Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Required Reading: January 2014


December was just last month, but people don't have trouble calling it "last year".  As if the term itself is an ax, severing us from what was.  December 2013 was fun, there's plenty to remember.  I do hope everyone will not soon forget the experiences and lessons we've learned, in spite of how excited we are, to begin with, 2014.


Let's take a look at my December 2013 books.
  1. Hunted by  Elizabeth Heiter - 3/5 stars- A debut novel about serial killing.
  2. A Feast for Crows - 4/5 stars - Not my favorite from the series but I can't deny that I enjoyed reading from a protagonist's POV. 
  3. HP and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling -5 /5 stars - A reread for the F2F,  and I added 2 stars more this 2nd time around.
  4. Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson - 4/5 stars - This one is actually bone-chilling. And, I like Ron Guidice as the antagonist, he got into my nerves. I just thought that (maybe) he could have gone down differently, It just seems too convenient for a formidable opponent like himself.
  5. Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu - 3/5 stars - I don't know. There are plenty of literary references, but I just didn't feel the story like how I usually felt from a fairy tale.
So, let's get the ball rolling! I've already set my goal for 2014, 70 books.   Once more, I am collaborating with Tina, of I Like It Dog-Eared, and her monthly reading challenge.  For January, I am having Neal Shusterman's Skinjacker series.



I've already started with Everlost, but too early to make an assessment.  How about you? Are you done with your first book this month?  Let's hear about it. 




6 comments:

  1. I have a copy of Neal Shusterman's Unwind on my shelf for years now. I'm hoping I could read it sometime soon. :)

    Happy New Year, Mommy L! :D

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    1. Happy New Year, Monique.
      I have Unwind waiting on my ebook shelf too, but I'll have to deal with that series later. :)

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  2. Skinjacker? Hi-jacking skins? I don't have the guts yet to get Unwind. Organs, harvesting...yipes! :D

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    1. Hi, Tin!
      Yes, skinjacking is like that more or less. Unwind's premise is interesting too. Read some friends' reviews, it might bolster your guts. :)

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  3. Oh, I've read the first book in this series! Hmmmm. . . . I've no strong feelings about it actually, so I guess that's why I didn't continue on with the other 2 books.

    Like most everyone who's read it, I love Unwind! It works on so many levels -- religion, identity, commitment to the group, the concept of the soul. It truly is a gem.

    But, Louize, my favorite Shustermans aren't SF or fantasy. Shusterman wrote YA books featuring a character named Antsy. One of my favorite books of all time is The Schwa Was Here. My goodness, I loved it! Funny, heartbreaking, redeeming! I'm getting goosebumps as I'm recalling the book right this instant. Also, there's a sequel entitled Antsy Does Time. It's good as well. You should definitely check these out, especially The Schwa Was Here, since they're a bit similar to Clare Vanderpool's work.

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