Jenifer’s Comments (group member since Dec 05, 2011)

Jenifer’s comments from the Reading with Style group.

Does anyone have a spreadsheet made up for this season's challenge?

10.6 Ides of March

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Review: I was introduced to this series by the HBO series based on the books. I honestly never would have picked up this book if it hadn’t been for the HBO series. Fantasy is just not one of my usual genres.

I did enjoy Game of Thrones and mostly enjoyed Martin’s writing, although at times, it did seem a bit simplistic. It is hard for me to truly judge the book because it ties so closely with the t.v. series. They really did an incredible job at converting the book to screen. Maybe even too good of a job. It actually too me a while to get through the 800 pages of Game of Thrones. I think this is because having seen the book brought to life on the television screen, there were no surprises for me. But, that doesn’t mean that anyone who is a fan of the show should avoid books…quite the contrary. I think the two make excellent companions.

Even if you think you don’t like fantasy, I would definitely suggest giving George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones a try….

+10 task
+10 review
+15 jumbo (864 pgs)

Task Total=35
Grand Total=35

Aaaahhhh!!!

Oh no!!! And knowing how George RR Martin works, I'm sure it will include some of my favorite characters.

Oh, I know! My husband and I have watched the series since it first came out and I was utterly speechless at the end of the first season!!

Now, I'm trying to read through them and looking forward to getting to book 3 since I'm now refusing to watch the new season until I read the book. ;)

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Yes, that George R.R. Martin series qualifies for this task."

Great! Thanks.

From what I can tell, A Clash of Kings, also works for this task. 7 people have shelved it as "murder".

I'm going to do a mix of trashy romance novels, literary fiction and some chick lit. :)

2000 The Highlander's Touch by Karen Marie Moning
1999 Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning
1998 A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin
1997 Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
1996 Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon or Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
1995 Watermelon by Marian Keyes
1994 The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
1993 The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Euginedes
1992 Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan or Along Came a Spider by James Patterson or Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoag
1991 Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

A helpful link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_cen...

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Yes, it does! From her wiki article: Her final work, a novel titled A Week in Winter, will be published posthumously later in 2012."

Great!

I love the Jane Austen theme for this season's challenge!

I think Maeve Binchy's novel was just published posthumously.

A Week in Winter

Some options that haven't been listed yet:
The Hobbit, The Book Thief (although I'm not sure on the lexile for this one), The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and The Pillars of the Earth

Task 10.7 Monsterfest

Kept by Shawntelle Madison
scary characters are werewolves

+10 task
+5 combo w/ Oktoberfest (author was born in USA)
+10 review

Task Total= 25 pts
Previous Total=155pts

Grand Total = 180 pts

Review: When I accepted this book as a review copy, I didn’t realize it was the second in a series. I’m glad that I didn’t know that because I might not have accepted it otherwise and I would have missed a fun read.

With urban fantasy being such a hot genre right now, I’ve read countless novels with vampires and werewolves. This is the first one that I’ve read where the main character/werewolf suffers from anxiety and OCD. I loved how Shawntelle used humor to humanize her werewolf heroine, Natalya, through her OCD. Kept has some of the most memorable characters that I’ve read about in long time, like a mermaid who was afraid of the water, a succubus with relationship problems and a dwarf with low self-esteem due being tall.

I love that there is probably a huge demographic of readers out there with anxiety issues that will actually be able to see themselves in the main character of this book, (well aside from the whole werewolf aspect). There was so much that I liked about this book. As a paranormal romance/ urban fantasy, it was refreshing. Natalya was a bit whiny at times but I liked how she would whine but then face her fear to accomplish whatever needed to be done.

If you are a fan of urban fantasy, I definitely think this series is worth a try.

Task 15.5 Know Your ABC's

letter F/5th book: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

+20 task

Previous Total= 135 pts

Grand Total = 155 pts

Ismaa wrote: "Hi all :)

Well I have finished my 10 and 20 point tasks and I'm pretty pleased about it, posted the last two today :)Hurrah

I wasn't sure I would be able to finish the challenge as I expected t..."
Oh, Ismaa, I'm so sorry your visa did not come in time! But, congratulations on all the reading you've done! Impressive that it was all with books you already own!

If it makes you feel any better, my mom missed my college graduation because of a terrible case of the flu. I still graduated and I still love her... ;)

Task 15.4 Know Your ABC's

letter E/4th book: The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

+20 task

Previous Total= 115 pts

Grand Total = 135 pts

10.2 Oktoberfest
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
author was born in Australia

+10 task
+10 review
Task Total = 20 pts
Grand Total = 135 pts

Review
Oh my goodness, where do I begin? I LOVED this book! Now, to be fair, one of my favorite novels is The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton so chances were good that I would like her newest novel. I was so certain that this would be true, though. I’ve heard from a few people that loved The Forgotten Garden nearly as much as I did that they just did not like her first novel, House at Riverton. So, when I saw that The Secret Keeper was offered as an advanced reader copy to reviewers, I accepted it with reservation. I told myself that I would read it with an open mind (all the while being afraid that Kate Morton was a “one hit wonder” with The Forgotten Garden).

Well, I’ve just read the last words within the last few minutes and I have decided that Kate Morton is one of the masters of stories that jump between different time periods and characters (is there an official name for this? I’ve heard a few: dual story lines, the “two nows structure”, etc.). I love stories like this, maybe because as a history major, I love to see how history affects our present lives and stories.

Anyways, back to my review…have I mentioned that I LOVED this story? It is beautiful and it is sad…it is about second chances and love and mystery. I couldn’t put it down. I had so many ideas on how the story would play out. In the end, I was happy with how Kate concluded the novel. She tied everything together nicely without seemed rushed about it or leaving loose ends.

I’ve read a few poorly written books lately (some I’m even able to finish) so it’s so refreshing to read something like The Secret Keeper.

15.3 Know Your ABC's (third book)

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

+15 task

Grand Total = 115

Oops, sorry. I'll correct it.