These are books I have read, how I personally rank them at the time on a scale of 0-5, and some brief thoughts on each. Keep in mind, I am a reader not really a critic. I won't write long blogs that cover all aspects of a story, and what I do write will usually only be the tip of the tower of what I think of a book. This list is by no means all inclusive. Oh, and I read a little differently. I can suspend belief if an author executes the story well enough, but I cannot suspend logic. I love non fiction and am a very literal person. If the author were to write something like "the river flowed on and on downhill" many people I know can pull some deep meaning about struggles in life or some bit of communication out of it. Me, I assume the river flowed down a hill for a long time.
Me Before You - DF July 23, 2017 3.5 stars
Wonder - DF July 19, 2017 4 stars
American Gods - DF July 14, 2017 4.5 stars
Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer - DF June 5, 2017 Ahh the unfinished manuscript. I had not read this one previously because I didn't want to sit at a computer to do so. We got a tablet recently (yes just recently) so I decided to read it. Edwards perspective is so much better than Bella's. He is a much more fun character. It's really too bad she stopped writing before the story got to anything good. 4 stars.
The Gender Secret by Bella Forrest - DF May 28, 2017 I bought the first and second books at the same time. In the event I enjoyed the story, I didn't want to have to wait for the second one to come in the mail. Probably a good thing I did because if I had not already had this one when I finished the first one, I never would have read beyond The Gender Game. This one was better. The set up of the story was mostly done in the first one, so there isn't the distraction of the unrealistic community information. 3 stars.
The Gender Game by Bella Forrest - DF May 24, 2017 Hmm. It's not terrible if you can get past the author's lazy set up. It is not realistic that a group of survivors in the middle of American would do some of the things these have done. If they divided in the way they have, they would not have named themselves Matrus and Patrus. They most likely would not have named themselves anything remotely close to this, but lets say one of them did, the other wouldn't. They just wouldn't. Then they wouldn't have immediately established a monarchy in both communities. Especially if it is American survivors. Get past things like that and the story isn't too bad. 2.5 stars.
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - DF May 17, 2017 3 stars.
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer - DF May 13, 2017 This is my new least favorite of the four books. The conflict is less interesting and I find it hard to believe the entire vampire family can't figure out what's going on but Bella can. I really just see this as a bridge book between the second and the forth. 2.75 stars.
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer - DF May 10, 2017 I wasn't looking forward to rereading this one. Jacob is a fine character, but I have always been "team Edward", I'm glad I did reread it though. I enjoyed the interactions between Jacob and Bella much more this time through. Almost enough for me to hope for the other team....Almost. 3 stars.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - DF May 7, 2017 This is another second read for me. The story isn't the best, but it's a fun series to read anyway. I did consider about half way through this one skipping the next two books and going straight to the fourth. Probably won't, but out of the series this one and the last one are the better ones. I have to say, because they have been on a lot lately, the books are better than the movies. Yes there are the typical changes that happen book to movie, but my biggest issue with the movie is the horrible casting of Bella. But back to the book... 3 stars.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - DF May 2, 2017 This is the second time I've read this one. I enjoyed it the first time quite a bit. This time I really was more interested in what the author's obsession with sex was less than the dynamics of the community he had created. Huxley's bizarre outlook overshadows the story. 3.5 stars
Son by Lois Lowry - DF April 27, 2017 3.5 stars
Messenger by Lois Lowry - DF April 18, 2017 3.75 stars
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry - DF April 13, 2017 3 stars
The Giver by Lois Lowry- DF April 8, 2017 5 stars
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - DF March 31, 2017 First off whoever compared this book with 1984 is an idiot. The only comparison I can see if Atwood's use of a type of 1984ish language inconsistently throughout the story. Overall it wasn't a bad story. I think it's a little too loose and broad. I would have liked a tighter story that left out some of the useless information or a longer story that actually explained what the hell happened. The story is told first person perspective of a handmaid renamed Offred. As in Of Fred. Since in this world the handmaids don't have their own names. I don't know why. I'm not sure if the wives have names or not. They don't seem to. The Marthas and the Aunts do seem to have their own names. No idea why. It, like so many other things, is never explained. This story is not a realistic possibility of a future the way some stories of this type are. The only thing I can figure is perhaps in the late 70's early 80's this story would have made sense as a possible future based on whatever was going on in that time. Today though....no....nope. Not believable. 2 stars.
