2026 Reading Challenge discussion

~*~2017 Yearly Goal~*~

2 Books per Month = 24 Books in 2017

Progress: 34/24 ***COMPLETED***

January
(didn't read)
Progress: 0/24

February
(didn't read)
Progress: 0/24

March
1) Werewolf Defender by Marisa Chenery
Progress: 1/24

April
1) Matched by Ally Condie
2) Outbreak: the Zombie Apocalypse by Craig Jones
3) Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
4) Crossed by Ally Condie
5) Reached by Ally Condie
Progress: 6/24

May
1) The Postcard Killers by James Patterson & Liza Marklund
2) Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
3) The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
4) Taking the Titanic by James Patterson & Scott Slaven
5) The Maze Runner by James Dashner
6) Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham
7) Sinful Cinderella by Anita Valle
Progress: 13/24

June
1) Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
2) Cinder by Marissa Meyer
3) The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
4) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
5) Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham
6) The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
7) Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Progress: 20/24

July
1) The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
2) Cross Kill by James Patterson
3) Chase by James Patterson
4) Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
5) The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Progress: 25/24

August
1) Cress by Marissa Meyer
2) The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
3) My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
4) The Giver by Lois Lowry
5) Cell by Stephen King
Progress: 30/24

September
1) Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
2) Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
3) Fairest by Marissa Meyer
4) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Progress: 34/24

October
1) Winter by Marissa Meyer
2) Messenger by Lois Lowry
3) Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus|18490] by Mary Shelley
4) Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
5) Dracula by Bram Stoker
Progress: 39/24

November
1) Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber
2) Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
3) Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
4) Son by Lois Lowry
Progress: 43/24

December
1) Hope to Escape by Jack Parker
2) An Island Christmas by Nancy Thayer
Progress: 45/24


~*~2017 Color Challenge (Yearly)~*~

***ROUND 3*** Progress: 5/15 --

1) White:

2) Pink:

3) Red:

4) Orange:

5) Yellow:

6) Green:

7) Light Blue:

8) Dark Blue:

9) Purple:

10) Brown:


11) Black:

12) Metallic:


13) 5 Colors:

14) Color in Title:


15) Word Describing Color:






~*~2017 A to Z Challenge (Yearly)~*~

***ROUND 3***

Progress: 4/18

A:
B:
C: Chicago (Dark Matter)
D:
E:
F: Field (Gathering Blue)
G:
H:
I:
J:
K:
L: Luna (Fairest)
M: Maycomb (To Kill a Mockingbird)
N:
O:
P:
Q:
R:
S:
T:
U:
V:
W:
X:
Y:
Z:





****************************************************
****************************************************
****************************************************

~*~2017 Color Challenge (Yearly)~*~

***ROUND 1 -- COMPLETED***

Progress: 15/15

1) White:

2) Pink:

3) Red:

4) Orange:

5) Yellow:

6) Green:

7) Light Blue:

8) Dark Blue:

9) Purple:

10) Brown:

11) Black:

12) Metallic:

13) 5 Colors:

14) Color in Title:

15) Word Describing Color:




~*~2017 Color Challenge (Yearly)~*~

***ROUND 2 -- COMPLETED***

Progress: 15/15

1) White:

2) Pink:

3) Red:

4) Orange:

5) Yellow:

6) Green:

7) Light Blue:

8) Dark Blue:

9) Purple:

10) Brown:

11) Black:

12) Metallic:

13) 5 Colors:

14) Color in Title:

15) Word Describing Color:
(as in "sea green")



~*~2017 A to Z Challenge (Yearly)~*~

***ROUND 1 -- COMPLETED***

Progress: 13/13

A:
B: Brooklyn (Someday, Someday, Maybe)
C: Carving (Crossed)
D: Denmark (The Postcard Killers)
E: Endstone (Reached)
F:
G:
H:
I: Illinois (The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America)
J:
K:
L:
M: Maze (The Maze Runner)
N: Northanger Abbey (Northanger Abbey)
O: Oria (Matched)
P: Palace Sinful Cinderella
Q:
R:
S: Settlement (Werewolf Defender)
T: Titanic (Taking the Titanic)
U: Usk (Outbreak: the Zombie Apocalypse)
V:
W: Wuthering Heights (Wuthering Heights)
X:
Y:
Z:



~*~2017 A to Z Challenge (Yearly)~*~

***ROUND 2 -- COMPLETED***

Progress: 17/17

A: Ashbury (The Girl on the Train)
B: Boston (Cell)
C: Cincinnati (The 5th Wave)
D:
E: Elsewhere (The Giver)
F: France (Anna and the French Kiss)
G: Greece (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
H: Haven (The Knife of Never Letting Go)
I:
J:
K: Kufra (Cress)
L: Los Angeles (Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between)
M: Marble Spring (Chase)
N: New Beijing (Cinder)
O: Ohio (The Infinite Sea)
P: Prague (Daughter of Smoke & Bone)
Q:
R: Rieux (Scarlet)
S: Scorch (The Scorch Trials)
T:
U: United Kingdom (My Not So Perfect Life)
V:
W: Washington D.C. (Cross Kill)
X:
Y:
Z:



