Here it is - the OFFICIAL 2014 READING GOAL CHALLENGE THREAD

[Valgoof]

I am on the very long library wait list for Divergent. I did enjoy Hunger Games. A coworker told me to read them. She said, do not read the synopsis first because it is not something you would normally read, but I promise it is really good. She was right.

Book #4/50-Jungle Jack:My Wild Life. This is the autobiography of the long time Columbus Zoo director Jack Hanna. I love him and our zoo, so I enjoyed all the stories from the early days. 4 out of 5 stars

Book #5/50-Dented Cans. Saw this one mentioned on here. I hated it. It was one that I read just to finish it, if that makes sense. I didnt care about the main character and thought it was pretty boring. 1 out of 5 stars

 

[wrestlingchick26]

Book 13- disintegrate- Scott Nicholson
This book was Strange with a capital S. It jumped all over the place and I really had trouble keeping up with it.
Didn't really enjoy it at all, only finished it too see what would happen

 

[Cantw8]

Just finished 11/22/63. I LOVED it! I'm not usually a Stephen King fan, I find him too long-winded but these book was just awesome. Great story line and great character development. I'm so glad I gave it another try. I'm on to Sycamore Row

 

[nemofans]

I read the Divergent books & I enjoyed them. Allegiant was my least favorite of the 3 books. I did like Hunger Games much more though. I also read the Maze Runner series & that had you guessing so much b/c you didn't know who to trust. I would also recommend the Mortal Instruments series. I did enjoy reading about the Shadowhunter world with the 3 prequel books to this series being my favorite. I will say all of these series are better than Twilight!

 

[Kimmers127]

I read these Christmas week. I liked Divergent a lot, Insurgent a little less (but I still liked it), and I really hated Allegiant. I liked the Matched and Maze Runner series better than the Divergent trilogy. At least in those you believed why the characters were acting the way the did, in the Divergent trilogy there was an awful lot of stuff that screamed "there's no reason I'm doing this except to move the plot along!"

+1 to everything you said!

 

[CallieMar]

I've read Divergent and Insurgent, and am on a long-ish hold list for Allegiant. I like the series a lot so far. Comparing the first two books of each trilogy I liked Hunger Games more, but I HATED the end of Mockingjay. HATED. I think I've kind of given up on getting a satisfying ending from any YA series anymore lol (major side-eye to the ending in Pandemonium which is making me dread reading Requiem). Which sucks because I love YA.

 

[mumloveseeyore]

book 9/150 wait for me by deborah devonshire
This was a fascinating autobiography of the youngest of the Mitford sisters. She knew both Hitler and President Kennedy as well as becoming Duchess of Devonshire and restoring Chatsworth house. I really enjoyed this.

 

[K and K's Mommy]

I started "Outlander" by Galbadon last night - want to give it a try before the show starts. Also, I want to read "Winter's Tale" before it comes out at Valentine's - hopefully can fit them both in!

Happy reading!

I am reading Outlander right now. I'm having trouble getting into it. I'm not sure why, it should be my kind of book.

 

[Ginny Favers]

Anyone else planning on braving Divergent before the movie comes out?

I read it as an ARC a few years ago. I don't remember much, but I remember feeling meh about reading the second one, so much so that when it came out, I couldn't bear to re-read Divergent, most of which I forgot, in order to begin reading it. After hearing the outrage over the third one, I am kind of glad I stopped when I did.

 

[Ginny Favers]

I've read Divergent and Insurgent, and am on a long-ish hold list for Allegiant. I like the series a lot so far. Comparing the first two books of each trilogy I liked Hunger Games more, but I HATED the end of Mockingjay. HATED. I think I've kind of given up on getting a satisfying ending from any YA series anymore lol (major side-eye to the ending in Pandemonium which is making me dread reading Requiem). Which sucks because I love YA.

If you hated Mockingjay, Requiem and Allegiant will probably not do much to restore your love for trilogies.

I agree with you. I hate reading series books as the only one I found remotely satisfying was The Hunger Games. The rest, I usually get bored of and forget between books, and then have no interest in starting up again once the new book comes out.

 

[wvjules]

Anyone else planning on braving Divergent before the movie comes out?

Me! After I finish Winter's Tale I'm going to read it.

 

[Kimmers127]

I've read Divergent and Insurgent, and am on a long-ish hold list for Allegiant. I like the series a lot so far. Comparing the first two books of each trilogy I liked Hunger Games more, but I HATED the end of Mockingjay. HATED. I think I've kind of given up on getting a satisfying ending from any YA series anymore lol (major side-eye to the ending in Pandemonium which is making me dread reading Requiem). Which sucks because I love YA.

You are right to be worried about Requiem. Lol.

 

[jenny105]

I've read Divergent and Insurgent, and am on a long-ish hold list for Allegiant. I like the series a lot so far. Comparing the first two books of each trilogy I liked Hunger Games more, but I HATED the end of Mockingjay. HATED. I think I've kind of given up on getting a satisfying ending from any YA series anymore lol (major side-eye to the ending in Pandemonium which is making me dread reading Requiem). Which sucks because I love YA.