Survivors Club by Michael Bornstein and Debbie Bornstein Holinstat I have not read a Holocaust book in several years. I turned my focus to other human atrocities. I do always find my way back here though. I found this book by accident looking at something else online. I don't even know what, but it caught my interest. Every personal look at the Holocaust from a survivor is amazing. It is a miracle that the author survived to be able to tell their story, and I think we should read these stories. We should take their words into ourselves and remember them. Feel them. And fight anyone who would try to do this again. 5 stars.
The Shack by WM. Paul Young - DF February 22, 2017 This one is a harder one for me. I had no interest in reading this book until I saw a preview of the movie at the theater. The preview looked really good and then when I at the end I found out what it was, I was surprised. We already had a copy of this book laying around so I decided to read it. It's a good book. I can see it being widely enjoyed and loved by Christians or hated - depending on the person's religious views. For me, I wanted more of the story of the father, daughter, and serial killer and less of the journey with God story. But I understand that this is a book about the father's journey with God not the a murder mystery. If I were of a religious belief that followed the Christian God, I can see myself really enjoying this book and being touched by it. Since I am not, all I can say is it's a good enough book but I would have liked more of the story and less religion. No ranking.
Ready Player One by Ernest Gline - DF February 12, 2017 I like this book. It's fun. I've read it twice now. I think the end is a bit rushed and doesn't fit the rest of the story, but its okay. I do wish I understood all of the references better. I think I would enjoy it more. 3.75 stars.
Diary of a Haunting by M. Verano - DF January 25, 2017 This was unexpectedly creepy. I read this book because someone asked me too. Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to it. Turns out it's pretty well done. The format is a teenage girl writing private diary/blog type entries after her family moves to a really old house in Idaho. The house of course is haunted. The progression of the haunting is fun and interesting to follow. The end gets a little off kilter and weird, but overall it's a good book. I do find the way the story for the girl wrapped up didn't make much sense. The windows are boarded over so how? 3.5 stars.
Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby Jr. - DF January 20, 2017 This is one of those good books that can't be described as good because that word is just too positive for the subject matter. I had seen the movie a few years ago, so I did know what I was getting in to. The book did not disappoint. However, I have to say, I HATE the format. 4 stars.
The Walking Dead Compendium 3 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Stefano Gaudiano, and Cliff Rathburn - DF January 14, 2017 I'm a fan of The Walking Dead, the show and the comics. This compendium is Negan heavy. Negan is a fun character. I love him in the show. The actor is fantastic in the role. Negan of the comics is a little less charming. He doesn't have that same charisma. But the dialogue is there. Many of the lines from the show are straight out of the comic minus MANY MANY f***ings used as verbs and nouns and adjectives and just general curses. Once Negan falls (and if you watch the show, you know it has to go that way eventually), time jumps significantly. I question the decision to jump so much into the future. Carl stays relatively young in the comic whereas on the show he is aging with the actor. This jump in time seems like it is there to catch the two of them up a little bit and allows Carl to make teenage decisions vs the child like decisions of his past. The Whispers. I was a bit excited at the idea of talking, thinking, fighting zombies. An evolution of sorts or something. I know it isn't logical, but a part of me hoped because it would be interesting. Nope. Just the next "bad guys". While these people offer different challenges than adversaries of the past. They aren't that great as an enemy. 4.25 stars.
I have been reading National Geographic and Time magazine for the past few months. I did read a very special book that was a fantastic read because it is the history of an organization I care deeply about.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - DF October 31, 2016 3.5 stars.
Don't Ever Tell by Kathy O'Beirne - DF October 26, 2016 This book was interesting. There are doubts that the author is giving a truthful account of her life as a child, but regardless, there are children who have lived through experiences like this. That isn't okay. The book did give me some information about pieces of history of Ireland that I didn't have before reading it. I did research outside of this book because of this book and that is always a good thing. 2.75 stars.
The Last Star by Rick Yancey - DF October 18, 2016 2 stars.
The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey - DF October 11, 2016 3.5 stars.
