David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite! discussion

I finished my 103rd book

I finished my 104th book

I finished The Fountains of Silence. I thought it was pretty good, but there were parts that dragged. It's not my favorite Sepetys novel, but it was still good. I'm currently reading Crier's War, which is interesting so far and Helium, which is a poetry book and it's wonderful!

I just started The Andromeda Evolution which is the sequel to The Andromeda Strain.

I read two books this week:

X
by Sue Grafton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I haven't read most of the previous books in this series, but do intend to go back and read them all, despite the fact my actual rating is 3.5 stars, and
it only got four stars because I rounded up. This is a really slow-paced book, and I sometimes felt like we had way more than we needed of each character's
backstory when they first appeared on the scene, to the point I often wished we could just get on with the story already. Other than that though, it was
an enjoyable read.

Zom-B
by Darren Shan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The events of the first three quarters of the book were dragged out more than they needed to be, so it took until the last part of the book for the story
to really get going, and then it was action-packed and gory. I enjoyed the book enough that I want to know what happens next, but sure hope the other books
in the series are more like the last quarter when it comes to plot pacing.

I finished my 105th book

Accidentally left Crier’s War at school, d’oh! So I started Mistborn, which is interesting but a little slow. I’m enjoying it though. There’s enough mystery to it that it’s keeping me invested.

I finished my 106th book

I just finished The Andromeda Evolution.

This week I read...

The House Beneath the Oak Trees
by Faye Belle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I got a copy of this book through the narrator of the audio version, whose work I'm a fan of after having had her narrate some of my own books. Had it
not been for her, I wouldn't have even known this book existed. I'm really glad I did learn of its existance and get to read it though. It's an excellent
drark gothic story, with a great cast of characters, and an interesting plot full of surprises.

Warned
by Katrina Cope
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is another excellent addition to the series, as well as a wonderful story in its own right, which left me chomping at the bit for more. It's
a fantastic read, sprinkled with mysteries, threats to overcome, magic, and action, which also lets us see the quieter moments, when we can watch the bonds
between the dragons and those they are paired with growing and evolving.
*NOTE: I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced my opinion of the book,
nor the contents of this review.

Abby and Holly Series, Book 3: Secrets of the Trunk
by Janice Spina
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was an excellent read for middle graders, and those who are grown up but still enjoy children's stories - especially fans of paranormal mysteries.
The whole series teaches valuable life lessons children should be taught - and even some of us adults could sometimes do with a reminder of - but in a
fun way. As with the previous books, this one has a fantastic plot, and a wonderful cast of well-rounded and relatable characters.

Victoria how were those three books?

Christine wrote: "Victoria how were those three books?"

All good... All five star reads for me.

I finished my 107th book

Victoria I’m glad that you liked those three books

I read two books during the past week. So, here's what they were, and what I thought of them:

Win
by Vera Nazarian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Normally, when a book ends on a cliffhanger like this one, I can't bring myself to give it the full five stars. But this one... The worldbuilding, the
plot twists, the action, the characters... They were all so well done. Yes, Gwen's a bit annoying and naive at times, but Aeson's very existance makes
up for any annoying moments we have to endure with Gwen, because... WOW! So, because Aeson has stolen my heart, I'm rounding up to the full five stars,
despite the cliffhanger ending. Now I need book four, like now!

Through the Nethergate
by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a thrilling tale, which combines fabulous paranormal elements with fascinating historical facts. The first part of the book feels a little more
like a collection of themed short stories than the start of a novel, but it all comes together nicely after a while, at which point it's much easier to
become engrossed in the tale.

Thus far in December, I've DNF'd and 5-starred .
Currently listening to .

Hopefully picking up this afternoon! I like this Renaissance kick I'm on :) hell/tech week + RL goings-on have made it very difficult to carve out book time, because I've spent six hours at the theatre each of the last two evenings (plus twelve hours on Sunday), a vet visit for my cat (he's fine) and a last-minute vehicular tune-up. But we have an audience at the show tonight, and then opening tomorrow, so we're all very excited :)

I finished my 108th book and I finished my 109th book

I finished my 110th book

Just finished 108th book. Will finish two or three more by end of year.

