Rate and review the last book you read

9/10 Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay

Quidditch Through the Ages - 8/10 - A very sweet, enjoyable, funny book. It reminded me why I adore Harry Potter and brought back the unique feeling of reading new HP stuff! :love:

Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble - 6.5/10

A light romance read that's a good bet when you're bored.

Heist Society by Ally Carter: 8/10
Good momentum to the story, good character development. The whole book I kept wondering how they were going to solve the problem. A touch of romance, but not the main focus in the book

Shadow by Jenny Moss: 8/10
While a touch predictable, the writing was excellent and I could easily visualize the setting. Engaging because you're trying to figure out who the good guy is through most of the book.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi: 6/10
I wanted to like this story, but I just couldn't relate to any of the characters. The writing was very good, so it kept me reading but at the end of the day there wasn't enough commentary for me to love the story as a whole.

Fever Crumb by Philip Reeve: 9/10
I don't know why, but I just loved this book. It was fast paced and futuristic, but I think I just really liked Fever and her upbringing. Good prequel and easily understood without knowing the rest of the series.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld: 9/10
I loved this so much that I nearly downloaded Pretties on my daughter's Kindle at midnight so I could get started on the sequel. Dystopian YA is getting to be a overcrowded field, but this book stands out. To me a good dystopian story isn't just futuristic and post-apocalyptic, it has to be anti-utopian. I think this book (and hopefully the series) plays into that aspect of the genre.

The Lost Symbol by D. Brown = 7/10

Enjoyable read, but def the worst of the 'Langdon' saga.

The Dark Tower III: The Wasteland - Stephen King: 8/10

Better than the first, not as good as the second.

The hunger games

Bassically it's about the capital of what was once North America holding a sort of "Running man" competition. A 16 year old girl volunteers in place of her sister who was choosen for the competition.

This a really fast paced book, there's really not a moment where you can relax and think the charectors are safe. While it does have it's fair share of action, it's not really the main theme of the book, it's more about the Goverments oppresion of the people it controls. there are variuos clues to how bad it is there. the only problem i have with this book is there is no main villian. but i geuss there really isn't need for one when everybody is out to kill each other.

8.5/10

Cell - Stephen King - 7.5/10

The first half of the book was extremely good, but then it got kind of boring a ways through. The ending was a bit rubbish. I wouldn't expect something like this from Stephen King.

However, the characters were very memorable. Really liked the main characters.

Ender's Shadow - Orson Scott Card 9/10

Even though I knew the story from reading Ender's Game, it was still page-turningly good. This is Bean's side of the story, and it was interesting to see the full picture unravel for you.

First book of the year: The Feathers of Death by Simon Raven

I'll give it an 8/10. It is a very tight, entertaining read, with lots of insight into the military and its class divisions. But it ends on a heavily moralistic note with the two gay characters dead. It's an interesting period piece of how things used to be in the 1950s but it left a stale taste in my mouth.

In the last few days I read Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

I like them both, Catching Fire maybe a bit better. But I was surprised at how much I liked Mockingjay (I heard lots of people thought it a disappointment) It was a bit slow in the middle, but the ending was brilliant, imo.

I'll give them both 8/10, though.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler, 3/5.

There was something missing. I loved the story and all, but I couldn't relate to the main character and I was left confused after reading the book.

I just finished reading Mockingjay, the third and final book in the Hunger Games trilogy. It was my least favorite of the three books. I found it mostly depressing and somewhat predictable.

I give it a 4/10

I think that the author didn't hold me spellbound in this book the way she did in the first two. I found myself reading just to get it over with rather than because I couldn't wait to see what happens next.

7/10 The Girl With the Dragon Tattooby by Stieg Larsson
I give this a seven only because it had started out slow like others had mentioned, and I was kind of hoping that the mystery would turn out different. Still a good read, and I can't wait to start the next one. :D

Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick 4/5

Such a cute story, written in tweets, blogs and columns. The storyline was predictable, but I thought it was very enjoying nontheless.

The Prince of Mist, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 9/10

This was a great read to start the year with. I liked the characters, and the relationships between them. I thought it progressed at a good pace, and the mystery grew more chilling as it went on.

I'm undecided on how I feel about the anglicisation of the names, as the novel has been translated from Spanish. On the one hand, it really emphasises that this isn't a story that's limited to any particular time and place, it's very much got universal themes. On the other hand, I'm not sure that it's a good thing taking the story away from its origins uneccessarily by anglicising the names.

Even though I knew the story from reading Ender's Game, it was still page-turningly good. This is Bean's side of the story, and it was interesting to see the full picture unravel for you.I loved seeing Bean's perspective on the same events. One time I read them chapter for chapter--Ender's perspective, then the chapter on the same events from Bean's perspective. :tu:
7/10 The Girl With the Dragon Tattooby by Stieg Larsson Is this book as violent as I've heard? That's the one thing stopping me from reading this series. I think some of the descriptions of violence would bother me.

This Just In -- What I couldn't tell you on TV -- Bob Schieffer

8/10

A pretty well written and interesting book by him, learned a lot more about history and of the news business in general.

Matched: 5/10
I really wanted to like this book. It's sort of the Handmaid's Tale meets 1984 but with none of the intrigue, fear or passion. It falls into the dystopian YA genre. 1984 was the one of the first books that I ever read that blew me away and it formed my love of all things dystopian (Wikipedia has the best definition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia) in my book), and even though I expected Matched to be a light read, I had high hopes on a meaningful one. It was vacant when it should have been passionate, and the struggle was really a non-struggle. I hear this book is going to be a series and a movie, I don't think I'll pursue either of them.

I loved seeing Bean's perspective on the same events. One time I read them chapter for chapter--Ender's perspective, then the chapter on the same events from Bean's perspective. :tu:
Oooh, that sounds like something I'd do! :)

Is this book as violent as I've heard? That's the one thing stopping me from reading this series. I think some of the descriptions of violence would bother me.Yes. Well, the violence is all sexually explicit type of violence. I wish someone had warned me before I read it. I had a hard time getting some of the parts out of my head. Good story otherwise, but pretty graphic.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 10/10

I know I'm in the minority on this, but I thought it is one of the best books I've ever read. I do have some problems with it - mainly some scenes feeling rushed and off-stage action - but I think the emotion and realism of the book make it wonderful. It's not happy, but I think the book was truthful to the message that Collins was sending.

Yes. Well, the violence is all sexually explicit type of violence. I wish someone had warned me before I read it. I had a hard time getting some of the parts out of my head. Good story otherwise, but pretty graphic.
Hmm. Thanks for the feedback. I think I should steer clear then; I think it would really bother me.

Sagramanda (A Novel of Near-Future India) - Alan Dean Foster

That was incredibly surreal and amusing.

But there are just too many antagonists who don't get a lot of screentime - or not as much as they deserved.

Still, a 8.5/10 from me.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater, 5/5

I have to say that I loved Shiver more, but this one had me on the edge of my seat - I wanted to know what was going to happen! I think Stiefvater is great in building tension and I can't wait for Forever to come out in July.

Pretties - Scott Westerfeld
8/10

I loved Uglies and Pretties did not disappoint. Just when you think things are going in one direction you get a new juicy nugget that opens up the bigger picture in your mind. Not 100% sure I liked how it ended (as in it was too obvious it was solely to get the 3rd book started) but overall a wild ride, even bubbly as they'd say. :lol:

6/10 Duma Key - Stephen King

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Steig Larsson

7.5/10

The book was good, but I thought judging by the immense popularity of the Millennium series that it would be better. It was a bit intense and confusing at times, but the mystery element of the story was good. I'll probably read the sequel, but if I don't like it more I don't know if I'll finish the trilogy or not.

And for those who asked, yes the book is fairly violent at times. It is heavy on "adult themes" especially sexual assault.

Catching Fire

The rebellion against the Capitol that started in The Hunger Games is picking up steam after then events of the end of that book.

For about half the book, this was below the standard set by the first book. Sure it had it's moments but nothing really sustained. But once it got around that it really picked up steam. there wasn't really a boring moment as you tried to figure out who was on who's side and what every bodies agenda was. Some characters i didn't like initially then liked, then didn't like and when all was explained i liked them more.

8/10 for the slowish start.

A few books I recently finished

The Hunger Games : 10/10 A thrilling start a promising new series I thought. All the depth to entertain a seasoned fiction/fantasy reader and not so complex to scare younger readers away.

Catching Fire: 9/10 I thought it had a slow start but nonetheless, kept me entertained through this quick read.

Mockingjay: Oh where to begin? 6/10 ... It just didnt do it for me! So often we are disappointed with finales to series and this one too is among the ranks. I could say more but Im sure many of you have read this series and will spare you the review.

The Diamond Age: 10/10 a much overlooked Dystopian novel. As the publisher put it, it is a dazzling sci-fi novel. Recommend it!