Me too! I was so disappointed in the way that series wrapped up and I just felt Mockingjay was boring compared to the first two books. I have no idea how they're going to make two movies out of it.

 

[Narnian_Princess]

1.5/30 Fables: Animal Farm

This is the second in a series of graphic novels about fairy tale characters who have been driven from their homeland by a great evil and taken refuge in New York City-- think OUAT but better and all characters have their memories. I started reading them because of The Wolf Among Us video game/interactive story and they're quite good so far, though given the game's focus on Bigby Wolf (yes, the big bad wolf), I thought he would be the main character of the novels. Not so; this story focused on Snow White and Rose Red attempting to quell an uprising at the farm where all the non-human Fables live who can't afford glamours to make them look human. I've read the odd comic book/graphic novel in the past, but none that I cared to pursue the entire series of. I'm excited to start with this one!

Rating: 4/5 stars

2/30: Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

One thing I love about literature from different time periods is how it snapshots a culture, a way of thinking that's so different from our own, even if we know it now to be wrong. Burroughs definitely portrays (and fully believed in himself) a very racist and classist view of the world-- blacks are either savage or silly, white aristocracy always asserts its dominance, and macho manly-manness complete with dirt, nakedness, hunting, killing, dispassion, and lots and lots of muscles is ideal. To him, Tarzan is Perfect because he is both a grunt-spit-kill-flex 'primal' man by necessity and an aristocrat by birth, which of course means that he can read and write despite hearing no spoken language and can learn French and how to drive a car in like a month. (Learning nouns from pictures, maybe, but who could figure out what 'of' and 'the' mean without communication? Oh wait, aristocrats, I guess.) Burroughs calls Tarzan a god probably twice per page, especially after he kills something and uses his manly muscles to make Jane swoon and want him forever.

Can you tell I am greatly amused by this book? I can definitely see why it has its place in the adventure genre's canon, especially since it plays to the Rich White Male ego that was so prevalent at the time. But for today's standards it was not very well written and resulted in lots of chuckles and eye rolls because much like primitive man, Burroughs likes to beat people over the head with things, only he uses words like 'forest god' and 'primeval man' instead of sticks. Hey, maybe he's an aristocrat!

Rating: 3.5/5 because I found it rather funny. It was worth reading for sure.

 

[clutter]

Just finished 11/22/63. I LOVED it! I'm not usually a Stephen King fan, I find him too long-winded but these book was just awesome. Great story line and great character development.

I read that over Christmas. I had to take a break about half-way through to read something a bit lighter (and quicker! ), but really really loved it. One of my favorite books now.

 

[bookgirl]

#5 Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings

I am not a Tolkien Fan (ack! sacrilege I know). However one of the authors who brought me back to the world building/fantasy genres was David Eddings. I adore this series. If you are a fantasy sword and sorcerers fan I highly recommend this series (The Belgariad is the first Series in this world and Pawn of Prophecy is the first book).

I was in the mood for a little fantasy so picked this up in audio, I reread the entire series (5 in the Belgariad and 5 in the Mallorean) about every other year. He also has another series that is very similar in characters but a different world. Love that one as well.

#6 Delicious by Shayla Black

I am always trying to work on Reader's Advisory and one of the most asked RA series is Shades of Gray. This author was recommended by another customer so I decided to try it and see if it was a good one. Ehhh. It was crazy in a Lifetime woman in peril meets 80's horror flick Michael Myers wont die kinda way. The heroine has enough people out to kill her that it's a never ending array of break ins, attacks and evil notes impaled by sharp knives left in awkward places. That is sandwiched in between some pretty hard edged sex. Not quite Shades of Gray BDSM, but way more graphic than Nora Roberts/Sandra Brown types. Turns out this was book 3 in the series (intermingled characters but not time line necessary to read in order) so I'm going to go back and try the first one and see if maybe it was just one mediocre plotting nightmare in an otherwise decent list.

I have read Divergent. I loved the first book, plodded through the 2nd book and was very let down by the third, which ironically was exactly my experience with The Hunger Games as well.

 

[Briarmom]

Finally finished my first book of the year! I usually read so quickly, but I've been sick. Hopefully I can get more books in. I missed reading for pleasure while getting my BA and MA in English.

1/50: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

I loved this book, but it is not a light read. You can probably tell from the title. Oy.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I just want to say that I am REALLY enjoying the book New Year Island so far.

Just wanted to let everyone know in case anyone is in a lurch and looking for something to read.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Finally finished my first book of the year! I usually read so quickly, but I've been sick. Hopefully I can get more books in. I missed reading for pleasure while getting my BA and MA in English.

1/50: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

I loved this book, but it is not a light read. You can probably tell from the title. Oy.

Is it the same as the movie?

 

[Briarmom]

Is it the same as the movie?

I've never seen it. Reading the synopsis on Amazon, it sounds like it is.
I'd read Eugenides' "Middlesex" many years ago and loved it. I've had this book forever and figured I needed to read it.