2025 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE 2014
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**Dawn's 55 Books in 2014**
1. The Giver 5 starsGreat book to start 2014 and very excited that this book was assigned to my 7th grade son to read in his English Literature class. What a great age for kids to learn about what having courage really means. I am excited to hear about the disscussions he will have about this book which his classmates.
2. Scarlet 3 1/2 stars
I would have given 4 stars if the author would make these books into one book. Overall I enjoyed this book and will read the next.
3. Intentions of the Earl 4 stars
Not a big fan of historical fiction but I do like romance and this was a nice change of pace for me. I will read the rest of the series.
I have finished 2 more books4. True 5 stars
I love this series and look forward to each new one. This one did not disappoint me at all.
5. How to Be a Woman 4 stars
Funny, insightful with a kind of drunk, wild best friend kind of vibe. Had to look up some of the British slang but this did not deter. Last 2 chapters were not my favorite, actually I enjoyed hearing her talking about her young life more than current life but again overall liked the book, humor in it and the premise that we need to stop having double standards for women and just enjoy everyone for who they are, without judgement. Reminded me of my mom's advice "you never know what people are dealing with so treat them all with care"
You are doing amazing Dawn! ~ Loved reading your thoughts on How to Be a Woman.
6.Surrender 2 starsFrustrating book. A girl in a book is not courageous just because she gets upset when a guy treats her like a worthless person but does nothing about it. I know romance novels are not the go-to books to find strong lead women characters but my-gosh please give them a backbone and not just overcome by the hormone haze due to a good looking man. Hormone Haze...REALLY???? Ugh!
3 more done...7. Lift 2 stars
Some funny topics included in this letter to her daughters...quick read.
8. Being Perfect 3 stars
"only you are the perfect you" ---Anna Quindlen Love her insight and writing style.
9. The Invention of Wings 4 stars
I enjoyed the book and would recommended to others. The characters forced you to try and understand them personally.
1 more completed...10. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore 4 stars Quirky characters, Quirky settings, Quirky plot...Enjoyable novel. The author did a great job describing and developing the settings and the characters...the plot was 2nd string.
11. The Rosie Project 4 stars...Really enjoyed the characters and the situations/plots. Had enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes. Would recommend it without reservation. 
12. Rebecca 2 stars...A story about a dull girl who is the 2nd wife to a rich older man and is always in the shadows of the former wife. The narrator who is never named is the young new wife, too dull to even have an identity of her own. The dullness of the characters often resulted in a dullness I felt for the book itself. While there were often eloborate descriptions of everyday things I didn't feel the story was gripping enough for me. 
13. The Ocean at the End of the Lane 3 stars...The best way I could describe this book is a modern day fairy tale...or maybe it is a very old fairytale set in present day...either way I enjoyed this book. Never really knew what to expect with all it's twists and turns which made it exciting. Beautifully written. 
14. Last Train to Istanbul 4 stars...This was a wonderful story that focused on 2 sisters from Turkey and how their very different lives were impacted by WWII one in Turkey and one in France. I really enjoyed the courage and humanity portrayed with these characters. Also the descriptions of Turkey and its people made me want to visit some day. 
I am now going to find the other book by this author Ayşe Kulin that has been translated into English.
Dawn wrote: "14. Last Train to Istanbul 4 stars...This was a wonderful story that focused on 2 sisters from Turkey and how their very different lives were impacted by WWII one in Turkey and one ..."Yay! I just got this from Amazon for $1.99 I am so glad it is a great book.
15. The Cupcake Romance 16. Recess
17. Lust and Honor
18. Billionaire Boys' Club
19. Billion Dollar Baby 1
20. My First, My Last
21. The Cowboy Kiss
22. The Billionaire's Desire
23. Bound 3 1/2 stars... Lorelei James is my favorite romance/erotica author of all time and I never miss a book. That being said I really appreciate that each of her books is a stand-alone read but also part of a series because you always want more. This book is not a stand alone...it ends mid story and now I am left waiting for the next book. As said before this frustrates me and makes me feel like publishers are just trying to make an extra buck. While making faithful followers of these authors feel short changed. Now on to the book...
I liked the characters but I felt that Ronin could have been a little more developed and his feelings and emotions revealed a little more, I am not feeling the connection to him like I usually feel for the male characters in Lorelei's books.
24. Interpreter of Maladies 3 stars...Enjoyed this collection of short stories. Each story was very different from each other. Some touch your heart and some touched your funny bone. Jhumpa Lahiri really has a way of describing everyday life events in a way that makes you feel and see things very differently.
25. The Thirteenth Tale 5 stars...This was an excellent book with so many twists and turns. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen I was surprised that yet again I had no idea. At times this book felt like a V.C. Andrews novel, and other times like Dan Brown with all the puzzles to solve. Loved the book and would recommend it whole heartedly. On another note, this was the first physical book I've read in over a year. I usually read on my Kindle. I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't take me long to get use to the size of the book. However one late night while reading I couldn't understand why the page wouldn't turn while swiping my finger across the page LOL. I am not giving up on my Kindle since I love how portable it is and being able to read without the lights on in bed.
27. DRACULA XXX 3starsClaims to be an excerpt from the Dracula novel by Bram Stoker since I haven't read Dracula I wasn't aware that it was so steamy!
