Book End Review 2011
Last year I gave myself seven months to complete a reading goal of 100 books by 12/31/10. I got close (74) but didn’t quite hit the mark. Well, this year I gave myself the same goal except that I started in January.
Start date: 1/1/11
Date of completion: 12/31/11
# of Books read: 100
I must admit that I feel extremely accomplished to have read this many books. Looking back to how busy I was at the end of my semester… I’m not sure how I made it. Oh, that’s right… if I had to read 75% or more of a book for a class (and it was listed on Goodreads) I counted it toward my reading goal. The books that were assigned for class have a * by the title.
Now… because I’m a bookie and I cannot keep myself from adding new books to read to my “to-read” list I currently have 193 books that I want to read. Probably only 5 of those haven’t been published yet. I have some serious reading to do… and a new Kindle Fire to help me do it! :D
Below is the list of books I read this year and below that is a cut. The cut will take you to my rating and review of each book. Enjoy!
1. Dead Het Boys - Mark A. Roeder
2. Graymoor Mansion B&B - Mark A. Roeder
3. Shadows of Darkness - Mark A. Roeder
4. The Wednesday Letters - Jason F. Wright
5. Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer
6. The Godmother - Carrie Adams
7. The Last Child - John Hart
8. Love is the Higher Law - David Leviathan
9. The Ghost Downstairs - Molly Ringle
10. Winter's Passage - Julie Kagawa
11. The Iron Queen - Julie Kagawa
12. Mysterious Skin - Scott Heim
13. Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson
14. The Long Way Home - Z.A. Maxfield
15. Chasing Brooklyn - Lisa Schroeder
16. Just Making Out - Mark A. Roeder
17. Still Missing - Chevy Stevens
18. A Separate Country - Richard Hicks
19. Shadow Hills - Anastasia Hopcus
20. Nightshade - Andrea Cremer
21. Ghost Girl - Tonya Hurley
22. *Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë
23. The Dark Sleep - P.N. Elrod
24. This Lullaby - Sarah Dessen
25. Wicked - Gregory Maguire
26. Love, Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli
27. Titanic's Last Secrets: The Further Adventures of Shadow Divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler - Bradford Matsen
28. Cowboy Poet - Claire Thompson
29. *The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft - Claire Tomalin
30. City of Fallen Angels - Cassandra Clare
31. Ireland's Pirate Queen: The True Story of Grace O'malley, 1530-1603 - Anne Chambers
32. Night Road - Kristin Hannah
33. Love Letters of Great Men - Ursula Doyle
34. Highland Vampire - Hannah Howell
35. Christmas at Graymoor - Mark A. Roeder
36. Homo for the Holidays - Mark A. Roeder
37. Carved in Bone - Jefferson Bass
38. How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater - Marc Acito
39. Shine - Lauren Myracle
40. Lucifer's Flood - Linda Rios-Brook
41. Never Knowing - Chevy Stevens
42. The Soulkeepers - GP Ching
43. The Midwife's Confession - Diane Chamberlain
44. The Deliverer - Linda Rios-brook
45. Summer's Crossing - Julie Kagawa
46. Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen
47. Flesh and Bone - Jefferson Bass
48. Vanishing Smile: The Theft of the Mona Lisa - R.A. Scotti
49. What They Always Tell Us - Martin Wilson
50. Ayashi No Ceres Vol. 5 - Yuu Watase
51. American Love Songs - Ashlyn Kane
52. Diving in Deep - K.A. Mitchell
53. My Sister's Keeper - Jody Picoult
54. Cleopatra’s Daughter - Michelle Morgan
55. The Legend of Lady MacLoach - Becky Banks
56. The God Box - Alex Sanchez
57. The Deadly Sister - Eliot Schrefer
58. The Wild Things - Dave Eggers
59. Forever - Maggie Stiefvater
60. What Scotland Taught Me - Molly Ringle
61. The Jewel of St. Petersburg - Kate Furnivall
62. Highland Bride - Hannah Howell
63. Inheritance - Devin Grayson
64. Highland Promise - Hannah Howell
65. Highland Protector - Hannah Howell
66. The Bone Yard - Jefferson Bass
67. *Poststructuralism: A Very Short Introduction - Catherine Belsey
68. The Tin Star - J.L. Langley
69. If Angels Burn - Lynn Viehl
70. Rules of Attraction - Bret Easton Ellis
71. *The English Teacher's Survival Guide: Ready-To-Use Techniques & Materials for Grades 7-12 - Mary Lou Brandvik, Katherine S. McKnight
72. *The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
73. Betty White: If You Ask Me (And of Course you Won’t) - Betty White
74. Secrets of the Wolves - Dorothy Hearst
75. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
76. X-Men: Dark Mirror - Marjorie M. Liu
77. Batman: No Man’s Land - Greg Rucka
78. Annie on my Mind - Nancy Garden
79. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
80. The Slayer Chronicles: First Kill - Heather Brewer
81. *The Tempest - Shakespeare
82. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
83. East - Edith Pattou
84. Chasing Seth - J.R. Loveless
85. The King - Lisa Rios-Brook
86. Saving Max - Antoinette van Heugten
87. These Things Hidden - Heather Gudenkauf
88. The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa
89. *Grammar to Go: How It Works and How To Use It - Barbara Goldstein, Jack Waugh, Karen Linsky
90. *The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
91. *Teaching in the Secondary School - Tom V. Savage
92. Extraordinary - Nancy Werlin
93. *One World of Literature - Shirley Lim, Norman Spencer
94. *Understanding English Grammar - Martha J. Kolln, Robert W. Funk
95. Clockwork Prince - Cassandra Clare
96. *The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man - James Weldon Johnson
97. *Passing - Nella Larsen
98. *Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
99. Ayashi No Ceres Vol. 9 - Yuu Watase
100. The Redeemer - Lisa Rios-Brook
And now for the reviews! Just follow the cut.
1. Dead Het Boys - Mark A. Roeder - 5 stars - I was hooked on this book from page one. All the characters, the events, the twist with Chip! It was all perfect.
2. Graymoor Mansion B&B - Mark A. Roeder - 5 stars - How could I dislike a book that has so many of the characters in it? Everyone was practically in this book! So many questions have been answered and just as many new questions have come to be.
The B&B is full of twists and turns, just like this series. Oh how I love it.
3. Shadows of Darkness - Mark A. Roeder - 4 stars - I loved all the character building between the characters in this book. I was glad to see Thad again; he's such a mysterious character. I can't wait and hope for there to be a book about Kurt, Angel and him. All these characters play such an interesting dynamic with each other, it's great to watch them grow and experience things.
My only complaint was just what one of the characters said toward the end. "It was a little anticlimactic wasn't it?" Yeah... it was. After all the build up I can see why it worked but at the same time I wanted a little more...
4. The Wednesday Letters - Jason F. Wright - 5 stars - This book starts really slowly... well I take that back, it starts out really depressing. Those who have read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, remember how that ends? Yeah well, that's how this begins.
After that point things move really slowly until around ch. 10 and that's when the real story begins. Once I got to ch. 10 I didn't want to put it down. Jack's letters were... witty, insightful and heartbreaking. I really love what his voice added to this book.
5. Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer - 0 stars - How is it such bad fanfiction ever got published? How is Bella a good role model? She ignores her child to have sex! Thank God I'm done with it and I never have to read another word of how f-ing gorgeous Edward is.
Ever heard of PWP (Plot What Plot)? Yes, well, look it up and a picture of Breaking Dawn is what you would get.
Honestly, Jacob & Edward have more chemistry than Edward & Bella, and they hate each other! I've never seen such a perfect slash pairing since Obi-Wan and Anakin of Star Wars.
And that is why I can't give this book even a one star rating.
6. The Godmother - Carrie Adams - 3 stars - This book... I want to say it was good... but it just drug out for so long and it was so depressing! Normally a book contains one couple with problems that the author really concentrates on but this one had 4 and then "The Godmother". And... there was one character in the beginning that just disappeared.
Overall it was written very well. It just drug out for far too long.
7. The Last Child - John Hart - 5 stars - Wow.
This book was... wow. Fantastic.
It was well paced, suspenseful, mysterious and inspiring all rolled into one. I'm not sure how the author managed such an intricate plot but he did it and did it well.
8. Love is the Higher Law - David Leviathan - 4 stars - I really enjoyed this book. It took me awhile but I really got into the characters and the format.
9. The Ghost Downstairs - Molly Ringle - 5 stars - I'm so glad I finally got around to reading this! "The Ghost Downstairs" is a really good read. The characters were very well done, I felt like I really knew Lina, Ren and even Mrs. B. Though, my fave character was George, just because he cracked me up so. The story was well paced with tension and comedic relief at just the right places.
