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It's my first year doing a Reading Challenge and I'm a little behind but the ultimate goal is 120 books (or more).


{Current Progress: 112 of 115}

Good luck with your challenge, Ariel! I bet you'll catch up a little later in the year.

Cassandra wrote: "Good luck with your challenge, Ariel! I bet you'll catch up a little later in the year."

Thank you! I'm hoping so. :)

� 1 of 115
Festive in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death #39)
Rating:

I'm a JD Robb addict, that's pretty much good for at least a 3 star review across the board. Some books are certainly better than others and, once you reach the addict level, that largely depends on what characters and types of plots you prefer. There's so much character development in the series, it's always fun to tune in to see what happens with who.

I don't think that this book is a read alone or "welcome to the series" book. The biggest scene of the book is one that you really need to build up to through reading the overall plot of the series. That being said, the characters are richly developed as always and there's a good amount of humor and thrill in the story.

� 2 of 115
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Rating:

The book that broke my reading hiatus of the past year. A good one to do so with, I think.

I picked this up at the library a couple days ago. My first time there (shameful since we've been in this area for a couple years now), I was walking around in the daze of "what to check out, what to check out" and this title popped off the shelf at me. And I was back in Mrs. Atkins' Creative Writing class during memoir-writing listening to her tell us about her love of Francie.

I can imagine waxing on a bit about this book myself someday. Not necessarily about Francie so much so as all the characters combined, along with the very "human" dialogue and expression. It paints a very clear picture of kids growing up too fast, how the place you live and the people you live with become parts of you, and how life's pretty good even if it isn't so grand as long as you have your own personal Brooklyn.

� 3 of 115
Maggie Now by Betty Smith
Rating:

I have to say that I might have set myself up for not liking this book from the start. I chose to read it right after reading A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and, as superstitious as it might sound, there's not really anywhere to go but down when you like a book as much as I liked A Tree. The writing itself is okay but it didn't seem to connect me with the experience of the book or the lives of the characters in any noticeable way. It also felt like Smith was trying her hardest to make sure all the characters were as contrary as possible. Which can breed a good plot. But eventually something has to cave in order to grab on to my attention and it just didn't happen for me in Maggie-Now.

I do think I'll reread it at some point in the future. Just to be able to experience it on its own instead of colored by my experience of A Tree.

� 4 of 115
Modern Magic by Louisa May Alcott
Rating:

Adored, definitely a book to add to my continually growing library. Also, the forward in this edition is wonderful.

� 5 of 115
A Marble Woman: Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott by Louisa May Alcott
Rating:

I love stories that can catch me up in some way and I certainly became enmeshed in Alcott's blood and thunder stories. I'm very glad to have done so.

� 6 of 115
Dorothy Parker Stories by Dorothy Parker
Rating:



I adore Dorothy Parker, adore adore adore. Whether it's such an agreeable edge of things as in "The Short Story, Through The Ages", or an apropos nod to Tolstoy's "All happy families are alike..." as in "The Wonderful Old Gentleman", the racist's "I swear I'm not racist, but" as in "Arrangement In Black and White", the heartbreaking saga of "Horsie", or the fit of laughter that accompanies "The Waltz" or "The Little Hours"; Parker's just GOT it. It's human and you can see it, one of the best combinations I can look for in a read.

� 7 of 115
³Ò²¹±ôá±è²¹²µ´Ç²õ by Kurt Vonnegut
Rating:

I think Vonnegut is one of those authors that should be read by everyone at some point in their lives and that point largely differs for everyone. For me, the point might have passed where the overall theme of the book would have been novel and ensnaring. So, strictly from an analytical point, it's a good enough book with a simple theme, the value of humans/humanity. We're led along by a seemingly omnipresent narrator and introduced to characters that have quite a lot going on under the surface but it's also so briefly touched upon that it seemed pretty vague. Which kind of makes the point of the theme, neatly enough.

I don't know, I'm still a little undecided about this book. I didn't fall for it quite as much as I imagined I would but I liked it well enough.

Good luck with your challenge, Ariel! I'm glad to hear you liked East of Eden. I've also been putting off reading Steinbeck for a long time and need to finally sit down and read.

