This is an occasional series that chronicles my quest to read 60 books this year. Book reviews 2014: take seven. Let’s see how it went, shall we?
Everything I’ve read has just been icing on the cake, considering I hit my goal last month. An interesting tidbit: All 10 of these books were read via audiobook during my ridiculously long commute.
I’m a little embarrassed by the lack of “real” page turning because I usually make a habit of reading a chapter per night in whatever book is sitting on my virtual or real bookshelf. This hasn’t been happening lately, for two reasons.
1. It’s partly because my eyes are super tired lately. I’ve been falling asleep before I even get a page read.
2. It’s partly because I’ve been up late working on this blog and making fun things for you. No regrets!
How do you usually read — via paper book, Kindle, audiobook or a combination of all three?
(Do you follow me on Goodreads? You should!)
P.S. Book Reviews 2014: Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4 and Part 5 and Part 6
Book Reviews 2014: 70/60
The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World / Eric Weiner
File under: Nonfiction, travel, snore
Plot: Eric babbles on and on about what might make people happy/unhappy in various places around the world, but mostly about how unhappy he is everywhere he goes.
Review: My advice? If a book about happiness is making you unhappy, stop reading it.
Amazon Goodreads
Shopaholic to the Stars / Sophie Kinsella
File under: Chick lit, Brit lit, bubblegum, unfreakingbelievable
Plot: Becky is still up to her old selfish tricks, this time in an alternate universe, in a completely different galaxy version of Los Angeles.
Review: I felt like slapping the crap out of her the entire book. And the unnecessary cliffhanger ending nearly made me homicidal.
Amazon Goodreads
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald / Therese Anne Fowler
File under: Historical lit, Lost Generation, 1920s
Plot: A fictionalized account of Zelda Fitzgerald’s life, from her perspective.
Review: I loved this.
Amazon Goodreads
Afterworlds / Scott Westerfeld
File under: Coming of age, Y.A., literature as a character, super meta
Plot: Each chapter weaves in and out of Darcy’s reality (putting college on hold to finish work on her anticipated first novel, Afterworlds) and her fiction (following the actual tale of Afterworlds beginning to end).
Review: There are so many ways this could’ve gone wrong, but it didn’t. Both Darcy’s reality and her fiction were intriguing up to the very end.
Amazon Goodreads
The End of Everything / Megan Abbott
File under: Mystery, bad girls, pedophiles, daddy issues, ugh
Plot: Lizzie’s friend Evie goes missing. What happened?
Review: After reading two Megan Abbott books, it’s safe to say I’m not a fan. Her writing style is grating, and her plots are so full of holes they make me crave Swiss cheese.
Amazon Goodreads
Althea and Oliver / Cristina Moracho
File under: Teen, Y.A., coming of age
Plot: Althea and Oliver are best friends. Feelings happen. Relationships combust. Oliver has a sleeping disorder. Althea is self-destructive. Will they ever get it together, or will they just keep circling each other?
Review: The writing style was highly enjoyable even if the story totally lost me in the second half.
Amazon Goodreads
You are One of Them / Elliott Holt
File under: Suspense, Cold War, 1980s, espionage
Plot: Sarah is about to graduate from college when she receives a mysterious letter from Moscow suggesting that her childhood friend Jenny’s death 10 years ago might have been a hoax.
Review: On top of being irresistibly intriguing for those of us who grew up during this time period, there is a bittersweet undercurrent that only the best coming-of-age tales possess.
Amazon Goodreads
Prototype / M.D. Waters
File under: Sci-fi, romance, love triangle
Plot: Emma 2.0 decides to fight for the life Emma 1.0 created.
Review: Some sighs throughout, but overall a perfectly decent and rational conclusion for this clone drama.
Amazon Goodreads
How to Build a Girl / Caitlin Moran
File under: Y.A., gritty, teen drama, coming of age
Plot: Johanna decides to reinvent herself as a bad-ass music writer to escape her reality of poverty. She ends up quitting school to work at a magazine in London, and getting into misadventures along the way.
Review: A little more crude than it needs to be, this was nonetheless a well-done tale with a satisfying character arc.
Amazon Goodreads
Atlantia / Ally Condie
File under: Y.A., dystopian, underwater drama, sirens
Plot: A siren who lives undercover Below must figure out a way to survive when her sister decides to live Above.
Review: I liked this. It was an enjoyable and tidy tome. There was a decent amount of tension to keep it interesting, and it is neither a trilogy or love triangle, so it at least avoids those cliché Y.A. dystopian traps.
Amazon Goodreads
In a Nutshell
Three to read: Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, Afterworlds, You Are One of Them
Three to pass: Shopaholic to the Stars, The Geography of Bliss, The End of Everything
So there you have it. SEVENTY down! I’ve actually read 74 books as of today, and I’m going on vacation next week, so you better believe I’ll be reading like woah. Maybe I’ll hit 80 this year.
What have you been reading lately? I’m always on the lookout for a good book … do share recommendations in the comments. Have you read any of these books? Do you agree/disagree with my assessment? Let’s discuss in the comments below.
P.P.S. Linking this post with Modern Mrs. Darcy. I always bookmark her blog for more reading recommendations!
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