30.1.12

booky wooky

I have been reading so much lately. I don't know if it's just because I'm more lazy or because we don't have a laptop or because we don't have cable. Whatever the reason for this new, "more wholesome" form of entertainment, I like it. I'm gonna list the books I've read and probably discuss a couple. There are a few that it is taking guts for me to admit to reading. They really were that bad. But chances are they were only .99 on my kindle or worse, free. Why are the free ones SO bad? And why do I still download them and read them? Sigh. I'm getting away from the point here, so let's begin.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: So good. So cute. Loved it. Bought and sent my mom a copy and she felt the same.

Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen: terrible movie, great book.

Great Expectations, Charles Dickens: I really enjoyed Pip and hated Estella and often found myself relating to Miss Havisham. Worst part was about 75% of the way through when I hit a slump in the book and had to force myself to finish it.

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen: Great book, only Keira Knightly movie I've ever loved. What is it about her lips and teeth that make me want to claw my eyes out? Why hasn't a director ever nipped that in the bud during filming and said, "We can obviously tell that you are moving your mouth in the most obnoxious and dramatic way when you are acting and it doesn't make you more appealing, it makes me want to strangle you!" Really, why hasn't anyone told her? Yes, this was my first time reading it.

The Iron Fey series including mini book novella thingies, Julie Kagawa: Seriously loved it. A series about fairies. If you're judging that's fine, cause chances are you liked Twilight (as I did) and that's a series about Vampires. Not much difference if you ask me. I would recommend this series for sure. Plus I still day dream about Ash. So much hotter than pale, sparkly Edward. ;)

Smokeless Fire, Samantha Young: Terrible book. Don't read it. It's about Jin, or genies and it was so lame and awful and bad. Some YA novels are worse than Lifetime movies. Free.

The Soulkeepers, G.P. Ching: Not bad, not good. Also free.

Entangled, Barbara Ellen Brink: So bad. So very bad. I don't know how or why I finished it. I guess just to get it over with like when you swallow your medicine with your nose plugged? Free.

Nothing to Lose, Saah Consuelo Baehr: Meh. It was okay but the style of writing bothered me. It was written like a story being read to you rather than a story being told. I can't explain that very well, sorry. Also it took itself too seriously when the ending was a lot like every other fat girl chick lit book out there.

The Girlfriend Project, Robin Friedman: Cute. Funny. Predicatable. Free.

Mudbound, Hillary Jordan: Good. Free but good. It lost it's hold on me towards the end but it started out really great.

Desire, Kailin Gow: Terrible. This author pumps out YA fantasy novels faster than I pump out turds. I hated the main character, the style of sloppy, OH SO SLOPPY, writing and the plot. It better have been free or I'll kick myself.

Crossing to Safety, Wallace Stegner: Holy shizoly I loved this book. Rarely has a book about so little wrapped me up like this one. Such a simple tale but so, so, so good. I started reading it not knowing what it was about or where it would go but I didn't care. What an amazing author.

Becoming Odyssa, Jennifer Pharr Davis: Not bad, not great. A true story about a young college graduate who hikes the Appalachian Trail. I also didn't appreciate the style of writing or the obnoxious, cliche Christian references. That sounds terrible but something about her finding God or Jesus or the Holy Spirit in every rock, tree or river bothered me.

Divergent, Veronica Roth: If you liked the Hunger Games, you'll like this. I'm looking forward to the next book. Let me just note, it's not as good as the Hunger Games but it's still very good.

Hush, Hush series, Becca Fitzpatrick: Really good. The first was way better than the 3rd and I'm not anxiously anticipating the last one but it was a fun series. The lead, Nora, started to really bug me after a while but I liked the steamy love story between her and Patch. This one is a series about fallen angels (insert snort of laughter here) and was cheesey von cheesenstein. Fun though.

Uglies, Scott Westerfield: Meh. It got a lot of hype and I've been hearing about it for a while but I don't like the lead character, Tally, at all. She is fickle and a liar and there is nothing heroic about her. She's kind of a rat if you ask me. Plus the whole "pretty" and "ugly" thing gets redundant. I don't know, I'm not in love. I haven't fully downloaded the next in the series, Pretties, yet, only a sample and it seemed to bug me even more than Uglies did. Definitely not worth the $9.99. Maybe I'll check it out from the library instead?

The Book Thief, Markus Zusak: Another holy shizoly book for me. I bawled. So good, so sad, so riveting. I absolutely loved the visual imagery. I know I'll read it again.

That's most of what I've been reading since sometime after Thanksgiving. If I think of a book I've forgotten to mention, I'll let you know. Sorry there aren't links to all of the books with an official review like some, way more awesome, blog friends provide. I am way too lazy to mess with that. And I want to get back to reading. :) If you have any questions about a book that I wasn't very clear on, feel free to ask and I'll give more details on why I felt the way I did. Also, if you have book recommendations for me, let em rip. I know it seems like all I read is YA novels about supernatural beings but I like just about any book that is a well written, good story. One more question for all of you eReaders out there, how do you afford a heavy reading habit? So many of the books I want to read aren't cheap but so many of the cheap ones are abysmal. Am I missing something very obvious as to how to score free/cheap eBooks?





7 comments:

Heather B said...

LOVED the Book Thief so much. Also agree 100% with your assessment of Divergent. I just finished a kindle book called the Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. Could NOT put it down, you will love it. I am going to start the Guernsey one next, since it's also on the Kindle that someone loaned me. I hate Keira Knightlys mouth so much. Oh my word.

Amy said...

The only book I read was the Uglies, and I agree, I read all in the series,and am still bugged a little. It just got too sci-fi for me. And I agree, she just gets way worse. I read them non the less cause I have to finish things I read, otherwise I feel this impending doom upon my head. Good for you for reading a book. I never ever read. Maybe I need a kindle. Sounds like that would motivate me more

Heather B said...

p.s. YAY for you blogging again!

Melissa S. said...

Uglies series? Boo. I had to finish it because I started it, but a TOTAL waste of time.

Jana said...

I felt the same way about divergent too, I'll probably read the next one, but it didn't blow my skirt up or anything.

Ash... Swoon. I think that's why I liked that series so much because I had such a huge crush on him. I liked puck too, and the two of them fighting over her was just too good.

About the uglies (I did check those out from the library so I didn't feel completely ripped off). I didn't like the first one (the "slang" bugged me too much),I really liked the next two, and then I didnt like the last one. Scott westerfeld does make you look at things differently, but then he always ruins the book in some way. Like the last one is from the perspective of a new character, which killed it. But I didn't hate the series as a whole, I thought it was entertaining.
I'll have to read crossing to safety, I think that's the only one you loved that I haven't read.
As far as e books, the way I look at it is they are a lot cheaper than going and buying the book new at Barnes and noble, and I am paying for the amazing convenience of wanting a book and having it 2 seconds later. No taking the kids to the store or waiting 2 weeks for half.com. Worth 10 bucks to me. :)

Bridget said...

I love that you loved Crossing to Safety!

hughesfamily said...

We have similar tastes in books! I loved Guernsey (even though it seemed so weird at first) and The Book Thief changed my life. The Uglies... Eh. I taught middle school English so I love a YA book. I read the whole series a few years ago... They don't really get better. Have you donned The Hunger Games? I read it a few years ago before all of the hype, but that series is worth it, I think.

I get kindle books from the library. I am usually on a waiting list for a few weeks, but if I constantly add new ones to my hold list then I usually get two or three a month.

I have heard good things about the YA book, Legend. Reading it next. I am going to lager crossing to safety, too! Thanks!