liez 2011 challenge

so here goes my first (very optimistic) attempt at the 75 book challenge.



Reading List
1. Under the Dome, Stephen King
2. Fallen, Lauren Kate
3. Radiance, Alyson Noel
4. The Replacement, Brenna Yovanoff
5. I am Number Four, Pittacus Lore
6. Sense & Sensibilty, Jane Austen
7. Poison Study, Marie V. Snyder
8. Graceling, Kristin Cashore
9. Magic Stucy, Marie V. Snyder
10. Fire Study, Marie V. Snyder
11. Torment, Lauren Kate
12. Fire, Kristin Cashore
13. The Ghost and the Goth, Stacy Kade
14. Changeling, Nancy Moore
15. Sleepless, Cyn Balog
16. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
17. Jane, April Lindner
18. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
19. Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch, Chris van Wyk
20. Intrinsical, Lani Woodland
21. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
22. Water for Elephants, Sarah Gruen
23. Nightshade, Andrea Cremer
24. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
25. Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
26. Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins
27. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd have to kill you, Ally Carter
28. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, Ally Carter
29. Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, Ally Carter
30. Mansfield Park, Jane Austen
31. A Touch Mortal, Leah Clifford
32. Slave to Sensation, Nalini Singh
33. Visions of Heat, Nalini Singh
34. Caressed by Ice, Nalini Singh
35. Queen of the Dead, Stacey Kade
36. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Stephenie Meyer
37. Only the Good Spy Young, Ally Carter
38. Everlasting, Alyson Noel
39. Radiant Shadows, Melissa Marr
40. Darkest Mercy, Melissa Marr
41. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
42. Calling For Angels, Alex Smith
43. Passion, Lauren Kate
44. Clockwork Angel, Cassandra Clare
45. Blue Bloods, Melissa de la Cruz
46. Masquerade, Melissa de la Cruz
47. Revelations, Melissa de la Cruz
48. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
49. The Van Alen Legacy, Melissa de la Cruz
50. Mine to Possess, Nalini Singh
51. Emma, Jane Austen
52. Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly
53. Across the Universe, Beth Revis
54. Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell
55. In the Arms of Stone Angels, Jordan Dane
56. Misguided Angel, Melissa de la Cruz
57. Hostage to Pleasure, Nalini Singh
58. Keys to the Repository, Melissa de la Cruz
59. Bloody Valentine, Melissa de la Cruz
60. City of Fallen Angels, Cassandra Clare
61. Drifters, Kohta Hirano
62. Branded by Fire, Nalini Singh
63. Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh
64. Prison To Praise, Merlin Carothers
65. Shimmer, Alyson Noel
66. Bonds of Justice, Nalini Singh
67. My Dear Jenny, Madelein Robins
68. Play of Passion, Nalini Singh
69. Once a Witch, Carolyn MacCullough
70. Just a Minute, Andy Bonikowsky
71. Full Dark No Stars, Stephen King
72. Kiss of Snow, Nalini Singh
73. Ayrton Senna: The Whole Story, Christopher Hilton
74. Sisters Red, Jackson Pearce
75. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban, J.K Rowling
76. Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen
77. The Magnolia League, Katie Crouch
78. Beastly, Alex Flinn
79. Timeless, Alexandra Monir
80. Shadowed Summer, Saundra Mitchell
81. Heart-Shaped Box, Joe Hill
82. Hero, Mike Lupica
83. Love Rosie, Cecelia Ahern
84. Dragonflight, Anne McCaffery
85. Persuasion, Jane Austen
86. The Yellow Wallpaper
87. Pride & Popularity
88. The Beckham Experiment
89. Jellicoe Road

Welcome to the group, Liezel, and good luck with your goal this year!

Good Luck!

Welcome to the group!

BTW - there is an introductions thread here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/104688 if you want to stop by and meet everyone.

Okay, so this may be a strange thing to say, but I can't help it: Liezel is my absolute favorite name. Ever. Since I was a kid, I've secretly want it to me my own name. So, even though I'm hopelessly jealous of you already, welcome, and I look forward to seeing what you read this year!

Isn't Liezel the name of the oldest VonTrapp girl in Sound of Music?

