2014 Reading Challenge
Last year I read 57 books. I've decided to give myself another reading challenge. In 2014 I want to read 60 books. So far, I'm ahead of schedule. Here are my goals for the year:
Different Types of Books and Their Starter Goal:
Classic Literature: 5 books (3/5 read)
Non-Fiction/Biography: 2 books
Manga/Graphic Novels: 7 books (3/7 books)
Adult Literature: 10 books (6/10 read)
New-Adult Literature: 3 books (1/3 read)
Young-Adult Literature: 10 books (4/10 read)
Doctor Who Tie-Ins: 4 books (1/4 read)
01.The Insomniacs by Karina Wolf (started Jan 1st; finished Jan 1st) - A children's picture book. It was a gift from my sister for Christmas. What made this book for me was the drawings - beautiful. 4/5 stars.
02.Doctor Who: Shroud of Sorrow by Tommy Donbavand (started Jan 1st; finished Jan 1st) - An Eleventh Doctor adventure and the first novel with new-ish companion, Clara “Oswin” Oswald. (FYI: I think this might be the only media tie-in novel featuring Eleven and Clara, which is really sad.) Clara didn't read like herself, and neither did Eleven. The minor characters rather generic and just there to keep the story moving. No one really caught my eye or my attention. The writing style was fine, though rather simple. The plot had potential, but went nowhere. 2/5 stars. (Doctor Who Tie-In)
03.Feast of Crows by George R.R. Martin (started Dec 28th; finished Jan 3rd) - The fourth novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Some great moments of character development for my favs and my favs that I love to hate. However, this novel really needed an editor - at least a hundred pages could have been cut and nothing would have been hurt. 3/5 stars. (Adult Novel)
04.Daniel Deronda by George Eliot (started Jan 4th; finished Jan 7th) - Daniel Deronda by George Eliot is a novel that came to my attention several years ago. Due to one reason or another, it has taken me ages to finally sit down and read it. Was it worth the wait? Well, it certainly wasn’t a waste of time. I can see why many consider this novel to be a classic and Eliot’s best work. Most of the characters are rather likable. It’s a bit rare in these kinds of novels to have a lot of nice people wandering around. While Gwendolen Harleth isn’t all together likable, she’s at least rather fascinating.Jewish faith and culture play a large role in the novel, and it’s done respectfully. Actually, a lot of the plots- in Daniel Deronda’s side of things - are rather well done and interesting. They certainly kept my interest. Having only watched the 2002 miniseries before, it was lovely to dive deeper into the past of many of the characters. Suddenly Mirah and her brother had their own lives; the stuff with their father, Mirah’s sad past - it all came alive. I also rather enjoyed seeing Deronda’s inner thoughts in regard to his parentage and his growing love and understanding of the Jewish faith and culture. Even Hans and his lovely family came more alive on the page. It doesn’t always read like a lot of novels from the same time period - and that’s a good thing. It feels like a mix of social satire (most of Gwendolen’s story) and of morals and people’s places in the world. People, who might not have been seen as sympathetic in other novels, are shown with a sympathetic and understanding eye. I can understand why some people have said that Gwendolen Harleth is one of the most complicated and fascinating characters in Victorian literature. I can also understand how some can view her as a naïve, manipulative, selfish, satire of the “modern day heroine”. I’m sure people could (and have) written whole papers on Gwendolen Harleth. On a totally personal note: I found her to be selfish and manipulative and immature; however, I pitied her. Mostly because she kept making terrible choices and didn’t seem to grow until half-way into the story. Though, I suppose that is alright, considering that none of the other characters had much character growth either. And why couldn’t Daniel admit his feelings for Mirah (especially to himself) until after he found out he was a Jew? I get the times, but he had already met a person who had married outside their religion. Many people say that the novel is two stories: one that deals with Gwen, her family, her marriage, and those around her; the other deals with Daniel’s parentage and the Jewish community of London, as well as the reunion of Mirah and her brother. It certainly felt that way to me. And I wonder if the novel couldn’t have been two companion novels, each standing on their own, with Daniel being the connection. I know some countries have just punished Daniel’s story.
