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Trevor's 125 Books for 2012
Finished Reading: January 5, 2012
by Cris BeamRating: 5 Stars
Review: I was literally glued to this for around 3 or 4 straight hours reading the entire thing in one sitting. There is nothing like a good Young Adult novel about lgbtq youth to keep me up all night. It's about the only genre of book that can do that to me. It is kind of embarrassing how immature I can be sometimes...
Seriously, this book tore my heart out and stomped on it, put it back in my chest and stitched me up just to rip it out again. And yet, I would recommend it to anyone, whether you're trans* or not.
Finished Reading: January 13, 2012
by Julie Anne PetersRating: 3 Stars
Review: I felt like the end of this book left a lot to be desired and was not what a real person would do in that situation. The end isn't bad or anything, I just felt like it wasn't necessarily realistic.
I would say that it is definitely worth reading though! I'm certainly glad I read it because it's a really good and true-to-life portrayal of a transsexual character and that character's family.
Finished Reading: January 21, 2012
by Agatha ChristieRating: 4 Stars
Review: I had already seen a TV adaptation of this book, about a year or two before I read it. I kept expecting the solution to come to me as I read more and more of it, but it never did. In the end, I was thoroughly shocked, as I always am with Christie's books. And as always, I felt like I really should have seen it coming.
All in all, an excellent story. The solution was well thought out and did fit the characters in the story very well. I didn't really attach to any characters, as I usually do in Christie's books, but that was okay. Poirot and Hastings made the other characters tolerable. Being shocked at the end also helped up this book to a four star rating.
Finished Reading: January 25, 2012
by Cristin O'Keefe AptowiczRating: 5 Stars
Review: As always, Aptowicz doesn't fail to amaze and inspire with her poetry. Every one of these poems is great in it's own way. From the laughing-so-hard-you're-crying-on-the-train-while-reading hilarity that is 'Why I Shouldn't Read Books' and 'In Lieu of His Writing Any New Poetry, The Author Critiques The Four Line Song She Heard Her Boyfriend Spontaneously Create While Drunkenly Walking Up Their Apartment Building’s Stairwell' to snickering-out-loud-on-the-train-while-reading poems like 'Every Winter, People Think My Boyfriend is Elvis Costello', there is always that hint of... something. Even in more serious poems, there is always that little bit of humor that reminds you that it's Aptowicz's work that you are reading. And it's damn good.
Sara wrote: "You're off to a good start already!"I'm on one of my spurts, it'll slow down eventually. :P
What an eclectic mix of books, I love it! Probably one of the advantages of working at a library :)
Tatum wrote: "What an eclectic mix of books, I love it! Probably one of the advantages of working at a library :)"Oh yes! haha, I love my job. :D
Finished Reading: January 29, 2012
by Brian KatcherRating: 4 Stars
Review: This was awful. I actually came close to throwing my Kobo across the room in a fit of absolute rage. The... third last chapter I think it was, was brutal. I couldn't even keep reading, but I had to. I've never felt so strongly about a book in all my life.
I absolutely hated this book, but it's too accurate a portrayal of the trans*gendered psyche and the reactions of others that it deserves 4 stars. As much as I regret saying so, this was a really good book, even though my reaction to it is quite bad.
Sara wrote: "You're going to blow through your challenge! Great job so far :)"Yes, I'm thinking I'll have to up my challenge. I never realized how much I read until I started counting books! Goodreads says I'm 7 books ahead of schedule. :D
A friend told me that Luna was good and they rated it a 5. What made you rate it a 3 and is it worth reading?
Adriana wrote: "A friend told me that Luna was good and they rated it a 5. What made you rate it a 3 and is it worth reading?"The reason it's only 3 stars for me is because I felt like the end of the book left a lot to be desired and was not what a real person would do in that situation. The end isn't bad or anything, I just felt like it wasn't necessarily realistic, in my opinion.
I would say that it is definitely worth reading though! I'm certainly glad I read it because it's a really good and true-to-life portrayal of a transsexual character and that character's family.
Thanks for asking. I hope that answered your questions! :)
I still feel a 3 is a pretty solid rating, technically it means you liked the book and thought it was good, you just weren't letting dishes pile up in the sink and arriving late to things because you wanted to get through one more chapter!Trevor, you are running away with your goal... methinks you are going to wind up in my 51-100 domain soon enough! If you do decide you want to, let me know and I can move your thread on over for you. :)
Tatum wrote: "I still feel a 3 is a pretty solid rating, technically it means you liked the book and thought it was good, you just weren't letting dishes pile up in the sink and arriving late to things because y..."Thanks! I'm thinking I may have to do that. :) I'm going to let February go by before I decide, but I'll let you know.