The Zen of Zombies: Its one of those cutsie books you pick up in the check out of Barnes and Nobles. Its suppose to be funny but I think the author is actually trying to give too much viable advice! If I needed self help there are better books out there for that and I would not be getting them from a zombie book. I would have liked more funny and less life advice. 7/10

Need by Carrie Jones, 4/5

What a pageturner! I'm not really a pixie kind of person, but I really really liked this one.

Super Sad True Love Story -- 5/10

This is only a lukewarm retelling of the story '1984'. Yes it's set in the present, but overall... it's just a ripoff of the earlier novel.

If you want to read a book that's really scary and unnerving read the former novel. This one didn't even affect me emotionally per say. It didn't draw me in one iota.

Serious Men - Manu Joseph

9.5/10 - An incredible biting satire on the realities of life in modern day India and the not-so-obvious but still omnipresent influence of caste on society. Joseph's dark humour and sarcasm makes for a wonderful read.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay

5/10 - Honestly, it was somewhat of a let down. I suppose that having had the chance to watch the identity of the Ice Truck Killer/Tamiami Slasher be revealed over twelve, 40 minute episodes, seeing everything resolved in a 290 page book was unsatisfying. I found the prose to be terribly clunky, too. IMO, it's one of those instances where the television series improved upon the source material. I won't continue reading the series.

I Heard the Owl Call My Name - Margaret Craven

10/10 - Beautifully simple prose and haunting themes. I find myself appreciating different aspects on each re-reading. It's just exquisitely crafted.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood #1) 3/5 (very much debating myself on making it 2/5)

It's fascinating how a book with this much going on can be so boring. Vampires, murders, mindreading and all that jazz, and still it wasn't a pageturner whatsoever.

I have the whole box set with 10 books, so I guess I will read the other books anyway, but it wasn't really moving me to start in the second book immediately.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay

5/10 - Honestly, it was somewhat of a let down. I suppose that having had the chance to watch the identity of the Ice Truck Killer/Tamiami Slasher be revealed over twelve, 40 minute episodes, seeing everything resolved in a 290 page book was unsatisfying. I found the prose to be terribly clunky, too. IMO, it's one of those instances where the television series improved upon the source material. I won't continue reading the series.

I actually didn't mind the book. I wouldn't give it a score higher than a 7 though, due to its clunky moments, but it still drew me in somewhat.

Last book i read was the girl who kicked the hornets nest . It was my least favorite out of the millennium series but all in all it was pretty good book i would give it a 8

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern, 4/5

Really slow start, but the buildup was great and I loved how Cecelia created Rosaleen, even though she gave me the creeps.

Hannibal Rising - Thomas Harris - 8/10

The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe - C.S. Lewis. That was quite an enjoyable read: 9.5/10.
Now moving on to Prince Caspain.

The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe - C.S. Lewis. That was quite an enjoyable read: 9.5/10.
Now moving on to Prince Caspain.
Is this the first time you're reading them?

Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, 4/5

I liked it. It was easy to read, and I liked the whole idea of vampire finishing school - even though it sounds to me like Hogwarts for vampires. I wonder what book 2 will bring, now book 1 already stated Zoey's 'abilities' and such. We'll see :)

Is this the first time you're reading them?

Yes, but I saw the movies.

Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult. I enjoyed this book, it wasn't as dramatic as some of her other work so I wasn't quite as engrossed in the story but I was still glued to the page. Starting out it was very hard to see how you could sympathise with the main character but over the course of the book by delving in to her past you come to care about her and understand her flaws. The characters in this book were what made it for me, I wanted to find out what happened, I cared about them and they were very well written.

4/5

The Notebook - 9/10

I loved this film and I thought the book would have a similar set-up. I'm happy to say it doesn't. It's so much better and I loved every second of it. This is one of the few books that actually made me cry.

Mockingjay

The war against the Capitol that started in Catching Fire continues.

This first 200 pages of the book were pretty flat, they had some great moments but it seemed like everything was told and not shown, so the middle part of the book seemed to drag on and on. But once that was out of the way things really got interesting. there was a part in the end of the book that left me with my mouth open because it was the last thing i expected at that moment. That rarely happens in books. The ending was also pretty good and i thought it portrayed the effects of war on people pretty well, since nobody came out unscathed, whether it was physical, mental or both.

8.25/10 because while the ending was great, the book dragged a lot in the middle.

Betrayed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, 3.5/5

Plotwise not as interesting as the first book in the series, Marked. I liked the story, it was a quick, easy and enjoyable read, but I thought Marked was better - this book just didn't really give me the same feeling I had with the first book - which I loved better. I can't put my finger on it, but I think it's because of the less interesting plot.

I do want to say that I liked the whole part with Stevie Rae after the hands in cement scene.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld 5/5

A wonderful story about an alternate, technologically advanced WWI. Britain is labeled as Darwinists after discovering how to breed and genetically mix creatures, based on research done by Darwin himself. Austria-Hungary are labeled as Clankers due to heavily depending on advanced machinery for transportation, such as 'walkers,' or big robots controlled by feet pedals. The plot centers around a boy named Aleksander, the son of archduke Ferdinand and Sophie, as well as Deryn, a girl who disguises her self as a boy to gain entrance into the Air Service. An excellent novel in a three part series, although it does take a while for the story to start making sense. I would recommend this to a younger crowd of people, although some older fans of suspense/war/sci-fi novels. :D

Leviathan You finished this already? Didn't you just check it out? :)

I just finished World War Z, an oral history of the zombie war. I am not typically a fan of zombies or zombie-related books. This book was so good, though. It feels like you're reading nonfiction. It is a series of interviews with survivors of the near-apocolypse representing many countries and many different perspectives--military, civilian, elite, poor, etc. There is, of course, bloody zombie action, but it's really more about how the world delt with the near extinction of humanity.

You finished this already? Didn't you just check it out? :)

:D I couldn't put it down. It was fantastic.

The Last Dragonlord - Joanne Bertin: 8.5/10

Great storyline, wonderful characters. The story is a lot different from the usual dragon stories I read. I really liked it.

Specials - Scott Westerfeld
7/10

I loved Uglies and Pretties and I loved most of Specials. I just thought the big reveal at the end wasn't as surprising as it should have been. I was waiting for something bigger, particularly from one of the surprises of Pretties. I did like the writing and was fully engaged in the world and the characters, but was just a bit let down at the end.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

I'm not sure what to rate it just yet. It is a great read. It's fun and imaginative. It's a lot different, I think, than the first two in the Chronicles. The ending is touching. Because I know one other on here is reading the series and I don't know if it is for the first time. I felt so sad when Lucy and Edmund found out they wouldn't be returning to Narnia. I was sad when Peter and Susan found out in Prince Caspian, but I am even more so over Lucy and Edmund. I new they would not return, but it's still sad. Lucy is the most into Narnia. I did like Aslan saying he would be with them even in their world, though he is known by another name. They need to know their world the way they know Narnia and know the Aslan-by-another-name the way they know Aslan in Narnia.

Papa Spy, by Jimmy Burns Marañón 8/10

I'm usually a novels reader, so I didn't know very well what to expect of this book. It tells the story of the author's father, Tom Burns, during the WWII years, while he was press attaché at the British Embassy in Madrid, as a cover to his real job with the MI6 and his task of keeping Franco's Spain neutral in the war, instead of sided with Germany as would have been the dictator's trend.

I have really liked the book, it shows a not-so-well-known side of WWII and a refreshingly unpolitized view of the Spanish after-Civil War (1936-1939). The begining, telling Burn's life in London in the 1930's may feel a bit slow, but from the moment he's sent to Spain it gets really, really interesting, specially for a Spanish like me.

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan, 5/5

I LOVED it! I la-la-loved it - I enjoyed reading everything in the book and I loved the Greek Mythology. Can't wait to start reading the rest of the books!

Of Bees and Mist - Erick Setiawan

8/10

It was an interesting book, billed as fantasy, or magical realism, or something else. All I knew was that it was filled with allegory. Things like mist, the mist that hung around the front door, was a symbol for something else. It was one of those books that made you think about it long after you finish it. The biggest negative was that things kept happening and you kind of wondered how many more things were going to happen before it finally ended. :)

from someone's review on Amazon.com, which I agree with:
let me give you some advice as you start to read Of Bees and Mist. First, don't try to make sense of what you are reading. Then, understand that symbolism prevails in this book. There's a reason for everything, for the bees, for the mists.. and for the other strange occurrences. This book would make a fantastic book group read, because there is so much to discuss about it! Unfortunately.. it's so strange I can see a lot of casual readers having a difficult time getting past the first few pages. But once you do... it's like passing a really gruesome accident. I rubber-necked my way through the whole story, unable to look away and feeling so discouraged, so despondent - and I'm not going to deny that you will probably feel that way as well. Stick it out, though. It's worth it.

