November 3, 2014

October Books


(Side note:  I really like keeping track of what I'm reading and publishing it for all to see.  Accountability is a good thing.  However, I'm often disappointed when I click on someone's blog to read what I think is a book review, as I'm always looking for new books, and it's just a bunch of pictures of book covers..pictures are pretty but do you really not have access to the google to figure that out for yourself?…and I'm pretty sure what the cover art looks like has nothing to do with the book.  Also, the publishing company already wrote the book's summary, therefore I won't be rewriting it here.)

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity B
Another book that takes place in Australia.  This story, by the author of Big Little Lies, is pretty fascinating.  It held my attention.  Alice, after hitting her head, loses the last ten years to amnesia.  She goes from 29 to 39 in a split second.  Given that I'm almost 29, the thought of this is terrifying.  In 10 years, she goes from happily married and pregnant to on the brink of divorce with 3 kids.  I enjoy the way this author creates such complex characters.  They all have a backstory, so I enjoy the process of getting to know these people who seem so real.  However, it was kind of a sad story too, seeing how a person's life can become so different.  Alice at 39 is very different from Alice at 29.  The whole book was a little depressing.  There's death and tragedy and regret and so on.  But it was a good book.  I can't argue that.  I would recommend it if you're looking for a realistic fiction read.  

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell  A+++
I can't lie:  I didn't like this book at first.  I wasn't really sure what it was about, but I like the Rowell books so obviously I had to get to it eventually.  However, I related to it not at all.  The characters are 18,  starting college, and are Simon Snow fans.  Simon Snow is the fictional-character-within-a-fictional-story and is, essentially, Harry Potter.  I hate Harry Potter.  So listening to the excerpts from the fictional Simon Snow books about put me to sleep.  However, as the story progressed, it got better.  I came to care about the plot and the characters and that was that.  I was hooked.  In fact, I started listening to it on my computer while I was at home, painting, two weeks ago.  I couldn't stop.  It's another fractured love story that you just don't want to end.  I'd liken it to Attachments.  I've discovered that I only like fractured love stories, not traditional ones.  Rowell is the queen of the fractured love story.  This might be my favorite Rowell book just because it takes place now (well, in 2012).  The others are set in the 1980s, 1990s, or contain mainly flashbacks.  

Promised by Carmagh O'Brien B-
The third in the Gaia Stone series.  Not as good as the first and weirder than the second but still worth the time.  I'm glad I was able to finish this series before 2014 is out.  I don't want to post spoilers because it's a series, but if you like young adult dystopian books, give it a try.  Gaia is more Katniss-like than that girl from Divergent (I forget her name) is.  

I didn't quite finish…
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
Geez, Charlaine.  Just end it already.  Sookie is insufferable.  And there's so much fairy nonsense in the books, as compared to the show.  I can't deal with the Dermot and Niall and Claude storyline.  Maybe I'm just bitter and full of hate because True Blood ended so terribly.  Or maybe the books just went downhill fast.  Who knows.  
One of the greater disappointments in life so far is that this series of books has become so entirely awful.  The first 5 or so?  Fantastic.  The last 8, not so much.
Is Dead Ever After even worth it?  I do have it here on the shelf.  Where it's been waiting to be read for the better part of a year…
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I'm starting to think about what my book goals for 2015 should be.  As I look for books, I often look for quality.  Not just any old book will do.  Plus, if I'm not going to enjoy it, why bother?  Are you looking at book/reading goals for next year?  Perhaps I'm a bit ahead of myself.  I've still got 7 books to read and only two months left.  Oy.  

8 comments:

  1. I am so behind on my reading goal this year that it's sickeningly embarrassing. I guess, however, when I made the goal originally I had ZERO intentions of actually publishing MY book this year, so maybe I'm forgiven? I'm already thinking about my goals for next year but will have to curtail them accordingly. I'm with you on the quality of a book. I used to just read anything and everything. Now that my time is so limited, I want something that's going to rock my world every time! Sometimes I miss nannying (can't believe I just said that) and having almost unlimited time to read! Fangirl is on my kindle...I guess I need to read it STAT!

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  2. You know how many books I've actually sat down to read this year in entirety? Maybe three. You're way ahead of me.

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  3. I love sharing what I have read as well, keeps me accountable! I like to hear people's thoughts on books as well, it makes me sad when they don't give more info - though if I'm not careful I'll have a page for each book, oops!
    Oh seriously - if you have read all of the others, do NOT, i repeat DO NOT pick up deadlocked again and really really do not pick up the last one. I loved the series and the last 2 books are shockingly bad. apparently she didn't care, she was over sookie as well and didn't want to write them but she had to -and it shows. the last book is one of the worst books i've ever read! ARGH. it still makes me mad.

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  4. I liked Fangirl a whole lot (I think we talked about this already) but the fan fiction breaks got on my nerves. She is a fantastic storyteller, although Landline wasn't nearly as great as I hoped it would be.

    7 books in two months is possible!

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  5. The series did start to stink. I agree the fairies were too much but I just felt like I had to finish since I had invested so much time already

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  6. Charlaine should've given Sookie up about four or five books before she did.

    I really like two of her other series and she hasn't produced more on them.

    My goal was to read 50 books this year, and I've surpassed that. Next year I think I'll do 52 so it averages out to a book a week.

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  7. I have a tendency not to set goals for reading. I know that I get busy during the school year and barely have time to breathe. So I just enjoy looking back and being surprised by how much I did (or didn't) read.

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