Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

49/100

1. The Giver 225 pgs, 1/2/16
2. Last Light 90 pgs, 1/2/16
3. Final Hour (Short Story) 87 pgs, 1/3/16
4. Crome Yellow 194 pgs, 1/4/16
5. Mrs. Dalloway 194 pgs, 1/5/16
6. The Tiger in the Smoke 224 pgs, 1/7/16
7. The End of the Affair 160 pgs, 1/8/16
8. The Handmaid's Tale 311 pgs, 1/12/16
9. Reamde 1044 pgs, 1/16/16
10. Mere Christianity 191 pgs, 1/19/16
11. Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer 208 pgs, 1/20/16
12. For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards 224 pgs, 1/21/16
13. Ruby 368 pgs, 1/31/16
14. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag 364 pgs, 2/3/16
15. A Red Herring Without Mustard 399 pgs, 2/8/16
16. The Modern Fig Leaf: Uncovering Your True Identity 240 pgs, 2/8/16
17. Child 44 480 pgs, 2/11/16
18. When She Woke 344 pgs, 2/12/16
19. The Blade Itself 517 pgs, 2/19/16
20. Hollow City 412 pgs, 2/26/16
21. The Lies of Locke Lamora 499 pgs, 2/28/16
22. Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter 320 pgs, 3/1/16
23. The Dream Thieves 437 pgs, 3/8/16
24. The Dark is Rising 244 pgs, 3/8/16
25. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows 299 pgs, 3/11/16
26. The Witch of Little Italy 320 pgs, 3/11/16
27. Things Fall Apart 209 pgs, 3/16/16
28. Euphoria 256 pgs, 3/18/16
29. Greenwitch 131 pgs, 3/23/16
30. Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus 275 pgs, 3/24/16
Inside the Criminal Mind: Revised and Updated Edition 368 pgs, 3/30/16
31. Swann's Way 468 pgs, 3/31/16
32. The Grey King 165 pgs, 4/2/16
33. Speaking from Among the Bones 378 pgs, 4/6/16
34. The Open Boat 64 pgs, 4/6/16
35. The New Catacomb 48 pgs, 4/7/16
36. The Sense of Wonder 112 pgs, 4/7/16
37. Silver On The Tree 275 pgs, 4/9/16
38. Jam 398 pgs, 4/14/16
39. The Intern's Handbook 276 pgs, 4/22/16
40. Wayward 298 pgs, 4/27/16
41. Within a Budding Grove 749 pgs, 5/11/16
42. Girls with Swords: Why Women Need to Fight Spiritual Battles 240 pgs, 5/11/16
43. 17 Carnations: The Royals, the Nazis and the Biggest Cover-Up in History 384 pgs, 3/13/16
44. The Ice Twins 306 pgs, 5/20/16
45. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler 260 pgs, 5/26/16
46. The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Short Stories ?, 5/26/16
47. Blue Lily, Lily Blue 391 pgs, 5/31/16
48. Fingersmith 592 pgs, 6/4/16
49. Breakfast of Champions 322 pgs, 6/5/16

The Giver

Sigh. I didn't need yet another series to finish. But alas, here I am at the end of The Giver, knowing I'm eventually going to have to find out what happens in Lowry's rather credible future world. The whole concept of Sameness is one that makes my skin crawl - since it's so easy to see society heading down exactly that road in favor of peace and consistency in nature and people. I see why this is such a popular book.

The Giver is one of my favorite books from childhood. I read the rest of the series last year and was not thrilled. Also, the movie adaptation was not the closest - definitely a "the book was better" situation. Congrats on finishing your first book in 2016!

Megan wrote: "The Giver is one of my favorite books from childhood. I read the rest of the series last year and was not thrilled. Also, the movie adaptation was not the closest - definitely a "the book was bette..."

Thanks! I'm almost always a "book was better" person, and I honestly don't really have any desire to see the movie. I will take your word that it wasn't the closest adaptation. ;)

Last Light

This was a fun, quick read in the world of Ashley Bell, and to be honest I liked it more than the longer novel. It centers around Makani, a surfer who can sense someone's darkest secret with a single touch. What seems to be a chance meeting with handsome and charismatic Ranier Sparks quickly spirals into a nightmare. Pogo, my favorite supporting character from Ashley Bell figures prominently. It was pretty intense - more along the lines of some of Koontz's earlier works - and I read pretty much the entire thing in a single sitting.

Final Hour (Short Story)

Oh, I hope we see another Makani/Bob/Pogo novella! I really wish we could just have a full novel.

While not quite as good as Last Light, Final Hour (Short Story) was still a fun adventure with this crew. Makani, with her paranormal gift of sensing a person's darkest secrets or desires with the slightest touch, attempts to save a runner from mishap in the park. In the process she sets in motion a desperate race to save the target of the runner's murderous intent. Will she, Pogo, and Bob get there in time? This one has an unexpected twist at the end - one I didn't see coming which is rather rare.