Lifeless by Mark Billigham - I was absolutely gripped by the story from the beginning. It had been a while since I'd read any of his books so I enjoyed getting stuck in again. The angle of a police officer going undercover amongst rough sleepers shook up the story and took it away from being a typical detective novel. Dark and gritty as you would expect but brilliantly written. 5/5

Battle for Bittora by Anuja Chauhan - 6/10

This is a breezy chick lit set in the dust and chaos of politics in India. Love and the Lok Sabha is the theme and the book could have been so much better. Still, worth a read if you want to kill time.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson 8/10

A wonderfully creepy novel about the very quick advancing world of medicine. A wonderful novel, at times. The author did a splendid job crafting the plot, but there were two irks I had with the story. Parts that were supposed to be foreshadow-y and suspenseful were very easy to see through. I already knew exactly what would happen before I was 1/4 of the way through the novel, which brought the excitement down a little for me, but it was still wonderful nonetheless. The second thing was the author left a big loose end in terms of one character. Maybe it was symbolic of something that the author never filled in the reader on what exactly was the history on the character in question, but if there was meaning behind it, I couldn't figure it out.
I would highly recommended this book to anyone. :D

The Girl Who Played With Fire.

I'm a year or so behind the rest of the world with reading these books thanks to my massive uni reading load. I'm half way through the third book now though :D
I loved it. It had me guessing most of the way through and I loved the new characters. My only gripes would be that keeping track of all the millions (ok not really) of new characters got tricky at some points, and the ending was stuipd.
There's a third book about her, of course she's going to survive!
But really exciting. I found myself having to read massive chunks at a time at all hours of the night.
The movie really doesn't do this story justice, it's just so clever. I don't necessarily think the author is a genius writer, but he sure knows how to tell a fantastic story. Highly recommended (but maybe ages 16+) to anyone who likes a good crime/thriller :tu:

Hysteria - You didn't give us the author's name. :hmm:

Hysteria - You didn't give us the author's name. :hmm:
Stieg Larsson wrote the popular Millenium trilogy :)

Sorry, I thought it was well known enough that I wouldn't have to. Oops :)

Actually, I have never heard of that author - generation gap??

Actually, I have never heard of that author - generation gap??

The books were published not too long ago - Larsson unfortunately passed away before his work was published (2004). I believe the third book in the trilogy was published in 2007.

He's written more outlines so maybe there will be more books in the series, but because he passed away, there has been some hassle about who will write the book(s).

The books are huge atm, especially now there will be a movies made out of the books in the US. There are already Swedish film adaptions.

PS: yes, I know, movies, films.. Whatever. Pa-tey-toe pa-tah-toe.

Pretty Little Liars: Killer 9/10

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King -- 8/10

Overall this is a dark book, nicely done for the most part though, and worth the read.

The Magician by Michael Scott, 3,5/5

I took half a star off because I couldn't understand some of the references that were made towards The Alchemyst since I've read it 3 years ago. I never had this problem with other books.. Anyway, the book itself is good imo, I love everything that happens although the story is going FAST. I will pick up The Sorceress (#3) up in a couple of weeks so I won't forget what book 2 is about ;)

Prince Caspain - C.S. Lewis, 8/10.

Carolan's Concerto - Caiseal Mór

More than a few historical liberties taken - interwoven mythology excluded of course - and the dialogue can be frustrating at times. Still, it's a cracking good read for a lazy Saturday afternoon - 7/10

6/10 Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
I'm falling out on this series. It's getting a bit...boring. Although, this one did pick up just a bit, but then it lost it. There's still two more books after this one, and I'm not sure I'm going to finish the series. :shrug:

10/10 The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood - 9/10

Minor spoilers follow (general themes).

A deeply satisfying read in every sense. It ends in tragedy, but in revenge, too, and offers a view of the future, allowing for closure and hope. The story is gripping; the narrative is complex and layered, using a 4-tiered framed story, yet easy to follow and perfectly constructed; the themes and motifs are beautifully woven in and embedded in perfect alignment with the narrative's pacing - you pick them up effortlessly and their sum and impact stay on after the book is finished; the language is very lyrical and rich in imagery without weighing the story down or diluting it in any way. One of the things worth noting is that while the book deals with abuse, both sexual and emotional, it never veers into gratuity: it's harrowing and poignant, but never titillating - something not easily achieved, in my opinion.

I teared up several times. Beautiful book, I recommend it heartily.

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult.

I'll admit I very nearly gave up on this book, I felt the beginning was confusing with so many characters and found it hard to keep up with who was who. This put me off a bit because I've read so many of her other books and usually find them quite an easy read that I can get through quickly, but this was a struggle. The change of pace in the middle threw me a bit but after plodding on the ending was worth it and so dragged my view of the book back up, the twists and turns were good and the characters in the end were likable.

3/5

7/10 The Color Purple by Alice Walker
A good read, but the movie was better. :whistle:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - I was a little nervous about reading this book purely because I'd heard nothing but good things about the series and so was worried my expectations would be too high, but I absolutely loved it and was gripped from the very first page! Couldn't put it down, there was never a lull in the action but it didn't feel rushed, and definitely thought provoking and emotional at times. Brilliant book. 5/5

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton, 5/5 stars

I loved it. It's incredibly fast paced, dark and imo delicious. Also, it's packed with action and fighting scenes. Damon, move over! I have a new character crush: Will *swoons*

Too bad the sequel won't come out until 2012.. I can't wait that long!

The lovely bones: 9/10
I heard so many good things about this book from people. I was worried that the book would let me down. I was horrified at the first chapter because it wasn't nice to read about a young girl being murdered. The rest of the book was just wow. I felt it was a bit short but overall a brilliant book!

Unwind by Neal Shusterman. Amazing book!!!!! The first handful of pages were kind of dry, but man oh man did it take a turn for the better. :D I loved it, even though the language and prose style was simple. 12/10 :D

I'm reading unwind right now!

I'm on the beginning of chapter 26. So far I like the language. It gives a clue as to whattime period the story is set in. I especially like when Sonia says, "CAPSLOCK!" because it lets me know that she would have been around my age if she were real and alive now.

I'm reading unwind right now!

I'm on the beginning of chapter 26. So far I like the language. It gives a clue as to whattime period the story is set in. I especially like when Sonia says, "CAPSLOCK!" because it lets me know that she would have been around my age if she were real and alive now.

Yeah, I liked that! :D I was reading Huckleberry Finn alongside it, so I was going from super-hard to comprehend language to mildly easy to understand diction. The book gets soooooo good at the end, and it made up for any of my little pet-peeves. :D

Physik (Septimus Heap #3) by Angie Sage, 4/5 stars

I liked this one a lot better than Magyk and Flyte - Book one and two - because there was more action and a better storyline. Although I liked the villain brother in book 2, I thought Sage did a good job on Queen Etheldredda, even though she was a ghost, she was a scary character. It's a middlegrade series so it's not as entertaining as some YA series are, but I liked it nontheless. I actually can't wait to start reading Queste (book 4), but I have to read something different in between of myself because my TBR pile is nearing skyscraper height xD

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray - 7/10

I really liked this book, it was a good girl power kind of story - a bit Survivor with girls only and Lost rolled into one. There were a few characters that dropped out of the story for a bit, and that's my only issue with the book. I liked the snarky tone and thought it was a fun read.

How to Steal a Car by Pete Hautman - 8/10

A quick read where the perfect family seems to show its true colors. Thought this was clever story and well written, thoroughly enjoyable.

The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman - 9/10

What a wonderful little non romantic love story. I would read this again and again. Characters so well written you could feel the connection between them. I would easily read another 100 pages if the book had continued.

Five People You Meet in Heaven

I've been recommended this book, but only had the time to pick it up now. It was...wow. Just wow. It's a story about a man named Eddie, who dies and meets five important people in his life. Each one of these five people has an important message for Eddie. The themes of this book are "no man is an island" and "The End is Just the Beginning". Death is just a stepping stone to a new life. I really like this concept and idea of death as it runs well with my own idea of death. There's also a quote in the book which I find very beautiful: "Strangers are just the family you have yet to meet."

I'm currently rereading "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail"
I can't actually remember what it contains because I haven't had it for the past 5 years, my friend has. I still don't know whether it's real or false, but it's better than the Da Vinci Code, which is based on this book on the whole...
This whole thing confuses me, but I find it an interesting read. 8/10

I just read Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris - and it was, well, weird. :lol: I like it, and it really was a good book, but it was also a bit odd just because of the premise of the book. But it made me laugh in lots of places and was a very quick read. Disappointing quick, actually, especially for a hard back. I'd give it 7/10. ^_^ But this one is definitely not one for kids, and you'd hope to have a strong stomach. Just saying as a bit of reader beware...

I just finished The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. I think it's my least favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia.

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova.

A book that deserves to be savoured, despite its flaws. 8/10

I just finished The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. I think it's my least favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia.

By all accounts it took Lewis far longer to write The Magician's Nephew than any of the others, and of course it falls outside of the main story arc.

