Books Read 2017

Books I've Read 2017

• DECEMBER
• 48. The Dreamer's Song (Nine Kingdom #11) - Lynn Kurland
• 47. Ever My Love (MacLeod #10) - Lynn Kurland
• 46. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (illustrated edition) - J.K. Rowling
• 45. A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6) - Diana Gabaldon
• NOVEMBER
• 44. Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3) - Jenny Han
• 43. Starflight (Starflight #1) - Melissa Landers
• OCTOBER
• 42. Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) - Laini Taylor
• 41. Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) - Leigh Bardugo
• 40. Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) - Leigh Bardugo
• 39. The Forbidden Wish (The Forbidden Wish #1) - Jessica Khoury
• SEPTEMBER
• 38. Flame in the Mist (Flame in the Mist #1) - Renee Ahdieh
• 37. Stalking Jack the Ripper - Kerri Maniscalco
• 36. Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) - Sarah J. Maas
• 35. Magic Study (Study #2) - Maria V. Snyder (reread)
• AUGUST
• 34. Posion Study (Study #1) - Maria V. Snyder (reread)
• 33. Dawn Study (Study #6) - Maria V. Snyder
• 32. Night Study (Study #5) - Maria V. Snyder (reread)
• 31. Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) - Sarah J. Maas (reread)
• 30. Geekerella - Ashley Poston
• 29. Lucky in Love - Kasie West
• 28. Generation One (Lorien Legacies Reborn #1) - Pittacus Lore
• JULY
• 27. Now I Rise (The Conqueror's Saga #2) - Kiersten White
• 26. Beyond - Catina Haverlock & Angela Larkin
• 25. Shadowcaster (Shattered Realms #2) - Cinda Williams Chima
• 24. The Warlord of Mars (Barsoom #3) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
• 23. The Gods of Mars (Barsoom #2) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
• JUNE
• 22. Empress of a Thousand Skies - Rhoda Belleza
• 21. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• MAY
• 20. A Princess of Mars (Barsoom #1) - Edgar Rice Burroughs
• 19. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• 18. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• APRIL
• 17. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• 16. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• 15. The Last of August (Charlotte Holmes #2) - Brittany Cavallaro
• MARCH
• 14. A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1) - Brittany Cavallaro
• 13. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling (reread)
• 12. The Last Command (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #3) - Timothy Zahn
• 11. Dark Force Rising (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #2) - Timothy Zahn
• FEBRUARY
• 10. Heir to the Empire (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy #1) - Timothy Zahn
• 9. Windwitch (The Witchlands #2) - Susan Dennard
• 8. Settle for More - Megyn Kelly
• 7. Ever the Hunted (Clash of Kingdoms #1) - Erin Summerill
• 6. By Your Side - Kasie West
• 5. Oubound Flight - Timothy Zahn
• JANUARY
• 4. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two - John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, J.K. Rowling
• 3. The Fiery Cross (Outlander #5) - Diana Gabaldon
• 2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K.Rowling (reread)
• 1. Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty

5. Outbound Flight by Timothy Zahn

Last year I made a deal with my husband.

He felt I read too much (is that even possible?!?!?) and I felt his opinion was a little on the crazy side.

To help him feel better about the amount of books I read, I promised him that this year I would read his entire collection of Star Wars books (those and military books are the only ones he'll read, so I figured that would appease him).

He agreed to this deal and so here we are today.

Outbound Flight is about you guessed it, a flight that goes out of bounds - the bound of the Republic, that is.

Here's what Goodreads has to say about it:

The Clone Wars have yet to erupt when Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth petitions the Senate for support of a singularly ambitious undertaking. Six Jedi Masters, twelve Jedi Knights, and fifty thousand men, women, and children will embark–aboard a gargantuan vessel, equipped for years of travel–on a mission to contact intelligent life and colonize undiscovered worlds beyond the known galaxy. The government bureaucracy threatens to scuttle the expedition before it can even start–until Master C’baoth foils a murderous conspiracy plot, winning him the political capital he needs to set in motion the dream of Outbound Flight.

Or so it would seem. For unknown to the famed Jedi Master, the successful launch of the mission is secretly being orchestrated by an unlikely ally: the evil Sith Lord, Darth Sidious, who has his own reasons for wanting Outbound Flight to move forward . . . and, ultimately, to fail.

Yet Darth Sidious is not the mission’s most dangerous challenge. Once underway, the starship crosses paths at the edge of Unknown Space with the forces of the alien Chiss Ascendancy and the brilliant mastermind best known as “Thrawn.” Even Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, aboard Outbound Flight with his young Padawan student, Anakin Skywalker, cannot help avert disaster. Thus what begins as a peaceful Jedi mission is violently transformed into an all-out war for survival against staggering odds–and the most diabolical of adversaries.

