Rate and review the last book you read

[HPitty23]

The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham, 8/10

The beginning was far too slow for my tastes, as was the ending. The middle section of the book was simply perfect though. I love how philosophical the text was at times, and how witty the banter between the characters could be, and especially the characters themselves.

[xhanax315]

7/10 Roadwork - Richard Bachman, aka Stephen King
This Bachman book was nowhere near as enticing as the first two. Okay, so the main character went a little cucko because they were going to tear down his house and his laundry business, and he ruins his marriage and loses all his friends. So he decides to just blow everything up, seems like the perfect solution. Sounds pretty intriguing, doesn't it? Wasn't too impressed with it this time around, maybe next time.

[xhanax315]

5/10 (And I'm being generous here) Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult
I was very diappointed with this book. People keep telling me that Picoult is a great writer and her books worth the read. This is the third novel of hers I have read and the only one I enjoyed was My Sister's Keeper, which was very sad. I hate how she can never write in the prsent tense, it's always six months after, ten years before, five years later, two hours after, or whatnot. Why couldn't she have written it in chronological order instead of having it all over the place? Her writing isn't that impressive either, I find it annoying that she has to throw a similie in every other paragraph just to prove she can produce one, not to mention that they're rather cheesy. She also included too many sterotypes , which make the story unbelievable. Picoult reminds me a lot of Stephenie Meyer, except Picoult has better ideas , but she needs work putting them on paper. I think I'll hold off on the next Picoult book that I have on my shelf, it's not worth the time at the moment. Thank goodness I purchased these books secondhand.

[Goddess_Clio]

The Hunger Games Triology:

Hunger Games: 8/10
Entertaining, interesting concept, easy, quick read but I didn't care for the writing style or much for Katniss as a character.

Catching Fire: 7/10
More interesting than entertaining. I liked the first half better than the second half which started to get repetitive and pretty boring for me.

Mockingjay: 5/10
A total mess of a book. The plot was lacking focus, Katniss became totally unlikable, as did virtually every other character for me, there was no payoff at the end, I was left with more questions than answers and was totally frustrated the whole way through the book. I got the impression that if the author couldn't figure out a way for a character to get themselves out of a situation she would have them faint and wake up days later in the hospital where they heard the story of their inexplicable and totally unbelievable rescue.

[RikuStark]

A Clash of Kings! Such a great book, the length of these books are completely appropriate for this kind of story. 9/10. Can't wait to read the 3rd book!

[xhanax315]

Originally Posted by RikuStark

A Clash of Kings! Such a great book, the length of these books are completely appropriate for this kind of story. 9/10. Can't wait to read the 3rd book!

Wait until you start the next one!

[xhanax315]

8/1@ Zodiac Unmasked - Robert Graysmith
A continuation of Graysmith's Zodiac, it dwells into deeper detail of a suspect that falls into the marks of the Zodiac. It was a very chilling and in-depth read of one of our country's infamous and unsolved murder cases.

[ccollinsmith]

10/10 - Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

Lewis considered this his best piece of fiction, and after reading it I agree with him. In re-imagining the Cupid and Psyche myth, Lewis creates his most three-dimensional protagonist, his most profound story, and his best psychological study.

I couldn't put the book down once I started it. I don't know if it would work as well, though, for people under 30. It does presuppose some life experience.

[xhanax315]

8/10 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
A coming of age of Francsis Nolan in Brooklyn, Ny, in the 1900's. I've been wanting to read this book for such a long time, and after passing it so many times at the bookstore I finally gave it a go. It's a wonderfully written story about a girl growing up in poverty with her family, and after the death of her father she has to help bring in the income being she's the oldest child in the family. I must admit after longing for so long to read this book, the story didn't quite hit me as I was hoping it would, but I love how Francie matured througtout the book.

[Fawkesfan1]

Eon by Alison Goodman -- 9/10

An interesting start to an interesting series. Worth the read. What I can say is that the main character, Eon, is on a journey of sorts to become a Dragoneye. Mentioning more under spoiler tags so as not to spoil it for others.

