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Week 4 of our challenge is almost over! It was all about discovering new books published the year before this week.
This discussion thread is solely for your progress. (Book discussions go in individual threads.)


What did you read this week?

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...)

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review)

Would you recommend this title?

During 2 weeks, as I finished the week 3 books earlier this year, I read 3 books for this week. Lock In and Hollow World were for 2014 and The Girl on the Train for 2015.

Lock In was the december book in a group I follow and is part of the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Awards, so it was in my to-read list. I found Hollow World on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Awards and The Girl is a "reading challenge" discovery. All about Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ here :p

I enjoyed all of them with high ratings for the 2014 books, better than expected, and a medium rating for The Girl because I didn't like the atmosphere at all (but the thriller part was a page turner).

I'm spamming everyone with Hollow World because of its lovely characters (time travelling story), I recommend Lock In as a good mystery book (similar to a detective tv show, in a dystopian context) and I can't recommend The Girl as there are lots of better thrillers out there.

I was looking forward to this week and I think I will have difficulties to read better books this year! The Choice Awards seem a really interesting way to find books I could like, so I'll dig a little more in the list.

I didn't actually read mine! I was so looking forward to it, I was going to read The Providence of Fire. It was just released on the 13th and is a sequel (the first one is The Emperor's Blades, go read it!) and well anyways, the Kindle edition is like $15 (Around �13.25). A little too rich for my blood for a book I am not holding! So I will come back to it later :)

Instead, I finished upThe Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, started and finished Fahrenheit 451 and am still working on bothGone with the Wind andThe Thought Readers.

I also FINALLY got my son to use his potty. It was only once but you know...small victories ;)

Sounds like you've got a lot of books on your hands there Lora, and congratulations on the potty thing. ;-)

What did you read this week? I read Miramont's Ghost by Elizabeth Hall for my Week 4 book, as side reads I've read Quidditch Through the Ages and I'm currently working on Strata.

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...) I chose Miramont's Ghost through a very scientific process of elimination. I wanted a book published in 2015, so I checked out the Kindle Early Release books. Of the four I knew I definitely didn't want to read one of them, but liked the sound of the other three, so I let my husband decide which one I went for.

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review) I really didn't enjoy this book. I rated it two stars because it was just really depressing. The main character, Adrienne, just had one bad thing after another happening to her. The other characters felt rather flat and while it was creepy towards the end, I just felt like I was constantly waiting for it to get started. I'm interested in the real life setting of the story, but I don't think I'll be in any great hurry to read it again.

Would you recommend this title? No, honestly I don't think I'd suggest it as a read to anyone I know.

I actually finished my Week 4 book in Week 1, but it's allowed my some catch-up time on my other unfinished books.

What did you read this week? The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...) I've been wanting to read this book since I first heard it was coming out, since I'm a big fan of Amanda Palmer

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review) Very, very much. Great book. Here's the link to my

Would you recommend this title? Absolutely! Great for fans of hers, but also for anyone who just has trouble asking for help.

What did you read this week?
Not what I planned to! I read The Girl with All the Gifts

How did you choose this book?
Jen Campbell recommended this a few months ago for her 'Weird Things...' book group and I actually picked it up by accident while trying to actually FIND something to read. I read the first chapter & couldn't put it down!

Did you enjoy it?
but yeah. I really enjoyed it!

Would you recommend this title?
Absolutely! It's got a little thing for everything in my opinion. It's a dystopia for sure but there is definitely more to it than that!

I read the girl on the train, I'll give it a 3.5.i'm not sure if I would recommend this or not, I told my mom to read it because I want to know what she thinks. It wasn't a book that entertained me or made me feel anything really except for a little angry.that being said I did like the way it was written, I just did not like the characters, until the bitter end.

What did you read this week?

I read The Revenge of Seven

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...)

It was on my to read list as I had read the others previously (re-read them before reading this one)

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review)

Yes, I enjoyed it. Can't wait until the next one comes out.

Would you recommend this title?

Yes, but it is not a stand along. It needs to be read as part of the series.

What did you read this week?

Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar

How did you choose this book? I saw it on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and saw it was historical fiction about Vanessa Bell and her sister Virginia Woolf and asked for it and got it for my birthday!

Did you enjoy it?

My Review

Would you recommend this title?
Yes, if you like historical fiction and books in diary and epistolary format.

What did you read this week? Yes Please

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...) I love Amy, and I have been planning to read her book since it came out. I chose if for this week because it was the first category I could fit it in :)

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review) I did, so much.

Would you recommend this title? Absolutely, especially to those who like her as well.

Zaz wrote: "During 2 weeks, as I finished the week 3 books earlier this year, I read 3 books for this week. Lock In and Hollow World were for 2014 and [book:The Girl on the Trai..."

Zaz, it's amazing how 2 people can read the same story and feel so differently about it. I gave The Girl 3 stars, I assume this is what you'd call a "medium rating" as well. But for the exact opposite reasons as you! I loved the atmosphere. The train, the homes along the tracks, the grittiness of the streets as well as the characters, the gloom set over the entire story hovered around me like a thick fog.

