Book End Review 2013
Another busy year, lots of unexpected events, but I still met my reading goal of reading 75 books! And with the gift cards I received for Christmas I have already bought 6 books on my Kindle Fire to start 2014 off with. I’m going to save my B&N gift cards for books that will be published in 2014.
I’m going to be student teaching the first part of 2014 so… my reading goal for 2014 is just going to be 50 books, as I don’t know how many I’ll get around to the first half of the year and then I have no idea what will happen the second half of the year.
Anyway! Onto the books and reviews!
Start: 1/1/13
End: 12/26/13
1. Heart of Stone - Diana Palmer
2. The Christmas Wedding - James Patterson
3. Christmas Dog - Melody Carlson
4. Just Breathe - Susan Wiggs
5. The Scarecrow - Michael Connelly
6. The Well and the Mine - Gin Phillips
7. A Mercy - Toni Morrison
8. Lost Souls - Poppy Z. Brite
9. Water, Stone, Heart - Will North
10. Moonlight Masquerade - Jude Deveraux
11. Loveless Vol. 10 - Yun Kouga
12. The Tudor Rose - Margaret Campbell Barnes
13. Commencement J. Courtney Sullivan
14. Benny & Shrimp - Katarina Mazetti
15. Warm Bodies - Isaac Marion
16. Don’t Let Me Go - J.H. Trumble
17. Person Effects - E.M. Kokie
18. Riding with Heaven - L.C. Chase
19. Bound by Love - T.A. Chase
20. Nowhere Diner: Finding Love - T.A. Chase
21. Trials of Tam - Amber Kell
22. New York Christmas - R.J. Scott
23. The Nudo Twins - Mark A. Roeder
24. The Confessions of a Duchess - Nicola Cornick
25. Lessons for Lewis - Amber Kell
26. Hair of the Dog - Ashlyn Kane
27. Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare
28. The Infernal Devices Vol. 1 - Cassandra Clare
29. Second Chance - Heather Brewer
30. Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green & David Levithan
31. The Christmas List - Richard Paul Evans
32. A Creed in Stone Creek - Linda Lael Miller
33. What Really Happened in Peru - Cassandra Clare
34. Nemesis: The Final Case of Eliot Ness - William Bernhardt
35. The Runaway Queen - Cassandra Clare
36. Don’t Go - Lisa Scottline
37. Come Home - Lisa Scottline
38. Zall’s Captain - Amber Kell
39. Meant for Each Other - D.H. Starr
40. It Might Be Magic - Carolyn Gray
41. His Undoing - Aria Grace
42. A Proper Education for Girls - Elaine di Rollo
43. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend - Matthew Dicks
44. Loveless Vol. 11 - Yun Kouga
45. Fly Away - Kristin Hannah
46. Vampires, Scones and Edmund Herondale - Cassandra Clare
47. Think Big - Ben Carson
48. The Midnight Heir - Cassandra Clare
49. True Love - Jude Deveraux
50. Game - Barry Lyga
51. The Rise of the Hotel Dumort - Cassandra Clare
52. Divergent - Veronica Roth
53. Duncan’s World - T.A. Chase
54. The Boy Who Sneaks in my Bedroom Window - Kirsty Moseley
55. Gives Light - Rose Christo
56. Looks Over - Rose Christo
57. St. Clair - Rose Christo
58. Why the Star Stands Still - Rose Christo
59. Witch Eyes - Scott Tracey
60. Saving Raphael Santiago - Cassandra Clare
61. Crash - Nicole Williams
62. The Fall of the Hotel Dumort - Cassandra Clare
63. Texas Heat - R.J. Scott
64. Love for Hire - Anna Marie May
65. Lust & Fae - Joyee Flynn
66. Judging Jager - Amber Kell
67. Inflaming Inno - Amber Kell
68. Caught Running - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
69. What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who Has Everything - Cassandra Clare
70. The Warrior Heir - Cinda Williams Chima
71. Shadowhunters & Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader - Cassandra Clare (editor)
72. Mrs. Poe - Lynn Cullen
73. The Iron Traitor - Julie Kagawa
74. Insurgent - Veronica Roth
75. The Last Stand of the New York Institute - Cassandra Clare
1. Heart of Stone - Diana Palmer - 3 stars - I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, most of them anyway. The plot was easy to follow with just a hint of mystery to keep things interesting.
2. The Christmas Wedding - James Patterson- 3 stars - I enjoyed the main story in this book, it was very "feel good" and I found myself smiling quite a bit. But, I feel like there were to many stories going on at once. All the characters made it a little confusing at times.