This was a quick, fun read that any Koontz fan should enjoy, and new readers will not feel lost starting with either of these novellas.

Crome Yellow

What a debut! Give me just a minute while I get over my insane jealousy of Huxley's talent. Ok, I'm ready.

Crome Yellow was not what I was expecting, having read Brave New World last year, but I'm completely ok with that. We follow young poet, Denis Stone, during a short holiday at Crome and his interactions and misadventures with the other party goers. Each attendee has a specific agenda, and they are portrayed with wit and believability. I'm not usually very fond of satire, but Huxley has always been palatable in my experience - likely because there is actually a story and dimensional characters to engage with. There is some foreshadowing of his later work, and I particularly found the history of the estate owner's family of interest.

Overall this was a very enjoyable way to spend several hours. Michael Maloney read beautifully, and I highly recommend the audio version.

Mrs. Dalloway

This is probably not the best choice for an audiobook. Woolf jumps in and out of so many POVs - it gets very confusing. Juliet Stevenson did an admirable job of reading, however, and I would listen to her read again.

The story itself I found interesting, particularly all the ways the different characters' lives entwine. I can see why a lot of people don't like it, but it's an era that intrigues me. There are so many undercurrents here - class, sexuality, mental illness. I could probably read it several times and keep finding new passages to ponder.

The Tiger in the Smoke

For being written in 1952, I think The Tiger in the Smoke holds up pretty well. It's not a *great* mystery/thriller, but it was an amusing enough diversion. I also didn't realize it was the 14th book in a series when I started it, but that didn't affect my enjoyment. Allingham isn't Christie, but there is plenty of intrigue - possibly not-dead husbands, new engagements, kidnapping, and plenty of murders and attempted murders. I'd recommend it for a rainy or snowy afternoon.

I listened to the audiobook read by David Thorpe and initially wasn't sure I liked him, but he grew on me. He has quite the range of voices, accents, and intonations to keep a wide cast of characters straight, although some are a bit over the top.

The End of the Affair

Initially I didn't think I'd like this book. I'm not a fan of affairs as the central plot of novels, particularly because they seem to be peopled with extremely selfish characters and I bore of selfishness rather quickly. That isn't to say that Bendrix and Sarah - and pretty much everyone else in this novel - aren't selfish. They are, and they are often aware that they are, but somehow in this instance it works. Yes, there is also a lot of misogyny, but let's remember this was written by a man, in 1951, and it should be expected to a degree (although not necessarily excused).

If you don't want to think about God and belief, this is probably not the book for you. I'm fine with it, however, and have been known to do some thinking on these subjects without the prompting of a classic novel. From that regard, I found The End of the Affair to be fascinating and ultimately affirming. Not at all what I though I would take away from the experience. So this one is going on my favorites shelf.

Ps - I listened to the Audie Award winning version read by Colin Firth. Highly, HIGHLY recommended. It was an absolute dream.

The Handmaid's Tale

Wow. Ok... So my year is off to a really thought-provoking start. I may need to take a break from dystopia for a while just to give my brain a rest.

This is my first Atwood, but it won't be my last. There isn't a whole lot I feel I can say that hasn't been hashed and rehashed endlessly. I found it fascinating and terrifying and all too possible. Am I the only one that feels like maybe we should be listening a little more carefully to the speculative fiction prophets before we find ourselves in some very unpleasant places?

The only thing that didn't quite work for me was the "Historical Notes" (read, Epilogue). It didn't tell me anything important and felt like too abrupt of a departure from the Handmaid world. (Yes, I know it's 150 or so years in the future, but it was jarring.) And I hate Scrabble. And no one *ever* has the tiles to spell those specific words.

Nicole wrote: "The Handmaid's Tale

Wow. Ok... So my year is off to a really thought-provoking start. I may need to take a break from dystopia for a while just to give my brain a rest.

This is my fi..."

This was also my first Atwood book and definitely one of her best. Glad you enjoyed it!

Megan wrote: "Nicole wrote: "The Handmaid's Tale

Wow. Ok... So my year is off to a really thought-provoking start. I may need to take a break from dystopia for a while just to give my brain a rest...."

Thank you! Not sure which to read next. As in, most likely next YEAR with the stack I have waiting! ;)

Reamde

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I do after reading it. It's so over-written. I get that Stephenson is brilliant, and that comes through from time to time, but he is obsessed with using unnecessarily large/obscure words to say things that would have had more impact with more basic vocabulary. He comes of as arrogant most of the time. And repetitive. Very, VERY repetitive. Reamde could easily have been a third to a full half shorter with a more courageous editor. There are so many tangents, and we literally run all over the world - often with little purpose or plot progression.

