100+ Books in 2025 discussion

Books read as of January 18, 2011. My real goal for 2011 is 35 books. (That's five more than last year!) I started out with the second part of The Hunger Games series. The writing of this book seemed less than average, but the story was right on target. Can't wait to start Mockingjay.

1.) Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (391 pages)

Books read as of January 26, 2011. This book was super hard to get into. The story didn't take off until halfway through the book. I would have rated it higher if the first half of the book was as good as the second half.

2.) Atonement by Ian McEwan (351 pages)

Books read as of February 11, 2011. I'm glad that I finished the trilogy but this book and Catching Fire failed to live up to its predecessor. The Hunger Games was so magical. It was nice to discover that Katniss found her happy ending. (Well, at least as much of a happy ending as one can have after living through the Hunger Games.) It was bittersweet.

3.) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (398 pages)

Books read as of February 18, 2011. I was hoping for so much more from this book. I wanted it to embody an actual fairy tale. Instead it was your run of the mill romance novel disguised as a fairy tale. Also, it felt like the author couldn't decide on a storyline; she kept throwing in random obstacles that didn't feel very organic. I wasn't super impressed.

4.) The Bride and the Beast by Teresa Medeiros (352 pages)

Books read as of March 21, 2011. Reading books this long is not helping me achieve my "35 books in 2011" goal. Can't I count it as two books? I really loved parts about this book. The romance was poetic. And time travel! But I was disappointed in a few other parts. For one thing, the rape was horrific! For another thing, I was hoping for more time travel cause and effect plot points. (It was 850 pages. You'd think the author could have plugged in more time travel fun.) And last, the story just drug on and on and on. It could have easily been 200 pages shorter. But overall, I enjoyed it and would like to continue on with the series.

5.) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (850 pages)

Books read as of March 23, 2011. This was a nice respite from that 850-page novel. However, this book suffered from the fact that it was too short. The plot felt so rushed. I would have loved for Nick and Norah to get involved in some more shenanigans; less inner dialogue.

6.) Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (192 pages)

Books read as of March 31, 2011. OMG. I hearted this book so much! The plot device was amazing. What a great idea! The characters were flawed, and that's why I loved them so much. I was so happy with the book up until the ending. How utterly depressing! I cried during the entire final 50 pages of the book.

7.) One Day by David Nicholls (437 pages)

Books read as of April 5, 2011. I enjoyed this book. It was a fun and easy read. Although I didn't agree with Rachel's actions (and her lack of self confidence really started to grate on my nerves) I enjoyed reading about her tumultuous relationship with Darcy and her whirlwind of an affair with Dex. What a situation she got into!

8.) Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin (336 pages)

Books read as of April 26, 2011. A retelling of Beauty and the Beast! What could go wrong? Unfortunately, it was such a disappointment. The first 50 pages were dreadfully boring. It wasn't until Beauty finds herself at the castle that the story seems to pick up the pace. But even then, the author didn't really write characters worth caring for. I still don't really know who the Beast is, nor do I know why he fell in love with Beauty other than the fact that she came to the castle to save her dad. The author also sped through the crucial moments. Very upsetting.

9.) Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley (247 pages)

Books read as of April 30, 2011. What a great (and very quick and easy) read. This book is written in IM format. (AIM is the only acceptable place for Comic Sans.) I tagged this as a book to read because I saw that it was banned in a lot of schools, and thus I was intrigued. Why would anyone ban this book?! It deals with real issues that teenagers face in high school. I can identify with each of the three main characters. This is how girls are in high school. I actually think this should be MANDATORY reading for sophomores.

10.) ttyl by Lauren Myracle (209 pages)

Books read as of May 10, 2011. I always seem to enjoy Lisa See's books--she transports you to a world so different from your own. My only problem with this book was fully understanding Snow Flower and Lily's falling out. It seemed so petty; maybe that's what happens when you live in a culture that only allows you to keep one person as your "old same." You fall out of practice with tolerance, understanding, compromise and unconditional love.

11.) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (253 pages)

Books read as of May 16, 2011. I adored Sweet Valley High when I was a preteen. Why couldn't I get away with the same stunts the Wakefield sisters pulled? And why, oh why didn't I have a twin?! Unfortunately, this book wasn't as good as I had hoped. There was no real plot. I kind of want to go back and re-read the original stories.