3. The Christmas Dog - Melody Carlson - 3 stars - These books that allude to being about animals always disappoint me because they end up being more about the people. That being said, I liked the people in this book. I believe I would have liked it more had it been longer and a bit more developed.
4. Just Breathe - Susan Wiggs - 4 stars - I really enjoyed this book. I loved the development between the characters. Aurora was a brat for the majority of the book and I was glad to see her realize that toward the end. My only dislike is that things seemed rushed in the last chapter as if the author was just trying to tie up all the loose ends quickly.
5. The Scarecrow - Michael Connelly - 4 stars - Well written, interesting plot and characters, fantastic audio reader. The only thing I found annoying was how the author did emails. I didn't need to know the entire address of both parties each time an email was sent or received.
6. The Well and the Mine - Gin Phillips - 2 stars - I'm not very crazy about stories written in dialect. I appreciate authors who use that device but I am not a fan. Overall the story was good but I wasn't a fan of how it was told from all the different character's point of view... it did flow well but... it just felt like a combination of a novel and a play.
7. A Mercy - Toni Morrison - 2 stars - Morrison has a great voice but overall I found the story confusing and hard to follow.
8. Lost Souls - Poppy Z. Brite - 2 stars - Maybe if I had read this when I was in my early teens and just discovering vampire lit I would have liked this more... as is though, not so much. I had a hard time pay attention to his book and never got hooked on any of the characters.
9. Water, Stone, Heart - Will North- 3 stars - I like this. The attention to emotions was excellent.
10. Moonlight Masquerade - Jude Deveruax - 5 stars - Deveraux shines again with the passion between characters. I really enjoyed getting to know Sophie and Reede. I was pleased with the ending and am left with wanting more of Edilean. I'm very curious about Dr. Tyler now.
11. Loveless Vol. 10 - Yun Kouga - 5 stars - The art of this series just astounds me. I need to go back and reread the whole series because I was a little lost while reading this one... didn't stop my enjoyment of it though.
12. The Tudor Rose - Margaret Campbell Barnes - 3 stars - I was extremely touched by the portrayal of Elizabeth's dedication to her family. That being said... I was very bored while reading this. The chapters seemed to drag on and on. I do wish closure could be brought in the deaths of Elizabeth's younger brothers.
13. Commencement - J. Courtney Sullivan - 1 star - This took me forever to get into and I never really did. I was bored for the majority of the book and was never truly hooked on any of the characters. The feminist politics bored me during the latter half of the book... overall, just boring.
14. Benny & Shrimp - Katarina Mazetti - 1 star - I'm... not sure what I just read. I have a feeling it was about a slightly older couple getting together but I'm not sure how the couple's friends and their issues fit into the plot line.
15. Warm Bodies - Isaac Marion - 4 stars - I really enjoyed this read. I loved the general progression of healing that R went through and the reader felt like they were experiencing themselves. I need to go download some Frank Sinatra now.
16. Don’t Let Me Go - J.H. Trumble - 3 stars - The first ten chapters or so had a lot of flow issues for me. I was very confused why the author kept skipping around, never really completing a scene, but then it got a little better. By chapter 26 I understood why and made the connections but it still did not help the flow issues at the beginning. I loved the characters, though Nate did come across as being a little irrational and needy... but he had been through some bad stuff. My favorite character overall was Danial. He was just fantastic. The ending made me smile.
17. Personal Effects - E.M. Kokie - 5 stars - Very few books have ever made me bawl my eyes out but this is one of them. I'm not even really sure why. I guess it was just the fact that Matt loved his brother so much and was having such a hard time getting past his death and then... finding out all these secrets. E.M. Kokie handled the events in this book very well, it was extremely real and emotional.
I would love for there to be a sequel. I would love to know what happened to Matt and how/if he gets to know his new family.
18. Riding With Heaven - L.C. Chase - 3 stars - This would have been really interesting from the serial killer's point of view. But... it wasn't so... it was still good but I kept wanting more.
19. Bound by Love - T.A. Chase - 2 stars - This book could have used a bit more character development. The most interesting part was the control/bondage issue, that really added much needed depth to Tyler's character.
20. Nowhere Diner: Finding Love - T.A. Chase - 4 stars - This was much better than the last T.A. Chase book I read. Maybe I just liked the characters more, I don't know but I found myself smiling while reading and that's always a good sign.
21. Trials of Tam - Amber Kell - 4 stars - One of Kell's better books. Though, as I always feel after reading one of hers, I wish it were longer. I can't wait for the day that Kell writes a full length novel. I thoroughly enjoyed Tam and his snarkiness.