I finished The Beautiful yesterday morning. I wasn’t sure about it at first, but then I found myself getting more invested and ended up enjoying it. Going to finish Crier’s War next and in the coming year I’m going to be doing a lot of re-reads.

I finished my 111th book

Great job everyone!! Well done!

I finished my 112th book

Aww thanks Karen’s Library

Finished and enjoyed them!

I almost read two books this week, but it ended up only being one that I finished. For those keeping count, this puts me at 103 books read this year, which is a book away from my reading goal for the year, which is why I mention the fact it was almost two books I finished this week; had I finished that second book, I'd have reached my reading goal for 2019. Never mind, I'll reach the goal in this next week.

Anyway, here's what I read this week, along with what I thought of it:

Abducted
by Katrina Cope
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The plot of this one is slower-paced than the previous books, but really that's welcome, especially since it gives us a chance to get the answers to some
questions raised throughout the series so far. Of course, there's still plenty going on, along with some new information to ponder, making this a gripping
read I devoured in one sitting, and an excellent addition to the series. I can't wait to read the next book!
*NOTE: I was given a free advanced copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion
of the book, or the contents of this review.

I finished my 113th book

Almost done with Crier's War, which I'm liking but not loving. Today I'm reading Mistborn though because I didn't have space for Crier's in my bag. Too much stuff to carry!

Finished Crier’s War. It was okay, felt a little detached from the characters. Started Spin the Dawn last night and I’m intrigued so far.

I finished my 114th book

I liked very much - always and forever an anti-Yankees fan.

I've picked up for an on-the-fly reread thanks to discovering the musical earlier this week.

This week I read... A lot. I ended up finishing four books. I didn't expect to do so; I expected to not be finishing the last book until this weekend. But... Well, read its review, and you'll understand. Also, for those interested: I've now completed my 2019 reading challenge, since I've read more than 104 books. Anyway...

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
by Max Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It took me a bit to get in to this book, because the way it's written takes away a lot of the plot tension and the thrill of their fight against the zombies.
However, it was a pretty good read over all, and once I got in to it I started enjoying hearing the stories of the diffrrent characters, and their experiences
during and immediately after the war.

Whispers of the Past
by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As always seems to be the case with anthologies by multiple authors, I enjoyed some of the stories in this collection more than others. All were well-written,
with fascinating - and sometimes quite chilling - plots, and interesting characters. It's just that some appealed to me more than others, while a couple
of the stories were difficult for me to get in to and enjoy due to my personal tastes in reading materials. So, I've given this book four out of five stars,
which is lower than a couple of the stories deserve, but higher than I would have rated others had I read them on their own.
*NOTE: I was given a free review copy of this book by the author of one of the stories. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of the stories
- or the collection as a whole - nor the contents of this review.

Preparing For My First Cockatiel: A Beginner's Guide to Starting Your Life with the World’s Most Popular Pet Cockatoo
by Laurel A. Rockefeller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a well-written, excellent and informative read. It's very obvious the author has done her research well, and cares a lot about birds. Not only
that, but it's also presented in such a way as to make it easy to follow, regardless of how old you might be; if you're old enough to be responsible for
the care of a pet like a Cockatiel, you're old enough to be able to read and understand this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone thinking
of getting a Cockatiel, or those who - like me - are simply interested in what goes in to the proper care of a pet Cockatiel.
I would also like to add that I listened to the audio version of this book, and think the narrator was an excellent choice, since he has a wonderful and
clear voice, which is both easy to understand and pleasant to listen to.
*NOTE: I was given a free copy of this book by the author. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of the book - or its narrator - nor the
contents of this review; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Allegiance
by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
You know those books that have you staying up past the time you know you really should be sleeping, just so you can read a little more? Yeah, this was
one of those for me. It's an awesome addition to the series, and an amazing read in its own right. The action, the feels, the relatable characters even
in situations you can't imagine ending up in yourself and even so find yourself hoping against hope you never will while reading about them... It has all
those things, and more! Seriously, if you're a fan of apocolyptic fiction that's set way after the initial event, and can handle gory details in your books,
you should be reading this series, and if you're not, I seriously recommend you fix that as soon as possible. Also, the next book is coming soon, right?
*looks hopeful*

I finished my 115th book