Sarah's Sequential Slog of Sizeable Stories

[Sarah]

Quite a number of my goodreads friends have given it 4 stars and maybe one 5 star but my tastes in books are quite different to theirs. I will read a few more pages it try to make it to 50 pages to see if it picks up but it's not looking hopeful.

[Travis]

I had a lot of friends who I rate fairly compatible on many books abandon it but as I think Almeta said the other day its a marmite book.

[Sarah]

I think you (and Almeta) might be right about it being a Marmite book.

[Laura]

I've been thinking of trying it forever. Didn't someone say if you make it through the first section, it starts to make more sense? I hope it gets better for you, Sarah.

[Sarah]

Yes I have read that in a thread or a review somewhere too Laura. We shall see!

[Peggy]

Hahaha, a marmite book :D

[Sarah]

Abandoned Cloud Atlas for definite so have just rejigged my current section and added Shift instead.

[Peggy]

Too bad you had to abandon one Sarah. I hope the next one is better!

[Sarah]

I hate doing it but reading is supposed to be fun after all. I'm still working my way through Age of Iron which I'm really enjoying then I might have to take a break from the chunksters for a bit to fit my challenge reads in and some shorter fun books.

[Sarah]

Just finished Age of Iron which I got free from NetGalley for review. I wasn't expecting too much but I thought it was really good. First book in a trilogy so I will be keeping an eye out for the others. 4 stars. Now a brief chunkster rest.

[Sarah]

Just started reading The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2014 Edition which I have only just squeezed in to my list. I got it on NetGalley. Excited as it has a Neil Gaiman and a Brandon Sanderson story in it. Not heard of the other contributing authors I don't think but hopefully I will find some new, excellent authors.

[Camilla]

Sarah wrote: "Just started reading The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2014 Edition which I have only just squeezed in to my list. I got it on NetGalley. Excited as it has a Neil Gaiman and a ..."

I added it to my TBR list some days ago, so let me know what you think of it. I like anthologies and short stories in general, so looking forward to this one as well.

[Sarah]

Will do Camilla.

[Sarah]

Pretty sure I'm going to abandon The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2014 Edition. Short stories aren't for me. Read the first two, skipped to Neil Gaiman's one and now on to Brandon Sanderson's one but I think I will abandon it after that one. So off to swap out the book in my chunkster list for something else. I thought I was being a bit optimistic putting it in there.

@Camilla - if you like short stories, I'm sure you'll like this one but I think short stories are just too short for me!

[Peggy]

How were the Gaiman and Saunderson stories?

[Sarah]

Gaiman's one was short and sweet about a labyrinth. really liked it but had a rather abrupt ending and I was left wondering what went on. Took about 15 mins to read. just starting the Sanderson one so will let you know when I'm done. my kindle says it's about an hour and a half long.

[Camilla]

Sarah wrote: "Pretty sure I'm going to abandon The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, 2014 Edition. Short stories aren't for me. Read the first two, skipped to Neil Gaiman's one and now on to Bra..."

Thanks for letting me know, Sarah! Sorry that the book didn't agree with you. Yes, I enjoy short stories very much, so I will definitely keep an eye open for this book.

[Sarah]

Decided to start Shift. It's the shortest of the three books remaining in my current milestone. Plus I'm trying to delay reading the one I really want to read (The Daylight War) so I don't have to wait so long for the next book in the series.

[Sarah]

I've just finished Shift Omnibus Edition (Silo, #2) so now I have 2 books left in my current milestone. Need to read my challenge/group read books first though!

[Camilla]

How did you like it in comparison to the first book? I have also read only the first one so far, need to find time for the second one eventually. They make nice chunksters!

[Sarah]

I really liked it but it is quite different to the first. As it's a prequel, there seems to be less suspense and perhaps things are a little predictable because we know what happens to some of the silos from the first book. I still really enjoyed it though and it has done the perfect job of setting up the finale in the third book. Can't wait to read that one! And that one isn't a chunkster for a change.

[Sarah]

I really need to get back on this. I've really dropped behind. Wanted to finish my current milestone (Roadrunner) and the next one (Tasmanian). Not sure that will happen now!

[Janice, Moderator]

We have a few months left. I think this challenge is the first year long challenge that I actually accomplished anything. I figured I'd be doing well if I only got Slick's Slugs done.

[Sarah]

True! I have read a good amount of chunksters already. I may have to rejig a bit as I have some uber chunksters in the next milestone - perhaps i should go for shorter chunksters.

[Janice, Moderator]

I just realized that I'm running out of time on my left-over stew challenge. Yes, it's self inflicted, but it's all the left-over books from challenges I never completed, and I really don't want to carry them over for another year. I have 6 left to go (7 including the one I'm currently reading). I think I'll finish up the Tasmania devils (1 to go) and then concentrate on left-overs.

[Sarah]

Sounds like a plan! I get why you don't want to roll them over for another year. I think we might need a read-a-long for moral support in the last couple days of the year like we did last year so we can get all our books read!

[Janice, Moderator]

Great idea!

[Sarah]

Just starting my next chunkster Ghost Story.

[Sarah]

Just finished Ghost Story so that means I only have 1 more book to read for Roadrunner's section!

[Janice, Moderator]

What did you think of it Sarah?

[Sarah]

I liked it. It was slow in places but it still held my attention. I had no expectations about the book. I thought the ending dragged on a bit so I was pleased when I finished. I liked the idea of it and the characters were well developed but I didn't find it scary at all.

[Sarah]

Just starting Swan Song my final roadrunner chunkster. And it is definitely a chunkster!

[Sarah]

I'm thinking I might finish this challenge after my current milestone. I'm on my last book, Swan Song. December is going to be pretty full on for me so I'd rather not start then be scrambling to finish. If I read chunksters between now and the end of the year I'll list them but they are just bonuses above my current milestone.

[Janice, Moderator]

That's my approach to the end game, too Sarah.

[Sarah]

Finito!