Best and Worst of 2014

Sadly, I read hardly any books this year but there were some great ones. Since I read so little I won't name the top 10 best books but the top 5. And...just because it's me, I'll name the top 5 worst books I read too. Enjoy! 

Top 5 Best Books

 The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

This was one of those books that everyone loved so I went into it very skeptically. There was no need. I adored it. I know it's cliche to say but it was such a page turner! 

 

Mind Games and Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Holy moly! I loved theses ones! I was so entranced by them and utterly heartbroken when it ended. I want more!!! 

Cruel Beauty by Rosamud Hodge 

I just now noticed that that's a rose coming out of the stairs on the cover. Anywho, this was the most beautiful, resonating book for me this year. I adored it. Read this book!!! 

The Ghost and the Goth (ghost and the goth 3) by Stacey Kade 

I love Will and by the end I even liked Alona. I'll miss these guys. Such a fun series! 

Odd Interlude by Dean Koontz

I really don't think I have to explain myself on this one. ;)

Top 5 Worst books

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

This one wasn't THAT bad but just because I usually love Sara Zarr's books and this one was so...yick, it's going to have to go on the list. 

Into You by Riley J. Ford

Ugh, this one, you guys, this one was just so...awful. It was completely unbelievable. And not the mind reading thing but the relationships and interactions etc. 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Sorry. I know there's those of you that loved this one. I liked the creepy pictures and at first it started off so promising and then...it felt like a freaking middle grade book. Ugh, just shelf this one in middle grade. I don't hate middle grade books I just don't like to think I'm reading a YA book only to find out it's written more for 10 year olds. Yuck! 

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

Way too long and way too much telling not showing. 

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

This one actually had some good things about it. It wasn't very exciting and hardly anything happened but there was something about the monotony, poor shell shocked Robert Neville and the ending that made me almost like it but when all is said and done, I'd recommend the move. At least it offers some hope. 

There you have it! Here's to a great reading year ahead of us. Happy New Years! 

Rest of the Year Mini Reviews

Well, I'm going to try to do better on this blogging thing. I miss you guys! So I thought I'd catch you up on the pathetic number of books I read since my last post and commit to doing more blogging and reading in 2015. 

The World's Strongest Librarian

I read this one for book club and had the opportunity to have the author himself come to our little book club and talk to us. While the book its self was entertaining and easy to read I had a hard time liking the author. He seemed so whiny and hopeless. When I met him it definitely helped to make me like him a little better. I'd recommend this one. 

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy 4) 

Still enjoying this series but this one actually drove me quite crazy. It was too long and too slow. Rose became complacent for way too long. It was like, come on already! Finally she starts making some progress again but the big "twist" at the ending...meh. I saw it coming from a mile away. 

I Am Legend

Wow. Totally different than the movie. Almost nothing happens in this one and it turns out to be utterly hopeless at the end. I was sadly disappointed. Just stick with the movie on this one.

Pope Joan

The idea of this one, they myth behind it...utterly fascinating. The actual execution...eh. I had a hard time giving a dang about the characters. I wanted to be more invested in them but I just didn't care. The afterward was probably the best part in the book. Not sure if that's a good thing. 

 The Fault in Our Stars

Hold on to your hats, people. I didn't hate this John Green book! I know, I know, I'm just as shocked as you. I actually enjoyed this one. However, and this isn't a reflection on the book...I don't think, anway, I didn't cry. Not one tear. Not one lump in the throat. Maybe I has just been too pre-warned I'd cry or maybe I'm a cold hearted...well, anyway. Either way I didn't shed a tear and I saw the twist coming  long before I read the book. 

Mad Love

While the story and characters in this one were very cute, I thought the writing felt slightly amateurish. Still, I'd recommend it for the fun story.  There's also a good dose of issues that make it pull a few more heartstrings. 

The Shepherd, The Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog

This short, fast read is a must around Christmas time. I read it in a half hour a few days before Christmas and laughed and cried. It's absolutely adorable. 

And there it is folks, the few books I read since my last post. I did do a reread of Catcher in the Rye and highly recommend it. I love it! Here's to a better book blogging and reading year to come. See you around! 

 

Mini Review Catch Up

Not that anyone reads my blog anymore but I felt the need to catch you all up on what I've been reading. I didn't want to write out all the reviews, though, so mini reviews it is. Sorry. Life is just busy lately what with marriage, the world cup, and life's other many trials.