Cassandra wrote: "Good luck with your challenge, Ariel! I'm glad to hear you liked East of Eden. I've also been putting off reading Steinbeck for a long time and need to finally sit down and read."

Thanks! Yeah, I need to keep it going and finally read Grapes of Wrath and some more of his stuff. It's just so easy to put on the back burner lol.

� 8 of 115
Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb
Rating:

I was pretty happy with this book's plot line, and even more happy to have another In Death book to dive into.

I did go with 4/5 stars though. Primarily for two reasons (view spoiler)[ figuring out who was behind the murders and crazy obsession seemed hurried, like the end of the process needed to be rushed through. Also, I couldn't get behind Dallas bullying the street guy by sexually assaulting him. If it had been self defense (as we've seen in other books), yeah, sure. But she was (rightfully) frustrated/pissed and she goads him into the situation. Again, yeah, because she has to get answers and the character presented isn't really going to respond to much other than violence. But it just didn't ring true to character for me. (hide spoiler)]

All in all, I was happy to see so many characters that I've completely flipped for through the series and hope the books keep coming.

� 9 of 115
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Rating:

Steinbeck is an author I've put off for quite awhile. I tend to romanticise my fate with books, always believing there's a "right" time to explore a new one and hoping the books fall in with my notion. In this case, it happened to work out just that way. It was a last minute rec at the library (a great rec btw) as I was checking out and I read my way through the other check-outs, eyeing it surreptitiously as you might eye a tiger sitting in the corner of your room if you were foolish enough not to run away screaming your head off. It might seem pretty silly, it certainly does to me anyways. But I think that's the deal with reading. It's not simply a book, it's thought. Or, more intimidatingly, it's classic thought. It's experience that might completely change parts of your entire outlook.

As remarked several times on it's covers and in it's introduction, Steinbeck referred to this book as "the first book" or similar. As you read through, you can definitely understand the weight of his statement. At a point in the story he says, "We have only one story. All novels, all poetry, are built on the neverending contest in ourselves of good and evil." There is of course a contest between the two in this book, in many forms. However, I felt it more pinpointed to the fact that you have to take one with the other. So I'd say I agree with both the reference and the weight of it, from his personal outlook on his writings and his view, defined in the quote, of the base of all plot lines.

Between this weight, the contesting sides, ideas on theology and ideals, and simply stated truths about the happenings and characters of the books such as, "you can boast about anything if it's all you have," it was an engrossing read. It has the ability to prompt self-examination and that should always be applauded.

I will say that the casual racism and sexism in classics is often intrusive in my reading, and this classic wasn't any different in that regard. Mainly because there's so much intelligence throughout the book you'd like to hope the author would be of higher thought in those areas as well. And yes, I know, "it was the language of the time" and all that. But it's pretty dismal nonetheless. Primarily because you'd think we'd have come further all this time later. However, even that let down can prompt self-examination if you're up to it. As they say in the book, "timshel," meaning 'thou mayest'.

All in all, it was a book that came at the right time and a book I'd definitely recommend.

� 10 of 115
A Daring Life: a Biography of Eudora Welty by Carolyn J Brown
Rating:

Written for a younger audience but a solid biography nonetheless.

� 11 of 115
Eudora: A Writer's Life by Ann Waldron
Rating:

Ann Waldron has become my idea of a paparazzo of the biographical set. The information set forth was in depth, redundantly so. Her personal commentary throughout was mostly a chore to read through as it mainly centered on her immaturely pricked pride that Welty didn't want her to write this biography or to give her any personal information to help in the writing of it.

Annoyance at the biographer aside, Welty's life and work is quite fascinating; which is the only reason this book received two stars. Though I find that I couldn't care less, unlike the biographer, who she flirted with or fell for and what said person(s)' sexual orientation was. (Why is this such a repetitive refrain in this book? Sure, healthy conjecture can be interesting, but repeated conjecture is hardly rewarding.) So, the effort spent reading this isn't for nothing... but it's definitely a bit of an effort all the same.

