Reviews
I have been horribly behind on writing reviews, so here is my overview of 2017! I am rating 2017 4 Stars overall. My average rating was only slightly higher than the year before (3.3 versus 3.1), but I read some outstanding books in 2017! Stats for 2016 89 Books Read 32,685 Pages Read 3 DNFs: My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... By Your Side by Kasie West https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... The Readymade Thief by Augustus Rose https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... Average Rating for 2017: 3.3 Stars (with 24 of those being either 1 or 2 Stars) It was also really great that Goodreads finally added rereading! It was the one nice thing amidst Amazon’s increasing weight on this site. I have been disappointed with the increased spam on Goodreads, but I still enjoy the community. Here is a quick overview of the best and worst of the year. These are books that I read in 2017, not necessarily published that year. As always, these are my opinions, so no getting sulky if you don't agree. Let's start with my Worst Books of the Year: #5 Worst Book aka the reminder not to be fooled by a pretty cover We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... A tiny part of me feels bad for putting this on my bottom list for the year. Admittedly, there are some parts of We, the Drowned that are beautifully written. But unfortunately, the rest was so dense and depressing that it still stands out as I book I rather wish I had not read. The beautiful moments were drowned out (no pun intended) by the vulgarity, violence, and melancholia. Since the book was so metaphoric, it seemed to scream, “Life it depressing, and then you die.” It was not worth the time I spent and the frustration I went through reading this 688 page-long hunk of misery. #4 Worst Book aka the reminder of why I don’t read more YA Caraval by Stephanie Garber https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... This book was a goopy glob of over-hyped junk. It really did not help that this book reminded of another bottom book: Heartless. But Caraval managed to find its own ways of making me want to bang my head against the wall. I tried to make allowances for being a debut book, but I shouldn’t. I thought this book was atrocious, and I hated every second of it. I am at a complete loss as to why this is a best seller. The writing style was a prime example of exactly why I usually avoid YA books. The characters were inconsistent and unrealistic and obnoxious. The plot tried way too hard and did not succeed. It had more holes than a sieve and was ridiculous manufactured. Worst of all though was how sloppy the world-building was. It is a MASSIVE copout to glaze over things (especially magical elements) by having the characters shrug everything off and just say “well, it works by magic.” #3 Worst Book aka an author’s ranting soapbox poorly disguised as a novel The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I have certainly read worse books than The Accidental Alchemist, but I want to make an example of this one. This is the result of an author taking their own life choices and ruthlessly shoving them down readers’ throats via a long-winded, preachy diatribe. That soapbox was then feebly disguised as a novel. The result was nothing like the book blurb described. It was so stuffed full of pushy commands that there was zero room left for plot or character development. #2 Worst Book aka Book most likely to make me bang my head against a wall repeatedly Heartless by Marissa Meyer https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Here is another example of petulant, angsty YA and proof that just because you can (legally) rewrite someone else’s book does NOT mean you should. This book managed to make Wonderland boring as all get out. The plot was tedious. The main character was awful. The love angle was absolutely NAUSEATING. The world-building was slipshod and boring. This book could not decide what it wanted to be, so the result was a bizarre mashup that completely failed to captivate me. #1 Worst Book aka the WTF did I just read? book Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... This book was so chaotic and nonsensical. I could never get past the author giving the main character his exact name and then having the narrator refer to him as “The Hero” and the schmoozing himself via his own narrator. I don’t know many people flexible enough to reach that level of self ass-kissing. Aside from that, Everything is Illuminated was the exact opposite of the title. It was a convoluted, murky mess. This is what happens when you try too hard to blow people’s minds. When I first wrote my review for this book, I mentioned that this book might make a ten worst books I’ve ever read list. I think that might hold