The thriller part, to me, could have been done with so much more mystery. With a twist, even. Did I know who was going to be the "bad guy" in the end? Not really, to be honest. But I was far from surprised by it. There were so many ways to build it up, to distract us more completely and to truly blow us way. In the end, I left the story feeling the weight of it, but not feeling any element of surprise.

Have you all been to the group discussion on this book yet?

Lora wrote: "I didn't actually read mine! I was so looking forward to it, I was going to read The Providence of Fire. It was just released on the 13th and is a sequel (the first one is [book:The..."

Hip, Hip, Hooray for small victories!

What did you read this week? I read Never Never

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...) I can't remember how I came across it. I had it on my To Read List and it fit into this category.

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review) I did enjoy it but it sure did end with a tremendous cliff hanger.

Would you recommend this title? It was definitely an engaging read, but not a satisfying one, as it ends with such a major cliff hanger. I have, however, pre-ordered the sequel for May.

What did you read this week? Revival by Stephen King

How did you choose this book? I bought this for myself for Christmas as I have always been a Stephen King fan, then when I decided to do this reading challenge I figured I could wait until week four to read it.

Did you enjoy it? I did, there was a lot to like in the story, while it doesn't make my top five list of Stephen King it is still his typical style and I enjoy that, a lot of build up and a bit of scary stuff, mainly I just enjoy the read.

Would you recommend this title? I would recommend it, especially to those who are fans already, if you are going to Stephen King first I might suggest an earlier work though like The Shining, The Dead Zone or The Stand.

What did you read this week?
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

How did you choose this book?
My good friend recommended it after we talked about Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell.

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review)
Yes, I did. I thought I wouldn't when the book was just starting, but when the "mystery" started happening, that's when I really started liking it.

Would you recommend this title?
Yes, I would recommend it to YA/mystery lovers.

What did you read this week? I read Owl and the Japanese Circus for this week's challenge and Nicholas: Lord of Secrets for week #2.

How did you choose this book? It ["Owl"] was featured in a book blog I follow with a notice that it was on sale ($1.99--yay). The premise was interesting, and it has a good rating here, so I picked it up. Its publication date, mid-January 2015, made it an easy choice for this week's challenge.

Did you enjoy it? I really did, though I felt the first third of the book had some flaws as the author struggled to balance character building with world building. I loved it by the end, and I'm already eager for the second book. I've got that giddy "I've found a new series!" feeling.

Would you recommend this title? I would. It's an entertaining urban fantasy with a fresh take on the supernatural and a strong female lead.

What did you read this week?
The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman. I'm only a couple chapters in, I'm a bit behind.

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...)
Heard about from someone on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review)
So far yes. Still reading it.

Would you recommend this title?
Not sure yet, as I'm fairly early in my reading.

Zaz wrote: "During 2 weeks, as I finished the week 3 books earlier this year, I read 3 books for this week. Lock In and Hollow World were for 2014 and [book:The Girl on the Trai..."

I'm reading The Girl On The Train for two different book groups this month...so far I like it OK, the writing is good, but I'm not real enamored of any of the characters just yet. When I don't really care about the characters, I'm not very motivated to read something.

What did you read this week?
The Slow Regard of Silent Things

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...)
I loved the Kingkiller Chronicles and wanted to know more about Auri.

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review)
I felt really torn because I really liked the writing but I didn't like the story much. I felt like I didn't learn anything about Auri except that she has some serious problems, and you never learn why or how she got to be that way. Here is my review.

Would you recommend this title
Umm maybe? If you are a diehard Kingkiller Chronicles fan who loves Patrick Rothfuss you might enjoy this book?

Finished Redeployment for this week. Picked it because of the awards and overall high praise that it received. I thought it was a remarkable book, highly recommend it.

Hi,

What did you read this week? I read The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2) by Rick Yancey

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...)
I read the first book of this series in 2013 and got crazy about it. So when this second book came out I asked a friend who was going to US in vacation to bring it to me :D

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review) VERY MUCH! It completely blowed my mind!!


Would you recommend this title?
YES, DEFINITELY!!! If you didn't read this series yes, please do. You will thank me later. Read it! Seriously! Read before the movie come out! (January/2016). Chloë Grace Moretz is in the main role of this book/movie. YOU WILL LOVE IT! I promise you! Go to youtube and look for the booktrailer! :D It will blow your mind!!

What did you read this week?
The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer.

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...)
Recommendation of a friend.

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review)
Yes, it's a good book. I like the way it describe some things you saw but didn't observe, things you knew but never realised. I couldn't finish is, yet, but I'll finish it this week :(


Would you recommend this title?
Yes, it's a nice reading

Ok, I finally finished the book. Yes...I'm a bit late, but...huh, I've gotten some stuffs to do and I couldn't read anything. But anyway, something I didn't like about this books was that the author kept trowhing us from the past, to the present to the future. I mean, events weren't happening cronologicaly, and this is something that really bothered me. But, overall, it's a good book. Nice writting skills, nice point of view of the world. I just love her relantionship with Antony, and Antony himself was such a great character. "The Bride" parts were trully genious.