28. The Glass Case 4 starsIf this was a full length novel I would have given it 5 stars. A tear-jerker.
29. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 5 starsI tooI absolutely LOVED this book and am shelving it as one of my favorites. Having spent time on a Psych Ward (as a psychologist not patient, LOL) I really enjoyed the machinery descriptions from the inner voice of a paranoid schizophrenic. I also enjoyed the historical value of the acceptable treatments that were involved, EST and Lobotomies, for the treatment of a broad array of issues. Not to mention the excessive use of tranquilizers since most psychotropic meds were not invented yet. I also found it interesting to use this novel to come up with diagnosis for each of the characters based on the limited information. McMurphy may be considered narcissistic with conduct disorder, socially maladjusted and possible oppositional defiant disorder, diagnosis' that would not normally be treated in adults today unless secondary to something else going on. Obviously there was Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety disorders, possible borderline personality and bipolar and much depression, but I wonder which came first the depression or the egg LOL! ...I could keep going but I am afraid I am indulging in my psycho babble.
31. Cress 4 STARSThis is the third book of the Lunar Chronicles series and CRESSS was my favorite of the series so far. This character an interpretation of Rapunzel is my favorite with her quiet ways and on point observations of the other characters in this story.
32. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 5 starsWonderful book of a poor girl in Brooklyn, NY at the turn of the century. Great depiction of Brooklyn before WWI and the role pride and poverty plays in molding a person.
33. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 2 starsQuirky book that reads like listening to an 8 year old boy with attention deficit who is trying to explain trigonometry to you.
34. Life of Pi 5 starsA wonderful book with amazingly vivid descriptions and insight. Loved the spiritual journey, the philosophical journey and the boat journey. Blessed with inner strength and God's will.
36. Middlesex 5 starsstar 1 - amazed how Jeffrey Eugenides was able to keep tracked of all of the storylines
star 2 - The amazing voices of his characters, subtle at times, boisterous at others
star 3 - I wasn't expecting a history lesson but I got one...and enjoyed it!
star 4 - descriptions of everyday things with the most observant eye, it made the mundane seem sublime at times.
star 5 - DETROIT being center stage...born and raised Detroiters would agree he was spot on!!!
37. Life After Life 3 starsenjoyed parts of the book but felt like I was reading a bunch of rough drafts for a story as a whole. The author is a talented writer and the topic of rebirth was interesting but I felt like there was no conclusion to the book.
38. Shiver 4StarsBeautiful story about love at first sight and never ending devotion that also happens to be about teen-age werewolves.
40. Journey to the Edge of the Light: A Story of Love, Leukemia and Transformation2 1/2 starsWonderful short book about the fight of a single mom and her child that survives against all odds.
41. Travelling Light: Poetry 2 starsa collection of poems about individuals journey through life. Non really touched me but some were interesting use of words.
42. Linger 4 starsWonderfully beautiful and depressing (in a good way) book and continuation of Shiver. I loved the precise language and descriptions.
43. Breakfast of Champions 3 starsI finished Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions. I bought the book from Amazon. Amazon is a place you can buy things you need or don't need. I read it on my KINDLE. Kindle is a small hand held device the holds million of pieces of information in the palm of your hand. Kindle may or may not be created by the government to monitor the robots that have them. I've never read anything by Kurt Vonnegut before. The book looks like this:
I'm enjoying the book because it feels easy to read. I'm not enjoying the book because it sounds vulgar and feels violent at times. What makes me feel the opposite of violent is Love... Love sometimes is represented by a heart that looks like this
<3
44. Unwind 5stars OMG! Unwind was terrifying, tragic and so good! It really makes you think how people with strong opinions about a topic can influence the legislature to create an even more terrifying alternative, in this case abortion rights is the culprit.
46. The Bell Jar5 starsAmazing book which is semi-autobiographical of the author Sylvia Plaith who suffered from manic depression and subsequently killed herself. Very interesting seeing the transition from a healthy girl who becomes increasingly depressed and experiences bouts of mania and a suicide attempt.
47. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan 4 starsWonderful book that follows the life of two girls whose lives are intertwined and bound to each other at an early age. Takes place in China when foot binding was a necessary torture for young girls with families trying to increase their social standing by marrying into a higher social standing family. Beautiful descriptions and prose.
53. Matt 3 starsI have always enjoyed this character in the other books but felt that more of his humor could have shown through.
54. Curveball 3 starsI have enjoyed all of the books in this series. Curveball was a nice story about love against all odds and baseball.
55. Orange Is the New Black 1.5 starsWas quite disappointed by this book. From a person in Federal Prison I would have expected more turmoil, more drama, more everything. Not just a book about how all the women she meet loved her and thought of her as their best fried. Not to mention, how she made it through the boredom of prison, had to learn to not say everything that came to her mind, had constant visitors, etc. Nothing like the Netflix series which I enjoy.
56. Ariel 3starsEnjoyed this book of poems mostly because I read "The Bell Jar" and also read about the life of Sylvia Plath. This knowledge of the author made the poems have a much more in-depth meaning.
You've completed your challenge, well done! ☺
58. The Son 4 stars. 59. The Initiate3 stars.
60. Four: The Traitor 3 stars
61. Four: The Transfer
Brought back all the tumultuous feelings of reading the Divergent Series.
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
A Passage to India (other topics)Tuck Everlasting (other topics)
Cowboy Take Me Away (other topics)
Flight Behaviour (other topics)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jeffrey Eugenides (other topics)Bram Stoker (other topics)
V.C. Andrews (other topics)
Dan Brown (other topics)
Jhumpa Lahiri (other topics)
More...
This is my first ever year of participating in a reading challenge. I love the idea of setting goals and I decided to use the "READ THE MONTH AROUND THE WORLD" challenge as the guide for my yearly goal. All my other challenges I hope to fit into this challenge...we will see how this goes.