~*~2017 Top Ten Faves Challenge (Yearly)~*~

Progress: 7/7 ***COMPLETED***

1) Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
2) The Postcard Killers by James Patterson & Liza Marklund
3) The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
4) Cinder by Marissa Meyer
5) Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
6) The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
7) Cell by Stephen King



~*~2017 Outside Your Comfort Zone Challenge (Yearly)~*~

Progress: ***COMPLETED***
15/10 books
7/5 genres

1) Classic: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
2) Classic: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
3) Non-Fiction (Historical): The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
4) Historical Fiction: Taking the Titanic by James Patterson & Scott Slaven
5) Fairytale/Re-telling: Sinful Cinderella by Anita Valle
6) Fantasy (High): Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
7) Fairytale/Re-telling: Cinder by Marissa Meyer
8) Non-Fiction (Autobiography): Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham
9) Fairytale/Re-telling: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
10) Sci-Fi: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
11) Fairytale/Re-telling: Cress by Marissa Meyer
12) Sci-Fi: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
13) Sci-Fi: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
14) Fairytale/Re-telling: Fairest by Marissa Meyer
15) Classic: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee



~*~2017 Clear the Shelves Challenge (2nd Quarter - April 1 through June 30)~*~

Progress: 8/8 ***COMPLETED***

1) Wuthering Heights (obtained: undetermined # of years ago, probably from a thrift store or library book sale)
2) Matched (obtained: from PaperbackSwap earlier this year)
3) Crossed (obtained: from the library in March)
4) Reached (obtained: from the library in March)
5) The Postcard Killers (obtained: years ago from I'm-not-sure-where)
6) The Maze Runner (obtained: years ago from possibly Amazon)
7) Someday, Someday, Maybe (obtained: late March from Amazon)
8) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (obtained: years ago, probably from a thrift store)



~*~War and Peace - July Challenge~*~

Progress: 5/5 ***COMPLETED***

1) The Knife of Never Letting Go (#3 - Philosophical Considerations)
2) Cross Kill (#7 - Part of a Series)
3) Chase (#2 - Told from Different POVs)
4) Scarlet (#6 - Multiple Layers of Society)
5) The 5th Wave (#5 - Character I Can Identify With)



~*~Famous TV Neighbors - August Challenge~*~

Progress: 4/4 ***COMPLETED***

1) Cress (#3 - Unique Character)
2) The Infinite Sea (#2 - Character Who Hides From Others)
3) The Giver (#8 - Reality is Very Different from Image Portrayed)
4) Cell (#1 - Teacher's/Principal's Life Outside of School)



~*~Wonders of the World Challenge - 3rd Quarter (July 1 thru Sept 30)~*~

Progress: 9/9 ***COMPLETED***

1) The Knife of Never Letting Go (#11 - Colonialism)
2) Cross Kill (#18 - USA)
3) Chase (#3 - A Lot of Moving Around)
4) Scarlet (#12 - France)
5) The 5th Wave (#7 - Suffering a Great Loss)
6) Cress (#10 - Northern Africa)
7) The Infinite Sea (#8 - Scientific Achievement)
8) My Not So Perfect Life (#19 - England/UK)
9) The Giver (#2 - Long Walk)




~*~Back to School - September Challenge~*~

Progress: 4/3 ***COMPLETED***

1) Dark Matter (#1 - Involves a New Beginning)
2) Gathering Blue (#9 - Music is Involved)
3) Fairest (#5 - Characters Have a Party)
4) To Kill a Mockingbird (#10 - Character is in School)

I just finished reading Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I was disappointed in this "classic," as it was chock-full of vindictive & melodramatic characters -- none of whom were remotely likable! 2 stars.

(I couldn't find, on Goodreads, the exact cover of the edition I actually read. So, the one pictured in the Color Challenge was chosen because it has yellow (which my edition also had). I chose a different one for the photo below because that is the one where I added my rating & review.)

~I have added the 2nd Quarter "Clear the Shelves Challenge" to my list of challenges.

~I am down to one book (Crossed by Ally Condie) at the moment. I have tried out the first couple chapters of two books (The Substitute & Turning the Page), but I'm not sure I'm in the mood to read either right now. However, both of these seem like sweet reads that I'd like to pick up again in the future. I only have 1/4 of Crossed left to read. I'll read the 3rd book in the trilogy, Reached, after this one, but I like to have more than one book at a time, so I will keep searching for something that strikes my fancy for the remainder of the month.

