Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic 50 Book Challenge 2013/What I've Read In 2013

#5 Cinderella ate my Daughter by Peggy Orenstein

Some one on this list mentioned this book and I just had to check it out. Interesting commentary on the influence of girlie-girl culture on our daughters.

Joan

#2 - Size 12 is Not Fat - Meg Cabot

Catching up on the Heather Wells series. The first book is okay but not life changing. Just a cozy murder (apparently it's a sort of genre) for rainy days.

#3 - The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne

It's been on my to-read list since forever. I finally got the time and it was worth it.

#4 - Liz Tells Frank What Happened In... - Liz Shannon Miller

The book got me addicted to the blog with the same name. Basically, a friend tells the other what happens in tv series, books, movies... Want to know what happened in Bones since season 1 but don't have time to watch? Liz tells you (and Frank) about it. Never read Flowers in the Attic? No problem. It's also there (among many other pop-culture snippets). The writer is funny and witty in her way of giving exposition. It's totally worth it.

P.S. @IolantheAlias: So that's what those books of Bruce Campbell were about! A friend of mine had them and that's how I've learned of their existence. I never got around to borrow them and the curiosity has been nagging at me ever since. I'll try to find them and to read them somewhere in the future.

#6 Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

Very touching and disturbing story of two families in the South post WWII. It did an excellent job showing women's issues and racial prejudice for those times.

Joan

Conquests and Cultures by Thomas Sowell.
The author points out that when a "higher" culture conquers a "lower" one, the "lower" culture is enriched. Examples given are the British taking over some African countries and establishing law and order. When a lower culture conquers a higher one, there is usually loss of, well, just about everything, as the barbarians destroy things. One example given: The Romans conquer Britain, and bring in roads, aqueducts, bricks, etc. The Romans leave and Britain falls apart into a plethora of warring principalities. Bricks were not made in Britain between Roman times and the 17th century - it took that long to regain the technology. He shows that civilization is a fragile thing. The author doesn't shy at examining many controversial topics and backs up his conclusions with meticulous research.

Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski. A new and different take on the Superman origin story. I'm not sure why they decided they had to change it. It's OK and it ends up with Clark Kent being Superman and also working at the Daily Planet with Perry, Lois, and Jimmy.

#7 Enders by Lissa Price

Interesting futuristic novel in which older people can rent younger people's bodies. Definitely set up for a sequel.


Joan

Storm From The Shadows, Mission of Honor and A Rising Thunder by David Weber.
Space opera, interstellar naval battles, and political intrigue in Weber's "Honor Harrington" series.

The first book of the Honor Harrington series, On Basilisk Station , is available for free download from Baen Books. I remember reading this book many years ago and thinking, Hey, this is pretty good.. Twenty years and twenty books later, this series based on the life of British Admiral Horatio Nelson continues to entertain.

I like Baen Books as they are DRM-free and they have many books available for free so you can get hooked. (like the drug dealers, the first dose is free. )

Mister Monday, Grim Tuesday, and Drowned Wednesday by Garth Nix.
Arthur Penhaligon gets a mysterious key and must find the pieces of the Will, torn apart ages ago into seven sections. These are the first three books of the YA "Keys of the Kingdom" series. I like it so far.

The Mirror of Her Dreams Mordant's Need Book One

A Man Rides Through Mordant's Need Book Two

Both books are by Stephen R. Donaldson. These two books are delicious to read on a quiet winter's night. Excellent characters, refreshing plot accented by Donaldson's crisp sharp writing. I promise you will never 'look' at full length mirrors the same way again.

Okay, so I didn't get back in time to finish posting the books I finished last year! Oops! But I'll write them down anyway, and then start counting from there.

-47) The Short, Victorious War - by David Weber
Another Honor Harrington book finished with my dad (we've agreed to take a break and read some Star Wars books next, thankfully), and again, it has an interesting story and a well-drawn setting, but the writing is incredibly unwieldy, always skipping important scenes and going on for chapters about things that don't really matter in the long run. Still, at least my favorite character didn't die this time!