� 12 of 115
The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker
Rating:

I think Parker said it best in, “There's a hell of a distance between wise-cracking and wit. Wit has truth in it; wise-cracking is simply calisthenics with words." I think I adore her writing so much because there's so much truth in her wit and the only calisthenics you experience while reading her is unabated laughter.

� 13 of 115
The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd
Rating:


I could probably flip a coin on whether I liked this book with decent accuracy. I was pretty happy with it in the beginning and I enjoyed the imagery and descriptions of island life. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get behind the main character.

I think the main reason it was so hard to stick this book out is that I'm bored with the *norm* in "these" books. I'm all for figuring out what makes you happy and working towards it. But why is it always the *let's find someone to fall madly in love with (read: have a selfish affair with) and that will fix absolutely everything in my life* formula? There's other, less melodramatic, ways to find yourself. Seeing as you're really not finding yourself at all when you're falling over on someone else. It just felt flighty in the long run rather than the thought provoking novel that's self-discovery meets mermaid imagery I was hoping for.

� 14 of 115
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Rating:

I got pretty sucked in to this book; so much so that it ended being a pretty interesting all-night read. The person that rec'd it said that you know the basic plot line but the interesting bit is how they're going to get there. I'd definitely agree, as that's what had me so into it. It's pretty good for a YA and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

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� 15 of 115
Glitches by Marissa Meyer
Rating:

A pretty short and to the point prequel to Cinder, definitely worth the read though. I didn't know about this (or the other short stories in the series) until after I'd read Cinder. So I'm doing a bit of backtracking to read this and The Little Android before I move on to the second book, Scarlet. I don't think the short stories are completely necessary in order to understand the series, it's fine to just dive in. But, with reading this first one, I'm happy to read the rest of them and get little peeks into the characters here and there.



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� 16 of 115
The Little Android by Marissa Meyer
Rating:

Saying this was a really cute read sounds a little diminishing. I can't help it though. It was interesting in that you weren't really sure how it was going to end up. I think it brings you into the series from a good perspective.

� 17 of 115
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
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To put it as plainly as possible, parts of this book felt like pure drudgery. The result being that I had to put it down more than I normally would and that I'll probably feel the need to reread this in order to get into the full merit of the book. I like the basis of the plot, historical fiction meets mystery. But there just seemed to be too much repetition and not enough room to let your ideas weave in and out of the plot line as the story progresses. Which is what I look for in most books. So, for now it's shelved in the "a little lacking" stack... I'm sure I'll come back to it eventually and maybe find something new to grab onto *hopefully*.

� 18 of 115
Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin
Rating:

I really love to cook but I hate certain things that come along with it. Like flatten your foot if you dropped it cookbooks that tout the same old same old rhetoric that your grandma's grandma was reading once upon a time. Which is a drawn out way of saying that this particular book is something I picked up a couple years back because everyone was saying how different it was from the above mentioned cookbook trojan horses I'd come across all too often. It's been sitting in my stack of cookbooks ever since because I was happy believing it was different without giving myself the chance to find out otherwise.

If it hadn't been for a certain challenge in a certain group (Read a book about cooking), it would still be lurking in the corner of my kitchen. Alas alack, it was picked up and read and I'm happy to say that the members of that "everyone" were pretty spot on and I should have read the damn thing a lot sooner. It's funny and it makes you hungry for things you could actually see yourself cooking, both necessary reqs in my mind for a cookbook.

� 19 of 115
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
Rating:

I made a comment when I was about halfway through this book that it was a novel I'd imagine Alice coming back from Wonderland to write. Mainly because it feels like it has a bit of Carroll to it and it's easy to fall down into it while more than a little confusing on the climb back out of it's pages. It's choppy yet lush, insightful yet removed, slow but quick, quick, quick at the last. The ending left me wanting to reach out for it's sequel, the lack of which is a big factor in the 2 star rating.