~I've added the Yearly challenge "Top Ten Faves" to my list of challenges. I will be shooting for 7 books for this challenge. I have only read 1 book so far, and I'm not yet sure what else I'll read for this challenge, but here is the list of possibilities I've come up with:

***5th Wave (The)
Alice in Wonderland
Anna & the French Kiss
Bell Jar (The)
Big Little Lies
Boy in the Striped Pajamas (The)
Candide
Catch-22
Christmas Carol (A)
Cinder
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (The)
***Devil in the White City... (The)
Divergent
***Dracula
Ella Enchanted
Farewell to Arms (A)
Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy #1)
***Frankenstein
Girl with all the Gifts (The)
Gone Girl
Great Expectations
***Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (på dansk - Danish edition)
I, Elizabeth
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Mansfield Park
Martian (The)
Me Before You (#1)
Middlemarch
One Second After (After #1)
Persuasion
Phantom of the Opera (The)
Picture of Dorian Gray (The)
Postcard Killers (The)
Princess Bride (The)
Princess Diaries (The)
Rosie Project (The)
Scarlet (by AC Gaughen)
Sense & Sensibility
Sharp Objects
Tale of Two Cities (A)
Thirteen Reasons Why
Time Traveler's Wife (The)
Timebound (The Chronos Files #1)
Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History...Disaster
Wrinkle in Time (A)

The ones indicated with *** are books I'd really like to read, but that may change.

~I finished Crossed by Ally Condie this morning. I will be starting the 3rd book in the trilogy, Reached, very soon.

~I started Reached yesterday morning. The storyline seems to be back on track after the wayward second novel.

~I'm looking to start another book, hoping to finish it before the end of the month as well. I plucked The Postcard Killers by James Patterson from my shelf, realizing that this book would kill 2 birds with 1 stone -- Clear the Shelves Challenge as well as the Top Ten Faves Challenge. Plus, I haven't read a Patterson novel in a long time. He has put out countless new novels since the last time I tackled my Patterson book stack!

~I finished Reached this morning. It was so much better than Crossed & on par with Matched. I was pleased to see that the trilogy was back on track at this point. I'm very much satisfied with how it ended as well.

~I have put a hold in at the library for The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson, so I will pick that up this afternoon. I plan to read it for May.

~With 3 days remaining in April, I am currently not reading anything. I have 3 books lined up for May but would prefer not to start them early. Therefore, I need to find a book to fill the next few days, and I have tentatively decided on The Postcard Killers by James Patterson. This particular novel will allow me to mark off another book for both the "Top Ten Faves" & the "Clear the Shelves" challenges.

~Also, I picked up The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson from the library this afternoon, so now I have all of my May reads ready to go for next month. :D

~This morning, I finished reading The Postcard Killers by James Patterson & Liza Marklund. It was a Patterson special, gripping & fast-paced. I enjoyed the Scandinavian setting, especially when they briefly traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark (because I have been studying the Danish language, off & on, for about a year & a half). I gave it 4 stars.

~For the remainder of the month of May, I plan to read the following:
---1) Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (I have started this one (as a Buddy Read) & am about 4 chapters in)
---2) The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson (I have started this one as well & am 30-something pages in)
---3) Someday, Someday, Maybe (I will start this one soon for a Buddy Read)
---4) The Maze Runner by James Dashner (I will start this book next week for the TBR Twins read)

I'm going to start writing up a summary of each month's reads. So...

***

***APRIL 2017***

~Wuthering Heights:
Unlikable & unrelatable characters - 2 stars

~Matched (Matched #1):
Poetic dystopian w/ likable & well-developed characters, focusing on art - 4.5 stars

~Outbreak: the Zombie Apocalypse:
Quick, interesting read w/ only 1 properly developed character - 3 stars

~Crossed (Matched #2):
Too much of a "transition" novel with many missed opportunities for plot action - 3.5 stars

~Reached (Matched #3):
Characters developed in a profound way, together & apart, lots of interesting references to poetry & other art, very satisfying ending - 4.5 stars

Best Book of the Month: Matched; Reached
Worst Book of the Month: Wuthering Heights
Most Surprising Book of the Month: Crossed (With the 1st & 3rd books in the series being so incredible, I was surprised to find that this middle book was a bit lackluster.)

Average Star Rating: 3.5

~I just finished Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen about an hour ago. I was pleased with how much I liked this book, given how badly my last encounter with a Jane Austen novel (Pride & Prejudice) had gone. I found this novel to be a quick read that was light & amusing, with developed characters that all had very distinct personalities. The biggest con for this book was that it did not have enough of the mysterious air I thought it would, given that more than half of the summary for this book speaks to "terrible suspicions" and "dreadful portents." However, I enjoyed the Gothic content it did include & found it interesting how Catherine let her vivid imagination for horror-filled books run away with her reality for a time.

~I am still working on The Devil in the White City, savoring every bit of it as it is one of the -- possibly even the -- best non-fiction book I have read.

~I have picked up The Maze Runner to read with my "TBR twin." I am 3 chapters in & excited to explore the differences between the book & the movie.

~I finished The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson. The stunning grandeur of the White City of the World's Columbian Exposition contrasted with the macabre darkness of the Murder Castle of H.H. Holmes has made for a brilliant juxtaposition in this gripping work of creative non-fiction. I milked this book as I read it, not reading too slowly as to fall out of the magic of it or too quickly as to devour without truly savoring it.

~I have created a new challenge for myself for the year. It is a challenge to read at least *10 books* in at least *5 genres* that I don't normally read (or that I want to read more of) -- I have deemed this the Outside Your Comfort Zone Challenge.