#5 lol, thanks, but maybe it will you feel better to know that there is a downside to the name, made up of the amount of times that people spell or pronounce my name wrong.
Thats correct mamzel, maybe my mom was 'inspired' by the sound of music even though she denies it.

Welcome! Check out our wiki for all our cool group links...

http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/Groups:75booksin2011

Finished my first book for the year, Under the Dome by Stephen King. A great book to start off the year, the kind that you dont want to put down especially not to do something so mundane as work.
It's about a small town that gets cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field, the dome. The book is an examination of human behaviour under such extreme circumstances.
Kinda makes you wonder how you & the people you know would react in such a situation...

That was a good one! Have you read Duma Key? Another King that hearkens back to his early style.

#9 & 10: Big Stephen King fan here - can't wait to get round to both of those, eventually.

#10 Have read Duma Key these are definitely two of his better books in recent times
#11 Amber, I have no hesitation recommending both of these

Fallen 3.5

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.
---taken from book.google.com----

A star-crossed love story between a fallen angel and a mortal girl that gets played out time and again usually with dire consequences for her. This time though something's changed and she survives the 'shadows'.

A fun read, a bit slow at the start, but gets more interesting towards the end.

#13: My daughter got that one for Christmas. I am going to have to borrow it.

Radiance 3.5

spin-off from The Immortals series dealing with Ever's younger sister

Riley died at the age of 12 and she's not happy about being Here (the afterlife). She feels as if she's been short-changed and is missing out on what is supposed to be the best years of her life (her teens). She is assigned a job as soul catcher - convincing lost and wandering soul to cross over - and a nerdy teacher - a boy named Bodhi. She is excited about the prospect as it means she gets to go back to the earth plane, even if it means she has to go with Bodhi, at least Buttercup (her dog) gets to go along as well. Her first job is to convince the radiant 'boy' who is haunting a castle in England to cross over, a task which many others have failed at.

An easy lighthearted read.

#15: That looks like one I would like. I will have to see if my local library has a copy.

The Replacement - Brenna Yovanoff 4.0

16 year old Mackie is a replacement, swapped with baby Malcolm Doyle when he was snatched from his crib. Mackie spent his entire life trying to be inconspicuous, which isn't too difficult in Gentry - a town that is good at pretending that everything is fine, that children don't disappear only to be replaced by sickly cast-offs who usually die. The code of the town was that you dont talk about it and you dont ask what happen to the real children, that is until Tate's baby sister disappears and she confronts Mackie. He ignores her at first as he has problems of his own, he hasn't been feeling well for a long time and his reactions to iron and blood are getting worse. His sister Emma found a way to help him, but it comes at a price that takes him underground, back to the place he comes from. Here he learns what is really happening in Gentry and this makes it hard for him to just pretend that nothing is wrong.

I really liked this book, it kinda sucked me in from the start. It was definitely not what I expected and is slightly creepy.

Wow, that books sounds really good - onto the wishlist it goes!

#17: My local library has a copy of that one. I will try and get a copy next time I am there. Thanks for the recommendation!

I am Number Four - Pittacus Lore 3.5

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books-but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next.
-------Synopsis: Barnes & Noble--------

I really liked the story line, but got a bit annoyed with the writing style as it was too simplistic and somewhat repetitive.
This may be one of the few books around where the movie turns out to be better than the book, esp. since the main character, John Smith (or Number 4) is older which is more believable than the 15yr old in the book.

Whoa, that blurb really sucks you in! Sounds great, but from your critique, it may sound better than it actually is...?

I think the blurb led to my dissapointment, sounded really good. But as I said it is a good story line and I do want to know what happens further so I'll probably read the sequels when they come out and hope for improvement.

Oh. There are sequels. It's a series. Well, that does it - off the wishlist! I'm putting a ban on starting new series for awhile.

I read Under the Dome last year, really enjoyed it, but thought the ending was really poor :(

I must admit the ending wasn't great, especially with the build-up to that point, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story

Hi There

I'm compiling a list of birthdays of our group members. If you haven't done so already, would you mind stopping by this thread and posting yours.

Thanks.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/105833

6. Sense & Sensibility - Jane Austen 3.8

Re-read as part of the Austenation 2011 challenge and definitely enjoyed it more this time around.

