Books in Review

So despite being horribly sick for at least a quarter of the year and moving clear across the country, I managed to make a pretty good reading haul this year.  At the beginning of the year I decided to keep track of the number of pages I had read and I was really surprised.  I had a grand total of 18,404 pages read this last year.  Though looking over my list, it definitely was the year of the re-read.   So here is my recap of the last year with my simple review. 5 Star rating system ***** Loved it!!! **** Really liked it. *** Good, Okay ** Didn't like it. * Hated it.                           ****Slight by Jennifer Sommersby--765 This was one of Barnes and Noble Free Friday downloads.  I was quit surprised by this book.  I really enjoyed reading it.  It's in the youth paranormal romance genre.  I am looking forward to the release of the second book.

****Eragon by Christopher Paolini--497 This was one of my re-reads this year.  I have all the books and have only managed to read the first one.  This next year I am hoping to finish the series.  I liked it as much the second time as I did the first.

****Hollowland by Amanda Hocking--651 I don't think I've ever read a book about zombies before.  Never cared much for the flesh-eating monsters.  Even I have my gore limits.  This was different.  I really didn't want to put it down.  I was even more excited to find out she has written a sequel. I didn't want the story to end.

*****The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson--469 Everyone in my book club knows I had a love/hate relationship with the first book by Stieg Larsson.  It was dark and evil but so well written.  This one was still dark but left out the pure evilness and I seriously couldn't stop reading this book.

***Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery--170 Another re-read from my youth.  I liked it much better back then.   Even though it is a wonderful story I found myself skimming a lot and getting annoyed by the sameness.

***Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery--171 Another re-read.  Same review as above.

***Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery--192 Another re-read.  This wasn't as monotonous as #3 and #4.

****Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery--217 I have always loved Anne.  It was fun to re-read.

*****Voyager by Diana Gabaldon--978 This is such a great series.  I love how it takes you where you don't expect to go.  I will repeat my warning from before.  As great as this book is, it can get a little risque.  The main characters love each other, a lot.

****The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin--382 This is book #2 in the series.  I loved the first one and loved this one as well.  It's a historical fiction about a woman doctor to examines the dead to determine how they die.  Being set in the 14th century, or there abouts, makes it really interesting.

*****Forever by Maggie Stiefvater--388 This is the final book in the series.  I loved this twist on the typical werewolf.  Such a good love story.

***The Secret Circle Vol. 3 by LJ Smith--310

***The Secret Circle Vol. 2 by LJ Smith--294

***The Secret Circle Volume 1 by LJ Smith--287 I'm discovering the books I LOVED as a teen aren't quite as riveting as I remember.  Saying that, I couldn't put any of them down.  So maybe I liked them more than I thought.  I re-read this series in preparation for the CW's release of the new TV show based on the books.

*****HP and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling--759

*****HP and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling--652

*****HP and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling--870

*****Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by L.K.Rowling--734 LOVE Harry Potter.  Really do I need to say more?

***Forest Born by Shannon Hale--278 I am having a harder time remembering this one.  I know I liked it.  It was the 4th book in the series of the Goose Girl, which I absolutely adore.  It is definitely worth reading.

***The Awakening by L.J. Smith--161 A re-read from my high school days.  This is the series that inspired the Vampire Diaries.  Good read, but you can tell it was written before the Twilight craze.

**The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown--276 I found this book a little on the annoying side.  I hate reading a book where the main characters have problems and they would be able to work them out if they only TALKED to each other.  NO instead they brood about worried what the other person is going to think of them.  It was sad and a little depressing too.

***Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly--400 This was a good book set in the present and also the past.  I found the jump back and forth between times intriguing.  If you like that type of thing, it's  a fun read.

***Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen--282 This is another re-read.  I did find it more interesting the second time around. I don't know why.  Maybe because I knew what to expect.

***Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead--212 I didn't like this as much as Marked, but I have heard the series is really good.  I will eventually get there.

***The Scorch Trials by James Dashner--323 This is the sequel to The Maze.  I found this easier to read than the Maze and not quite as monotonous.  I will definitely keep reading the series.  I really enjoy young adult books.  Probably because they tend to be clean and PG-13.

****I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore--277 Loved the premise of this book and can't wait for the rest of the series.  Way better than the movie.

***A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness--587 I did enjoy reading this book.  Could have done without the vivid sex scenes but that's just me.  I wish it had focused a little more on witch craft and a little less on the relationship between the 2 main characters.  I will read the rest of the series because I'm interested where the story goes.

****Marked by Kristin Cast--241 Another vampire book, but with a different take. Instead of being hidden from humans, they are very much apart of society.

****The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connely--505 I started this one a long time ago and for some reason it didn't catch my attention the first time around.  I picked it up again this year and couldn't put it down.  I don't normally read crime dramas but this was really good.  Lots of twists and turns and I wasn't able to figure it out.

***The Big Burn by Timothy Egan--283 Not my usual reading material, but that is a good thing sometimes.  I enjoyed reading about the fire of 1910 and the horrible road our country could have gone down except for the hard work of 2 notable men in history.  It was a very interesting and informative read.

*****The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot--329 This book was fantastic!  I have always loved biology and while some of the science was totally beyond me. I loved reading about how much has been discovered/cured by the use of one woman's cells.  It was extremely sad to hear about how badly the family was abused through this whole process.  If you haven't already, this is a must read.

****Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin--312 I loved this book.  It reads like a medical/crime drama but set in the 14th century.

****Dragonfly in Amber by Diane Gabaldon--866 This is probably my least favorite that I have read so far.  It seemed to drag on a bit and took a while to get to the point, but once it did, I couldn't put it down.  A great historical fiction.

***Fallen by Lauren Kate--269 I think I was expecting more from this book so I didn't enjoy it as much.  Maybe I'm just not into the whole Angels and Arc-Angel story line.

*****Ascend by Amanda Hocking--509 Book 3 of the Trylle series.

*****Torn by Amanda Hocking--649 Book 2 of the Trylle series.  Really enjoyed the story.

**Mini-Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella--325 I have loved the Shopaholic series.  This one I found annoying.  I was tired of Becky's antics and how she was seriously messing up her family.  You would think she'd have a clue by now that her normal behavior only leads to trouble.  She never learns and that's just not normal.

****The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer--380 This was a great Sci-fi read.  I loved it.  Made you question the morality and ethical issues surrounding cloning.

****Wisdom by Amanda Hocking--193

****Flutter by Amanda Hocking--574

****Fate by Amanda Hocking--169

****My Blood Approves by Amanda Hocking--176 Another vampire book series.  I really enjoyed the author, she does twist the typical legend and makes fun of Twilight a little.  It's a good read if you love vampire books.  There are four in the series.

**Love, Lust and Faking It by Jenny McCarthy--171 I have loved her books on childbirth and rearing.  They are hilarious and honest.  This was funny, but too crude for my tastes.

*****Switched by Amanda Hocking--455 Loved this series.  It's a paranormal-romance and takes a different twist than the typical Vampire/Werewolf books out there.  This one is about trolls.  Seriously good.

****The Help by Kathryn Stockett--416