From the Dead by Mark Billingham. Really enjoyed this book, as these stories are usually set in London it was nice to see a bit of Spain thrown in for good measure and shake it up a bit. Probably not my favourite of his but I still loved it, great characters and good plot, both the main story and the background dramas. 4/5

By all accounts it took Lewis far longer to write The Magician's Nephew than any of the others, and of course it falls outside of the main story arc.

Thanks for that bit of information.

Room by Emma Donoghue. Heartbreaking and tough to read because of the subject but written in such a way that it was hard to put down. Parts felt a little rushed, but apart from that it was such a touching emotional book that I would have to recommend it. 4/5

Whitney, My Love - Judith McNaught: 7/10. Drags on so much, and gets quite predictable and repetitive by the end. The characters are so real and very well-written though. I'd give it a higher rating if it were a bit shorter. Also I found out that it's actually a second book in a series, I might check out the other ones when I can.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2), 4.5/5 stars

Incredibly addicting series, this is. I thought the first book was just a teenie bit better than this one, hence the .5 star less. The book is fast paced, pacted with all kinds of magic and mythology that has me hooked. The ending of the book was something I saw coming, but it delivers a nice storyline for The Titan's Curse (book 3) so it didn't bother me that much.

Love this series. Can't wait to start reading the rest of the series (come on mailman, bring me The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian! )

I finished Narnia last night. I give the entire series 4/5 with:
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe 5/5
Prince Caspian 5/5
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 4.5/5
The Silver Chair 4/5
The Horse and His Boy 4/5
The Magician's Nephew 3/5
The Last Battle 5/5

I can't believe they all died! I had heard that they did, but I thought that just meant Narnia. I can't believe Digory, Polly, Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Jill, and Eustace die! The very first thing I thought was when Aslan revealed that they had died in a train accident (except Jill and Eustace) that Susan was now all alone. Her fault for giving up on Narnia, but still sad. Yes, the Real Narnia (the Narnina in Narnia) and the Real England (England in England) is much better than where they were before, but it's just...I don't know. Shocking, I guess.
Another odd question, what are Jill and Eustace's family told? The three Pevensie kids, their parents, Digory, and Polly were all killed in a train accident, but Jill and Eustace were sent to Narnia and they never return. It's something I would think when it looked like one of the kids was going to die in Narnia. What do they tell people if that kid doesn't return? Do they return the dead body? Odd things to think about when reading Narnia, I know.
I did like the ending when they were reunited with Reepicheep, Tumnus, Puddleglum, and everyone.

A Shadow in Summer

It was pretty hard for me to get into this book, as it slowly developes, and the plot isn't fully told until about half way though. But once that happens it's a solid book. 8/10

Unwind by Neal Shusterman - 9.7/10

There's almost nothing I can say that's not a spoiler. I made me think more deeply about abortion, death, terrorism and forgiveness.

ETA: I subtract .3 because I feel that some of the characters are kind of underdeveloped. It also takes a while to take off, but once it does it REALLY DOES.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, 10/10

An amazing book about morality and ethics in a time of war (or at least that's what I got about it). Throughout the novel, I found it hard to believe how young the kids fighting are (the oldest that Ender gets is 12). All of them are "military geniuses" and it really shows. I love this book, wholeheartedly. A phenomenal tale. :D :clap:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Really enjoyed this book, was completely hooked! I loved the first book and had slight concerns going in to this one about it being repeptitive but there were so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming so I had nothing to worry about :D so exciting. 5/5

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver 6/5 (I wish I could give it that.. I'm stuck at 5/5 because there are no more stars!)

This book is so incredibly good. Sam gets to relive her last day and her story is told in seven chapters. It's touching and emotional and on top of that the writing style is complicated, yet incredibly easy. A stunning debut novel and a great book - a mustread in my opinion.

Deathly Hallows 20/10

Until You - Judith McNaught, 5/10. I can hardly believe it's written by the same author as the book preceding it. It lacks almost everything I liked about the other one. The story line was ridiculous, the conversation was so bad, and most of the characters feel so altered, and have little depth to them, there's not half as much wit in this book as the one before, not to mention that I felt some of the scenes are almost pulled out word by word from the second book in the series, :no:.

Matched by Ally Condie 3/5

Because I got bored several times while I was reading it. There are too many pages describing what is forbidden and what the Society will disapprove off. I feel like I couldn't relate to Cassia (MC) and I think her 'love' with Ky sounds more like an obsession than falling in love. The book was dull and flat and finally got interesting at the end of the book, but then I realized that the actual 'action' (if there is going to be any), will be put in the next book. Big disappointment. Like you're reading a 300 page introduction and then get served off with 50 pages of plot.

I think the idea is genius though - a Society who Matches everyone to their perfect Match for life - except that the Matching System isn't perfect, and neither is the Society, controlling everyone's life to the smallest details.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffeneger - What I liked about this book was the characters, I've always been fascinated by twins so I really loved the young girls in the story. It wasn't perfect, I think I've yet to find a perfect ghost story but this was the best out of those I've read recently. Some weird twists and turns but an enjoyable read. 3.5/5

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I bought this book when I heard Emma Watson had been cast in the film remake, and I'm really glad I discovered it! I loved the style in which is what written, I thought it was a really good way to get an honest look at things and I loved the relationships between the characters. 5/5

I've just been reading the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. I've finished the first two and I'm working on The Amber Spyglass right now. Just some general comments: I really like the way the narrative structure becomes more intense and complex as the ideas and consequences the characters face do the same. There's something really lovely about that: the experience of reading these books is, quite apart from the meaning of what's on the page, much the same as what the characters are experiencing. While many great works accomplish this, Pullman does it unabashedly and I think perfectly.

While these are usually hailed as fantasy novels, I see some strong inclinations toward science fiction. Without going into any details, I think approaching the series with a focus on the purely scientific would produce an interesting reading.

I suppose that's all. I would give The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife both 4/5, and I'd add that I immensely enjoyed them, but that I'm a bit unconvinced by some of the characterization.

Love, Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli, 10/10. As lovely as Stargirl could be! :love:. Either this book is really perfect, or it was just the right book for me now. Or both, :D. It's funny, wonderful and .. refreshing.
This book is a diary and a letter at the same time; Stargirl writes her diary for a year and intends to send it to her boyfriend from the previous book. I think I like this one better than Stargirl, because it's written from Stargirl's own point of view (which means it's much wierder, funnier..). I like the characters in this book better as well, they all have something interesting about them, much more than a bunch of Highschool kids, ;). Also, the meditating bits are more focused on, how she does it, and how she likes it..
Looking forward to read more Spinelli books; I loved the two I read, but then again they were both about Stargirl..

Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler 4/5

I liked it a whole lot better than the first book in the series, Hunger. I could easily identify with Missy and while I don't have experience with cutting, I could relate to her feelings and thoughts and what drove her to cutting herself. It's a taboo subject and I think that Morse Kessler did a great job in describing it in this book. I can't wait to read Loss, book three in the series.

The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louise Stevenson, 8/10. I probably loved the last bit more than the whole book, where Jekyll confesses what he'd done and what motivated him to do it. For some reason it reminds me of Gollum from LotR and the Ring that devoured his good part, bit by bit. The book was generally attracting, although I think it could've been a bit more suspenful and exciting.

10/10 Under the Dome - Stephen King
Mr. King has done it again, a very intriguing read. :tu:

I'm currently reading Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice and I'm about halfway through it. I'll give it a 7.5 out of 10 because some of the stuff has some plotholes in it. Also cause some of it is kinda disturbing to read but it is all in all a good story with great descriptions that draws you in. Am unsure if I will read the next book in the series yet.

The Passage - Justin Cronin

9/10

I had some trouble getting into this book in the beginning and I didn't really start loving it until Auntie's book. But after that I couldn't stop reading it. I loved it. I just hate the open ending. I want to know what happens to everyone and now I have to wait until the next book comes out in 2012. :grumble:

(Does this count? Heh.)

I picked up the first Scott Pilgrim GN today - It was actually pretty funny. 7.5/10

& I started on the second one...poor Knives.

Evermore (The Immortals #1) by Alyson Noël 3.5/5

Nice story, but nothing too exciting going on. I don't like the description of Drina - she's supposed to be the villain of the book but yet she doesn't really appear that scary to me. Noël hasn't managed to give me that feeling. I just felt she was a woman who didn't like the MC, nothing more.

Pretty Little Liars: Heartless 8/10
I'm kind of ready for this series to be over, even though all the books have been suspenseful.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - My favourite book of the triology by far, and left me thinking about it so much after it had ended, found it quite emotional! I couldn't put it down and it managed to keep up the suspense and action all the way through, and some of the stuff that it deals with makes you forget that they're young adult novels. A great end to the series, unpredictable and heartbreaking at times but the best book I've read in a long time. 5/5

If I had to rank the Hunger Games books i'd go with

Hunger Games
Mockingjay
Catching fire, all are good books though

I am Number 4

when the planet of lorien is detroyed, 9 kids and their gaurdians are sent to earth to try and hide from the aliens who destroyed their planet. While they are hiding they have to develope their powers to one day take back their planet.