Timothy Zahn’s unique mix of espionage, political gamesmanship, and deadly interstellar combat breathes electrifying life into a Star Wars legend.

My husband is a HUGE Star Wars fan and in the 13 plus years we have been married, he has turned me into quite the fan, as well.

It was an interesting read.  The Star Wars world is huge, and there are so many facets to the Jedi and the Force that it has spawned numerous book series.  According to my husband, Thrawn is quite a notorious character in the Star Wars world, and after reading this I am a little disappointed and at the same time intrigued by his character.

The ending was not at all what I was expecting and I found myself actually interested in reading the Thrawn Triliogy to find out what happens to the Chiss mastermind.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Fun Kids Books

This past year I have really made an effort to find some fun, new books to read to my boys.

They were getting tired of the same old books I've had since my daughters were little, and of course their tastes are different.

These are some of my favorites that we've discovered over the past year.

Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin

This book was a hoot!  It's a really cute story about dragons that love tacos (obviously) and what can happen when you give them the wrong kind of salsa on their tacos.

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

This book is my boys' absolute favorite!  It's a fun tale about a boy named Duncan's school crayons, and the specific requests they have for him concerning their use.  Our special favorite is peach crayon's letter!

The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt

This is the sequel to The Day the Crayons Quit.  This story revolves around the crayons in Duncan's home.  It's similar to the first book, but has some fun little "twists" in it. ;)

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

This book is pretty self-explanatory.  There are zero pictures in this book.  However, there are a bunch of funny words that the reader (aka parent) has to say.  This book had my little boys laughing big belly laughs!

Books Read 2016

DECEMBER

78. Saving Grace - Julie Garwood (reread)

77. The Sun Is Also a Star - Nicola Yoon

76. Ransom - Julie Garwood (reread)

75. Frost Like Night (Snow Like Ashes #3) - Sara Raasch

74. Like a River Glorious (The Gold Seer Trilogy #2) - Rae Carson

NOVEMBER

73. The Secret - Julie Garwood (reread)

72. Something Beautiful (Beautiful #2.6) - Jamie McGuire

71. Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) - Sara Raasch

OCTOBER

70. Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly #1) - Susan Dennard

69. And I Darken (The Conquerer's Saga #1) - Kiersten White

68. Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) - Sara Raasch

67. The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5) - Sarah J. Maas

66. The White Spell (Nine Kingdoms #10) - Lynn Kurland

65. A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) - Sabaa Tahir

SEPTEMBER

64. The Last Star (The 5th Wave #3) - Rick Yancey

63. The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2) - Rick Yancey

62. The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) - Rick Yancey

61. Beautiful Burn (Maddox Brothers #4) - Jamie McGuire

60. Beautiful Sacrifice (Maddox Brothers #3) - Jamie McGuire

59. Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) - Sarah J. Maas

58. Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) - Sarah J. Maas (reread)

57. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) - Sarah J. Maas (reread)

AUGUST

56. Beautiful Redemption (Maddox Brothers #2) - Jamie McGuire

55. P.S. I Like You - Kasie West

54. Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers #1) - Jamie McGuire

53. A Beautiful Wedding (Beautiful #2.5) - Jamie McGuire

52. Walking Disaster (Beautiful #2) - Jamie McGuire

51. Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) - Jamie McGuire

50. The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1) - Rick Riordan

49. Flamecaster (Shattered Realms #1) - Cinda William Chima

JULY

48. Edge of Reason (Bridget Jones #2) - Helen Fielding

47. Bridget Jones's Diary (Bridget Jones #1) - Helen Fielding

46. These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901, Arizona Territories (SarahAgnes Prine #1) - Nancy E. Turner (reread)

