Shelfari 50 Book Challenge discussion
Cora's 2016 50 Book Challenge
1. The Fifth Season - N. K. Jemisin
4 1/2 stars (rounded up to 5 on my shelf)
This is a hard book to summarize without revealing spoilers. Generally speaking it is fantasy dystopia about a world where seismic disaster has caused the end of the world, but we soon find out that ends are also beginnings. We follow the story of three women that are part of a society where some have the power to control the planet's seismic energy. Those with this power are needed to keep the world safe, but also feared and heavily controlled. When one such person finds her toddler son dead by the hand of her husband and her daughter taken away by him, she begins a journey through a dying world intent on finding her daughter. The book was beautiful, brutal, and unique. It is one of the few books I have read where part of the story is told in 2nd person - and it works. I am looking forward to the next book in this fascinating new world.
2. Skellig - David Almond
4 1/2 stars (rounded down to 4 on my shelf)
Skellig is about a boy who is dealing with upheaval in his life. His family just moved into a new home, a fixer upper that needs a lot of work, and his newborn sister is having life threatening medical issues. In the middle of this emotional turmoil, he discovers a mysterious being living in his garage. This was a beautiful and inspirational book with characters that all felt interesting, yet real. It deals with some tough issues, but handles them well.
3. Seven for a Secret - Elizabeth Bear
3 1/2 stars.
This was the second book in the series featuring Vampire, Sebastian, and his court. This book took place about 40 years later. They are in London, which is being occupied by Nazi Germany in this alternative history. It was OK. I didn't find the story as fleshed out and complete as the first one. It felt like the beginning of a story instead of a complete story like the first one. I will have to read the third novella in the series to see if it is more of a continuation of this one.
4. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves - Karen Joy Fowler
3 1/2 stars (rounded up to 4)
5. Uprooted - Naomi Novik
4 stars
Every ten years the lord of the region, who happens to be a powerful wizard called the Dragon, chooses a village girl to serve him for ten years in his tower. The villagers are not sure what he uses the girls for, but at the end of ten years the girl is released, seemly unharmed. Once released, the girls are not satisfied with their former lives and most leave the village to pursue a life outside the region. The villages border an evil wood that can corrupt living things, turning them into evil beings intent on spreading their evil. The Dragon helps keep the Wood contained and helps those corrupted by its evil if he can. Agnieszka knows that she is the right age to be in the group of girls the Dragon will pick his next girl from, but everyone assumes the dragon will pick her best friend. She is terrified for her friend and for herself facing a world without her. Thus begins this story that is influenced by Polish folklore and fairy tales. There is plenty of magic and battles as the characters try to survive in the shadow of the evil wood. I especially liked some of the strong women in this story - including a wizard called the Sword who was in charge of supplying the kingdom's military with magical weapons. While some of the story seemed really familiar (clumsy, plain heroine that discovers that she is special and powerful without really trying) other parts did elevate above the obvious fantasy tropes. Overall, I wonderful story that I would recommend to those that enjoy fairy tales and fantasy.
6. Eros, Philia, Agape - Rachel Swirsky
5 stars
Eros, Philia, Agape by Rachel Swirsky is a short story (about 32 pages according to my kindle edition) that can be read for free at http://www.tor.com/2009/03/03/eros-ph... . It is the story of a young woman who is looking to change her life after her abusive father dies. She decides to purchase a robot for companionship. Eventually she falls in love with the robot and they marry and have a daughter. However, eventually the robot begins to question their love and if he could truly love his family or is it all programing. To find out who he is, he must leave his family. This is a beautifully written story that chronicles the end of a marriage and the meaning of love. Like real life, you can feel sorry for the characters and the situation...wish they chose different, but understand that they couldn't do it differently. The story is more about their relationship and the meaning of love than the often explored story of artificial intelligence developing sentience. It is also an example of a short story that is the perfect length. Although I want to know what the future holds for the characters, I did not feel like I was reading only part of a larger story.