22. New York Christmas - R.J. Scott- 2 stars - Definitely not one of the best stories I've read. I found it boring and lacking chemistry between the main characters.
23. The Nudo Twins - Mark A. Roeder - 4 stars - I have been waiting for this book since... well, since reading Outfield Menace. It was worth the wait. I really enjoyed seeing the separate sides of Tyler and Tanner's personalities, how they dealt with situations and their relationship with each other. Twin relationships always seem to dynamic and mysterious. The only thing I truly disliked about this book was how their "secret" was handled. I guess I could chalk it down to the separate POVs for each chapter, but we saw in detail the "secret" in one chapter and then the next Tyler reveals the "secret" like it's some major revelation that the reader has no idea about. That could have been handled better but overall it was everything I expected.
24. The Confessions of a Duchess - Nicola Cornick - 1 star - I was so bored while reading this. None of the characters grabbed me and I had to force myself to turn to the next page.
25. Lessons for Lewis - Amber Kell - 3 stars - I'm really enjoying the Larson's brand of sass and sarcasm. Only thing that could make these books better would be if they were full length novels.
26. Hair of the Dog - Ashlyn Kane - 4 stars - I liked the story and the characters involved with this novel. There were a few glaring errors that the editor should have caught but overall it was a well done story. I loved the element of mystery that was added to the ending chapters as everything built toward the climax.
27. Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare - 5 stars - I've been waiting for this book since before Clockwork Prince came out just because I wanted to see how everything played out. Well, now I know. This book gave me some moments to laugh at, some to smile and fawn over... and even more to cry over. I refused to believe that my favorite character died when they did (glad I didn't believe it). It was hard to believe today but I was actually most affected when I thought a certain scatterbrained inventor was dead. That and the goodbyes. Lord, the goodbyes damn near killed me. The ending was extremely fitting and beautiful. I'm now insanely curious about how it happened, I wonder if those characters will play a role in City of Heavenly Fire or the later series.
28. The Infernal Devices Vol. 1 - Cassandra Clare - 4 stars - A nice blend of story and art. I would have preferred the art lean more toward the traditional manga style but this was a nice blend.
29. Second Chance - Heather Brewer - 4 stars - I love really watching Joss grow into the man he will be. I'm very curious to learn how all his close relationships with vampires will shape events in the future.
30. Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green & David Levithan - 3 stars - I had never read a John Green book before, had not really been interested in reading one. But he seems to be the Tumblr author of choice so I figured I would give him a try. I have read David Levithan before and have enjoyed his books greatly. Now I have read a John Green book and...
Honestly, I don't see what makes him so great. The story was okay, the characters were okay, nothing really stood out as being fantastic to me. The chapters lacking in grammar and capitalization had a purpose I'm sure (maybe showing how broken the second Will was?), but to an English teacher in training, it was highly annoying.
Maybe the chemistry between Green and Levithan just wasn't there... and maybe I need to read another Green book. We'll see I guess.
31. The Christmas List - Richard Paul Evans - 5 stars - This was a very touching read, I devoured it. This is a book that could change your life if you read it at the right time.
32. A Creed in Stone Creek - Linda Lael Miller - 4 stars - The chemistry between Steven and Melissa sizzled right off the page. The story was touching in parts and all in all a good read.
33. What Really Happened in Peru - Cassandra Clare - 3 stars - A fun, quick read but overall... a bit disappointing. Magnus' adventures in Peru could certainly warrant his banning from the country but the actual reason... rather lame and a cop-out.
34. Nemesis: The Final Case of Eliot Ness - William Bernhardt- 3 stars - Good crime story based on historical events, though not as good as some others I have read.
35. The Runaway Queen - Cassandra Clare - 4 stars - Although someone did not do their research before writing this short story... I greatly enjoyed it. I think it had more of a ending than the previous story had. This story really added to Magnus' character for me where the previous story did not.
36. Don’t Go - Lisa Scottline - 4 stars - This book was wonderfully written. I was rooting for Mike the whole time and shaking my head at some of the decisions he made. I was extremely pleased with the ending and amazed by all the twists the story held.
37. Come Home - Jason F. Wright - 3 stars - For the majority of the book I was screaming (in my mind of course) at Jill to just let things go. I really liked the life she had and Sam before Abby came into the picture... once Abby entered the scene everything just seemed to go downhill and they didn't seem to be headed in a good direction. However, by the end everything worked itself out and I was pleased once more.