7. Poison Study - Marie V. Snyder 3.5

It is the about Yelena who has to choose between death by hanging or the possibility of death by poison by taking on the job as food taster for the Commander of Ixia. She was convicted of murder according to the very strict Rules of conduct, which makes no distinction for self-defense.
She is initially treated as an outcast and most people are wary of her. The story deals with her continuous fight for survival as the father of her victim tries to get revenge, the friendships and betrayals she encounters and of course her love-hate relationship with her boss, Valek, the commander's advisor.

8. Graceling - Kristin Cashore 4.0

Katsa is a graceling, an individual who is graced with a special power/ skill and is easily identified by their different coloured eyes. She is an orphan raised by her uncle Randa, king of the Middluns who saw that her grace of killing could be useful to him. Frustrated by only using her grace to do Randa's dirty work, Katsa along with her cousin Prince Raffin, Oll , the King's spymaster and later Giddon, an underlord,form the Council which enables her to use her power for good without Randa's knowledge.
It's on one of her missions for the Council, to rescue the kidnapped Prince Tealiff, father of the Leinid king, that she first meets Po, a graced Leinid prince. He later shows up in Randa city continuing his search for his kidnapped grandfather. After establishing that his grandfather is safe, he vows to find out who was behind the kidnapping to ensure that Prince Tealiff could be returned safelyto Leanid. Katsa, after finally standing up to Randa and needing to escape Randa city, joins Po on his quest.
Along their journey which eventually leads them to Monsea, the kindom of King Leck who married Po's aunt, they fall in love and Katsa learns to trust Po and also to recognise her own worth.
King Leck had a reputation of being a good and kind king, a rarity in the seven kingdoms. However, they discover his dangerous secret which causes them to run for their lives with the King's daughter, Princess Bitterblue.

I really enjoyed the book, the main characters were well developed and the pace was good and kept you interested.

#28: I really must get to that one soon!

I found you!

welcome to the 75 group :)

I look forward to following your thread.....I am a big King fan also, but have been disappointed in his more recent stuff, but I have Under The Dome and Duma Key on my TBR pile. I am glad you thought they were more his old style, now I look forward to them :)

I am Number Four is on my wishlist already....

The Replacement is now on my wishlist :)The cover is exceptionally creepy in a really good way!

Graceling we read for FF....our thoughts on it are quite similar. I have Fire to read before I take it back to the library. You planning on reading that one?

I've started Torment, but will probably get to Fire later in the week.

9. Magic Study - Marie V. Snyder 3.5
Yelena returns home to Sitia after 14 years and this book deals with her experiences in readjusting to a different culture from the one she has known growing up, and having to be with a family she doesn't know, including a brother who is guilt-ridden about the role he plays in her disappearance. On top of this she has to study Magic in order to control her growing power or face the risk of being assassinated. Accused of being a spy, she often finds herself missing her days as a food taster in Ixia and Valek, who is wanted in Sitia and therefore cannot visit her.

10. Fire Study - Marie V. Snyder 3
Sitia is being threatened by a breakaway clan of magician's who uses dark magic and rituals to increase their power. Yelena comes to grips with her own power with a little help along the way.

It was an enjoyable series with a number of twists in it to keep it interesting. The one thing which could have been dealt with better is the interaction between the characters, especially Yelena's reunion with her family. In the final book, the author kept rehashing things which happened in the previous books which was very annoying, hence the lower rating.

11. Torment - Lauren Kate 3.7

Luce learns more about her past relationships with Daniel and the pain caused to her past family when they lose her, She starts questioning whether she would have been better off without him in her life.

It's very rare that the second book of the series is better than the first as is the case with Torment. But as with most middle books, quite a few things are left up in the air so I'll have to wait for Passion. (note to self....don't start reading anymore series until they are complete)

I think I will just stick with the first book in the Snyder series, Poison Study.

12. Fire - Kristin Cashore 4.0


She is the last of her kind...
It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.
----Googlebooks review----

Once again a really good book from Cashore which I enjoyed this more than Graceling.

