Read All The Things, Reading Recap Vol 4!

This is one of those classics I can't believe I've never read. It is a compelling novella filled with suspense and intrigue characteristic of H.G. Wells' style. I'm very curious about the upcoming movie based on the story. I realize it has been done before; however, this is a timeless tale and made for the big screen.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A pretty typical romance centered around a marriage of convenience but ultimately turning into a happily ever after.  I didn't love it, nor did I hate but. That being said, there wasn't much that was overly unique or memorable. Mostly, it filled a space for me in between other books.

Final rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I wouldn't normally pick up a historical fiction book such as this except that I needed to read Circling the Sun for a book club.  I'd never in my life heard of Beryl Markham--surprising since she had success as a horse trainer in Africa and is the British equivalent to Amelia Earhart.

The novel kept my interest even though I found Beryl frustrating as a character based on fact. The writing is well composed but I agree with the book group that there was lack of depth and a sense of disconnect between parts of the narrative.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I hated this and would have never bothered except I wanted to fulfill the Oprah Book Club spot for my reading challenge. I just couldn't engage in this memoir of self discovery as the author rambles about excessive drinking leading to unplanned pregnancy, a shotgun wedding and subsequent surprise and devastation when said marriage isn't perfect and her husband cheats. But wait! Go meditate by the beach, take some yoga and therapy and then go back to the guy because 'you are a love warrior!'

No thank you! Not for me but I can see why this is an Oprah pick. It definitely fits her book club mantra.

Final rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Wells' science fiction and fantasy writing was certainly ahead of its time, which is why these are classics and still palatable to audiences today. The Time Machine is perhaps my favorite of his tales (plus I like the movie!). I love the blending of past, present and future and the general discussion about the potential future of the human race and the planet, especially what knowledge might remain and what baser instinct always re-emerge.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

And Then There Were None is another classic that I know I should have read long ago. I enjoyed this suspenseful, traditional mystery by Christie. She truly is the queen of the genre.  The story is fantastic as is the pacing. I think that is why so many others have copied the style.  Finishing this makes me want to watch and play Clue!

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

On a decidedly different note, Sleeping with Strangers is the first book I've read from urban fiction author Eric Jerome Dickey and part of my 2016 reading challenge. Gideon is a for hire hitman with a mysterious and troubled past. Fleeing the U.S. after a new job turned particularly violent and way too public, he arrives in London to a whole new set of complications.

I can't say that I liked or disliked the book as a whole. The new writing style from Dickey made it hard for me to adjust. However, I'll agree that it was fast paced and held my attention, especially the cliffhanger that still has me wondering what happens.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Madison's The Vegas Diaries was a bit of a let down after finishing Down the Rabbit Hole. I still found it interesting; however, much of it felt repetitive based on what the author explored in her previous memoir.  There is much more detail about her stint on Dancing with the Stars as well as her role in Peep Show on the Vegas strip. Madison is a competent writer and I enjoyed the Wizard of Oz tie-in to her chapters.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Andres is a young man who has lived most of his life fighting depression and anxiety. Just about to give up hope, he meets a charismatic stranger named Roman. He follows Roman and his friends to an underground party only to be kidnapped and whisked away to a supernatural world where darkness and deceit prevail and human are no more than slaves meant to endure horrific torture. Andres seeks to unite his fellow prisoners in order to escape while also discovering that he might also be the prophesied savior to end the darkness for good.

Dark, fantasy and horror. This was an interest debut from Henriquez but ultimately not my cup of tea.

Final rating: 2 out 5 stars

Triangles is the parallel telling of Hopkins' YA novel Tilt. This narrative in verse follows three mothers:

Holly - filled with regret as a stay at home mom, she sheds excess weight and delves into a life of extramarital affairs which threaten to break apart her family.

Andrea - Holly's single best friend who watches her seemingly throw away a good husband and life she would do just about anything to have.

Marissa - Andrea's sister and mother to a young girl with a terminal illness and a host of other family challenges so extensive that she has forgotten to life for herself.

Triangles is very much a story of connections and disconnections told in Hopkin's riveting style which draws the reader into these characters and their lives.  It is hard, erotic, realistic and at times, overwhelmingly sad but truly a book to remember..

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Book 12 of the Otherworld series, Shadow Rising continues to tale of the D'Artigo sisters and their quest to discover seals and keep them out of hands of an evil demon lord.  Each book is told from a different sister's POV, this one by Menolly, a Fae turned vampire, devoted to her family as well as consort to a powerful vampire lord and finance to werepuma, Nerissa.  To put it mildly, Menolly's love life is complicated.

Will she and Nerissa decide on the details of their promise ceremony? What is happening to the local witches? Can they defeat Telazhar, a malevolent necromancer, dispatched by Shadow Wing?

I enjoyed it; however, the Menolly books are never my favorites.  I'm behind in the series and really need to catch up.  Great characterization and overall plot developments with that nice blend of sexy romance and urban fantasy.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Nostalgia

For the Popsugar Reading Challenge, two categories are a book you haven't read since high school and a book translated from another language.  I picked titles that brought back a bit of nostalgia for me as a reader.

