I’ve wanted to read Ender’s Game for some time. I had heard about it a long time ago and it was on my list of books to read to David some time in the future. But before I read it to him, I wanted to read it for myself.
It gets mixed reviews on Amazon but most of the negative reviews are about the author and not the book. So I dove into it anyway.
And I loved it.
There are so many interesting bits to this book and if you’re into the science part of science fiction, I highly recommend it.
I’ve heard the second book is almost as good, if not better, and I’ve added it to my queue too. And when David is older, I will definitely read it to him.
After enjoying Beautiful Disaster so thoroughly, I had queued Providence in my very long list. And while it wasn’t nearly as good as the other one, I also loved this book and read it pretty much cover to cover.
There’s something about this self-published author’s genre and way of writing that speaks to me. So I know I will likely enjoy her other books, too.
Even though I haven’t read the sequel yet (I find these intense and find that I need time between them) I know that I will eventually read it.
Last time I’d read The Alchemist was in 1994. I remember being blown away. It was my first Paulo Coelho book and I’ve since read many more. And I love them all. So when my book club picked it, I was looking forward to reading it once more.
And it was an odd experience.
There were parts I loved and overall, I still liked the book. But it was not nearly as awe-inducing as it had been the first time.
Part of me thinks that it’s important to read this book in your late teens, early twenties. At a turning point in your life. At a time when anything seems possible.
Alas, I guess it’s also important to read it if you think anything is not possible.
Either way, if you have never read this book, it’s a must read. must.
Probably the number one book on my list of “what I am looking forward to reading” was Insurgent this year. I really really loved Veronica Roth’s Divergent and wanted to immediately be able to start her next book. I waited patiently for a long long time before it finally came out.
And then I saved it for my long flight to Turkey so I had to wait even longer. And then the kids wouldn’t let me read it on the plane, so I had to wait even longer.
Oh, but it was so worth it.
I loved this book almost as much. (I still love the first more.) And this one ended with an even bigger cliffhanger so now I have to wait patiently for number three.
Ugh.
Over the last few years, I’ve become a huge fan of Kristin Cashore and was eagerly awaiting Bitterblue. Even though she wasn’t my favorite character in Graceling, I still wanted to read more by Kristin Cashore and I’d take anything.
She so so so didn’t disappoint.
Not only was Bitterblue awesome, I was delighted to find that she brought all three books together skillfully and made me love her all over again.
Even though these books are more fantasy than my usual taste, they are absolutely fantastic and wholeheartedly recommended by me.
Shadow and Bone is not a typical book for me. It’s a science fiction/fantasy with a focus on the fantasy part. I don’t read those generally.
But I’ve made some exceptions, like Graceling and Fire and a few others. This book, too, has a female protagonist. And I really enjoyed it. So much so that I read the whole book in one day. It’s my kind of book. Well-developed characters, interesting plot, fast pace.
I’m glad I read it and I look forward to more from this author.
I picked up Fair Coin purely on the blurb I read about it. Nothing else.
And I am so glad I did!
This turned out to be one of the most interesting and unique young adult novels I read this year. I can’t really say more about it without giving away the premise but if you’re into science and a bit nerdy, you will like it.
I will forewarn that there is strong language in this book. But I really really loved it, especially how different the plot was and how it didn’t involve vampires, angels, etc.
I will admit that I picked up Numbers because the cover looked interesting and I like numbers 🙂
The premise sounded interesting and there was an episode of Medium about this very scenario on TV a few years ago so I thought it would be great.
It wasn’t.
It wasn’t absolutely terrible but it also wasn’t amazing. Not nearly as good as it could have been. And there are sequels and I haven’t felt the desire to read them. Maybe, over time, I will feel differently, but for now, I’m ok moving on.
The Knife of Never Letting Go is yet another young adult novel that came highly recommended. And I liked it almost immediately. The premise is a bit violent and so is the book. But there was something about it that pulled me in.
I think it was the narration and the main character. Even though I have the sequels, I haven’t read them yet so I can’t tell you if they are as good. And while I liked this book, it wasn’t the best I read this year. But it was a solid read.
If violence or strong language are not an issue for you, you might like this book. The premise and the story are quite interesting and worthwhile.
For some reason, even though it was recommended in all the lists I read, I put off reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone for a long time. It sounded weird. And I don’t always like weird.
I rarely like weird.
I also don’t like fantasy that often. Nor do I like unusual language in my books.
And this book had them all.
And yet.
I loved it.
I swallowed the whole thing in a day and did not want to put it down. Cannot wait for number 2.
Legend was another recommended book. It is similar to some of the other young adult novels I’ve read. It’s fast paced, interesting, characters that I liked, and a story that kept me going.
I’ve been reading a lot of young adult novels this year. Partly cause they are easy to read, partly cause they are interesting, entertaining, and still well written. At least, for me.
If you’re in to this genre, I recommend it.
I don’t know if this book will have a sequel but if it does, I will read it.
I listened to The Night Circus and it was a complete surprise. I didn’t know what to expect but I didn’t think I was going to love it as much as I did.
It was absolutely unique and fascinating.
The story is about magic. It’s a competition. It’s a circus. It’s a love story. It’s just the most unusual book I’ve read (listened to) in a very long time. The audio version was also great, so if you’re into listening to books, I recommend this one.
If you’re looking for an interesting story that has great characters and and even more beautiful plot, I very much recommend it.
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projects for twenty twenty-four
projects for twenty twenty-three
projects for twenty twenty-two
projects for twenty twenty-one
projects for twenty nineteen
projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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