This book is alright, it's not terrible but it's nothing great either. There's really no likable charecters in it imo. so it's really hard to care about what happens. a lot of the book felt like it was made up on the spot, instead of planned out. There were a couple parts were it just seemed like the authors went "How can i get this to happen, oh i know" and wrote it down. the book would have also been better to have some backstory of the planet, all it has for the background really is the attack flashbacks and the gaurdian saying "We took care of our planet, the bad aliens didn't so they invaded us for our resources" there's no backstory into either race of aliens. Also i would have liked to have some sort of explanation on the charm that made it so they had to be killed in order.

With that out of the way, i did enjoy the last 100 pages where the climax of the book happen, it's pretty much 100 pages of things exploding, but even that got a bit tiring after a while. I'll give the book a 7.25/10

Earthsong by Victor Kelleher – 6/10

The themes of equality, evolution, and human responsibility tie in nicely with the other novels in the loosely linked series, but the two main characters lack believability and any real depth, so I find it to be the weakest of the three. A high point for me would be the sentient robot's word-play.

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #2), 3/5

I'm starting to like it a little better, but it's still nowhere near as good I hoped the series would be. I like that we saw a little more of Eric - I wouldn't mind seeing him in his lycra...

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I studied some of these stories at school and didn't particularly like them but after finding the book lying around the house last year I decided to read the book for pleasure this time, which it turns out makes all the difference! I really enjoyed it, I don't usually read older novels so sometimes struggle with the language but the way these are written isn't too tricky at all, very accessible :) It's hard to pick a favourite but I particularly enjoyed The Speckled Band and The Beryle Coronet. 5/5

The Red Pavilion (A Judge Dee Mystery) by Robert van Gulik - 6/10 - I enjoyed it, and it's generally clever and well written, but I had trouble keeping track of who was who: the characters weren't all that well-outlined.

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James - 5/10

This book is so predictable and plays around with known details, takes plots from Austen's books and combines it to give a very mediocre book.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Across the Universe #1) 4.5/5

Great book, but I thought I would be completely "WOW-ed" and I wasn't.. But it was a great story, even though I'm not particularly into sci-fi or mysteries (and this was a little bit of both). IMO it lives up to the hype that it's creating at the moment :)

I just finished A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, a book I only read because it came in the top ten in the Top Ten Book List we have here. I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this book. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you!

City of Glass--Colleen Clare= 8/10

I am currently going through this YA-fallen-angels phase and all I seem to be drawn to at the moment is this genre. So...my current obsession is The Mortal Instruments books by Colleen Clare. The last book I read in this series is City of Glass and it was really good! The original plan was for the series to be a trilogy, but now there's another book in the works, so I'm excited!

Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse (#3), 5/5 - my favorite in the series so far.

Rick Riordan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! :)


And.. Pssst...

City of Glass--Colleen Clare= 8/10

I am currently going through this YA-fallen-angels phase and all I seem to be drawn to at the moment is this genre. So...my current obsession is The Mortal Instruments books by Colleen Clare. The last book I read in this series is City of Glass and it was really good! The original plan was for the series to be a trilogy, but now there's another book in the works, so I'm excited!
Her name is Cassandra Clare :) If you really liked TMI, maybe you could pick up The Internal Devices as well - it's a prequel series to TMI. First book is Clockwork Angel and is already out (book 2, Clockwork Prince, published later this year I think)

Emma - Jane Austen, 10/10. Like every other Austen book, this one is my most favourite, :yuhup:. I can't remember why I couldn't get into it, the last time, really..

Sophie's Choice - William Styron - 9/10

It was a really, really interesting book about destructive relationships and surviving the Holocaust. Intense and heartbreaking but at the same time a really enjoyable read.

Picture Perfect - Jodi Picoult. Really not sure about this one, parts of it felt so much like her other books to the point it was a bit annoying. My main issue was having a really unlikable character as the focus of the story made it hard to want to read it. I was happy with the ending though. 3/5.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, 4/5

I love Evie's humor (or really, Kiersten's humor) which made it a very enjoyable read. I'm kinda frustrated that the sequel won't be out until August.. I really liked her take on fearies, and I'm looking forward to seeing how that develops in Supernaturally (book 2) because I think I haven't seen everything yet :)

The Hunger Games - Suzzane Collins, 10/10. I liked the book so much, I can't wait to start the second one. I don't really like the main character, Katniss, many things about her annoy so much. Also, I must say, the end wasn't difficult to see; despite the several twists that kept showing up, the end is what I thought it would be, with a few differences naturally. All in all, a very captivating book, I didn't put it down after I reached part 2.

10/10 Pretty Little Liars Series#8: Wanted
Probably the best of the series, it had some twists that were totally unexpected. The whole series as a whole was very interesting. :tu:

The Hunger Games - Suzzane Collins, 10/10. I liked the book so much, I can't wait to start the second one. I don't really like the main character, Katniss, many things about her annoy so much. Also, I must say, the end wasn't difficult to see; despite the several twists that kept showing up, the end is what I thought it would be, with a few differences naturally. All in all, a very captivating book, I didn't put it down after I reached part 2.


It's great right?! I agree on Katniss - I had the same issues. I didn't love the book any less because of it, but still :) Hope you enjoy Catching Fire!

It's great right?! I agree on Katniss - I had the same issues. I didn't love the book any less because of it, but still :) Hope you enjoy Catching Fire!

I'm 50% done with Catching Fire; I think this shows how far I'm enjoying it, :lol:. And it's absolutely impossible to guess anything in this one!

10/10 Flyboys - James Bradley
Bradley has a way with delivering historical events. He was very descriptive in what happened to these boys who took part in WWII.

I'm 50% done with Catching Fire; I think this shows how far I'm enjoying it, :lol:. And it's absolutely impossible to guess anything in this one!

Lol yeah I saw you were going pretty fast on Goodreads! :clap: You're making me even more curious.. I don't want to read them all at once because then the series would be over. Sad, eh? :')

I'm still reading Clockwork Angel, which is pretty dull. Wasn't expecting it to be dull at all..

Okay, done with Catching Fire now, :D. Another 10/10 me thinks. Some twists I never saw coming, and the way it ended makes me quite glad I got Mockingjay as well. I also think this book proves that Collins' can always come up with something totally original, I'm sure I have no idea what book 3 will hold; as an example took me a long time to figure out how the clock thing works in the arena, it's just so creative!
Anyways I find the main theme in this book rather ironic; I mean rebellion? That's not something I'd like to read about right now, :yuhup:.

You're making me even more curious.. I don't want to read them all at once because then the series would be over. Sad, eh? :')

You didn't start the last one, yet? But yes I can see your point, it's one of the few books that reminds you of HP, isn't it? ;)

Okay, done with Catching Fire now, :D. Another 10/10 me thinks. Some twists I never saw coming, and the way it ended makes me quite glad I got Mockingjay as well. I also think this book proves that Collins' can always come up with something totally original, I'm sure I have no idea what book 3 will hold; as an example took me a long time to figure out how the clock thing works in the arena, it's just so creative!
Anyways I find the main theme in this book rather ironic; I mean rebellion? That's not something I'd like to read about right now, :yuhup:.



You didn't start the last one, yet? But yes I can see your point, it's one of the few books that reminds you of HP, isn't it? ;)

Haha no I haven't even started Catching Fire for that reason.. Going to start next week (I have one book to finish and I want to read something else in between)

Hope you enjoy the last one as well! In this pace you'll be finished tomorrow or something haha.

4/5 stars to Oceans Apart by Karen Kingsbury. It was very predictable, but it stirred up my emotions big time and that doesn't usually happen. I actually almost cried. I'd like to thank baseballblondie for opening me up to Karen Kingsbury's work.

7/10 The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larrsson

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (The Internal Devices #1), 3.5/5

The first 150 pages were hard to get through for me. I found them uninteresting and the only things I've seen then were the introductions to Tessa (MC) and the Institute. After that, the story finally started to unravel, but it only got really interesting until I was around page 250 or something. I haven't read any books from The Mortal Instruments series, and I think I can say that Clockwork Angel can function as a standalone - but I didn't find it really engaging for the first half.

And a little pet peeve (in spoiler because it might be a little spoilerish to people who haven't read the book):

on the back of the book it said that Tessa was torn between two best friends and that love maybe even was the most dangerous magic of all. Euhm, I didn't really see much of that. I found Will to be gorgeous yet annoying, arrogant and selfish (even though I think that's because he's afraid to love someone because he's scared to loose it all over again) and Jem to be average-looking with great eyes, and a sympathetic and calming personality. I didn't see any signs of love from Tessa towards Jem, even though there were signs from Jem to Tessa.

