After some technical issues, I am happy to FINALLY post February's thread. Better late than never, right? 
So, just by way of clarification (for comers both new and old), guidelines for the Book Challenge Thread are as follows:
1) Post the books you read ... or not
2) Post a recommendation ... or not
3) Number your book ... or not
4) Make a goal for how many books you want to read in 2013 ... or not
5) Have fun with books (This one, unfortunately, is MANDATORY)
These are two sequels that - for the first time in a very long time - are just as good, if not even a little better than the first books. Loved both of these books and absolutely love both series.
Unravel Me by Tehereh Mafi
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it's almost
time for war.
Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.
She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.
Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.
Prodigy by Marie Lu
June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place.
With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.
It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.
But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?
Bared to You (Book 1) & Reflected in You (Book 2) by Sylvia Day
A friend had been ranting and raving to me about the Crossfire series by Sylvia Day for months. When I told her I was flying to Barcelona last week, she gave me the first two books and made me promise to read them on the plane.
Honestly, I enjoyed them a lot more than I expected. I hated the 50 Shades books, couldn't even finish the first one. I know that many people compare 50 Shades to this series, but there really is no comparison. The Day's writing is pretty good. The relationship between the characters is complicated and dramatic (both child sexual abuse survivors), but there was just something that really made me enjoy their relationship journey. The sex scenes are pretty darn explicit, but there is great primary (and even secondary) character development and a good, compelling story.
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
“When all choice is taken from you, life becomes a game of survival.”
Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching . . . for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don’t expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words, “I love you,” are said for all the wrong reasons. These are five moving stories that remain separate at first, then weave together to tell a larger, more powerful story–a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. And figuring out what sex and love are all about.
Ellen Hopkins is my absolutely favorite author for realistic fiction for teens. This book is definitely not for everyone, as it explores sexual abuse and teen prostitution. It was, as always, beautifully written in verse and very brutally honest about its subject matter.
Thanks for starting the new thread. :) Happy February!!
So, I finished Not In The Flesh by Ruth Rendell. I haven't read much of her before. I think I started one other and didn't finish it. This is one of her Wexford novels and it did not draw me in and seemed really obvious. I have heard such good things about her as a mystery novelist (won all kindsa awards), but this one just fell flat for me. I might try another sometime, but not in a big hurry to. Maybe some of her non-Wexford ones are better.
I also have just started And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman. So far I'm enjoying it somewhat. It's not knocking my socks off, but I'm not that far into it. The premise is the suburban madam who might be exposed kinda thing and I'm not sure how I feel about that, but, hey, it's from the library so might as well see what it's about. Not like I bought it!
I'm also listening to Neverwhere on audiobook as read by Neil Gaiman. Wow — he is a great reader! I highly recommend. I don't always like authors who do their own readings, but he is really really good with all the voices and everything. I'm enjoying it a lot and am a little miffed that I can't get it on my iPhone right now because of some issues so I can only listen on my laptop, but definitely liking it a lot.
Awesome Post Idea!!!!!!
Beanma - Neil Gaiman is an amazing, imaginative writer whether it is for children, adults, books or comics! I didn't know he read Neverwhere himself. I will definitely check that out.
Does anyone out there read comics, TPs or Graphic Novels? I won't write about it unless others are interested. I own a bookstore that started as a comic book store and love the interweiving of art and story whether superhero, travellogue, horror, romance.... well any genre can be amazing just like with regular books if done well.
ESPMadre, Neil Gaiman is a FANTASTIC reader! I'm really amazed. He's as good at it as any other reader I've heard including Jim Dale who reads the Harry Potter books. The kids really love audio books in the car and we travel about 20 min to my dd1's school (40 min there and back for the kids) so we listen to a lot of kids' audio books and then having gotten into the habit I sometimes pick one up for listening to on the non-kid portion of my drive or while doing housework and other non-reading type tasks. I can listen to one while I work on graphics on the computer but can't listen while I read. It's like two radios at once — can't focus.
I'm happy to read about anything other posters read, but I'm new to the thread, so not sure what the protocol is.
BTW, I'm giving up on the Laura Lippman book And When She Was Good about the suburban madam. I just can't really get into it and it's due back at the library. It's not poorly written, but just not engaging for me. I could see how someone else would like it.
My February reads:
1. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell. Definitely one of the best novels I have read in the last year. Each of the six story-lines is fantastic in its own way.
2. Eating Clean in A Dirty World: An easy to follow guide to cleaning up your diet for life - Jennafer Ashley. Clearing out some of the books I have downloaded to my Kindle. This was a quick read, good for people who are looking for an introduction into a whole foods diet. I was annoyed that she didn't mention farmer's markets or buying locally once in the whole ebook.
3. 19 Lessons on Tea - 27Press. Another free ebook. It had quite a bit of useful information in it.
4. The First Human: The Race to Discover our Earliest Ancestors - Ann Gibbons. Loved this book, but I love all things anthropology (my second major in college). A very interesting look at some of the most important hominid fossil discoveries of the last 15 years, and the paleoanthropologists who discovered them. The author is a correspondent for Science, and has covered human evolution for more than a decade.