true. This was an astoundingly frustrating book. And here are my Best Books of the Year: #5 Best Book aka Book most likely to cause a nostalgic sense of adventure Ready Player One by Ernest Cline https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... This wasn’t a perfect book, but I had so much fun reading it. Ready Player One has something for everyone. Certainly, anyone into gaming or who has a lot of nostalgia for the 80’s will love this. But you don’t have to fall into those categories to enjoy this story. Somewhere along the line of this the spirited adventure, the stakes heightened and it became more than just a game. I could hardly put this book down. It was certainly a breath of fresh air. #4 Best Book aka Book most likely to cause giddy, geeky joy A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... This book got me out of a reading slump. It grabbed me immediately and pulled me in on a wonderful, magical adventure full of captivating characters and an intriguing world. Admittedly, the sequels never quite garnered the same ecstatic enthusiasm from me that A Darker Shade of Magic did, but I still loved them. This was a book that was exactly what I needed at the moment I read it which is one of the best things that can happen to a reader. #3 Best Book aka Book most likely to make me hope that no one ever leaves flowers on my doorstep Roses of May by Dot Hutchison https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I admit that although I voted The Butterfly Garden my favorite book of 2016, I was not initially happy to see that it would have a sequel. That is because The Butterfly Garden ended so well that I had no idea how there could be a sequel. The answer is that the two stories are related but this is not strictly a sequel. The Roses of May follows a different serial killer case and introduces new characters. Although my reaction to The Roses of May was not as visceral (The Butterfly Garden shattered me), in some ways I felt it was better written. Absolutely a stunning page turner! I can’t wait to read the final book in 2018! #2 Best Book aka Book most likely to carry me away on the winds of winter The Bear and the Nightingale & The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I’m putting these two books together. I read the first book in the trilogy, The Bear and the Nightingale at the beginning of the year and its sequel, The Girl in the Tower, at the end. They were the perfect book ends (pun intended) to my year. Katherine Arden is amazing and so talented! She wove a breathless combination of historical fiction and Russian fairytales. These are not the sanitized, fluffy modern versions of fairytales. No, Arden goes back to the roots of the stories where life was harsh and the magic always came with a price. Her writing is rich and atmospheric and stunning and full of deeper meaning. I am so impatient to read the final book in the series: The Winter of the Witch! And can mention how gorgeous these covers are?! #1 Best Book aka Book most likely to cause restless wandering, emotional upheaval, and a major book hangover Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Believe the hype! This book literally took my breath away!! Laini Taylor’s writing is lyrical, smart, and absolutely exquisite. It is proof that a YA book does not have to be dumbed down or shallow. It is proof of the power of imagination. I don’t have words to do this book justice, but it made my heart pound and gave me goosebumps. This book is exactly why I love reading! I am so nervous for its sequel, Muse of Nightmares, because it will be damn near impossible to top Strange the Dreamer Top Books by Genre: Best Cover: The Girl in the Tower – Runner up: Beasts Made of Night Best Debut: The Bear and the Nightingale – Runner up: Kings of the Wyld Best Novella: The Great Gatsby Chick Lit: No winner this year Classic: 1984 Fantasy: Strange the Dreamer – Runner up: The Bear and the Nightingale Historical Fiction: The Last Kingdom – Runner up: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Horror: Night Film – Runner up: Into the Drowning Deep Mystery: And Then There Were None Nonfiction: Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea SciFi: Ready Player One – Runner up: Dark Matter Short Stories: Norse Mythology Suspense/Thriller: The Roses of May – Runner up: Dark Matter Young Adult: Strange the Dreamer – Runner up: Ready Player One Another new change for me in 2017 was that I joined Netgalley. Getting ARCs has been fun, and I plan to request more throughout 2018. There are some big books coming out in 2018 that I am so excited to read! These all happen to be sequels that I am giddy to get my hands on: Daughter of the Siren Queen, Bloody Rose, The Winter of the Witch, The Summer Children, and most of all Muse of Nightmares!! HAPPY READING!
