The 104 Book Challenge - 2015 discussion

Backing up the challenge number to 104 this year and planning on attacking the To Be Read pile.... onward!

Yay! Good to see you back. I am in awe of the idea of getting through the TBR pile.

As am I. The first book of the New Year will not be one, tho. I also have two more on hold at the library. I'm behind before I start! :)

#1 for 2015 The Girl with All the Gifts To remain spoiler-free, this will be very vague.... Interesting new take on the genre. I liked Melanie and the way she developed. Other characters... meh. They began to become stereotypes to me. I was not thrilled with the ending - just seemed like a quick wrap rather than a unique ending to fit a unique story. Because the ending underwhelmed me, 4/5.

#2 Blood of the Demon Well, it was free. Lots of sexytimes for fans of paranormal romance. 2/5

#3 Buddhist Boot Camp A very quick read at less than 150 pages. A basic intro to some of the precepts of Buddhism as understood by the author. 4/5

#4 (TBR #1) Red Rising Surprisingly good. Not sure what I was expecting since I heard shades of Divergent and Hunger Games in the description. Definitely grittier - makes it easy to forget that these are teenagers. Although I enjoyed it, there's no overwhelming urge to read it again, so it just misses a perfect score. 4/5

#5 The Martian Wow. I got this from the library yesterday, and ignored chores til I finished just now. Unfortunately couldn't ignore work or I would have been done sooner. Weir includes enough science to make it plausible and enough snark to keep it human - and funny. I had a few lol moments (usually rare for me when reading). And I can think of several friends to recommend this book to who all read different genres, and I think all would enjoy it. First standout of the year (and for a while actually. :/) 5/5

oooooo.... I've been eyeing that one. So glad to hear it lives up to the hype!!

Mary wrote: "oooooo.... I've been eyeing that one. So glad to hear it lives up to the hype!!"

I saw a few one star reviews that didn't like the way it was written (too "bloggy") but I thought it was appropriate to the set up. I'm really interested to know what you think when you're done.

#6 The Dragon Keeper (TBR #2) This may end up being a great series like most of Hobbs' others, but boy, does this start slowly. And bam, just stops right as things are beginning to move along. 3/ 5

Yes! Totally agree! This is the only Robin Hobb series I've read (and I've still got the 4th one tucked away somewhere). The second one is *slow* too, and they're basically one long novel. The third one changes pace and becomes more about plot than character.

Mary wrote: "Yes! Totally agree! This is the only Robin Hobb series I've read (and I've still got..." I've read the Tawny Man and Farseer series and really liked both. Figured I'd try this one while waiting for the newest one to be available at the library. Good to know about the second one cos otherwise I'd probably stop there.

#7 (TBR #3) Gil's All Fright Diner What is this? Progress on the TBR list? Who'd have thunk it. Anyway, redneck vamp and redneck werewolf travel to redneck town and stop an apocalypse. The zombie cows were a nice touch, but when I find myself rooting for the headless ectoplasmic terrier, it's probably safe to say this won't go in the "must keep" pile. Good silliness to kill time during lunch. 2.5/5

#8 (TBR#4) Hollow City I have had this book forever and just finished tonight. How long, you ask? I pre- ordered it. Just slow .... so slow I had no interest in picking up where I left off. Even the whole picture thing seemed contrived this time. 2/5

#9 An English Ghost Story Dysfunctional family moves to house that starts out charmingly creepy, then turns into creepily creepy. Maybe it's "English", or maybe gothic horror isn't my thing, but everything seemed to go into left field for the last third. 2.5/ 5

#10 Broken Monsters I really enjoyed The Shining Girls so was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately, this one just wasn't up to making me like it. Multiple POV - some that don't seem to relate til the last 1/3 of the book, and the sci fi aspect just didn't blend in as well as in Girls. I kept getting the feeling that this was supposed to be some commentary on social media, but it never fully formed. 2.5/5

#11 Prince Lestat Love the first three books, haven't read the middle 7 (figure there are that many since it says this is #11 in the series..:/), and decided to read this one since it seems like we're getting back to the nitty gritty of the story, right? Nope. Lots of secondary character backstory and obvious loose ends setting up the next (ye gods!! )novel. I will predict now that #12 is going to center around Rose and Viktor and scientific discoveries by Fareed while Louis mopes around the sidelines again.... sigh. 2.5/5