7. This book is set in a future where environmental disasters resulted in many regional wars over limited resources. In order to stop the humans from killing themselves off, the artificial intelligence system that ran the United Nations weapons system takes control of the world. It begins by destroying major cities using satellite based weapons systems that it controls. Once it has the world's attention, it decides to facilitate world peace by requiring that all rulers send their children to be held in captivity by the AI. If a country goes to war, their child is executed as punishment. This book is about a group of these children. I really liked this book. It is one of the more interesting young adult dystopian books in a long time. I liked the politics of the book and found the concept intriguing. I appreciated the diversity of the characters and that the author did not go down the typical YA romance path.
8. Really enjoyed reading this book that takes places a long time after the original Mistborn series. The characters were great and it was fun seeing how the world and the magic system would be used in a more modern (turn of the century/western) style society. I look forward to reading the rest of the series to see where Sanderson goes with the story.
9. The Race for Paris - Meg Waite Clayton
3 stars
This book is the story of two women, one a photojournalist and one a journalist, covering World War II. The women covered the war despite the fact that they could not get permission to do so. They were helped by a British military photographer. The three of them were trying to be among the journalists covering the liberation of Paris. All of the journalists were racing to be able to say they were the first ones there to report. The story is told from the point of view of Jane, the photojournalist as she reminisces about the past fifty years later. I thought the book was OK. I enjoyed learning about what it was like being a woman trying to report on the war. I felt like the format made it hard for me to really get to know the characters. You were seeing things through Jane's eyes and Livvie, the photojournalist, seemed so hard to get to know that I would have liked to know what she was thinking more. I really liked the quotes from real journalists and photographers at the beginning of each chapter. I wish that it would have included some of the photographs taken as well since so much of the story focuses on photography. Although I wanted more from this story, I did like reading it and it has peaked my interest in the real women in history covering the war. I will probably look up some of the non-fiction works mentioned in the author's note.
10. Shadows of Self - Brandon Sanderson
4 1/2 stars
11. Three Hearts and Three Lions - Poul Anderson
2 1/2 stars
Holger is working with resistance fighters opposing Nazi occupation in Denmark during World War II when he is shot. He awakens,naked, in a strange forest far from the battle. Soon it is evident that he is in a world much different than his own, yet strangely familiar. Here there are witches, dwarves, and maidens that can turn into swans among other magical beings. Holger begins a quest to find his way home, but it will not be easy since the forces of Chaos are marshalling against the forces of Law and the strange new world is also on the brink of war.
This is a classic fantasy novel that laid the groundwork for works that followed. Holger is on a classic quest and defeats many obstacles along the way. I found the parallels our hero makes between the fantasy world war and World War II were interesting social commentary, but I found that the portrayal of women in the book offsetting and kept me from enjoying the book. It seems that the women, both good and evil, are good for only one thing and they will use that one thing to get what they want and the poor hero can barely resist (because of course all the women in the book want him).
13. City of Stairs - Robert Jackson Bennett
4 1/2 stars
14. A Head Full of Ghosts - Paul Tremblay
4 1/2 stars
A Head Full of Ghosts is the story of a family dealing with a teenage daughter that is showing signs of mental illness. As they try to help the girl, they begin to suspect that there may be supernatural influences involved in her behavior. The story is told from the perspective of the younger (8 year old) sister witnessing her family falling apart. The family agrees to allow their struggle to become a reality show which further complicates the questions of what is real, what is fake, and what is really happening in the household. Although the story was little slow in the beginning for me, I enjoyed the questions that arose about how we treat those with mental illness and how the reality TV genre can exploit desperate situations. I loved the character of Merry (the little sister) and how she loved her sister no matter how scary she became. I also loved the ending and how the author referenced a lot of classics in the horror movie and book genres.
15. A Secret History - Donna Tartt
3 1/2 stars
16. The Library at Mount Char - Scott Hawkins
5 stars
A godlike being with unlimited powers decides to adopt twelve orphans and train each one in one of twelve aspects of his powers. The children live in a giant library and study their catalogs (but their catalogs only). It is not an easy life because Father expects a lot out of them and punishes those who disappoint him. One day, Father disappears and a mysterious force prevents the children, now young adults, from returning to the library. They must find out what happened to Father and find a way to return to the library, but America is a strange place to them and they need some help to be successful.
This was an incredibly original novel. Although it was very dark with some graphic violence, it did not bother me because it was all essential to the story. I found myself enjoying most of the characters, even the despicable ones. How can you not like a man that was trained in murder and war that wears an Israeli army uniform with a tutu while he tears his enemies apart. The book kept me guessing to the end and managed to surprise me over and over again If you like dark fantasy and are not afraid of gory fight scenes, definitely give this one a try.