It felt like there were these big issues spawned onto the pages, okay, good start. Give me something to chew on and I'm happy. Add a few character perspectives and show them chewing on said issues, also good. But it just fell for me from there because nothing really came of it all. The two scenes that could have really built into a profound novel were brushed over quickly and without resolution. The basic Snow White plot lurked behind unfinished parallels; parallels so unfinished that I found myself thinking it would have been more successful had it not been packaged as the plot twisted/reimagined. I think it's always good for an author to find a line between giving a reader something to consume and going to straight overkill. I don't think this novel reaches a desired and fulfilling line between the two even though the writing style itself is pretty stirring.

� 20 of 115
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
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I had to spend a little extra time with this book than I normally would, simply because I found myself jotting down quotes left and right and loving, loving, loving so much of it. There are just certain books that cast you into their depths so completely that you come out of it feeling like your life has been fleshed out by it's prose, it's paysage. There's just so many wonderful things put forth in this book and, in them, you can hear the author's voice clearly without it detracting from the depth of the characters or plot. An instant favorite, I can't wait to read more by Marra.

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� 21 of 115
Green Heart by Alice Hoffman
Rating:

Written for a much younger reader but has a pretty interesting plot imo.

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� 22 of 115
Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Rating:

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was pleasantly funny, interesting, and worth it's paper. Amy Poehler has lived and has a wonderful way of talking about the ins and outs of doing just that that is entertaining and realistic.

The audio version with Amy Poehler and special guests get a 5 star rating from me.

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� 23 of 115
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Rating:

'The greatest, most incestuous Greek epic since the Iliad,' is a pretty weighty way to state things straight off, but I'm going to go with it. I fell for Cal's narration, I think most who appreciate this book do. It's funny, sarcastic, human, and has the power to propel the reader from page to page. I have to say that the beginning didn't catch me completely. However, it's worth the sticking.

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� 24 of 115
Color and How to Use It: Find out what color is, how it works, and how to make it work for you in your paintings by William F. Powell
Rating:

Recommended by a friend of mine, an art teacher, who is currently helping me out with learning new techniques. Very useful, imo.

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� 25 of 115
The Elements of Color by Johannes Itten
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As with #24, very useful book.

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� 26 of 115
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Rating:

This was really very good. If you're looking for a YA novel that doesn't follow the stereotypical YA formula, this is it. If you're looking for an interesting stand alone read, this is also it. The writing is lovely, the characters hold your attention, and the only thing I can say against it is that I wish there was more. Rutkoski does a very good job of making you wonder just what you'd do, want to do, in a similar situation and turning the situation on it's head a couple of times to keep you wondering.

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� 27 of 115
Foe by J.M. Coetzee
Rating:

In the spirit of Foe, a story about this book... I bought this book at a recent $5 A Bag book sale at the library. Having walked away with 4 bags of books, it seemed like a pretty successful sale in and of itself. However, fate intervenes (dun dun DUN) and, picking it up to read tonight, I see a very familiar name scrawled in the front cover, a date/locale, and a seal imprinted on the title page. None other than the name of my favorite teacher back in high school and the date of my graduation. A favorite teacher that has since passed away but is sorely missed. Coincidence might the invention of the storyteller here, but it's a coincidence I'm very happy about.

The book itself was interesting, both as a reinvention of Crusoe and a stand-alone. I was almost expecting a The Yellow Wallpaper twist to come into play. Definitely worth the read.

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� 28 of 115
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
Rating:

I really liked this book. Probably not surprising, it is billed as "one of the great bestsellers of our time" right on the cover. However, it was surprising to me to not be confronted with the wholesale emotional ride which, I have to admit, I expected. There's a rich depth to the emotional and mental wells of Guest's characters. They're believable, relatable, and stirring.

Ariel wrote: "26. The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Rating: 4 stars

Review: If you're looking for a YA novel that doesn't follow the stereotypical YA formula, this is it. If ..."

I liked that book a lot too! Have you read the 2nd book, Winner's Crime? I purchased it when it was released, but I haven't had time to read it yet.

Megan wrote: "I liked that book a lot too! Have you read the 2nd book, Winner's Crime? I purchased it when it was released, but I haven't had time to read it yet. "

I haven't read that yet, didn't even realize it was supposed to be a part of a trilogy until a guy at the library mentioned it the other day when I thanked him for recommending the first book. Once he finishes with it he's passing it along to me lol. I have pretty high hopes for it.