Trevor wrote: "Adriana wrote: "A friend told me that Luna was good and they rated it a 5. What made you rate it a 3 and is it worth reading?"The reason it's only 3 stars for me is because I felt like the end of..."
Yes. Thanks! (:
Finished Reading: February 3, 2012
by Orson Scott CardRating: 4 Stars
Review: This took a long time for me to read. I read it in small chunks every day for about 3 weeks. The reason it took so long for me is because I had to get back into the characters after having a long hiatus from the "Enderverse" since reading all the Shadow books. The most recent Ender book I read was A War of Gifts, and that was a year ago and the story doesn't focus on Ender at all.
Once I felt firmly attached to the character of Ender (and Valentine, and Graff, and Peter) again this was a really enjoyable read for me. I love anything to do with Ender's Game and I really respect Orson Scott Card as a writer and as the creator of my favorite series of books, so I thoroughly enjoyed this extension of Ender's story.
14. Finished Reading: February 6, 2012
by Orson Scott CardRating: 4 Stars
Review: I was going to give this 5 stars but when my mouse hovered over the 5 star option, it said "It was amazing!" and I don't feel that way about this book, so I was forced to reduce it to 4 stars (which has happened a lot lately, just look how many 4 star ratings I have given!).
I don't feel that "it was amazing!" because I felt like some characters changed too much over the course of the book. Well, one character. Although one might argue that the viewpoint switching explains that by saying, "the person narrating the first chapter was biased against that character, attributing things to them based on assumptions that weren't necessarily true. When the viewpoint switched we saw how that person really was. So they didn't actually change." But I think that's taking the easy way out. It didn't bother me too much, it just made the book less than the "amazing" that 5 stars grants it.
15. Finished Reading: February 10, 2012
by James KliseRating: 3 Stars
Review: This was a really good book. I enjoyed it mostly because the characters were so believable. Jamie is exactly (or mostly) what I believe a gay teenage boy just coming to terms with his identity might be in real life. Celia is what I know (from experience) girls in high school are like. All characters, even the supporting ones, were realistic and very believable.
Why I gave it three stars and not more is because the plot of the book was completely crazy. Not only do I believe it would never happen in a million years, but it was like Jamie was too foolish to understand exactly what was going on. I had figured out what the real story was a long time before Jamie did. That said, it was an imaginative plot and a new idea I hadn't thought about before so I did enjoy the book over all.
17. Finished Reading: February 14, 2012
by Jennifer Finney BoylanRating: 5 Stars
Review: This memoir is very well done. The author jumps around her life a little, which can be confusing at times, but I think that it adds something as well. It makes for more interesting reading. I also appreciate it when authors can add humor to a story, and Boylan is definitely humorous in this. When an author makes me laugh out loud, like this did, it's pretty much an automatic 5 stars. Bravo!
Sara wrote: "13 books read-great job!"Wow totally missed this comment. haha! Thanks. :D
Congrats on joining the 51-100 Club :) Though at the rate you are going I have a feeling it may not be the only time I move you this year!
Tatum wrote: "Congrats on joining the 51-100 Club :) Though at the rate you are going I have a feeling it may not be the only time I move you this year!"haha. Thanks Tatum! Perhaps it is not... ;)
18. Finished Reading: February 14, 2012
by Julie Anne PetersRating: 5 stars
Review: What made this a five star book for me was the fact that it was very realistic. I find it difficult reading Young Adult lgbtq books and the plot is so out there that it doesn't even make sense (or the character is not real, or the response to the character's "lgbtq-ness" isn't real etc). This wasn't like that. It addressed what it wanted to address very well. It didn't pull any punches, either; it strung my heart along in a cute romance for a while and then dashed everything to pieces
I've seen that one around. Julie Anne Peters has been a name I've seen everywhere and I should read her books already! Especially since you gave her a 5!
Adriana wrote: "I've seen that one around. Julie Anne Peters has been a name I've seen everywhere and I should read her books already! Especially since you gave her a 5!"haha. Yeah she's really a good author. I can't believe I hadn't heard of her before I joined GoodReads!
19. Finished Reading: February 17,2012
by Meagan BrothersRating: 5 stars
Review: Ah, another 2 hour read. I love books I can manage to read in one sitting.
There are a few reasons I liked this. First: the characters. The main character and narrator in this book, Johnny, is not only realistic but complex and thoughtful. He wants to do what is right, but just got swayed by circumstance and poor decision making (on his part and the part of his mother). I also loved the character of Maria for various reasons.