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - DF October 4, 2016. I don't like aliens. Hate them in fact. And as a rule I stay away from any book or movie that involves aliens of any kind. I find the usual presentation of alien life to be just plan stupid, and very far fetched. With that being said, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the way the "Others" aren't silly little green men with anal probes who leave crop circles for no reason. These aliens were believable AND didn't dominate the book. The book is more about the human interaction after the "Others" have come. It is a story about people in a post apocalyptic world. I like how the point of view jumps between different characters. I like how each of those characters finds a way to continue in this new world where you don't just fear the aliens but also must fear the survivors. Going in I wasn't sure I would read the 2nd book. Bought it the same day I finished this one. 4 stars.
Dead Heroes: Knockout by Peter Woodworth - DF September 12, 2016 For the love of the book gods, Peter, have someone proof read your stuff before you publish it. This book is just more of the same from the second book. The magic gets bigger and more ridiculous. Then in the end two people get married who never during the course of the story showed the least bit of interest in one another. Okay...sure...whatever. 1.5 stars.
Dead Heroes: Domino by Peter Woodworth - DF September 8, 2016. This "book" is a little longer than the first. The font is also bigger, so take that as you will. Not a terrible story. More of the super magic shit. The set up for the world was mostly in the first book. This one was more of the movement of the story. I realize this is a world after the fall of civilization, but Rockaway is dealing with a little too much conflict in too few pages for my taste. 2 stars.
Dead Heroes: Runner by Peter Woodworth - DF September 3, 2016. It's not the worst thing I've read. Font is a little on the big side which never really bods well for the story. Really, on it's own, this is an interesting look at the Dystopia world. Rockaway is an okay character. The super magic crap could go, but guess I can't have everything. 3 stars.
All the Way by C.J. Berry - DF August 31, 2016 WOW. This author didn't write a book. She wrote a short story, typed it as large as she could without going to one word per line, and spaced her paragraphs to take up as much room as possible. She put it into book form, but this isn't a book. It isn't even a very good short story. Or half story rather since according to the warning on the back cover "This Book Does Contain A Cliffhanger". Seriously. It really says that. I won't be looking for the other half of the story. 1 star.
Wish You Happy Forever by Jenny Bowen - DF August 29, 2016 I am happy to give my thoughts on this in person. I won't give them here. What she is doing is a great thing. I believe very strongly in helping children in other countries, and I love China. This book - I'll tell you later. No ranking.
I took a break to read something I've already read, several times, even if it is utter garbage. I read Chances by Jackie Collins which is one of my favorite books. Only the powers that be know why. I followed it up with Lucky also by Jackie Collins. This is not one of my favorite books. I've read it before and will probably read it again, but only because I like Chances as much as I do. I want give a review of either. I don't have any good reasons for liking Chances. I just do. No ranking.
The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman - DF July 31, 2016 Apparently someone reviewed this book at some point and called it a thriller. I read several other reviews on the book where a lot of people where pissed off that this book wasn't actually a thriller. I like it anyway. No, it isn't a thriller. But it is haunting, which by the way is a description from another review that appears on the actual book. Right off the bat, chapter one, this book made me angry. It maintains an absence of hope that pulled me along to the very end. I feel like the end was a bit of a let down as it comes on suddenly and wraps very quickly. 3.25 stars.
Room by Emma Donoghue - DF July 28, 2016 Hmmm. I liked it. I don't really want to go into depth about it. Still, I liked it. The relationship between the boy and his mother is riveting. The first portion of the book is very different from the second, but neither is less than the other. 3.5 stars.
Looking for Alaska by John Green - DF July 23, 2016 John Green has a very distinct writers voice. It makes his characters seem similar to exactly alike one book to the next. Alaska in this book could be Margo from Paper Towns. I forgive him for it though because it has a cadence that I really enjoy. Is this book fantastic? No. But that doesn't make it not worth reading. It is an exploration of finding ones self after an unexplained loss. 3.75 stars.
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs - DF July 16, 2016 SPOILERS!! Oh the trauma. I swear I'm having terrible flashbacks to The Maze Runner series by James Dashner. Pain. Headaches. Agony. Okay so it isn't actually that bad. Very little can reach the heights (or rather the lows) of the awful of The Maze Runner, but Riggs sure is trying with this sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. Why? The children are being chased. They are running. They get away. They are being chased. They are running. They get away. They are being chased. They are caught. Through weird circumstance they get away. They are being chased..... You get the picture. FINALLY we make it to the other bird. FINALLY she is going to turn their bird back into a person and they can fight the hollows for the lives of peculiardom. Oooohhh wait. It isn't their bird. They are running. They are being chased. They are caught. Some of them get away..... 1.5 Stars.
