Herding Cats II: Attack of the Hairballs Reading Challenge

I know I need another reading challenge like I need another book but this looked wonderful! lol And we have cats and one of them likes to read with me. Note my blog profile picture. :)

Here are the guidelines to Herding Cats II:

It starts April 1 - December 31 2009

1. Make a list of five books you love.

Five. I'm as serious as a beached whale.
All titles must be books you've read in 2007, 2008 or 2009.
Please don't list a series; just the first book. If you really want to list a book in the middle of a series, you can, but it has to be that specific book.
Feel free to share why you're putting the book on your list, because I am nosy.

2. Post your list:
in your own journal, in the comments here, whatever is fine. Share the link to the list here.
Lists should be public (no locked entries, no logging in to view).

3. Browse the new book list. Stay a while. Read a few (eta: if you want; not even reading is required this time around if you don't have time to commit to a new challenge but still want to share your favorites).

4. If you review your books, you can share the reviews. You know, if you want. No pressure. Definitely not.The home page for this project is at http://www.echthroi.org/getliterate/herdingcats/ (or http://tinyurl.com/cdxk45). If you twitter, feel free to #herdcats over there. ;)

My Favorites:

1. The Guernsey Liteary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows (2008) - I wish the main author would have lived long enough to see how much this book is loved. I really want to reread this one but I loaned it out so I will have to wait. I feel like this book will become a new classic. It turned me on Helene Hanff who wrote 84 Charing Cross Road which I had never heard about before. I just loved this book and highly recommend it. :)

2. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall (2008)- It is the second in a series about the Penderwick family. It is meant for children but I loved it and so did my cousins. The father is a single parent and he says things in Latin sometimes. This series is timeless. I did not even realize it is set present day.

3. A Thousand Tomorrows by Karen Kingsbury (2009) - This book is about a bull rider who rides like death does not exist because he is so angry at his father for leaving the family because of his younger brother being mentally retarded. He meets a girl on the circuit who is mysterious and does not participate in anything but barrell racing and is very good. She has a big secret nobody on the circuit knows about. This is a beautiful poigant story by a queen of Inspirational fiction. I highly recommend this book.

4. The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano (2009) - I need to review this book. This is the story of a girl who witnesses a murder and has to go in the witness protection program. Her parents die while in it and she crys wolfe when she wants to be moved. Well one day the son of the guy who she saw murder someone tracks her down. He takes her away and at first she is scared but then she comes to understand him. The ending will surprise you but overall the book was very good.

5. The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa (2009) - I loved this book even if is heavy on the math references. It is a beautiful story of an ex math professor who was in an accident and has only a 90 min. memory left. The housekeeper who is hired to take care of him and her son both become a part of his life. I do not feel like I have captured this book but needless to say it is going on my favorites list.

The second part of this challenge is to pick five books from the others list and read them:

1. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
2. Dracula by Bram Stoker

3. Looking for Alaska by John Green

4. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (maybe)

5. Who By Fire by Diana Spechler