38. Zall’s Captain - Amber Kell - 3 stars - I love reading about Zall's adventures. I just wish they were longer.
39. Meant for Each Other - D.H. Starr - 3 stars - I really enjoyed the story, the characters were extremely likeable or hateable. I was very pleased with the way things turned out and even the little twist I wasn't expecting that got them there. The only thing I didn't like was the sex dialogue... it was so cheesy, I felt like I was watching a bad porno.
40. It Might be Magic - Carolyn Gray - 4 stars - I love this story and the characters. The way the plot progressed was interesting and had just the right element of mystery. There were some technical errors that the editor should have caught.
41. His Undoing - Aria Grace - 3 stars - A decent story though I felt like I didn't really get to know the characters well.
42. A Proper Education for Girls - Elaine di Rollo - 2 stars - I was intrigued by the title but quickly bored by the story and the characters. Nothing ever truly caught my attention and held it.
43. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend - Matthew Dicks - 3 stars - For the first 100 pages or so I wasn't that intrigued by this book, I thought it was going to be better than what it was shaping up to be. But then Max was gone and it got good, I could feel Budo's fear and that propelled me to keep reading until I made it to the end.
44. Loveless Vol. 11 - Yun Kouga - 5 stars - Beautiful artwork, great continuation of the story, I just wish the next volume would come out quicker!
45. Fly Away - Kristin Hannah - 5 stars - Having just lost my mom a month ago... I'm not sure this was the best book for me to read right now. I saw myself in Marah's character (minus the self harm), my dad in Johnny, my gran in Margie and her best friends in Tully. A lot of the dialogue really hit me and I found myself crying a lot while reading. That being said, Hannah writes beautifully and really has a way of capturing her readers. She packs so much emotion into the events of the story.
46. Vampires, Scones and Edmund Herondale - Cassandra Clare - 4 stars - I do love learning about Magnus' past. This touch with Edmund was heartbreaking.
47. Think Big - Ben Carson - 3 stars - Dr. Carson's story is certainly inspiring...the first time around. After reading Gifted Hands and then being required to read Think Big, I was much less impressed with the latter as it basically repeated the same story.
48. The Midnight Heir - Cassandra Clare - 4 stars - This makes me insanely curious for the series that comes between TID and TMI. I feel like I will either love James like I do Will and Jem... or he's going to be one of those characters I love to hate.
49. True Love - Jude Deveruax - 5 stars I do so love a good book about finding true love...and this one had not one but a bunch of couples finding it! The characters were fiery, passionate and fun. I found even the minor characters interesting. I hope the next two books will be about Lexie and Toby. I'm very curious about their relationships with certain men. The reincarnation angle was interesting and well done. And of course, I love all the connections to the Montgomery's and Taggerts that I have come to love so much.
50. Game - Barry Lyga - 5 stars - Alright, when does the next book come out? I feel like I need it now. I want to get to the end of all these mysteries! I do love the suspense.
51. The Rise of Hotel Dumort - Cassandra Clare - 4 stars - Stay away from her Magnus! You'd think living as long as he has he'd learn... sigh. I wish Clare would reveal who Magnus' father is, it's a very intriguing mystery.
52. Divergent - Veronica Roth - 4 stars - I really loved Tris' character. She was a very strong female lead. I was very curious about Four and rightly so! I'm intrigued by this first book and will be picking the next one up when I finish the next couple of books on my shelf.
53. Duncan’s World - T.A. Chase - 3 stars - I loved Kyle's character. Sue me; I have a soft spot for tortured teens. And Duncan was a nice strong character. There were a few mistakes here and there which keeps this from getting a higher rating.
54. The Boy Who Sneaks in my Bedroom Window - Kirsty Moseley - 5 stars - I loved this book. I loved all the characters and the emotions. I could feel everything they were going through. I was really disappointed at a certain point near the end of the book but then another event happened that "fixed" the disappointment. I was so pleased that a happy ending could come out of all this.
55. Gives Light - Rose Christo - 5 stars - I don't know what it was about this book but I was absolutely enthralled. I just couldn't put it down. I loved Skylar and, well, all the characters. I loved the little glimpses into Native American life. I can't wait to start the next one.
56. Looks Over - Rose Christo - 4 stars - A great continuation to the first book. Parts of this one were very heart-wrenching and I look forward to reading the next one.
57. St. Clair - Rose Christo - 4 stars - I love watching how this story develops. It doesn't seem to move too quickly or too slowly. I had thought when Skylar went through his medical order it would be more center...more focused on, but it wasn't. I suppose that goes along with the Shoeshone not talking about personal things a lot. It breaks my heart that Native Americans are treated this way. I would love to learn more about my own Cherokee heritage but I don't even know where to start. I can't wait to read the next book to see what happens.