Fables as a series - It's worth it even when they jump the shark. 4 stars.
Fables 22 a comic by Willingham, Buckingham, and Leialoha - DF July 8, 2016 Thank god it's over. Some okay payoffs. Some much less okay payoffs. Some things that don't make a damn bit of sense. Some things that no one cares about. It's over. It's over. It's finally over. 2 stars.
Fables 21 Happily Ever After a comic by Willingham, Buckingham, Leialoha, and Pepoy - DF July 7, 2016. Things start wrapping up for some of the fables. More dumb ass Rose Red stuff. Now Spratt has super power too. (I'm shaking my head in absolute disappointment at the lack of direction at this point.) Oh so the Rose Red/Snow White back story is that they are bound to fight to the death. What? Forget it. Thank goodness these are almost finished. 2 stars.
Fables 20 Camelot a comic by Willingham, Buckingham, Leialoha, Braun, and Kitson - DF July 6, 2016. Big sigh. Why has the Rose story turned into the same suck as the Jack stories? She's making a new Camelot with all these people representing people from the last Camelot. Oookkkaay. I guess that's fine, but damn it, commit to it. Follow it through. Instead it is another nothing story with no point. All of a sudden she just has super powers (reminds me of Fly). She is one of the Hope's, sort of, but doesn't really commit to that - EVER. I do like Bigby in the "afterlife" and him getting to see his son. 2 stars.
Fables 19 Snow White a comic by Willingham, Buckingham, Leialoha, and McManus - DF July 6, 2016 More crappy Bufkin stuff. Yuck. There are several pieces of this one that serve no purpose at all such as everything with Bigby and the Stinky. Brandish has his big reveal of who he really is and Snow acts like a rambling idiot after that - nothing like her normal tough self. Then because of it, she has what is probably one of the worst days of her life. 3.5 stars.
Fables 18 Cubs in Toyland a comic by Willingham, Buckingham, Leialoha, and Ha - DF July 5, 2016 I really like this one. I enjoy a dark story and this definitely qualifies. That's all you get. 4.5 stars.
Fables 17 Inherit the Wind a comic by Willingham, Buckingham, Leialoha, and McManus - DF July 5, 2016 High points and low points but overall is a solid piece of the story witht he exception of the Bufkin stuff. I hate the Bufkin stuff. Interesting turn of events for Rose. And I have a special soft spot for a character in this one. 3 stars.
Fables 16 Super Team a comic by Willingham,. Buckingham, Leialoha, Shanower, and Moore - DF July 4, 2016 This is just weird. And almost completely pointless. Plan plan plan. Costumes and more planning. Then North Wind out of nowhere. The end. 2 stars.
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - DF July 4, 2016 I heard a lot of good things about this book, so I don't know if my disappointment in it stems from too high of an expectation or the story's lack of strength. It was interesting without being exciting and odd without creating curiosity. The use of the old photos was fun, a little forced, but fun. I tend to be sensitive to anything set in WWII Europe because of an extensive study of the Holocaust. Initially I was not happy with the setting, but the author didn't create a focus on the war so much as used it as a general setting. I liked the time loop(s). 3 stars.
Fables 15 Rose Red a comic by Willingham, Buckingham, Leialoha, Miranda, Pepoy, and Green - DF June 26 Thank god she is finally out of the damn bed. I enjoyed the back story on the animosity between Rose and Snow. Bellflower totally kicks some ass. Beast baby is a little concerning. I don't care for the side stories with the blind mice. What is Geppetto up to now?
Fables 14 Witches a comic by Willingham, Buckingham, Leialoha, Lapham, Fern, Pepoy, and Hamilton - DF June 22 I like this one. The Bellflower story is fun and interesting. The jumps to the old office and our friends trapped there moves along at a solid pace and isn't too ridiculous considering the characters involved. I'm still not a fan of the dark man, but he's more believable in this one than in his introduction. 3 stars.