 Everbound (Everneath 2)
I really liked the adventure in this one. I liked the way the Everneath was described. Unfortunately I just am not very attached to the characters in these books. I will read the final book, though. Just to see how it all ends.

Going Vintage 
I love Lindsey Leavitt's books. While Sean Griswold's Head was much more entertaining to me. This one had a lot going for it too. I just love books of self discovery and lessons the characters learn and share with us. Mallory was delightful. I loved her relationship with her sister Ginnie and her interactions with her strange family. Oliver was perfectly realistically dreamy. Sigh! All in all, a great book. I'd highly recommend it.

The False Princess 
I wanted to like this one. I really did. It was OK, I guess, but it just had too much telling. The whole book would have been at least 100 pages shorter without all that telling of useless info. Plus it felt forced and fake. There were just too many things that were't realistic. Ah well.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children
Honestly the thing that drew me into this book was the pictures. There's some pretty creepy and bizarre pictures throughout. Unfortunately, though the book started out with a great deal of promise, it ended up being littered with cliches. It felt more like a middle grade book than a YA and that, more than anything, bugged me the most!  

Cruel Beauty
Oh my gosh! Can you say love? Well, say it with me! I loved this book! I may have gone into it with ridiculously low expectations. I heard that Nix was so angry and pessimistic that everyone hated her. I, however totally understood how she felt and why she felt that way. It was a much more realistic take on Beauty and the Beast. Let's face it. No one is as happy and selfless as Beauty was. That's why I loved Nix so much. She was imperfect and flawed. The best part was she learned and grew. I can't even begin to express my love for this one. Sigh! I loved the tie in with mythology and fantasy and the house! So cool and creepy all in one.


Can we please not mention that I've only read 5 books in two months? Sigh! Hey, I'm just impressed I'm reading at all with everything else going on in my life. Until next time!

April Wrapup

Well, April was only a slightly better reading month then March.



Body and Soul (The Ghost and the Goth 3)
Good ending to a great series. I wanted a few more things wrapped up but oh well.

 
Perfect Lies (Mind Games 2) 
Awesomeness! 



Wintergirls 
Meh, It just made me hungry. So hungry!!!

Yeah, yeah, don't laugh. That's all I could manage this month. Favorite of the month we're definitely Body and Soul and Perfect Minds.

Review: Wintergirls

Title Wintergirls
By Laurie Halse Anderson
Genre YA Contemporary
Pages 278
Recommended by Book Club

First sentence So she tells me, the words dribbling out with the cranberry muffin crumbs, commas dunked in her coffee.



Synopsis
Lia and Cassie were best friends. They shared everything. Even their deadly eating disorders. Lia is anorexic and Cassie was bulimic. When Cassie is found dead in a hotel room alone Lia is haunted by her ghost and her struggle with anorexia comes to a crescendo. 



What is has going for it
I'm not going to lie, I ate this one up...no pun intended. Although, as you can tell from the first sentence in the book, that there is a lot of talk about food. Metaphorically and just plain descriptive this book talked so much about food I was stuffing my face and screaming at Lia to just eat!!! I actually cheered when she ate all the cupcakes! Laurie Halse Anderson has a very poetic style of writing that sucks me in and makes me flip the pages in a trance. I had no desire to read this one. I'm not one for eating disorders but once you start reading about Lia you just can't stop. I was engrossed. It was like watching an accident you just can't look away from even though it's not pretty.

What's lacking
Hmmm, I feel like I'm rambling and maybe being a little confusing. Did I like the book? No, not really. Yes I liked the writing style, that can't be helped, but the book was so depressing! I don't have a lot of patience for girls who have these problems and even if they don't say it...they blame everyone else. I felt like the author wanted us to believe that Lia's parents were so awful that she was driven to it. Well guess what? Life sucks and pretty much everyone has messed up parents. That doesn't mean we all have to go around blaming all our issues on them. At some point you have to just say, "yep, I've had a pretty crappy life and pretty crappy examples but I'm going to step up and take some damn responsibility for my actions!" Phew! Now that I have that off my chest. The other thing that drove me nuts was the book made me so hungry I probably gained 5 pounds reading it. See? Look at me! I can blame others for my issues too! :p

Favorite moment
When Lia eats all the cupcakes.

Yea or Nay?
Meh, maybe read it for the writing? Just be prepared to eat everything in sight.