***

RULES

~Minimum Requirements~
10 books
5 genres

~Limitations (until above requirements are met)~
No more than *3* books in a genre
No more than *2* genres with 3 books

***

The not-so-often-read genres up for this challenge are:
-Non-Fiction (Biography/Autobiography/Memoir/etc.)
-Non-Fiction (Historical)
-Fantasy (High)
-Fantasy (Urban)
-Sci-Fi (non-dystopian)
-Fairytales & Re-Tellings
-Horror (non-zombie-related)
-Historical Fiction
-Classic
-Romance
-Christmas

My progress for the year so far:
3/10 books
2/5 genres

1) Classic: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
2) Classic: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
3) Non-Fiction (Historical): The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

~Yesterday morning, I finished off the 3 books I was reading:

---1) Taking the Titanic by James Patterson & Scott Slaven
---2) The Maze Runner by James Dashner
---3) Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

~I have begun reading Sinful Cinderella by Anita Valle. I didn't realize how short this book was when I started, so I should be able to finish it really soon.

~I have also started Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. This seems to be a really popular book of late, with a high GR rating, and I'm curious to see what all the fuss is about. I don't typically read fantasy, so I'm interested to find out how well I like it. If nothing else, it will count towards my OYCZ (Outside Your Comfort Zone) Challenge goal. :D

~I have finished Sinful Cinderella. It was a very quick read & an interesting re-telling of the fairytale. I saw the ending coming from very early on, but it was still interesting to see how it came about.

~I have COMPLETED the A TO Z LOCATIONS challenge with 13/13 books!!! I plan to start Round 2 for this challenge, with a goal of 13.

Now that May has come to a close, let's sum it up...

***MAY 2017***

~The Postcard Killers
Fast-paced & gripping with human characters. A great, typical Patterson novel - 4 stars

~Northanger Abbey
Lighthearted & amusing with likable characters, enjoyable Gothic content but it needed more of this element - 4 stars

~The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
The magical & macabre have been interwoven to create a maelstrom of contrasting elements that swirl together into a beautiful work of creative non-fiction - 5 stars

~Taking the Titanic
Quick read with an interesting storyline & historical backdrop - 3.5 stars

~The Maze Runner
An intense dystopian with one of the more likable characters of this (or really, any) genre in Thomas. Plenty of mystery & suspense to keep one on the edge of one's seat - 4.25 stars

~Someday, Someday, Maybe
Funny & lighthearted, this is a feel-good novel that I thoroughly enjoyed & I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a sequel if there were to be one - 4.5 stars

~Sinful Cinderella
A quick & easy read of a different twist on a fairytale re-telling but with a predictable ending - 3 stars


Best Book of the Month: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
Worst Book of the Month: Sinful Cinderella
Most Surprising Book of the Month: Northanger Abbey (Given how much I disliked my first Austen novel -- Pride & Prejudice -- this one surprised me with how good it was.)

Average Star Rating: 4.03

~I finished reading Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor a few days ago. I have to say that I much preferred the second half to the first. The characters were more intriguing in the first half of the book, and I enjoyed the mysterious air of Karou's shrouded past. However, the mystery of her past turned out to be more interesting than the reality of it. I had her connection to Akiva figured out almost instantly, and once Karou remembered, things became much less interesting to me. The mood of the story took a turn at this point, becoming more of a love story between Akiva & Madrigal, as we were transported from the urban fantasy setting of Prague (& Brimstone's clandestine shop) to the high fantasy world of Eretz & Loramendi. I felt like I was reading an entirely different book. Sadly, I believe I muttered, "Finally," upon finishing this book. However, Laini Taylor's writing voice is splendid & poetic -- an aspect of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I gave it 3 stars here on GR, but my technical rating would be 2.75 stars.

.
.

~So far, for May, I plan to read the following books:
---1) The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (my May TBR Twin (Lauri) & I are continuing the series!)
---2) The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (this is the Group Read for the month -- my first Group Read!)
---3) Cinder by Marissa Meyer (I have started this book -- I'm interested to see how the futuristic/sci-fi genre meshes with the classic fairytale)
---4) The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (this is the book my TBR Twin & I will read; we will start next week)

~My library ebook hold on Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham just came through today, so I will be reading that book this month as well. :D

~Because of a short road trip I'm taking this weekend, I have downloaded an audiobook to listen to in the car: Feed by Mira Grant.

~I finished Cinder by Marissa Meyer yesterday. I picked it up because it had such high ratings & seemed to be pretty popular, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I wasn't sure I'd like it because the summary made it seem super sci-fi/tech-y with all of the mentions of cyborgs and androids (which is not something I'm generally into). However, I ended up liking the book much more than I thought I would, being drawn back time and again, interested in what was going to happen. I gave the book 4 stars, and I fully intend to continue reading the series! :D

~I finished The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins last night. It started off slowly with incredibly unlikable characters. The plotline got a little more interesting once the mystery aspect kicked in, but the characters never got any better. I gave it 3 stars.

~I finished reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares yesterday morning. I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were well-developed, each with her own unique voice. I liked how they started out as typical teenagers, a bit mercurial & insecure at times but how they all matured into more sensible, profound young adults by the end. I gave it 4 stars.

