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Our required format:

JANUARY

1. Winston Churchill
Finish date: March 2008
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

will post in the morning... Thanks

JANUARY

1. by Dee Brown
Finish Date: January 3, 2012
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: One of the best accounts I've read of the Native American West. Love this era in history and this book is a great source of information. Highly recommend!

2. by James Patterson
Finish Date: January 8, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A-
Review: I've been a long time fan of James Patterson although I do feel like he's just stamping his name to other authors work. Still, book is well written as usual and follows the ever interesting storyline of Detective Alex Cross and his string of serial murderer/rapists/kidnappers cases.

3. by Anne Frank
Finish Date: January 21, 2012
Genre: History
Rating: A
Review: I had always wanted to read this book and finally picked it up from the library. It's heart wrenching to think of such an innocent girl as Anne Frank living in such circumstances. Getting to experience the emotions she felt first hand was a neat experience.

FEBRUARY

4. by David Baldacci
Finish Date: February 6, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B
Review: Always have like Baldacci's work. And this book was not a let down. If you enjoy Baldacci I do recommend reading this book.

5. by Dean Hughes
Finish Date: February 15, 2012
Genre: Fiction (Historical)
Rating: A+
Review: Dean Hughes is some kind of amazing. The emotion that he wraps into this World War II homespun story that follows a LDS family and their experience both at home and abroad during the early parts of World War II is simply amazing. Huge recommendation! Will be ready the remainder of the series throughout the year.

6. by Arbinger Institute
Finish Date: February 23, 2012
Genre: Self Help
Rating: A
Review: Really easy to read, follow, and understand. Loved what the book taught. Highly recommend!

7. by David McCullough
Finish Date: February 25, 2012
Genre: History (Biography)
Rating: A+
Review: I loved this book! Best biography I've read, really opened my eyes to one of the lesser talked about founding fathers of this great nation! A MUST READ for any HISTORY BUFF...

Sadly I didn't finish any books in March :(

APRIL

8. by Viktor E. Frankl
Finish Date: April 3, 2012
Genre: History/Self Help
Rating: B-
Review: The first part of the book is easy to follow and shows the harsh realities of a Jewish prisoner during World War II. The second half of the book was incredibly hard for me to follow and understand. Must be my simple mind. :)

9. by Stephen King
Finish Date: April 9, 2012
Genre: Fiction (Historical)
Rating: A+
Review: This book was written so incredibly well! It follows a time traveler that goes back in time and gets mixed up in historical events from the 1960's. Loved this book. One of the best books I've ever read. Highly, HIGHLY recommend!

10. by L.A. Meyer
Finish Date: April 22, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Technically I listened to the audio book which was fantastically narrated. The book is great and we originally got this book to listen to with our children. They lost interest early on (They are quite young) and my wife and I have thoroughly enjoyed the series.

11. by David Baldacci
Finish Date: April 29, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: Once again, loved the book. Well written. Baldacci doesn't disappoint!

May was another sad month with no books finished...

JUNE

12. by Stephen E. Ambrose
Finish Date: June 9, 1012
Genre: History (World War II)
Rating: A+
Review: A must read for any war buff! Ambrose tells it better that any!

13. by Gerald N. Lund
Finish Date: June 25, 2012
Genre: Fiction (Historical)
Rating: A
Review: Follows the Martin and Willie Handcart companies across the plains. The main characters of the book are fictional but they travel with all the real people from history. Emotional, and heart-wrenching. Great book!

14. by James Patterson
Finish Date: June 30, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B
Review: Not as good as most of the Alex Cross series but entertaining none the less.

Wow Brandon, you are motoring right along with some great stuff. Keep it up!

Thank you!

Thank you Brandon for following the required format.

JULY

15. by L.A. Meyer
Finish Date: July 16, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: My favorite book so far in the series! L.A. Meyer is truly brilliant in his writing!

16. by Lemony Snicket
Finish Date: July 25, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: Same quirky style that I have enjoyed through the first 3 books in the series. Family loves the books and this one was no exception.

17. by Alex Haley
Finish Date: July 29, 2012
Genre: Fiction/Non-fiction (Controversial authenticity)
Rating: A
Review: I personally LOVED this book. After reading it I decided to watch the miniseries that was based on the book and was thoroughly disappointed at how characters appeared at wrong times throughout the show. However, the book was utterly fantastic! Great read!

