Kiwiria's April Adventures
May. 1st, 2010 12:04 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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christianreaderMy publisher has been keeping me busy this month, so there are a few more paranormal novels than usual. Also, as part of my own happiness project, I'm rereading the BSC series, so expect a lot of those the next couple of months :)
The Struggle (Vampire Diaries #2) - L.J. Smith*, 2/5, 245 pages
Now I know why I didn't much care for the double album when I first read it. The Awakening was fine, but I did NOT like The Struggle. Its one redeeming factor is that we're supposed to find Damon dispicable. If it had been a book like Hush, Hush or Evermore where the dispicable guy is also the love interest, I would have thrown it across the room.
I think I'll take a bit of a break before tackling #3. At least they're quick reads - only took me about 2 hours.
Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder*, 3/5, 530 pages
I am absolutely serious in labelling this YA. It came as a surprise to me, as I had definitely previously thought it was aimed at adults, but on this third reread, I discovered that the writing style is much more that of an YA novel, than that of an 'adult' novel. Truth be told, I wasn't too impressed by the writing style, and did not enjoy it nearly as much, as I had when I read it as a teen.
This is the third time I've read "Sophie's World". I first attempted it when I was 14/15 because my principal had told my class that we were too young for it, and I wanted to prove him wrong! ;) I won't say that he didn't turn out to be right after all, but I got through it, and was very proud of myself when adults were amazed that I'd finished it. I started skimming through it a couple of years later, just intending to read the Sophie parts of the story, but got sucked in and couldn't put it down. Since then, I've been meaning to reread it, to see what I'd think of it at the ripe old age of 30, and finally got around to do so over Easter. I'm no longer entirely sure what I think of it though. As mentioned above, I wasn't too impressed by the writing style, and I'm not too sure about the plot either. Why did Jostein Gaarder write a novel rather than a non-fictional book about philosophy? Simply to make it more accessible to your average readers? I'd like to believe that the philosophy course is pretty accurate, but don't know enough about philosophy, to know whether or not Gaarder did proper research. But what does Darwin have to do in a book about philosophy? Wasn't he a scientist more than anything else?
I still do think it's an interesting introduction to philosophy, but that's pretty much the only reason anybody should read this. The plot is practically non-existant, and it definitely reads more like a non-fiction than like a novel, making it rather heavy to get through (not text-book heavy, fortunately - or I'd never gotten through it ;) - just heavy for a novel).
The Fury (Vampire Diaries #3) - L.J. Smith, 3.5/5, 245 pages
After the disappointment that was book 2, I was actually very pleasantly surprised by book 3. It was even better than the first book - mostly because people actually started talking, instead of making weird assumptions. I have to admit to now being kind of curious to see what happens in book 4.
The similarities between this and Twilight aren't as great any longer either, which is a relief, as it makes it easier for me to view it as a series in its own right, rather than a much inferior 'prelude'.
Idlewild - Nick Sagan, 3/5, 275 pages
In style somewhat like The Adoration of Jenna Fox in that we get a few pieces of the puzzle at a time, and have to work them together ourselves. That's where the similarities end though. Idlewild is a very dark dystopian book. I was fascinated and disturbed at the same time, and can't quite figure out if I actually liked the book or not. I think it falls into the "I'm glad I've read it, but I probably won't read it again"-category.
I've never been fond of non-endings, so that was a bit of a disappointment. I can see how it would fit the rest of the story, but still felt I was left with too many unanswered questions.
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~50hrs
A good book that would have been great - even excellent - had it been properly edited. Dumas was paid according to length, and at times it shows. Had it been half, or even two-thirds the size I think it could have become one of my favourite books. As it was, I felt that there were some plotlines that were superflous and which I then naturally cared less about than the others. Also there were very few twists I hadn't guessed ahead of time.
It took me a bit to get thoroughly captivated by the book, and I almost gave up on it several times. I'm glad I stuck it out though, because it ended up definitely being worth the time spent on it, and it's one of those books I'm glad to be able to say I've read.
It didn't work too well as an audiobook though. First of all it was difficult to keep the names apart. Secondly the audiobook I'd found was read by multiple readers from Librivox, so the pronounciations of the names weren't consistant (which made it even more difficult to keep them apart), and some of them unfortunately had such strong accents that I found it difficult to understand them. If I ever choose to reread it, I'll pick up the physical book next time.