45. Stars in Your Eyes (de Piaget #14) - Lynn Kurland

44. Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1) - Susan Dennard

43. The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy (Smythe-Smith Quartet #4) - Julia Quinn

42. United as One (Lorien Legacies #7) - Pittacus Lore

41. The Fate of Ten (Lorien Legacies #6) - Pittacus Lore (reread)

40. The Revenge of Seven (Lorien Legacies #5) - Pittacus Lore (reread)

JUNE

39. The Fall of Five (Lorien Legacies #4) - Pittacus Lore (reread)

38. I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1) - Pittacus Lore (reread)

37. Calamity (Reckoners #3) - Brandon Sanderson

36. A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy - Alexandra Bracken

35. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) - Pierce Brown

MAY

34. Sweet Temptation (Sweet Trilogy #4) - Wendy Higgins

33. Firefight (Reckoners #2) - Brandon Sanderson

32. Steelheart (Reckoners #1) - Brandon Sanderson

31. Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys #1) - Julia Quinn

30. Dreamer's Pool - Juliet Marillier

29. Sweet Reckoning (Sweet Trilogy #3) - Wendy Higgins

APRIL

28. One Year After - William R. Forstchen

27. A Thousand Nights - E.K. Johnston

26. The Girl From Everywhere - Heidi Heilig

25. Goddess of the Sea (Goddess Summoning #1) - P.C. Cast

24. Sweet Peril (Sweet Trilogy #2) - Wendy Higgins

23. Sweet Evil (Sweet Trilogy #1) - Wendy Higgins

22. Split Second (Pivot Point #2) - Kasie West

21. Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) - Kasie West

MARCH

20. On The Fence - Kasie West (re-read)

19. Night Study (Soulfinders #2) - Maria V. Snyder

18. Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1) - Maria V. Snyder (re-read)

17. Fast Track - Julie Garwood

16. The Wise Man's Fear (The Kingkiller Chronicles #2) - Patrick Rothfuss

FEBRUARY

15. The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicles #1) - Patrick Rothfuss

14. Mechanica - Betsy Cornwell

13. The Fill-In Boyfriend - Kasie West

12. After You (Me Before You #2) - Jojo Moyes

JANUARY

11. Suddenly One Summer - Julie James

10. What You Left Behind - Jessica Verdi

9. Magnolia - Kristi Cook

8. End of Days (Penryn & the End of Days #3) - Susan Ee

7. World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2) - Susan Ee

6. Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) - Susan Ee

5. Walk on Earth (The Gold Seer Trilogy #1) - Rae Carson

4. Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse #9) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

3. An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) - Sabaa Tahir

2. From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse #8) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

1. An Uncertain Choice - Jody Hedlund

Books Read 2015

Books I've read 2015

DECEMBER

94. Twelfth Night - William Shakespeare

93. Sentinel (Covenant #5) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

92. Apollyon (Covenant #4) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

91. All Together Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #7) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

90. Night - Elie Wiesel

89. Cookie Girl Christmas - Christene Houston

88. Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine

87. Deity (Covenant #3) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

86. Everything, Everything - Nicola Yoon

85. Pure (Covenant #2) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

84. The Heir (The Selection #4) - Kiera Cass

NOVEMBER

83. Winter (Lunar Chronicles #4) - Marissa Meyer

82. Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) - Marissa Meyer (re-read)

81. Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) - Marissa Meyer (re-read)

80. Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) - Marissa Meyer (re-read)

79. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Seth Grahame-Smith

78. Definitely Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #6) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

OCTOBER

77. Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse #5) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

76. Half-Blood (Covenant #1) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

75. The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) - Rick Riordan

74. Tiger Lily - Jodi Lynn Anderson

73. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) - Michele Hodkin

72. Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family #1) - Melissa de la Cruz

71. Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard

SEPTEMBER

70. P.S. I Still Love You (To All the Boys I've Loved Before#2) - Jenny Han

69. Rook - Sharon Cameron

68. To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1) - Jenny Han

67. Persuasion - Jane Austen

66. Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) - Sarah J. Maas

65. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) - Sarah J. Maas (re-read)

64. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) - Sarah J. Maas (re-read)

63. Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) Sarah J. Maas (re-read)

62. The Fate of Ten (Lorien Legacies #6) - Pittacus Lore

AUGUST

61. A Noble Groom (Michigan Brides #2) - Jody Hedlund

60. American Pastoral - Phillip Roth

59. Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse #4) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

58. Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse #3) - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

