75 Books...More or Less! discussion

I had the goal of 50 books last year, but was able to read 62. I think 75 is a reasonable goal to up the ante this year, so to speak. Before the end of 2013 I started reading Patricia Cornwell's "Scarpetta" series and am starting the year out on number 11 of those.

1. I love the Scarpetta series and am anxious to get through all of them. Without going into too much detail and risking spoilers, I will simply say that this isn't one of my favorites in this series. I have read spoilers about where the series is going though and am looking forward to getting to those books.

2. I think this may be the first book that I have enjoyed the movie interpretation of more. The book goes off on tangents and drags on in places to the point that my mind wandered and I was frequently wondering who was being talked about.

I have decided that it has been long enough since I read the Harry Potter books that I am forgetting certain things and that to remedy this I need to reread them. I am currently on book four (Goblet of Fire) less than halfway through and have been surprised at the humor I had forgotten about. This is one of my all time favorite series. This is either the fourth or fifth time reading Harry Potter for me.

3. 4. 5.

It's so fun to re-read books you really enjoyed because then you find things you missed the first time around! Or second. Or third. lol. I've read books 1-4 4 times, OotP 3 times, H-BP 2 times, and DH once. lol. Books 1-4 were out before I got into the series, and then I re-read them every time the next book came out! Which I'm sure a lot of people did. It's funny how boring but QUICK book 1 is compared to the rest!

I love reading (and rereading, and re-rereading, lol) the HP books! I do it about once a year, either in print or audio (BTW, the American audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale are fantastic- haven't had the chance to hear the Brittish version narrated by Stephen Fry, so I can't comment on those…)

Hi, Elizabeth! Looks like you're off to a good start this year. How fun to be taking a new look at HP!

6. Book 12 of Patricia Cornwell's "Scarpetta" series. I had trouble getting into this one because she chose a different writing style from the previous in the series. I did really enjoy the story once I got used to the style though. This one was written from the point of view of multiple people, rather than just Scarpetta's. I feel that allowed for more to happen during the book than would have been able if only following one person's life.


7. I finished the fourth Harry Potter book surprised at what all happened in the book that I had forgotten about. I also enjoyed this one more than I ever have. This has always been one of my least favorites in the series, despite all the action which takes place.

Stacie wrote: "I love reading (and rereading, and re-rereading, lol) the HP books! I do it about once a year, either in print or audio (BTW, the American audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale are fantastic- haven't ha..."

I haven't listened to Jim Dale's version of the books, but have been listening to Stephen Fry's. I think I will have to locate a copy of Jim Dale's because there are times that Fry mispronounces words and it distracts me a bit. This is my first time listening to the books though, and I am loving it!

8. I have always enjoyed the fifth Harry Potter book, despite it's lack of action until the ending. I like all the background information contained and the interactions between the characters.

Welcome to the group, and good luck hitting 75!

The fifth HP was my least favorite the first time I read through them... I just hated Umbridge so much, and not in a "love to hate" kind of way, more in a "this woman makes me sick and ruins the book for me" way. On re-reads, though, I've been able to enjoy it more.

I've never been into audiobooks, but I've been thinking of making my next HP re-read an audio read. I figure even if I space out, it won't matter because I already know what happens.

Charleen wrote: "Welcome to the group, and good luck hitting 75!

The fifth HP was my least favorite the first time I read through them... I just hated Umbridge so much, and not in a "love to hate" kind of way, mor..."

I discovered a love of audiobooks this past summer while doing some remodeling in my house. I loved being able to turn on the book and accomplish something while still experiencing a new book. The reason I loved the HP books in audio format was that it was like playing the movies in the background while doing something else, only better because I got to "see" how the movies would have been with every detail from the books in them.

9. 10.

I absolutely loved experiencing the Harry Potter books on audiobooks and believe I will never actually read them again! There was something magical about feeling like I was getting to see an unedited version of the movies so that they appeared just as written.

11.

