Read 100+ Books in 2016 discussion
December challenge
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So I knocked my party book with "Unexpected Gifts", a light Christmas romance. I found it predictable but the party would have been fantastic to attend. I am about to start "The Christmas Angel". I'm not sure what that is about but it might be interesting.
-Kazuo Ishiguro 12-2-16I just didn't care for this book very much. It was hard to understand, the writing was repetitive, and the characters were boring as all get out. It made me think though, which is what saved it from being a 1 star book. Incidentally, this was a dystopian/alternate history book aimed at an adult audience, and it just wasn't as interesting and entertaining as the dystopian books I've read that are aimed at a young adult audience.
-Suzanne Woods Fisher 12-4-16I really enjoyed this Amish novel; it had a lot of thought-provoking elements to the story. The characters were quite well drawn, and the novel was well-written overall. I hope this series keeps going.
-J.K. Rowling 12-7-16This third one is also more interesting than the first, and honestly, each subsequent book in this series gets longer and more interesting because the kids are getting older, and so, the situations get more intense. It's so well written and has good values. Very good fantasy.
-Heather Anastasiu 12-9-16This was another great sci-fi dystopian YA novel. It was written well and had great characters that were developed even more in this second book of the trilogy. The twists and turns of the plot were interesting and thrilling as the protagonist grew into her power and became a real part of the Resistance called the Rez. This book has earned its place on my favorites list, and I'm truly glad I read this series.
-Heather Anastasiu 12-11-16This was another great sci-fi dystopian YA novel. It was written well and had great characters that were developed even more in this final book of the trilogy. The twists and turns of the plot were interesting and thrilling as the protagonist's power expanded and the fight between the Rez and the Community intensified and came to a fairly satisfying conclusion. This book has earned its place on my favorites list, and I'm truly glad I read this series.
-Sara B. Larson 12-14-16This was a well written and fairly entertaining YA fantasy novel with some intrigue and action and some mild romance. It finished the story arc that had been left abruptly hanging at the end of second book of the series Ignite. However, so many great secondary characters died before the end of the book that I was rather irritated by the conclusion of this trilogy. Overall, I liked the book, and it was a decent series, but while I loved the first book, the next two just didn't grab me nearly as much, so neither of them made it onto my favorites list as the first one had.
-Lauren Oliver 12-18-16This was a well-written and thought-provoking YA dystopian novel with a few interesting and full characters, especially the protagonist as she matures and becomes used to her new life. One thing I struggled with in this book was how it kept going back and forth from one story timeline in her life to a different one; I tend to find that sort of technique annoying. The climax was extremely action-packed and suspenseful, which I liked, but the book ended abruptly after a totally shocking plot twist, which I found a bit jarring. However, I'm glad I read this volume of the series and am interested to see what will develop in the last book.
-Lauren Oliver 12-19-16This was a well-written and thought-provoking YA dystopian novel with a few interesting and full characters, especially the protagonist as she continued to grow as a person and tried to figure out who she truly loved. There were two major things I disliked about this last book of the series though. For one thing, in this book, the author kept switching between two different first person points-of-view, which I consider vastly annoying. The other thing I didn't like about this book was how it ended, or rather how it didn't actually end at all. The reader is left with so many plot lines unresolved, it's crazy. Even though I'm glad to have finished the series, I was so disappointed with this last book of the trilogy.
-Kiera Cass 12-20-16This was a fun YA novel that continued the sweet story that began in The Selection. It was well written with well drawn characters. I enjoyed how the characters grew and changed and how the story line got deeper and more interesting.
-Kiera Cass 12-21-16This was a fun YA novel that finished the plot that began in The Selection and continued in The Elite Even though the series continues on after this novel, the story line with this particular love story is concluded in this one. I was quite pleased with how it ended even though some sad things occurred during the story's climax. Also, I enjoyed how the characters grew and changed during the novel.
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-Lauren Oliver 12-19-16This was a well-written and thought-provoking YA dystopian novel with a few interesting and full characters, especially the protagonist as she con..."
I've been wanting to read these series. I appreciate your opinion.
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-Kazuo Ishiguro 12-2-16I just didn't care for this book very much. It was hard to understand, the writing was repetitive, and the characters were boring as all ge..."
I read Never Let Me Go. I was creeped out by it. How can people knowingly use others so someone else can live? Those people died piece by piece so the "elites" could live. Not a society I want to live in.
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6/9, 16 books
1. Read a book whose author's last name begins with V--Cloaked in Red by Vivian Vande Velde--finished 12/22/16
.2. Since this is a big holiday time, read a book about a holiday--Young Scrooge by R. L. Stine--finished 12/13/16
.3. Read a book with a red cover--The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans--finished 12/15/16
.4. Since snowflurries have begun to fly, read a book about a sleigh.
