Meghan's 100 in 2011
Talk 100 Books in 2011
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1mgeliz
One hundred books in one year is going to be a challenge for me but I am going to do my best to do it.
1. Suzzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
I loved this book even though it was quiet sad. It has been awhile since I spent any time reading what I would call adult real life fiction. James Patterson is a master at melding together a story with a diary or letters that gives further insight to a character. I am currently working on Sam's Letters for Jennifer which does the same thing.
More books to come!
1. Suzzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
I loved this book even though it was quiet sad. It has been awhile since I spent any time reading what I would call adult real life fiction. James Patterson is a master at melding together a story with a diary or letters that gives further insight to a character. I am currently working on Sam's Letters for Jennifer which does the same thing.
More books to come!
2wookiebender
Hi Meghan, and welcome to the group! It can be quite a challenge, but it is fun. Good luck!
3mgeliz
Thanks for welcoming me! I am looking forward to the challenge.
2. Sam's letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
This was another great book. Sad of course which seems to be a theme in these types of book but still great. Both this and Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas made you want to get out and live a little - Experience something. I think though that I will be taking a little break from this type of book.
3. Graceling by Kristen Cashore
This is a teen fantasy book about a girl - Katsa - who is born with the grace of killing. She is born in a place where many people are born graced or born with the a natural and special ability in one thing. These people are identified by their two different color eyes. Katsa is a good person but has been used for most of her 18 years as a powerful weapon by her uncle the king of one of 7 different countries. Dangerous feats are taken and brave acts occur. Katsa is dangerous, passionate, and young - which is why I think many teens (girls in particular) can relate to a character that is wild and often uncontrollable but who doesn't want to be that way. What teenage girl loves who she is? Katsa is the same as any teenager only with amazing powers. I enjoyed this book in a completely different way than my first two choices.
I have begun two others and should be posting on them in the next few days. The first is The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde and the second is 44 Scotland Street which is my first Alexander McCall Smith book. So far it is pretty good if not a little strange.
2. Sam's letters to Jennifer by James Patterson
This was another great book. Sad of course which seems to be a theme in these types of book but still great. Both this and Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas made you want to get out and live a little - Experience something. I think though that I will be taking a little break from this type of book.
3. Graceling by Kristen Cashore
This is a teen fantasy book about a girl - Katsa - who is born with the grace of killing. She is born in a place where many people are born graced or born with the a natural and special ability in one thing. These people are identified by their two different color eyes. Katsa is a good person but has been used for most of her 18 years as a powerful weapon by her uncle the king of one of 7 different countries. Dangerous feats are taken and brave acts occur. Katsa is dangerous, passionate, and young - which is why I think many teens (girls in particular) can relate to a character that is wild and often uncontrollable but who doesn't want to be that way. What teenage girl loves who she is? Katsa is the same as any teenager only with amazing powers. I enjoyed this book in a completely different way than my first two choices.
I have begun two others and should be posting on them in the next few days. The first is The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde and the second is 44 Scotland Street which is my first Alexander McCall Smith book. So far it is pretty good if not a little strange.
5mgeliz
It has been awhile since I posted any books, but I have been reading. Here is goes:
4. 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
It wasn't bad; it just wasn't my sort of book. It looks more at relationship and characters than at a plot. Actually nothing much really happened at all. It seemed like every time something did start to happen the chapter ended and so did the problem. This might have been just because it was written in parts - it was originally written for a newspaper with one section or chapter published each day. Something like what Charles Dickens or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used to do. I really like the idea of having a series where you get a new chapter everyday, but the writing has to be different than with a normal book. You have to end each day with a sort of hook that will lead into the next day. I think I may have to try another one to see if it was the way it was written or just the book.
5. Tamar by Mal Peet
This book is set up so perfectly. You have two stories coming together to form this perfect connection between a young girl (15 years old) name Tamar and a special operation solider stationed in Holland during WWII code named Tamar. As the young Tamar finds out her grandfather's reasons for killing himself by putting together a mystery left in a box for her, the older Tamar tell his own story about occupied Holland and working to get ride of the Nazis. The story itself is extremely well put together. The narrator switches to tell each end of this story until you have a ^ shaped plot line that seems like it is going burst. Unfortunately it does it too quickly - leaving a messy sort of wrap up. In other words, I found the end a big disappointment. The actual events of conclusion were great but there was an additional few chapters, with the characters who actually made it through the whole book, cleaning up the mess; dealing with guild, hatred, loss and other such emotions. I think part of the issue may have been that the emotions expressed didn’t rightly match the events that had taken place or the actions that the characters should have taken.
6. Love Letter by Katie Fforde
This was just a sort of light, fluffy, fun book. It was very enjoyable to read. What I liked the most was the main character, Laura. I felt a very strong connection to her. She was quiet and read a ton. She did seem (for much of the time) to do only what seemed to come easiest to her. But she was able to change, to get the things she wanted even if most of the book seemed to be about luck. Anyway, like I said, it was light and fluffy but still a great read.
