Also known as, Hi, I’ve been far too busy reading to update my book blog. I don’t want to get ahead of myself here, but with sixty four books read by the end of May, I might just make it to one hundred by the end of the year! I started to update with links and a synopsis of each book, but I’m so far behind and don’t have a working laptop, so I couldn’t find the time. Of this batch of books, I loved the Hunger Games trilogy. In The Woods was haunting, but I was agitated that she left the main character’s childhood story unfinished. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter was seriously a thousand times better than I imagined. Riding Rockets was a fabulous memoir from an incredibly sexist and slightly conservative former astronaut, but it was so well-ridden that I hold neither of those descriptions against him. A Discovery of Witches was intriguing and I look forward to the sequel, but I could do without the whole schmoopy vampire love part. Anansi Boys was fabulous. Sing You Home made me a little less annoyed with Jodi Picoult, as the whole book wasn’t quite as formalaic as her recent books. I am not a huge war reader, but I really liked Matterhorn.

33. A Drink Before the War.

34. Matterhorn.

35. In the Woods.

36. The Likeness.

37. The Red Garden.

38. Husband and Wife.

39. Anansi Boys.

40. Alone.

41. Faithful Place.

42. Hide

43. The Neighbor

44. Live to Tell.

45. A Discovery of Witches.

46. Sing You Home.

47. The Perfect Husband.

48. Caught

49. The Hunger Games.

50. Catching Fire.

51. Mockingjay.

52. Bonk

53. The Next Accident.

54. The Survivor’s Club.

55. The Third Victim.

56. The Killing Hour.

57. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter.

58. Packing for Mars.

59. Spook.

60. The Other Daughter.

61. Lost in Shangri-la.

62. The Snowman

63. I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive.

64. Riding Rockets.

The Passage: Let me just state unequivocally that in the event of a world where vampires outnumber people, I have no interest in living through it. None. In fact, I’d just as soon become a vampire than try and outwit them. That said, I was seriously ambivalent about this book. The story drew me in. I loved the first two hundred pages, but then I felt like it fell apart. Part of the problem was that I felt as though the author spent a great deal of pages really connecting you to the characters in the story: their history, who they were, where they’ve been… and then most of them were gone. I understand that it was essential to the story, but so much exposition was wasted on characters that weren’t carried through the entire story. I also felt like a lot of cheap plot tricks were used and as far as setting the novel up for a sequel, I wasn’t quite sure if that’s what the author was doing or if he was just leaving a cliffhanger ending. Overall, though, it was an engaging story and I will read the next in the series… but I wish the momentum that hooked me in the beginning had continued throughout the novel.
Full Dark, No Stars: I’ve always felt that Stephen King’s true talent comes out in short stories and novellas (see “The Body” and “Shawshank Redemption”) and this book was no exception. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started, but I love that instead of exploring the supernatural angle, he instead looked into the darkest depths of human nature. “Big Driver” had me holding my breath in various spots, but “The Good Marriage” was definitely my favorite of the four stories. I really loved this one.
The Wise Man’s Fear: Based on some of the Amazon reviews, I was worried that this wouldn’t draw me in as well as The Name of the Wind, but I really enjoyed the continuation of Kvothe’s story. In some ways, I found this to be more enjoyable, because the character and his world had already been developed. I did find some parts tedious and I do wonder how the entire story—with so many loose ends at close of this book—can really, appropriately be tied up with only one more book. In spite of feeling like the plot moved slower than I thought, I was still drawn in by this continuation of Kvothe’s story.
The Bone Yard: For a very long time, I wanted to work in forensics, until an ill-fated career day in which a very stoic forensic pathologist described in great detail how he placed burned skin over his hands to obtain fingerprints. And while I appreciated the commitment to his job, I also did not need to hear it in such detail fifteen minutes before lunch. And thus ended my want to do anything related to forensics. That said, it still interests me, which lead to my checking out the non-fiction works of Bill Bass on The Body Farm in Tennessee. I found it utterly fascinating and started reading The Body Farm novels after that. I like that they’re fiction rooted in fact and I like that they’re engaging easy reads. As usual, this kept my interest and I didn’t have to think too much, which can sometimes be a good thing!

