2013 reading challenge Archives

Hi All,

Apologies for the long gap between posts. Life sometimes takes an unknown turn and suddenly blogging takes a back seat.

I know I should be blogging solely about all things Christmas but I am in dire need of throwing a quick reading update in as I have one more after this to do at the end of the year. So hear are books 39-44!

1. One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

I had high hopes for this book but was a little disappointed in what was a rather busy, shallow chick lit read. The characters were mostly rather unlikeable and the story lines were nothing spectacular. It took me a while to get into it and once I did I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the read to some extent but not something I would recommend seeing as there is so much to read and so little time. 3 Stars

2. Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Okay so confession time….I didn’t enjoy this very much at all and thought the characters lacked proper development, the reader was thrown into the middle of a pretty confusing story and it was pretty average. Here is where it gets rather shameful. I realised after reading and complaining about this that it is in fact the third book in a series. The conclusion in fact. And somehow I read the entire thing thinking it was the first. Suddenly the lack of information on characters and sub plots make a lot of sense whilst I sit in a corner sorry for all my criticisms. So yeah, average book but mainly because I am sure the two books before hand do a lot for the story. It still wasn’t good enough that I can be bothered going back to the first two… 3 Stars (Probably deserves more but who knows)

3. Last to Die by Tess Gerritsen

Ah, I love authors that never fail to dissapoint. Whilst this isn’t my favourite novel of hers I can always rely on a very enjoyable read when it comes to Gerritsen. This creepy story centered around a child who is the lone survivor of his family’s mass murder and a pretty strange school sanctuary this book was a quick and satisfying read. One of my favourite crime/thriller authors and the two females leads are great characters throughout most of her books. 4 Stars

4. Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale by Zack Whedon et al.

Are graphic novels cheating cause if so I kind of cheated. I have been pining after Serenity since falling in love with the TV series and Shepherd’s mysterious, religious character was one I was desperate to know more about. I don’t read many graphic novels but this one was a quick and easy read however I was left with a sense that I had just seen the shorts for a movie and not really delved into a character’s past like I had hoped to. The drawing was nice to look at but at times it was a little difficult to read. Not bad but could have been SO MUCH MORE. 3 Stars

5. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

So this is the third book in another series but I had actually read the first two in this case so I guess that’s progress.. I loved this dystopian series and was very excited for this books released. The conclusion to the series was okay but also felt a little forced in some places. The narration by the two characters was weird at first but worked once I got used to it. I like that the author wasn’t afraid to make big moves and overall they were done well. Very enjoyable thought not perfection but a good end for a must read series. 4 Stars

6. The Marriage Plot by Jeffery Eugenides (I will never say his name right. Ever.)

I was excited to finally read my first book by this rather popular author and the novel did not disappoint. At first I kind of floundered around in what felt at times a little over written but by a quarter of the way I was taken. Not everyone loves this book and I can see why. Some sentences are just so strange and bizarre but at the same time were what made me fall in love with the writing and the characters. For me I guess the juxtaposed characters, pretentious prose and the beautifully written love triangle cliche come across as unique and absorbing. A book that I just wanted to spend hours with so I could savour every word and that doesn’t happen very often. 5 Stars

All in all a bunch of solid books but a couple I could have happily missed. If you want to keep an eye on my reading follow me on Goodreads where I am happy to announce I am officially on track for reading 50 books in 2013! Exciting stuff guys.

Hope you are all having a great week!

Hi All!

So it has been a SHAMEFUL amount of time since my last reading corner update. I’m falling a little behind in my efforts to read 50 books by the end of the year, but I am determined so let the long nights trying to finish books commence. But not really because lately I have been exhausted enough without any extra reading involved. Anyway, today I thought I would share my next 8 books, there are 12 in total I have read since the previous update (which seems like a lifetime ago) but I thought splitting them up was a little more sensible.

#17 The Host by Stephenie Meyer: Okay so I am only slightly ashamed to admit I thoroughly enjoyed the Twilight series. Like I know it wasn’t Shakespeare or Harry Potter but I was rather happily sucked in to the stories (TEAM EDWARD) and quite frankly never wanted them to end (phew, glad that’s out. Time for some wine before I disappear into some 14 year old). So after Twilight I was actually a little shamefully excited to read and watch The Host. I read it and kind of enjoyed it but not much about the story really stuck with me, and if anything it tended to just annoy me. It was fine but nothing special and no where near as good as the Twilight series in my opinion. Also it was a pretty poor attempt at a very average sci fi story line (and I LOVE me some sci fi). And PLEASE don’t ask me whether I enjoyed the movie. 2 Stars (I actually gave this 3 stars in Goodreads when I read it way way back but I can’t bring myself to do it now).

#18 Matched by Ally Condie: Another rather popular YA dystopian series in a universe where people are matched with their life partners based on all sorts of compatibility ratings and emotions aren’t really involved (there is a lot more to it but hey, I read it like 3 months ago). This was fine but not that memorable. I can’t even really recall much about the main characters. I will read on with the series but seemed pretty similar to others like Delirium and just not as good. Maybe it will get better, who knows. 3 Stars (this can have the full 3 purely because it wasn’t quite as painful in some places as the host).

#19 The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick: I truly enjoyed this read (and would read it again if I didn’t have so many others to get through). I can see why people draw parallels with The Perks of Being a Wallflower, it just feels similar in its sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking honesty and its quirky characters that are so imperfect and unique that you are completely drawn in. Excited to watch the movie and not sure why I haven’t yet to be honest. 4 Stars.

#20 The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton: Michael Crichton is a sci-fi thriller author who I know I can turn to for some fast paced, enjoyable rides in a world of political lies, untamed biology and terrifying possibilities. I enjoyed this one which centered on a deadly particle from out of space and a group of scientists chosen to try and save us from it. At times awkwardly written but tense, enjoyable and still scientific/technical which I like. 3 Stars.

#21 Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver: After rather enjoying Delirium I moved on to the second in the YA dystopian series and actually ended up enjoying it more than the first. I felt it was faster paced, held more tension and emotion and just had a slightly more exciting story line. Needless to say I’m excited to read the third!!! #4 Stars

#22 Echo Burning by Lee Child: Another classic series that I always know I can enjoy is the Jack Reacher action/thriller series and I have been trying to read the books in the series that I missed out when I was a bit younger. This is number 5, centered on a woman desperate for Reacher’s help with an abusive husband who is about to come back out of prison. As usual was a thrilling enjoyment from start to finish. 4 Stars.

#23 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Okay so this was a book EVERYONE raved about and one I had for ages and just couldn’t get around to reading. Once I started it was still a little stop start (mostly my fault) and it wasn’t until the last third of this book that I really started appreciating the story and every puzzle piece that made it so unique. The characters, the writing, the narrator…everything worked really well and although it wouldn’t be in my top ten books ever like I know it is for some others I did thoroughly enjoy everything this book offered up. A unique and special read that should be on everyone’s list. 5 Stars.

#24 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien: I wanted to reread this, having not done so since I was rather young and with the movies coming out and what not. I knew I would enjoy it, it was pleasant, easy to read and felt comforting like an old blanket. Not a lot else to say, a well written book in a universe I love. Oh and the illustrations are amazing. Only gave it 4 stars just because I love some books a lot more.

Phew, good job for getting through that. Another update to come in the next week or so Meanwhile if you have any book recommendations please share!

Coming up next is some tea inspired ramblings….want to see my new favorite? Too bad it’s coming up anyway.

Posts Tagged ‘2013 reading challenge’

My Foxy Reading Corner: #39-44