applebook1's reads for 2013

Hello everyone
I just remembered that I forgot to join in for this year's 75 books challenge yet and had just done so.

Happy new year everybody~!

Welcome back!

#2 Thank you :)

1. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
first book that I read this year
it was quite romantic :)

2. A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

3. The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
I'll definitely read her other works when I get a chance.

4. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
This was a beautiful story.

5. The 100-year-old Man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
This was quite funny, it made me laugh in many places.
I'll give it about ***1/2

6. Dewey by Vicki Myron

this book really made me smile from here and there
it probably touched me more since I have a pet back home and miss them while I'm away at school
will give about ***3/4

7. Four Sisters, All Queens by Sherry Jones
overall, I enjoyed it

8. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
This was really interesting.

9. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
So hard to find the time to read...especially when you are sick :(

currently reading The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (for bookclub) and The Piano Teacher (on my own)

10. The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee

It was better than I expected.

11. The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim
It was the first time that I've read a fiction that deals in time that I despise the most but something that I would and could not never forget -35 years of Japan's annexation of Korea

12. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
*re-read for me (for bookclub)
It's been years since I read this book but the ending was so memorable

13. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
I needed a good laugh after reading some heavy-topic books (albeit fiction) and I've succeeded :)
rate: ***1/2

14. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
for some reason, I didn't know this was a sci-fi novel and got surprised when I found what they were like
nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this, even though it made me feel a little down, as it always does, when I read a dystopian novel

15. Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
feel a bit disturbed after reading this.. but that's probably expected
despite all that, I've enjoyed reading this

16. The Siren by Kiera Cass
quite lovely and touching
I liked it :)

17. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
It was okay.. not something I would read over and over again though

18. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
quite touching.. don't know why I waited so long to read it

19. Juliet by Anne Fortier
I loved reading this book
rate: ****

LT tells me I will like Juliet by Anne Fortier. Thanks for pointing me in this direction. It is now on the TBR list.

I haven't read Life of Pi. It is on the tbr pile for a long time.
Never Let Me Go is one that still stays with me after reading it a few years ago. The movie is very good as well.

#22 Life of Pi has been on the tbr pile for few years in my case.. and Never Let Me Go... I didn't even know there was a movie but I'm not that surprised. I'll definitely check about it after I get some time.:)
I hole you will like Juliet

20. The House at Tyneford by Nathasha Solomons
I'm glad I read this..
I loved all the main characters in the novel and enjoyed knowing them all quite well.

21. Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett
one of my all time favorites

22. Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
rate: ***1/2
Lewis sure is a good writer.

I was able to obtain a copy of Juliet when I went to the local library sale this weekend. I look forward to reading it. Thanks for your recommendation.

#26 I hope you will enjoy reading it :)

23. Perelandra by C.S. Lewis
rate: ****

I'm not sure I'm seeing more Christian elements in Lewis's book because I took theology classes or because this is a parallel story of one of the most famous story (or infamous I guess you could say) that's portrayed in the Bible

I own a copy of Perelandra. I'm on a quest to get my books organized. I hope I can find this one soon.

I've wanted to take theology classes. Perhaps I'll do so when I retire.

#29
I haven't really wanted to take theology classes (it's those general-ed classes that are required from the school) but it was surprisingly easy to understand (although I detested the writing essay part as always) and quite interesting
24. That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis
I'm not sure whether I'm prejudiced or not, but I generally dislike the last book of the series because most of them are quite dismal and the mood is subdued or oppressive (in a good vs. bad scenario that is...just look at Harry Potter series for instance or even The Last Battle ) But with that said, this book is the my favorite among the trilogy

25. Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee
rate: ****

trying to read some books by Asian authors this year..
so far, I think I'm doing good in my resolution

Never let me Go is indeed one of those books which stays for you a long time. I very much enjoyed it as well, but have never seen the movie :)

I just discovered your thread. You've read some great books already this year - books that I've read and loved and books on my TBR list. Three Men in a Boat is one of my favorite books. I've read it several times.

#32
I think that book will stay with me for a long time as well. :)

#33
Thank you for leaving me a comment. Three Men in a Boat was so hilarious!

26. Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
rate: ****
Hercule Poirot's favorite case
At first, I thought I haven't read this book.. but as I read it..I think I did indeed read it
nevertheless, I still enjoyed it

27. The Martyred by Richard E. Kim
rate: ***1/2
not the lightest book to read, but there is something that definitely makes me think..
especially since I've wondered quite often whether there really is God when I was an agnostic
ETA: I'm a Korean, so I know about the Korean War fairly well.. (my grandparents survived this after all..)
I think that's what made the book much more realistic to me

I love Agatha Christie's books but I had a hard time with Cards on the Table. I'm not a bridge player (or whatever game they were playing) and I had trouble following all the who sat where and who played which card details.

#37
Since I'm not a card player, I didn't get any rules as well :(

28. The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
rate: ***1/2
fairy tale retold of sleeping beauty
I didn't know it was a fairy tale retold at the time, but after reading few chapters, I could guess and wasn't surprised that much at the end (I guess I do read lots of fairy tales..)
but I wasn't bored and loved the many of the characters

29. The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
rate: ****
genre: YA fantasy novel

I enjoyed it very much.
Two weeks before my finals begin, and I can't believe I'm still reading...but I can't help it!

30. The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen
rate: ***

31. A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir
I've always wondered what happened to those two princes at the tower...
Although I knew very few things about Katherine Grey and nothing about Katherine Platagenet, this book got me quite captivated. If it wasn't for a project, a term paper, and finals (still one more exam to go) I would have finished it sooner.
rate: ****

32. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
It scared me a lot in many of the scenes...but despite all those, I don't know why I'm drawn to many dystopian novels/novellas

rate: ***1/2

A Dangerous Inheritance is on my tbr pile for a few years. I very much like the writing of Alison Weir. Your positive comments prompt me to see if my local library has a copy.