Gone - Michael Grant, 4/5, 558 pages
Since I seem to have a weakness for Dystopian novels, I fully expected to love Gone, and wasn't disappointed. Even the ending didn't bother me, as I knew it was the first in a series, and therefore didn't expect any real closure.
I guess it's similar to a modern day Lord of the Flies, but as I haven't read that one in years (if ever), I can't say how I'd rate it in comparison.
Thought-provoking, scary and just plain entertaining! I hope the next books match up.
Hunger - Michael Grant, 4/5, 590 pages
A fascinating continuation to the series. I think I liked book #1 a tiny bit better, because in this one I could so clearly see the mistakes Sam was making, and just wanted to yell at him for it. I like that he's not perfect though - it makes him less Gary Stu'ish.
The language is somewhat juvenile at times, but it works with the style of the book and helps set the atmosphere. That doesn't mean it isn't well-written though. I found it very engaging and even sinister in places. I also like reading an author who understands how to write a series - round off the small individual plot lines in each book, but let the larger plot unfold through the series. It makes me actually not mind not knowing how many books are in the series.
Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris, 4/5, 272 pages
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irinaauthor "forced" me to buy this when I met her in NYC last year. I'd heard David Sedaris mentioned in passing before, but never read anything by him, and as I trust Irina's judgement I went for it :)
I'm not quite sure I get the point of books like this (or "Travelling Mercies" or "Pitching My Tent" which are the same style). I don't mean that negatively, because as the rating indicates I clearly liked it, but it's not quite a memoir, not quite an autobiography... so what is it? What made the author choose to write this book of seemingly unconnected anecdotes, and what is it that made it so interesting for people to read? (And if he can't, why can't I? ;) )
I still don't have a good answer to those questions, but have simply come to the conclusion that whether or not I understand the purpose of them, I do enjoy books like this, and that may be purpose enough. I especially enjoyed reading about David Sedaris' troubles with learning the French language. I never felt that way about learning English (fortunately), but it reminded me very vividly of my experience with learning German... a language that I never took to, and have now mostly forgotten, but where I found myself grasping for words and coming up with exceedingly more convulted sentences as I tried to find the words I needed, and avoid any use of gender-based grammar!
A well-written and very funny book.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan, 4.5/5, 375 pages
Started off slow, but quickly gained pace. Yes, it does have a lot of similarities to Harry Potter in style, but not at all in plot. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story, and was fascinated by the Greek mythology. I've always been interested in Greek mythology, but for some reason, haven't spent much time exploring it, so I had fun learning more through this book - although I don't know how accurate it is.
Some of the so-called "twists" were rather predictable, but as the book in general was well-written and entertaining, that didn't bother me. The only problem now is that I don't have the rest of the series readily at hand, and I want to read more!
The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin, 5/5, 296 pages
It's been a long time since I last was this sad to finish a book - even longer since it happened to me with a non-fiction book! I ended up limiting myself to just one or two chapters a day, or I'd have breezed right through it. As it is, I'm now seriously considering turning back to page 1 and starting all over again.
Gretchen Rubin's book is down to earth, easy to read, and easy to relate to. Most of what's in the book can also be found on her blog (http://www.happiness-project.com), but I've found that I like things in a more condensed and structured manner, so I definitely benefitted from reading the book - I'm going to continue to subscribe to her rss-feed though.
"It's the rare person who can't benefit from starting a happiness project", Rubin writes, and I'm inclined to agree with her. Naturally everybody's project will look different, but it's been inspiring for me to follow Gretchen on her journey. She interspersed her book with comments from her blog, and while there occasionally were a few too many of them, it was fascinating to see this more interactive approach.
No matter if you'd consider yourself happy or not, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan, 4.5/5, 308 pages
I've always steered clear of books about zombies. They just don't appeal to me in the least. At least, not in theory. Turns out that it's a completely different matter in practise. I didn't know anything about this book before I started, which was probably a good idea, or I doubt I'd ever have picked it up, but - surprise, surprise - I ended up being completely unable to put it down!
It probably helped quite a bit that it wasn't your stereotypical zombie tale, but more a dystopian novel that just happened to include zombies. My biggest problem with the book was that I felt there were a lot of questions that didn't get answered. I'm hoping some of them will be addressed in the sequel.
Dark Reunion (Vampire Diaries #4) - L.J. Smith, 3/5, 273 pages
I think L.J. Smith would have been better off stopping after the third book in the series. That one had a decent - although sad - ending and felt like a proper conclusion to the series. This one seemed more like L.J. Smith suddenly realising "Oh, I shouldn't have ended the series so quickly - I'd better find a way to continue it". It did work somewhat, but the fact that it was so obviously an add-on made me less impressed by the book.