Fables 13 The Great Fables Crossover a comic by Willingham, Sturges, Buckingham, Akins, Braun, Pepoy, and Marzan, Jr. - DF June 19, 2016 This is just stupid. Beginning to end. Terrible concept, bad story, poor characters. Total crap. 1 star.
Fables 12 - DF June 17, 2016 This one isn't as strong as the the previous ones. There is a weird addition of the evil teeth eating villain, and there isn't much story.
Fables 4-11 - DF June 15, 2016 I'm burning through these faster than I can keep track. I feel like 2-11 go together as the Adversary story arch. There are of course strengths and weaknesses. Taken as a whole they are very good. One of my big issues is the Fly Catcher story. Spoiler!! I don't understand why/how after he turns back into a frog, Santa shows up and turns him back into a man who is now all powerful and can defy even death. I've read these 11 twice and both times I tilt my head confused and ask "Huh???". Also, I really dislike how one of the artists completely disregards how some of the characters look. I get having your own spin on the characters, but have some respect for Pinocchio looking like a short man the entire time and when you draw him he looks like a four year old boy.....Bad decision. Overall fun, though. As a set - 4 stars.
Fables 3 Storybook Love a comic by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha - DF June 1, 2016 This one is alright. It isn't my favorite but it does move the Snow White/Bigby Wolf story along the right path. 3 stars.
Fables 2 a comic by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, and Steve Leialoha - DF May 30, 2016 I like this one. It flows beginning to end without tangents or side stories. The uprising on the farm and the pig head on a stick are done very well. 4 stars.
The Fault in Our Stars - DF May 29, 2016 The characters are realistic with the exception of the drunk writer. And the trip to see the drunk writer. And the drunk writer showing up later. I enjoyed the story. I did not enjoy anything about the drunk writer. 3.5 stars.
Fables 1 Legends in Exile a comic by Willingham, Medina, Leialoha, and Hamilton - DF May 26, 2016 These are fun. This one is a good introduction to the characters and their situation, but it doesn't fit into the 2-11 story arch which is unfortunate. The set up with Rose Red is a little forced, and everything with Jack is a giant ball of suck (not just in this one, but every time he shows up in every single one) 2 stars.
House of Hope by Elisabeth Gifford- DF May 23, 2016 I always enjoy books of this nature. It is a little too "God is great" for me, but otherwise the work this family has done is fantastic. 4 stars.
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King - DF May 11, 2016 Not the worse thing I've read by King (In case you were wondering - the worst thing is Under the Dome!!). Not the best either. If I had to rank it, it would be in the bottom half of his novels. I'm not a big fan of who done it type stories, and even though the reader knows that answer, it's still that type of story. 2.5 stars.
Hinterkind a comic by Ian Edginton and Francesco Trifogli - DF April 25, 2016 This is interesting, but I need more to really make a decision. The set up is decent just brushing over the top of several things. I do find the guys with the patchwork skin and blow torches to be a bit odd. Maybe I'll look for the next one. 3 stars.
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King - DF April 22, 2016 This is another collection of short stories. A couple I have read previously and enjoyed just as much this time as the first time. Each of the stories in this collection are immediately catching, never dull. It was a refreshing break from the novels I typically read. 4.5 stars.
Manuscripts of the Macabre by Maurice M. McKiernan - DF April 7, 2016 This book is a collection of six short stories. Overall I enjoyed the stories. I do wish the first story, the longest of the six, had fallen in the middle instead of the beginning. And I felt the last story was a disappointing finish. Not necessarily a disappointing story, just not the tone I would have liked to end on. Of the six, Red Lights in the Fog was my hands down favorite. It is the sort of creepy that makes me happy. Lady Elusion was probably my second favorite. It was just a fun read. While interesting, I would have liked more in The Purging Storm of Hell. It was short in a way that felt like something was missing. The Torment Within was put together well and was interesting beginning to end. Bison on the Range and The Disposing of the Decomposing John Doe were fine but not really my thing. 4 stars.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin - DF April 6, 2016 This book is three shortish stories about Sir Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg. I enjoyed the opportunity to see a bit into the adventures of Aegon the Unlikely brother of our dearly departed Maester Aemon. Each story was well written if not as "dense" as A Song of Ice and Fire. I found the actions of Egg to be much more interesting than those of Dunk even if Egg is just a child. He is a child destined for the greatest seat in the seven kingdoms. 4 stars.