While I enjoyed the overall plots and subplots (and they were all written wonderfully) I did think that at 710 pages the novel was a bit long. There were a few scenes that could have been shorter or cut all together. Overall, I enjoyed the novel more than I thought I would. 3/5 stars. (Adult Novel; Classic Literature)
05.Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon (started Jan 7th; finished Jan 9th) - This novel read like it didn't know what it wanted to be in life. Was it a straight adventure wuxia? A paranormal romance? A supernatural action story? All of the above? Maybe. But, it didn’t feel like a mix of all these things. It felt like a mixed bag; like a soup made out of odds and ends. The characters were also an issue for me. They were all nice and no one bothered me. However, I didn’t really care about any of them. They were just sort of there - being what the story needed them to be when the narrative required it. In a lot of ways this story felt like a second or third draft, and not the finished story. 2/5 stars. (i>Young Adult Novel)
06.Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (started Jan 9th; finished Jan 13th) - With a dark and moody atmosphere, this novel read like a mix of dramatic romance and horror story. A classic for a reason 4/5 stars. (Adult Novel; Classic Literature)
07.Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (started Jan 10th; finished Jan 14th) - Another novel that is a classic for a reason. 4/5 stars.(Adult Novel; Classic Literature)
08.Black City by Elizabeth Richards (started Jan 15th; finished Jan 17th) - The novel itself is an odd mix of: paranormal romance (He’s a vampire! She’s a normal girl!), dystopian world building (that’s lacking, if I’m honest), religious motifs, and segregation/race tension parallels. It was a mixed bag, when all I was expecting was some vampires hanging in a dystopian North America.
We start the story a year after the end of a terrible war that has resulted in the Darkling (vampire) population begin segregated into walled ghettos or concentration camps. Ash is a “twin-blood”, meaning his father is human and his mother is a Darkling. Quickly we are told that some Darklings have developed a terrible disease that is slowly turning them into mindless killing machines (and killing them.). We also learn that the leader of this dystopian country is a religious icon, slowly forming his own religion and secretly sending the Darklings to concentration camps. The government is even experimenting on Darklings! Then again, the Darklings aren’t totally innocent - having no issues killing the innocent people for celebrations and revenge.
Natalie is a bit of a square and the daughter of a high ranking government official. She’s also painfully naïve at times (how could she not noticed that her “servant” is actually a slave?) and a little self-centered. Of course, Ash is a jerk. If I’m totally honest with myself most of the characters in this novel are self-centered jerks. And those that aren’t . . . aren’t really explored enough. (Polly, Beatle, Day, Juno Jones come to mind.)
Then you have the religious motifs/government stuff, which really didn’t work for me. The leader of the country is also the leader of a new religion. Books are banned. People are called race traitors for having relationships with Darklings or twin-bloods. Crimes are intense - even the smallest thing can get you killed. And they prefer public crucifixion as the main form of punishment. It was an odd mix of every terrible government ever (Nazi Germany comes to mind) and creepy overly-conservative religion. And this has all been going on for fifteen years? How in the hell did the world/country let this happen? Is this an alternate universe? Did everyone take stupid pills?
The romance was something else that didn’t work for me. I cannot explain it, but they were just too obsessed with one another; too Twilight. Ash keeps hurting Natalie and she forgives him. Natalie loses herself in thinking and obsessing only about Ash. For a third of the novel, it switches from a story of two races and government to a whiny love story. It really didn’t work.