Mockingjay - Suzzane Collins, 9/10. I liked this one a bit less than the first two. Everything takes a strange turn in this one; the characters and the plot mainly. Anyways, I'll give the whole series a 10/10, the idea is quite original and very well-written, and it never gets boring :tu:.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Delirium #1), 5/5

What an awesome book. I'm really really liking Lauren Oliver's writing style and I love the idea of the story (no pun intended) - in the dystopian world in this book, love is a disease and people get a vaccin at their 18th birthday. And I have to give her this: this woman knows how to write a cliffhanger! Oh my god, at the end.. I was like *turns page* "Wait wut? It ends here?! Nooo!! What happens?! Gah!" and now I'll have to wait until next year *pouts*

Buried by Mark Billingham. I'd read the book before this and the one after it, because I'm only just getting back in to the author who used to be (and is again now) one of my favourite authors. But it didn't affect my enjoyment of the story. Usually I can spot shifty characters in these books but I just couldn't predict this one, and there were enough sub-plots to keep the excitement level up and reveal new twists and how it all linked together in the end in ways I couldn't have imagined. One of my favourites. 5/5

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4) 4.5/5

I liked this a little less than The Titan's Curse (#3), but it was still really good. I'm hoping book 5 will be the epic finale I want it to be!!

Death Message by Mark Billingham. Another new favourite from this author, this one had some really tense moments towards the end, despite knowing the bad guy from early on. Really enjoy the relationships between the characters as well and the situations they face. 5/5

In a Dry Season by Peter Robinson. Borrowed this on audio book from my mum and hadn't read anything by this author before, really enjoyed it! The case was really interesting, mixing modern day happenings with stories of wartime to bring everything together nicely. Will definitely be checking out more by this author :) 5/5

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (Starcrossed #1, ARC) 5/5

I loved this book. I love what Josephine did with the mythological basis to make it more of this time and I devoured the book. I have the idea that there's something fishy going on, but I'll have to wait til Dreamless to find out if I'm right.

The Princess Bride - William Goldman, 9/10. I liked the book, however I have some issues with Buttercup, which made it a bit diffiucult to sympathise with her. I just felt that she was cold-hearted no matter how she tried to deny that. I found it appalling that she left Westly at the Fire Swamp, and even more astonishing that he didn't lose faith in her love as a result of that. The book doesn't follow her much, so maybe I'm misjudgung her a bit, :shrug:. Also, I'd rather Westley wasn't wasted by the torture and the 'death', but well, there has to be some losses ;). From Inigo's side of story, things were quite satisfying in the end, I was glad he finally got Rugen, and didn't give up even untill the end. I loved and felt sorry for Fezzik, because he was always mocked for something he hadn't any control over, and I don't think his parents should've forced him down a way he didn't want, it was just so terrible. And he was not stupid, it's the people around him who made him so.

I found Morgestern's version of the end quite hillarious, it was so funny for a book so serious. As for Goldman's, it was okay, though I still don't think Buttercup really deserves that end. :whistle:.

A Betrayal In Winter

15 years after the events of A Shadow in Summer, their is a murder of the highest position in the cities son. which brings the two main charecters from the first book back together.

I thought the first book was solid but pretty slow at times, this really isn't the case in this book, while it's not exactly fast paced the story flows really well and it only seems to drag a bit during a couple chapters. The thing i liked about this book was the characters were all pretty interesting and each had their own problems to deal with. where as in the first one i really didn't know what was going on, this one i knew exactly what was going on.

Another thing i really liked was that one of the pov's while doing some deeply terrible stuff, was pretty sympathetic because of situations that were out of her control and their turmoil about doing it.



8.5/10

True Believer by Nicholas Sparks

The "moral" of the story, I thought was going to be different, so I was surprised by it. The ending itself wasn't surprising, but it was presented sort of surprisingly, if you know what I mean. I enjoyed reading the story. It was engaging. The characters were interesting. They were a bit stereotypical, but I was okay with that. With Sparks I know he wasn't making fun of them like I might have thought with an author not from North Carolina. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Vampire's Assistant 9; Killers Of The Dawn;
Ookay...I guessed who the Vampaneze Lord was going to be back in book four...it's finally outed in this book, book nine. It wasn't disappointing or cliche by any means - I even got teary at the end. These books are sort of like HP in reaffirming that death is better than a lot of other options out there.

Overall, it seemed sort of filler, so 8/10

The Sword of Hades by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson #4.5), 3.5/5

This short story is bound up with Groovy Greeks as a World Book Day book. Let me start by saying that I hated the Groovy Greeks part and give it one star. Yugh. Thankfully, I bought it for the Percy Jackson story and that one was fun. It was too short for my liking, hence the 3.5 stars. It was a nice story though, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this developes in The Last Olympian.


Divergent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #1) 5/5
Oh. My. God. This book was so good. I loved it! I read it within 24 hours even though I had a terrible migraine. I couldn't stop reading. It's a dystopian novel about Beatrice who lives in a society with 5 factions; the selfless, the fearless, the peaceful, the intelligent and the honest. When they turn 16, boys and girls have to decide in which faction they want to live. If they decide to live outside their current faction, that means they start a new life without their families. Beatrices choses differently and we follow her through her world and how it turns out it's not as perfect as it seems. I couldn't stop reading, I was glued to the pages. I would definitely recommend this book to people who like dystopian novels (I would call it a must-read, even)!

I can't wait for the second book. And the first one isn't even officially published! xD

Blue Moon by Alyson Noël (The Immortals #2) 3/5

Jeesh. I have to say that I didn't really like the first book, but this one was no better. It was boring and then when I thought it was getting better at the end, Noël just leaves me with such a sucky ending that I actually feel frustrated.

I only started reading this book because I bought the boxed set, so I already had the sequel to Evermore. I'll eventually end up reading Shadowland (book 3) as well since I already own it, but I don't think I'll enjoy it.

Emma, Jane Austen - 5/10 - not so outrageously bad as to merit less than 5, but very disappointing for an Austen novel. Every single character managed to annoy the hell out of me (except Jane Fairfax, who just wasn't present much, nor actually developed as a full-fledged character) while moving not an inch from whence it started in terms of character development. And I heartily resent many of the social principles espoused and praised (which I guess is only natural, with 200 years between my time and Austen's). And it felt hollow to me: no deep thoughts, no exposure of societal flaws, no graceful descriptions of love. And I kind of expected that from Ms. Austen. I guess it's my fault for going in with expectations :shrug:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy #1), 4/5

I really liked the book - but I just didn't *love* it as so many people seem to do. I liked the story and finished it in almost one setting though. I can see the appeal to the readers who love these books - vampires, action, hot guy.. So yeah. I'll be picking up the second book soon.

Gone with the wind - Margaret Mitchell, 8/10. I liked the book, and I think Mitchell managed to convey a perfect image of the transition in the society after war, I found it quite realistic. Also I think she's really good at writing sad tragic scenes. The characters are well-written and get a great deal of character development, and although they do infuriating things, it's not difficult to understand and feel for them. I found the end disturbing, because I thought things would end smoothly, and they ended rather abruptly and ...annoyingly. Oh and another thing which annoyed me a bit, is that I couldn't read a word of Mammy's or any of the other servants', and the fact that I don't know much about American history, which made it a bit difficult to keep up with the events, and understand some of the terms, :shrug:.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. The concept for this book is both haunting and gripping in equal measure but I think the most captivting and possibly scary part of it was the way it's written in such a matter of fact tone, when in reality the issues faced are anything but normal. A really emotional read, and a sort of journey as well. The one flaw being that the way in which it's written, the narration, can get a bit carried away with itself and feels at times like it needs a pause to take a breath. Otherwise brilliant. 4.5/5

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games #2), 5/5

Holy shiz. Seriously. If you have been living under a rock, like I did, and haven't read this series yet, you'd better pick up a copy now. Or borrow some. Or steal a copy from your neighbour. I don't care. I don't think there's a series that had more effect on me while reading, except Harry Potter, but that was on an entirely different level.

Also, I think I'm in love with Peeta :P And now I really have to hold back to not start Mockingjay right away. *tries to calm down*

Everything for a Dog by Ann M. Martin
4/5 stars
I love Ann M. Martin. I've always thought she was a cat person. She is a cat person. I know she's grown up with cats and had her own as an adult. She does write characters with dogs, but mostly the cat is what's important. She did end up adopting a stray dog, who's story is told in the companion book A Dog's Life.

This book is set in three stories, one from the view of a dog and the other two of children. I love how the stories connect. It's surprising how that happens. I really felt the emotionl and I actually felt like crying a few times. I ultimately think it's a fun children's book to read. I'll probably be a senior citizen still reading Ann M. Martin stories if she's still writing them.

Club Dead by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #3), 3.5/5

I liked this better than the first two books. I think it's because of the lack of Bill. And the yelling at him. Yes, I liked that. I do not like Bill as a character.

I'm getting more optimistic about the series now, I'm actually looking forward to reading the next one.

Eldest- 8/10

Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse (#3), 5/5 - my favorite in the series so far.

Rick Riordan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! :)


And.. Pssst...


