Challenge: 50 Books discussion
Finish Line 2009!
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Alex's 50 Books of 2009
2. Adventures of Huckleberry FinnIn my opinion, the writing was somewhat simplistic, even though there was some amount of deeper symbolism in the novel. Also, if you don't enjoy reading something that has been written in dialect, I definitely wouldn't suggest this book. I'm one of those people, so I ended up just rushing to finish it and get back to reading a nice, dialect-free book. I know it's an American classic and all, but for me, it just wasn't worth the read.
3. EclipseSo, three stars, the same rating as I gave New Moon, I know, but I did enjoy this one quite a bit more. If you would like to learn more about the continually changing dynamics between the characters, you will almost certainly enjoy this one more than New Moon as well.
However, I have to say, Bella is becoming a little over-obsessed if you ask me. To the point of danger even. She's shown throughout the entire series, but even more so in this novel than the other two, that she's willing to do pretty much anything, whether morally correct or corrupt, to stay with Edward. At least he's sticking with his "I'm not worth it" thing, instead of just accepting her unwavering devotion without a second thought.
Jacob was probably the most interesting, 3-dimensional character in this book. Edward is becoming a little too flawless, and Bella just a little too flat (that over-obsession is all she seems to have going for her anymore). Not a bad book, but it definitely doesn't live up to Twilight.
I like your reviews. I found that out of the series, New Moon is my least favourite. I think that Breaking Dawn is my favourite, or tied with Twilight. :) I hope you enjoy Breaking Dawn!
Thanks! =) Yeah, I've heard from pretty much everyone that I know who've read the series that New Moon is their least favorite. I've heard that Breaking Dawn is really good, so I figure I'll probably like it pretty well since my friends' reviews have seemed to reflect my feelings on the other books and they all loved it. I'll probably start that one tonight, so I guess I'll find out soon enough!
4. The Last LectureHmm...
As my father said after he read this book, "He's [[author: Randy Pausch]] got some good philosophies." This isn't a particularly exciting book, but it is hard to stop reading once you've started. I actually read 3/4 of the book the first time I sat down with it, and only put it down when I had to finish my work. It's not a terribly long read, only a few hundred pages, but well worth it if you ask me. It's not often that I can say I really learned something from a book, something that I can apply to my own life, but for this, I certainly can.
5. Wolf HuntingAn excellent read, just like every other book in this series has been so far. I have to say, I did like the books set on the mainland (Through Wolf's Eyes, Wolf's Head Wolf's Heart, Dragon of Despair somewhat better than the ones set in Liglim [[book: Wolf Captured], Wolf Hunting, and possibly Wolf's Blood, I haven't read it yet), but even those I like less I still loved reading. I can't think of much else to say right now, besides that it was a great book!
6. Breaking DawnSo...
The beginning was okay, the middle I didn't like, and the ending was pretty good considering how (in my opinion) this series has only gone downhill since Twilight. Ok, well it deserves better than pretty good, I really did enjoy the final chapters of this book. I thought it was somewhat better than Eclipse overall, but it definitely could've been better with some tweaks. Past that, I don't really know what to say. I'm not sorry I read it, like some people I know - I wanted to see how the story ended - but as a standalone, it was only okay, nothing special.
The series is done :) Will you read them again?
Hmm...I'm not sure yet. I might. First I wanna read all of the books that I have sitting on my bookshelf that I haven't read yet haha. I can never tell if I'm gonna want to re-read a book until I actually have the urge to re-read it...so we'll see I guess =)
7. Death of a Gentle LadyNot my favorite of the series, and still a very enjoyable read. These books are always such a nice break from heavier reading. If you have the time, you can sit down and finish them in a few hours, and still get thoroughly immersed in the story. To me, the best part of this series is that the settings are so believable. In my head, I know exactly what every place and person in the town of Lochdubh looks like, and the descriptions are so good that I can picture them in my head even when I haven't read one of these books in a while. Great author, great series, great book. End of story.
8. To Kill A MockingbirdProbably the best book I've had to read for any English class I've taken throughout the years. While it wouldn't have been something I'd have chosen to read on my own, it wasn't a half bad story, and it was well written. I don't really know what else to say about it.
9. Death of a PranksterI'll put up a review later, when I feel like writing it.
11. Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death
12. Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener
"Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death" ... I have to have that title in my books. Even if the tale is lousy, the title is worth it!
Haha yeah, I thought it was a pretty good title myself. =) And not a bad book either.
14. Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley
15. Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of EveshamOkay, I promise I am ready stuff other than Agatha Raisin, it's just that being so busy, these are the only ones that I get through. The other, longer books that I'm reading get read REALLY REALLY SLOWLY. Come summertime I'll get some other titles up here.