Some said they didn't expect the ending. I did, in a way. I knew what happened would happen, just didn't see it happening that way. I really loved it, it was a nice twist.
I also loved how Ringle handled Julia in the end. It was a nice bit of closure.
10. Winter's Passage - Julie Kagawa - 4 stars - I understand that the in between of 'King' & 'Daughter' couldn't take that long... but this was so short! That's my only complaint though. It answers some questions... and well, let's face it, a gorgeous cover.
11. The Iron Queen - Julie Kagawa - 5 stars - Everything I expected from the title and more. Aside from one thing but I'm not giving that away. Somehow... everything works as it should and I found myself grinning even though some things it seems weren't meant to be.
I eagerly await "Iron Knight" now!
12. Mysterious Skin - Scott Heim - 4 stars - Overall... I actually found this book really confusing. I've never been that big into alien abductions and that stuff so I think that's why. But once I got past the halfway point the story really turned and if I hadn't already been hooked because the characters were amazing... I was then. The ending of this book was so fantastic and leaves me wanting a sequel so badly. I want to know what happened to Neil, Brian and Eric... after...
13. Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson - 1 star - I hated this book. Plain and simple. It moved so slowly. I never felt anything but contempt for Lia, there was nothing about her I could like and she never grew as a character. All the formatting was distracting and I never completely figured out what the chapter headings meant.
So disappointed with this book.
14. The Long Way Home - Z.A. Maxfield - 3 stars - Really... the only thing that kept me reading this book was the author's wit. None of the character's truly grabbing me and the plot was okay. But it was the wit that held me. I found myself cracking up at many points while reading.
15. Chasing Brooklyn - Lisa Schroeder - 5 stars - I really hated the format of this book... like REALLY hated it.
But as I read on the format became less important. The words grabbed me. The characters grabbed me. I found himself cheering them on, being frightened during a nightmare with Brooklyn, feeling the wind in my hair as Nico did on the swings. And for that this was an awesome read.
16. Just Making Out - Mark A. Roeder - 5 stars - This book was so... sexy. I really love Shawn & Tristan and how their relationship was built up. The stuff with Jacob was a bit strange and I was really worried there at the end but thankfully things didn't turn out as bad as I thought they would.
17. Still Missing - Chevy Stevens - 5 stars - Excellent read. Well paced and surprising. I would not recommend this to realtor's, hence why I told my mother not to read it.
18. A Separate Country - Richard Hicks - 3 stars - The details of this book were really good... but I was so bored. It took forever for me to get into the story.
19. Shadow Hills - Anastasia Hopcus - 4 stars - Well written, interesting characters... but highly confusing. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be the first in a series. I kinda hope so because I was left with more than a few unanswered questions.
20. Nightshade - Andrea Cremer - 3 stars - I can't really decide if I love or hate this book. I truly love all the characters but that's about all I loved. The plot took forever to get going, there's a serious love triangle that goes back and forth so many times I feel like I'm watching a tennis tournament. The plot only just started moving forward at the very end and then... it ended.
Not sure if I'm looking forward to the sequel or not.
21. Ghost Girl - Tonya Hurley - 2 stars - The best thing about this book was the quotes on the title pages for each chapter. Sadly, those quotes came from famous people such as; William Blake, R.E.M., The Smiths & Emily Dickinson to name a few.
There was nothing utterly remarkable about this plot or the characters. Honestly I spent more time laughing over the way the main character, Charlotte, died than anything else.
22. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë - 3 stars - Yeah. It's a classic but I'm not the biggest fan. The beginning moved so slowly for me that it took me forever to finally get interested. I didn't really connect with any of the characters and the writing style wasn't my favorite.
Not the worst book I've ever had to read for class though.
23. The Dark Sleep - P.N. Elrod - 3 stars - The adventures of Jack never cease to amuse me. It didn't take me as long to get into this book as the last couple have. But I found myself disliking it more for some reason. I loved all the interaction with Bobbie. It really built her character but there was just something... missing.
24. This Lullaby - Sarah Dessen - 5 stars - I'm... surprised. This is the best Sarah Dessen book I've read yet.
I went into this book a little bias. The other couple of Dessen books I've read have been... decent, books I probably would have loved if I were 13 instead of 23. But this one... wow. The characters were all good, especially Dexter. I loved how quirky he was.