~With the above book, I have completed the "2nd Quarter (April 1 through June 30) Clear the Shelves Challenge" with a total of 8 books which I had obtained before April 1st.

~I finished Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham about an hour ago. I love Lauren's quirky, unique voice. She seems like the sweet, down-to-earth girl-next-door who can relate to just about anyone, even if it's in a kooky sort of way. I found myself identifying heavily with numerous thoughts & feelings & conveyances in this book. My only complaints are:

1) after the first couple (few?) chapters, the next several seem to bounce around, back and forth, from life point to life point as she thinks of them (she recounts the "old days" of Gilmore Girls & then in subsequent chapters, jumps back to her days before GG when she was waiting tables & such). Things got back on track (chronologically) once she began discussing Someday, Someday, Maybe & on through the end. However, while I felt a little like I was being bounced around, I also got the sense that that thought process was exactly what it would be like inside Lauren's mind. So, with all of this being said, this was only a minor complaint. Not even really a complaint...just something I had to wrap my mind around a bit while reading. Okay, not a complaint at all. Lauren's perfect.

2) I wanted this book to be longer. Is this a complaint? Or more of a yearning? I feel like I am yearning...

To sum up: I loved it & I have no complaints.

I gave it a spectacular 5 stars. :D

~All star ratings are what I gave each book here on Goodreads. My *technical* star ratings (ratings I would've given had GR allowed non-whole-number ratings) may differ & will be the ratings used in all monthly book summaries.

~I started reading Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

~I just finished The Scorch Trials by James Dashner. I didn't like it as well as the 1st book, and I didn't like either book as well as the movies, surprisingly enough! It tends to go the other way for me generally. But this book felt a little lost, as though the author wasn't sure what to do with the characters. And as I looked back over the book, I realized that nothing of consequence actually happened in this book. They started out having been put in a facility by WICKED, and that was exactly how it ended up, with nothing worthwhile happening in between.

The characters were not the go-getters that they were in the 1st book. They made no plans or decisions for themselves. They waited for WICKED to throw a new obstacle at them so they could react. They had no goals of their own & no real fight in them whatsoever. It felt like a step backwards from the character development of the 1st book. I sure hope the 3rd book picks up -- I'll find out next month!

~I finished Anna and the French Kiss a few minutes ago. It was a good, lighthearted romance -- nothing earth-shattering but entertaining all the way through. I gave it 3.75 stars.

***JUNE 2017***

~Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Several missed opportunities for character development, predictable ending, & the 2nd half of the book felt like a completely different novel (of the slow, brooding romantic type). - 3 stars

~Cinder
Likable characters with an interesting plotline. Unique nods to the classic fairytale while making the story completely original. - 4.25 stars

~The Girl on the Train
Incredibly unlikable characters who were creepy & whose lives revolved exclusively around men, most of whom were abusive in one form or another. - 2.5 stars

~The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Well-developed characters, each with her own unique voice, grew & matured throughout the book. - 4.25 stars

~Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between
A great look into the funny, unique life of Lauren Graham. Entertaining from start to finish, I found myself wanting to pick this book up again & again. - 4.5 stars

~The Scorch Trials
No significant plot points & the characters were never proactive, always waiting for something to happen to them. A real step back in character development from the 1st book. - 3.5 stars

~Anna and the French Kiss
Lighthearted romantic read. Nothing earth-shattering or profound but entertaining the whole way through. - 3.75 stars


Best Book of the Month: Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between
Worst Book of the Month: The Girl on the Train
Most Surprising Book of the Month: It's a tie between Cinder & The Scorch Trials:
~Cinder - I didn't expect to like Cinder as well as I did; I thought it was going to be too tech-y/sci-fi but it turned out to be very interesting, where the tech-y bits only added to the plot.
~The Scorch Trials - Considering how much I enjoyed The Maze Runner book (and movie) and how much I love The Scorch Trials movie, I thought for sure I would love The Scorch Trials book. Unfortunately, this seemed like a transition novel, full of filler content that led nowhere of consequence. The character development took a huge step back, and suddenly they were all unwilling to be brave or try to come up with a plan or make decisions on their own.

Average Star Rating: 3.71

***JULY 2017***

~The Knife of Never Letting Go
Loads of unanswered questions through the majority of the book. Took a while to get used to the frequent misspelling of words & to stop stumbling over them. The characters were developed well, including Todd's dog, Manchee, who was an interesting addition to the story. I was very upset when he was killed. It took a long time to reach their goal with not a whole lot happening along the way. Mostly, this felt like a lot of world-building instead of actual plotline. And, once they reached their destination, they walked into a trap and we were left on a cliffhanger. - 3.5 stars

~Cross Kill
Quick, fast-paced, gripping storyline with the typical Patterson zest. A bit frustrating towards the end that Alex didn't realize what was happening (with being drugged and walking into a trap), but he was so desperate to find "Soneji" and capture the person responsible for nearly killing his best friend, so I can overlook that reaction. It left us on a cliffhanger which I'm interested to continue in the next installment. - 4 stars