5. Gone Girl - GIllian Flynn. Creepy. Weird. Creepy. I really liked the psychological thriller aspect, but did not like it as much as I thought I would. A case of a book that came to me with too high expectations.
Welcome new faces!!! No real rules here, just have fun. Some of us keep track of the total number of books we read, some just review our books, some both. All of us get ideas for good ones to read or ones that are not so hot. Have fun!
So, I finished Not In The Flesh by Ruth Rendell. I haven't read much of her before. I think I started one other and didn't finish it. This is one of her Wexford novels and it did not draw me in and seemed really obvious. I have heard such good things about her as a mystery novelist (won all kindsa awards), but this one just fell flat for me. I might try another sometime, but not in a big hurry to. Maybe some of her non-Wexford ones are better.
I also have just started And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman. So far I'm enjoying it somewhat. It's not knocking my socks off, but I'm not that far into it. The premise is the suburban madam who might be exposed kinda thing and I'm not sure how I feel about that, but, hey, it's from the library so might as well see what it's about. Not like I bought it!
I'm also listening to Neverwhere on audiobook as read by Neil Gaiman. Wow — he is a great reader! I highly recommend. I don't always like authors who do their own readings, but he is really really good with all the voices and everything. I'm enjoying it a lot and am a little miffed that I can't get it on my iPhone right now because of some issues so I can only listen on my laptop, but definitely liking it a lot.
Oooh!! I love Neil Gaiman! And I've heard his narrating is great. I also heard they are going to a radio play of Neverwhere?......I don't know the details, but I remember a LOT of awesome actors being named as being part of it.
Awesome Post Idea!!!!!!
Beanma - Neil Gaiman is an amazing, imaginative writer whether it is for children, adults, books or comics! I didn't know he read Neverwhere himself. I will definitely check that out.
Does anyone out there read comics, TPs or Graphic Novels? I won't write about it unless others are interested. I own a bookstore that started as a comic book store and love the interweiving of art and story whether superhero, travellogue, horror, romance.... well any genre can be amazing just like with regular books if done well.
I think graphic novels are super fun. I've been helping the kids find good ones, b/c they've been really liking them a lot lately. The Legend of Zita ( i think that's the name?) is really good, and there are two books. We also are reading Giants Beware! which is really fun too. I'm reading one on my own, Adele Blanc-Sec? A pterodactyl in paris or something? I'm trying to finish the Game of Thrones #1 right now, and that graphic novel is on my bedside table, next in line.
My February reads:
1. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell. Definitely one of the best novels I have read in the last year. Each of the six story-lines is fantastic in its own way.
2. Eating Clean in A Dirty World: An easy to follow guide to cleaning up your diet for life - Jennafer Ashley. Clearing out some of the books I have downloaded to my Kindle. This was a quick read, good for people who are looking for an introduction into a whole foods diet. I was annoyed that she didn't mention farmer's markets or buying locally once in the whole ebook.
3. 19 Lessons on Tea - 27Press. Another free ebook. It had quite a bit of useful information in it.
4. The First Human: The Race to Discover our Earliest Ancestors - Ann Gibbons. Loved this book, but I love all things anthropology (my second major in college). A very interesting look at some of the most important hominid fossil discoveries of the last 15 years, and the paleoanthropologists who discovered them. The author is a correspondent for Science, and has covered human evolution for more than a decade.
5. Gone Girl - GIllian Flynn. Creepy. Weird. Creepy. I really liked the psychological thriller aspect, but did not like it as much as I thought I would. A case of a book that came to me with too high expectations.
Interesting! I could NOT get into Cloud Atlas....I tried. Maybe I'm just not in the right headspace for it right now....I had to return it to the library before finishing (only made it about 25 pages in). I'll have to give it another chance!
Interesting! I could NOT get into Cloud Atlas....I tried. Maybe I'm just not in the right headspace for it right now....I had to return it to the library before finishing (only made it about 25 pages in). I'll have to give it another chance!
Yeah, I also haven't been able to get into Cloud Atlas. I have tried twice, but to no avail.
5. Gone Girl - GIllian Flynn. Creepy. Weird. Creepy. I really liked the psychological thriller aspect, but did not like it as much as I thought I would. A case of a book that came to me with too high expectations.
Yep, that is the best way to describe Gillian Flynn... "Creepy. Weird. Creepy." If you didn't like Gone Girl, you most likely wouldn't like any of her other books, especially since they are far more creepy and weird than Gone Girl.
Awesome Post Idea!!!!!!
Beanma - Neil Gaiman is an amazing, imaginative writer whether it is for children, adults, books or comics! I didn't know he read Neverwhere himself. I will definitely check that out.
Does anyone out there read comics, TPs or Graphic Novels? I won't write about it unless others are interested. I own a bookstore that started as a comic book store and love the interweiving of art and story whether superhero, travellogue, horror, romance.... well any genre can be amazing just like with regular books if done well.
I like and have read a few graphic novels that are definitely on my favorites list (Spiegelman's Maus, Gaiman's Sandman) and I currently have Satrapi's Persepolis in my to-read stack. So, I am always happy to receive recommendations for others.
As for comics, I actually used to work for (and am still good friends with) a DC Comics editor, so I have definitely read my fair share of those too, but none recently.
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