Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic 50 Book Challenge 2012/What I've Read in 2012

I'm behind already too.

#11 Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Just finished reading this one with a friend. The author usually tackles interesting issues but I was annoyed by her approach.

Mistborn Series – Brandon Sanderson

I The Final Empire

I read this first one back when I heard that Sanderson had been chosen to complete The Wheel of Time. I remember I thought it an okay read, but I wasn’t intrigued enough by the world or characters to rush to see what happened next.

Perhaps because I came to it without any great expectations, second time around I found myself enjoying it much more. A couple of events that had previously irked me made a lot more sense this time around.

II The Well of Ascension

I think this was my favourite of the series so far. Partly because it introduced my favourite character – TenSoon – and pulled off one of the best plot twists to date.

III Hero of Ages

This was my least favourite so far. For some reason, it took me a while to get into it. But, still, it had some good set pieces and some interesting twists and turns.

I probably still won’t be anxiously waiting for book four, but when it arrives I’ll probably enjoy it all the same.

I just wish he’d hurry up and produce A Memory of Light, so that I can finally catch up.

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson

I The Way of Kings

Not sure what I thought about this one. Parts of it seemed like a hard slog at times. There were several characters I wasn't much intrested in and one I was really enjoying, but probably not enough to want to rush to get the next book in line.

LabRat

#12 I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson I thought this book would be light and funny and I didn't find it to be either. I didn't like the main character at all.

Joan

(I'm trying to catch up by reading shorter books!)

#8: Deborah goes to Dover - M.C Beaton. Book 5 in the travelling matchmaker series. Embarrassingly I have read several of these. Short, mindless fun. Untaxing on the brain cells.

#9:The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald. Read this in high school and decided to give it another go. There's nothing special about the plot really, but the way it's worded is simply beautiful. I am so full of admiration for the writing.

#10: Me and Mr Darcy - Alexandra Potter. I read P&P in January so things related appeal. Just not particularly this book. I enjoyed it enough to finish it, but I found the main character a bit stupid at times, and it's written in the present tense and first person, neither of which I like. Also, the author is English writing an American character and I kept finding her using the wrong terminology which annoyed me.

#1 - A Clash Of Kings - George R.R. Martin

I love the story that he is painting, although I want to drown Theon Greyjoy. But there is just something dry and stilted in the writing style. It remains interesting, but slows down my usual reading speed to a devastating crawl. Looking forward to getting into the next book at some point.

#2 - All I Need To Know I Learned From Xena: Warrior Princess - Josepha Sherman

A cute little fluffy read. "Translated" by Josepha Sherman, the book is written by and from the point of view of Gabrielle, Xena's best friend. It gives a fun, humorous look into some of the situations they find themselves in over the first three seasons (what I like to call "The Golden Age of Xena"). Chapters are only about a page and a half long, and have such titles as "The God Of War Is Not An Equal Opportunity Employer." Not a great read, by any stretch - there are WAY better fan fics out there. But still worth the read...and even better, it is a "general" fic, meaning that there is no taking of sides in the subtext (Xena/Gab) vs shipper (any heterosexual pairing) debate - which is a breath of fresh air.

Shinju – Laura Joh Rowland

The first in the author’s series of murder-mysteries set in 17th Century Japan and with her protagonist, the samurai and police inspector of Edo (Tokyo) – Sano Ichiro.

This isn’t a historical period that I’ve visited before – beyond the odd subtitled movie and a youthful tendency to tune in each week to The Water Margin – but the historical details were fascinating, plentiful enough to provide context and colour, but never heavy-handed or overwhelming the plot. The murder-mystery was intriguing and the story populated with wonderful characters.

As the author appears to have written a large series of Sano mysteries and I seem to have most of them on the Kindle – looks like I’m going to be immersing myself in ancient Japan for some time to come!

LabRat

# 7 - To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

I've been wanting to read this book for ages and finally got to it. It's wonderful, I quite enjoyed it.

But it seems as if this year I'm lucky if I can get to read 20 books. I'm so far behind...

# 8 - Poems of William Blake - William Blake

This book comprises The Books of Experience and Innocence and The Book of Thel. Romantism isn't my favorite current by far (I'm more of a Modernism fan), but this work of William Blake was an agreeable experience. The poems in The Book of Experience had more of an edge to them, which made them my favorite in the whole colection.

Still happily engrossed in 17th Century Japan:

Sano Ichiro Series – Laura Joh Rowland

Bundori
The Way of the Traitor
The Concubine’s Tattoo
The Samurai’s Wife
Black Lotus
The Pillow Book of Lady Wisteria


LabRat

#13 Zone One by Colson Whitehead I like a good post-apocalyptic story. This one seemed to have potential with a zombie plague and great description but it never really went anywhere.