~Chase
Quick, fast-paced, gripping storyline with well-developed characters. Interesting storyline but a weird, seemingly "deus ex machina" twist with the unexplained woman who gave Michael instructions on how to find Paul Haber. The ending was intense and enjoyable if a little bit abrupt. - 4 stars

~Scarlet
More likable characters were introduced who had very discernible personalities from the characters we had already met. The storyline lagged a bit in the middle but picked up again about 3/4 of the way through, once Cinder/Thorne reached Rieux & Scarlet/Wolf reached Paris. I like how it ended, with all of the characters finally coming together, and Wolf's "betrayal" of Scarlet not having been a betrayal at all. - 4 stars

~The 5th Wave
The story started off slowly, focusing on Cassie alone, with her disjointed flashback style of narration, telling how she got to the point she was at (shot & trapped beneath a car, hiding from the gunman). Things picked up when she was rescued by Evan and when Ben's & Sammy's POVs were introduced. The story really picked up about 3/4 of the way through, with all of the military training as well as when Cassie & Evan finally left the cabin. It was no surprise that Evan was "one of them" but I liked how ambivalent Cassie was about whether or not to trust him to help her save her brother. Good ending with a transition that could have the next book start just about anywhere. - 4 stars


Best Book of the Month: Scarlet
Worst Book of the Month: The Knife of Never Letting Go
Most Surprising Book of the Month: The Knife of Never Letting Go (Given the genre of this book, I expected to like it much more. It just didn't seem to really *go* anywhere, and all that was accomplished was the characters getting caught by the army that would've caught them anyway, had they stayed in Prentisstown right from the start)

Average Star Rating: 3.9 stars

My August books to read:

1) Cress by Marissa Meyer
2) The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
3) Cell by Stephen King
4) The Giver by Lois Lowry
5) My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

I've finished Cress. I really enjoyed this book. I related so well to Cress and it has been the best book in the series so far. I'd give it 4.5 stars if GR would allow (as it is, I gave it a GR rating of 4 stars).

I have finished The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey. I didn't enjoy this book nearly as well as the 1st one. This book suffered from severe Transition Syndrome, with very little happening at all. I have given it 3 stars, which I feel is being a tad generous. If it hadn't been part of a series -- following up a book I actually enjoyed -- I would've given it a lower rating.

***AUGUST 2017***

~Cress
Very relatable character in Cress, with lots of action & emotion & entertaining plot points. Best book of the series so far. - 4.5 stars

~The Infinite Sea
A transition novel. The only important event that happened was the revelation of the truth about who the "aliens" really are. - 3 stars

~My Not So Perfect Life
Light-hearted, quick read with a good storyline & interesting characters. I enjoyed the ending but was slightly disappointed with the way the climactic scheme was handled. The guilty party was never even told the truth or offered a chance to come clean. I was disappointed with the way this was handled, as though they were complete "baddies" who had concocted this evil plan to overthrow their boss, when really they thought their scatterbrained boss was completely responsible for all of the bad things that had happened to them at work. None of this was ever righted, and I feel those characters, while not making the best decisions, did get screwed over in the end over a huge misunderstanding. Other than that misstep in judgment, I enjoyed the characters & the book. - 4 stars

~The Giver
This is the 3rd time I've read this book. Wonderful dystopian concept with an interesting plot line and intriguing ending. This was my introduction to the dystopian genre 19 years ago and nostalgia will always keep this book high on my list of favorites. - 5 stars

~Cell
Well-developed character & intelligent prose. Good idea but didn't quite live up to potential. Unnecessarily wordy descriptions, the 2nd half dragged on, & the ambiguous ending was unsatisfactory. - 3.5 stars


Best Book of the Month: The Giver (because of nostalgia & the beginning of my dystopian reading) & Cress as a close 2nd, with a lot of plot intensity & so many interesting characters (I really relate to Cress's character).
Worst Book of the Month: The Infinite Sea - the 1st book was a lot better, but it seemed as though nothing of consequence happened in this book at all, other than the revelation of the truth about the "aliens"
Most Surprising Book of the Month: The Infinite Sea (for the same reasons as above)

Average Star Rating: 4.00

I just completed Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was gripping right from the start and never let up. The character development was great and the action intense. I didn't want to put it down, and when it was over, I wanted it to continue. I was very pleased with the way it ended as well -- a happy ending with "our" Jason having gotten his family back, but not a *perfect* ending, as they were forced to leave the world they knew for a new one.

One part that really got me was towards the very end, when "our" Jason was about to enter the box with Daniela & Charlie. And a couple of the other Jasons were angry and didn't understand why Our Jason was the one who got to have the family. But then there was one other Jason who understood, saying that it wasn't about all of them; it was about Daniela and Charlie and what they wanted and needed, and the rest of them just had to let it be. I felt like he was the most like Our Jason in his morality, doing what was best for the ones he loved most. But that part was very sad, thinking that, if another Jason had gotten to Daniela & Charlie first, that Our Jason could've been standing outside that box, completely devastated that some other just-as-moral Jason was the one getting to move on with his family.