I really suck at updating this on a regular basis, huh? We’ll just pretend that my lack of updates is because I’m spending all spare time reading and not because I am lazy.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: I’ve been in the habit lately of requesting library books based off of the NY Times best seller list. While this is great because it keeps me current without costing me any money, I sometimes request books not knowing much about the background. This was the case with this particular book and when I first read the inside flap (up until reading it, I thought this book was fiction!), I thought I wouldn’t care for it. However, once I began reading, I was immediately pulled into the story of the Lacks family, as well as the science behind the HeLa cells. It was definitely a fascinating, if not slightly sad, read.
Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: Although the ending of this book was predictable, the story within and the history alluded to was gripping. I really enjoyed this book.
Water for Elephants: I loved this book. In fact, if you haven’t read it, you should probably stop reading this and go read it right now. It was that good. The story gripped me, the characters elicited strong positive and negative feelings, and I could not put it down.
Alice in Wonderland: It suddenly struck me that although Alice is hands down my favorite Disney cartoon, I’d never read the actual book. That’s pretty sad! I loved the book, of course, and there’s not much I can say about it that isn’t already known. Of course, Lewis Carroll is a brilliant writer and of course it’s an engaging story. You know that. But if you’re like me and somehow missed reading the book, definitely take the time.
Room: This book. Wow. It hooked me in and stayed on my mind for days after I finished reading it. The way she told the story through Jack’s eyes was brilliant, especially since you still managed to get a feel for his mom and her emotions. I loved it and hated it, if that makes sense. I loved it because it was a well-written, thought provoking book, but it made me squirm and it made me sad… it’s not one that I’m ever likely to re-read it, but I am so glad that I read it.
The Paris Wife: I’m not sure what compelled me to read this, because I don’t like Hemingway and it made me dislike him even more. I know it’s historical fiction, but I felt that the author gave a good balance and portrayal of Hemingway’s Paris years. I loved it for the look into the artistic world in Paris at the time and it was a good story. I just wish Hemingway wasn’t such a jerk.
Cutting for Stone: This is another book that pulled me right into the story and made me feel emotionally invested in so many of the characters. I cried twice during this book, which so rarely happens when I read. The story was so gripping and so emotionally wraught that I couldn’t help but feel genuine sadness at parts. I can’t say enough about how much I loved this one.
The Name of the Wind: This was another NYT best seller book that I requested without knowing much about it. I’m not going to lie, when I saw the cover, I rolled my eyes a bit. Yes, I judged a book by its cover. I’m really not a fan of fantasy as a genre and have only read one JRR Tolkien book in my life. I thought I’d hate this. I was bored during the first fifty pages and then? I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. I was so drawn into the story that I stayed up way later than usual reading every night. I read through a lunch period, when I usually love the time to chat with co-workers. I’ve already put in a request for the sequel and although the Amazon reviews aren’t as strong, I can’t wait to read the continuation of Kvothe’s story.
The Help: This was a great book! I loved how she managed to pull off the split between multiple characters without becoming too confusing and I loved how she told the stories of these women. Absolutely loved it.

I fell behind on my February reading. When we were snowed in, I’d just requested a bunch of books from the library. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to the library before it closed due to the snow, so I was snowed in without my books. Yes, it is just as tragic as it sounds.
American Wife. I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I found the story of Alice and the way she was thrust into a life in which she neither belonged nor wanted to be fascinating. On the other hand, I think I honestly would’ve preferred this book so much more if it wasn’t loosely based on Laura Bush. I caught myself intermingling the character of Alice Blackwell and Laura Bush one too many times. Although I did often wonder how someone who didn’t share her husband’s political views could deal with him running the country, I know that Alice Blackwell’s thoughts =/= Laura Bush’s and that was a little too distracting for me. Still, I found the story to be engaging.
Adverbs. I liked this. I didn’t love it, but it was clever and I enjoyed it. I love the Lemony Snicket series and in this book, I could definitely hear some of the voice that Daniel Handler put into Lemony Snicket.
Sh*t My Dad Says. I’ve been following the twitter account for quite awhile now and love it, but the book itself fell pretty flat to me. Maybe this humor is better in small doses, instead of all at once? The language didn’t bother me at all, but I just didn’t find the humor in it that I thought I would.
Always Running. This was an accidental re-read. I picked it off a banned books list, not realizing that I’d read it in a Cuban Latino lit course in college. I’m glad that I ended up with it again, though. There’s an additional forward that has been written since I last read it that gives more insight into the author’s life. Also, my attitudes and opinions have changed a great deal since I was 18, so it was good to read it with a different perspective. It’s brutal, shocking, and sad, but I believe it’s a must read.
Andersonville Journey. Two non-fictions in a row? Yikes! I loved this one. I liked that it gave insight into Andersonville, but it also looked at it objectively. Instead of blaming the tragedy at Andersonville solely on the Confederate Army, this book shed some light on the fact that the North could bear some of the blame for this tragedy as well. It’s definitely an interesting saga in our nation’s history and I’d love to visit Andersonville someday.

13. Andersonville. I came across this one on a banned book list. I’ve always been fascinated by the Andersonville prison and this book did not disappoint. Although historical fiction, it’s obvious that the author did a great deal of research on the prison and those important Confederate figures who ran the prison. I love how the author wove fictional characters in with the reality of the situation.