I agree with you, Brandon....a terrific book.

AUGUST

18. by Catherine Fisher
Finish Date: August 4, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: Good read, author does a good job connecting the reader to the characters.

19. by Nic Sheff
Finish Date: August 6, 2012
Genre: Non-Fiction Memoir
Rating: A
Review: Reading this book as an addict and working with addicts really brings to light a lot of the thinking that an addict experiences in his daily life. Really a GREAT book, I highly recommend it to anyone that is an addict or lives with a loved one that is an addict.

20. by L.A. Meyer
Finish Date: August 10, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Still not disappointed. Good work Meyer on this amazingly entertaining series!

Jill wrote: "I agree with you, Brandon....a terrific book."
I know, it is something truly amazing! Loved the book!

Brandon wrote: "20. [bookcover:Mississippi Jack: Being an Account of the Further Waterborne Adventures of Jacky Faber Midshipman Fine Lady and Lily of the West] by L.A. Meyer
Finish Date..."

Interesting story and series which I had never heard of. Would you say this is a good series for young boys and girls?

Absolutely. We are doing the series as a family.

It's good for around 10 and up as far as reading. If you listen to the audio book you could start at around 6. My boys are 6 and 7 and enjoy the series very much. But even as adults my wife and I thoroughly enjoy the books.

Start with the first book though. titled Bloody Jack

21. by Catherine Fisher
Finish Date: August 12, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: Well written sequel to Incarceron. Good series of distopian novels.

22. by James Patterson
Finish Date: August 19, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A-
Review: Alex Cross hits up Africa! Great read! Love the series.

23. by David Sheff
Finish Date: August 27, 2012
Genre: Non Fiction/Memoir
Rating: A+
Review: Wow! Had to stop reading it many times due to my emotional connection to the author! This book is written in a way that can change the lives of parents and addicts the world over! I work directly with youth in a long term detention center on the 12 step Addictions program. This book is going to become a great part of our programming! Wow, just Wow!

Great stuff, Brandon. If you find an author doesn't have a photo, you don't need to post it, just add the link like this:

by David Sheff

sure thing. thanks.

Your welcome, great list so far, keep it up!

SEPTEMBER

24. by James Patterson
Finish Date: September 3, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: This isn't your typical Alex Cross series book. Rather than Cross out solving crimes Patterson decided to write a book about Alex Cross's heritage supposedly written by Cross himself... Neat twist and fascinating story where a white man goes back to his hometown (Eudora, Mississippi) during the Roosevelt administration to secretly investigate lynching in the south. Quite a page turner! Recommend for sure.

25. by Paulo Coelho
Finish Date: September 8, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: I have looked at this book for years and finally picked it up... Once I opened it I couldn't put it down! Amazingly deep book intellectually! Loved it! Great, fairly easy, read.

26. by James Patterson
Finish Date: September 8, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: B+
Review: Good novel... A friend of mine made a comment the other day that there are books that he considers "Male Smut"... I laughed out loud because Patterson is the author that classifies as my male smut. Simple writing with pre-arranged plot lines and a quick moving story... That's all it takes for me... :)

27. by James Patterson
Finish Date: September 10, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Best plot in a while for Patterson. The book was invigorating. I read it in 2 days. Kyle Craig, the arch-nemesis Mastermind, is back and evil as ever. Great read.

You are on a roll, Brandon!

28. by Sharon M. Draper
Finish Date: September 11, 2012
Genre: Ficiton
Rating: B
Review: The book is written in a way that I have never seen before, which made it a really fast read and a really well written book. My lower grade is because after reading the book I was left with feelings of sadness, anger, and depression... Not what I want from a book. Still it is well written.

Thanks Jill! Gotta catch up if I'm gonna hit 50!

29. by Lois Lowry
Finish Date: September 21, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A
Review: Really cool take on the meaning of emotions and feelings in life. Kind of a twist of what the Christian world views as Jesus Christ and Satan with their opposing views of what this life was to be like on earth. Really interesting! Recommend!

30. by James Patterson
Finish Date: September 21, 2012
Genre: Fiction
Rating: A-
Review: What else to say other than if you like the other 16 Alex Cross novels so far your sure to like this one.

Can I get 20 books in 3 months? The final stretch is here! Pushing!

Read as fast as you can, Brandon!!!!! You are doing fine.