As for the world building and science - it’s weak. I still have questions regarding the war. I have questions regarding the Trackers and their unique gene that helps them sense Darklings. I’m slightly confused about the different types. How long have humans known about them; because, it strikes me as odd that everything would suddenly go to hell in a hand basket. 2/5 stars (Young Adult Novel)
09.These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (started Jan 19th; finished Jan 24th) - More of a survival story than anything else. It relies heavily on its characters. 4/5 stars (Young Adult Novel)
10.Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin (started Jan 25th; finished Feb 2nd)- A great writing style, but sort of all over the place. 3/5 stars (Adult Novel)
11.Kimi ni Todoke Volume 18 by by Karuho Shiina (started Feb 4th; finished Feb 4th) - The series and its main characters are still all really adorable. But, at 18 volumes (with 20 completed in Japan), it feels like the story needs to wrap up. 4/5 stars (Manga)
12.Inu x Boku Volume 2 by Cocoa Fujiwara (started Feb 17th; finished Feb 17th) - Having seen the anime, I know where the first three or four volumes are going. It's heartbreaking. Still enjoying the art work and characters. 4/5 stars. (Manga)
13.Kamaisama Kiss Volume 14 by Julietta Suzuki (started Feb 17th; finished Feb 17th) - Still enjoying the overall story, but feeling like things are being dragged out for drama. 3/5 stars. (Manga)
14.Cress by Marissa Meyer (started Feb 12th; finished Feb 17th) - Maybe my favorite novel of the year. (So far) I am in loved with Cress and all the other characters in this series. I am scared and excited to see where they go in Winter. 5/5 stars. (Young Adult Novel)
15.Just One Day by Gayle Forman (started Feb 21st; finished Feb 23rd) - Rather disappointed. None of the characters were all that likable, and it felt forced in some places. 2.6/5 stars. (New Adult Novel)
16.The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (started Feb 23rd; finished Feb 28th) - A mixture of romance, history, and fantasy, the novel tells the story of a golem and a jinni who try and make their ways in the world.
Characters:
- All the characters felt a little distant, a little passionless. Even a little cliched at times.
- The Jinni narrative in the first third of the novel was much plainer than the Golem’s. He’s kind of a jerk, if I’m totally honest with myself.
Writing:
- There really should have been an editor (or a better editor) for this book. There are long drawn out passages with straightforward, boringly uncomplicated descriptions of things that . . . might not be needed to understand and enjoy the overall plot.
- There is a rich and dark atmosphere for a lot of the novel. A moody kind of feeling that lets us know everything is not as it seems. I actually really enjoyed the atmosphere for the first third of the novel, especially during the parts dealing with the Golem/Jewish community.
Overall:
It is a novel that I think people will enjoy. It just wasn't for me. I liked it, but never loved it. 3/5 stars.
(Adult Novel)
Different Types of Books and Their Starter Goal:
Classic Literature: 5 books (3/5 read)
Non-Fiction/Biography: 2 books
Manga/Graphic Novels: 7 books (3/7 books)
Adult Literature: 10 books (6/10 read)
New-Adult Literature: 3 books (1/3 read)
Young-Adult Literature: 10 books (4/10 read)
Doctor Who Tie-Ins: 4 books (1/4 read)
01.The Insomniacs by Karina Wolf (started Jan 1st; finished Jan 1st) - A children's picture book. It was a gift from my sister for Christmas. What made this book for me was the drawings - beautiful. 4/5 stars.
02.Doctor Who: Shroud of Sorrow by Tommy Donbavand (started Jan 1st; finished Jan 1st) - An Eleventh Doctor adventure and the first novel with new-ish companion, Clara “Oswin” Oswald. (FYI: I think this might be the only media tie-in novel featuring Eleven and Clara, which is really sad.) Clara didn't read like herself, and neither did Eleven. The minor characters rather generic and just there to keep the story moving. No one really caught my eye or my attention. The writing style was fine, though rather simple. The plot had potential, but went nowhere. 2/5 stars. (Doctor Who Tie-In)
03.Feast of Crows by George R.R. Martin (started Dec 28th; finished Jan 3rd) - The fourth novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Some great moments of character development for my favs and my favs that I love to hate. However, this novel really needed an editor - at least a hundred pages could have been cut and nothing would have been hurt. 3/5 stars. (Adult Novel)
