Okay, so I don’t have the Book Nook page ready to go live yet … but in the process of working on it, I came across this nifty little site — Goodreads.com. You can view the books I’ve added so far at  http://www.goodreads.com/cmccall. Rather than use it as my primary list, I plan to use it as a resource for locating all the books I’ve read and keep one here on the site that’s sorted by year. I’ve added books by most of the authors I’ve read in the last several years and have started going through the lists on the site to find other books I forgot about!

1) Handle with Care — Jodi Picoult
Just recently finished reading this one. Its the third Picoult novel I’ve read since I first heard of her last year. Great storyline — a family with a child born with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bones) and what lengths a mother will go to in order to make sure her child will be taken care of when she is no longer able to do so. Mixed throughout the book are several recipes for the pastry lover.
My rating (out of 5 stars): 4 — wish the ending had been a bit different as the reader is left hanging. 

2) The Queen’s Fool — Philippa Gregory
I have to admit, prior to reading The Other Boleyn Girl nearly three years ago, I really wasn’t much of a historical fiction reader. However, the history nerd + lover of all things British has led to me becoming addicted to Gregory’s books. This particular one doesn’t focus so much on a member of the royal family (or someone hankering to become a royal) as Hannah Green, a Jewish girl who fled to England during the Spanish Inquisition with her father. Through her father’s book shop, she meets Sir Robert Dudley, dear friend (and supposed lover) to the future Queen Elizabeth I. After witnessing a talent of her’s, he brings her to court as a Holy Fool and to spy on Princess Mary. This book, like all of her other books I’ve read so far was hard to put down even when half asleep …
My rating (out of 5 stars): 4.5 — one has to remember that its historical fiction, not actually history.  

3) Texas Sunrise — Elmer Kelton
Again, remember I’m not a huge historical fiction reader, but I am a history nerd. I spotted this book originally at Wal Mart but later bought it online elsewhere. Its actually two books in one, set during the time period leading up to the Texas Revolution and during the early days of the Republic of Texas. Two brothers make their way to what’s now the Texas Hill Country where alliances, war, and love come between them. Kelton passed away last year and from what I can tell, many of his books are being republished via his estate (these two were written/published in the late 1960s). Like with Gregory’s books, I found Kelton’s hard to put down and finished it over a weekend. Two more of his novels are stacked up in my ‘to read’ pile already …
My rating (out of 5 stars): 5 — well researched + a well written fictional account of Texas during that time period.

However, my photography business picked up and I wasn’t reading as much — or updating the booklist.

Oops!

So one of my summer goals is to wrack my brain and remember what authors I’ve read over the last couple of years, then sit down, using amazon and google to recall which titles I’ve read by those authors to recreate the newly dubbed Book Nook. As soon as I have a few minutes to get it restarted I’ll add the link to the menu above …

Meanwhile … read a good book lately that you think I’d enjoy? Leave me a comment with the author and title and next time I frequent my local book exchange or the library, I’ll see if I can find it!

01. Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
Sometimes — it really can vary. Usually candy (i.e. jelly beans, reeses pieces, m&m’s — all the way to cheese, crackers, or fruit.

02. Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
Just textbooks! I figure as much as I paid for them, I ought to get my money’s worth I don’t write in novels unless I’m gifting it for a special reason, and even then only on the inside cover/first page

03. How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
Typically some sort of bookmark — although scraps of paper have been known to substitute late at night when I can barely keep my eyes open. The only time I fold the corner over is when its beaten and battered already. Only textbooks will I leave flat open (or face down flat open). I hate creases in the binding on paperbacks. If I buy it new, it typically still looks new/unread when I finish it!

04. Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
Both, although I usually lean towards fiction.

05. Hard copy or audiobooks?
I like to read books, not hear them. And even then, I want paper copies. I may love tech gadgets, but I don’t want to read them on screens after working all day staring at one!

06. Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
I always try to get to the end of the chapter unless I’m interrupted by someone with no patience or can’t keep my eyes open any longer.

07. If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
Typically only when its for academic reasons. Fun reading, only if the storyline doesn’t allude to the word’s meaning.

08. What are you currently reading?
Alternating between The Shack, a novel by Lesley Pearse, and, as of last night, reading/proofing a friend’s draft of a novel he’s about to self publish.

09. What is the last book you bought?
The Shack and another Christian novel that caught my eye while I was killing time at Wal Mart last week (while waiting for an oil change to be completed).

10. Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
Normally I read one at a time, however, as its sometimes hard to focus on one thing at a time anymore, I now have up to 3-4 different books going when I have down time to read.

11. Do you like re-reading books?
When I have down time to do so — or when I can’t get started in a new book, I’ll grab an old favorite I know will keep my attention.

So … what do you have to do to enter? Leave a comment answering the following question:

“What is your all time favorite book?”

You can receive an extra one or two entries if you do one or both of the following as well — be sure to come back here and let me know you have posted on your blog and/or twittered about the giveaway:

(1) Post on your blog about the contest and link to this entry

(2) Post on Twitter about the contest and link to this entry

You can enter through midnight CST on Saturday, January 24th — I’ll announce the winner on Sunday, January 25th after 12 noon CST.

So, for lack of a better theme, I’m going with books! In particular, ones that have recently caught my eye …

Dewey — The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched The World by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter

This one I just started reading this week. The cover caught my eye — Dewey was an absolutely adorable feline and just based on the first three chapters, his beauty was minor in comparison to his ability to know who needed him most.

A Journal for Jordan — A Story of Love and Honor by Dana Canedy

I haven’t started this book yet, only read a couple of stories on abcnews.com about the book and the author. Based on the fact I needed kleenex just to read those two stories, I’ll be keeping a box nearby when I start this book.

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

I saw this one mentioned in a magazine last summer but only today located it on the shelf at the local library, it has been that popular! I’ve only read one other book by Jodi Picoult –Nineteen Minutes — which I had trouble putting down. I hope this one is as good as I’ve anticipated.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

I just finished reading this book last weekend. Like every other Nicholas Sparks book I’ve read, the story has drew me in and I’d read much later than I’d plan to. The last few chapters throw a tailspin — and the ending, while a typical Sparks one, seems like it may not happen as you’d think earlier on. Great story, will be keeping my copy.

Any interesting reads you’ve encountered recently? Feel free to share them in the comments!

I recently read the Parade article and saw the interview Randy Pausch had with Diane Sawyer. While I’ve not listened to the lecture yet (pesky dial up connection), I read his entire book in one sitting. All I can say is that it is a must read. I’m trying to convince my 19 year old brother, who doesn’t like to read anything not for school or a magazine or online, to read it. It took me a couple of weeks to locate a copy that would be sent out immediately, as most online stores were out of stock and backordered, but it was worth the wait.

In case you would like to check in on Randy, he’s posting updates here. Be sure to check out his Feb 15th entry…you’ll have to read the book for the background on it

Also, Wikipedia has an extensive entry regarding his career/academic accomplishments and ongoing battle with cancer.

I don’t know about you, but its a part of my daily vocabulary…