I made a really big list
I'm a list maker, as is probably pretty obvious by this feature. So of course I HAD to make an end-of-the-year list recapping all of the books I read in 2011. It's like a snapshot of reviews, but you can click on the titles to go to my full reviews.
I broke this up into seven posts (plus a guest post) that will go up throughout the day. Settle in, this is going to be a long one!
I'm glad I read it, but I'm moving on now
The books I enjoyed reading, but probably won't read again and they did not spark a strong urge to read any more of the authors' works. These are the "nice" books, ya know what I mean?
Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore
Short and sweet. For best results, approach as a light fairy tale.
Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler
Cute, but solidly on the younger end of MG.
Fateful by Claudia Gray
I had some fun, got a few eyeroll sprains, and that was that.
A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron
A dog story for kids who like dog stories, but nothing that stood out for me. I'm still sore about chapter 20.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
That date that kinda intrigued me, but mostly just weirded me out. Also, weenie boy.
Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman (review to come)
Funny, but could have been funnier. Points for inventiveness.
Clean by Amy Reed
If I were a drug user, I totally would have raided a stash of happy pills to make it through. Realistic, but what a downer.
Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith
Fun and original, if not very deep. The slay-fest at the end makes the whole book worth reading.
Clarity by Kim Harrington
Loved the premise, liked the mystery, was iffy on the MC, and didn't swoon over either love interest.
Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell
An Arthurian verse novel that this verse-novel-hating reader actually enjoyed...even if I still wish it had been written like a real book. Don't expect the traditional story, either.
Warped by Maurissa Guibord
My dog died and this book totally fell flat. Was it the book or my mental state at the time? I'm thinking a mix of both.
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
Meghan pretended to be Bella Swan from her New Moon depression days and I tried not to barf. Still love Grimalkin and the guys, plus bonus points for IRONHORSE.
Most Wanted by Kate Thompson
Totally MG, but a fun look at the day a bat-poop crazy Roman emperor died.
Slayers by C. J. Hill
Fun premise and great dragon mythology. Too bad I couldn't get into the third person narrative, shallow characters, and silly romance.
The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
More balls and faerie wars. Fewer dirty, starving orphans. Thanks.
The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
Funny and filled with a multitude of ways to refer to bra-stuffing, but not terribly original as far as Mean Girls stories go.
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau
Too MG for me, but sweet.
Deadly by Julie Chiabbaro
More MG than YA, this one reminded me of an American Girl book.
The Poisoned House by Michael Ford
I want a scarier and more original ghost story, but this was still decent. Except for the Pail Scene. I HATE the Pail Scene.
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The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth and a few graphic novels. Which isn't a lot considering how much books I read this year but I like to give authors a second and third chance lol.
ReplyDeleteI like making lists too and have a whole bunch scheduled for the last week of the month but I might move it up a week.
Sandy
The Faerie Ring was a middle of the road read for me as well, I just didn't quite get sucked into it as much as I wanted to. The "meh" reads are always the hardest reviews for me to write, sometimes I just have nothing to say because they just didn't leave a big enough impression on me. Can't wait to see what's on your other lists!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I didn't care for the Lipstick Laws either. Just another Mean Girls rehash that lost its steam in about the fifth chapter.
ReplyDeleteUh, I think I got Fateful in my TBR somewhere, but it got pushed down after your review.
ReplyDeleteand I know I liked Song of the Sparrows more than you did, but it's true only verse novel I see myself reading in a REALLY long time so I get what you mean.
And, re: swans. READ Daughter of the Forest! It's not fluffy but it's very good! PROMISE
Real Mermaids was too MG for me as well, although I can see it appealing to the younger tween girl set. I'm sorry to hear Sirenz wasn't as humorous as you were hoping for (glad to hear it's creative though!)
ReplyDeleteI loved the Faerie Ring while I was reading it, but after I finished I realized it had all these different problems.
ReplyDeleteLove the Iron Fey series though.
What a great bunch of lists! I had SO many of these kinds of reads this year that it would probably make up most of my lists.
ReplyDeleteI thought The Lipstick Laws was cute. I'm in between reading several books, one is The Faerie Ring. I like it but not much happens. It's rather infuriating. I think the world and characters are interesting...but let's get moving with more mystery and action! Dido on The Iron Daughter. It did not live up to The Iron King, in my opinion. It was very dark and depressing.
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