#44
It was the first work of Alison Weir that I've read and I've enjoyed very much.
I was planning to see if my local library will have copies of her other work!

#currently reading: Cloud Atlas - about half-way through

33. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
I'm so glad that my tutor recommended it for me to read.

34. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
rate: *****
Finally read it. I should have read it sooner.

Summer semester started today - reading Dante in class.

35. The Inner Reaches of Outer Space by Joseph Campbell
rate: ****1/2

He is such a great writer.

36. An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
rate: ****
There is something about Alcott's works that I like...

37. Soulless by Gail Carriger
I need something easy to read if I'm going to read the Divine Comedy at the same time!

38. Changeless by Gail Carriger

39. Blameless by Gail Carriger
40. Heartless by Gail Carriger

41. The Portable Dante by Dante Alighieri
edited by Mark Musa

finally read it!

About time I found your thread, Yoona!

#54. I didn't know I was hiding so well!

42. Timeless by Gail Carriger
challenging myself to read Ulysses..

43. Ulysses by James Joyce
Finally finished reading it, although this wasn't exactly my cup of tea...

44. Books can be deceiving by Jenn McKinlay
rate: ****

I quite enjoyed reading it. I loved the setting and the characters :)

45. Due or die by Jenn McKinlay
rate: ****

maybe it's the library-volunteer blood in me, but I love this series!

46. Book, line, and sinker by Jenn McKinlay
rate: ****

47. The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston
rate: ****

I was quite satisfied with this book and enjoyed reading about a story of Bess Hawksmith
don't know exactly why.. but Heathcliffe came to my mind when I read the description of Gideon Masters - dark, noble features, seductive...evil... :p

48. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
rate: **** 1/2
when will I read books such as this if it is not during my summer break?
it's always a pleasure to read a well-written masterpiece (although I'm not reading it in an original language) in an unabridged version :)

49. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
rate: **** 1/2
enjoyed reading very much :)

50. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
I've seen her books so often in a library, and I've finally managed to read her work!

51. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
wonder if I can finish the next three books of Outlander series (since those are at home) before I need to go back to school in Chicago...

52. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
school starts today.. semi-excited and nervous..
will have to put-off reading romances for awhile

53. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
finally decided to read this..
book in itself was very good but I must have purchased (even though it was free) the wrong version of the book since there were typos...and it seemed as though many pages were missing in the middle..

54. Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
rate: ****
me and my fairy tale retelling.. :p
I need these kinds of books to make me feel a bit happier (feeling a bit blue because I'm sick :(

55. Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
rate: ****
one of those feel-good-and-a-bit-fluffy type of books.. :)

56. Entwined by Heather DIxon
rate: somewhere between 3.75 and 4

I have read fair bit of fairy tale retellings, but I think it was the first time reading the 'twelve dancing princesses' retelling from the eldest princesses perspective

57. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
It was a nice read. I liked many of the main and sub-characters which made me enjoy the book a bit more

58. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
rate: **** 1/2

I'm so glad I read this one!

59. Villette by Charlotte Bronte
I don't know exactly why.. but I do love Victorian era Brit lits, and this is no exception!

I read Villette a couple of years ago and loved it. I like it better than Jane Eyre.

#73. I loved both Villette and Jane Eyre.
I'm not sure whether I liked the one better than the other though....

60. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
rate: *** 1/2

It was a long book...maybe I shouldn't have tried to read it during the school semester..

61. Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George
rate: ****

62. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
I'm very glad I read this book.

63. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
Even I, who is disinterested in history, have heard of Nefertiti's name, and I was curious.
Of course, I like how she writes as well *I read Cleopatra's Daughter before

64. The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Elisa is growing up, both as a strong queen and a strong person!
I'm looking forward to read the next (and last) book of the series.

65. The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson
-nice ending to the trilogy
overall, I enjoyed it

66. The Passion of the Purple Plumeria by Lauren Willig
rate: *** 1/2

67. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
rate: ***3/4
I certainly did not expect this kind of an ending

68. Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
This was the first time that I read Miss Marple book, and I must say, I enjoyed it..(hmm..I wonder whether I just like mysteries in general)

69. True Wealth by Juliet B. Schor - non-fiction
rate: ****
It was easy enough for non-economics/environmental science people to understand it and was very interesting
I learned many interesting things from this book!

70. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
rate: ****

I enjoyed it. :)

71. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

72. The Woman Who Died a Lot by Jasper Fforde
one of the series that I enjoy very much :)

73. The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson
I think the title is enough to tell which fairy tale this is retelling....
started reading on a plane, and finished it after I got back from my dorm... it was a very short, but needed, break for me

74. Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
I thought I should finish book series (at least up to ones that are published and available in the library) that I've started and liked

75. His Majesty's Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal
it was a interesting read... but not the most comfortable sort

76. The Winter Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
rate: ****
I enjoyed it very much.. looking forward to read The Wild Rose

#91: The only book in the series that I have read is The Tea Rose. I really need to read the other two. Thanks for the reminder!

#92. No problem! I hope you enjoy the other two books as well!

77. The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly
rate: *** 1/2

78. Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
rate: ****

their long sufferings are finally over!
happily ever after for everyone (except for the villains I guess :p)

79. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
rate: **** 1/2

simply, simply loved this book

80. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
started reading it this morning, and couldn't put it down (well, maybe not literally) until I finished it
I have to say I was really shocked at the end, which is quite uncommon given the amount of mystery books that I have read