Well, we made it. 2017 has been quite a year, hasn't it? There has certainly been a lot of negatives in both the real (scary world) and the bookish community. But I think that there has been a lot of positives. And the positives is where I would like to focus on. I'm tired of focusing on the negatives. Yes, I maybe a salty sailor and the resident grandpa friend but I need to start thinking about the positives and being a better person. I'm starting to become a bit too salty for my taste. One of the positives is that I started my blog, a ravenclaw library. I'm really quite proud of it. Blogging is a lot of work and there have been some days where it was almost a bit too much. But it's also incredibly rewarding. It's so much fun to see people interact and comment on my stuff. The best part? People actually like what I write. Like people actually care what I think about a book or lists of books. How awesome is that? This was the year of eARCs for me, as well. I got to read so many great books thank to Netgalley and Entangled Teen. Especially Entangled Teen. Seriously, they are the best. Their books have been top notch and they are just so friendly to work with. Everybody needs to go check them out and support them. I read what seemed like a million books. But it was actually 166 books. That, in itself, is such a huge deal for me. After high school, my reading really suffered. But in the end of last year and the beginning of this year, it really took off. I bought waaaay more books than I should have thanks to the wonders of thrift stores. I rediscovered my passion for reading again and it has made me so happy. Overall, 2017 was a pretty great year. A lot of ups and downs, but hey, that's life. Hopefully 2018 will be an even better year. I hope that each and every one of you has an amazing 2018. May it be filled with fantastic books and incredible people. I have been so blessed to have found so many friends on here and to find some truly amazing books. peace and blessings be upon you all. -zenyatta. (overwatch) xxlacy
It's hard to remember exactly what I read this year, and what I saw on the reading goals page surprised me. 2017, like the years that come before, had a haphazard reading pace that can be aptly condensed into: when I have the time/interest. Apparently I revisited the mystery section the most this year. Picked up my fair share of Hammetts and the rest of the Chandlers, finally completing the Philip Marlowe series, one Cadfael mystery, a local Singaporean thriller duo by Neil Humphreys (a writer whose columns I've admired for a long while), a brilliant one set in Vienna by Frank Tallis (a gift from a friend with good taste, I must say!) and a couple of Maigrets. I definitely will continue to read Simenon, and especially his stories about the inspector as I've enjoyed his work. I also began Patricia Highsmith's Ripley series of novels and stopped at three; I am sufficiently intrigued to read the rest, but I foresee not in any structured way in the coming year. I love mysteries, they keep the blood running and the mind thinking, and I remember them fondly for the especially easy way they keep me frantically reading. I need to be here, now. The rest of the world? Another time. This year I've discovered many kinds of mystery novels, whether 'kinds' denote style, location, or narrative voice differences, and enjoyed myself thoroughly. I've mostly read English/American detectives, and it will be nice to explore European territory in the coming year. Juxtaposed with the mysteries is a sampling of 'classic'/literary novels. Box-ticking efforts but no less interesting. They include: Neuromancer, The Sea The Sea, The End of the Affair, and Cohen's massive tome Her Lover, Murdoch's The Bell, Barnes' The Noise of Time (exquisite). Reread: Lord of the Flies. 2018 begins what I've started to call the Burgess Bibliographic Read. I plan to read as much of what Anthony Burgess has written, and the odd related book, in the space of the year. This will be quite a challenge as he has more than 30 novels, 2 poetry collections, plays, journalistic pieces and various non-fiction works to his name. I am slightly miffed that I've missed his centenary by only a year, but that's fine. There have been new publications out this year because of it, and more to come the next year. I've already started on what is available, and am excited to continue.
hahahaha what do you mean the year is halfway over? haha send help. So far this year I've read 69 books and died approximately 323,893,742 times. And out of those 69 books, I've rated 17 as 5 stars. And out of those 17 books, 11 are rereads. I've only rated 6 books this year five stars. 6 books!!! What is with all this disappointment? Have I just turned cynical all of a sudden? Last year, I rated 34 books as 5 stars and only 6 of those 34 were reread... I've been picking up such disappointing books lately I have to give the first half of the year 3/5 stars. If you see me start reading a book that sucks, please stop me. I can't do any more disappointment in my life A few of my favorite books I've read this year Can I shout out the worst book so far this year? I'm going to bc why the heck not???? I wanna make sure y'all don't accidently suffer. Don't read it. Thank me for saving your butt later.
¿Cómo le hacen para ser tan ordenados? Yo agregué el libro solo por seguir rebaño, pero veo sus notas y... Entré en pánico con cada detalle mes a mes ¡¿Cómo?!
так, ну я тоже сделаю награды! (но без ссылок, потому что очень лень) Best first book in the series - The Diviners, Strange the Dreamer & The Bear and the Nightingale (не могу выбрать) Best second (and third) date - Lair of Dreams & Before the Devil breaks you Best complete series read at once - Red Winter Best contemporary fiction - The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks Best non-fiction - Lean In Best non-fiction that reads like fiction - Подстрочник Biggest fiction dissapointment - The Dark Prophecy Biggest non-fiction dissapointment - Reinventing organizations Biggest "WTF has everybody found in it?" - Six of Crows Biggest "Will you finish the series already?" - The Tower of Dawn Swooniest swoon - Red Winter Porniest Porn - A Court of Wings and Ruin Best female character - Frankie Landau-Banks Best male character - Lazslo Strange Best group of characters - Diviners Best use of mythology and folklore - Red Winter & The Bear and the Nighingale половину - 56 из 112 - читала на английском что подозрительно, в списке "лучшего" только одна книга на русском. то ли это эффект "на иностранном языке всё звучит умнее", то ли в России не пишут так, как я люблю (а также плохо переводят), то ли я к русским текстам просто гораздо придирчивее