So, I've been on Grafton binge for the duration of a random flu this past week. Correction, a Grafton and excessive amounts of tea binge...

� 29 of 115
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
Rating:

A quick but decent read that's a bit like a more-cynical Nancy Drew mystery. Having read this first book, I do think the rest of the series is worth a go. The main character has enough quirks that you want to find out more about her and the plot went at a good pace. Interested to see where the series goes.

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� 30 of 115
B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
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I can't say that I really like Kinsey Millhone, though I'm still pretty interested in the series regardless.

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� 31 of 115
C is for Corpse by Sue Grafton
Rating:

I still feel on the fence about Millhone and the series in general. The formula for the books is getting a little regular... I hit the 85% mark and BOOM, the drama starts to pick up and Millhone is involved in some scrape or another. But I can't fault the overall plot to this book by saying it wasn't generally interesting. Millhone just seems very shut down and it feels like the author is associating this with being a "badass", or, at least, the character is considering herself a badass in lieu of reality.

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� 32 of 115
D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton
Rating:

I felt like this book underlined my previous review/thoughts of C is for Corpse. I like Millhone's sarcasm but find her judgement of the emotional pain of Daggett's victims off. Her inability to comprehend or have compassion for others seems to make her really blunder through this case in particular. I just find myself really hoping that there's more warmness in her character looming in the books ahead. I couldn't come away from the final scene having a whole lot of heart for Millhone.

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� 33 of 115
E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton
Rating:

I definitely felt an increase in interest and depth in this book compared to the previous books of the series. I found myself liking Millhone more; not because of a distinct shift in her character but mainly because you see a bit more of her backstory instead of the normal *here's the mystery and I did this, this, and this to lead to the resolution* formula these books seem to have. I think Grafton fleshed out her character some and brought us into an interesting mystery along the way.

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� 34 of 115
[book:F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton
Rating:

I gave this four stars because the plot was interesting and I find myself more in favor of Millhone with each book. However, I felt the murderer was a bit obvious after a couple threatening phone calls are made to Millhone. But having a good idea of who the killer was definitely didn't diminish the ending as much as you'd think.


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� 35 of 115
G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton
Rating:

Meh, not a bad book. It certainly had interesting and even intense points throughout instead of the usual culmination at the end. But it felt like it was missing a lot. I did like the introduction of Dietz but the major plot lines of Millhone being endangered and the family mystery seemed to clash and lead to neither one being as fleshed out as it could have been.

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� 36 of 115
H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton
Rating:

Very interesting and quirky. You can really see the PI side of things for Millhone in this book. How she's a bit naive, even a little fumbling. Which means she kind of has to just sit back and go along with things at times even though it clashes with her wanting to be in control and get things moving. However, the deal with Dolan and Luis didn't really make a whole lot of sense to me.

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� 37 of 115
I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton
Rating:

The best of the series so far, in my opinion. I was wondering where it was all heading the entire time and I felt like you got to experience Millhone in a different depth. Loved the ending.

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� 38 of 115
J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton
Rating:

I think the thing I liked most about this book was that we see Millhone struggle with (view spoiler)[ the intro of her family. It wasn't "enter long lost cousin, stage left, *happy happy joy joy*." Instead she feels the lash of it but ends up working on it in her terms. She's honest with her cousin and she wants to be taken as she is, that's her standard for dealing with the sudden arrival of family and all that it infers. I think there's a lot of people out there that would like to be taken "as is" by family members; I believe that it was one of the most relatable moments in the books so far. The mystery itself had me a little disappointed. It just seemed to drag and fall flat in some areas. I found myself wishing there was more to work with concerning Dana and the boys. (hide spoiler)] It seems like the mysteries in the books where Millhone is confronted by personal issues fall to the background when they could end up having much more punch to them in areas. So, as a whole, it was adequate; on the personal front, it was wonderful.

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� 39 of 115
K is for Killer by Sue Grafton
Rating:

I think this was one of my least favorite books in the series. It felt like Millhone's token "sarcasm" was more like plain bitchiness. I liked the idea of the mystery in and of itself but I think the main character just wore on me way too much in this particular instance and the ending seemed overly flubbed and completely lacking any connection or intensity.