12.) Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal (293 pages)

Books read as of May 23, 2011. I so wish I hadn't watched the movie before I read this book. Although I would do it again, it spoiled the "twist ending." Also, a lot of people have critiqued Marelena's character, saying that she wasn't strong and poorly written. I would have to disagree. Although I think her characterization could have been fleshed out better, she was the opposite of weak for a woman in the 30s. I liked her and Jacob together. And last, who was so happy when the older Jacob escaped the nursing home and ran away with the circus? Because I was!

13.) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (331 pages)

Books read as of June 8, 2011. This is a very rare occasion: I liked the movie better. The author takes no time for the two main characters to fall in love. They jump immediately from disdain into true love. And my favorite scene in the movie, where they spend time on the ship in the clouds and actually fall in love, lasts a total of three pages. I had to make sure I wasn't reading some abridged copy of the book because I thought "Surely this book is moving way too fast to be accurate." It wasn't. Watch the movie instead.

14.) Stardust by Neil Gaiman (288 pages)

Gina wrote: "Books read as of June 8, 2011. This is a very rare occasion: I liked the movie better. The author takes no time for the two main characters to fall in love. They jump immediately from disdain into ..."

I watched the movie first and read the book second, and I'll admit, I was surprised by how fast it went. I mean, I'm sure there are parts we don't get to see, where they fall in love, but yes, it was very odd.

Were you surprised at how fast the movie went or at how fast the book went? I thought the book went by way too fast. :( Which did you like better? The movie or the book?

Books read as of June 10, 2011. I enjoyed this sequel to the Internet Girl series. It was a *very* quick read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I only gave it four stars--simply because I didn't find it as gripping as the first one. Still, the characters seemed very realistic for teenage girls (and realistic even for adult girls ... or rather bits and parts).

15.) ttfn by Lauren Myracle (250 pages)

Gina wrote: "Were you surprised at how fast the movie went or at how fast the book went? I thought the book went by way too fast. :( Which did you like better? The movie or the book?"

By how fast the book went, and I liked them for different reasons. Both seemed to last for a while, so it might make sense that they fell in love in the intervening time.

Books read as of June 19, 2011. As a dog lover and owner, this book tugged at my heart strings. I love Enzo. What a great dog! I enjoyed reading about how he had to use gestures to communicate, like when he stole the custody papers from Denny's hands and peed on them. The only reason I gave this great book four stars was because the driving metaphors started to get a little tedious. And I don't care to learn about racing. It's just not my thing. But what a great book.

16.) The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (321 pages)

Books read as of July 8, 2011. Tina Fey is hilarious. It's as simple as that. If you're a fan of Tina Fey's work, then this book is a must-read. It offers humor, an opinion on what it's like to be a woman in the workplace and an inside look into SNL, 30 Rock and more.

17.) Bossypants by Tina Fey (280 pages)

Books read as of July 15, 2011. I enjoyed this book even more than the first in Stieg Larsson's thriller series. This one ended in a cliffhanger, so I can't wait to start the third and final book (once I can get my hands on a copy).

18.) The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson (630 pages)

Books read as of July 22, 2011. Another book from the ttyl series. The girl's end their senior year of high school with style.

19.) l8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle (288 pages)

Books read as of August 8, 2011. I enjoyed this fairytale retelling much better than Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. I loved the two women in this book, but I hated the way the author portrayed the prince. He was an empty vessel and I couldn't understand why they "loved" him so much.

20.) Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon (240 pages)

Books read as of August 16, 2011. What a brain exercise! Orson Scott Card weaved together two completely separate narratives about time travel, space and coming of age into one amazing tale. I can't wait to read the next of this Serpent World series.

21.) Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card (672 pages)

Books read as of August 30, 2011. What a great romance read. The characters were fun to read about. I look forward to reading more from this series and Julia Quinn in general.

22.) Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn (374 pages)

Books read as of September 20, 2011. I'm happy to have finished this series from Stiegg Larson. His books are written in a very awkward way, but the stories are so intriguing.