04.Daniel Deronda by George Eliot (started Jan 4th; finished Jan 7th) - Daniel Deronda by George Eliot is a novel that came to my attention several years ago. Due to one reason or another, it has taken me ages to finally sit down and read it. Was it worth the wait? Well, it certainly wasn’t a waste of time. I can see why many consider this novel to be a classic and Eliot’s best work. Most of the characters are rather likable. It’s a bit rare in these kinds of novels to have a lot of nice people wandering around. While Gwendolen Harleth isn’t all together likable, she’s at least rather fascinating.Jewish faith and culture play a large role in the novel, and it’s done respectfully. Actually, a lot of the plots- in Daniel Deronda’s side of things - are rather well done and interesting. They certainly kept my interest. Having only watched the 2002 miniseries before, it was lovely to dive deeper into the past of many of the characters. Suddenly Mirah and her brother had their own lives; the stuff with their father, Mirah’s sad past - it all came alive. I also rather enjoyed seeing Deronda’s inner thoughts in regard to his parentage and his growing love and understanding of the Jewish faith and culture. Even Hans and his lovely family came more alive on the page. It doesn’t always read like a lot of novels from the same time period - and that’s a good thing. It feels like a mix of social satire (most of Gwendolen’s story) and of morals and people’s places in the world. People, who might not have been seen as sympathetic in other novels, are shown with a sympathetic and understanding eye. I can understand why some people have said that Gwendolen Harleth is one of the most complicated and fascinating characters in Victorian literature. I can also understand how some can view her as a naïve, manipulative, selfish, satire of the “modern day heroine”. I’m sure people could (and have) written whole papers on Gwendolen Harleth. On a totally personal note: I found her to be selfish and manipulative and immature; however, I pitied her. Mostly because she kept making terrible choices and didn’t seem to grow until half-way into the story. Though, I suppose that is alright, considering that none of the other characters had much character growth either. And why couldn’t Daniel admit his feelings for Mirah (especially to himself) until after he found out he was a Jew? I get the times, but he had already met a person who had married outside their religion. Many people say that the novel is two stories: one that deals with Gwen, her family, her marriage, and those around her; the other deals with Daniel’s parentage and the Jewish community of London, as well as the reunion of Mirah and her brother. It certainly felt that way to me. And I wonder if the novel couldn’t have been two companion novels, each standing on their own, with Daniel being the connection. I know some countries have just punished Daniel’s story.
While I enjoyed the overall plots and subplots (and they were all written wonderfully) I did think that at 710 pages the novel was a bit long. There were a few scenes that could have been shorter or cut all together. Overall, I enjoyed the novel more than I thought I would. 3/5 stars. (Adult Novel; Classic Literature)
05.Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon (started Jan 7th; finished Jan 9th) - This novel read like it didn't know what it wanted to be in life. Was it a straight adventure wuxia? A paranormal romance? A supernatural action story? All of the above? Maybe. But, it didn’t feel like a mix of all these things. It felt like a mixed bag; like a soup made out of odds and ends. The characters were also an issue for me. They were all nice and no one bothered me. However, I didn’t really care about any of them. They were just sort of there - being what the story needed them to be when the narrative required it. In a lot of ways this story felt like a second or third draft, and not the finished story. 2/5 stars. (i>Young Adult Novel)
06.Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (started Jan 9th; finished Jan 13th) - With a dark and moody atmosphere, this novel read like a mix of dramatic romance and horror story. A classic for a reason 4/5 stars. (Adult Novel; Classic Literature)
07.Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (started Jan 10th; finished Jan 14th) - Another novel that is a classic for a reason. 4/5 stars.(Adult Novel; Classic Literature)
08.Black City by Elizabeth Richards (started Jan 15th; finished Jan 17th) - The novel itself is an odd mix of: paranormal romance (He’s a vampire! She’s a normal girl!), dystopian world building (that’s lacking, if I’m honest), religious motifs, and segregation/race tension parallels. It was a mixed bag, when all I was expecting was some vampires hanging in a dystopian North America.
We start the story a year after the end of a terrible war that has resulted in the Darkling (vampire) population begin segregated into walled ghettos or concentration camps. Ash is a “twin-blood”, meaning his father is human and his mother is a Darkling. Quickly we are told that some Darklings have developed a terrible disease that is slowly turning them into mindless killing machines (and killing them.). We also learn that the leader of this dystopian country is a religious icon, slowly forming his own religion and secretly sending the Darklings to concentration camps. The government is even experimenting on Darklings! Then again, the Darklings aren’t totally innocent - having no issues killing the innocent people for celebrations and revenge.
