Bookmarks (10)

Magnetic Rooster Themed bookmark

What Are You Reading Wednesdays (11)

What Are You Reading Wednesdays (10)

What Are You Reading Wednesdays #WAYRW is a weekly feature on It’s A Reading Thing. Everyone is welcome to participate. You can answer the questions in the comments section of the weekly #WAYRW post or link back to your #WAYRW post on your blog in the comments section as well. 

How to participate:

Grab the book you are currently reading and answer three questions:
1. What’s the name of your current read?
2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share a couple of sentences.
3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (Book 2 of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children)

"As we ran, I found myself wishing that the fog which had plagued us at sea would return again to hide us.  It occurred to me that it had very likely saved us once already; without the fog those balloons would have spotted us hours ago, in our boats, when we'd had nowhere to run.  And in that way, it was the one last thing the island had done to save its peculiar children."

As much as I have an affinity to the macabre, I would say no.  This world is a bit scary with real monsters and life and death consequences.  Also they are stuck in 1940 (literally stuck in time) in the middle of WWII which added real life danger in addition to the monsters.

Bookmarks (9)

Pretty magnetic garden themed bookmark

I do try to pick a bookmark that matches the theme of the book I am reading.  

Do you do this too?  

Someone should make pretty digital bookmarks for E-books.  On the plus side, you never lose your place in an E-book but on the other hand there is no pretty bookmark to look at and fidget with while you are reading.

End of Year Wrap Up and 2017 Goals

November and December was a slow reading month for me with only 3 books completed and 2 DNF.  I did meet my Goodreads 2016 reading challenge with 56/50 books before slacking off.  

I also joined a book club at one of the local libraries which specifically reads Science Fiction.  I found through Goodreads and attended the first meeting December 17 and received a very warm welcome.

If you are a gamer and/or grew up in the 80's this is a must read.  It is the nerdiest book I have ever read and I loved every minute of the audio book.  5 Stars

This is Book 3 of the Lunar Chronicles series; while I did not enjoy Book 2 very much, Book 3 really delivered on everything I loved about the first book and more! Action, drama, cliffhangers, romance, tears.  Can't wait to read the finale Winter.  4 Stars

As soon as I saw this book, I was interested in reading it.  I love the movie and I thought a memoir about the making of it would be fun.   My library happened to have the audio version.  What a lucky find that turned out to be.  Cary reads it himself, does some fantastic voice impressions, tells kind and humorous stories about the experience and cast members including the magnificent Andre The Giant. 5 Stars

The DNF list 

Jane Steele by Lindsay Faye - It was well written and a unique concept although a slightly uncomfortable one (Jane Eyre as a sociopath serial killer).   I just did not empathize or like the main character enough to accept the premise of the story enough to continue.  I tried really hard and maxed out the renewals at the library and decided I would rather spend the time reading something I love.

The Real James Herriot: a memoir of my father by James Wight - I wanted to read this ever since it came out.  It was the prologue that did me in.  I love the James Herriot books and I want to believe they are true even though I know they are fiction loosely based on real experiences.  I decided after reading the prologue that I didn't really want to lose this illusion because I would never be able to see them the same afterward.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare - I have wanted to try this series all year but the first book was always checked out.  However, I only made it through a few chapters.  I really don't care for  angel/demon themes (which I already knew it was) and it felt a bit on the younger side of YA.  I am going to give it another try in audio format before I give up.

2017 Goals

GoodReads Challenge: 50 books

I made it 30 last year and had to bump it up in July.  This should be an easy 2 books a month with book club books.

Happy Reading

Bookmarks (8)

Halloween maybe over but Autumn is not and there is something classically autumnal about Edgar Allen Poe.

October Wrap Up

October was a slow reading month even though I had a week's vacation.

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles Book 2) by Marissa Meyer (audio version)
This one was no where near as good as Cinder.  I didn't find Scarlet and Wolf to be compelling characters and their story was a bit rushed.  However we did learn new information about Cinder's background.  I will continue with the series.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Book 3 of the Raven Cycle series) was every bit as good as the first two.  I love all the characters and how they develop more and more with each book.  Can't wait to read the final book.

Vicious by V.E Schwab was a stand alone book but now a sequel is in the works.  I never know quite how I feel about Schwab's books until I am well into the story.  As in all her stories, but this one even more than most, you have to just accept some basic premises right up front and don't ask questions.  That was a bit more difficult in this book because it is set entirely in the real world.  Her strong point as always is in building great characters.  I really loved Victor, Mitch, Sydney and Dol (the dog) and the conclusion was had multiple heart stopping moments.  I am very interested in the upcoming sequel.

What Are You Reading Wednesdays (10)

What Are You Reading Wednesdays #WAYRW is a weekly feature on It’s A Reading Thing. Everyone is welcome to participate. You can answer the questions in the comments section of the weekly #WAYRW post or link back to your #WAYRW post on your blog in the comments section as well. 

How to participate:

Grab the book you are currently reading and answer three questions:
1. What’s the name of your current read?
2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share a couple of sentences.
3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd ~ A Flavia de Luce Novel ~ by Alan Bradley

"The expression on his darkened face was ghastly:  a look of sheer horror.  The eyes bulged out in a  start that might have been amusing if their owner had not been dead.  The nostrils were flared and cavernous, like those of a horse about to bold:  as if they had flung themselves open in one last desperate attempt to drawn in oxygen.  The corners of the open mouth, inverted as they were - turned up instead of down, in mockery of a smile - made it clear that the man had, at the instant of death, been terrified.

I think yes.  The books are set in 1950's England that still has scars but has recovered a bit from WWII.  More than the time/location, I would like to BE Flavia De Luce and know stuff about chemistry.