What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross - DF March 23, 2016 This is a simple book. I read it in three days not because it was so amazing I couldn't put it down, but because it was interesting enough and simply written. The story moves at an odd pace. It is broken into three parts which is not necessary. It isn't long enough at just over 300 pages to need "part" breaks. The point of view as though it is written like an after the fact interview that eventually crosses into an as it is happening play by play is interesting. 2.75 stars.
Severed a comic by Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft, and Attila Futaki - DF March 20 It was an okay read. Interesting concept. Interesting "monster". 3 stars
I took off a few months to read the A Song of Ice and Fire series for the third time and the first compendium of The Walking Dead comics for the second time. The Maze Runner books were so bad I needed to recuperate. I read the first couple pages of the fourth Maze Runner book but immediately hated myself for it and put it away. I don't think I need to rank The Game of Thrones. I've read the first five book three times. That says enough.
The Death Cure by James Dashner - DF August 21,2015 I really wish I had never started these books. There are no redeeming qualities I can even mention this time. The book is just terrible. Thomas is still an awful character. His supporting characters are equally terrible. Because of the set up from the first two books, I was left wondering if it was all just another big WICKED lie which made it really hard to care about what was happening to the shallow, weak characters. The ending in no way made up for the disappointment of the story. 1 star.
The Scorch Trials by James Dashner - DF August 15, 2015 I can say this one is better than The Maze Runner, but that isn't saying much. I want these books to be better than they are. The Thomas character is not sympathetic in any way, makes uninteresting decision after uninteresting decision, and seems to be motivated by nothing. The god like entity that is WICKED borders on outright annoying. They are all seeing, have unlimited resources in technology, financing, and intellect yet cannot put together an analysis of the human brain? Really? The story is shallow, however, like I said this book is better than the first. The time the group spends moving across The Scorch is more interesting than the time they spend moving through the maze. 2.5 stars.
The Maze Runner by James Dashner - DF August 11, 2015 Well this is an interesting one. I usually really like post-apocalyptic settings. I don't care for this one. I find the entire concept of people stuck in a giant maze with no way out to be very fake. Even by fiction novel standards. I mean come on! They are stuck in a maze with no way out except an invisible door? The only way (for people) to get in is a box with magic cutting tools that can swipe a person in half. I am not losing myself in this world. And to make matters worse, there is the terrible acronym WICKED. Talk about forced. Hopefully the next book is better. 2 stars.
The Hunger Games Series - While I have different feelings about each book, or rather books 1 and 2 vs book 3, I think this is a fun series to read. Complete series - 3 stars.
Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins - DF August 7, 2015 Can you hear my sigh of discontent? This is another second read. This book does not stay in the tone or voice of the first two. The voice of the author in the first two books is young. In this book the authors voice is much more mature, and it isn't that Katniss is older, its the way the book is written. I don't like it. Then from the point Katniss and her super crew are sent into the capital through to the end, it doesn't make a bit of sense with the rest of the story. It is awkward and VERY rushed. It feels like a page maximum was approaching and everything had to be wrapped up too soon. There should have been a forth book or even a forth and fifth to make the time within the Capital to feel more smooth and some "reconstruction" time after the war would have been nice instead of a two page twenty years later epilogue. 1.5 stars.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - DF August 2, 2015 This is my second read on the book. I feel like this story falls in line with the first story and works well as a continuation in this world. A great deal of story is spent on the time before Quarter Quell, however it works because of how quickly the characters are killed in the arena. The final scene within the arena is busy, rushed, and a bit confusing. Overall a good sequel. 3.5 stars.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - DF July 29, 2015 This is the second time I've read this book. I enjoy it as an interesting world with interesting if somewhat flat characters. I idea of children fighting to the death is not new. Battle Royale is a fantastic read so The Hunger Games takes second place for me. Katniss is a sympathetic if not graceful character in this book unfortunately that doesn't stay true through the series. 3.5 stars.
Revival by Stephen King - DF July 19, 2015 - This was an interesting read. It is described as "Vintage King" by People. I agree to a point. The story is well paced though at times I wish I had more of some of the characters. Maybe not in this story, but a few short stories would be great. More Jacobs when Jamie isn't around would be fun to read. SPOILER!!!!! I want to know, did Jacobs open a door to the afterlife or is it a door to the world of the Dark Tower books?? 3.5 stars.