57. The Revenge of Seven (Lorien Legacies #5) - Pittacus Lore (re-read)

56. The Fall of Five (Lorien Legacies #4) Pittacus Lore (re-read)

JULY

55. The Rise of Nine (Lorien Legacies #3) - Pittacus Lore (re-read)

54. The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) - Pittacus Lore (re-read)

53. I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies #1) - Pittacus Lore (re-read)

52. The Distance Between Us - Kasie West

51. Paper Towns - John Green

50. Living Dead in Dallas - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

49. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie

48. Dead Until Dark - Charlaine Harris (re-read)

JUNE

47. Charlaine Harris' Grave Sight Part 1 (Grave Sight Graphic Novel) - Charlaine Harris

46. On The Fence - Kasie West

45. The Martian - Andy Weir

44. The Landower Legacy - Victoria Holt

43. Dreaming in Black & White - Laura Jensen Walker

42. Mortal Heart (His Fair Assassin #3) - Robin LaFevers

41. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

40. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain

MAY

39. The Sunflower - Richard Paul Evans

38. Lion Heart (Scarlet #3) - A.C. Gaughen

37. Lady Thief (Scarlet #2) - A.C. Gaughen (re-read)

36. Scarlet (Scarlet #1) - A.C. Gaughen (re-read)

35. South of Superior - Ellen Airgood

34. Die Trying (Jack Reacher #2) - Lee Child

33. A House in the Sky - Amanda Lindhout

32. I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star - Judy Greer

APRIL

31. Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1) - Danielle Paige

30. Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1) - Maria V. Snyder

29. Golden Son (Red Rising Trilogy #2) - Pierce Brown

28. Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1) - Lee Child

27. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - Laura Hillenbrands

26. Spy Glass (Glass #3) - Maria V. Snyder

25. Sea Glass (Glass #2) - Maria V. Snyder

24. Storm Glass (Glass #1) - Maria V. Snyder

MARCH

23. The Rose Garden - Susanna Kearsley

22. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) - Cassandra Clare

21. How to Betray a Dragon's Hero (HTTYD #11) - Cressida Cowell

20. Shadow Scale (Seraphina #2) - Rachel Hartman

19. Seraphina (Seraphina #1) - Rachel Hartman (re-read)

18. Plus One - Elizabeth Fama

17. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride - Cary Elwes

16. The Princess Bride - William Goldman

FEBRUARY

15. Fire Study (Study #3) - Maria V. Snyder (re-read)

14. Magic Study (Study #2) - Maria V. Snyder (re-read)

13. Poison Study (Study #1) - Maria V. Snyder (re-read)

12. Atlantia - Ally Condie

11. Prophecy - Ellen Oh

10. Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #0.1) - Marissa Meyer

9. Ever After High: Once Upon A Time: A Story Collection - Shannon Hale

8. Nights In Rodanthe - Nicholas Sparks

JANUARY

7. Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) - Beth Revis

6. Blood of Olympus (Heroes of Olympus #5) - Rick Riordan

5. The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown

4. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

3. Dreamer's Daughter (Nine Kingdoms #9) - Lynn Kurland

2. River of Dreams (Nine Kingdoms #8) - Lynn Kurland (re-read)

1. Dreamspinner (Nine Kingdoms #7) - Lynn Kurland (re-read)

Lorien Legacies

I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cannot say that enough!

 

I just finished re-reading the first five books (book six comes out September 1) and have decided I like the fifth book more than I did the first time I read it.

 

I seriously SERIOUSLY urge all of you who have not read this series to grab these books and read them!  NOW!

35. South of Superior by Ellen Airgood

I had the hardest time finding an author with the same initials as myself... There were a select few and the books/poems/whatever the heck they wrote just did not sound interesting AT ALL!

I pleaded with my sisters to help me find an author with my initials so that I could fulfill that requirement for the reading challenge - they came through!

Introducing - Ellen Airgood.

Apparently she is also from my home state so that was a fun little side detail.

Here's the run down:


When Madeline Stone walks away from Chicago and moves five hundred miles north to the coast of Lake Superior, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, she isn't prepared for how much her life will change.

Charged with caring for an aging family friend, Madeline finds herself in the middle of beautiful nowhere with Gladys and Arbutus, two octogenarian sisters-one sharp and stubborn, the other sweeter than sunshine. As Madeline begins to experience the ways of the small, tight-knit town, she is drawn into the lives and dramas of its residents. It's a place where times are tough and debts run deep, but friendship, community, and compassion run deeper. As the story hurtles along-featuring a lost child, a dashed love, a car accident, a wedding, a fire, and a romantic reunion-Gladys, Arbutus, and the rest of the town teach Madeline more about life, love, and goodwill than she's learned in a lifetime.

A heartwarming novel, South of Superior explores the deep reward in caring for others, and shows how one who is poor in pocket can be rich in so many other ways, and how little it often takes to make someone happy.


The story takes place in a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  I love small towns and was drawn into the quaint little town of McAllaster, which is situated on the shore of Lake Superior.

It did take me a while to really get into the book (I really had to power through Madeline's decision to move to McAllaster and her first few months in town), but once I got halfway through the story I had a hard time putting it down.  I loved most of the characters and I kind of wanted to be adopted by their town.

I was rooting for Madeline and all her fellow townfolk and was pleasantly pleased with how the story went.

Rating: 3/5

- a book written by an author with your same initials

Bad Reviewer

The last month I have definitely slipped on my book reviews.  Shame, shame, shame.

I am hoping that in the future I will do better, but for now, I am still playing catch-up. :(



27. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand


What an incredible story!

This book brought out so many different emotions.  I love books that can move me like this one did.

Rating: 5/5 stars


 - a book based on a true story



28. Killing Floor by Lee Child

I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this!

Mysteries and thrillers aren't really my type of genre, but this story pulled me in from the very beginning.  I cannot wait to read more Jack Reacher novels.