Her name is Cassandra Clare :)

Whoopsie! Thanks! :)

Eldest- 8/10

I'm reading this at the moment and its really good :)

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #4), 3.5/5

I liked that we saw a lot more of Eric - I just didn't like that his memory was erased and his personality with it. I'm hoping we'll see that again in the next book, but I'm pretty sure we will. Thankfully a lot less Bill than in the first two books.

Gallows View by Peter Robinson. This is the first in the series of Inspector Banks stories, and having enjoyed one of the others and deciding to read the series from the beginning I was really excited to read this book! The books are set in an area not far from where I live, albeit in a fictional town, but my hometown cropped up an awful lot which only added to my love for the book. The plot was brilliant, a few mysteries running alongside each other to keep the action and tension up. But the description of the scenery and surrounding areas was just as enjoyable! 5/5

Those That Wake by Jessie Karp - 7/10

I read this book in about a day - the writing flowed easily and the curiosity kept me wanting to know more. It has a similar mysterious build up like The Maze Runner did, but more of a conceptual ending. I think I would have liked the book more if the conceptual nature of the story was more tangible. I think it was a good concept and touched on a lot of scary thoughts (that your parents could forget you're their child!). There was a fantastical nature to this book, but it was more current than the future/post-apocalyptic YA dystopian trend seems to be. Maybe that is why I was looking for a more tangible aspect in the story.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, 4.5/5

This book was so cute! I loved the idea and I found myself laughing out loud several times - even while I was reading it in the Ikea restaurant. That was a little weird, but oh well. I really enjoyed reading this book! It has a Christmassy feel to it, but this can be read all year long if you ask me.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - My favourite book of the triology by far, and left me thinking about it so much after it had ended, found it quite emotional! I couldn't put it down and it managed to keep up the suspense and action all the way through, and some of the stuff that it deals with makes you forget that they're young adult novels. A great end to the series, unpredictable and heartbreaking at times but the best book I've read in a long time. 5/5

I'm so glad someone else feels the same way about this book. :clap: i went into it with low expectations because I knew a lot of people disliked it, but I found it to be deeply moving.

Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #6) 3.5/5

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #7) 3.5/5

What the weird thing is about this series, at least to me.. When I think of the seperate books, I'm not really a huge fan. But when I think of the series as a whole, I'm really liking it. I'm definitely enjoying the series now, after a bad start with the first book.

Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer trilogy #1) - Robin Hobb, 7.5/10. I enjoyed it, but it was quite slow. I also expected a little bit of action, which is why I was rather disappointed when I didn't find any. Also I find the main character a bit annoying, I just don't like the sort of characters who keep to themselves all the time and are not friendly with others, then keep complaining about how lonely they are. And it doesn't help that it's written from first person POV. However, I like the idea of the book and I'm curious about what's going to happen next, hopefully the second book would be better than the first.

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult: 5/5. Jodi's knack for tackling the big issues strikes again, making you question your own life. I loved this book because each chapter is written from a different character's view, so you get to look in on everybody and learn the reasons for their actions. The plot alone is enough to grab attention though; the issue presented is one that becomes so controversial and I found myself questioning the idea for myself. It really got me thinking about my life and what I do. The theme of friendship (or lack thereof) hits close to home for me and so I really connected with a few characters. And of course, Jodi has the surprise twist at the end. I don't like it when plots become too predictable because then I feel like I'm reading the same book over and over. But I never felt bored while reading this book.

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #8), 3.5/5

Heck yes! More Eric. Yum. [/fangirling]

Eldest - Christopher Paolini - 9/10. Very good and Brisingr is on its way.

10/10 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ;)

Entangled by Cat Clarke, 4/5
Even though I had a hunch from the beginning and it proved to be right, the ending of this book was heartbreaking.


Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush #1) 4/5
Read this book in one sitting. Never boring and I enjoyed myself the whole time. Patch was an intriguing character.. Will definitely picking up Crescendo soon to keep on reading.

I'm so glad someone else feels the same way about this book. :clap: i went into it with low expectations because I knew a lot of people disliked it, but I found it to be deeply moving.


Absolutely! I think the ending was really moving too. Reflecting on the series it was probably my favourite, which does seem to differ with a lot of other people's opinions, but I liked the change of style and pace of it :) and so unpredictable!

Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult: 5/5. Jodi's knack for tackling the big issues strikes again, making you question your own life. I loved this book because each chapter is written from a different character's view, so you get to look in on everybody and learn the reasons for their actions. The plot alone is enough to grab attention though; the issue presented is one that becomes so controversial and I found myself questioning the idea for myself. It really got me thinking about my life and what I do. The theme of friendship (or lack thereof) hits close to home for me and so I really connected with a few characters. And of course, Jodi has the surprise twist at the end. I don't like it when plots become too predictable because then I feel like I'm reading the same book over and over. But I never felt bored while reading this book.

That's one of my favourites of hers, definitely one of her best and up there with My Sister's Keeper for me! :)

Sacred Country by Rose Tremain. Not a book I would have picked up myself, but I really enjoyed it and became completely wrapped up in the characters. I thought the whole book was beautifully written, from the characters to their beautiful and sometimes scary surroundings. I thought the main subject of the novel was well handled, the struggles refected well as well as the acceptance. It was fascinating to read a story set over several decades as well, and it incorporated historic events brilliantly, combining the events of the wider world with their effects on the characters. Really strong story and a great read. 4.5/5

Royal Assassin (Farseer trilogy #2) - Robin Hobb, 8/10. I liked it much better than the first book of the trilogy; the characters are very real and we get to know a lot about their backgrounds, by the end of the book I found that I have strong feelings about them, some I liked quite a lot, and others I absolutely hated. The plot is much more interesting this time, but I don't like how it ended :shrug:. I guess it just got so complicated with the author that she had to end it with some sort of a 'miracle' that I can't make much sense of :yuhup:. By the look of things, the final book will be a sad one, or at least it will start off as a very sad one..

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman - 5/5

This is my second time reading the trilogy, and this time I'm taking my time and it's amazing how much stuff I didn't notice the first time through.

I thought the book was extremely well written and the pace was perfect. The points that the author makes (which are extremely controversial) are very poignant and kept me interested.

10/10 Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli
Such a cute, sad story. I love Spinelli. I can't wait to read the follow up to this one.

A.D.:New Orleans After the Deluge by Josh Neufeld
This graphic novel contains five stories of real people from different racial and economic backgrounds and how they experienced Katrina differently, as well as how they delt with their frustrations and losses. Neufeld shows how FEMA's failures brought about chaos at the Superdome and problems for months and years afterwards. Neufeld illustrates how the poor had few options and were essentially trapped in the city; a fact that many overlook.
The author does a fantastic job articulating the mindsets and concerns of his real life subjects and his art work is eyecatching. There is a website where you can watch downloads about the author's graphic techniques and interviews of the people portrayed. I don't usually read graphic novels, but this one is incredible.
http://www.smithmag.net/afterthedeluge/

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
I just finished this one yesterday and I recommend it. It's historical fiction set in the mid 19th century. Eliza runs away from her adoptive family in Chile to reunite with her lover in California. On they way, she crosses paths with Tao Chi'en, a Chinese healer who has been sold into slavery. California offers both of them freedom and the chance to change their lives. Both Tao and Eliza are strong and independent and both gradually leave the past behind them and learn what love really is.
I really liked Eliza because she is an adventurous and independent woman unwilling to conform to what society expects. Tao is a perfect balance to her spirited character; his wisdom and sense of humor save them both.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush #1) 4/5
Read this book in one sitting. Never boring and I enjoyed myself the whole time. Patch was an intriguing character.. Will definitely picking up Crescendo soon to keep on reading.

Looooooved Crescendo! Liked Hush, Hush. I felt that Patch's character--as well as Nora's--is much better fleshed out and developed in this one. She impresses as much as he. It'll leave you salivating for the third book!!

In The Dark by Mark Billingham. This was his first standalone novel not part of the Tom Thorne series, so I was intrigues to find out if it lived up to his other work, and I think it did. It helped that Thorne made a few brief appearences in the story, but only very brief, they definitely worked with the story and didn't feel like the author was crowbaring references in. Overall I enjoyed the plot, and thought the main character was interesting. Enough twists and turns at the end to shake up the action, the only flaw being the confusing revelations along the way. 4.5/5

Looooooved Crescendo! Liked Hush, Hush. I felt that Patch's character--as well as Nora's--is much better fleshed out and developed in this one. She impresses as much as he. It'll leave you salivating for the third book!!

Thanks, that sounds like a good book! Looking forward to reading it :)


---

Sing me to Sleep by Angela Morrison, 5/5

What a beautiful, emotional, heartwrenching story. I cried while reading this book (mainly the last 50 - 60 pages) - the end was heartbreaking. This book was so, SO good. I haven't heard much about it in the YA book blogosphere, but this one definitely deserves more attention. I loved it. Definitely recommended!

