75 Books...More or Less! discussion

Not sure how many I'll try next year. I was able to make it to the 90s this year, so maybe 100. We'll see . . .

You can do it Rachel!!!!!

And we're off for 2016 ;)!

1. by Anne Rice January 2nd
I'd give this book 2.5 stars if that were possible, so I'm being generous with 3 stars. I'm reading the Vampire Chronicles because a good friend gave me The Prince Lestat as a present and I feel an obligation to the characters and the ongoing story to read them all before reading that. I am beginning to wonder if my sense of obligation is misplaced.

The first 200 pages were boring. Never thought I'd say that about an Anne Rice novel, but they were. Then the action finally, finally picks up and we've got a story, kind of. This book does not have a whole lot of plot or story to it, it does have a whole of yawn-worthy talking and lengthy descriptions of flowers and other foliage in New Orleans. {Dear Ms. Rice, we already know everything there is to know about New Orleans from the first four books in the series, no need to recap please.}

When Lestat eventually wakes up on page 338, just like he did towards the very end of The Vampire Armand, then the important plot line picks up once again and something actually groundbreaking happens.

Here's hoping that the next one, Blood and Gold, is better.
3 stars

Andrea wrote: "You can do it Rachel!!!!!"

You so nice, Andrea!
Thanks!

Hahaha, I need to get me some pom-pom's...lol

2. by Holly Black January 6th
This was a fun little ghost story ride.
It's given me back a little bit of faith in Holly Black's ability to tell a good story.
3 stars

Rachel Joy wrote: "2. by Holly Black January 6th
This was a fun little ghost story ride.
It's given me back a little bit of faith in Holly Black's ability to tell a good story.
3 stars"

Have you read The Darkest Part of the Forest? I loved it. Restored my faith in her after reading those damn Curse Workers books!

Elyse wrote: "Rachel Joy wrote: "2. by Holly Black January 6th
This was a fun little ghost story ride.
It's given me back a little bit of faith in Holly Black's ability to tell a ..."

No, I haven't, but now I'm thinking about it.
Thanks!

3. by Cherie Priest January 8th
This book was so much fun!!!

I'm not sure what you call a book that has both novel and graphic novel in it because that's what this is. Having the two genres incorporated into one book made the story that much more fun to read.
The novel part told the fictional story of a young woman in search of the truth about the disappearance/death of her best friend, and the graphic novel part told the fantasy version of events from the best friend's point of view.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story!
4 stars

Rachel Joy wrote: "3. by Cherie Priest January 8th
This book was so much fun!!!

I'm not sure what you call a book that has both novel and graphic novel in it because that's what ..."

This is in my TBR! Glad you liked it!

4. by Soman Chainani January 14th

It's hard not to compare this book to Harry Potter, too many similarities. And I'm not a fan of copycat books.
It's also hard for me not to compare this to so many other fairy tale retellings I've read, and I've read some really good ones, and not feel that this one lacks. The hard part is zeroing in on what the specific lack is. Is it that I have a really hard time understanding what friendship could possibly exist between the two main characters? Is it the fact that I can't stand Sophie and really wish she'd go play in heavy traffic? Like, now would be good? Is it the fact the author couldn't resist the oh-so-predictable and pathetically trite realization that we all have good and evil inside us--really? I had no clue.

I'm going to give this another chance, and read the second one in the series.
We'll see if the author can change my mind.
2.5 stars

Rachel Joy wrote: "4. by Soman Chainani January 14th

It's hard not to compare this book to Harry Potter, too many similarities. And I'm not a fan of copycat books.
I..."

Oh that's too bad. This is in my TBR. Is is a graphic novel?

Elyse wrote: "Rachel Joy wrote: "4. by Soman Chainani January 14th

It's hard not to compare this book to Harry Potter, too many similarities. And I'm not a fan ..."

No, just a regular old novel.

5. by Laurie R. King January 21st
This was such a good book!
I really had no idea what to expect when it was recommended to me. I had read only one of the original Doyle books, The Hound of the Baskervilles, just this summer coincidentally, and really enjoyed that. When I began this, knowing that it would be a modern author's take on Holmes, I wondered how close it would be to the original. Well, I was not disappointed.

King must be well-versed in the Sherlock Holmes lore as this book keeps to the character that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created. She has taken the next logical step in Holmes' biography by taking the reader to his later life, putting him in a country home where he reads, has bee hives, and writes his monographs on various topics of his interest.

The main character, Mary Russell, is a strong, intelligent young woman who is somewhat ahead of her time, even for 1915. It is a pleasure to watch her grow up in the tutelage of Holmes and to see their friendship solidify as kindred spirits.

This is a definite recommend to anyone who likes Holmes or a good mystery.
4 stars

Rachel Joy wrote: "5. by Laurie R. King January 21st
This was such a good book!
I really had no idea what to expect when it was recommended to me. I had read only one of t..."

I accidentally read book 13 in this series and really enjoyed it! So I definitely want to start at book 1 and read them all.

