Challenge: 50 Books discussion

In 2010 I managed to finish 76 books in total, which is double (or even more...) from what I read in 2009. So this year, my target is to read 100 books..

Let the challenge begins..

I got this rating system from Chris's 50 books challenge, which I thought was better ratings to show our true review of the book... so thanks Chris :)

10 - One of the best, worth adding to my permanent collection
9 - Compelling, wonderful, should force strangers to read this
8 - Very good, happy I read it
7 - Quite good actually
6 - Okay plus, good, but not so remarkable
5 - Okay, pleasant enough but entirely forgettable
4 - I read this under duress or a sense of obligation to the group
3 - Why did I bother?
2 - I read this only due to lack of nearby cereal boxes
1 - Painful, vile,, but continued reading to burn off purgatory time

1. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares



A nice story about friendship and a magical pair of pants.. Wish I could have pants that fit me beautifully regardless my figure or how much fats that I have haha..

2. Wishful Thinking by Melissa Hill



I ended up liking this one more than I thought I would.

3. The Family Way by Tony Parsons



Really liked Parsons writing style. Enjoyed the story.

4. Blue Moon by Alyson Noel



The second book in the Immortal series. A bit better than the first book, but still just okay for me.. Not more than 2 stars, but at least this book makes me want to read the third book in the series. Maybe then it gets better

5. Wings by Aprilynne Pike



Ratings: 8 - Very good, happy I read it.

My friend first offered to lend me this book but I refused because of the book cover. But seeing this book over and over gets me to finally read it and I gotta say that I'm not regretting it. Love this book. Can't wait to read the second book in the series.

6. Being Nikki by Meg Cabot



Rating: 5 - Okay, pleasant enough, but not remarkable

This book continues the story of Em Watts whose brain was transplanted into a supermodel body, Nikki Howard. I quite like this book. Just a light read, but it's nothing special.

7. Runaway by Meg Cabot



Rating: 5 - Okay, pleasant enough, but entirely forgetable

The conclusion to the airhead series. It was okay, a good finish. Can't say I'm surprised.

8. Spells by Aprilynne Pike



Rating: 8 - Very good, Happy I read it

The second book in the wings series. It's as good as wings.

9. Dark Lover by J.R. Ward



Rating: 6 - Okay plus good but not so remarkable

I heard about this series a lot so I'm interested to read the first book in the series. It was quite okay, enjoyable, but it took me a while to get into the book, but the second and third book should be easier now that I know the characters..

10. Trunk Music by Michael Connelly



Rating: 6 - Okay plus good but not so remarkable

Not my favorite in the Harry Bosch series, but still quite enjoyable. Full of action. Not sure if i like all the mafia hit twist though

11. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares



Rating: 7 - Quite good actually

I like continuing the stories of the 4 sisters, Lena,Bee, Carmen and Tibby and following yet another adventure of these girls during summer.

12. The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell



Rating: 7 - Quite good actually

Another good Kay Scarpeta mystery.

13. The Alchemyst by Michael Scott



Rating: 7 - Quite good actually

This book starts out good, then gets slow in the middle. Maybe it's because I don't like the descriptions and reference to history so much. But the second half of the book gets really good and I'm glad I stuck to it. I immediately continued reading the second book

14. Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares



Rating: 5 - Okay, pleasant enough but entirely forgettable

This is the third summer of the sisterhood, the story of 4 friends with a special magical pants called the travelling pants. I sort of loose interest a bit with this book, not as good as the first two, but I'm interested to find out what happens to the characters.... I might continue them to the fourth book...

15. The Magician by Michael Scott



Rating: 8 - Very good, happy I read it

The second book in the Nicholas Flamel series. Better than the first book. It's fast paced, full of action, likeable characters.

16. The Sorceress by Michael Scott



Rating: 8 - Very good, happy I read it

I enjoyed this series so much that I read the third book straight after I finish the second one.. I want to know what happens to the characters... I don't have my hands on the fourth book yet, otherwise I would've jumped in straight after this one

17. I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk



Rating: 5 - Okay, pleasant enough but entirely forgettable

I have to honestly say that what attracts me to this book in the first place is the cover. But it turns out that there are other books in the series before this. So I was sort of lost reading some part of the story. This one was just an easy, fluff read.. would have been better if I've read the previous books..

18. Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward



Rating: 7 - Quite good actually

Heard so many good things about this book. I read this book without any expectations, because there was a lot of books on vampires and I think in a way they're just the same, the difference is in the characters and the way the author tells the story. And for me, this one is just the same like any other paranormal romance books with vampires as the main character. But I like the way Ward tells the story. It flows and is fast paced and full of action. So I think this series is quite good and I'm definitely interested to read other books in the black dagger brotherhood series.

19. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult



Rating: 9/10

My first book by Picoult was My Sister's Keepers and I liked it so much that I buy most of Picoult's books that I can find here.

This book is not as moving, not as good as My Sister's Keepers, but it came close. What I like about this book is that Picoult not only portray the boy as the one who is shooting multiple people in the school, but she builds on and give backgrounds on the boy, from when he was little until he's a teenager and what happens to him and what makes him do the shooting. It's a moving and compelling story, told in a Picoult way. Loved it.

20. Witch and Wizard by James Patterson



Rating: 2/10

I enjoyed Patterson's adult crime and thriller books, but I just don't think he's doing as good a job in his YA books as his adult ones. I feel that the story is all over the place, the character is not likeable and not developed. I don't know if the second book is going to be better. I will only read them if there's no other book worth reading..

21. Ninth Key by Meg Cabot



Rating: 6/10

Meg Cabot's books are always pleasant to read and quite enjoyable. I like her writing style

22. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Crowell



Rating: 7/10

Hillarious... But It's different from the movie..

23. Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson



Rating: 5/10

Vampire story with a twist... where else could you find a vampire who loves expensive luxury shoes.. Betsey is funny...

24. How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Crowell



Rating: 6/10

Still funny but not as hillarious as the first book.

25. Death by Bikini by Linda Gerber



Rating: 6/10

The title is interesting, the book cover is interesting, the story is so-so but quite enjoyable

26. Death By Latte by Linda Gerber



Rating: 6/10

OMG, coffee can kill people? LoL The title itself is enough to pick my curiousity. This book continues the adventure of Aphra from the first book, Death by Bikini. An enjoyable, fun and easy read.

27. Death by Denim by Linda Gerber


Rating 6/10

Conclusion to the Death by bikini mysteries..

28. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Rating: 7/10

Have wanted to read this book in a long time actually, but haven't got around to reading it until now. It's quite good.. There are some boring parts and parts where I thought got dragged on too long, but overall I quite enjoyed it.

29. Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

Rating: 3/10 - Why did I bother?

My thoughts exactly.. Why did I bother reading this book? Because at first it sounds promising, a heroine who disguised herself as a boy, crippled.. but when I read it, it feels like those 80s Kung Fu series that I used to watch as a kid. I should not have bothered reading this book.. And the writing was bad as well..

30. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Rating: 7/10 - Quite good actually

31. The Fallen: Volume 1 by Thomas Sniegoski

Rating: 6/10 - Okay plus good, but not so remarkable

I quite enjoyed reading this book. It's fast paced and easy to read.

32. Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward

Rating: 6/10 - Okay plus good, but not so remarkable

The most talked about book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, as this one's concentrating on stories on Zsadist, the most mysterious brother of the brotherhood. Like the previous book before this one, I quite enjoyed the story, but getting a bit tired of some "scenes" so I skipped them.

33. State of Fear by Michael Crichton

Rating: 7/10 - Quite good actually

Michael Crichton is one of my favorite authors. I really enjoyed this book. It deals with a quite difficult subject, global warming and some conspiracies around it, but the way that Crichton writes it, it doesn't feel like a tough subject to read, but he packages it such a way that it's an interesting thriller, with interesting characters and I learned something along the way about the topic.

34. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

Rating: 7/10 - Quite good actually

The fourth and last book (I think) in the sisterhood of the travelling pants. I really like this series.

35. Bossypants by Tina Fey

Rating: 8/10 - Very good, happy I read it

I've been interested in this book since I first saw it on amazon.com and can't wait to get my hands on this book, so when I got it, I dropped all the other books on my waiting list and immediately read this one. I've liked Tina Fey from her Saturday Night Live days and then on 30 Rock.

This book is funny and I enjoyed it tremendously.

36. The Fallen: Volume 2 by Thomas Sniegoski

Rating: 5/10 - Okay, pleasant enough but entirely forgettable

I liked the first volume better.

37. Reunion by Meg Cabot

Rating: 6/10 - Okay plus good but not so remarkable

38. Darkest Hour by Meg Cabot

Rating: 6/10 - Okay plus good but not so remarkable

39. Little Bee by Chris Cleave

Rating: 7/10 - Quite good actually

The synopsis for this book is what interested me to this book in the first place, because it didn't tell a lot about the book, so I'm interested to find out what the story is all about.

40. Haunted by Meg Cabot

Rating: 6/10 - Okay plus good but not so remarkable