The Great Gatsby is an American classic usually read in high school.  I was assigned the book as a junior.  I remembered the basics but honestly must have blocked out much of the actual plot which I find humorous. I'll chalk it up to immaturity and the passage of time.  Revisiting this I remembered primary character but nothing of the affairs, the jealous rage or the subsequent murder/suicide.

I definitely have a better appreciation for the depection of'1920s society and the greater nuances regarding the themes of the decline of the American Dream and the shallowness of the upper class.  This is never going to be a standout classic for me but it was interesting to revisit it as an adult.

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Night was a book that truly changed by perspective as a reader. I'd never experienced a true story that was written is such an engrossing and haunting way.  As assigned reading in 9th grade, I remember this as one of my first "grown-up" books.  The narrative moves quickly and adeptly portrays the attrocities Wiesel and so many others endured during the Holocaust. The gravity of this book has always stayed with me even after nearly 25 years.
I remember being surprised that there are three books to Wiesel's story.  I plan to read Dawn and Day to finish the trilogy.

If you haven't experienced this on audio, I highly recommend the experience.

Final rating: 5 out of 5 stars






#popsugar #readingchallenge #nostalgia #greatgatsby #night #holocaust #YAlit

Reading Challenge 2016

There are two reading challenges I'm going to tackle this year.  The first is the Popsugar 2016 Challenge.  Here's what I hope to accomplish:

1. A book based on a fairy tale - Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
2. A National Book Award winner - What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
3. A YA bestseller - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
4. A book you haven’t read since high school - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. A book set in your home state - The Last Star by Rick Yancey
6. A book translated to English -  Night by Elie Wiesel
7. A romance set in the future - Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole
8. A book set in Europe - Rook by Sharon Cameron
9. A book that’s under 150 pages - Beware the Kitten Holy (Lumberjanes #1-4) by Noelle Stevenson
10. A New York Times bestseller - After Alice by Gregory Maguire
11. A book that’s becoming a movie this year - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling
12. A book recommended by someone you just met - Infinite In Between by Carolyn Mackler
13. A self-improvement book - Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson
14. A book you can finish in a day - Dating the Undead by Gena Showalter
15. A book written by a celebrity - Vision of Fire by Gillian Anderson
16. A political memoir-  I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert
17. A book at least 100 years older than you - Dracula by Bram Stoker
18. A book that’s more than 600 pages - Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
19. A book from Oprah’s Book Club - The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
20. A science-fiction novel(s) - This Shattered World, Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman
21. A book recommended by a family member - Die Trying by Lee Child
22. A graphic novel - Wytches by Scott Snyder
23. A book that is published in 2016 - Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina
24. A book with a protagonist who has your occupation - Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs by Molly Harper
25. A book that takes place during Summer - We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
26. A book and its prequel - Roar & Liv, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
27. A murder mystery - Double Fudge Brownie Murder by Joanne Fluke
28. A book written by a comedian - Men Are Stupid...And They Like Big Boobs by Joan Rivers
29. A dystopian novel - Ruins by Dan Wells
30. A book with a blue cover - Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi
31. A book of poetry - Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
32. The first book you see in a bookstore - Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
33. A classic from the 20th century - The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien
34. A book from the library - Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa
35. An autobiography - You’re Never Weird on the Internet by Felicia Day
36. A book about a road trip - I Was Here by Gayle Forman
37. A book about a culture you’re unfamiliar with - I am Malala : The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and Was  Shot By the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai
38. A satirical book - The Annotated Alice (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) by Lewis Carroll
39. A book that takes place on an island - Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
40. A book that’s guaranteed to bring you joy - Don't Eat the Glowing Bananas by David D. Hammons

The second is the 2016 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge.

1.   Read a horror book – Bad Moon Rising by Jonathan Maberry

2.   Read a nonfiction book about science – Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steven Sheinkin

3.   Read a collection of essays – Undead TV: Essays on Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Elana Levine

4.   Read a book out loud to someone else – Let's Say Hi to Friends Who Fly by Mo Willems

5.   Read a middle grade novel – Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan

6.   Read a biography (not memoir or autobiography) - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

7.   Read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel – Blood Red Road by Moira Young

8.   Read a book originally published in the decade you were born - Christine by Stephen King

9.   Listen to an audiobook that has won an Audie Award – Yes Please by Amy Poehler

10. Read a book over 500 pages long – The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

11.  Read a book under 100 pages – The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

12.  Read a book by or about a person that identifies as transgender – Luna by Julie Anne Peters

13.  Read a book that is set in the Middle East – And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

14.  Read a book that is by an author from Southeast Asia – Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

15.  Read a book of historical fiction set before 1900 – A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

16.  Read the first book in a series by a person of color – Tears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper

17. Read a non-superhero comic that debuted in the last three years – Trillium by Jeff Lemire

18. Read a book that was adapted into a movie, then watch the movie – A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

19.  Read a nonfiction book about feminism or dealing with feminist themes – The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

20.  Read a book about religion (fiction or nonfiction) – Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

21.  Read a book about politics, in your country or another (fiction or nonfiction) – In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson

22.  Read a food memoir – Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, Her Job and Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living by Julie Powell

23.  Read a play – The Tempest by William Shakespeare

24.  Read a book with a main character that has a mental illness – Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen

#2016 #ReadingChallenge #Popsugar #BookRiot #Goals