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)