25. Wicked - Gregory Maguire - 2 stars - Maybe it's because I never made it through the whole series of Oz books... but I found this horribly confusing. The parts with the characters I knew well; Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow & Lion, were the best. They had the best chemistry.
But the parts with different characters... yeah, not sure what was happening with them.
Seeing this side of the Witch was great.
26. Love, Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli - 3 stars - Even though this book didn't live up to the memory I have of "Stargirl" I still found myself smiling while reading it.
27. Titanic's Last Secrets: The Further Adventures of Shadow Divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler - Bradford Matsen - 4 stars - Very interesting book.
28. Cowboy Poet - Claire Thompson - 3 stars - Well... this book was beyond sexy. But I feel like it was lacking quite a bit in plot. We had a great mystery at the beginning but then that was solved fairly early on and the rest... though good, didn't live up to the hype that came with the mystery.
29. The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft - Claire Tomalin - 4 stars - Great bit of info. Written in an easy way.
30. City of Fallen Angels - Cassandra Clare - 5 stars - This is the only thing I hate about reading a series that's on going. I get the newest one, get totally enamored with it and then... have to wait a year or better for the next one. >.<
This book was so good! I really loved how Simon took center stage, it built on his character so much. Actually everyone's characters were built on in this one. And there wasn't a character I didn't love.
And what a cliffie! Evil.
31. Ireland's Pirate Queen: The True Story of Grace O'malley, 1530-1603 - Anne Chambers - 3 stars - So much information packed into just a few pages makes for difficult, if interesting, reading.
32. Night Road - Kristin Hannah - 4 stars - Here's the warning for this book. If you're a sap, like I pretend not to be, don't read it. I needed tissues for the better part of 150pgs of this.
In true form with Hannah's previous writings, I quickly found myself falling in love with all these characters. There were things I liked about all of them. Loved the interactions they had with each other. And then high school came for the kids... choices were made that made me frown and shake my head. Then the accident came and the world I had built for these character's in my head fell apart. Jude had been so perfect and then she turned into such a... a... *itch. Oh she made me so mad the better half of the end.
Maybe it's not fair to say that since she was dealing with such horrible grief. But as she said herself, "I was the mud that kept them stuck. Maybe without me they could have healed." And I think that is true.
Though I loved the way this book ended I'm left with an... unfinished or unsatisfied feeling. I want to know more about Zach, Lexi, Jude and Miles. I want to know if it was Mia in the mirror. But that means it was a good book right?
33. Love Letters of Great Men - Ursula Doyle - 3 stars - I wish there had been more. I couldn't stop smiling while reading it.
34. Highland Vampire - Hannah Howell - 2 stars - Well... this was sexier than what I was expecting.
35. Christmas at Graymoor - Mark A. Roeder - 4 stars - I loved all the stories in this book. Most made me smile while a few made me tear up. I loved Etinne's story the best.
My only compliant is so many characters with the same names! I understand naming someone after a person who had a strong impact on your life... but having people named after people and then animals named after people... it gets quite confusing.
36. Homo for the Holidays - Mark A. Roeder - 4 stars - Much like Christmas at Graymoor... in fact this is basically the early version of it.
37. Carved in Bone - Jefferson Bass - 4 stars - A whirlwind of activity, much like the winding road of Cooke County described in the book. I love all the openings this leaves for the later books.
38. How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater - Marc Acito - 2 stars - This was... cute. It had some funny parts but overall was lack luster for me.
39. Shine - Lauren Myracle - 4 stars - Myracle took me for a ride. A ride on one of those crazy back roads that I love so much. There was a great deal of suspense and though I knew who committed the crime waaaaay before Cat did I still liked watching her figure the mystery out step by step. And I'm very happy with the way it ended.
40. Lucifer's Flood - Linda Rios Brook - 5 stars - Wait... what? That can't be the end! Wha-what about the rest of the scrolls? Who is Wonk? Is he the author of the scrolls? This was such an interesting take on an age old story. I want more. I need more.
41. Never Knowing - Chevy Stevens - 5 stars - What a fantastic read. Once I started it I couldn't put it down. I loved the way the story played out, especially that twisty turn at the end. It was perfect. A must read.