#12 (TBR#5) Blood Rights The blurb sounded so promising, but the book was just meh. I couldn't get into Chrysabelle's character as her personality was all over the place - she likes him, she doesn't; she's confused, she's not ... back and forth. Someone compared Mal to Season 1 Angel and that just hit the nail on the head. Poor Fi didn't have much to do except get corporeal and then die all over again. Not engaging enough for me to go find the second book. 2/5

#13 Driving the Saudis: A Chauffeur's Tale of the World's Richest Princesses Why did I even have this in my TBR pile? I don't remember. Yep, the Saudis are rich, and nope, they don't do things like we do. 2/5

#14 An Uncommon Education Do you ever read a book and think "There's got to be some bigger picture I'm missing here, cos this can't be the whole thing"? That's been happening to me more often than not lately: they aren't bad books, there just seems to be no purpose to them. 2.5/5

#15 The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir (TBR #8) Not a happily ever after memoir tho it seems it might start out that way. Like most books of this type, it mostly scrapes the surface of his efforts to make the Beekman a working farm with his partner, but also doesn't shy away from the impact it has on his relationship. 3/5

#16 Apologies to My Censor: The High and Low Adventures of a Foreigner in China (TBR #9) Memoir of a Canadian journalist's time in China. Lots of navel gazing about where his life was going, but at the same time he got the crazy "love it and hate it at the same time" feeling China will give you. 3.5/5

#17 The Foremost Good Fortune I'm on a China roll...!! It wasn't planned, honest. :) Not only does Conley have to deal with moving to China, but she's also diagnosed with breast cancer while living there. She does a great job describing the conflicting feelings China will give you: it's an awesome country but the smog! The spitting! The squatty potties (eek!) 4/5

#18 Life Drawing For Beginners (TBR #11) Whew! I'm getting thru the TBR pile... on that one bookshelf anyway (won't mention the others just yet :/) So, I've moved from China to Ireland! Irish thru and thru. Fairly well done job of taking a number of different characters and tying them all together. The POV shifts got pretty excessive, tho. 3/5

#19 Obsession in Death This one seems to get back to a real mystery rather than the "know who it is but figure out to how to prove it" the last few books have done. Also seems to bring the focus back to Eve and Roarke with appearances by some of the regular secondary characters. 3.5/5

Hooray for time off from work! I'm not doing the chores I'm supposed to be doing because I'm reading books, dangit!

#20 City of Stairs (TBR #12) Definitely a genre mashup of mystery and fantasy, but also more. It has a slower start, but it gives you a chance to get familiar with naming, factions, etc. The mystery does sort of fade away halfway through, but only because the fantasy gears up. I finished this and thought I really want a second book - guess I'll have to look into whether one is planned. 4.5/ 5 (extra half for Sigrud)

#21 Graveyard Shift Quick read at less than 250 pages. Mostly setting up characters and situations for future books, tho two plotlines get resolution. 3/5

#22 Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic Very quick read at less than 200 pages. I knew 'whodunit' from the get go, so not much of a mystery. This ebook was free at Barnes and Noble - not engaged enough to follow up with the next books. 2.5/5

#23 A Gift of Ghosts Another exceedingly short read (about 160 pages) tho in the afterblurb the author did mention her attraction to fan fiction, so maybe that's the reason?

I liked the premise - even tho "quirky town" has been done to death lately, this one wasn't so in-your-face. (I'M QUIRKY, DANGIT!!) and the characters. However, Akira is described one way and acts another and the whole thing feels rushed since so much happens so fast. 3/5

#24 Firefly Hollow So a paranormal romance that doesn't follow the "formula." Set in the late 50's, a paranormal character that doesn't have an agenda ( tho he's the typical really hot paranormal guy :/), and minimal sexytimes between the two with birth control a component of the scene. Why not a higher rate? I'm just not into the whole "will they, won't they" storyline - especially when all the secondary characters have bigger drama going on. 2.5/5

#25 The Rook Any blurb that compares a book to Buffy is going to get my attention. Unfortunately, those are large shoes to fill as the tone of Buffy is not easily matched. It never reminded me of Buffy, and while not a bad book, just didn't draw me in and make me want to sit and finish it. 3.5/ 5

#26 Darkangel Will have to add the cover later as my computer isn't cooperating this morning... Bought this in a sampler of paranormal romance. Started out promising, then turned into a whole lot of nothing until the last few pages. Each of these sampler books is the first in their respective series, so this one ended on the "nothing resolved" side. 2/5

#27 Cartwheels in a Sari: A Memoir of Growing Up Cult (TBR #13) The author never really had a chance as her parents were followers of this cult when she was born. Except that as she grows up, she has more exposure to the outside world and begins to drift away. Reading some of the scenes where she's drawn back in gave me the creeps. I can't imagine giving someone else that much power. 3/5

#28 Twin Souls

(Girl) Wow, my life is horrible. Hey, there's a new boy in class.
"New boy, why are you standing at my car after school?"