23.) The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stiegg Larson (563 pages)

Books read as of September 26, 2011. This was the most depressing, most cliche, most melodramatic book I've ever read. Although the story itself was intriguing, Picoult uses way too many "insightful metaphors" that she obviously felt she needed to then explain to you in case you didn't understand her profound prose. Also, the ending sucked. It wasn't a "that sucked, but I see why it had to happen" kind of sucked, it was a "that sucked; the author obviously wanted to throw a twist ending in there just to say she can" kind of sucked. All in all, I'm not too impressed by Picoult's work (I also have read Plain Truth), but damn her story lines are intriguing.

24.) My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (448 pages)

I completely agree. I think Picoult compromises the integrity of her characters and her plot in order to pull an authorial twist to make a point and make her readers think. It's like she trusts her characters until the end, where the author seizes control and turns a lovely novel into propaganda! I always feel betrayed after reading one of her books. Her "shocking twists" actually become predictable after awhile. I will not read another.

I feel the same way. But the thing about her books is that the story lines are so intriguing! I may torture myself by reading a couple more, but I can assuredly say she is one of my least favorite authors. :)

Books read as of September 30, 2011. I didn't think that I would want a happy ending for Darcy after her bratty antics in Something Borrowed, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was so happy she ended up with Ethan. The story drug a little bit in the beginning, but picked up once she made her transition to London. What a fun read.

25.) Something Blue by Emily Giffin (338 pages)

Books read as of October 11, 2011. Julia Quinn is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors. Her dialogue is witty and her characters are endearing. I'm so glad I discovered the Bridgertons series. That family is hilarious and Lady Whistledown ... who is she?! I can't wait to read more from this series.

26.) The Duke And I by Julia Quinn (371 pages)

Books read as of October 27, 2011. I'm on the fence about this book. On one hand I found the concept of reading the diary of a call girl fascinating. I enjoyed how open and honest she was about her work and the people she knew. But on the other hand, I thought she was the opposite of an unlikely call girl, seeming very likely indeed, and was disgusted by a lot of her "open and honest" scenes. Surely she could have found a less degrading career, despite the economy. Oh well.

27.) Belle de Jour: Diary of an Unlikely Call Girl by Belle de Jour (299 pages)

Books read as of November 7, 2011. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Overall I liked the narrative structure, and I loved the three main characters, Ruth, Tommy and Kathy. "Those poor creatures" indeed. It really makes you dwell on what makes us human. I only wish that we could have had some insight into the other private schools these "special children" attended that were so far removed from Hailsham.

28.) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (288 pages)

Books read as of November 19, 2011. This title was great. I loved the plot, I clicked with Skeeter and I adored Minny! It was hilarious, heart breaking and bittersweet. It's hard to imagine that this took place only 50 years ago.

29.) The Help by Kathryn Stockett (451 pages)

Books read as of December 2, 2011. This was a cute follow-up to The Duke And I. However, the hero's internal struggle seemed forced and just plain silly. But I loved the characters and didn't mind the silliness. It was a fun read. But now I feel as if it's time to get back to more serious matters.

30.) The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (354 pages)

Gina wrote: "Books read as of November 19, 2011. This title was great. I loved the plot, I clicked with Skeeter and I adored Minny! It was hilarious, heart breaking and bittersweet. It's hard to imagine that th..."

I'm reading this right now. To me it's a bit slow, right now, but I'm only 70 pages in, so hopefully it'll get better. Glad you liked it :)

I think you'll really dig it. Keep in touch and let me know what you think when you finish! :)

Gina wrote: "I think you'll really dig it. Keep in touch and let me know what you think when you finish! :)"

Thanks, I'll let you know! :)

Books read as of December 19, 2011. I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed the first 20 pages of the book and the last 30 pages of the book, but everything else was just okay. It was just a lot of moping by two-dimensional characters. I still don't quite understand why David made the choice that he did and I didn't like him or his wife very much. The very fact that she didn't insist upon seeing her dead daughter made me lose respect for her as a person, even if this took place in the 60s. But the ending was heart-gripping and very well written. I wasn't at all surprised to learn that this was turned into a Lifetime movie. I wouldn't mind watching it one day just to compare the two versions.

31.) The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards (401 pages)