42. The Soulkeepers - GP Ching - 3 stars - Nicely paced, interesting characters but something was still lack luster.
43. The Midwife's Confession - Diane Chamberlain - 4 stars - I found myself getting lost in this book, in a good way. But at the same time I was often very bored. I wasn't surprised with the twist at the end. My favorite part was the beauty in the actions of the character's... like the garden.
44. The Deliverer - Linda Rios-brook - 5 stars - This author is great at spinning a story and then leaving you wanting more. I hope there's a sequel in the works. I really, really, hope.
45. Summer's Crossing - Julie Kagawa - 5 stars - -grin- Robin makes me grin so much. I loved that he finally got the attention he deserved... just wish it would have been longer. I eagerly await the release of "Knight".
46. Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen - 5 stars - Man oh man... this book was fantastic. I loved Jacob instantly and that love just continued to grow as the book progressed. A lot of this book took place on a train and I was taken along for the ride. I could feel the movements of the boxcars and smell the smells of the animals. Awesome. Just awesome.
47. Flesh and Bone - Jefferson Bass - 4 stars - Well paced, interesting characters and memorable events. A great continuation to the first book.
48. Vanishing Smile: The Theft of the Mona Lisa - R.A. Scotti - 1 star - I love a good mystery novel that involves history. This... was not one of them. The author's tone was so dry and boring. I had a really hard time getting through this book and I never really got "into" it.
49. What They Always Tell Us - Martin Wilson - 5 stars - It took me about five chapters to get into this book but once I did I was off and running. I loved the fact that I could feel Alex's nervous anxiousness and his fluttering happiness. James was an enigma but I found himself liking him immensely, especially once he started acting like a brother to Alex. Henry was a fun character too, I was sad to see him leave, even though I think he's going to get his happy ending.
I was sad to see this book end because it didn't give me a true feeling of closure. But... at the same time I feel like I discovered something incredible in those last lines.
I look forward to seeing what this author does in the future.
50. Ayashi No Ceres Vol. 5 - Yuu Watase - 4 stars - Beautiful art, interesting story.
51. American Love Songs - Ashlyn Kane - 5 stars - I think... I may be in love with Jake and Parker... too bad they're both gay. Oh I loved this book, I was giggling through the majority of it. Jake is such a character. The only thing I hate about reading books about awesome fictional music bands is that I want to hear them!
52. Diving in Deep - K.A. Mitchell - 3 stars - Good characters and a decent story. For once I have to say I would have liked a little less sex.
53. My Sister's Keeper - Jody Picoult - 1 star - I cannot for the life of me understand why so many people say this is an outstanding book. It took me forever to get into and I never truly did. I didn't feel a connection or any sympathy for the characters. I really wanted the mother to die, she was so awful.
Picoult started with a good idea but I think somewhere in her rambling about this and that that didn't really matter she lost it. I won't spoil the ending but yes, I'll agree with some other reviewers, it was a cop-out.
54. Cleopatra’s Daughter - Michelle Morgan - 4 stars - This book took a few chapters for me to get into. There were so many characters without any real set up, other than the list of who they were at the beginning, that I often got them confused. But as I got further into the book I found myself enjoying it immensely. Guess I'm a history geek at heart.
55. The Legend of Lady MacLoach - Becky Banks - 4 stars - This was a quick and entertaining read. I enjoyed it.
56. The God Box - Alex Sanchez - 5 stars - Sanchez never fails to capture me with his endearing and fun characters. This novel is a must read for Christians who truly want to show the world that God is love. This novel would also be a great addition to any person's (teen and adult alike), who is struggling with finding who they are, library.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
57. The Deadly Sister - Eliot Schrefer - 2 stars - I really... wasn't impressed by this book. I found it extremely boring to read and I wasn't surprised by the twist at the end. Overall it was a very "meh" sort of book for me.
58. The Wild Things - Dave Eggers - 3 stars - This was an interesting look at Max once he became a teenager. Admittedly, it didn't live up to the charm that the original children's story had.
59. Forever - Maggie Stiefvater - 5 stars - Wow. Okay?
With the other two books I always had small issues of getting into them quickly and then the ending would completely amaze and leave me wanting more. But with "Forever"... I was hooked immediately and that hook held on until the very end.
And then end... My God the end... I was bawling and laughing.
I hate that this series is over. I want more Grace and Sam.
60. What Scotland Taught Me - Molly Ringle - 3 stars - So. I just finished this book. I wish I could say that I loved it, that it is one of the best books that I read this year... but it wasn't.
