Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Here is the thread to post your reviews. Did you enjoy the book? Would you recommend it? Did it fit the genre?

I almost feel like I'm cheating by claiming this book since it's a children's book, but it is on the Adventure shelf! Stuart Little by E.B. White is full of Stuart's adventures, so it definitely fits the genre. I may even have enjoyed it more this time around, since I was reading it for me, although memories of sharing it with the kids were there as well. If you are a parent (or grandparent) of young children, and have yet to enjoy the experience of this book with them, be adventurous! Here's My Review

I finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins very quickly, and really enjoyed it. Will definitely read the next one in the series, and it was a great adventure.

The Silver ChairFeb 2 (4*) Here's My Review

The Pevensie children are not in this one, which was initially disappointing to me, although I did very much like the idea of a redeemed Eustace Scrubb, even tho he obviously needed quite a bit more redemption before the end of this one! And I liked the adventure of the quest the two children were given by Aslan.

Just finished Robinson Crusoe,I picked this because my Mum had been watching what I thought was a bad adaptation and despite having read the book before I couldn't remember much about it although it was about 25 years ago. I was wrong however it wasn't the adaptation that was bad but the source material. I wouldn't recommend this book to anybody, I only finished it because I had put it on my list for this month

I finished A Lion Among Men: Volume Three in the Wicked Years. This is the third book in the "Wicked Years" series about the characters from L. Frank Baum's Oz. The first two books dealt with the Wicked Witch of the West and her son. This book is about the "Cowardly Lion". I enjoy the point of view that Gregory Maguire provides in his books but this is my least favorite of the series. 3*

Karen wrote: "Just finished Robinson Crusoe,I picked this because my Mum had been watching what I thought was a bad adaptation and despite having read the book before I couldn't remember much about i..."

I hated this book too, I had to read it for uni and really struggled with it. I fell asleep once while reading it and lost my page, I couldn't for the life of me remember where I was in the book because I found that the book was so repetitive.

Have now read The Five Greatest Warriors: A Novel and unlike Robinson Crusoe I loved this book. I started it this morning and couldn't put it down. My only complaint is that now I'll need to wait for the next one

The Hunger Games was both enthralling and appalling! I know this theme has been covered before, but I felt this was well-told by the very matter-of-factness used in the narration: This is how our lives are lived and there's very little we can do about it. Rebellion was tried decades ago and it just made things worse. But we will survive, and just maybe there's hope after all.
Be aware that this is the first book in a trilogy; the 2nd book is out, and the 3rd one is due in August. Here's my review

I just finished The Last Battle and enjoyed it. while it skips ahead a couple hundred years and we don't see any familar character until about 1/4 of the way through I still liked it and found it a great way to end the series!

Karen wrote: "Have now read The Five Greatest Warriors: A Novel and unlike Robinson Crusoe I loved this book. I started it this morning and couldn't put it down. My only complaint is that now I'll..."

I know what you mean about not being able to put it down... I didn't think that there was going to be another one... I thought the THE END at the end shows that the series was kind of over... unlss you know something that I don't!

Sophie wrote: "Karen wrote: "Have now read The Five Greatest Warriors: A Novel and unlike Robinson Crusoe I loved this book. I started it this morning and couldn't put it down. My only complaint is..."

No Sophie I don't know if there is going to another one I am just hoping

Actually Sophie ignore that last comment. There will be at least one more in the series, my book has an interview with Matthew Reilly at the back and in it he confirms that there will be a fourth. His comments actually read as though there will be seven books in total, which makes sense as we've already had seven, six and five and the next one is to be called The Fourth..... he hasn't decided on the rest of the title. Although given that there was two years between Six Sacred Stones and The Five Greatest Warriors I don't expect it to be published anytime soon.

Here is my review of The Mysterious Benedict Society:

This is a really good book. I will give it a solid 4* because I only gove 5* to books I want to keep forever.

I absolutely loved the beginning of this book, the way it illustrated that all 4 main characters had different strengths and abilities by having them solve the same problems 4 different ways. I think that is a really powerful message for YA readers.

When the premiss for the evil plot was being set up I lost a little interest, it seemed kind of hokey to me...but then, as the plot unfolded, it got creepier and creepier (in a fun way) and I could not put the book down. A 400+ book for me in 3 days is some kind of record.

There were many surprising twits throughout the book which were quite enjoyable as well. I figured out just enough of them in just enough advance to help me feel at least as smart as the main characters (which I always enjoy).

This book had elements of Percy Jackson/Harry Potter as well as The Giver/1984. It that intrigues you...READ THIS BOOK

Karen wrote: "Actually Sophie ignore that last comment. There will be at least one more in the series, my book has an interview with Matthew Reilly at the back and in it he confirms that there will be a fourth. ..."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I can't wait that long! What else is that brilliant man going to come up with to try and destroy the world with?