I would recommend this book for anyone who read the Fifty Shades of Grey series and didn't completely hate it. Even if you weren't a huge fan of Fifty Shades, you may like this one. It reads similarly, but there is more to the plot than just the D/S relationship playing out. The main character has a stalker she is running from and the man who ends up protecting her has secrets of his own and their relationship gets very complicated very fast. I don't know that I will read this one again, but it was worth the first read.

12.

I liked this book, but had to listen to the audiobook version because I had issues reading Tolkien's writing style. I had attempted to read the book two or three times and hadn't made it through the first chapter. I am now looking forward to seeing the second and third movies to see how accurate they are.

I couldn't handle Tolkien. Too boring. I tried. The way he wrote is too wordy. I do like the movies, the story line itself is great.

13.

While I liked the storyline and especially how they finally caught the guy, I am understanding why so many have complained about how Patricia Cornwell wrote this part of this series. This book was written, like the last one in this series, from the point of view of nearly everyone in the book. While that does give a little insight into some of the main characters that otherwise would not be available, it is also a frustrating experience because the reader knows all along who the bad guy is and has to wait on the other characters to figure that out. I will continue with this series though because I know at some point Cornwell goes back to her old writing style and I am too attached to the characters to not follow their stories all the way to the end.

Elizabeth wrote: "13.

While I liked the storyline and especially how they finally caught the guy, I am understanding why so many have complained about how Patricia Cornwell wrote this part of..."


Oops I thought I was hitting the Hobbit.

Elizabeth wrote: "12.

I liked this book, but had to listen to the audiobook version because I had issues reading Tolkien's writing style. I had attempted to read the book two or three ti..."

I too just finished listening to the audio version. Loved how there were music and various ppl speaking. It was like listening to a play.

Hopefully I have hit the right 'reply' now... lol

Elizabeth wrote: "12.

I liked this book, but had to listen to the audiobook version because I had issues reading Tolkien's writing style. I had attempted to read the book two or three ti..."

My secret for reading The Hobbit was to read it aloud to my kids! I had no trouble reading Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

14.

I actually didn't even realize this was a book until I was in the bookstore one day and saw it on the clearance shelf. I am a sucker both for a good deal and for books with film adaptations (I LOVE comparing the movies to the books) and decided for the couple of bucks marked on it, I would buy it. It is only 220 pages, so it was a quick, easy read. I did enjoy the book though. The author kept a steady pace and did not waste words.

15.

This was probably my least favorite of the Kay Scarpetta series so far. I had a hard time keeping track of what was going on with everyone as the book jumped from past to present and different bad guys and all sorts of craziness. I haven't given up on this series though, so I will be continuing on to the next.

Is Snow White & the Huntsman movie based on the book or is the book based on the movie? Know what I mean? Lol. Sometimes they write book adaptations on movies.

Elyse wrote: "Is Snow White & the Huntsman movie based on the book or is the book based on the movie? Know what I mean? Lol. Sometimes they write book adaptations on movies."

I hadn't even considered that the book could have come after the movie until a friend of mine was asking me that a couple nights ago. It turns out that the book was in fact based off of the movie. My friend and I each enjoyed the book more though as it filled in a few gaps the movie provided without seeming to spin the story into something else. The book could have easily been written before the movie came out and the movie changed things - that's how similar the two are.

16.

I started reading this one aloud to my husband on a long car trip. We both enjoyed it enough for me to continue and acquire the second in the series. The third has just recently hit the shelves and we will probably be after that one soon enough. This one was an easy enough read (if you don't mind lots of words difficult to pronounce) and went fairly fast. I like the concept of this tale and am looking forward to the conclusion.

Elizabeth wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Is Snow White & the Huntsman movie based on the book or is the book based on the movie? Know what I mean? Lol. Sometimes they write book adaptations on movies."

I hadn't even conside..."

Oh yes, book adaptations of movies are really great at filling in the blanks because there's only so much you can fit into a 2-2 1/2 hour movie! The book gets everything right about the movie but then adds more depth.