Rating: 4/5 stars

- a mystery/thriller




29. Golden Son by Piece Brown

That ending - GAH!

Such a fast paced and exciting read! Never a dull moment in this book.

Rating: 5/5 stars


- a book with a color in the title            



30. Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder

It makes me sad to give this a low rating, because I LOVE Valek (and Yelena by extension), but this story was very different than the first three Study books.

It was told from three different POVs (Yelena, Valek and Janco), and while I could have overlooked it being just Yelena and Valek, I really did not understand why Janco was included. In my opinion, it didn't further the story any and seemed to drag it out more than was needed.

Also, while I enjoyed learning more about Valek's past, I did feel as though it was included just to make the story longer... again, it didn't really do anything to further the story. A few paragraphs, maybe a chapter would have been enough, but almost every Valek chapter had a flashback in it.

Like I said, it really hurt my heart to give this anything lower than a 3, but for me, this book was just okay. I will read the next book in the series, though, because I am too invested in Valek and Yelena to give up on them now.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars



31. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

It took FOREVER for me to get into this book. The first three quarters of the book seemed rather dull. I spent the entire time prepared to give it 2 stars, but then the last few chapters picked up and I found myself drawn into the story.  Rating: 3/5 stars 32. I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star by Judy Greer I really don't know what I was expecting, but it was definitely something different than this. I really wanted to like this book, because I love most of the movies in which Judy Greer is a co-star, but it seemed very disjointed and all over the place. Add to that the part where her "funny" stories weren't really funny. I guess I was hoping to read more about her actual life, you know, being a co-star to the "famous" in Hollywood - maybe more on how her career actually started, what she does to stay pertinent in the acting community, heck, maybe even something about all the people she has worked with - but this was just a bunch of short stories about random subjects from shopping at CVS to having a pink car and it didn't really entertain me. Nothing against Judy Greer, she seems like a fun person, but this book wasn't for me. Or maybe I just have something against memoirs... I don't know. Rating: 1.5/5 stars - a funny book 33. A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout Wow. What an amazing story of survival. It is so hard to read about the darkness and terror that can be found in this world. I am so impressed by Amanda's perseverance and will to survive in the face of such horrors and I wish nothing but the best for her continued recovery. Rating: 4/5 stars  - a nonfiction book

More catch up

22. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Being the sixth book in the series, it was pretty blah.  I felt the series could have ended with the third book.

Rating 2/5 stars


23. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

LOVED this book!  Very well written with a cute story.

Rating: 5/5 stars

- a book set in a different country (England)



24-26. The Glass series by Maria V. Snyder

Storm Glass rating: 3/5 stars
Sea Glass rating: 3/5 stars
Spy Glass rating: 2.5/5 stars

This series was just "meh".  I wasn't really excited by it and didn't really connect to any of the characters.  But, Snyder is a great author and wrote a decent story.

 

- a trilogy

Catch up (books #18-21)

18. Plus One by Elizabeth Fama

It takes guts to deliberately mutilate your hand while operating a blister-pack sealing machine, but all I had going for me was guts.

Sol Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller in an America rigidly divided between people who wake, live, and work during the hours of darkness and those known as Rays who live and work during daylight. Impulsive, passionate, and brave, Sol deliberately injures herself in order to gain admission to a hospital, where she plans to kidnap her newborn niece—a Ray—in order to bring the baby to visit her dying grandfather. By violating the day-night curfew, Sol is committing a serious crime, and when the kidnap attempt goes awry it starts a chain of events that will put Sol in mortal danger, uncover a government conspiracy to manipulate the Smudge population, and throw her together with D'Arcy Benoît, the Ray medical apprentice who first treats her, then helps her outrun the authorities—and with whom she is fated to fall impossibly and irrevocably in love.

Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights—and a compelling, rapid-fire romantic adventure story.

 

This was an unique take on a dystopian society.  I really wanted to read more about what brought this type of society about and how people were okay with it, but there wasn't very much of that.  I also felt there was a lot of information missing from this book that would have made it better, not just a more thorough history of their society but other parts of the story that were lacking and could have used more description.  Some parts seemed quite unbelievable, but I guess that is what makes is dystopian, right? ;)

 

Overall an interesting read.  Another great thing it had going for it... it is a stand alone novel (I think and HOPE).  Not many of those anymore.

 

Rating: 3.75/5

 

- a book based entirely on it's cover

19. Seraphina (Seraphina #1) by Rachel Hartman

In her New York Times bestselling and Morris Award-winning debut, Rachel Hartman introduces mathematical dragons in an alternative-medieval world to fantasy and science-fiction readers of all ages. Eragon-author Christopher Paolini calls them, "Some of the most interesting dragons I've read in fantasy."