-48) Illusion - by Paula Volsky
I always enjoy this book. The language is very beautiful and it's a flowing, poetic book that sets the French Revolution on a fantasy world. The way it demonstrates how quickly those who are searching for freedom can fall into anarchy is terrifying, as is the depths of class stigma, but it also draws out hope and overcomes the social problems to have an engaging love story.

-49) The Gates Of Twilight - by Paula Volsky
I'd never read this one before, but I'm glad I found it. It's set several hundred years after Illusion and paints a beautiful country (I believe it's based off of India?) that is both trying to work with and trying to be independent of its more 'advanced' neighbors (probably England?). The story of the spy who sneaks into the temples to find out the truth behind their cult is very nicely balanced by the old world princess trying to do her best for her country yet still live a life she's happy with.

-50) Land Of The Burning Sands - by Rachel Neumeier
The second in the Griffin Mage trilogy, I found this one even better than the first! The story of a slave who's searching so desperately for freedom yet keeps finding himself enslaved over and over again was so beautiful, in part, I think, because he was such a smart, kind man himself that could never turn away from helping others. And the engineers who couldn't keep a conversation going without degenerating into technical jargon were a lot of fun to read. Aside from the character story, though, the overarching plot concerning the griffins definitely amped up its danger and suspense!

1) A Memory Of Light - by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
I actually had the chance to go down to Provo, UT for the midnight release of this book and get to meet Brandon Sanderson personally. He's a really great author and a very likable person, so it was quite an amazing trip. But even more amazing was the ending of this series. As I mentioned, I've been reading this series for most of my life, and I am comfortable saying that I found the ending satisfactory. I finished it 24 hours after I received it, so I'm sure there's plenty I missed that I'll get the chance to go back and discover anew, but overall, I am very content. I definitely cried, and I laughed even, and there were a surprising number of happy, bittersweet scenes, but in the end, it was everything we've been building up to, which is tough when it's such a large, encompassing series. Amazing congratulations to Brandon Sanderson for being able to so competently tie up such an involved storyline, even when he's admitted there are things he didn't understand about Robert Jordan's notes. There are still questions, but there are more answers and conclusions and wonderful character moments, and so...I'm definitely happy. And I better stop before I start dropping spoilers!

2) Law Of The Broken Earth - by Rachel Neumeier
The last of the Griffin Mage trilogy, and I found it enjoyable from beginning to end. It was nice to get a resolution from the characters in the other books, and I quite liked the completion of the storyline about controlling the griffins. I'll definitely be looking into anything else this author might have written so far!

3) The Black Ship - by Diana Pharaoh Francis
This was kind of a 'meh' book. It started out very interesting with an engaging character, but after the two-hundredth thing had gone wrong before nightfall, I was a bit tired of trying to cheer the characters out of their dark moments. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, and the language was a bit crude.

#5 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruíz Záfon

A mystery about a cemetery of forgotten books, a faceless man who obsessively seeks the last copies of an author's work to burn them and the boy who protects the only surviving (and sought after) copy of "The Shadow of the Wind".
And it's set in Barcelona.

I make it seem simplistic, but it's a very powerful romance with some gothic and fantastic elements, as well as a great love story.

Sir Thursday, Lady Friday, Superior Saturday, and Lord Sunday, all part of the "Keys of the Kingdom" series by Garth Nix.
Arthur Penhaligon continues his quest to gain all seven keys and reunite the Will of The Architect. Twist ending is enjoyable. A YA series and a quick read.

#8 The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

Nice story about two sisters and two daughters spending time together on an island and working through relationship issues. I like this writer but I don't always agree with her take on human nature.

Joan

#9 The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecelia Galante

My daughter recommended this one. It's about two girls who have been raised in a commune. One of their grandmothers learned they are being abused so she takes them away.

Joan

4. - Trixie Belden #2: The Red Trailer Mystery by Julie Campbell - Trixie and Honey go in search of a runaway boy named Jim and come across a mystery in the RV park.