I've heard good things about the Shadow & Bone series and hope to check it out soon myself!

17.


18.

I think the series is going back toward the original writing style, which is nice. I feel like there's some unanswered questions though and find that frustrating. I guess I will just continue on and see if I find answers in the next book.

19.

I'm not entirely certain what I expected of this book, but it wasn't what I thought it would be. It was an okay book, but I expected more somehow. I wasn't surprised by the ending and it was a quick and easy read. I am now looking forward to watching the movie to compare. :)

20.
This was a very brief but excellent introduction to the Lunar Chronicles and has me anxious to read the rest of the series.

21.
I was glad to see some loose ends from previous books were tied up in this book. Otherwise, it was another fine edition to the Scarpetta series.

22.

I loved this book and cannot wait on the final book of the trilogy to be released in June. I listened to this one on audiobook, which was nice because there are lots of words which were hard to pronounce in the first book and I was able to hear them properly pronounced. I'm looking forward to seeing how this tale gets wrapped up!

23.

Absolutely worth losing sleep over to read straight through, lol! I kept getting pulled away from this one early on, but I basically said I don't care to housework and human interaction today to read 2/3 of this book. I wouldn't have even paused to review this one before moving on to the next book in the series if I hadn't wanted to share my joy over finding such a gem with everyone! Also, the last book in the series isn't due out until next year I believe, and I know I will be going mad waiting on that one to arrive and I want to draw out that process just a bit longer! This series is a must read for anyone who enjoys the futuristic, dystopian, sci-fi type of books.

The Shadow and Bone series and the Cinder series are in my TBR!

Elyse wrote: "The Shadow and Bone series and the Cinder series are in my TBR!"

While I have enjoyed all of two series I have read so far, I must admit that I haven't been as excited about a new book series as I am about The Lunar Chronicles in what feels like a long time. I have Scarlet to read now and then an agonizing wait until Winter is available next year. The Grisha series is good, but I don't see me reading that series again and again. I do see myself having to find room on my bookshelf for the entire Lunar Chronicles though so that they can be read over and over again.

24.

Another short tale leading into the next book in The Lunar Chronicles. I know that the characters introduced in this book are going to meet up with some of the characters from Cinder in Scarlet and I am anxious to see how the paths cross.

It's so fun to get that excited about a series! Maybe I'll wait a little longer to start reading it though. I do hate waiting for that final book to be released!!

Elizabeth wrote: "While I have enjoyed all of two series I have read so far, I must admit that I haven't been as excited about a new book series as I am about The Lunar Chronicles in what feels like a long time. I have Scarlet to read now and then an agonizing wait until Winter is available next year."

Is Winter the last book, do you know? Because I really want to read the series but I hate waiting to find out what happens when I'm between books.

Charleen wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "While I have enjoyed all of two series I have read so far, I must admit that I haven't been as excited about a new book series as I am about The Lunar Chronicles in what feels lik..."

As far as I know, Winter is the last in the series. I'm going by the beginning of my Cinder book, which lists when to expect the next books out and Winter is listed as the last coming out next year.

25.

I hadn't even heard of this one until tonight. It took place before Cinder though, so I wanted to get it read while Cinder was so fresh in my mind. This was an enjoyable read, but not my favorite of the short tales in The Lunar Chronicles. I am very grateful to those who posted a link to the book online because otherwise I don't believe I would have found it to read. It is not available from Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

26.

As with The Hobbit, I was unable to read this one and had to listen to the audiobook. I find it very difficult to read Tolkien, but satisfying to experience his books and finally be able to compare them to the movies.

Elizabeth, you arwe inspiring me to finish the Harry Potter series! I think I left off on the 3rd or 4th book.

Andrea wrote: "Elizabeth, you arwe inspiring me to finish the Harry Potter series! I think I left off on the 3rd or 4th book."