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.  

 

 

I originally read this book in December 2013 and loved it!  Such a fascinating take on dragons!  I felt Seraphina was a character you could really connect with and Lucian Kiggs was another great candidate for a literary crush.

 

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

 

- a book with a one-word title

 

 

 

20. Shadow Scale (Seraphina #2) by Rachel Hartman

 

Seraphina took the literary world by storm with 8 starred reviews and numerous “Best of” lists. At last, her eagerly awaited sequel has arrived—and with it comes an epic battle between humans and dragons.

The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways.

As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?

 

 

I have been eagerly awaiting this book!!!!  It was a long wait between my reading Seraphina and Shadow Scale coming out and as the date for it's release got closer I got more excited.  Maybe that is why I was rather disappointed with this one...

 

Here's what I wrote on Goodreads:

This is a hard one to rate. I thought for sure going into it that I was going to love it. The world Rachel Hartman created is so fascinating and unique, and in the beginning of this book we learn more of Seraphina's history and in particular her history with Jannoula. But at times the story seemed drawn out (for example when she was in Porphyry) and really slow. Despite that, I wanted to continue reading because I was desperate to know what happened to the characters I have grown to love. I was really enjoying the book until the last one hundred or so pages. It seemed as though Seraphina became a completely different person. Up until then I would have given it four stars. Unfortunately the ending was irritating and really put me off, which is sad because I wanted to love this story.

Rating: 3/5 stars

 

- a book with more than 500 pages

 

 

 

 

21. How to Betray a Dragon's Hero (HTTYD #11) by Cressida Cowell

 

High up in the Treacherous mists of the Murderous Mountains, Hiccup and the Company of the Dragonmark are in hiding. The witch's Vampire Spydragons are guarding the shores of Tomorrow -- but Hiccup is determined to become King of the Wilderwest. Can Hiccup dodge the dragons and steal back the King's Things from Alvin before the Doomsday of Yule? And is there a traitor in Hiccup's camp who, in the end, will betray them all?

 

 

This has been a really enjoyable series.  I read the first ten books with my eldest daughter and we have loved them.  This is the first one I read by myself (she also read it by herself before I did), which was a little bittersweet.

 

Hiccup and Toothless and all the rest of the characters in these books are so well written you can't help loving them.  This is the second to last book in the series so things are drawing closer to an end in this installment.  I will be sad to say goodbye to Hiccup and his gang.

 

Rating: 4/5 stars

 

- a book with non-human characters



17. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes

From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs, and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear, and director Rob Reiner.The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come.

Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wish he has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-before seen photos and interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets, backstage stories, and answers to lingering questions about off-screen romances that have plagued fans for years!

With a foreword by Rob Reiner and a limited edition original poster by acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey, As You Wish is a must-have for all fans of this beloved film. 

 

 

 

So after reading The Princess Bride I wanted to continue on my Princess Bride journey with Cary Elwes' memoir about making the movie.

 

I remember the first time I saw the movie was when I was in school.  It was a different kind of movie which made it really fascinating to me.  Through the years I have watched it quite a few times, and now that I have children who are old enough to watch and enjoy it, I have been watching it a lot more recently.

 

It was a lot of fun to get a glimpse into what it was like to make the movie.  It seemed like a fun group of people to work with and it was unique to have some memories and highlights from the other actors included in Elwes' book.  There were a lot of fun facts included (Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes learned how to fence and did the actual sword fight themselves, etc.) and it was great watching the movie a few days after finishing this book and witnessing these things and knowing the stories behind them.

 

But... with a memoir, there is always going to be a lot of "me, me, me", and this book was no exception.  I get that it is a recollection of his time making the movie, but it still kind of bugged me how often he talked about himself.  I guess I am just not a memoir kind of person.

 

Fun facts: 4/5 stars

"Me" factor: 1/5 stars

Other actors excerpts: 3/5 stars

OVERALL: 3/5 stars

 

- a memoir

16. The Princess Bride by William Goldman

What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams?

As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.

Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.

What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.

In short, it's about everything.

 

 

I absolutely LOVE the movie so I really wanted to read this book.  It was different than I expected, what with all the parts of "the author" writing about his life and how he came about abridging S. Morgenstern's version of the book into just the "good parts" of the story.  Obviously that is not in any part of the movie so it was unexpected.  But I think it brought something unique to the story and I was rather interested by it.

 

The characters in this story - amazing!  How can you not love Fezzik and Vizzini and Westley and Inigo?  They are all so classic it just makes for a fabulous story.