It was still better than book #2 though. Though I found #4 an obvious fourth book in a trilogy, I did like the characters here, and thought they developed nicely through the book. The plot wasn't half-bad either.
Kristy's Great Idea (BSC #1) - Ann M. Martin*, 2/5, 150 pages
Not one of my favourite BSC books. I didn't care much for the pet-sitting incident, and found Kristy was absolutely insufferable in her behaviour towards Watson. But then, until Abby came along, Kristy was my least favourite character.
Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (BSC #2) - Ann M. Martin*, 4/5, 150 pages
Okay, so you really have to completely ignore the ages of the kids in these books ;) But that aside, this is one of my favourite in the series, without me really being able to say why - I just like it ;)
The Truth About Stacey (BSC #3) - Ann M. Martin*, 2.5/5, 150 pages
One thing I've learned from reading BSC - there are always plenty of baby-sitting jobs to go around... except in this book.
Jessi's Secret Language (BSC #16) - Ann M. Martin*, 4/5, 150 pages
One of my favourite BSC books. I tend to prefer Jessi's books, because I love reading about her ballet, and as I'm also very fascinated by sign language, this is extra interesting to me.
Snowbound (BSC SS #7) - Ann M. Martin*, 3/5, 250 pages
I was in the mood for some light reading. Not the best SS, but not the worst either.
Chosen (House of Night #3) - PC & Kristin Cast, 2.5/5, 249 pages
Gah, the further I get into this series, the more I just want to take Zoey and shake some sense into her! Her actions and dishonestly really bothered me while reading this book. I was fascinated by the plot and wanted to see what happened next, but at the same time I was disgusted by Zoey's behaviour. She's one of the most unlikeable Mary Sues I've ever encountered.
Also, I'm getting less and less fond of Zoey's original friends, and am starting to like Aphrodite more and more. Didn't think that would happen after her actions in the first books!
Hopefully the next book will be less focused on Zoey's boy-issues and we'll actually get some proper action. I'm too drawn in by the over-all arc to abandon it now, but I am getting tired of Zoey's sex-craze.
Book of the month: The Happiness Project
Biggest disappointment: Idlewild. I know I rated Chosen lower, but I'd expected more of Idlewild.
The Struggle (Vampire Diaries #2) - L.J. Smith*, 2/5, 245 pages
Now I know why I didn't much care for the double album when I first read it. The Awakening was fine, but I did NOT like The Struggle. Its one redeeming factor is that we're supposed to find Damon dispicable. If it had been a book like Hush, Hush or Evermore where the dispicable guy is also the love interest, I would have thrown it across the room.
I think I'll take a bit of a break before tackling #3. At least they're quick reads - only took me about 2 hours.
Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder*, 3/5, 530 pages
I am absolutely serious in labelling this YA. It came as a surprise to me, as I had definitely previously thought it was aimed at adults, but on this third reread, I discovered that the writing style is much more that of an YA novel, than that of an 'adult' novel. Truth be told, I wasn't too impressed by the writing style, and did not enjoy it nearly as much, as I had when I read it as a teen.
This is the third time I've read "Sophie's World". I first attempted it when I was 14/15 because my principal had told my class that we were too young for it, and I wanted to prove him wrong! ;) I won't say that he didn't turn out to be right after all, but I got through it, and was very proud of myself when adults were amazed that I'd finished it. I started skimming through it a couple of years later, just intending to read the Sophie parts of the story, but got sucked in and couldn't put it down. Since then, I've been meaning to reread it, to see what I'd think of it at the ripe old age of 30, and finally got around to do so over Easter. I'm no longer entirely sure what I think of it though. As mentioned above, I wasn't too impressed by the writing style, and I'm not too sure about the plot either. Why did Jostein Gaarder write a novel rather than a non-fictional book about philosophy? Simply to make it more accessible to your average readers? I'd like to believe that the philosophy course is pretty accurate, but don't know enough about philosophy, to know whether or not Gaarder did proper research. But what does Darwin have to do in a book about philosophy? Wasn't he a scientist more than anything else?
I still do think it's an interesting introduction to philosophy, but that's pretty much the only reason anybody should read this. The plot is practically non-existant, and it definitely reads more like a non-fiction than like a novel, making it rather heavy to get through (not text-book heavy, fortunately - or I'd never gotten through it ;) - just heavy for a novel).