Elyse wrote: "Rachel Joy wrote: "5. by Laurie R. King January 21st
This was such a good book!
I really had no idea what to expect when it was recommended to me. I had..."

Yeah, I think I'll have to add this series to my ever-growing list of series-I-wish-to-read . . . someday ;).

Right, I have one of those lists too. Odd Thomas, Chief Inspector Gamache, a ton of cozy mystery series, etc. lol

Rachel Joy wrote: "5. by Laurie R. King January 21st
This was such a good book!
I really had no idea what to expect when it was recommended to me. I had read only one of t..."

I think I read this one and remembered liking it....but then I've read so many books I am only guessing at that! LOL

Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews wrote: "I think I read this one and remembered liking it....but then I've read so many books I am only guessing at that! LOL..."

I hate when that happens! That's why I love Goodreads! I was keeping track before I joined but this way is so much easier. Though there are a few from over 10 years ago that I'm like that sounds familiar... lol

6. by Soman Chainani January 26th
Sophie is evil, Agatha is good, and Tedros is a stupid boy.
There, now you don't have to read the 400+ pages to find out.

I sincerely wonder how some books become New York Times bestsellers!
2 stars

7. by CLAMP February 2nd

I love this manga series!

5 stars

8. by Marissa Meyer February 4th

Wow!!

That was incredible!!

I loved this entire series, and yes, the author managed to wrap everything up so nicely, too.
I am a big fan of the fairy tale retelling and having read a few at this point I think I can say with some authority that Marissa Meyer got it right.
Of course, you should be a fan of science fiction and dystopia in order to read this. I am not normally a fan of dystopia, most of the ones I have read except for this one have been disappointing to say the least, but again, Meyer is a good writer and I, for one, can't wait to see what she writes next.

5 stars

Rachel Joy wrote: "8. by Marissa Meyer February 4th

Wow!!

That was incredible!!

I loved this entire series, and yes, the author managed to wrap everything up so nicely, too.
I am a big ..."

I own the first 3, I really need to start this series soon! Now that it's finished. ;)

Oh Elyse, it is so good!
I've read the first three books twice, and will, I'm sure, someday read the whole series again.
And, Meyer's got a new book coming out sometime soon, I believe.
Can't wait.

9. by Mary Ann Shaffer February 9th
What a beautiful book! I laughed, then cried, then laughed and cried some more.

The harrowing experiences of WWII and how it changed the lives of the people on the island of Guernsey forever will stay with you as you read it. And when you finish reading it, you'll want to go back to the beginning and read it all over again.

I was born into a house filled with books, grew up with books, and now work with books. This book came to me as a recommendation from one of my GR challenges, and I am so thankful for that. This book is for all you fellow bibliophiles out there who know, like me, the incredible power of a good book. I just finished reading this, and am automatically thinking of all the people I could give it to as a present.

Read this book!
5 stars

Rachel Joy wrote: "9. by Mary Ann Shaffer February 9th
What a beautiful book! I laughed, then cried, then laughed and cried some more.

The harrow..."

This is high in my TBR. Quite a few members have raved about this book!

Elyse wrote: "Rachel Joy wrote: "9. by Mary Ann Shaffer February 9th
What a beautiful book! I laughed, then cried, then laughed and cried som..."

I read and listened to it. If you can get it on audio, I highly recommend listening to it. The group of readers did an amazing job with it!

Rachel Joy wrote: "Elyse wrote: "Rachel Joy wrote: "9. by Mary Ann Shaffer February 9th
What a beautiful book! I laughed, then cried, then laughed..."

Huh! The audiobook was available from the library so I snatched it up! :) I'm almost done my other audiobook! Perfect!

Rachel/Elyse, I really enjoyed Guernsey too. I read it when it was first released and could probably read it again as a "new book" :) I just might give the audio book a try.

Loooved this book! So glad you enjoyed it!

Jan, I was thinking the same thing. It was one of the few books that I would consider rereading. It was that memorable.

I loved that book, which really surprised me! My reading tastes tend to lean to other genres and I typically hate epistolary writing... and yet, I adored Guernsey :)

10. by Darynda Jones February 16th
Wow, this was really good!

When I first began the book, I was riding on high hopes from others' reviews and my own expectations. For a while, I wasn't sure what I thought of the book, then I slowly warmed up to Charley, and Cookie, and then along came Reyes. OMGGM!!! That boy is . . . well . . . there aren't words really ;). Let's just say that I have never before read an adult fantasy book with an adult scene so incredibly well written. And I mean, well written!!!

This is a fun, well executed book, and I would recommend it whole heartedly!
I am very impressed that this is a debut novel. I can't wait to start book 2 in this series!
5 stars

11. by QuinRose and Soumei Hoshino February 21st

This is the sixth manga I've read and I have to say I was quite disappointed. This is an omnibus edition, meaning it has several volumes in one, and nothing happened other than Alice getting introduced to all the characters of the strange world she falls into.