I read The Residue Years by Mitchell Jackson and just now realized it came out in 2013, not 2014 as Amazon led me to believe. Whoops. I chose this because it's the 'Everybody Reads' book for Multnomah county libraries. My review is here: /review/show..., I had lots of feelings, really big sad ones.

I've been recommending it continuously, most of my friends are also from Portland and 'get it' by which I mean the commentary on the city, not the blackness, but what was lost and is being destroyed currently. It's also just beautifully written.

I read All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven and I really loved it even if it had shattered me in a million pieces. I chose this book while I was going through the 2015 releases and its description got the heart of me and I warmly recommend it. You can read my review here my link text, I cried a few times during the book and also while I was writing the review.

I read Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. I've heard a lot about it and I knew it won Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ choice 2014 and on top of all it was written by THE Stephen King, so I figured it was a must-read for me.

You can read my review here: /review/show..., but the bottom line is that I did not like the book and I was very disappointed with it. Which means that no, I would definitely NOT recommend it. It mostly just made me bored and angry and that is not a combination I would wish for anyone.

For week four I read Saint Odd by Dean Koontz. I have read all the other books in the OddThomas series and this was the concluding work. I hated to see it come to an end as I had gotten attatched to the characters.

I am almost finished reading The Paying Guests.
I really don't know why this wasn't what I expected, because I have read other novels by Sarah Waters. You definitely don't have to be a lesbian or into lesbian literature to enjoy her writing. I'm not, but I have loved everything she writes.
I highly recommend if you like highly detailed descriptions, etc.

What did you read this week? The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...) It was free on Kindle Unlimited.

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review) This is a lovely book. My first 5 star review of 2015.

Would you recommend this title? Highly.

What did you read this week? The Girl on the Train

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...) Based on what people said about it on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.

Did you enjoy it? Yes, I liked it.

Would you recommend this title? Yes.

What did you read this week? Red Queen

How did you choose this book? Honestly, I saw the cover online and read the summary and knew I HAD to read it.

Did you enjoy it? I did like it, but it could have been better and less cliche-y.

Would you recommend this title? Yes and no. Yes if you like YA and dystopian, No if you don't like books the drag on at times.

What did you read this week? Mortal Heart

How did you choose this book? I had already read the first two books in the trilogy and realized that it could count for this week.

Did you enjoy it? For the most part, yes. :)

Would you recommend this title? It is hard, because I can see people liking it or hating it. Especially with the idea that one character seems to be "imprinted" on (which can be very uncomfortable if you think about it too much). Like the other books in the series, there isn't much assasinations going on. It is more like a romance novel with assasins(-ish).

I read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

I have really enjoyed other books by her and I actually delayed this challenge until this book was released in early February.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. And would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or Kristin Hannah or well-developed characters or just a really good read!

Seven Sisters was my choice for this week. It happened to be a free book I download, and sounded like an interesting read. The book was a nice easy read, but be prepared it is part of a trilogy and just stops. I would recommend this book, three stars.

What did you read this week? The Girl on the Train

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...) I saw it in on some of the other member's reading plans and I like thrillers, so I thought that I would give it a go.

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review) It was OK.
/review/show...

Would you recommend this title? I might it depends on the person who I would recommend this book to.

What did you read this week?
The Darkest Part of the Forest

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...) I saw it on goodreads and had previously heard that Holly Black was a great writer. Then I saw the cover and it was game over, I needed it.

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review)

I'm only part way through so far, but I'm loving it, the writing is really good and I also enjoy the modern meets fantasy world that Black has created.

Would you recommend this title?

I'm not done it yet, but at this point yes.

What did you read this week? The Girl on the Train

How did you choose this book? It was the book that everyone was talking about, and it seemed interesting!

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review) Eh. It was a 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars for me. It kept me interested for the first 3/4 of the book, but then I just wanted it done. The characters were crap, and that's a big turn-off for me. Characters don't have to be virtuous and lovely for me to like them, but I do need to like them for a book to be enjoyable for me. /review/show...

Would you recommend this title? Probably not.

What did you read this week? The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...) It was a Kindle Unlimited offering. I had a brand new Kindle and needed some books.

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review) Very much. I went into this book with no prior knowledge of the reviews and no expectations.

Would you recommend this title? Very much. I gave it 5 stars.

What did you read this week?Fairest by Marissa Meyer

How did you choose this book?I was waiting for its release (February 2015), the same way that now I am waiting for its sequel Winter (November 2015) :)

Did you enjoy it? Oh, yes, I understand a little bit more of the main character now. Here is my review: /review/show...

Would you recommend this title? Yes, but it's part of a series, so I would recommend it to somebody who already have read the rest of the books.

What did you read this week? The Girl on the Train

How did you choose this book? (trends, 2014 best of, recommendation...) Recommended by a good friend.

Did you enjoy it? (feel free to link to your book review) Yes I did. I see that others didn't like the characters, but I enjoy flawed characters -- they seem more real to me.

Would you recommend this title? Yes.

What did you read this week? The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

How did you choose this book? recommendation from a friend

Did you enjoy it? Yes!

Would you recommend this title? Yes.