Bag of Bones by Stephen King - DF July 1, 2015 - I love this book. This is the second time I've read it, and it is still one of my absolute favorites. It is a longer book, yet it doesn't ramble on leaving you wondering when it will just get to the point. Great relate able characters, excellently interwoven into one another. 5 stars.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - DF June 2015 - This book has been referred to as "The grown-up Harry Potter". That may be the case if you are very very familiar with 80's references and video game culture. I, however, am not, so I can say with absolute certainty that this book is not my Harry Potter. I did find the story to be interesting as a possible future reality. The pacing was okay most of the time. The characters were fairly flat but since most of the story takes place in a virtual world, they pass as okay characters. Not great. Not bad. 3 stars.
Paper Towns by John Green - DF June 2015 - I found myself very wrapped up in the "Where in the world is Margo Roth Spiegelman" mystery. For being a book I feel is written for a teen audience, it held my attention well. 4 stars.
Orange is the new Black by Piper Kerman - DF June 2015 - I never knew so little could happen to someone in prison. I'm glad she wasn't attacked or stabbed in the eye or whatever, but I would have liked some conflict besides her being in jail. Boring. 2 stars.
The Sixth Wife by Jean Plaidy - DF First half of 2015 - I typically enjoy books that center around Henry VIII. Not so much with this book. I have another book by this author that I'm having trouble having any interest in reading because of how little I was engaged with this book. 1 star.
The Fall of the Governor Part 1 by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga - DF First half of 2015 - I love the Walking Dead and have a hard time not loving everything that comes out of The Walking Dead universe. I like how close this book stayed to the comic books. I briefly thought the confrontation between The Governor and Michonne was going to be toned down. It wasn't. Gruesomely awesome. 4 stars.
The Road to Woodbury by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga - DF First half of 2015 - I love the Walking Dead universe. Love it. 4 stars.
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien - DF First half of 2015 - Hmmmm. First off, yes, I just read this. I know this is a super classic - huge following - everyone loves it book. Me, not so much. They spend A LOT of time walking. And walking. And walking. I really enjoyed everything with Tom Bombadil and in Lothlorien. Then I decided to watch the movies (no I hadn't seen those either) instead of reading the other two books. 3 stars.
Left Behind by Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins - DF First half of 2015 - I was on board until the magic conference at the end. 3 stars.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards - DF First half of 2015 - This book was interesting. A bit long at times, but worth reading. Having read quite a bit about institutional care in this country in the past, I have a good idea what that little girl was saved from. 3 stars.
Little Children by Tom Perrotta - DF First half of 2015 - This is a simple book. Not one that would normally be on my reading list, but I was intrigued. I stayed interested in the story, but it could have ended at any time before it did and I wouldn't have felt like I lost anything. 2.5 stars.
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King - DF First half of 2015 - I really enjoyed The Shinning, so I had high hopes for this book. Those hopes were well met. "Gift" sucking vampires who live on actual fear was fun. That they called this fear juice steam was silly, but still very intense. I liked the older Dan and the new character Abra. Regardless of how much I enjoyed the entire story, the piece that has stuck with me the hardest is the little boy in his diaper in the run down apartment. 4 stars.
Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy - DF First half of 2015 - This is a TERRIBLE book. I was so disappointed especially after reading The Road. Toward the middle and end I had a hard time even bothering to pick it up. 0 stars.
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - DF First half of 2015 - This book was wonderful. Henry and Clare are matched so well. The depth of their history is truly amazing. I was interested from the first page until the end. 4 stars.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy - DF First half of 2015 - What an interesting story! I loved the lack of name for the characters. This version of a post apocalyptic world is so riveting. I wanted to see the father and son make it to somewhere, anywhere, yet knew a happy ending didn't fit into the realities they were dealing with. I do feel that the ending dropped the ball a bit, but overall a very satisfying read. 5 stars.
Flames of Rome
History of Westeros
0 stars = absolute garbage. 1 star = wasn't worth reading. 2 stars = don't regret reading but wouldn't recommend. 3 stars = middle of the road. 4 stars = pretty good and would recommend. 5 stars = FANTASTIC. READ IT. No ranking - for one reason or another I don't feel it is right to give this book a personally subjective rank. DF=Date finished.
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