Second: the plot. What happens to these characters is at all times sad, funny, and ridiculous. But I enjoyed it. Maria and Johnny make a good pair and they work together well and take what comes to them with a weird sort of grace and understanding. Especially Maria. She understands Johnny and it makes them both move through the events in the book remarkably; Johnny appreciates her understanding, and Maria appreciates his understanding and company as well.
Third: I loved how the book was musically oriented. It was about a boy being saved by music, and a girl who had the same attitude towards music. For a music lover, this book was great. I'm definitely going to be looking into some of the more obscure bands mentioned in the book.
Fourth: it surprised me. It was not at all what I expected from reading the synopsis on the jacket flap and I love books that surprise me.
Anyway, I liked this book a lot.
20. Finished Reading: February 17, 2012
by Erin MorgensternRating: 5 stars
Review: I loved this author's style of writing. I felt like I was really part of the action and involved in the story. It got off to a slow start, but once the characters are more familiar it really gets going!
Reading the book was (for lack of a better word) magical. I've never read books like this before and I was very pleasantly surprised by how amazing/fantastic/incredible the plot and characters were.
The characters were awesome. They were equal parts mysterious and knowable - a hard balance to strike. By the end of the book I felt like I knew them and cared about them immensely, which is always a sign of a great book, in my opinion.
I definitely recommend this book to fantasy lovers, but even to people who (like me) don't usually read this genre. It was a magnificent read. Worthy of a tent in the circus for itself.
21. Finished Reading: February 18, 2012
by Jacqueline RaynerRating: 1 star
Review: I'm very disappointed by this book. I was looking forward to it so much because I love Doctor Who and the Weeping Angels (the "villain" on which this book is based) are my favorite monsters on the show. Last year I read Touched by an Angel by Jonathan Morris, which was fantastic and I hoped this book would echo that greatness.
It did not. It was far too short and that lead to it being rushed and poorly written. The author was too focused on being witty and filling her book with references from the TV show that the plot suffered in the end. The characters I know and love were not themselves, and there was hardly any of the suspense or drama I'm used to from the other Doctor Who books I've read and loved.
All in all, a huge disappointment for me. At least it didn't take a long time to read.
Wow. That sucks. I don't read the books for that reason. I don't think they'll measure up to the greatness that is Doctor Who. Now I know I'm right... ):
Adriana wrote: "Wow. That sucks. I don't read the books for that reason. I don't think they'll measure up to the greatness that is Doctor Who. Now I know I'm right... ):"I've read a few really good ones. For example:
and
. This one was just bad. Of course, none of the books truly measure up to Doctor Who, but they are really good for the time in between seasons. xP
I guess but I still kind of have no interest reading them. I think it'll be weird for me.
22. Finished Reading: February 19, 2012
Mary WestmacottRating: 2 stars
Review: Jane, the main character, finds herself stranded at a desert rest house waiting for a train and has nothing to do. Most of the book is her thinking about her life and reflecting on her family. And, as usually happens when one is left to one's own mind for any length of time, her idea of herself and her life slowly falls apart. I think this kind of plot, anything to do with the mind and our perceptions of ourselves, is fascinating.
The downfall of the book was that Jane is a tiresome, old, boring, unlikable person. Being inside her head for the entire book was a terrible experience and I could barely keep up with reading because of how much I disliked her. I found the writing to be sloppy as well. And I also find it hard to believe that someone could be so deluded in her idea of herself as Jane was.
Note: Mary Westmacott is a pseudonym for Agatha Christie. That is the only reason I was drawn to and finished this book.
I tried years ago now to read a Mary Westmacott (it was Agatha Christie after all). I don't remember what one it was, though I look at the one you read and I am pretty sure that's not it. In any case, I couldn't get through it. Very different from her mysteries.
Tatum wrote: "I tried years ago now to read a Mary Westmacott (it was Agatha Christie after all). I don't remember what one it was, though I look at the one you read and I am pretty sure that's not it. In any ca..."I couldn't believe it! I love her mysteries (LOVE THEM), and this was terrible. I was so excited too. :( Oh well, now I know.
23. Finished Reading: February 21, 2012
by Michael MorpurgoRating: 4 stars
Review: I'm quite impressed with this book. The fact that a book about war (told from the point of view of a horse, no less) kept me interested until the very end - even had me thinking about it when I wasn't reading - surprises me a lot. And the book really opened my eyes to the world of war, which I don't have a lot of experience with since I rarely read war time books. Another thing I liked is that the character of Joey the horse is very likeable. I found myself cheering for him all through the book; I really wanted him to succeed. The characters who are friends to Joey were also very real and likeable. Great read!