58. Why the Star Stands Still - Rose Christo - 4 stars - I really hope this isn't the end of this series. I loved it. I wish there had been a book between the 3rd and this one so we could have really seen Skylar getting his voice back but seeing them together was almost as good. I would love to see more of Mickey, Skylar and Rafael in the future.
59. Witch Eyes - Scott Tracey - 3 stars - Since I went into this with very little knowledge of the book and what it was about, I don't think I was really disappointed though I was a bit underwhelmed. I liked that the magic was the main point, not the romance. Though...the romance just seemed like it was added in there when it was convenient, not completely as a plot device but close, more of a second thought. I did love the characters, especially Braden.
60. Saving Raphael Santiago - Cassandra Clare - 4 stars - This actually made me like Raphael more.
61. Crash - Nicole Williams - 4 stars - I loved the characters and pacing of this book. At times I was really annoyed at Lucy and her assumptions but they played into the plot so well. I can't wait to read the sequel.
62. The Fall of Hotel Dumort - Cassandra Clare - 5 stars - I think this may have been the most intriguing of this series yet for me. I'm not sure just what it was but I loved this glimpse into the past. A lot of the events and reactions made Magnus seem more human.
63. Texas Heat - R.J. Scott - 4 stars - I really like this series and watching the characters grow.
64. Love for Hire - Anna Marie May - 2 stars - This was...okay. It could have been developed more and the pace was a bit too fast.
65. Lust & Fae - Joyce Flynn - 2 stars - The biggest issue that I have with gay erotica is that there is rarely any heft to the plot. This book was no different. We moved from plot point to plot point (sex scene to sex scene), little actual detail is given and some points were left open-ended at the end. Now, that last one could be because this is supposed to be the start of a series (I think), so those open-ended plot points could lead into the next book but as is they just feel forgotten.
66. Judging Jager - Amber Kell - 4 stars - The best Kell book I've read in a long time. I can't wait for the next one.
67. Inflaming Inno - Amber Kell - 3 stars - I liked Inno but I would have liked to learn more about him.
68. Caught Running - Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux- 3 stars - A fairly easy read. I liked the characters but would have liked a bit more closure about certain plot points.
69. What to Buy the Shadowhunter Who has Everything - Cassandra Clare - 5 stars - This is the installment that most of us had been waiting for and we were not let down. I laughed, maybe more than I should have, thanks to Elyaas. I don't know if it's a good thing for a demon to be so funny. Magnus' gift was truly thoughtful and would be the thing that Alec would want most. By the end, I was a fangirl puddle of goo.
70. The Warrior Heir - Cinda Williams Chima - 4 stars - This is not a good bedtime book for those who like to read a chapter or two before giving into sleep. The chapters of this book are very long and pack a lit of information within the pages. It was well written and the characters interesting. I hope the next installment doesn't have as much build up and more action.
71. Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader - Cassandra Clare (editor) - 3 stars - Though I found this collection of essays to be interesting, I was horribly bored and vouldn't wait to be done with it. I am an English major but I hate literary analysis. When I read a book, I want to enjoy the book and not look for what the author intended by making the curtains blue. 9/10 times the author is dead and we can't ask if they made the curtains blue because they were depressed or if they just liked that color. That being said though, this did give me a lot of insight into Clare's books and characters...from the views of others. That is what I liked most, that these were others thoughts and not Clare's.
72. Mrs. Poe - Lynn Cullen - 3 stars - This was an interesting read, it certainly gave Poe more passion is aspects of his life that I had never really thought of before. One problem I had, and this is with any book from this time period, is the stiffness. Everything from the way the characters conduct themselves to the conversations that were held were just stiff. This is not any fault of the author, once again I blame it on the time period.
73. The Iron Traitor - Julie Kagawa - 4 stars - Oooooh if I could kill a fictional character I would. That said, I liked the adventures in this book. There are a lot of character qualities that speak to me.
74. Insurgent - Veronica Roth - 4 stars - This was a good continuation from the first book, and it had an interesting twist at the end that I was not totally expecting. However, I found myself disliking Tris' character a lot more in this book. Still looking forward to reading the third book in the new year.
75. The Last Stand of the New York Institute - Cassandra Clare - 5 stars - I'm very pleased with this tie in. I liked seeing this view of The Circle and then the events in 1993. And of course, I love any mention/appearances of the characters from TID.