Thursday, May 1, 2014

End of 2013 and Early 2014 Reading Recap

It has been so long since I last sat down to write here and I'd like to TRY to get back to it.....

Easiest way to do that without killing myself right now would be to just recap what I wrapped up in 2013 and what I've since read in 2014. So without further ado....

2013

Started The Giver series....well now called The Giver Quartet

The Giver (The Giver, #1)Gathering Blue (The Giver, #2)

Book 1 & 2
read December 27-28, 2013 & December 28-29, 2013

2014

Wrapped up The Giver Quartet

MessengerSon (The Giver #4)

Book 3 & 4

read December 31, 2013- January 1, 2014 & January 1-6, 2014

Continued on with a Lois Lowry kick....

Gossamer by Lois Lowry

read: January 6-7, 2014

Got some sci-fi action....kind of anticipating the next book...

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

read: January 9-13, 2014

And on to some fluffy mystery...

High Five (Stephanie Plum, #5)

read: January 22-28, 2014

A little bit of young adult...

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

read: January 28- February 1, 2014
I absolutley LOVED this book. Great lead female character!!!

Deadly

read: February 1-2, 2014
this one was just ok

Back to sci-fi...

Parasite by Mira Grant

read: February 7- March 1, 2014
this took FOREVER and had I known it was only the start of the series....I may not have kept with it. Not sure if I'll continue.

What I thought was the last book in my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE SERIES......

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches (Flavia de Luce, #6)

read: March 1-2, 2014
This book series is amazing! Seriously the best spunky female lead I've ever had the honor to meet and follow....Flavia De Luce. She may only be 11 but the world better watch out cause she has more knowledge of chemistry than any one person her age should!! She is forever getting wrapped up in a mystery that she needs to solve, and she never ceases to amaze the reader. I'm excited to learn that there will be more of Flavia, and I look forward to meeting her again!

A stroll through the past....

Gidget (Gidget series, #1)

read: March 2, 2014
I caught the ttv show with Sally Field on a Sunday a few months ago and was intrigued enough to see what was behind the real Gidget. The story was ok, but I'd rather watch the show since I like Sally Field.

On to some young adult...

See What I See

read: March 2-3, 2014
This was a nice find in the young adult section. I ended up picking up a couple of Gloria Whelan's novels and while I only read once, I did enjoy it.

Nothing but Ghosts

read: March 6-7, 2014
Nice quick little read. It was a nice change of pace from the typical young adult novels that seem to get stuck in these love triangle loops.

And on to a little non-fiction....

American Legends by Charles River Editors

read: March 8, 2014
Love James Dean. This was pretty informative. Really did not know as much about him as I thought.

Freebie from Amazon....

Death's Avatar by S.M. Reine

read: March 8, 2014
Just a free book I have had for a long time on my kindle that I FINALLY sat down to read. This was a great introduction to a really interesting series. I'll be continuing this series soon.

Something a little different for me....

The Women of Brewster Place

read: March 8-9, 2014
I LOVED this book. The stories were engaging, brutal and heartbreaking. I had to know what happens to the men of Brewster Place so.....

The Men of Brewster Place: A Novel

read: March 10-13, 2014
This was just ok compared to the first novel. The novel of the women was great, while this didn't give me the ending or the explanations I was expecting. I felt it was lacking in comparison.

The much anticipated.....
Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3)

read: March 13-23, 2014
This was such a letdown after having waiting so long for this series to continue. It took forever to read and I just couldn't get into it. I had to force myself to finish. I guess part of my problem was the series is getting too much entangled with the love stories. Which, yuck. The character introduced in this book, Cress, was soooo annoying and just ga ga. That was part of the reason it was so tough to read.

Revisiting a new favorite author....
The Good Luck of Right Now

read: March 25-29, 2014
I read a Matthew Quick novel last year and really liked the character. This novel was no different. What originally pulled me to read this was that it is epistolary and I love a novel in letters!! The unique story here is that the main character is writing to Richard Gere in his letters as he copes with his mothers death. I knew I had to read more of Quick's novels.

Because I was hooked on epistolary novels....I picked up something slightly different...something that faces pain head on and unflinching....
Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas

read: March 29-30, 2014
Beautiful. Moving. Heartbreaking. Triumphant. A truly wonderful ending that had me cheering out loud. Truly wonderful find.

Another unflinching novel....
Life Size CL

read: March 30- April 3, 2014
A look at anorexia from the view of a patient. Her thoughts about herself and her relationship with food was interesting and tough to read. It made me want to shake her and make her eat, yet talk with her an attempt to understand her mind.

Back to young adult....and on to horror...

The Hand of the Devil by Dean Vincent Carter

read: April 3-4, 2014
One of the strangest novels I've ever read. Ever. And it was entertaining. It had me looking this freakish creature, that now that I read the book description I see it is not named, but wow it is a freak of nature!!!

From horror to death....

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

read: April 5-6, 2014
An ok novel. Not quite what I was expecting. I very nearly but the novel down, but I kept with it. I won't be reading any further as I think there is another book, but that's because I just didn't feel a connection to the characters. Sadly it didn't matter to me whether she stayed or not.

Back to Matthew Quick....this time a female lead!!!

Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick

read: April 8-11, 2014
This was a great novel too!! I'm a Quick fan now!! No doubt. This was nice to see him write not only from a female perspective, but a teenage girls point of view and he did a nice job. The character is compelling and engaging.

Back to the epistolary novels....

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

read: April 13, 2014
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I was so glad to have found it at the library. I started it and even put it down frustrated with it. But then picked it up again and I am soooo glad I did. This was an incredibly entertaining novel especially for people who love words!!

Oh Miss Plum...

Hot Six by Janet Evanovich

read: April 14-19, 2014
Stephanie is always good for a light read and a funny story, and this did not disappoint!

Seven Up (Stephanie Plum, #7)

read: April 19-23, 2014
Had to pick up the next one.....

And guess what I'm reading now!!!!!

Hard Eight (Stephanie Plum, #8)

The annoying thing I'm finding with Janet Evanovich's novels however is that she ends on a cliffhanger....but she never gives you the moment you miss where the last book ends!!! How annoying!!! Don't pick up MONTHS later!!! Especially when you are going to end with RANGER IN STEPHANIE'S BEDROOM, DROPPING HIS UTILITY BELT ON THE FLOOR AFTER SPENDING THE NOVEL TELLING THE READER THAT WE WILL BE SEEING SOME ACTION BETWEEN THESE CHARACTERS!!! UGH!!!

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End of 2013 and Early 2014 Reading Recap

It has been so long since I last sat down to write here and I'd like to TRY to get back to it..... Easiest way to do that without k...