7-10. Thursday Next in The Eyre Affair; Lost in a Good Book; The Well of Lost Plots; and Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde
.
I have read all of these books before but with new one coming out in only a few week I wanted to reread the series before that one hits the shelves. I had forgotten how much I loved these books. Thursday Next is a great character. She is a mom, a literary detective and buff, and she even has the ability to travel into fiction (something that I personally think is so cool). More than Thursday though is just the outlandish (Haha!) adventures, situations, and characters included in these books. It takes place in 1985 (at least that is where the series starts) but a 1985 where people can grow their own dodos or travel via gravitube anywhere in the world in just 40 minutes, or where there is a cheese tax so strictly enforced that it is sold like drugs on a black market. She has friends from fiction like Mrs. Haversham from Great Expectations, or Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre, and at one point Hamlet comes to live at her mothers house. Her friends in the real world are just as strange such as the Neanderthal named Stig or the vampire hunter named spike. Any person who loves books and language in general will love these books. They are funny and twist books from only things that we read into a world all their own (which anyone who is a true fan of books already knows they are). I have to finish the most recent book in the series and then read the new one coming out on March 8th. I will post on those when I have finished.
4. 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith
It wasn't bad; it just wasn't my sort of book. It looks more at relationship and characters than at a plot. Actually nothing much really happened at all. It seemed like every time something did start to happen the chapter ended and so did the problem. This might have been just because it was written in parts - it was originally written for a newspaper with one section or chapter published each day. Something like what Charles Dickens or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used to do. I really like the idea of having a series where you get a new chapter everyday, but the writing has to be different than with a normal book. You have to end each day with a sort of hook that will lead into the next day. I think I may have to try another one to see if it was the way it was written or just the book.
5. Tamar by Mal Peet
This book is set up so perfectly. You have two stories coming together to form this perfect connection between a young girl (15 years old) name Tamar and a special operation solider stationed in Holland during WWII code named Tamar. As the young Tamar finds out her grandfather's reasons for killing himself by putting together a mystery left in a box for her, the older Tamar tell his own story about occupied Holland and working to get ride of the Nazis. The story itself is extremely well put together. The narrator switches to tell each end of this story until you have a ^ shaped plot line that seems like it is going burst. Unfortunately it does it too quickly - leaving a messy sort of wrap up. In other words, I found the end a big disappointment. The actual events of conclusion were great but there was an additional few chapters, with the characters who actually made it through the whole book, cleaning up the mess; dealing with guild, hatred, loss and other such emotions. I think part of the issue may have been that the emotions expressed didn’t rightly match the events that had taken place or the actions that the characters should have taken.
6. Love Letter by Katie Fforde
This was just a sort of light, fluffy, fun book. It was very enjoyable to read. What I liked the most was the main character, Laura. I felt a very strong connection to her. She was quiet and read a ton. She did seem (for much of the time) to do only what seemed to come easiest to her. But she was able to change, to get the things she wanted even if most of the book seemed to be about luck. Anyway, like I said, it was light and fluffy but still a great read.
7-10. Thursday Next in The Eyre Affair; Lost in a Good Book; The Well of Lost Plots; and Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde
.
I have read all of these books before but with new one coming out in only a few week I wanted to reread the series before that one hits the shelves. I had forgotten how much I loved these books. Thursday Next is a great character. She is a mom, a literary detective and buff, and she even has the ability to travel into fiction (something that I personally think is so cool). More than Thursday though is just the outlandish (Haha!) adventures, situations, and characters included in these books. It takes place in 1985 (at least that is where the series starts) but a 1985 where people can grow their own dodos or travel via gravitube anywhere in the world in just 40 minutes, or where there is a cheese tax so strictly enforced that it is sold like drugs on a black market. She has friends from fiction like Mrs. Haversham from Great Expectations, or Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre, and at one point Hamlet comes to live at her mothers house. Her friends in the real world are just as strange such as the Neanderthal named Stig or the vampire hunter named spike. Any person who loves books and language in general will love these books. They are funny and twist books from only things that we read into a world all their own (which anyone who is a true fan of books already knows they are). I have to finish the most recent book in the series and then read the new one coming out on March 8th. I will post on those when I have finished.
6wookiebender
I know what you mean about Alexander McCall SMith, I find him quite frustrating at times, nothing much ever seems to happen in his books. (Sometimes I like that though, which is why I still occasionally pick his stuff up. But towards the end of the book I'm over him again.)
Love Thursday Next, I'm very excited about the new sequel!!
Love Thursday Next, I'm very excited about the new sequel!!
7judylou
I haven't had much success reading McCall Smith's books. But for some reason I find them quite enjoyable when I listen to them on audio book.
8jfetting
I am super excited about the new Thursday Next book (already pre-ordered!). I thought for sure that the series had ended after First Among Sequels. But no! There's more!
I love these books, too. They make me so happy. I wish I could bookjump.