I received this book free from Library Thing's early reviewer program.
17. The Disappeared - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
4 stars
A new detective on a spaceport on the moon must deal with an unusually high number of cases involving aliens asking for them to turn over human fugitives. Interstellar agreements state that humans must answer to the various alien laws and punishment and that human authorities will assist with apprehension of these fugitives.
This was a story that was very entertaining. The complicated issues involved with the different alien cultures was interesting and the ethical issues involved got me thinking. This is first in a series that is based on an award winning short story (the story takes place must later in the series though). This book felt like it was setting up the world and the characters for the series. Like another book I reviewed recently, the plot of this one felt like a vehicle to achieve this instead of something that was the primary concern of the author. It would have been more engrossing if the answer to the mystery was not revealed to the reader (but not the detective) at the beginning of the book or if the author chose to focus on one case instead of three. However, the plot was successful in highlighting the different ethical situations encountered by the main character. I look forward to reading the second book in the series to see if Rusch settles into the plot now that the character and the world are established or if she stays on the surface.
18. Persona - Genevieve Valentine
3 1/2 stars
In a near future world, countries have celebrity representatives to an international body called the International Assembly. These representatives, or faces, are figure head puppets that do whatever their handlers tell them to. Suyana, face of the United Amazonia Rainforest Confederation, represents one of the weaker states in the IA. During an orchestrated meeting with one of her powerful colleagues, she narrowly escapes an assassination attempt with the help of a stranger. She now must figure out who is trying to kill her and why, and who she can trust in this world where no one is who they appear to be.
This was a fun read. I liked the character and I was intrigued by the world that Valentine created. The story seemed a little incomplete itself though. It does not end in a cliff hanger, but it felt like the purpose was to introduce the reader to the world and the characters for a new series. The mystery and plot of this was just secondary to the set up. Overall I enjoyed it and see a lot of potential for future books that may be a little deeper than this one was.
19. A Long Walk to Water - Linda Sue Park
3 1/2 stars
This novel, which is based on a true story, tells the stories of two children in Sudan. The first is a boy in the 1980s who is forced to flee his home when his town is attacked by soldiers fighting a gruesome civil war. He becomes one of Sudan's lost boys, trying to escape the violence. The second is a girl in 2008 who must make a two hour trip to get water and two hours back twice a day. Because of this responsibility, she can not attend school.
This book is written for children (middle school age) and the story is told in a simple and clear manner. The author does not gloss over the horrors faced by Salva (the boy) and allows the reader to empathize with his situation. Salva is a remarkable individual and his story is inspiring. At the end of my audible book both Salva and the author tell the reader how the story is based on his life. I would recommend this book to children in the suggested age range. As an adult, I found it to be a little too much like it was trying to teach me about the situation rather than tell me the story but it would be a wonderful way to help kids understand the kinds of conflicts going on in that part of the world.
20. We Live in Water - Jess Walters
4 1/2 stars
This was a collection of short stories by Jess Walter. Most of the stories were about men who had hit a rough patch in life and were working to get beyond it the best they could. The characters in the stories all seemed like real people with realistic problems and reactions. Some of my favorites were "Anything Helps," which was about a homeless man trying to stay on the wagon and raise the money to buy his son a Harry Potter book; "Thief," which is about a man who suspects that one of his children is stealing change from the family vacation fund; "The Wolf and the Wild," which is about a man doing court ordered community service at an elementary school in a high poverty area; and "Don't Eat Cat," which is about a man who lives in a world where a recreational drug is turning people into zombies. Not only were many of the stories moving, but they also felt complete despite being short stories. I never got the feeling that it was ending before there was closure. I definitely recommend this collection.
21. Doc - Mary Doria Russell
4 1/2 stars (rounded down to 4 on my shelf)
Doc is the story of Doc Holliday's life from his childhood in Georgia until he makes the decision to travel to Tombstone (it does not include the incidents at the OK Corral, I assume that is covered in Epitaph). This was excellent historical fiction. Russell really brought the characters and their time alive. She took legendary figures such as Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp and presented them as real people rather than the larger than life characters they are often portrayed as. I appreciate the effort that Russell made to be as historically accurate about these men and women as possible given the information available about them.