16. Area 7Finally, I broke free from those short Agatha Raisin mysteries (not that they aren't great, I just really needed to have something else to add to this list).
So, as for the book...
Loved it, plain and simple. It engaged me from the very first page, just like the other Matthew Reilly books I've read in the past. Don't have much else to say except that you should read the book, this series is amazing, and I'm looking forward to reading Scarecrow (the next novel in the series).
17. ScarecrowAgain, drew me in from the first page. I didn't like it quite as much as Area 7, but I would by no means call it let down. Even though it is a very fast paced, action-packed book, Reilly continues to get me to love the characters too. Definitely a book I would suggest.
18. Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden
I like that you add your reviews. I thinking about checking out Scarecrow.
You should, it's really good. But you might want to read the series in order, it's probably easier to understand what they're talking about, since there are some references to the other books. The series starts with Ice Station, then Area 7, and then Scarecrow. They're all good anyway, so I would suggest reading all of them =)
You're welcome =) Tell me what you think when you get around to reading them.
Thanks I just put it on hold at the library.....I cant wait.
19. Agatha Raisin and the Love From HellI have a lot of reading to make up on once finals are over!
20. Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House
21. Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious CurateAgatha is yet again yearning after the man next door, ex-husband James, recently married Charles...and, well, any other man that looks her direction. But then the popular new curate gets murdered, and her best friend's husband, the jealous vicar, becomes suspect. So she takes on the case for Mrs. Bloxby, hoping to clear the vicar's name and cure her boredom inspired depression along the way, but as the bodies keep piling up she wonders if she's up to the challenge.
22. HawkeAn excellent read. It had some great action scenes, but not so many that the author lost sight of the plot. This book reminds me somewhat of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt series. I'm definitely going to read the rest of the Alex Hawke books.
23. Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of FryfamNot my favorite Agatha Raisin mystery and yet still a good, enjoyable read.
24. The Far KingdomsA pretty good book, good enough that I plan to read the other books by the same authors.
25. BloodhoundAnother great (long awaited) book from Tamora Pierce. Can't wait till the next one in the series comes out!
26. Agatha Raisin and the Perfect Paragon
27. Blood From a StoneGood book! I normally have to force myself to read non-fiction, and then although I appreciate the facts, never really enjoy reading it as well as a good fantasy book, for instance. This book was an exception. It was a good story, well told, definitely worth the read.
28. Love, Lies, and LiquorAnother wonderful addition to this cozy mystery series. It's funny how the seemingly most unlikable of protagonists can turn out to be so absolutely lovable and addictive. And of course, the other delightful, quirky characters in the books don't hurt either.
29. AssassinA second great installment in the Alex Hawke series. Unlike so many sequels, this in no way pales in comparison to Hawke.
30. The Six Sacred StonesAMAZING! Okay, sorry for the caps - it was an excellent book by an excellent author.
I want the next one! And that's all I have to say about it.
31. Kissing Christmas Goodbye: An Agatha Raisin Mystery
33. SovereignAnother enjoyable installment in the Matthew Shardlake series. The book gives an excellent feel for the time period, and manages to realistically insert a murder mystery into the political intrigue and power struggles already there.
35. The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the Worlds Around ThemI first heard of this book when I saw the movie based of the story when it first came out a few years ago. I finally got around to reading it, and it was worth it. The book goes on for a longer time span than the movie did, and goes more in depth into the actual diaries (which is not really surprising I suppose, since it is completely composed of diaries). Anyway, definitely worth the read. Although in some parts sad and even sickening, I would suggest checking it out. And the fact that they're all real diaries makes it that much better.
36. The Deadly Dance: An Agatha Raisin MysteryAnother great installment.
38. Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage
39. A Thousand Splendid SunsAt first I thought this book was good, but sad (and unfortunately, realistic). But the more I read, the more I couldn't put down the book. The story was intriguing and wonderfully told. I would definitely suggest it.
Challenge: 50 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales (other topics)Twilight (other topics)
New Moon (other topics)
Ozma of Oz (other topics)
Wolf's Blood (other topics)
More...
1. New Moon
** spoiler alert ** Well, the Twilight Saga is definitely addicting, that's for sure. Although I didn't find this book nearly as engaging as I did Twilight, it kept me turning the pages. I thought the separation of Bella and Edward was drawn out for far to long, since I kept reading quite a lot of the time to find out what would happen when he got back, but I have to admit Ms. Meyer did find some interesting storylines to slip into the pages between the split of Bella and Edward. I thought that the pages labeled with months were a particularly brilliant idea. The ending was excellent, and left me ready to read Eclipse, even without having fully enjoyed the entire book.