The 104 Book Challenge - 2011 discussion
Pam. W. loves to read 2011
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3. Dying for Chocolate3 out of 5 stars
Very good light-hearted murder mystery involving lots of interesting food and suspects.
4. The Angel Experiment4 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this action yarn about a group of genetically altered youths on a journey of discovery.
5. How I Live Now3 out of 5 stars
An interesting story of a girl who travels to England right before a war breaks out and the country is invaded.
6. The Hunger Games4 out of 5 stars
Reread this for my adult book club and enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
7. Witch & WizardRead this for my middle school book club and enjoyed it a lot. The New Order has taken over and is waging war on teenagers. Whit and Wisty are taken into custody for being a wizard and a witch. They escape and go on a quest to find their parents.
8. Heist Society Listened to this book and enjoyed it immensely. A light hearted romp about a teen aged girl who's an art thief trying to exonerate her dad by pulling off the heist of the century.9. Before I Fall A book that will make you think about life and it's consequences. A popular teen aged girl is killed in a car wreck after a party and must relive the last day of her life until she gets it right.
10. Vampire Rising An action packed vampire hunting story. I enjoyed it and I think my middle school students will too (especially the boys.)
11. Beyond the Blonde Not my favorite book I've read lately, but a good mindless read. A nice break.
12. Sarah's Key4 out of 5 stars
Read this for my adult book club's April book. It was a really interesting story about Jews being rounded up in Paris during the second world war and sent to the gas chambers in Germany. Told from the point of view of a woman journalist working on a story it's a good historical/realistic read.
13. Wake4 out of 5 stars
I listened to the audio book and really liked it a lot. It is about a girl who finds herself in other people's dreams and must learn how to control the way she enters the dreams and deal with the difficulties that she encounters in becoming a part of these dreams. It has an interesting romantic development that I liked. While I recommend this book, I am not sure that I will continue with the series.
The second book is amazing so if you find the time you should read it. I loved the series.
Tiffani wrote: "The second book is amazing so if you find the time you should read it. I loved the series."Okay, I will put it on my to read list. I just wish it weren't quite so adult because my middle schoolers would love it.
14. Stolen: A letter to my captorAn engrossing look at the "Stokholm Syndrome." The story is about a girl who is kidnapped in Bangkok and taken to the outback of Australia where the possibility of escape is limited by the remote location and the dangers of life in the desert. The book is written as a journal to her captor.
Pam wrote "Okay, I will put it on my to read list. I just wish it weren't quite so adult because my middle schoolers would love it."The second book is even more adult oriented because of the subject matter.
15. The Postcard KillersCould not put this one down. James Patterson did a great job selecting Liza Marklund as his co-writer because this book rocks. I love his Maximum Ride series but the last few of his adult books that I read were just so-so. I'm looking forward to reading more by Ms. Marklund.
16. The LimitI kept putting this down and picking up other books but I'm so glad I finally got to it. It's a fascinating look at a future where kids are sent away to a workhouse to pay off their parent's debts. My middle school students are going to love it!
17. JaneI loved this retelling of Jane Eyre with Jane as a college dropout nanny and Mr. Rochester reimagined as Nico Rathburn, an aging rock star. Instead of being raised as a foundling, Jane was raised by uncaring partents who preferred her brother and especially her talented sister to her.
18.Matched4 out of 5 stars
Another interesting dystopian story about a society in which teens are matched to their partners by the government. Cassia and Xander are unusual in that they already know one another when their match is announced (couples are matched at age 17 and marry later.) But Cassia is surprised when she goes on the portal to review her match information and briefly sees someone other than Xander.
19. My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands3 out of 5 stars
Not my usual YA reading. A very adult (but very funny) telling of Chelsea Handler's sex life.
20.The Fetch 3 out of 5 stars
A romance between a death escort and a dead girl who can't cross over. It also involves Rasputin and the Romanovs. Slow reading but satisfying in the end. I'm not sure if this will be popular with my middle school students.
21.The Scrabble Book
4 out of 5 stars
The beginnings of scrabble and strategies on winning the game.
22. The Giver4 out of 5 stars
I can't believe I've never read this book. It was a great read. It contains the genesis of The Hunger Games, Matched and many other popular dystopian novels. In a future where everything is mandated by the government Jonas is assigned the job of becoming the Receiver. As he learns more about the past he becomes aware of how dead his society has become. He has to make hard decisions about how best to accomplish his job for the good of everyone involved.
23. Vanishing Acts4 out of 5 stars
Another selection for my adult bookclub that I really enjoyed. A young mother confronts a past that changes everything she believes about her life.
24. Hold Tight4 out of 5 stars
I listened to this on audio tape and was captured from the beginning. The parents of a teen-aged boy, concerned for his well being, place spyware on his computer and track him with his cell phone. Harlan Coben delivers another edge of your seat thriller. If you like this, check out Tell No One.
25.Captivate4 out of 5 stars
Picked this one up and had a hard time putting it down. Zara continues to battle pixies with her boyfriend Nick and her best friends Issie and Devyn. This sequel to Need is every bit as good and I can't wait to start Entice.
26. Beastly3 out of 5 stars
Another paranormal romance (this one was adapted from the tale Beauty and the Beast.) A spoiled young man is turned into a beast by a witch that he offends. He must find a girl to love him and kiss him before two years are up to break the spell. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.
27. Dead Reckoning5 out of 5 stars
Okay, I know these books are not great literature but I LOVE them! The only downside is having to wait for the next one to come out!
28. Fade29. Wake
4 out of 5 stars
Listened to this series on audiobook and it was riveting. I had doubts about finishing the series because it was too adult for my middle school library but I'm glad I did. Janie continues to battle with her gift (curse) of entering people's dreams. In Fade, she helps bring down a group of sexual predators who are all teachers in her high school. In Wake, she copes with the appearance of her long lost (and never heard about) father as he lies in a coma and she learns about his life and the choice that he made.
30. Rebel Angels
4 out of 5 stars
The second book in the Gemma Doyle trilogy follows Gemma and her friends as they spend their Christmas holiday in London and learn more about the mysterious order. I'm looking forward to the next book in this trilogy.
31. Guilty Pleasures
3 out of 5 stars
The first book in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series was a liitle bland and disappointing for me. I expected more sex and mayhem. I just started
The Laughing Corpse and am hoping the action picks up.
32. The Last Lecture
4 out of 5 stars
An inspirational (and tear jerking) story of a professor at Carnegie Mellon who discovers he has pancreatic cancer and prepares a final lecture for his students, friends and family.
33. The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to Riches
3 out of 5 stars
Listened to this on vacation with my husband. While he enjoyed the penny pinching lessons more than I did, it offered some interesting ways to change your lifestyle in order to save more money for retirement.
The 104 Book Challenge - 2011
Books mentioned in this topic
Rebel Angels (other topics)The Laughing Corpse (other topics)
Wake (other topics)
Fade (other topics)
The Last Lecture (other topics)
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2. Once Was Lost 4 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed this story about a girl who gets lost in the reality of life with her family. An interesting look at the problems that come from being the "preacher's kid" (especially one whose mom is in rehab for a DUI.)