13. The Ghost and the Goth - Stacey Kade 3.5



I’m the girl you hated in high school. Is it my fault I was born with it all-good looks, silky blond hair, a hot bod, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing? But my life isn’t perfect, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks—is there anything more humiliating? As it turns out, yes—watching your boyfriend and friends move on with life, only days after your funeral. And you wouldn’t believe what they’re saying about me now that they think I can’t hear them. To top it off, I’m starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. I don’t know where I go when I’m gone, but it’s not good. Where is that freaking white light already?

Alona Dare, miss popular at her high school gets run-over by a school bus. While trying to figure out why she hasn't 'crossed over'. Will Killian had been been able to see and hear, and touch ghosts all is life, a gift/curse he inherited from his father. He spends most of his time trying to appear normal and not end up in a loony bin because of the voices in his head. He inadvertently lets the ghosts figure out his little secret and is soon plagued by all sorts of ghosts who wants him to help them complete their unfinished business.

Alona used to getting her own way while alive, hates having to compete for Will's attention, makes a deal with him by promising to keep all the other ghosts away from him while he helps her.

This is a fun, entertaining read.

I liked FIRE better then Graceling too!

Now we have to wait for Bitterblue :(

I just finished Book 1 in the Chaos Walking series....pretty good, gave it 3.5 stars...so I started Book 2 The Ask and the Answer :)

Been a while since I've had time to post, but at least I've still managed to put in some reading. I'm really hating financial year end

14. Changeling - Nancy Moore 2.5
I received this for the Early Reviewer. I felt that the story had potential but too much time was spent on world-building and considering that this was a novella, the rest of the story felt very rushed.

15. Sleepless - Cyn Balog 3.0
Eron is a sandman who falls in love with one of his charges. When his 100 years of service is up, he gets the opportunity to rejoin the human world. The book deals mainly with this transition.

A light and easy read

16. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Reread for the Austenation 2011. Still my favourite austen book.

Mrs Bennets main focus is marrying off her 5 daughters as soon as possible because with their estate entailed to male only heirs, she fears for the future of her daughters.

The characters are well rounded, from the ridiculous Mr Collins, the nervous Mrs Bennet, the imperious Lady Catherine to Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet.

quotes
"What then do we live for, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn." - Mr Bennet

"I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me." - Elizabeth Bennet

17. Jane - April Lindner 2.0
Modern day version of Jane Eyre, with no real imagination. It is a copy of the original without the moral dilemmas Jane goes through in the original.

18. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith 1.0
Really bad, I still dont know why I felt compelled to finish it.

19. Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch - Chris van Wyk

Eggs to Lay, Chickens to Hatch is Chris van Wyk's second childhood memoir about growing up in Riverlea and his colourful interactions with the men and women who lived the African proverb that 'it takes a village to raise a child'. boy and a Zulu woman.

Agnes, the Van Wyks' Zulu domestic worker, had a special friendship with young Chris in the late sixties to early seventies. He would defend her whenever she came to work with a babalaas on a Monday morning and made a mess of the cleaning. In turn, Agnes never told on Chris when he played truant from school.

As the years passed, the two grew closer, swopping stories about coloureds and Zulus, life in Riverlea and Soweto, pass laws, politics and falling in love. She taught him to count in Zulu and he promised to teach her to read in English.

Whenever the clock ran against her, Agnes would stop almost in mid-sentence, grab a broom or cloth, and declare: 'I have to rush. I have eggs to lay, chickens to hatch.

description taken from 'www.exclus1ves.co.za'

20. Intrinsical - Lani Woodland 3.0

Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts.
Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future.
However, on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her.
Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

Amazon description

An enjoyable read.

21. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte 4.0

Reread in anticipation of the movie & the group read.
Nothing in life comes easy for Jane, she's not pretty, raised by an aunt who 'cannot' love her, sent to a charity boarding school run by a miserly hypocrite. At 18 she finds work as a governess looking after Mr Rochester's ward, where for the first time she experiences ompanionship and love. But Thornfield holds a secret which leads to heartbreak, but also makes her a stronger person. And of course, she does get her happy ending after her trials.

What I liked most about this novel, is Jane's strength. She seems almost unflappable even though she does feel things deeply. She does not sacrifice her morals, even when they stand in the way of her happiness.

