesome.

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2010? Getting those first 10 or 20 followers!  I really couldn’t believe anyone would be interested.

7. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)? My KINDLE!!!! Yea!!! And then, NetGalley, to put FREE books on my Kindle. Also, book blogging in general.  I had no idea what was out there and how much fun this would be.  It’s been a great year!

Karin, from the Holiday Break Reading Challenge, has asked us to post our Top 10 Books fo 2010 for today's challenge.  There's also a linky list at Chick Loves Lit, so check out all those too!



So, what I'm going to do I list ALL of the books I've read this year.  I'm not sure you all care, but I wanted to have the list on my blog somewhere.  I'm going to do a better job of archiving my reviews on my blog next year.  I just need to figure out how to do that. So for now, I'm just going to give you the entire list, basically in reverse order that they were read.  My TOP 10 are listed in RED.

1.                               Private by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

2.                The Last Full Measure, by Ann Rinaldi

3.                Marcello in the Real World, by Francisco X. Stork

4.                Firelight, by Sophie Jordan

5.                Revolution, by Jennifer Donnelly

6.                A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

7.                Unearthly, by Cynthia Hand

8.                Night Road, by Kristin Hannah

9.                Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, by Cohn & Levithan

10.              Folly, by Marthe Jocelyn

11.              The Vespertine, by Saundra Mitchell

12.              Please Ignore Vera Dietz, by A. S. King

13.              Holidays on Ice, by David Sedaris

14.              Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool

15.              The Second Half of Life, by Sionna Cailey

16.              Drought, by Pam Bachorz

17.              Red Glass, by Laura Resau

18.              I Will Save You, by Matt de la Pena

19.              The Mermaid’s Mirror, by L. K. Madigan

20.              If I Stay, by Gayle Forman

21.              The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery, by Alan Bradley

22.              Avalanche Dance, by Ellen Schwartz

23.              The Lying Game, by Sara Shepard

24.              The Passage, by Justin Cronin

25.              Choker, by Elizabeth Woods

26.              Delirium, by Lauren Oliver

27.              The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver

28.              Hush, Hush, by Becca Fitzpatrick

29.              Bongo Fishing, by Thacher Hurd

30.              Dissolution, by C. J. Sansom

31.              Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver

32.              Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler

33.              Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay

34.              Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld

35.              Hamlet (the Novel), by John Marsden

36.              Flash Burnout, by L.K. Madigan

37.              Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon

38.              The Fetch, by Laura Whitcomb

39.              Once Was Lost, by Sara Zarr

40.              The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

41.              Written In Blood, by John Wilson

42.              Willow, by Julia Hoban

43.              Drive, by Daniel H. Pink

44.              April Fool, by William Deverell

45.              Shiver, by Maggie Stifevater

46.              The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters

47.              Dirty Little Secrets, by C. J. Omololu

48.              Haunted Ground, by Erin Hart

49.              Death Benefits, by Sarah N. Harvey

50.              Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher

51.              Ten Cents a Dance, by Christine Fletcher

52.              Skinned, by Robin Wasserman

53.              The Aniversary Man, by R.J. Ellory

54.              The Brutal Telling, by Louise Penny

55.              Freefall, by Ariela Anhalt

56.              Raven Summer, by David Almond

57.              The Spectacular Now, by Tim Tharp

58.              Lips Touch:  Three Times, by Laini Taylor. 

59.              The Forever War, by Dexter Filkins

60.              Vanishing Acts, by Jodi Picoult

61.              I, Alex Cross, by James Patterson

62.              To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

63.              Silver Phoenix, by Cindy Pon

64.              The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson

65.              Lament, by Maggie Stiefvater

66.              Death of an Expert Witness, by P. D. James

67.              Moment of Truth, by Lisa Scottoline

68.              Wild Orchids, by Jude Deveraux

69.              Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger

70.              Cross Country, by James Patterson

71.              Hail to the Chef, by Julie Hyzy

72.              Firehouse, by David Halberstam

73.              The Monstrumologist, by Rick Yancey

74.              Mudbound, by Hillary Jordan

75.              Flygirl, by Sherri L. Smith

76.              Shanghai Girls, by Lisa See

77.              True Colors, by Kristen Hannah

78.              Fresh Disasters, by Stuart Woods

79.              Drowning Ruth, by Kristina Schwarz

80.              Love is a Four-Legged Word, by Kandy Shepherd

81.              North of Beautiful, by Justina Chen Headley

82.              Absolute Brightness, by James Lecesne

83.              The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

84.              A Long Way Down, by Nick Hornby

85.              Double Cross, by James Patterson

86.              The Orange Houses, by Paul Griffin

87.              Rucker Park Setup, by Paul Volponi

88.              Jerk, California, by Jonathan Friesen

89.              Spanking Shakespeare, by Jake Wizner

90.              Artichoke's Heart, by Suzanne Supplee

91.              Sacred Hearts, by Sarah Dunant

92.              Scrambled Eggs at Midnight, by Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler

93.              The Minotaur, by Barbara Vine

94.              House Rules, by Rachel Sontag

95.              Unwind, by Neal Shusterman

96.              Wake, by Lisa McMann

97.              Right Behind You, by Gail Giles

98.              Little Bee, by Chris Cleave

99.              What the Dead Know, by Laura Lippman

100.           The Smile, by Donna Jo Napoli

101.           Born to Rock, by Gordon Korman

102.           Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles

103.           Deadline, by Chris Crutcher

104.          Game, by Walter Dean Myers

105.          Evermore, by Alyson Noel

106.          The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewksi

107.          The Queen's Fool, by Philippa Gregory

108.          Hold Tight, by Harlan Coben

109.          Gentlemen, by Michael Northrop

110.          Epic, by Conor Kostick

111.          The China Study:  The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted, by T. Colin     Campbell, and Thomas M. Campbell II

112.          The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary Pearson

113.          Splendor, by Anna Godbersen

114.          Before I Die, by Jenny Downham

115.          The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows