Megan's comments (member since Jan 05, 2009)

Megan's comments from the 50 Books A Year group.

69. Chainfire by Terry Goodkind

70. Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough

68. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

These books are awful. They are poorly written. I am not quite sure why I finished the series.

66. Wolfskin

67. Foxmask

by Julliet Marillier

63. The Dark Mirror

64. The Blade of Fortriu

65. The Well of Shades

by Julliet Marillier

62. Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

Good follow up to the trilogy, those this novel comes across as more YA than the others. I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed Neil Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors.

60. Son of the Shadows

61.Child of the Prophecy

by Juliet Marillier

A very well written trilogy. The last book was my least favourite, but still a thoughtful and satisfying conclusion to the story. Fantastic strong female characters make this historic fantasy a book to be recommended.

59. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

Celtic story of the fairy tale the Six Swans. Loved it. Well written, well crafted, nice mix of historical fiction and fantasy.

54. Snow White and Rose Red by Patrici C. Wrede (YA)

Not my favourite fairy tale retelling, but well executed in many ways. The setting of Medieval England on the border of Faery was compelling, but the characters fell flat.

55. Grass for his Pillow by Lian Hearn (YA)

Good sequel to Hearn's first Tale of the Otori. It is beautifully written and the setting is realistic. The characters are compelling. The first book is superior in many ways, however. The female character is interesting, complex and strong.

56. Brilliance of the Moon by Lian Hearn (YA)

Better than the second book. It is well written, poetic and exciting. It was well written and satisfying.

57. The Harsh Cry of the Heron by Lian Hearn (YA)

This book did not live up to the other books in the series. The characters were less realistic and some of the more likable characters from the earlier books were changed unrealistically. It was disappointing.

58. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer (YA)

Poorly written and dysfunctional. I am not much of a Meyers fan, but will probably read the last novel. There is a certain amount of guilty pleasure involved in reading this cheesy love story. Very over-rated however.

50. The Story of Lucy Gault

51. In the Forest

52. The Murder of Roger Ackroid'

53. An Earthly Knight (YA)

48. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

49. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Both re-reads. I love HP, but the 3rd book is still my favourite.

47. Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen

The best book I have read in a while. It is well researches and filled with interesting characters. I never thought I would like a book that took place at the circus, but it was really very good.

45. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Interesting book. It would be an excellent novel to recommend to kids in their early teens and could lead to a lot of interesting discussions.

46. On Fortune's Wheel by Cynthia Voigt

Meh

39. The Countess Below the Stairs by Iva Ibbotson

40. The Reluctant Heiress by Iva Ibbotson

I used to like Ibbotson's books, but they have become so repetitive. All the characters are the same and the story lines and settings are the same as well.

41. The Safe-Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn

I read this while on vacation, so maybe that's why I just wasn't into it. It is a YA fantasy novel. It is just too much like so many other books that I have read.

42. Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn

Another YA fantasy. This one is based in an imaginary feudal state. It was fairly good, but nothing special.

43. The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers

I hated this book with a passion. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, and it read like religious indoctrination. It was too preachy and poorly plotted to boot. There are so many books that use themes of childhood guilt and family much more effectively and artistically. I guess I can't emphasize enough how much I disliked this novel.

44. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I really liked this novel. I am a bit embarrassed to say so, b/c in some ways it was a romance novel and I am a book snob, but the mix of history, adventure, time travel and romance made it hard to put down.

38. The Singing by Alison Croggon.

A good end to the series, but none of the sequels were as good as the first one; The Naming.

36. The Riddle by Alison Croggon
37. The Crow by Alison Croggon

These are the second and third books in the Books of Pellinor and are sequels to "The Naming." I am really enjoying the series in general. The third book was from the point of view of a different protagonist and I didn't like it nearly as much, but the series is excellent, though in many ways it is standard fantasy. I never used to be a big fantasy fan, but it has grown on me. It is for Young Adults.

Aprile wrote: "Megan wrote: "35. Incantation by Alice Hoffman

YA book about Spanish Inquisition. A little sparce in terms of character development, but an interesting read non the less. Young teens would pr..."

It wasn't really my thing either, but I do love historical fiction and am a teacher...

I'm on 35 as well, though I have been reading quite a few YA novels, which are much quicker reads than some adult novels. I am also trying to read books from the 1001 books to read before you die list, which tend to be heavier reads, so maybe they balance each other out. I will try and add a book list later.

35. Incantation by Alice Hoffman

YA book about Spanish Inquisition. A little sparce in terms of character development, but an interesting read non the less. Young teens would probably like it.

34. The Naming (The Gift) by Alison Croggon.

Fantasy for young adults that is much more original than more ya fantasies out there.