(Boy)"Because I think you should come to my house with me even tho you've never met me"

(Girl) "Ok, I'll spend the night, too"

Next morning:

(Boy) "I'm a vampire and your real family are vampire hunters"

(Girl). "Ok, now make out with me"

No. Just no. 1/5

#29 The Girl Yeah, so I'm going to be taking a break from this collection of books. The main characters are cheaters - why is this a good thing? Emmy makes a date with Marcus one of her conditions for helping the group save the world. That's right, her dating life (with a guy who already has a gf) is more important than saving the world. Basing your existence around a guy is not a theme that I want my girls to read. There's no reason for the insta-attraction and the supporting characters are better written. 1/5

#30 Burmese Lessons: A true love story Too long, and can't shifts between a political tone and her sexploits with a rebel leader. 2/5

#31 Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words: Travels with Mom in the Land of Dementia Finally! Getting ready to move has severely cut into reading time, and I'm just not ok with that. This is a quiet book - not deep or complex- about an adult daughter coping with her mother's dementia. 3/5

#32 The Best Horror of the Year Volume Two Some creepy, some not so much. 3/5

#33 The Gray and Guilty Sea 3.5/5

#34 The Girl on the Train 3/5

#35 Donna Bell's Bake Shop: Recipes and Stories of Family, Friends, and Food Not only do these recipes look delicious, but I was fortunate enough to see these three do a live demo at the L.A. Book Fair and they're all the sweetest and most real folk. It's not just a cookbook as there are personal stories among the recipes and gorgeous photos of food. 4/5

#36 Carpe Demon Kept thinking it was supposed to be Buffy at middle age. :) 3/5

#37 Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory 2.5/5

#38 The Glass Castle This was an incredibly depressing book to me. The "parents" were self centered, and made the kids suffer thru their alcoholism and mental issues. I'm glad all the kids got out and had relatively normal lives, but I'm just not as inspired by this as other folk are. 2/5

#39 Storm Front No rating as this was a re-read. Got my bf interested in the series, and I'm having to re-read to remember everything he's talking about! :/

#40 The International Bank of Bob: Connecting Our Worlds One $25 Kiva Loan at a Time Gave this one a try since I've been using Kiva myself for years. The blurb focuses on the human interest side - he goes to visit the families he lent to. There is, however, a large amount of time spent discussing the history and intricacies of microlending. Also, the footnotes got to be annoying. If he had to add three footnotes to a page, he might as well have just put it in the text. 2.5/5

#41 (and # I -don't-know-what from the TBR pile) One Year Off: Leaving It All Behind for a Round-the-World Journey with Our Children After moving, I completely lost track of where I was on the TBRs. Sigh. This was a quick read - Cohen and his family even went some places I'd not seen in other world traveling with kids memoirs. That said, I'm probably going to give this genre a rest for a while as the ones that I've read are all starting to read like each other. 3/5

#42 The Magicians Been working on this during lunch at work, and it's taken a while to get thru. Not a bad book, but it seemed to me like it didn't know what it wanted to be. Not a 2, but not a 3 either. GR really needs to add decimals to their rating system. 2.47693731/5

#43Cruxim Just about half a book at less than 175 pages and stops with the oh-so-in-vogue cliffhanger. Sigh. First of a trilogy that could probably be combined into one book. While this is the first time I've seen a sphinx as a love interest, it's not involving enough for me to hunt down the other two. 2.5/5

#44 The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life Collection of previously published articles from her newspaper column. Not really impressed with the "I'm a bigger drunk slob than you are" theme. 2.5/ 5

#45 The Shadow of the Wind Caught me by surprise how much I enjoyed this one. Mystery, love story, historical fiction all rolled up into one book. Whimsical and serious also come to mind. 4/5

#46 Fool Moon Re-reading the series as a pre- bed routine.