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� 40 of 115
L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton
Rating:

One of the top books in the series in my opinion. Consistent action throughout with an interesting spin towards the end. As for the wrap-up... what has a gate key and is a good place to hide thousands of dollars and jewels scored in a bank heist years ago where people aren't bound to stumble on it out of the blue? Not too hard to put things together there. At all. But it was interesting to see Millhone thrown into a family dynamic when she's so on the fence about her own relations. It'll be enticing to see how that fleshes out down the road.

I'm planning on starting the alphabet series this year too! I also like John Steinbeck. I think The Pearl is my favorite of his.

Alison wrote: "I'm planning on starting the alphabet series this year too! I also like John Steinbeck. I think The Pearl is my favorite of his."

It's a good series so far, hopefully you'll like it. :) I haven't read The Pearl yet. Something to add to my list haha.

� 41 of 115
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Rating:

I had some difficulties sticking with this. Definitely need to reread when I'm able.

� 42 of 115
M is for Malice by Sue Grafton
Rating:

Current favorite of the series so far. For one thing, it didn't seem as if the emotional side and mystery side of the novel were competing or lacking. They both felt well fleshed out and balanced which made for a very satisfying book. I have to admit, I was wrong about the whodunit denouement and quite happy about it.

� 43 of 115
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Rating:

This book has always been a favorite. It was a very lovely companion to have on nights I stayed up late, huddled under the covers with an American Girl flashlight and my dog, thinking my reading ruse ever-so-ingenious. No reading ruses were needed this time around... but I'd admit I'd have been amenable to a blanket fort. Maybe next time!

� 44 of 115
Bernice Bobs Her Hair and Other Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Rating:

I wish I'd read this prior to The Great Gatsby because I think it would have propelled an interest in his other works that Gatsby just didn't imbibe. I just wasn't dazzled by the Gatsby-glitz and I find/found school reading lists pretty claustrophobic. Loved this short story however. There's a lot of growth in character for Bernice in a very short page-span, the prose pulling it off quite winningly.

� 45 of 115
N is for Noose by Sue Grafton
Rating:

Meh, another disappointing book in the series. I keep expecting Millhone to actually live up to the "badass" she's forever claiming to be. Sometimes she passes muster but most of the time the character comes off as a flub. After all the scrapes she's been in she's decided not to carry a weapon?.. and the like. Not to mention the bizarrely lazy ending to this plot. I get that the abusive prick of the story was pretty much revealed in his perverse predilections when Millhone talked to the two daughters leading to her realization in the moment of who had actually been victimized/who the killer was but the psychology of the victim/killer was hardly acknowledged. Millhone often just seems like such a flat character to me. There's a bit of a shining moment here and there but for the most part I find her lacking any great spark.

� 46 of 115
Night by Elie Wiesel
Rating:

The first time I read Anne Frank was in a middle school classroom at the behest of a semi-retired English teacher that was practically pickled in her ways. Students stuttered through paragraphs read aloud, giggled uncomfortably, and acted how you would probably presume a bunch of middle to upper class kids reading Anne Frank in a stuffy room of a private school would. The most talked about instance in the whole thing was our teacher's lecture to the prepubescent horde about how unfunny periods are.

To say the least, the might of the moment was bleached and tainted. However, when at home and free to read as pleased, I was beginning to realize that it was the first book I'd ever encountered that stirred up so much within me. So many questions, so much horror, fear, and sadness. Previously, books had moved me to humor or ideas... but all of that seemed pale because of this experience. As such, I've returned to this book many times. Hoping that it's voice might encourage my own, that I might hold onto a memory of a girl in hiding, that it might humble me and make me grateful.

It has, it does, and this continues with Night. There's no real critique to this review, just as there was no thought to critique while the book was being read. I feel that some books surpass the need for criticism, some are just voices that we should be grateful (and so, so humble) to hear.

� 47 of 115
O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton
Rating:

Yay for some backstory... nay for *almost everything else.