Joan

#3 - Double Dexter - Jeffy Lindsay

Not a great read, but still tons of fun. And despite the fact that it is about a serial killer, all of the Dexter books are very light, fluffy reads. However, there are certain problems that are consistant throughout the series. Jeff Lindsay is terrible when it comes to writing female characters - with the one exception of Deb. All other female characters are maddeningly annoying. And in this book, even Dexter isn't up to snuff. He wallows for too long in self-pity and doubt (he's been seen killing someone). And by the time the reveal is made of who the witness is, it is so painfully obvious to the reader. But, I will still read any further Dexter books that happen to come out.

Anna B. the Greek : If you like Jules Verne, I think that the best one is L'île mystérieuse. I read it in french, but I'm sure that you can find a translation in english or in greek.

10) Elantris - by Brandon Sanderson
The Shaod strikes at night, taking random people and turning them into demigods, or it did until ten years ago when all the gods lost their power and became the equivalent of immortal lepers. Now, the prince of the land wakes up to find himself dead and imprisoned to the once mythical city of Elantris, now a prison for all those struck by the Tranformation. With a style that takes three different characters and binds their stories together, this is a fantastic read, leaving you eager to see if the Elantrians can really take back their lives.

11) Warbreaker - by Brandon Sanderson
Breathing in Colors gives you magic to do impossible things, but that means little when the God King needs a bride from a neighboring country threatening to go to war with them and nothing is what it seems, including a sword who can talk. A funny, fast-moving, engaging plot with a love story, secrets buried in the city of Hallandra, and armies of the Undead shambling around, not to mention a god who doesn't believe in his own religion.

12) The Way Of Kings - by Brandon Sanderson
The first in what promises to be an epic series, this introduces a world of chasms and storms, where grass retracts into the ground under the onslaught of rains and little fairy-like creatures exist for everything--sickness, glory, happiness, depression, kings, springing up whenever those things come into existence. But a war supposedly ended centuries before is now rising up again to meddle in the lives of a doctor-turned-slave, a shy lady-turned-spy, a warrior lord-turned-religious-leader, and a servant-turned-into-assassin. I'm really looking forward to seeing where this series goes from here. This book was amazing, with flashbacks from the doctor's life, visions granted the warrior, lessions taught to the spy/scholar, and mysteries aplenty concerning the Honorless assassin. Not to mention, those fairy-like spren are just cool!

13) Mistborn - by Brandon Sanderson
A thousand years ago, the Lord Ruler took the power he was foretold to end and became a tyrant that keeps the peasants beaten and the nobility controlled. But when the Survivor of the Mists comes up with a plan to gather his crew of criminals and rob the Lord Ruler's treasury, not to mention apprentice a young street girl who just might be the best Mistborn ever born and kill the Lord Ruler...well, things certainly get interesting. If you ever wondered what would have happened if Frodo had actually managed to keep the Ring and take its power for himself, this is definitely the book for you!

14) Well Of Ascension - by Brandon Sanderson
Vin, trained by the Survivor, and Elend, set up as King in the Lord Ruler's place, have to find a way to protect the world they've liberated, which is no simple task when the mists are striking down innocents, every ambitious lord around is trying to snatch a piece of the kingdom, and an insane Mistborn is trying to lure Vin away. Just when you think you've won the day, something has to happen, and boy, do tons of things happen in this book. Who would have thought things would be WORSE if you took down the Dark Lord?

15) Hero Of Ages - by Brandon Sanderson
Vin and Elend now faces hordes of the terrifying koloss armies and a very deadly Inquisitor, augmented by Ruin's power, The shapechanging kandra are staging a coup, the Terris people are refugees, the volcanoes are erupting, and Sazed is having a crisis of faith. Not to worry, though--Kelsier is back...or is he? This entire book builds to an amazingly large crescendo that solves mysteries and answers the questions building since the beginning, but still takes the time to have wonderfully intimate, quiet moments between Vin and Elend.

16) The Alloy Of Law - by Brandon Sanderson
Three centuries after the world was saved, the people are approaching the age of industry, and lawmen and criminals face off in the Roughs, using their Misting powers to propel bullets around turns and set up bubbles that stop or speed up time. The Vanishers are robbing the trains of their valuable metals and only a retired lawman, now heir to his noble house, has a chance of stopping their immortal leader. It's amazing seeing how different the world is, yet recognizing it just the same. The western-style seems a little odd, but it really works, and it's fun to see their Allomantic magic being used right along with pistols and shotguns.

17) Infinity Blade: The Awakening - by Brandon Sanderson
The hero has killed the evil lord, but now what's he supposed to do? His people won't take him back, the palace has interfaces that are talking to him, and the sword he took from the God King isn't as immobile as he'd like. A quest seems like the thing to do. I've never played the video game this is based off, but it can stand on it's own and is an incredibly interesting story that blends sci-fi gadgets with an amusingly in-the-dark fantasy people.

18) Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians - by Brandon Sanderson
A young orphan gets a package from his parents on his thirteenth birthday--a bag of sand, and now suddenly the librarians, intent on dominating the world, are after him and his grandpa, who's always late for everything, is his only hope. I don't think I've ever laughed as hard as I did reading this book. I had to read it to my Dad, and now he's read them all himself too.

19) Alcatraz vs. the Scrivener's Bones - by Brandon Sanderson
Alcatraz is trying to learn to control his Talent for breaking things, but it's not easy when he's got to invade the Library of Alexrandia and try to avoid making his bodyguard, a girl his own age called Bastille who's really a Crystallian Knight, angry enough to hit, which is all too easy to do. Trust me, if you've ever felt clumsy or late or...well, anything to put you out of place, these books will make you think about how best to utilize your wonderful Smedry Talent.

20) Alcatraz vs. the Knights Of Crystallia - by Brandon Sanderson
Alcatraz is a hero and a lost son restored to the Free Lands, but She Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken (because no one can pronounce it) has arrived to take the city...and hand out really tasty cookies. Again, incredibly funny, particularly the narrator's over-the-top intros to each chapter.

21) Alcatraz vs. the Shattered Lens - by Brandon Sanderson
Okay, so things aren't looking up for Alcatraz, or any of the Smedrys, whose Talents--like arriving late, getting lost, waking up ugly, and breaking things--aren't able to help them face the invading hordes of different factions of Librarians. Humor usually lessens with each successive book, but this one never lets up and continues to make me laugh, as well as confuse me with the chapter numbering being completely off the wall!

I've been reading Brandon Sanderson since his first book came out in 2005, and I have to say there's a reason he's the fastest-growing star in fantasy circles. He has amazingly complex magic systems that stay true to themselves, characters that are each very individual and unique, peoples and details that make every world a very real place, and plots that always leave you guessing, seeing the hints, and still being astoundingly surprised when the end comes around, which is always too soon! He takes standard fantasy cliches and turns them upside down so that you still get the comfort of reading fantasy but are kept in suspense and interested all the way through to the last page. I'd recommend his books to anyone and read anything he wrote. Very good to get to sit down and reread through all these favorites!

# 9 - Raised from the ground - José Saramago

A narrative about the struggle of landless farmers before the portuguese revolution of 1974, and the occupation of abandoned lands that followed the hot summer of 75 while a young democracy was trying to establish a baseline. I found the wording that gives a feel of orality to the text more intricate than in other works of this author and harder to understand in certain parts. The story of the family that is central to Raised from the ground was very encompassing, and quite touching for someone whose family suffered similar struggles.

#11: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson.

#12: The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennett.
The Queen discovers books.

#13: A moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway.
Account of his early years in Paris and all the fellow writers, poets, artists he knew there. Did find his style with its run-on sentences a bit tiresome at times, but still an interesting read.

5. Superman: The Wedding Album - Do comic books count? I finally broke down and bought this. I love the beginning, but I hate both Lois' and Clark's hair through-out. My main complaint (other than the style) is that her hair changes from scene to scene I don't realize it's actually her in some scenes until someone calls her "Lois". I know I have to remember when it was written. :rolleyes: I'm sure it was worse in the 70's & mid-80's. Jimmy, Ellen, Martha, & Jonathan were pretty spot on comparison to L&C, but I didn't recognize many of the other characters.

Technically, I have read more books than this so far this year, but I don't think Skippy Jon Jones, Fancy Nancy, Pinkolicious, and a children's adapation of King Arthur count (as they weren't my choice of reading materials).

Sano Ichiro Series – Laura Joh Rowland

The Dragon King’s Palace
The Perfumed Sleeve
The Assassin’s Touch
Red Chrysanthemum
The Snow Empress
The Fire Kimono
The Cloud Pavilion

I have no idea how thick - or otherwise - these are as I read them on Kindle, but I have to imagine that they're not epics. I seemed to get through them all very quickly.

Enjoyed them though.

Watch Them Die
The Next To Die
Vicious

A trio of Thriller Lite from Kevin O'Brien. First I've read from this author, but I'd like to read more. Very much in the Mary Higgins Clark realm of thrillers when it comes to plot and characters, but much better when it comes to writing style and execution imo. Apart from some frustration with stupid characters in the second book, I enjoyed these very much.

LabRat

#10 - Pyramids - Terry Pratchett

So far one of my favorites in the Discworld series. A parody about Ancient Egypt and the belief that pyramids could freeze time inside them - with all the chaos that would ensure.

#14 Mercy by Jodie Picoult Not one of her better books.

#11 - Agnes Grey - Anne Brontë

Still imagining all sorts of tortures for the first kids Agnes Grey tried to teach. Annoying evil brats from the 19th century.