I love the concept. I wish we had spent more time in the video game world that I thought this would be about, and that I enjoyed far more than the tired espionage/thriller/terrorist amalgamation this turned out to be.

From other reviews I gather that some of his other works are probably more in line with my literary tastes so I won't rule out further Stephenson reading in the future. But it's going to take some effort to get the bad taste out of my mouth.

I also listened to the audio book version, and didn't care much for the reader. He has a very irritating habit of reading all "a" articles as long, which I started to find very distracting. And Stephenson should apparently use more contractions since a lot of the dialogue felt stilted.

Mere Christianity

I love Lewis' approachability and honesty. I found this to be a very good compilation of smaller works and talks on the tenets of the Christian faith and it's useful regardless of your denominational affiliation. Very thought-provoking and actually dovetails nicely with at least one other book of a similar vein I'm reading currently (The Modern Fig Leaf: Uncovering Your True Identity). I'm glad I finally made time for this one.

Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer

I'm not much for writing out my prayers to repeat them, but I do keep a prayer journal and a lot of the verses and other concepts that Mrs. Shirer presents in Fervent helped create some resources I will be able to refer back to quickly when needed. I do appreciate the idea of having strategies for different areas that are vulnerable. I particularly liked her focus on looking past perceived slights and interpersonal difficulties to the true source of discord and confusion. I know in my own life it has made a huge difference to not take things personally and see the enemy working behind the scenes to create discord.

I listened to the audiobook read by Mrs. Shirer, and enjoyed it, but I think I will go ahead and get an actual book copy of this one and go through it again.

Ok so I originally saw the movie The Giver before reading the book. We never had to read it in school so I never read it before seeing the movie. After seeing the movie I decided I wanted to read it and I am so glad I did! The Giver was such a good book and kept me wanting more from beginning to end! I loved the plot and concepts in the book as well as the characters. The Giver has totally become one of my favorite books!

For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards

So first off, I haven't been on the Jen Hatmaker bandwagon previously. I didn't really even know much about her, other than having read a blog or two in the past when they came up on a friend's Facebook feed. I've found what I've read before interesting, somewhat relevant, and amusing, but I'm just not a big follower. Of anyone to be honest. (Other than Jesus.)

I picked this up on Audible because I've seen friends talking about it and it's prayer and fasting week at our church. This year I decided to only read/listen to books to grow my faith for the week and just see what comes out of it. It's been interesting. I liked the title of For the Love, so took a gamble.

Let me warn you - this is not a book about theology. Or really very much about grace. I see a lot of people are kind of upset about that. I guess that's about our own expectations and I didn't really have any, so I just rolled with it.

Hatmaker is seriously funny. I'm not one to respond with much more than a chuckle most of the time, but I literally laughed out loud more than once while listening. The thank you notes and leggings are not pants just about did me in. Because she was seriously in my head.

I love the concepts presented about community and finding your tribe, about building a happy, healthy life and letting people - especially yourself - off the hook for what is honestly out of their control. I think the "grace" message here is having grace with yourself and with others so each of us can find out who we really are - not necessarily the "big G" Grace message of the cross. Maybe that's where people are getting confused.

Another warning - if you. like me, are struggling with starting a family, this book is heavy on the family stuff. Really heavy. Lots about being a mom and dealing with kid stuff and the incredible blessings that children are. All of this I agree with and support whole-heartedly. But... I'm one of those women who may not be able to have children. And we're not sure adoption is the direction we need to look in either, so some of that got a little hard to listen to. This is not anyone's fault and I know for most women, motherhood is a HUGE part of their lives and their identities. I just want others like me to be aware before they dive in that it could touch some sore spots. I had to take some time and deal with some lies about being "on the outside" in this area.

Overall I found For the Love affirming, inspiring, and a good way to refocus some perceptions that make life harder than it has to be. It might be a little on the junk food side of spiritual reading, but I still took some good things away from it and will be thinking about how to reach out and build my tribe. And I'm completely inspired to try to start my own supper club with some friends if we can ever coordinate schedules. And I'm excited about those recipes.

Hannah wrote: "Ok so I originally saw the movie The Giver before reading the book. We never had to read it in school so I never read it before seeing the movie. After seeing the movie I decided I wanted to read i..."

I'm glad you went back and read the book. I haven't seen the movie (and honestly probably won't), but it sounds like it got you interested enough to dig a little deeper. :)

Nicole wrote: "Hannah wrote: "Ok so I originally saw the movie The Giver before reading the book. We never had to read it in school so I never read it before seeing the movie. After seeing the movie I decided I w..."

I am completely strange and love reading the book before seeing the movie just so I can always see the ways they changed the plot or certain things from the story. So after watching the movie I read the book and was glad I did because they are different from one another in many ways. Even though The Giver isn't one of my favorite movies, I am glad I watched it because through it I found one of my favorite books!