I have gladly given this book 5 stars.

The books I am reading for the remainder of the month are:

~To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
~Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
~Fairest by Marissa Meyer

I'm late posting, but I finished all of my planned books for September, including To Kill a Mockingbird, Gathering Blue, and Fairest.

***SEPTEMBER 2017***

~Dark Matter
Gripping right from the start and never let up. The character development was great and the action intense. I didn't want to put it down, and when it was over, I wanted it to continue. I was very pleased with the way it ended as well -- a happy ending with "our" Jason having gotten his family back, but not a *perfect* ending, as they were forced to leave the world they knew for a new one. - 5 stars

~Gathering Blue
Slow-moving and it hardly had any crucial plot points. Repetitive in places and predictable. Felt more like a transition novel than its own story. - 3 stars

~Fairest
Unrelatable character who was not at all sympathetic. I couldn't get into this book at all because the character was portrayed as all bad, with absolutely no redeeming qualities. Extreme characters (all good or all bad) bore me. - 3 stars

~To Kill a Mockingbird
Very interesting and funny coming-of-age story set against a heartbreaking racially charged backdrop. Scout was a great, relatable main character, even at such a young age. - 5 stars


Best Book of the Month: It's a tie between Dark Matter & To Kill a Mockingbird (Both of these exceeded my expectations, earning well-deserved 5-star ratings which is not a rating I give out often)

Worst Book of the Month: Fairest (I was very disappointed with this one, given how much I love the rest of the series. But I cannot get into a book with a main character who is all bad and completely unrelatable.)

Most Surprising Book of the Month: It's a tie between Dark Matter & To Kill a Mockingbird (I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with either one of these books and was pleasantly surprised to actually love both of them)

Average Star Rating: 4.0 stars

Other Notes: This month was a little "all over the place" with my expectations vs. reality. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Dark Matter, thinking it was much more "sci-fi" than it actually was, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I absolutely loved this book! I was disappointed in Gathering Blue, especially given how much I loved the previous book, The Giver. I was also disappointed in Fairest, seeing as how the rest of the Lunar Chronicles series has been amazing! I wasn't sure what to expect with To Kill A Mockingbird, and I ended up loving this book; it's definitely one of my favorite classics now. :D

Reading List for October 2017
~Winter by Marissa Meyer
~Messenger by Lois Lowry
~Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
~Dracula by Bram Stoker
~Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

~I have finished Winter. This was a great conclusion to the series. I was glad to see that all of the characters were involved in the final book; although, I felt as though Wolf was a little bit neglected in this book (and *really* in Cress). All of the characters were interesting and relatable in one way or another. They all had very different personalities but they all complemented one another perfectly. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this series going in, but I have ended up loving it! I'm excited to read Stars Above soon to get more backstory on these characters. I will be sad when I have no more stories to read in this series! - 5 stars

~I have also finished Messenger. I enjoyed this book much more than Gathering Blue but not nearly as much as The Giver. I liked Matty's character & enjoyed his relationship with Seer. I was also pleased to see the return of Jonas's character as Leader. I felt like this story ended a bit abruptly, though, with the "healing" of Forest and Matty's death. I was glad he saved Village, but I can only imagine how heartbroken Seer will be to have lost Matty, who was basically a son to him. At least he will have a chance to reunite once again with his daughter. - 3.5 stars (up-rated to 4 stars on GR)

~Yesterday, I finished reading Frankenstein. I found myself torn a lot of the time, while reading this book. Torn between feeling horrified by the monster's behavior and feeling sorry for him for how he was treated.

The ending was almost Shakespearean in its tragedy! I felt so sad for both Victor & his monster at the end of their lives. Neither had anything even remotely resembling a happy ending, and both of their lives ended in utter torment & despair.

It was so appealing how well Shelley wrote the characters of Frankenstein & his monster, and how relatable she made them, despite finding such deep faults with each of them. They were both very human in their own ways, with faults & attributes that made them both well-developed & sympathetic characters. - 4 stars

Catching up on posts.

~I finished Rot & Ruin. What a great portrayal of humanity (& the lack thereof), as well as genuine human emotion, with a backdrop of zombies. - 4.75 stars

~I also finished Dracula. This one could be a bit wordy at times and was, I felt, longer than it needed to be. But the characters were all interesting, and I enjoyed the epistolary style of the book. I loved the pure gothic horror tone of this book as well as the occasional cold, misty, nautical backdrop. - 4 stars

***OCTOBER 2017***

~Winter
Amazing cumulation of the novels before it. All of the characters had very distinct personalities, with strengths and weaknesses that perfectly complemented one another. Each character was likable & relatable in his or her own unique way. I hated reaching the end of this book only because there are no more books to read in the series! - 5 stars

~Messenger
Enjoyable book with a likable character in Matty & an interesting relationship between him & Seer. I was hoping to see more of this in the next book, but this one seemed to end very abruptly with Matty's "healing" of the Forest & his death. I was glad he was able to bring Kira to reunite with her father. - 3.5 stars