The Fury (Vampire Diaries #3) - L.J. Smith, 3.5/5, 245 pages
After the disappointment that was book 2, I was actually very pleasantly surprised by book 3. It was even better than the first book - mostly because people actually started talking, instead of making weird assumptions. I have to admit to now being kind of curious to see what happens in book 4.
The similarities between this and Twilight aren't as great any longer either, which is a relief, as it makes it easier for me to view it as a series in its own right, rather than a much inferior 'prelude'.
Idlewild - Nick Sagan, 3/5, 275 pages
In style somewhat like The Adoration of Jenna Fox in that we get a few pieces of the puzzle at a time, and have to work them together ourselves. That's where the similarities end though. Idlewild is a very dark dystopian book. I was fascinated and disturbed at the same time, and can't quite figure out if I actually liked the book or not. I think it falls into the "I'm glad I've read it, but I probably won't read it again"-category.
I've never been fond of non-endings, so that was a bit of a disappointment. I can see how it would fit the rest of the story, but still felt I was left with too many unanswered questions.
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas, 4.5/5, Audiobook ~50hrs
A good book that would have been great - even excellent - had it been properly edited. Dumas was paid according to length, and at times it shows. Had it been half, or even two-thirds the size I think it could have become one of my favourite books. As it was, I felt that there were some plotlines that were superflous and which I then naturally cared less about than the others. Also there were very few twists I hadn't guessed ahead of time.
It took me a bit to get thoroughly captivated by the book, and I almost gave up on it several times. I'm glad I stuck it out though, because it ended up definitely being worth the time spent on it, and it's one of those books I'm glad to be able to say I've read.
It didn't work too well as an audiobook though. First of all it was difficult to keep the names apart. Secondly the audiobook I'd found was read by multiple readers from Librivox, so the pronounciations of the names weren't consistant (which made it even more difficult to keep them apart), and some of them unfortunately had such strong accents that I found it difficult to understand them. If I ever choose to reread it, I'll pick up the physical book next time.
Gone - Michael Grant, 4/5, 558 pages
Since I seem to have a weakness for Dystopian novels, I fully expected to love Gone, and wasn't disappointed. Even the ending didn't bother me, as I knew it was the first in a series, and therefore didn't expect any real closure.
I guess it's similar to a modern day Lord of the Flies, but as I haven't read that one in years (if ever), I can't say how I'd rate it in comparison.
Thought-provoking, scary and just plain entertaining! I hope the next books match up.
Hunger - Michael Grant, 4/5, 590 pages
A fascinating continuation to the series. I think I liked book #1 a tiny bit better, because in this one I could so clearly see the mistakes Sam was making, and just wanted to yell at him for it. I like that he's not perfect though - it makes him less Gary Stu'ish.
The language is somewhat juvenile at times, but it works with the style of the book and helps set the atmosphere. That doesn't mean it isn't well-written though. I found it very engaging and even sinister in places. I also like reading an author who understands how to write a series - round off the small individual plot lines in each book, but let the larger plot unfold through the series. It makes me actually not mind not knowing how many books are in the series.
Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris, 4/5, 272 pages
irinaauthor "forced" me to buy this when I met her in NYC last year. I'd heard David Sedaris mentioned in passing before, but never read anything by him, and as I trust Irina's judgement I went for it :)I'm not quite sure I get the point of books like this (or "Travelling Mercies" or "Pitching My Tent" which are the same style). I don't mean that negatively, because as the rating indicates I clearly liked it, but it's not quite a memoir, not quite an autobiography... so what is it? What made the author choose to write this book of seemingly unconnected anecdotes, and what is it that made it so interesting for people to read? (And if he can't, why can't I? ;) )
I still don't have a good answer to those questions, but have simply come to the conclusion that whether or not I understand the purpose of them, I do enjoy books like this, and that may be purpose enough. I especially enjoyed reading about David Sedaris' troubles with learning the French language. I never felt that way about learning English (fortunately), but it reminded me very vividly of my experience with learning German... a language that I never took to, and have now mostly forgotten, but where I found myself grasping for words and coming up with exceedingly more convulted sentences as I tried to find the words I needed, and avoid any use of gender-based grammar!
A well-written and very funny book.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan, 4.5/5, 375 pages
Started off slow, but quickly gained pace. Yes, it does have a lot of similarities to Harry Potter in style, but not at all in plot. I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story, and was fascinated by the Greek mythology. I've always been interested in Greek mythology, but for some reason, haven't spent much time exploring it, so I had fun learning more through this book - although I don't know how accurate it is.