 

The movie follows the book pretty closely, with a few tweaks here and there.  I really enjoyed the information that was in this book compared to the movie.  It helps the reader connect even more to the characters.  For example, the back story of Westley and Buttercup and how they discovered they love each other.  We also were given the history of Inigo Montoya and why he feels the intense desire to avenge his father.

 

Speaking of his father, there are so many great one-liners in this story!

 

"Hello.  My name is Inigo Montoya.  You killed my father.  Prepare to die."

 

CLASSIC!

 

William Goldman created a work of magic with this story.  What a talented writer!  Seriously, this story has it all and I really enjoyed it.

 

Rating: 4/5

 

* a book that became a movie

The Study series by Maria V. Snyder

I absolutely love this series!

 

Seriously, some of my favorite characters come from this series and one of my best literary crushes.  Yelena is such a strong, fascinating female character.  I really love that about Snyder - she is great about writing great female leads.  And Valek... oh, Valek... Of course Yelena could not resist you.  How can anybody resist you?

 

I had a lot of fun re-reading this series in preparation for Snyder's new novel, Shadow Study.  Supposedly it is a continuation in Yelena and Valek's storyline so I was definitely looking forward to reading it.

 

I am so glad I took the time to read these.  Apparently I have only read the last two books in the series once and that was over four years ago!  It was a great refresher!

 

So a few days ago I eagerly opened my copy of Shadow Study... and within the first few pages I realized I was missing part of the story.  Apparently if you want ALL the details in Yelena and Valek's story you need to read the Glass series by Snyder, as well.  I'm sure you could probably read Shadow Study without reading those books and get most of the story, but I am such a fan of these characters that I feel I would be doing them an injustice by going ahead and reading Shadow Study without reading the Glass series.

 

Sadly, I put the book back on my shelf and quickly requested the Glass series from the library... now to wait. :(

 

I really hope the Glass books are worth it!

12. Atlantia by Ally Condie

Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

 

 

 

I saw this book on the new releases shelf at the library.  It sounded interesting, so I thought I would give it a shot.  I have read a couple of Ally Condie's books in the past (Matched and Crossed), and while I really liked Matched, the story just kind of fell apart with Crossed and I couldn't find the desire to finish the series.  So I was a little hesitant to read this for that reason, but I figured I would give it a shot.

 

Well... I believe I would have been okay skipping this one.  It was not at all what I was expecting, and at times I was confused by what this story was really all about.  There was just something about Condie's writing style that left me feeling frustrated.  I think the story could have been so much more, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. 

 

Let me sum it up for you - Atlantia is an underwater city built in a dystopian future where the air above water is highly polluted so it was considered desirable to live underwater.  Some people remained above, working to provide needed resources for the people of Atlantia to ensure their survival.  However, someone who lives in the polluted "Above" was destined to live a short, unhealthy life due to the pollution.  At a certain age, teenagers in Atlantia are given the choice to either remain "Below" in Atlantia or go "Above".  Rio and her twin sister, Bay, end up being separated and the story details Rio's desire and attempts to get "Above" and be with her sister.

 

Honestly, I did not like the main character of Rio.  She seemed boring and a little bit whiny.  There was nothing that drew me to her or made me root for her.  There was also another element in the story that I won't go into but was kind of weird and not explained very well at all, leading to a lot of the confusion I experienced reading this.  I guess Ally Condie and I are just meant to have a bad book relationship - sorry, Ally!

 

Rating: 2/5

 

*this was not part of my 2015 Reading Challenge, just something to read for "fun" (except it wasn't fun)

 

11. Prophecy by Ellen Oh

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

 

 

 

 

This book had such potential!!!!  Here's what I wrote on my Goodreads review:

 

I was a little hesitant to read this book because it had the lowest ratings on my to-read shelf. However, it fit into one of the categories I needed for my reading challenge so I picked it up.

It made me really sad to give this book two stars. It had great potential. The story was interesting and unique and I was really drawn into the character of Kira in the first two chapters.

But the writing drove me nuts. It was choppy and a little childish at times. It was hard for me to see past the poor writing and enjoy the story, which was very disappointing.

 

I was reading some other reviews on Goodreads, and one person put it perfectly: this book is a classic example of the author TELLING you what happens.  Ellen Oh TELLS us that Kira's mother is kind, she TELLS us that Kira is a fierce warrior, she TELLS us that the general is a wise man... but she doesn't show it.  Weave the story and show us the world of the Seven Kingdoms.  Please, please, PLEASE stop telling me how a character acts and instead show my with your writing.

 

It made it very hard to enjoy the story.  I felt like I was a little child reading this, because the author wrote in such a way that you weren't allowed to use your imagination.  It was laid out for you and there was hardly any descriptive writing.