I love these books, too. They make me so happy. I wish I could bookjump.
9mgeliz
As always I have been falling behind in my posting. I am currently working on One of Our Thursday's is Missing. I too would love to be able to bookjump. But here is a quick list of what I have read over the last month or so.
11. Hard Love by Elen Wittlinger
12. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - this was another reread but I think it was even better the second time. Especially after the disapointment I felt at the end of Mockingjay. I should say that I don't think I would have been happy anyway the series ended.
13. Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies by SethGrahame-Smith - I couldn't even make it all the way through this book so I don't really think it should count. I love Pride and Prejudice and have read it several times and love the movies as well. I started this book thinking that it would be interesting to see how the Zombies were worked into it and while I found it slightly interesting I ultimately got upset. Not with the writting but with the fact that I was hearing library patrons, and students saying how much they liked it but hated the original. I am disappointed almost because there seems to be this need with our society to add gore and fighting to any story to make it interesting. It is just sad.
14. First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde - I loved this book like the others and like I said earlier I am still working on the newest one in the series.
I am sure that I have forgotten some that I read because this clearly just is not enough but I will have to figure out what I have forgotten.
I'll post again soon.
Thank you all for your feedback and your comments.
11. Hard Love by Elen Wittlinger
12. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - this was another reread but I think it was even better the second time. Especially after the disapointment I felt at the end of Mockingjay. I should say that I don't think I would have been happy anyway the series ended.
13. Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies by SethGrahame-Smith - I couldn't even make it all the way through this book so I don't really think it should count. I love Pride and Prejudice and have read it several times and love the movies as well. I started this book thinking that it would be interesting to see how the Zombies were worked into it and while I found it slightly interesting I ultimately got upset. Not with the writting but with the fact that I was hearing library patrons, and students saying how much they liked it but hated the original. I am disappointed almost because there seems to be this need with our society to add gore and fighting to any story to make it interesting. It is just sad.
14. First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde - I loved this book like the others and like I said earlier I am still working on the newest one in the series.
I am sure that I have forgotten some that I read because this clearly just is not enough but I will have to figure out what I have forgotten.
I'll post again soon.
Thank you all for your feedback and your comments.
10mgeliz
I have remembered the two other books that I have read and forgotten to post about. Both are nutmeg books that I had to read for a book club.
15. Scat by Carl Hiaasen
I loved this book. It was funny and touching plus it really dealt with a serious issue with the endangered species. I also love the teacher character in the book. I think everyone has a teacher like this at some point in their education. I know that I definitely did but it is usually these teachers who are the toughest and expect the most out of us that we learn the most from.
16. Compound by S.A. Bodeen
I found this book kind of disturbing. If I write anything about it really then it would ruin the ending. Even though it was disturbing I think it was worth reading.
In both of these books the authors had a lot of interesting looks at relationships between father and son. I am starting to wonder if this is going to be a theme with this years Nutmeg choices. The only other one on the list I have read so far was Hunger Games and there is very little parent child interaction in that book.
15. Scat by Carl Hiaasen
I loved this book. It was funny and touching plus it really dealt with a serious issue with the endangered species. I also love the teacher character in the book. I think everyone has a teacher like this at some point in their education. I know that I definitely did but it is usually these teachers who are the toughest and expect the most out of us that we learn the most from.
16. Compound by S.A. Bodeen
I found this book kind of disturbing. If I write anything about it really then it would ruin the ending. Even though it was disturbing I think it was worth reading.
In both of these books the authors had a lot of interesting looks at relationships between father and son. I am starting to wonder if this is going to be a theme with this years Nutmeg choices. The only other one on the list I have read so far was Hunger Games and there is very little parent child interaction in that book.
11mgeliz
17. The Fates Will Find Their Way by Hannah Pittard
18. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
19. Devils Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
20. The Cookbook Collector by Alegra Goodman
21. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
22. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
23. One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde
24. Walk two Moons by Sharon Creech
25. Chelsea, Chelsea, Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
Very busy reading after being behind so much. I am currently working The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and Okay For Now which is a spin off of The Wednesday Wars. Both are good and I will be posting more soon.
18. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
19. Devils Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
20. The Cookbook Collector by Alegra Goodman
21. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
22. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
23. One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde
24. Walk two Moons by Sharon Creech
25. Chelsea, Chelsea, Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
Very busy reading after being behind so much. I am currently working The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and Okay For Now which is a spin off of The Wednesday Wars. Both are good and I will be posting more soon.
12mgeliz
OK so I didn't make it to 100 but I did do 56 (even though I didn't post them all here). Not too bad for my first try. Next year I hope to beat that.
14wookiebender
Congratulations on reading 56! It's all about the enjoyment, not the numbers. :)
Hope to see you in 2012 as well: http://www.librarything.com/groups/100booksin2012challe :)
Hope to see you in 2012 as well: http://www.librarything.com/groups/100booksin2012challe :)