~Frankenstein
The ending was almost Shakespearean in its tragedy! I felt so sad for both Victor & his monster at the end of their lives. Neither had anything even remotely resembling a happy ending, and both of their lives ended in utter torment & despair. It was so appealing how well Shelley wrote the characters of Frankenstein & his monster, and how relatable she made them, despite finding such deep faults with each of them. They were both very human in their own ways, with faults & attributes that made them both well-developed & sympathetic characters. - 4 stars

~Rot & Ruin
What a great portrayal of humanity (& the lack thereof), as well as genuine human emotion, with a backdrop of zombies. - 4.75 stars

~Dracula
A bit wordy at times and was longer than it needed to be. But the characters were all interesting, and I enjoyed the epistolary style of the book. I loved the pure gothic horror tone of this book as well as the occasional cold, misty, nautical backdrop. - 4 stars



Best Book of the Month: Winter (The perfect cumulation of the rest of the series, bringing all of these amazing characters together for an epic ending!)

Worst Book of the Month: Messenger (It was better than Gathering Blue but still not nearly as great as The Giver)

Most Surprising Book of the Month: Rot & Ruin (I was pleasantly shocked by how much I absolutely loved this book!)

Average Star Rating: 4.25 stars

Reading List for November 2017
~Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber
~Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella
~Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
~Son by Lois Lowry

~I finished Christmas Letters by Debbie Macomber a few days ago.

This was a light, sweet read for the holiday season. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline, and the immediate clash of KO's & Wynn's views on child-rearing. It was interesting to see the way they navigated their budding attraction and new relationship, while trying to avoid the subject on which they held completely opposite views.

My only complaint about this book was how abruptly it ended. KO & Wynn had their argument and immediately broke up, realizing they were never going to agree on how best to raise a child. Several days later, KO decided to fight for Wynn, not wanting to let him go because she was in love with him. When she approached Wynn, he had basically done a 180, suddenly agreeing that his views were too extreme and that he would be writing a new book to retract some of the things he had published previously. Granted, he had had more than week to consider what had happened, and it's entirely logical that he realized his approach was too extreme, but we were not shown any of that change or development. The turn-around was too abruptly presented, in my opinion, but other than that, I really enjoyed this book and was glad to see that the two of them finally decided to work on compromising their views. - 4 stars

Playing catch-up here. In November, I finished:

~Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella - 4.25 stars
~Stars Above by Marissa Meyer - 4.5 stars
~Son by Lois Lowry - 3.5 stars

***NOVEMBER 2017***

~Christmas Letters
This was a light, sweet read for the holiday season. The climactic conflict & resolution were a bit abrupt, but overall this was an enjoyable story. - 4.0 stars

~Remember Me?
Well-written story with funny, relatable characters & hilarious situations. I really enjoyed the memory loss aspect of this & having the past few years of her life be a complete mystery. It was fun trying to piece things together along with Lexi. - 4.25 stars

~Stars Above
This was a great compilation of the characters' short stories. Each story really helped to flesh out the featured character's back story. I really loved the final story and how it showed what happened after the ending of Winter. - 4.50 stars

~Son
I enjoyed the first Book of this novel much more than the other two. The third one wasn't too bad, but I felt like the second Book (at the community by the sea) dragged on and on. However, while this didn't live up to the standards of The Giver, I did feel like this was the 2nd best novel of the quartet. - 3.50 stars



Best Book of the Month: Stars Above (It was a nice way to conclude reading the Lunar Chronicles series. I enjoyed all of the stories and really liked getting to see more in depth views of each character's back story.

Worst Book of the Month: Son (It wasn't *bad* but like the others in the series, it didn't nearly live up to the level of The Giver.)

Most Surprising Book of the Month: I honestly wasn't surprised about any books this month. I came to expect that I wouldn't like the others in The Giver quartet as well as the original, and I assumed I'd enjoy Stars Above as well as the rest of the series. I usually always enjoy Christmas stories & chick lit books, so I wasn't surprised to like those 2 as well as I did.

Average Star Rating: 4.06 stars

For December, I am reading the following:

~Hope To Escape by Jack Parker
~An Island Christmas by Nancy Thayer

~I read both Hope To Escape & An Island Christmas in December.

***The original post won't allow me to update any further because of the character limit. Nonetheless, I have completed ALL challenges listed in that post! :D***

***DECEMBER 2017***

~Hope To Escape
This was fast-moving, with a lot of action & intrigue. But I felt as though the characters were not explored enough. The narration centered mostly around the doc (and how he felt about what was happening with Max & Esther), and I felt I hardly knew anything about him at all. - 3.5 stars

~An Island Christmas
A good Christmastime read, but Jilly annoyed me for most of the book. She was meddlesome and judgmental and not very relatable throughout most of the book. I was glad that she turned things around towards the end -- and even more glad that her meddling didn't keep her daughter from getting married. - 3.5 stars


Best Book of the Month: Both were evenly rated this month.

Worst Book of the Month: Both were evenly rated this month.

Most Surprising Book of the Month: I expected to like An Island Christmas a little bit more than I did. It was a decent holiday read but could have been much better.

Average Star Rating: 3.5 stars