I'm going to read the second omnibus edition to give this series another chance. I hope that there will actually be some story line this time around. I suppose I should not be surprised that not all mangas are amazing, just as not all novels are amazing--it's just that I was on such a role with mangas that were taking my breath away that this one really let me down.
2 stars

12. by QuinRose and Soumie Hoshino February 22nd

Apparently some mangas are just a bunch of characters talking to each other without anything happening in the story. That is to say, there isn't a story line really. This series is one of those, and is not really to my taste.

What first caught my eye when I saw these books at my library was that they were a manga fairy tale retelling, and I love a good retelling. I've read many fantasy retellings by various different authors. Some were amazing, some were good, and some were not worth the time it took to read them. For me, this series, unfortunately, falls into that last category.
Thank goodness my library doesn't have the third omnibus ;).
2 stars

13. by CLAMP February 22nd

I know I've already said how beautiful the artwork is, and how wonderful the story is in this series. So, ditto for this one as well!

You could hold a real deep book club conversation with all the philosophical topics that are brought up in these books. In fact, I wish I could talk to others reading this series, or those who have read it, because there is just so much to say, so much to interpret, and so much to admire.
5 stars

Rachel Joy wrote: "12. by QuinRose and Soumie Hoshino February 22nd

Apparently some mangas are just a bunch of characters talking to each other without any..."

That's so disappointing!!

14. by Michelle Hodkin February 23rd

Okay, if it weren't 9 o'clock at night, I would get in my car right now, drive to the bookstore and buy the next book. That's how good this is, and how much of a cliffhanger the first book ends on. And I do love a good cliffhanger!

I was truly beginning to doubt whether there were very many authors out there who could do the genre of YA paranormal justice, and I am very happy to report that the number just went up by one more. Thank you to Michelle Hodkin!

I love both Mara and Noah, and can't wait to see what happens next.
First thing tomorrow morning, I'm headed to the bookstore.
5 stars

P.S. (The next day) Just bought this one to give as a gift to my nieces and the second one for me to read ;).

15. by Darynda Jones February 28th

Okay, it's official: I'm hooked! I love Charley and all the wonderful ways she sees everything.

"Holy mother of banana cream pie!"
This series grows on you and before you know it, you're completely engrossed in Charley's world and can't wait to find out what's going to happen next.
I just wish I didn't have to wait for my dinky little library to find a copy of book 3 somewhere . . . :(
5 stars

I love a good series!!!!

16. by Michelle Hodkin March 3rd

This was every bit as good as the first installment in the trilogy of Mara Dyer. One could even argue that it was better, with more psychological thriller and horror aspects in store for the reader.

I can't wait to read the third and final book to find out how it all ends up!
I have become a new fan of Michelle Hodkin's work.
5 stars

17. by Michelle Hodkin March 12th

Awesome read!
It is so refreshing to find out that there are intelligent, well-educated authors out there writing young adult fiction, and Michelle Hodkin is certainly one of them.

Mara and Noah are not your typical protagonists. They're not necessarily one thing or the other, good or bad, but they are real people. This is one of the sweetest love stories I have ever read. It is also a frank discussion on right and wrong, and what lengths we would go to for those we love.
5 stars

18. by CLAMP March 16th

The series continues to deliver beautiful illustrations, I mean worthy-of-framing-and-hanging-up-in-your-living-room beautiful, highly philosophical themes, and characters that you can't help but become inextricably attached to.
5 stars

19. by CLAMP March 21st

A bittersweet ending to a wonderful series.

I recommend this manga to anyone and everyone!
5 stars

20. by CLAMP March 21st

What a beautiful collection of sad stories, all centered around the Snow Princess. My favorite was "On Wolf Mountain," a story that is echoed in many other fairy tale stories where it is found out that the supposed villain is not so at all.
Yet again, CLAMP delivers gorgeous illustrations and strong characters.
I liked the message at the end of the epilogue--certainly something to think about.
5 stars

21. by Danielle Trussoni March 30th

I had such high hopes for this book.
I am, in fact, so little interested in the characters that I will probably not pick up the second book to see what happens to them.
In a word, this book was dry.
2 stars

22. by Ann Radcliffe April 1st

"O! useful may it be to have shewn, that, though the vicious can sometimes pour affliction upon the good, their power is transient and their punishment certain; and that innocence, though oppressed by injustice, shall, supported by patience, finally triumph over misfortune!"

That's how writers wrote novels in the late 1700s, and that's what makes them so enjoyable to all us bibliophiles.

I was way off on my prediction of where the mystery would take us, but I had so much fun finding out the truth of everything and everyone that I don't mind a bit.

I can certainly see what Jane Austen saw in Ann Radcliffe's writing to inspire her!
4 stars

23. by Hiromu Arakawa April 2nd

Pure fun manga!
4 stars

24. by Hiromu Arakawa April 3rd

Awesome fun manga!
My favorite characters are Ed and Winry.
4 stars

Rachel Joy wrote: "21. by Danielle Trussoni March 30th

I had such high hopes for this book.
I am, in fact, so little interested in the characters that I will probably not pick up the ..."

Oh that's so disappointing! Moving to the bottom of my list.