Hannah wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Hannah wrote: "Ok so I originally saw the movie The Giver before reading the book. We never had to read it in school so I never read it before seeing the movie. After seeing the movi..."

Then it worked out perfectly! :)

Ruby

This book was NOT what I was expecting at all. The cover blurb did not even begin to prepare me for what was inside - and this is not a good thing. I actually put it down for over a week because I didn't know if I even wanted to finish it. I honestly wish I'd left it alone.

This book is full of sex. And none of it is good sex. It's nasty, make you feel like you need a shower and a good brain bleaching sex. I'm fully aware of some of the awful things that happen in the world - and probably in my own neighborhood. I've worked with human trafficking groups and as a therapist heard far too many heartbreaking tales of abuse and abandonment. I do not want to wander into the midst of such stories with little to no warning. I don't want to read about child rape and murder when reading for entertainment. Or adult rape for that matter. Or incest. I kept thinking that maybe I'd gotten clear of the disturbing details only to be dumped back into the middle of more horror a few pages on. I will admit I started skimming to not have the images the words summoned burned into my mind, unfortunately I started skimming too late.

At first I was quite taken with Bond's lyrical writing style and her grasp of Southern speech patterns. However at somewhere around 2/3 through I tired of it. It became just so much distraction that was failing to alleviate the overall utterly depressing tone of the whole book.

I got my copy through Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Giveaways before Oprah slapped her stamp on it. In fact, when I heard that it did strike a note of caution in me as I'm very hit or miss with her choices. This one is another miss for me. I'm going to go try to find something innocuous like Pat the Bunny to read for a while to try to rinse my brain.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

I am loving this series so much! And listening to them read by Jayne Entwhistle is divine.

This entry delivers more Flavia, more murder, and what sounds like the most fantastic puppet performance of Jack and the Beanstalk ever. I could have listened to the entire thing in one go, but I made myself stretch it out over a couple of days in order to savor it. I love the setting, I love the large cast of characters that brings the village of Bishop's Lacey to life, and I love the hints at deeper, darker mystery that weave beyond the individual plots of each books. I can't wait to start the next book - in fact, I already have. :)

A Red Herring Without Mustard

Flavia is so obnoxious but I love her anyway. She's the kind of kid I wanted to be when I was 11, but didn't have the courage. That was probably for the best.

This time we have gypsies(!), more murder, and secret tunnels. So. Much. Fun. I'm forcing myself to listen to something else before I start the 4th book - otherwise I'm going to run out of books in the series. And then I will be very, very sad.

As always, the audio version with Jayne Entwistle is fabulous.

The Modern Fig Leaf: Uncovering Your True Identity

Disclaimer: My dad apparently knows the author. I don't know him myself, but thought it best to be up front about any possible connection.

The past 18 months have held a lot of changes for me personally and spiritually. I've had a lot of health concerns, and ultimately ended up walking away from a career I thought I wanted and for which I'm still paying off student loan debt. I didn't work for an entire year as I tried to recover my health and honestly my sanity. I felt like a complete failure and often wondered if God was listening to my desperate prayers at all. What I didn't see at first were all the incredible people He was placing in my path to help me find my way.

I think you really have to be in the right mind-set to truly "get" [book:The Modern Fig Leaf: Uncovering Your True Identity|23129600. Pablo is pretty "out there", or at least will seem to be to many who are not ready to hear this message. I was blessed to be in that place when I picked up his book - several months after my dad left it at my house for me to read. I had already started my own journey of following my heart - following my head and making logical decisions didn't seem to be getting me anywhere. It was incredibly validating to hear from someone a little further down this road about how what may look insane now could turn out to be an incredible adventure if I will just release myself to Him and trust that he has my best interests at heart.

I don't agree 100% with everything in this book, but I rarely agree with anyone 100% when it comes to concepts of faith. Mostly because it is an intensely personal thing, and no two people have the same ideas or experience of it. It's not a problem for me to just move past what I might disagree with and still be able to receive great encouragement.

I told my husband that some of what I took away from Pablo's story was along the lines of "Christian mindfulness" - being present in the moment, hearing with our hearts, and seeing the Divine all around us. I've never quite been comfortable with secular concepts of mindfulness, but this I feel like I can get behind.

It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm glad I took a chance on it.

I am impressed by your long reviews!! That's something I want to start doing as well. I have read the same number of books as you so far (and have the same goal) but I never write long reviews - should give it a go!

Violaine wrote: "I am impressed by your long reviews!! That's something I want to start doing as well. I have read the same number of books as you so far (and have the same goal) but I never write long reviews - sh..."

I guess looking back over them I do have a few long ones. I don't set out with any real goal other than putting my thoughts down. Maybe I think a lot? lol I'm glad they've inspired you, and happy reading!