Sarah's Key - by Tatiana de Rosnay - 9/10

Sarah's story is fascinating. I have read a lot of books about World War II and the Holocaust, but nothing about what happened in France. The author told the story of what happened to ten year old Sarah in July of 1941, and how that affected so many other people.

There were two main stories, Sarah in the past and Julia in the present. It was written so that the chapters flipped back and forth from the past to the present until about half way through the book, when the story in the past ended. I was so intrigued by Sarah that I became very impatient when it flipped back to Julia. I see why the author did it, but I was annoyed, anyway. But all in all it was a well written book.

My complaints regarding the plot:
There were many characters in this book whose lives were very strongly affected by Sarah's story. Julia was a journalist who never met Sarah, wasn't related to Sarah, wasn't even alive during the war, and bears no responsibility for what happened. She was so consumed by the story that it negatively affected her and her family. I wanted to tell Julia to "get a grip, lady". Yes, its sad. Yes, it was tragic. But you have to move on.

The ending left you hanging a little. Now that Julia and another key character seemed to finally be able to talk about it all, and have a good cry, what happens next? You really have no idea where the relationship with Julia and the key character are headed.

Angus, Thongs and Full-frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison (Georgia Nicolson #1), 5/5

Hilarious! I already read the first 5 books or so in the series, but I'm re-reading them all so I can read the whole series again.

Assassin's Quest (Farseer Trilogy #3) - Robin Hobb, 9.5/10. This is my favourite of the series. I was correct in my guess that this would be a sad book, but it was a great read, nonetheless. We learn so much about the world, in which the story is set, and all of it is quite creative. Almost nothing turned out as I expected it in the end, especially regarding my guesses as to who would live and who would die, and I found it really unfair in many cases.

Whisper My Name by Jane Eagland, kinda aimed at 15 year olds but I found the story gripping. 9/10 as I found the character Meriel irritating quite a few times.

Fasting, Feasting - Anita Desai

7/10. Beautifully written and provides a great portrait of how society treats women in some parts of India. Dysfunctional families, tragic storylines, helpless characters are a major part of the book. Some parts seemed too abrupt and clumsy, but a great read overall. Not surprising that the book was shortlisted for the Booker prize in 1999.

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh (Nevermore #1), 5/5

I loved this book. It was a little on the slow side, yes, but it was so carefully put together that I couldn't detect a single boring page. Based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, this book tells the story of a cheerleader and a goth guy who get teamed up to work together on an English project - with Poe as the subject. While the story evolves, we see more and more of the world of Poe and we see how Varen, the quiet goth guy, gets deeper and deeper entangled in the stories that he scribbles in his notebook - going so far that even Isobel (the cheerleader) is dragged into his storyworld.

The book was well written and I found that Creagh carefully wove the Poe-bits into the story. I have no experience with Poe whatsoever, but this book makes me want to read some of his work.

(And now I'll have to wait until January, because that's when the sequel Enshadowed comes out...)

Uprising by Margaret Haddix
It's a historical novel set in New York City 1910-1911. Told from the point of view of three teen girls from different backgrounds, the book centers around a labor strike and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire that took place March 25 1911. Bella and Yetta are immigrants working at Triangle while Jane is the daughter of a wealthy factory owner. They meet and become involved in the labor strike against dangerous conditions and meager wages. Shortly after the strike ends, a fire erupts at Triangle and 146 die.
Once I started the book, I really couldn't put it down until I finished it. Haddix does a great job with historical detail and she makes you care about the characters. I give it a 10/10.

An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham(long price quatret book 3)

15 or so years after the events A Betrayal in Winter, the Galts are finally trying to get rid of the cities of the Khaiem.

This book is what i've been waiting for for 2 books. the galts have always been off to the side in the story, a part of it but never the focus. ion this book they one of the main players. This book has the best moments of all the series in it. and there's really nothing dull about it. The first two books where limited in scope, even though the were placed in this big world each of the first two where limited to one or two cities. In this book things really do get bigger.

The best part of the book was the ending, it was one of those ending where i had to pause and think about what had just happened. The ending changes everything about the way the characters had to perceive their world.

One minor complaint i had was i found some of it kinda predictable. Early on i predicted a plot line that became is big side story in the book, and couple other things that played out later in the book. But even though i did predict them when it happened i wasn't really mad because it played out in a way that i enjoyed.

8.75/10

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater - 8/10

I was surprised at how much I liked this book. I put off reading it forever. I read and hated Twilight, so I was weary about reading another paranormal romance book. Unlike Twilight the main female character is in control of her situation, she's a strong lead, unafraid, confident, not subservient. Ok, enough Twilight comparisons.

This is the kind of love story I like. Not gushy, but you can feel the love that the characters have for each other. It's what I liked about The Big Crunch also.

My only issue with this book is that the author sort of forgets all these teens have parents towards the end of the book. The end has a great sense of urgency, but still kids are missing from home days at a time and that's not an issue? I guess that's the parent in me talking. :p

I also wish she left the ending a teensy bit more vague. Like one less paragraph vague.

I just read Unwind by Neal Shusterman. Incredible. I didn't even realize the book was making me think until it was nearly over. A definite win!

Steel - Carrie Vaughn, 5.5/10. It's an easy and entertaining read mainly about piracy and slavery, but I felt that the author's writing style isn't that good :shrug:. There's a lack of descriptions in many scenes and sometimes I felt that she isn't very well-informed about the subject she's writing about. I disliked the main character, a sulky girl who in the beginning of the book, considers losing a fencing competition, 'the end of her life'. None of the characters stand out as amazingly written, or with enough depth to them. The plot itself was probably the only thing I liked about the book, I guess I'd have enjoyed it better, if the author had put more complications in the way and hadn't resolved it all so directly.

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #9), 4/5

Liked this one better than most of the other books in the series so far, and I can't really put my finger on it - except the fact that we get more Eric. I'd like one of those pics - the one with the white fur.. :')

Steel - Carrie Vaughn, 5.5/10. It's an easy and entertaining read mainly about piracy and slavery, but I felt that the author's writing style isn't that good :shrug:. There's a lack of descriptions in many scenes and sometimes I felt that she isn't very well-informed about the subject she's writing about. I disliked the main character, a sulky girl who in the beginning of the book, considers losing a fencing competition, 'the end of her life'. None of the characters stand out as amazingly written, or with enough depth to them. The plot itself was probably the only thing I liked about the book, I guess I'd have enjoyed it better, if the author had put more complications in the way and hadn't resolved it all so directly.

I've got a book by that author called "Kitty And The Midnight Hour".

I've got a book by that author called "Kitty And The Midnight Hour".

Oh I saw this book, too. But I admit I found the cover of Steel more tempting, :lol:. Is this one any good?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl, 10/10. I loved it :D.

Oh I saw this book, too. But I admit I found the cover of Steel more tempting, :lol:. Is this one any good?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl, 10/10. I loved it :D.

I haven't started reading it yet, but it looks good, and it reminded me of the True Blood books by Charlaine Harris. :)

Undisputed by Chris Jericho

This book is a follow up to A Lions Tale's and foolows the second half of his wrestling career. A pretty good read for anybody who's into wrestling.

9/10.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvander - 8 /10

A great read and solid follow up to Shiver. Looking forward to reading Forever when it comes out. Can't wait to see how they resolve all the idea of "forever."

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5), 5/5
Heck, that was one hell of a finale. I saw most of the plot coming, but it was still an amazing read and I found the battle scenes very exciting to read. I'm sad that this was the last book in the series, though. *eyes The Lost Hero*

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, 5/5
Completely different book, but what a great read. I read this one in one sitting. I loved Perkins' writing style - easy to read and really upbeat. Made me feel good to read it and I'm happy that I did.

Blind to the Bones by Stephen Booth. I enjoyed the story, there were a great mixture of things happening with different characters that kept it interesting thoughout. The scenery was described brilliantly and you could lose yourself in the book and escape for a while, whilst the tension and mystery was kept at the right levels. I really enjoyed it. Only problem I had was getting used to the writer's style, there were parts that just felt jarring to me but it wouldn't put me off reading more of his work. 4/5

Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow
Historical fiction based on a true story of two brothers in New York City during the past century. Born to a wealthy family, Homer and Langley had the best of everything. After Langley returns from World War I to his blind brother, he discovers both parents had died during his absence. Dependent on each other, they gradually pull away from the world around them. It was an interesting character study so I'd give it a 3/5.

A Passage to India by E.M.Forster - 8/10

This will take a lot of time for me to fully comprehend and sink in, but what a magnificent book! I loved reading about the attitudes of the rulers and the ruled during the British Raj and the scenarios that come out of their interactions. Written beautifully, it provides great insight into how things were in India at that time, be it religious conflicts, racism or the ideas of an Indian nation. Definitely a classic worth reading.

The Amber Spyglass - 5/5

It's last book in His Dark Materials and it was well written and had a great and memorable ending. After reading the entire series, I'd put the trilogy as my 2nd favorite book series, right after Harry Potter.