5. If you belong to a book club, read a book for that book club. Otherwise, read whatever you think a book club would read--At The Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier--finished 12/12/16
.6. Since the end of the year will soon be here, read a book about a party--Daddy Kissing Santa Claus by Max Warner--finished 12/23/16
7. Since the shortest day of the year is coming this month, read a book with the word Night in the title.
8. Because it is party season, read a book with fancy dress on the cover.
9. Your choice--Spy Ski School by Stuart Gibbs--finished 12/5/16
.Bonus reads:
A Dragon Moves in by Lisa Falkenstern--finished 12/1/16
Turkey Claus--Wendy Silvano--finished 12/12/16
Snow Dog, Go Dog by Deborah Helligman--finished 12/12/16
The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak--finished 12/14/16
The Geek Gets the Girl by Michelle Hauf--finished 12/24/16
She's the Boss by Ava Sterling--finished 12/26/16
Gray Christmas by Lisabet Sarai--finished 12/26/16
My Favorite Major by Ava Stone--finished 12/26/16
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa--finished 12/29/16
Warriors: Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter--finished 12/29/16
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Sheila wrote: "Rachel wrote: "-Lauren Oliver 12-19-16This was a well-written and thought-provoking YA dystopian novel with a few interesting and full characters, especially the protago..."
The Lauren Oliver series? It was pretty good up until the last few pages of the last book, and then I was thinking, "what???!!!"
Sheila wrote: "Rachel wrote: "-Kazuo Ishiguro 12-2-16I just didn't care for this book very much. It was hard to understand, the writing was repetitive, and the characters were b..."
Definitely rather creepy, and I've read some somewhat creepy dystopian novels before.
So next year I'll try to stay on point with the side challenges. Is next year ready to go yet? So this month I finished up Warriors: The Omen of the Stars series by reading "Sign of the Moon", "The Forgotten Warrior" and "The Last Hope". All of them did well in the series and while I expected some of the outcome, it moved me emotionally. Have the tissues ready on the last book. I also read the first book of Warriors: Dawn of the Clans "The Sun Trail". That goes back in time to show how the cats first came to live in the forest. I also read book 5 of the Cat mystery series "How to Paint a Cat". It was good to figure out the murderer but still not satisfied with the Uncle Oscar mystery. So far my least favorite in that series. I read "I remember Bethlehem" by David Melesky. It was a collection of stories from his childhood. Some of his stories are pretty funny and it was a cute memoir. I finished "Potterwookie" with my daughter. I loved that story. It made me laugh and was fun for Harry Potter & Star Wars fans. I read 2 Star Wars books "The Approaching Storm" which sets up the 2nd movie "Attack of the Clones". That was a good book and I love seeing the growth in the padawans throughout this book. I also read "Ambush" which was a graphic novel for young readers. It parellelled the story in the Clone Wars tv series. I also read "The Handmaid and the Carpenter" which was a retelling of the Nativity story. It was a good read and fun for the holiday. I finished "A Christmas Peril" in which a writer with a boyfriend in a coma receives her aunt's WW II diary with eerie similarities. Very cute light holiday romance. That brings me to my current book "The Cellars of the Majestic" by Georges Simeon. It is very thrilling . I hope to finish that as my final book for 2016. While this has been a strange year, it was definitely filled with good books.
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-J.K. Rowling 12-21-16This fourth one is also more interesting than the first but just barely, as this novel is one of the ones I like the least although it does have more character development than the first two; it is equal to the third in character development in my opinion but is less interesting. However, for the most part, my view of the Harry Potter series is that each subsequent book in this series gets longer and more interesting because the kids are getting older, and so, the situations get more intense. It's so well written and has good values. Very good fantasy.
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-J.K. Rowling 12-21-16This fourth one is also more interesting than the first but just barely, as this novel is one of the ones I like the least al..."
It is a good series. I like that it started to get people, especially kids, into reading. Those who follow the series were very into it.
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Did you get the invite? It's called Read 100+ books in a year (how original!) If you haven't I'll send it again.
Sheila, could you please send me an invite as well? Thanks!
Read 100+ Books in 2016
Books mentioned in this topic
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (other topics)Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (other topics)
The Housekeeper and the Professor (other topics)
Gray Christmas (other topics)
Fire and Ice (other topics)
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1. Read a book whose author's last name begins with V.
2. Since this is a big holiday time, read a book about a holiday.
3. Read a book with a red cover.
4. Since snowflurries have begun to fly, read a book about a sleigh.
5. If you belong to a book club, read a book for that book club. Otherwise, read whatever you think a book club would read.
6. Since the end of the year will soon be here, read a book about a party.
7. Since the shortest day of the year is coming this month, read a book with the word Night in the title.
8. Because it is party season, read a book with fancy dress on the cover.
9. Your choice.