I love Ringle's writing style, she comes up with some of the funniest lines. But there was something distinctly missing in "What Scotland Taught Me". I never felt that immediately connection with any of the characters, though Shannon was my favorite... but she was minor. I honestly disliked Eva from the beginning until the end. She seemed so selfish and well... bitchy. Though she learned a lesson while in Scotland I didn't feel like she truly changed.
I will still look forward to reading more of Ringle's works in the future.
61. The Jewel of St. Petersburg - Kate Furnivall - 2 stars - Written really well but slow and extremely boring. Valentina just didn't grow as a character for me.
62. Highland Bride - Hannah Howell - 4 stars - This was a enjoyable and good read. I really loved the characters, I felt by the end that I truly knew them. Part of the charm and a downside for me was the heavy accent. While I was glad the book was true to form I also found it difficult to read in spots due to the accent being so thick.
63. Inheritance - Devin Grayson - 4 stars - This is a great book for comic fans. It's also a good book for someone who isn't a fan but knows a little about the characters. I'm the latter. I've always been a Batman & Robin fan but my love pretty much stops there. This was a fun read for me; it was well written and had some funny parts. My favorite parts involved the dynamic duo of course but I also found myself enjoying the bits featuring Green Arrow. On the downside I was fairly bored with the parts involving Aquaman and Dabir, thankfully the majority of the book wasn't about them.
64. Highland Promise - Hannah Howell - 4 stars - I am quickly growing to enjoy Howell's writing style. Her characters are easily likeable or easy to hate. The accents in this book were not near as hard to read as the previous book by her that I read. Howell's book are quick and fun to read.
65. Highland Protector - Hannah Howell - 3 stars - I loved the characters in this book. However, I think I'm reading too many because they all seem to be running together/similar.
66. The Bone Yard - Jefferson Bass - 3 stars - Well written as always. A good story, one that made me very sad and at times sick to my stomach. But it didn't do much to progress the story set up in the last book. I look forward to seeing what the next book does.
67. Poststructuralism: A Very Short Introduction - Catherine Belsey - 1 star - Yup... it kinda lost me except for the 3rd chapter.
68. The Tin Star - J.L. Langley - 5 stars - Man... this was a sexy, fun read. There's nothing I love better than hot cowboys.
69. If Angels Burn - Lynn Viehl - 2 stars - Somewhere between the first and last page... this book lost me. It had some really sexy moments but the story completely lost me.
70. Rules of Attraction - Bret Easton Ellis - 4 stars - I... I honestly needed to be on an acid trip while reading this book. I think that's the only way I could have truly understood everything in this book. I enjoyed it but I feel like I didn't get it all because I haven't ever done the amount or type of drugs that these kids did.
71. The English Teacher's Survival Guide: Ready-To-Use Techniques & Materials for Grades 7-12 - Mary Lou Brandvik, Katherine S. McKnight - 4 stars - A very good resource.
72. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins - 4 stars - I have to admit... parts of this book made me sick. Parts that pointed out that humans could in fact be this cruel. I told my best friend that this book is like Lord of the Files only set in the future. I did find myself growing attached to some of the characters, one in particular (Cinna). That in itself marks this as a good book. Yes, I will be reading the second one.
73. Betty White: If You Ask Me (And of Course you Won’t) - Betty White - 4 stars - Well I asked and was amused. Betty White is such a character and it comes across in everything she does. I really enjoyed hearing her stories related to her life.
74. Secrets of the Wolves - Dorothy Hearst - 3 stars - I enjoyed this book. Even though it's been nearly two years since I read the first book I remembered who most of the characters were. I was saddened by some of the events and happy about others. It was a good mix though not as much happened as I wanted. I'm crossing my fingers that I won't have to wait two years for the next book.
75. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad - 1 star - Booooooooooooooooooooooring. That is all I can say about this book.
76. X-Men: Dark Mirror - Marjorie M. Liu - 3 stars - This was a fun read. Very... crackalicious.
77. Batman: No Man’s Land - Greg Rucka - 3 stars - There were certain things about this book that urked me. One was explained and I could get away with ignoring it after that, the other I'm calling a typo but I honestly don't know. Overall this was a well written book, though to be honest dystopian books bore me. There were parts I enjoyed sure, and others that I couldn't stand. I figure that's just about how any book goes though. Point I hate the most is that I have unanswered questions. I hate that.