24. Finished Reading: February 22, 2012
by T. B. PerryRating: 5 stars
Review: These poems are so true to life that it hurts sometimes. Perry describes the middle-school years flawlessly, and his teacher's perspective adds more levels to his poems as well. The diversity of pieces is superb: he goes from a haunting, heart-wrenching poem to an ironic or humorous poem within pages. And it works. I couldn't stop reading until I finished; that is a difficult feat to accomplish in a book of poetry. It helped that these seemingly different stories are all interconnected in some way or another. This was a really amazing collection. Definitely worth a read. Or many reads...
25. Finished Reading: February 24, 2012
by John Gregory BetancourtRating: 4 stars
Review: This was one of the better Star Trek novels I've read. The aliens were interesting and had distinct culture and personality traits, the conflict was mysterious, Janeway kicked ass, etc. I could go on and on. I was worried about half way through because it seemed like the story had a long way to go in just half a book, but everything was wrapped up quite nicely in the end. In fact, I was very tempted to give this 5 stars: it was that good. The reason I didn't is that the author kept saying 'the Voyager' instead of just 'Voyager'. It may not seem like a big deal (and admittedly, I probably shouldn't be this worked up about it), but it's one of my biggest pet peeves when reading Voyager novels. Other than that issue I had, this was a really well done book. I'm very glad I found it so I can continue with the series!
26. Finished Reading: February 28, 2012
by Christie GoldenRating: 3 stars
Review: Another great Voyager book from Christie Golden. She's one of my favorite Star Trek authors (along with Kirsten Beyer), but this one fell short. Here's why:
First of all, I can't even count the times Chakotay is described in this book simply as "the Indian". And I mean, yes, he is Indian, but do we have to call him that? I don't hear anybody referring to Harry Kim as "the Asian". It bothers me that Golden didn't find some other aspect of Chakotay to emphasize rather than his race and his spirit guide. The only books that have discussed Chakotay's character have narrowed in on that aspect and I'd just rather they don't worry about his race. They don't mention it for anyone else, after all. The second thing is the fact that this book again says "the Voyager" when referencing the ship. I know it's grammatically accurate, but it isn't logically accurate. It sounds awkward since no one in the show ever would say that. Third: it was predictable. There was one thing that Golden clearly wanted to make a shock but by the time she came around to revealing it, I had long figured it out.
Other than those few pet peeves, this was a good book. I liked the aliens a lot: they were easy to picture in my head and were pretty unique. The story was good too, very imaginative and interesting. And it didn't focus on a Neelix arc: which is always great. :P
27. Finished Reading: February 28, 2012
by Robert KroetschRating: 3 stars
Review: An interesting mix of funny poems and serious ones, I'm not sure what to make of this book. This isn't the kind of poetry I read (when I do read poetry at all), so it was a change of pace for me. Perhaps I read it too fast and didn't think on any of the poems enough. I did find a few that I enjoyed a lot, and bookmarked to go back to later. All in all, I did like this collection, it was funny and interesting and then near the end it got more serious. But I guess that was the point, in creating a self-portrait of himself; I suppose it shows how he grew and changed as a person throughout his life, in which case it succeeded.
28. Finished Reading: February 29, 2012
by Terrance DicksRating: 2 stars
Review: Well, this was disappointing. I wasn't holding out much hope for it, considering it's a Martha Jones book and she's my least favorite companion. These "quick reads" are not very well thought out, I'm finding. The plots don't have enough book to fully form. But I love the characters, so I'll keep reading Doctor Who books. Maybe I'll take them out of the library from now on though!
But I guess that was the point, in creating a self-portrait of himself; I suppose it shows how he grew and changed as a person throughout his life, in which case it succeeded. -this statement makes me really want to read this book. Thanks for that (:
Adriana wrote: "But I guess that was the point, in creating a self-portrait of himself; I suppose it shows how he grew and changed as a person throughout his life, in which case it succeeded. -this statement makes..."Hey no problem! :D
2022 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Phantom Tollbooth (other topics)The Giver (other topics)
Life of Pi (other topics)
The Pearl (other topics)
A Christmas Carol (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Billy Collins (other topics)John Steinbeck (other topics)
Orson Scott Card (other topics)
Yann Martel (other topics)
Dave Pelzer (other topics)
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Rating: 3 Stars