Natalie is a bit of a square and the daughter of a high ranking government official. She’s also painfully naïve at times (how could she not noticed that her “servant” is actually a slave?) and a little self-centered. Of course, Ash is a jerk. If I’m totally honest with myself most of the characters in this novel are self-centered jerks. And those that aren’t . . . aren’t really explored enough. (Polly, Beatle, Day, Juno Jones come to mind.)
Then you have the religious motifs/government stuff, which really didn’t work for me. The leader of the country is also the leader of a new religion. Books are banned. People are called race traitors for having relationships with Darklings or twin-bloods. Crimes are intense - even the smallest thing can get you killed. And they prefer public crucifixion as the main form of punishment. It was an odd mix of every terrible government ever (Nazi Germany comes to mind) and creepy overly-conservative religion. And this has all been going on for fifteen years? How in the hell did the world/country let this happen? Is this an alternate universe? Did everyone take stupid pills?
The romance was something else that didn’t work for me. I cannot explain it, but they were just too obsessed with one another; too Twilight. Ash keeps hurting Natalie and she forgives him. Natalie loses herself in thinking and obsessing only about Ash. For a third of the novel, it switches from a story of two races and government to a whiny love story. It really didn’t work.
As for the world building and science - it’s weak. I still have questions regarding the war. I have questions regarding the Trackers and their unique gene that helps them sense Darklings. I’m slightly confused about the different types. How long have humans known about them; because, it strikes me as odd that everything would suddenly go to hell in a hand basket. 2/5 stars (Young Adult Novel)
09.These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (started Jan 19th; finished Jan 24th) - More of a survival story than anything else. It relies heavily on its characters. 4/5 stars (Young Adult Novel)
10.Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin (started Jan 25th; finished Feb 2nd)- A great writing style, but sort of all over the place. 3/5 stars (Adult Novel)
11.Kimi ni Todoke Volume 18 by by Karuho Shiina (started Feb 4th; finished Feb 4th) - The series and its main characters are still all really adorable. But, at 18 volumes (with 20 completed in Japan), it feels like the story needs to wrap up. 4/5 stars (Manga)
12.Inu x Boku Volume 2 by Cocoa Fujiwara (started Feb 17th; finished Feb 17th) - Having seen the anime, I know where the first three or four volumes are going. It's heartbreaking. Still enjoying the art work and characters. 4/5 stars. (Manga)
13.Kamaisama Kiss Volume 14 by Julietta Suzuki (started Feb 17th; finished Feb 17th) - Still enjoying the overall story, but feeling like things are being dragged out for drama. 3/5 stars. (Manga)
14.Cress by Marissa Meyer (started Feb 12th; finished Feb 17th) - Maybe my favorite novel of the year. (So far) I am in loved with Cress and all the other characters in this series. I am scared and excited to see where they go in Winter. 5/5 stars. (Young Adult Novel)
15.Just One Day by Gayle Forman (started Feb 21st; finished Feb 23rd) - Rather disappointed. None of the characters were all that likable, and it felt forced in some places. 2.6/5 stars. (New Adult Novel)
16.The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (started Feb 23rd; finished Feb 28th) - A mixture of romance, history, and fantasy, the novel tells the story of a golem and a jinni who try and make their ways in the world.
Characters:
- All the characters felt a little distant, a little passionless. Even a little cliched at times.
- The Jinni narrative in the first third of the novel was much plainer than the Golem’s. He’s kind of a jerk, if I’m totally honest with myself.
Writing:
- There really should have been an editor (or a better editor) for this book. There are long drawn out passages with straightforward, boringly uncomplicated descriptions of things that . . . might not be needed to understand and enjoy the overall plot.
- There is a rich and dark atmosphere for a lot of the novel. A moody kind of feeling that lets us know everything is not as it seems. I actually really enjoyed the atmosphere for the first third of the novel, especially during the parts dealing with the Golem/Jewish community.
Overall:
It is a novel that I think people will enjoy. It just wasn't for me. I liked it, but never loved it. 3/5 stars.
(Adult Novel)