78. Annie on my Mind - Nancy Garden - 4 stars - This was not my favorite book in the world, to be honest I was fairly bored through the majority of it, but it isn't my least favorite either. Annie on my Mind was wonderfully written and full of emotion. I decided that I liked this book when Liza had to set before the board of trustees at her school for them to decide whether or not her "crimes" were just and in the best interest of the school. The trustees and other teachers had such a wonderful way of defending this young girl and showing her that it was okay to be who she was.
I would highly recommend this and The God Box by Alex Sanchez to any young, gay person trying to find themselves.
79. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins - 5 stars - An excellent continuation to the first book, lots of twists and turns and a cliffie from hell.
80. The Slayer Chronicles: First Kill - Heather Brewer - 4 stars - I loved Joss' character in the original series and now I get to see everything from his side. I couldn't be happier! This was a great start to Joss' story, I loved seeing his determination. Can't wait for the next book.
81. The Tempest - Shakespeare - 4 stars - One of my favorite Shakespearean plays.
82. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins - 5 stars - In the categories of candy analogies, this book would be dark chocolate. Brilliant, dark and addicting.
83. East - Edith Pattou - 3 stars - If I had read this book a few years ago I would have loved it. I really enjoyed the characters.
84. Chasing Seth - J.R. Loveless - 4 stars - Hot, sexy and addicting.
85. The King - Lisa Rios-Brook - 5 stars - These books are so awesome. I love the demon's voice. And what a cliffie!
86. Saving Max - Antoinette van Heugten - 5 stars - There are not enough positive words in the English language to describe this book. It was amazing, fast paced and shocking. A truly excellent read.
87. These Things Hidden - Heather Gudenkauf - 4 stars - Well paced with intriguing characters. I was honestly surprised by the ending.
88. The Iron Knight - Julie Kagawa - 5 stars - Love, love, LOVE! Truly the best book of the series. Kagawa outdid herself. This adventure of friendship and self discovery had me grinning from end to year nearly the entirely time I was reading it, with a small break for a whimper or two.
89. Grammar to Go: How It Works and How To Use It - Barbara Goldstein, Jack Waugh, Karen Linsky - 4 stars - For a textbook I really liked this book. It was simple to understand and gave clear examples.
90. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde - 3 stars - I have to admit... I was expecting to like this more than I did. I had heard so many great things about it but honestly, it didn't live up to those great things. It had its moments but overall there was just too much detail.
91. Teaching in the Secondary School - Tom V. Savage - 5 stars - Yup, I'm giving a text book five stars. This was a great source of information, easy to understand and highly usable. I would recommend it in a second.
92. Extraordinary - Nancy Werlin - 3 stars - I loved the characters but not the story. This failed to be "extraordinary" for me.
93. One World of Literature - Shirley Lim, Norman Spencer - 5 stars - An excellent collection of literature.
94. Understanding English Grammar - Martha J. Kolln, Robert W. Funk - 1 star - I couldn't stand how this book was formatted. "You need to use (insert term). You will learn about those in chapter thirteen." DOES NOT HELP when you are on chapter TWO. Unlike some others I've seen reviews from I do not find diagramming enjoyable nor did this book help me understand how to do it. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
95. Clockwork Prince - Cassandra Clare - 5 stars - Okay, I must be honest. I haven't felt this close to characters in a loooong time, not even with the characters of The Mortal Instruments. But this one broke that.
I'm Team Jem, no doubts about that. But more then once did Will break my heart.
And effing cliffie from hell Clare! Evil I say.
96. The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man - James Weldon Johnson - 2 stars - I liked the author's voice but the events of his life weren't all that interesting.
97. Passing - Nella Larsen - 1 star - One of those cases that dialect really hindered my enjoyment of this book.
98. Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston - 1 star - I... had a hard time understanding this book for the majority of it. I had to look up information on it just to make sense of parts of it. I found the character's voices to be very dis-jointed.
99. Ayashi No Ceres Vol. 9 - Yuu Watase - 4 stars - Beautiful art, interesting story.
100. The Redeemer - Lisa Rios-Brook - 5 stars - This book had some of the best lines of the series. I giggled through the majority of it. But I have to say, "THAT'S IT?!" That can't be the end. There has to be another book in the works. Just has to be.