*When I start a series I usually end up compelled to finish it out. Okay, scratch usually and insert always. This series has made me regret this compulsion. So what's with the "almost," huh? For one, I'm ALMOST done with the currently published books. Two, there were some modestly funny bits thrown in amongst the chunky, clopping-along-haphazardly plot. Three, people ate a QP with white wine and it made me happy.

� 48 of 115
A Passage to India by E.M. Forster
Rating:

I can't say I'm a Forster fanatic after reading A Passage to India but I did enjoy the writing and the questions the content brought up. Not just in a racism context but, in all honesty, a general-human context even more so. From race to religion, we're so quick to classify ourselves and others. Then to set ourselves apart from various classifications as if that somehow gives us worthiness. My main view of this book is that it's excellent in it's ability to show all the idiocy for what it is, misunderstandings and the mayhem that results.

� 49 of 115
The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski
Rating:

I love this series, I love the author's style, and I love how interminably frustrated I can get with the characters.

� 50 of 115
P is for Peril by Sue Grafton
Rating:

I definitely wasn't expecting the (view spoiler)[ Talbot reveal (hide spoiler)] which was rather interesting.

� 51 of 115
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Rating:

I don't think I'd have normally picked this up. I never watched the movie, and I assumed the book would be a sappy romance plot with chocolate thrown into the mix as a shtick. Assumptions often make you miss out, she says now to herself.

I quite enjoyed the book, the characters, and the nearly edible descriptions of scenes given throughout. I think my focus fell most on Reynaud. Mainly because his anger veiled with piety piqued my curiosity early on in the book. I loved Anouk's name, spirit, and the wisps of tracks left behind by the loyal Pantoufle. Guillaume both cheered and broke my heart. Armande might just be my spirit character for when I'm 80+ and I found myself very proud of the character Josephine at the end of things.

All-in-all, a very satisfying look into a small village and those the wind carries.

“Life is what you celebrate. All of it. Even its end.�

� 52 of 115
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
Rating:

So, I finished this book two minutes ago, uttered a satisfyingly noncommittal 'wow', and got on GoodReads to stick my little flag in the depths of it's book jacket and claim it conquered. I've read Cloud Atlas and Black Swan Green was actually my first introduction to David Mitchell back in 2007. Caught sight of this book while browsing at the library and figured it might be great or it might be drivel, who really knows.

Right this moment I feel like voting for the former, to an extent. I tend to split hairs over genre-benders, feeling that, more often than not, they're the result of multiple books mashed together into a hodgepodge of inconsistent character development, rushed plot lines, and leaping g-a-p-s of back info or an overabundance of same. The hairs being splitted, I'd say there was a bit of fantasy-smashing into this book as well. However, I'd also say it worked to an extent that it might not have if this was developed into a series or a pair of novellas. The novel encompasses the very act of fantasy-meets-life along the course of a set number of years. What better way to demonstrate the crashing set of facts thrust upon Holly (and others) than to let them crash into the story itself?

All in all, a satisfying read that was written with a good amount of wit, sarcasm, and interest. I'd definitely suggest it.

� 53 of 115
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Rating:

So, here's the deal... I came across Kingsolver in high school by way of the usual mandatory reading list. My first encounter being The Bean Trees. What attracted me then has the same cast and lure now; primarily her intelligence and divine character development. Whenever I come up for air out of one of her works I have the sense that her characters are all mixed up and formulated in some literary lab she has rumbling around in the back of her brain at all times, fleshed out genuinely by her experiences and perception of the human condition.

This is what kept me in this book. I didn't have a lot of fondness for the characters (besides the kids) but they definitely grew into realities on the pages and made it worth the read.

� 54 of 115
Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg
Rating:

I'm not sure it gets any better than Sunflower Sutra ingested while read aloud.

"and the gray Sunflower poised against the sunset, crackly bleak
and dusty with the smut and smog and smoke of olden
locomotives in its eye-

corolla of bleary spikes pushed down and broken like a battered
crown, seeds fallen out of its face, soon-to-be-toothless
mouth of sunny air, sunrays obliterated on its hairy head
like a dried wire spiderweb,

leaves stuck out like arms out of the stem, gestures from the
sawdust root, broke pieces of plaster fallen out of the black
twigs, a dead fly in its ear,

Unholy battered old thing you were, my sunflower O my soul,
I loved you then!...