Spoiler: show

Only he's actually a girl, and if she does become a Dragoneye, she'd be the first female one in 500 years.

Not only that, one of the other characters, Lord Ido, wants all of the Dragoneye power for himself.

So things get pretty interesting as the book goes along.

It's a well paced book with good dialogue and plenty of action and adventure throughout. It hooked me in from start to finish.


Eona by Alison Goodman -- 9/10

The sequel was just as thrilling as the first book was, with just as much action and adventure within it.

Worth the read. More under spoiler tags...

Spoiler: show

Eon is now Eona, the first female Dragoneye in 500 years and she has to learn how to control her power from an unlikely ally....


Lord Ido


Also, she has to learn more about her ancestress' past to learn what to do to save the world and renew the dragons' power.

[MmeBergerac]

Le Comte de Monte-Cristo - 9/10

This time I've read it in French, for a change (and for practice). No matter how many times I read it, it's always great. All right, it's a bit tiresome when Dumas gets exotic and there are many chapters that could be shorter, but hey, no other book has such combination of old-fashioned drama and adventure, and nobody has ever introduced me to a more fascinating character than Edmond Dantés.

[RikuStark]

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris. 7.5/10 I enjoyed it, but it still lacks something that the earlier books had. I read through it quickly, and it tied up a lot of loose ends. I'll be interested to see what the last book has in store.

[HMN]

A Feast for Crows - A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin - 5/10

Unlike the first 3 books in this series this one really dragged for me. I feel like the story has gone of the rails a bit and I'm not sure he brings it back until the 6th book in the series (which is not yet written). Hoping the 5th book starts to turn it around.

[ccollinsmith]

8/10 The Hunger Games - I enjoyed finding out what was going on in Kaitniss' head. I particularly enjoyed the memories and the strategizing. I did find, though, that my reaction to the culture of the Capitol was not nearly as visceral a repulsion as I experienced when I watched the movie. There are, obviously, trade-offs, between book and film. I preferred the film because it gave me a more immediate sense of the Capitol, but I did enjoy the book and thought it was a real page-turner.

6/10 Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain. Most of this is myth and legend. Some of it is hysterically funny - like making Emperor Constantine a Briton and having King Arthur conquer a Rome that (in actual history) had already been decimated by the barbarians. But on the cool side - this is where we first meet King Lear and his evil daughters, and it's also where we first meet Merlin and get some sense of the scope of what will eventually become the Arthurian saga. A lot of it is boring, but the stuff on Lear and Arthur/Merlin is pretty fun to read.

[Yoana]

Mockingjay - 3/5, and it would have been 2/5 if it hadn't been for the last page or so. Here's my review.

[xhanax315]

7/10 The Running Man - Richard Bachman

[HMN]

The Enchantress - The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott
9/10.

For an ending to a series, this one really impressed me. It could have gone in many directions, but I think Michael Scott really took his time and carefully planned this epic series.

[Goddess_Clio]

Variant by Robison Wells ----- 4/5

Summary:
Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.


I got this book because it was recommended by a podcast I listen to and I enjoyed it a lot. It's a YA novel (as in true YA, not like Twlight is "YA" cause it ain't! ) based on the boy-goes-to-a-new-school premise. There are some aspects of the story that are semi-unbelievable but I just accepted it and moved on as part of the world of that novel. It has a very interesting twist and an exciting last couple chapters, I just wish I had known going into it that it would 1) be a part of a series and 2) have a cliff-hanger ending. I don't like those, I find them to be a cheap way to retain readership for your second novel but what can I say? I want to know so Wells has me on the line for the rest of the series.

All that being said, the story was interesting and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking or a mystery, semi-locked-room type plot who isn't averse to reading YA.

[BubblyShell22]

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. 10/10. I loved this final book in The Hunger Games trilogy. It was just very well-paced, and there were a lot of twists in it for me. A very satisfying read, though I'm sure there are many who may disagree with me.

[xhanax315]

7/10 Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - Seth Graham-Smith
I was very exciting to read this, but I felt like it dragged in places and got a bit boring. I was very impressed though how the author fit everything well with the events of Lincoln's life. Some authors don't play things like that so well.