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

I loved the film and wanted to read the book to see how they compared and I have found both of them enchanting. I love the characters in this story and Gaiman has such a beautiful way of writing a story, very poetic. It was such an easy book to read and I would recommend it to fans of faerie stories.

I felt it fit the adventure genre perfectly as that is what the whole story is about: an adventure to retrieve a star and take her home.

In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber by L.A. Meyer

I really enjoyed this one and would definately recommend it. It's the fourth book in the Bloody Jack Adventures and I think it's probably my favorite so far. L.A. Meyer manages to deliver an enthralling adventure that is at the same time serious and amusing. It's a really fun read.

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (4 stars)
This is second in a series so I don't really want to give anything away. But, I thought it was a nice addition to the first and I have the third sitting beside me waiting to be read!

Inca Gold by Clive Cussler
Another Dirk Pitt adventure starts in the jungle in Peru and ends in the Sonoran desert. The story about a King's ransom of gold that the Incas hid on an island is intertwined with a large art smuggling operation that has covered several generations of the same family.

Robbery under Arms by Rolf Boldrewood
3.5 stars

Quite an enjoyable story about a mob of bushrangers terrorising New South Wales during the Australian gold rush. The story is told by one of the bushrangers after he is finally captured by the police. The main characters are very likable 'honourable thieves' and there are some interesting women characters which can be unusual in 19th century literature.

Lady Friday by Garth Nix almost 4*
My Review

I needed another light-hearted adventure to offset the gloom of my other current read. I'm enjoying the totally ridiculous worlds that Nix created, and the ingenious ways that 'mischief' is done by the evildoers and foiled by the heroes.

The Sea of Monsters ****

This is a YA series that several adults had recommended to me. It is fun and action packed. A true adventure as Percy must travel through the sea of monsters in order to save his friend from a Cyclops.
I love that this book dealt a bit with being embarrassed by someone who is different than yourself and finding self confidence. The last chapter sets up the reader for book 3 and I can say I will probably have to read the next book sooner than later so that I can find out what will happen next!

Finished Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, works quite well as an idea but don't think I'll be rushing to read the rest of the series

I finished my first pick-a-shelf book The Eyre Affair. This book was a very funny literary/sci-fi/criminal adventure. Recommended to anyone who wants a good giggle. I was worried about the book treating Jane Eyre with disrespect (it's my favourite book). I didn't find this to be the case.
I gave it 4 Stars

I love it when a sequel lives up to the promise of the first book. The River is the sequel to Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, and uses a reasonable premise to get Brian back into the wilderness - altho I've gotta tell you, I wouldn't have done it!

The River by Gary Paulsen Feb 14 (4*) My Review

The Golden Compass***
I enjoyed this adventure, although it took me a while to really get into the story. I think it really took off for me after she ran away and her adventure took off. The ideas of the deamon and dust were both very interesting to me. I loved the people who she met and helped her, almost more than I liked Lyra herself.
In the end I felt satisfied with the story, but I am not in a hurry to keep reading on in the series. Maybe I will try the series again as my children get older, I think it would make a fun book to read aloud.

I finished reading The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea and thought it was quite good. The technical parts weren't too hard to understand (at least I think I understood it all OK). I did see the movie a while ago so I supposed that helped as well. Certainly makes you appreciate your next fish dinner more though! I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who gets sea sick easily - very descriptive about the size of the waves and how the ships were tossed around - and I found myself reading on the bus and having to stop occasionally!

I finished Shock Wave by Clive Cussler last night. Even though I was really tired after a double at work, I had to read the last few pages.
Wow, this book hardly lets you take a breath from start to finish it is an adventure set on the sea. Dirk Pitt somehow comes up against one of the worst bad guys around, and not just once. The twist at the end leaves you breathless.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. 3 stars.

In the tradition of Black Beauty and other books told from an animal's point of view, this is the story of Joey, a beautiful red-bay horse who begins as a farm horse but is sold to the army and becomes a war horse. I wasn't fully caught up in the story until right towards the end. A nice enough book, though, for students wanting to read a horse story or a war story.

I read The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket. This book is classed as both YA and Adventure. I am not sure if I like the book or not. I really like the children and really hate the bad guy so I guess it is OK. I think that this is really just one of the stories in a really long book that was published as short books to appeal to younger readers. I am going to continue with the next book since I have the first three in a combined volume.

finished The Secret of Lost Things,had picked it because it had been recommended to me but I didn't really like it. Supposed to be an adventure but it never grabbed me.

It took me just a day to read The Reptile Room. This is the second of A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. To continue with the review from the previous book. This series could be distressing because of the really nasty characters that the children run into but somehow they figure out things before their really dense financial guardian, Mr. Poe, does.