How many flies bussed round you innocent of your grim, while
you cursed the heavens of the railroad and your flower soul?

Poor dead flower? when did you forget you were a flower?...

-We're not our skin of grime, we're not our dread bleak dusty
imageless locomotive, we're all beautiful gold sunflowers
inside, we're blessed by our own seed & golden hairy naked
accomplishment-bodies growing into mad black formal sun-
flowers in the sunset,..."

I can't even sit back from this poem and call it beautiful or wise because they're just too simplistic. It merits something akin to soul-soaked, edible...

� 55 of 115
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Rating:

This book was divine, is divine. The intelligence and perception of the author, the depth of the characters, and the eloquence of the humor, knowledge, and heartbreak contained is breathtaking.

� 56 of 115
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Rating:

While the plot did, eventually & circuitously, liven up towards the end of the book I found this to be a very slow read with very little interest. However, I do believe it quite captured the small town/village mentality "heard 'round the world" so to speak.

� 57 of 115
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
Rating:

I found myself pretty interested throughout the first hundred pages or so. However, it just didn't catch & hold my interest as much as I'd hoped. Stylistically speaking there was quite a lot of intelligence and beauty in the writing and I was very taken with Beatrice and Axl. Unfortunately it felt like much of the rest was crumbled into the pot so to speak. Like a campfire tale that gets added on to as it passes through generations or just from camper to camper. Some parts shining off their own merit and some feeling like clunky fanfiction.

� 58 of 115
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
Rating:

A quick read that flourished in parts and scratched by in others. The literary references were there, as was the magic of an independently owned bookshop. Also, I completely respected Zevin's mention of the necessity of encountering stories at precisely the right time in our lives. As well as her insight into the grief of her characters and the love, empathy, and connections she gives such importance to through the book. I have to admit that I wasn't entirely dry-eyed throughout, especially around the point of "gloves."

� 59 of 115
Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis
Rating:

I mainly picked this book up because the title sounds like the name of a pop punk band, or at least the potential lyrics in a song sang by said band. (WE ARE, yeah yeah, we arrrreee the lives of the monster dogs...MONSTER MONSTER!!!)

Something with such an interesting title should not be allowed to be this boring... apparently I'm in the minority on this point however as this book seems to have gotten quite a lot of favorable reviews. I will say that the author had a decent idea and commanded it well throughout the book. The movement of the story was well laid out and the characters were well rounded and thought out. I just kept waiting for something to start rolling and I finished the book feeling unsatisfied. I can't say I hated it completely but I can say that this book will probably be looking for a new home shortly.

� 60 of 115
The Sister by Poppy Adams
Rating:

Lethal lepidopterists, a dysfunctional family, the scent of sherry, and a bit of the gothic. I think one of the former reviews I've read on this book said it best; a lot of readers have complained that they got a lot more moths than answers and, as such, the book was very dissatifying. However, the reviewer went on to say that there are so few answers because our protagonist isn't aware that there needs to be or that there are even questions lurking about in her own familial and personal history. In that way I think the gothic theme of the story is wrapped up very nicely, especially for a debut novel, from the symbolism of the decrepit/vacant in the house and the relationships/secrets held within it.

I found the story to be engrossing and interesting. Definitely worth the read.

� 61 of 115
Q is for Quarry by Sue Grafton
Rating:

I'd say that Grafton did a much better job with this book of the series all round. Especially in the mixing of Millhone's family history and the mystery. Usually the books seem a bit jumbled to me whenever personal stuff is thrown in, like she's cramming too much in and doesn't really know how to balance it. This was a much better read in my opinion.

� 62 of 115
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Rating:

I adored this book. In fact I was riveted and was unable to put it down soon after picking it up. Which inevitably led me to my usual book hangover the next day whose only cure is an intense if brief affair with my keurig and potentially lethal coffee. The book hangover was well worth it though. Having spent all night with All the Light We Cannot See it's become an indelible check mark on my favorites list.