 

But I really wanted to root for Kira.  :(

 

Rating: 2/5

 

- a book at the bottom of your to-read list

 

10. Fairest by Marissa Meyer

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death.

 

 

So... that doesn't really tell us much about this book, does it?  Fairest is the tale of Levana, the Queen of Luna.  It begins when Levana is 15 years old and quickly covers the next ten or so years of her life.

It was shorter than I expected.  I would have loved for more details about Levana,  but it did give a little bit of insight into how Levana came to be the way she is and also how she became Queen of Luna.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the Lunar Chronicles series.  Just make sure you read it after the first three books.

Rating: 3/5

- a book you can finish in one day

9. Ever After High: Once Upon A Time: A Story Collection by Shannon Hale

WHEW!  That title was a mouthful! ;)

 

I guess Shannon Hale thought it deserved that many words in the title since there are that many short stories in the book.  (That's not an actual fact, but I'm sure it's close).

 

Once Upon A Time features short, introductory stories of a few favorite Ever After High characters from Hale's first three books in the series, as well as some newer characters that we haven't had much interaction with before.  We are given a glimpse into their lives as they prepare to head back to Ever After High for the new school year, which happens to be their Legacy Year.

 

I am not a fan of short stories AT ALL.  I have a hard time reading just a little bit of information about a character and feeling okay with that.  I want more, darn it, MORE!  It's not that the story isn't interesting... it's that I want to know what happened after the few hours of saying goodbye to family and home and heading off to school.

 

Really, that is the only reason I gave this book three stars.  The writing was good and the stories were cute, but it wasn't enough story!

 

Rating: 3/5

 

- a book of short stories

8. Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks comes a tender story of hope and joy; of sacrifice and forgiveness -- a moving reminder that love is possible at any age, at any time, and often comes when we least expect it. At forty-five, Adrienne Willis must rethink her entire life when her husband abandons her for a younger woman. Reeling with heartache and in search of a respite, she flees to the small coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina to tend to a friend's inn for the weekend. But when a major storm starts moving in, it appears that Adrienne's perfect getaway will be ruined -- until a guest named Paul Flanner arrives. At fifty-four, Paul has just sold his medical practice and come to Rodanthe to escape his own shattered past. Now, with the storm closing in, two wounded people will turn to each other for comfort -- and in one weekend set in motion feelings that will resonate throughout the rest of their lives.

 

I haven't read many Nicholas Sparks' books, but the ones I have read were really good.  Tear jerkers all of them.  So I knew this one would follow suit.

 

I imagine it would be very hard to have your marriage end after 20 years together.  I felt so bad for Adrienne and was completely drawn in to her story.  Her strength and resilience through all the she went through was incredible.  A great read, definitely one that requires Kleenexes nearby. ;)

 

Rating: 4/5

 

- a book that makes you cry

7. Across the Universe - Beth Revis

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

 

 

My sister gave me this book a few years ago.  It sat there on my shelf, sad and neglected.  Then my sister-in-law recently read it and I realized - hey, I have that book and I should probably read it.

 

So I started reading about the journey of Amy and Elder.

 

It started out interesting.  I think the idea of being frozen for space travel to settle on a distant planet in the distant future is so fascinating.  Crazy, but fascinating.  I don't blame Amy for being afraid to do it - leaving everything you know for some unknown world far into the future is definitely a daunting thought!  Naturally I was pulled into her story and wanting to know what would happen.

 

Then I was introduced to Elder and the Godspeed (the spaceship Amy and her family are traveling on while frozen).  Things seemed really weird on the ship, so there was a part of me that wanted to know what was really going on and what was behind all the weird rules, but then part of me was just not interested.  I didn't really like the character of Elder.  I couldn't stand how easily he fell in love with Amy (if we can even call it that) and how he was willing to betray everything he knew for her (which wasn't a bad thing, but highly unusual for someone his age).

 

Overall, the "surprise" did surprise me, and it makes me interested in reading the next book in the series to see what happens, but I don't know if I can stomach anymore of Elder and Amy and their "relationship".

 

Rating: 3/5

 

- a book you own but have never read

6. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them—and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake.

The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it "might" be able to stop a war between the two camps.

The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over.


As the fifth and final book in the series, author Rick Riordan did a great job tying everything up.  I was very disappointed that it had to come to an end.  The Heroes of Olympus series was a great follow-up of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and I loved reading more about my favorite Greek demigods, as well as meeting some new ones and some demigods of their Roman counterparts.  I have always been fascinated by Greek mythology so these books are right up my alley.  I have even started reading the Percy Jackson series with my oldest daughter and she is loving them, too!

Rating: 4/5

- a book from an author you love that you haven't read yet