The Last of '08

I made it to 46 in this calendar year, but I only started counting as of February 1st. Looks like I have a month to read 6 more! I'll know which post at which to start counting for 2009, though.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Genre: Motivational Rating: (out of 10): 6
There were some great nuggets in this book, but his presentation put me off. It seemed as though he did most everything right... I liked the story style of Tuesdays with Morrie better.

Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Genre: Historical Fiction, Children's Rating: (out of 10): 9
This was a short book written at about a 3rd grade level. I was surprised at how many deep subjects it contained. There is a lot to teach from this book. The ending surprised me, too.

The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren
Genre: Religion Rating: (out of 10): 4
I liked the layout of the book- three distinct sections with main points following. It was easy to follow. I've just never gotten into religious reading.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fantasy, Children's fables Rating: (out of 10): 7
This was a neat concept. There were 4 fables from Harry Potter's world, and then Dumbledore commented on each one afterwards to tell more about their significance. I thought two of the stories were wonderful and the others were so-so. I could see why avid Harry Potter fans would be disappointed- it was just a taste. All of the proceeds from this book also went to charity.

Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo
Genre: Fantasy, Children's Rating: (out of 10): 8
The books are building into a great ending. I have trouble separating one from another after I've read them, but I have enjoyed the series as it has grown throughout the books. I thought the first book was pretty straightforward. Now we're getting to know more about the battle between the Red King's children and the history behind what's going on.

Charlie Bone and the Hidden King by Jenny Nimmo
Genre: Fantasy, Children's Rating: (out of 10): 9
Much like my last comments. We figure out what happened to Charlie's father in this book. Like I said, it's building.

Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
Genre: Fantasy, Children's Rating: (out of 10): 7
Can I give two different ratings for the first and second half of the book? I felt the same way with Inkspell. I just could not get into the first half of the book- read two chapters, go to bed- there was no sense of "can't put it down" at all. The second half of the book came together beautifully- and she wrapped up the trilogy in a perfect way. It was clever, engaging, and creative... once you were past page 300 or so.