Some of the so-called "twists" were rather predictable, but as the book in general was well-written and entertaining, that didn't bother me. The only problem now is that I don't have the rest of the series readily at hand, and I want to read more!
The Happiness Project - Gretchen Rubin, 5/5, 296 pages
It's been a long time since I last was this sad to finish a book - even longer since it happened to me with a non-fiction book! I ended up limiting myself to just one or two chapters a day, or I'd have breezed right through it. As it is, I'm now seriously considering turning back to page 1 and starting all over again.
Gretchen Rubin's book is down to earth, easy to read, and easy to relate to. Most of what's in the book can also be found on her blog (http://www.happiness-project.com), but I've found that I like things in a more condensed and structured manner, so I definitely benefitted from reading the book - I'm going to continue to subscribe to her rss-feed though.
"It's the rare person who can't benefit from starting a happiness project", Rubin writes, and I'm inclined to agree with her. Naturally everybody's project will look different, but it's been inspiring for me to follow Gretchen on her journey. She interspersed her book with comments from her blog, and while there occasionally were a few too many of them, it was fascinating to see this more interactive approach.
No matter if you'd consider yourself happy or not, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan, 4.5/5, 308 pages
I've always steered clear of books about zombies. They just don't appeal to me in the least. At least, not in theory. Turns out that it's a completely different matter in practise. I didn't know anything about this book before I started, which was probably a good idea, or I doubt I'd ever have picked it up, but - surprise, surprise - I ended up being completely unable to put it down!
It probably helped quite a bit that it wasn't your stereotypical zombie tale, but more a dystopian novel that just happened to include zombies. My biggest problem with the book was that I felt there were a lot of questions that didn't get answered. I'm hoping some of them will be addressed in the sequel.
Dark Reunion (Vampire Diaries #4) - L.J. Smith, 3/5, 273 pages
I think L.J. Smith would have been better off stopping after the third book in the series. That one had a decent - although sad - ending and felt like a proper conclusion to the series. This one seemed more like L.J. Smith suddenly realising "Oh, I shouldn't have ended the series so quickly - I'd better find a way to continue it". It did work somewhat, but the fact that it was so obviously an add-on made me less impressed by the book.
It was still better than book #2 though. Though I found #4 an obvious fourth book in a trilogy, I did like the characters here, and thought they developed nicely through the book. The plot wasn't half-bad either.
Kristy's Great Idea (BSC #1) - Ann M. Martin*, 2/5, 150 pages
Not one of my favourite BSC books. I didn't care much for the pet-sitting incident, and found Kristy was absolutely insufferable in her behaviour towards Watson. But then, until Abby came along, Kristy was my least favourite character.
Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (BSC #2) - Ann M. Martin*, 4/5, 150 pages
Okay, so you really have to completely ignore the ages of the kids in these books ;) But that aside, this is one of my favourite in the series, without me really being able to say why - I just like it ;)
The Truth About Stacey (BSC #3) - Ann M. Martin*, 2.5/5, 150 pages
One thing I've learned from reading BSC - there are always plenty of baby-sitting jobs to go around... except in this book.
Jessi's Secret Language (BSC #16) - Ann M. Martin*, 4/5, 150 pages
One of my favourite BSC books. I tend to prefer Jessi's books, because I love reading about her ballet, and as I'm also very fascinated by sign language, this is extra interesting to me.
Snowbound (BSC SS #7) - Ann M. Martin*, 3/5, 250 pages
I was in the mood for some light reading. Not the best SS, but not the worst either.
Chosen (House of Night #3) - PC & Kristin Cast, 2.5/5, 249 pages
Gah, the further I get into this series, the more I just want to take Zoey and shake some sense into her! Her actions and dishonestly really bothered me while reading this book. I was fascinated by the plot and wanted to see what happened next, but at the same time I was disgusted by Zoey's behaviour. She's one of the most unlikeable Mary Sues I've ever encountered.
Also, I'm getting less and less fond of Zoey's original friends, and am starting to like Aphrodite more and more. Didn't think that would happen after her actions in the first books!
Hopefully the next book will be less focused on Zoey's boy-issues and we'll actually get some proper action. I'm too drawn in by the over-all arc to abandon it now, but I am getting tired of Zoey's sex-craze.
Book of the month: The Happiness Project
Biggest disappointment: Idlewild. I know I rated Chosen lower, but I'd expected more of Idlewild.
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