This story is scarier than Trixie Beldon #1 book we read last year. Runaways, RV thieves, and a family on the run, so full of much excitement. A bit scary for my 5 y.o. but my almost 8 y.o. LOVED it!

Trixie Belden series is like a younger version of Nancy Drew (so I've been told) with horses. Written and set in the 1950s.

Cryoburn by Lois McMaster Bujold.
Set in Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan continuity, this has Miles going to the planet Kibou-daini to investigate suspicious going-on in the cryonics industry. Better than I'm making it sound, but not the best book in the Vorkosigan series. Now that Miles is an Imperial Auditor, it's tougher to place him in bad situations - Bujold can't pull the "have to report to my superiors" card anymore. But she still manages to work in lots of drama and conflict!

Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold.
Ivan finally gets married. To whom? You'll have to read the book to find out.

The Defector by Daniel Silva.
Israeli spy and art-restorer Gabriel Allon fights for truth and justice in this thriller.

You're reading Trixie Belden!!


I grew up thinking every American teenager was just like Trixie and Honey, Jim and Brian. (And it was here that I learned what a jalopy was!)

I found a fanfic site once, but it gave my computer a virus, so be warned. (And the one story I did read was very ordinary.)

Keep reading. The one set in Arizona (#6?) was my favourite.

At some stage, the author changes from Julie Campbell to Kathryn Kenny. IMO, the books weren't as good after that.

Corrina.

Well, I'm spending all my free time writing instead of reading, so I've decided to include the books I'm reading aloud to my daughter at night at bedtime. (My son still prefers picture books, but he listens in as well). I wanted to read her Nancy Drew, but thought it might be too scary, so the librarian suggested Trixie. I had never heard of her stories before, but my older sister has read her books and said she LOVED them too.

I always find it fun to read the "classics" or books written during an earlier era to see how much has changed. Kids used to have much more freedom than they do nowadays. I'm also reading my daughter the "Fudge" books by Judy Blume (started with "Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing") because I thought she'd appreciate her brother more after hearing about how Fudge tortured Peter. These books were fairly new when I read them as a kid, but I've already noted difference between now and then. The dentist who doesn't let mothers come in while he's checking the kid's teeth, was seen as super-cool by Peter, while nowadays no mother would allow that (out of fear of pedophiles).

Times, they are a changing.

#10 Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson

A good read. It made me laugh when she kept insisting how 'normal' she was.

Joan

When I was a child, I *loved* Trixie Belden. I never really got into Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys, but Trixie always appealed to me. I never knew anyone else to share my enjoyment in her stories.

Out of curiosity, did anyone here ever read Encyclopedia Brown? His series was another one I enjoyed as a child, but about whom I had had no one to share my pleasure.

Joy,
Lynn

#5 -"Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great" by Judy Blume - Second book in her "Tales of the 4th Grade Nothing" series (otherwise known as Fudge).

This book takes a look at life from Peter's nemisis, Sheila Tubman's POV. I didn't find her a very sympathetic character and can understand why Peter doesn't like her. It's about a pre-teen girl making friends with some girls while spending the summer out of the city (NYC). She refuses to admit that she's ever wrong, that she's ever afraid (although, that she is of *everything*), and that she should ever compromise. Hmmmm. Sounds like another character we know and love. It doesn't make me look forward for the next few years with my daughter. I'm hoping my daughter won't turn into such a pill.

I found a few cheap Kindle books and hit the online library.

3. Stop the Wedding - Stephanie Bond. This was a few weeks ago, so I can't remember most of my reaction. Guess it wasn't that memorable.

A few false starts as I picked up a book or two and couldn't get past the first few pages.

4. The Knitting Diaries - Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, Christina Skye. Susan Mallery is hit or miss for me, but this was on the good side. I'd never read Debbie Macomber before, and I wasn't too thrilled with her story here. It almost made me dread the other book I'd borrowed from the library...

5. Call Me Mrs. Miracle - Debbie Macomber. I'd seen the movie on Hallmark, so I was curious. It was a cute story, and it was easy to imagine the actors portraying the characters as I read. (I'm a visual reader)