14. Basket Case. I love Carl Hiaasen and somehow, I missed this one when I read through all of his books a few years ago. It was a great read. Loved the mystery and the wit that makes a Carl Hiaasen novel. One thing that surprised me was the lack of environmental statements which usually make up his books, but this was still a good read.

American Psycho: I alternated between thinking this book was genius and wanting to throw it across the room because I found it heavy handed and, in parts, repulsive. I loved the statement against society in the way the main character was so obviously a serial killer and yet, no one noticed because they were too busy discussing vacations or flashing Platinum Am Ex card. At the same time, it was a little bit too much. I picked this one because it was on the banned book list and although I don’t think any literature should be banned, I can see why the graphic violence within this novel would have resulted in not only banning, but in the original publishing company backing out on publishing it. In the end, it was a worthwhile read, but not one that I’d choose to read again ever.

The Exorcist: I actually had no idea that this was a book, until I started perusing lists of commonly banned books. I make it a general rule to stay away from scary movies because I am a chicken, but I can usually handle scary books (with the exception of Duma Key by Stephen King, which I read at a week post-partum and it sent me into this hormonal spastic tailspin). Anyway, I can’t compare it to the movie because I haven’t—and will never—seen the movie, but I enjoyed the book. I really liked the internal struggle that Father Karras faces with his religion and doubts and I loved that the author never truly came out and said whether it was a demonic possession or a mental instability.

Salem Falls: I stopped reading Jodi Picoult books awhile ago, because I started to be able to guess the “surprise twist” by about page five. The fact that they’re so formulaic makes it boring to me, but when I need an easy read where I don’t have to think too much, she’s a good author. As far as her books go, this was pretty much the same. It engaged me enough to keep reading, though I saw the ending coming from a mile away.

Mila 18: I came across this book while reading a review for Sarah’s Key, in which the reviewer urged people to check out this book in terms of good Holocaust fiction. It definitely did not disappoint. At various times throughout the novel, I felt like I was holding my breath. Of course, there’s the obvious dramatic irony in which we all know how the Warsaw Ghetto uprising (the subject of this book) ends, but also, because the author connected you so well to the characters and their struggles. What was really interesting was that he gave a face to some of the key Nazi figures as well, which isn’t something that you often see in Holocaust literature. It was absolutely riveting and I believe everyone should read this.

Along with my resolution to record each book I read, I also decided to try and choose some books that are on the list of commonly banned books. Although I don’t support book banning AT ALL, I did think it might be interesting to read some of these books and try and ascertain why they were banned.

Lolita: This one was obvious to me before I started reading. Knowing the subject matter still made for a difficult read, so much that I almost stopped at page 20. I remembered a review, though, that stated to read this book, you must put aside your morality. That’s absolutely true. Once I was able to mostly do this, I made it through the book fairly quickly. From a literary standpoint, Humbert Humbert is your classic unreliable narrator, made even better by the fact that he constantly references Poe (the master of writing unreliable narrators). It’s so hard to believe that it’s entirely Lolita’s fault, not only because she is of course all of 12, but also because he flippantly mentions her sobbing every night, all night. So yes, disturbing book, but a great read if you can set aside your own opinions and watch the story unfold. Tropic of Cancer: It was pretty easy to determine why this one was banned, by about oh, page 7. While I’m definitely not a delicate person or one who is easily put off by coarse language, I definitely found my eyes widening at a few points. In the end, I’m not entirely sure what the theme of this book was—if even there was one—but it was most definitely an amusing (and at times, sad) read. Danger in the Shadows: I’m probably going to sound like a jerk here, but nothing makes me angstier than a book that’s listed in a different genre than it actually is. Granted, this was a free Kindle download, but I downloaded it because it came up under suspense. It was not, however, listed under Christian Lit and it should have been. I have a bad habit of accidentally checking out Christian Lit not realizing what it is and while I’ve nothing against the genre, it’s just not an enjoyable read to me. I was looking forward to a suspense novel about a kidnapper and instead, ended up reading pages upon pages of Bible quotes with the actual suspenseful parts glossed over.

A Lion Among Men: I had mixed feelings about this one. Although a huge fan of Wicked (both book and musical), I was pretty disappointed by Son of a Witch. I found this one to be somewhere in the middle. Though not nearly as enjoyable as the first book in the trilogy, it was certainly better than the second. I enjoyed the look back into the politics of Oz, but found pieces of Brr’s life and timeline to be confusing and lacking. Overall, I felt that it didn’t really engage me until the end—so basically, by the time it got good, it was over. I felt Gregory Maguire to be hot and cold as a writer. I either adore his work (What-The-Dickens, Wicked) or can hardly get through it (Lost, Son of a Witch).

Ragtime:  Ragtime is one of my favorite musicals, so I’ve been wanting to read the book for awhile. I loved it! They developed Emma Goldman’s character far more than the musical, and she’s one of my favorites. It was also more racy than the musical, which I loved it.