22. Water for Elephants - Sarah Gruen 3.5

Told from the viewpoint of 93 yr old Jacob, who in anticipation of his outing to circus that was in town, reminisces about his own days aboard the circus train.

Not something I would usually read, but a friend insisted that I try it, but I really enjoyed it. Gruen manages to create a very vivid picture of a circus train in the 1930's, as well as an that of an old man who fears aging and the ailments that go hand in hand with that.

23. Nightshade - Andrea Cremer 3.25
Calla is a werewolf, guardian (protector) of the Keepers. Her life has been mapped out for her at an early age. She is destined to marry Ren, who is also an alpha and together they would form a new pack and continue protecting the 'all powerful' keepers against the seekers who wanted to destroy their way of life and take the source of the power for their own 'evil' means. She has always accepted this 'truth' until she meets Shay, the human boy whose life she saves against her better judgement, who causes her to question her way of life.

Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favorite books. I am glad you enjoyed it!

24. Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins 4.5
25. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins 4.0
26. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins 4.0

To sum up the series in a word, enthralling. I was a bit reluctant to read these books because I thought it may not live up to the hype, but I was wrong. Once I started the series I couldn't put it down (thank goodness for public holidays).

27. I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you - Ally Carter 3.5

Cammie is a student at a spy school which masquerades as a posh private school for girls. The residents in the town hate the girls for their perceived privilege lifestyles, which makes her life difficult when she meets a boy in town so she creates a whole new persona to hide the facts that she goes to Gallagher girls school.

I read this so I could chat to my niece about it as I'm trying to encourage her to read more. It was surprisingly entertaining but definitely aimed at a younger age grp.

I enjoyed both the Hunger Games trilogy and the Ally Carter books. I am glad to see that you had some good reading for your public holiday!

Good to see someone else enjoying the Hunger Games books :) I devoured them when I got hold of them.

Haven't updated in a while, work has been abolutely hectic, so my reading has been of the fun, easy variety

28. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, Ally Carter 3.5
29. Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, Ally Carter 3.5

Really enjoying the Gallagher Girls series and things are getting even more interesting in the fourth installment, which I'm about halfway through. Wonder if Cammie will uncover the truth about Mr Solomons, Zach's and what's up with the Blackthorne institute.

30. Mansfield Park, Jane Austen 3.5
Changed my opinion after rereading this, ito her moral convictions and standing up for what she believes in Fanny reminds me of Jane Eyre, who would have thought that the timid Fanny had it in her to refuse to marry Mr Crawford in spite of her family's entreaties.
I still did not particularly Edmund though, the fact that he felt the need to justify his actions suggests he knew that they were wrong (eg., acting in the play). He did the same in an effort to clear Mary of any possible wrongs whether in thought or actions, I suppose we could blame this on love.
The only thing I'm still unclear is whether Henry actually loved Fanny or whether it was all just a game to him.

31. A Touch Mortal, Leah Clifford 3.5
People who commit suicide (siders) dont go anywhere, they get stuck on the earthly plane with no way out. That is until Eden comes along with her ability to 'kill' them and allow them to move on. She only does this when they seek her out as she does suffer from the consequences. Add to this a battle between fallen angels and it makes for an intriguing read, can't wait for the next instalment.

32. Slave to Sensation, Nalini Singh 3.5
33. Visions of Heat, Nalini Singh 3.5
34. Caressed by Ice, Nalini Singh 3.5
Was looking for something easy to read, but not YA and a friend gave me this series and based on the titles I was a bit dubious, but I was pleasantly surprised by the world Singh creates. Set in the future the world is run by Psy who created the Silence (suppressing all emotion) in their race to better harness their talents. They are an arrogant race who thinks themselves superior to all others, including the Changelings (humans who can shift into animal form) and Humans who they don't rate at all. But the Psy are slowly losing control, with levels of dissent higher than ever and more than defector. They also badly underestimate the changelings' capabilities even though they have been bested by them every time there has been a confrontation of sort. However, the changelings are still unwilling to wage war on the Psy who they know are still very strong in spite of everything and some of whom they know have the ability to kill with a thought.