I just finished The Well of Lost Plots****.
This is the 3rd book in the Thursday Next series and I thought it was really good, although it started a bit slow for me. I loved getting to know the characters in Jurisfiction better and the adventures were plentiful! I loved some of the exchanges between characters. I loved the idea of the generics and loved the dialogue between Randolph and Lola. It was a great relationship to follow. It set me up to read 2 more books... "The Big Over Easy" and "Something Rotten".

Tara, I just read The Big Over Easy and loved Jack Spratt and the Nursery Crime Division - have just requested the next in that series: The Fourth Bear

I just go The Big Over Easy as well. I did not realize at first how the two series related!

I have finished a few books, but have not had a chance to list them yet, so here it goes.

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris I gave it 5 Stars

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris I gave it 4 Stars

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan I gave it 5 Stars

I really enjoyed all of these books. I'm addicted to the Sookie Stackhouse series, and I'm just thrilled that I have come across the Rick Riordan Olympian series as I LOVE it! I wish these books had been around when I was younger I would have gobbled them up with all the Greek Mythology in them. :0)

Witch & Wizard gave it two stars. Found it disappointing,reads as though he is trying to cross 1984 with Harry Potter

Have been swamped this month & been unable to get much of a chance to read, but have managed to work my way through the audio The Power Of One: Library Edition By Bryce Courtenay. I read this nearly 20 years ago because my then boss was South African & I hoped that it would give me greater insight into where she was from. Regardless of whether it helped or not, it became my favourite book & has retained that shared title today. A wonderful story about a boy & his chicken. Still 5 Stars no matter the format.

I finished the third book in the Series of Unfortunate Events. Book three is The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket
Again we are following the lives of the orphans as they try yet again with a new guardian. You would think that Mr. Poe would be more perseptive when he meets Count Olaf in yet another disguise but he isn't.

Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer. 4.5 stars.

I wasn't looking for another series to read! But this one pulled me right in and wouldn't let go until the end. Mary "Jacky" Faber is such a survivor! I thoroughly enjoyed this great seafaring adventure, and would give it 4.5 stars if I could. I will definitely be reading more in this series.

Luann wrote: "Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer. 4.5 stars.

I wasn't looking for another series to read! But..."

I know, my roommate got me hooked on this series! She has them all, but she keeps forgetting to bring them back for me after breaks so I've started buying my own copies! They're so entertaining :)

Em wrote: "I know, my roommate got me hooked on this series! She has them all, but she keeps forgetting to bring them back for me after breaks so I've started buying my own copies! They're so entertaining :)"

Tell your roommate that it's just plain mean to get you hooked on a series and then not bring you all the books that she has in that series! :)

My granddaughter and I shared this book: Max by James Patterson
This was a very quick read for me, I read it in just one day as did my granddaughter! It is fun being able to share books with her. We both love this series. The mutant kids have been genetically created with human and avian genetics so they can fly. They are also very strong and smart. In this 5th installment of the series the flock are taking part in a series of air-shows when someone tries to shoot them down. The rest of the book follows the story to Hawaii and the deep parts of the ocean.

I finished two books, but will post separately. The first one is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book, since I had read both of them as a child (about 10 or so) and thinking they were sort of weird, but as an adult, I enjoyed them quite a bit and gave them 4 stars. I think it is because I know more about Carroll and the time the stories were written, so I got more of the puns, references, and jokes. Carroll was really quite a witty person, and reminds me of Mark Twain, who is probably my favorite author of all.

The second book was Witch and Wizard by James Patterson. I'm still not quite sure what I think about this book. I gave it 3 stars. It took me quite a bit of the book to get into the characters, though. I think the last third was the best, and the next book may be good, so I am going for 3 stars for now.

I think it is just because as you have gotten older YOU have gotten more wierd, so now the book makes more sense to you. *wink, wink*

Just finished Prey - it's more a thriller than an adventure, but I didn't get to it last month, so didn't complain when it showed up on the Adventure shelf. I gave it a weak 4*, but will keep getting chills whenever I think about how much possibility exists in the scientific world for experiments like Crichton portrayed in this book - or how many may be going on right now!

BJ Rose wrote: "...keep getting chills whenever I think about how much possibility exists in the scientific world for experiments like Crichton portrayed in this book-or how many may be going on right now!

It's funny you mention that, as I always come away feeling the same. I think that's why I like his books so much though because they make me think about the world we live in and what people are capable of. They usually leave me feeling very unsettled for a while.

Lynne - no comments from the peanut gallery! I am going to mail you Witch & Wizard probably tomorrow.

BJ Rose - I just added that book to my TBR. I love Michael Crichton's thrillers, even though I have only read a couple.

Just finished The Lightning Thief and I loved it,can't wait to read the rest of them.
I liked the fact that despite it being written for readers a great deal younger than me it didn't talk down to them and assume they knew nothing about greek mythology, it would have been really easy for the author to get bogged down in background detail and start explaining who the various gods are and what they are the gods of.