I'm glad to hear that, Andrea! I encourage everyone to read the Harry Potter series. They are a delightful read and so much more satisfying than the movies. There are several things in the books which were never brought up in the movies. Not that the movies were bad, there is just only so much that can be squeezed into the time limit of a movie.

27.

I cannot say often enough how much I love this series! I am purposely pacing myself because the last book doesn't come out until next year and I know I will be driven mad waiting! So far this entire series (books 1 and 2 and the mini books in between) has been the type that I have wanted to devour whole. They are set in a futuristic world that is simultaneously frighteningly plausible and fascinatingly bizarre. The characters are vaguely familiar as they are loosely based off of fairy tale characters, but they aren't exactly as one would expect. The Lunar Chronicles is well written and sure to have a place on my bookshelf for years to come!

28.

As much as I love the Kay Scarpetta books, I'm glad that I'm nearly caught up on this series. The series seems to be more and more depressing and is not as exciting to me at the moment as other books I have available to me.

29.

I'm glad that I have the trilogy on audiobooks, because I have learned that reading these are very nearly physically painful for me. It's just not an option. They are however pleasant to listen to. I am enjoying comparing the books to the movies because I have heard in the past that they movies were pretty accurate, but I am finding that to not be so.

Which versions of the Tolkiens are you listening to? I've got the ones narrated by Rob Inglis and I love them. Love, love, love them... except for where he tries to sing the poetry ;)

Stacie wrote: "Which versions of the Tolkiens are you listening to? I've got the ones narrated by Rob Inglis and I love them. Love, love, love them... except for where he tries to sing the poetry ;)"

Stacie, I think that is who I am listening to. I didn't really pay attention to that part of the audiobook. The singing actually helps keep me interested as there is so much of it in the books. I like the short break from the monotony.

LOL! I love seeing some of my favorites from other people's perspectives :D I read the books first, and I loved reading all the poetry... but I don't really like Inglis' made up, random tunes to them. I usually skip them when listening ;) I've also got The Children of Hurin on audio... much more convoluted than TLoTR, but narrated by Christopher Lee. I could listen to that man read a computer programing manual ;)

As far as the movies being 'pretty accurate', I think what people mean to say is that they are 'relatively accurate'... for a big budget adaptation.

30.

As expected, I am now not so patiently awaiting the release of Winter. Unfortunately, all that has been said is that it will be out next year. I am already feeling the urge to read this series again because I miss the characters. It's going to be a long wait for Winter!

31.

I have read the Twilight series before and thought that I would listen to the audiobooks this time as a change. I've noticed that I pick up on different things when someone else is reading the book to me than when I read. While I've never been a Twihard, I have read the series a couple times and don't hate them. I have come to realize that I don't love the books as much as the idea behind them. I think the idea of the series and changing the belief of what vampires and werewolves are was great. I just don't feel the writing was very good. This became blatantly obvious while listening to the book these past few days. I was constantly laughing at one thing or another which wasn't meant to be funny.

32. 33. 34.

I know you're a huge fan of The Lunar Chronicles so when I saw this, I knew I had to share it with you!
http://www.macteenbooks.com/ya/lunarc...
Some sort of huge announcement this summer. Movie maybe? IDK!

Elyse wrote: "I know you're a huge fan of The Lunar Chronicles so when I saw this, I knew I had to scare it with you!
http://www.macteenbooks.com/ya/lunarc...
Some sort of huge announcement this ..."

Ooooooo!!! This is exciting! Thank you for posting, Elyse! If I can determine which character is my favorite I may just have to enter the contest. I'm torn about hoping for a movie though. On the one hand, there's enormous potential there for an awesome movie. On the other hand, Hollywood has a tendency to screw up almost every movie based off of a book and I would hate to have my love of the books tainted by an awful movie.

35.

I read this book because I like the Percy Jackson series and had heard good things about this series. While I will continue with the series just to see how things progress, I am in no huge hurry to do so. The book read like it was written for kids and so had a hard time holding my interest. I almost feel I could be just as happy asking someone how the series ends as reading them myself.