35. Queen of the Dead, Stacey Kade 3.8
Sequel to Ghost and the Goth. Will finds out more about his dad and the Order (ghost hunters...kept hearing the ghost busters theme song whenever they're around, but I think they may be the serious version), a group his dad helped to start up. Seems he lived a bit of a double life as he was supposedly going to bookclub. Enter Mina, her father runs a section of the Order and she is so desperate to get her full membership that she tricks Will into helping her which backfires on her since the Order was watching all along.
Alona is not happy with having to share Will and even more unhappy about the ideas that Mina is putting into his head. So when Will refuses to help her with something, she decides to 'borrow' Lily's comatose body to carry out her actions. This ends badly and she needs Will's help, but thinks he may be too mad at her to do anything.

36. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Stephenie Meyer 2.5
A take on what Bree and the other newborns created by Victoria were going through.

checking in and seeing what you have been up to :)

37. Only the Good Spy Young Ally Carter 3.5
Continuation of the Gallagher Girls series

38. Everlasting Alyson Noel 3.5
Last book in the Immortals series, and has nice happy ending to it with all the loose ends tied up.

39. Radiant Shadows Melissa Marr 3.5
40. Darkest Mercy Melissa Marr 3.8
Last 2 books in the series. Loved the kickass ending.

41. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 3.75
Finally getting to read the HP books after my self-imposed ban. Enjoyed the first book.

42. Calling For Angels Alex Smith 3.8
ER book written by a 14 year old, impressive

43. Passion Lauren Kate 3.5
3rd book in the Fallen series. Luce goes on a journey through time to discover her history with Daniel and possibly figure out how to break the cycle.

44. Clockwork Angel Cassandra Clare 3.75
1st book in the Infernal Devices series which takes a look at some of the history surrounding the Shadowhunters

45. Blue Bloods Melissa de la Cruz 3.7
The Blue Bloods, some of America's most prestigious families are in fact vampires, immortals who believe that nothing can kill them, having forgotten a time in the past when the Silver Bloods hunted them for their blood. Something is killing young vampires, does this signal the return of the silver bloods or does the killer hide among them.

Congratulations on passing the halfway point of the challenge!

46. Masquerade, Melissa de la Cruz 3.75
Schuyler van Alen has to journey to Italy to find her grandfather, her grandmother's dying wish. Cordelia believed that Lawrence would help save the Blue Bloods from the Silver Bloods, but will the vampire who had left New York on a self-imposed exile when Schuyler's mother was a child be willing to help the others who turned against him. Accompanying her on the trip is her best friend and conduit, Oliver.
Meanwhile, back in New York the Blue Blood committee continue their planning for the annual four hundred ball, a lavish affair with a masquerade theme, oblivious to the danger they are in

47. Revelations, Melissa de la Cruz 3.5
Charles Force successfully petitions the court to have Schuyler's emancipation overthrown, meaning whe has to live in a house with her 'enemy', Mimi Force and the love of her life, the seemingly indifferent Jack Force. Schuyler is miserable and thinks that things couldn't possibly get worse. How wrong she is, the Silver Bloods and their co-conspirators finally show their hand with tragic consequences

48. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 4.0
"The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware."
Bad things are happening at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron & Hermione set out to find the meaning of the mysterious message left on one of the walls next to a petrified cat. It appears that the heir to Slytherin has returned to Hogwarts and has opened the chamber of secrets, but who could it be. The students suspect Harry, until Hermione is petrified. This means that Harry and Ron have to continue their investigation without the bright wizard before there is another victim.

49. The Van Alen Legacy, Melissa de la Cruz 3.8
This book is told from the perspective of 3 female vampires, Schuyler, Mimi and Bliss

Schuyler and Oliver are on the run from the New York coven who holds her responsible for her grandfather's death. She decides that the best thing to do would be to find out more about her family history, since the only other person who can tell her anything is her mother, who has been in a coma since Schuyler's birth. Little does she know that the vampires who are searching for her is non other than Charles & jack Force

Bliss is fading, some mornings she can barely remember her own name. The Visitor who possesses her body, has taken almost complete control, only letting her through when needed. She is desperately trying to make sense of everything and trying to find a way to fight the evil within her. What hurts even more is that she discovers her parents were party to the whole thing.

Mimi teams up with Kingsley to find Bliss's little sister, Jordan. She was kidnapped right before the tragedy in Rio, which left quite a few of the senior Blue Bloods dead. This reveals a new side to Mimi.

50. Mine to Possess, Nalini Singh 3.5
The 4th installment in the Psy-Changeling series deals with Clay. The past he has never been able to put behind him comes rushing back to him when he sees the woman that reminds him of Talin, the girl he thought was dead.

Talin is nervous about approaching Clay, especially having created the falsehood of her existence. But kids are dying, the police are under Psy influence, and she doesn't know where else to turn.

The story deals with both adults having to come to terms with their past and the feelings of guilt as a result of it, all while trying to save 2 kids who is under Tally's care and have disappeared without a trace.

51. Emma, Jane Austen 3.0

52. Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly
53. Across the Universe, Beth Revis
54. Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell
55. In the Arms of Stone Angels, Jordan Dane
56. Misguided Angel, Melissa de la Cruz

51. Emma, Jane Austen 3.0
After the current reread, I'm classifying this as my least favourite Austen. Emma is a bit of a spoilt little princess and it's not surprising with a father who dotes on her and a governess who but rarely corrected her selfish behaviour. The only person who patiently tries to make Emma see the error of her ways is Mr Knightley, one of the few worthy characters in the book.
However, as with many of Austen's other books, Emma does a bit of a turnaround at the end where she tries to do better, hence the 3.0 rating

52. Revolution, Jennifer Donnelly 3.6
Andi's life is out of control and the only thing that has any meaning for her is music. Failing school, her last shot at getting into university is her thesis. Her estranged father, determined to see her pass, takes her to Paris with him so that she can research the life of French composer,Amade Malherbeau.
Her search leads her to the diary of Alexandrine, who lived during the french revolution. Her days in Paris are spent playing music, researching her thesis, but mostly intimately reliving the French revolution through Alexandrine's diary.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even with the time travel bit which in my opinion wasn't really necessary. Donnelly could have had a similar impact with the use of the diary. The time travel doesn't detract from the book at all and even adds more of an emotional impact being as it is first-hand experience.

53. Across the Universe, Beth Revis 3.5
Rudely awakened from her cryogenic state, Amy and her family finds herself on Godspeed, the vessel which is supposed to transport her to a new planet 300yrs away. She is stuck here in a new environment where everything is made to conform to certain rules, even the human birthing cycle is controlled and her parents are still frozen.

54. Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell 3.0

"Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good."
— Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers)

55. In the Arms of Stone Angels, Jordan Dane 3.8
ER book, review to follow

56. Misguided Angel, Melissa de la Cruz 3.5
The 5th instalment in the Blue Bloods takes a look at events from the POV of the 3 female protagonists of the story, which makes for interesting reading. The story follows Schuyler, Mimi & Bliss as they try to find answers.

57. Hostage to Pleasure, Nalini Singh 3.5
Book 5 in the Psy-changeling series focuses on Dorian, the changeling who due to some genetic problem has never been able to shift to his leopard form, and who's still battling the scars of being unable to save his sister from the Psy who killed her. It also deals with more of the Psy-council's activities

58. Keys to the Repository, Melissa de la Cruz 2.5
Blue bloods supplement which is basically a wrap-up of the story so far. The only interesting parts were the insights provided by the reports into certain events in the books

59. Bloody Valentine, Melissa de la Cruz 3.3
Blue Bloods novella with 3 short stories. Short & fun read

60. City of Fallen Angels, Cassandra Clare 4.0
Book 4 in the Mortal Instruments series. Clary is learning how to be a shadowhunter. Jace is trying to deal with the fact that the father that raised him is not his biological father and that he should not fear that he will turn out as evil as Valentine. This conflict within himself is also placing severe strain on his relationship with Clary. Simon tells his mother he's a vampire with soe bad consequences.

61. Drifters, Kohta Hirano 2.5

62. Branded by Fire, Nalini Singh 3.5

63. Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh 3.5

64. Prison To Praise, Merlin Carothers 3.8

65. Shimmer, Alyson Noel3.5
Riley, Bodhi and Buttercup are on vacation when Riley comes across a hellhound which she decides to pursue it against Bodhi's advise. This leads her to an encounter with some ghosts who have been stuck on the island ever since the slave times.