I enjoyed this one also Cora, thought it was very interesting.
22. Rain Girl - Gabi Kreslehner
3 1/2 stars
Rain Girl is about the investigation of the apparent murder of a young woman. It takes place in Germany along the Autobahn (the edition is a translation of a German novel) where a young woman is hit by a car. Soon it is apparent that the girl was attacked prior to being hit by the car and left by the side of the road. The main character is a homicide detective, Franza Oberweiser. None of the characters are particularly likeable. Franza is cheating on her husband (who has cheated on her with the nanny in the past) and she has neglected her son in favor of her work. I really felt like the book was about Franza more than the mystery. The reader gets flashbacks to the dead girl's life as well as looks into the various suspects heads. The killer is revealed to the reader before Franza and her partner, Felix figure it out. But the true story seems to be that Franza's life is at a crossroads and throughout the mystery she must make some important decisions about her own life. It was a quick read that kept my reading. The structure sometimes was choppy and a few times the perspective would switch back and forth from Franza's thoughts to Felix's with little warning. Overall, it was a fun fast read that I enjoyed.
23. Boundary Crossed - Melissa F. Olson
4 stars
Lex is a veteran of the Iraq War. Not only is she dealing with adjusting to life outside the war zone, but her twin sister was brutally murdered shortly after Lex returned. While working the night shift at a local convenience store, Lex notices two strangers in the store with her 18-month old niece. Lex saves her niece from the kidnappers, but in doing so finds out that both her and her niece are not really human. Lex finds herself thrust into a world of magic where witches and vampires want control of the baby. In order to save her niece, Lex must learn to use her powers and maneuver the political mechanisms of the Old World.
This was a fun urban fantasy read. I liked the main character, Lex. She was a strong character, yet a little damaged by her experiences in the Army. I liked that Lex had strong family ties, something that is not always the case with paranormal heroines. I also liked that the romantic aspects of the book were subtle and understated, but I did wish we had a deeper understanding of the some of the supporting characters. The magical world was interesting, although not really unique. I will definitely continue the series and I will look into Olson's other series that is set in the same world.
24. The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
3 1/2 stars (rounded up to 4 on my shelf)
The Goblin Emperor is about Maia, the fourth son of an emperor. The emperor hated his fourth wife and sent her and their son away to an isolated part of the kingdom. The boy grew up with only his mother (until she died when he was eight) and his abusive cousin, who became Maia's guardian after his mother died. The boys mother was a different race than his father (his mother was a goblin and his father an elf) and their marriage was strictly political. Maia only saw his father once, at his mother's funeral. One day disaster struck - the airship the royal family had been traveling crashed killing the emperor and his three older sons. Maia was the only surviving male of the family and all of a sudden, the shunned halfling was emperor. This book is about Maia's attempt to adjust to life in the heart of the empire trying to rule. I liked this book a lot. The book does not have an exciting plot, very little happens beyond the story of how Maia adjusts to this new position. There is a lot of political intrigue in the novel and a lot of characters with hard to pronounce names to keep track of (I had to keep referring to X-ray on my kindle and the list of characters in the back of the book). The book is not for everyone, but if you love detailed and intricate world building and main characters that might have some flaws, but overall are good and kind, give this a try.
25. The Girl With a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevelier
3 stars
I had a hard time being drawn into the characters in this novel. They seemed very one-dimensional and stereotypical to me. I did not feel that I understood a lot of their motivations and I never felt I got to know any of them. I did enjoy the description of the art and artistic processes and the way the place and time were described, especially in the beginning of the book. After reading this book, I feel like I understand Guy Gavriel Kay's criticism of historical fiction with real historical figures as characters. Kay writes in his essay "Home and Away,"
"And then there are the moral questions. These emerge most strongly when we consider that 'history' isn't just about the distant past. Consider the works that involve real people - living or recently dead - saying and doing things the author has simply made up. There is no way to know if such scenes are true, indeed, put more strongly, there is almost no way that they are true. Does this matter? Should it?...
The question - or one question - seems to me to be this: are there limits, or ought there to be limits, to what writers of fiction feel at liberty to do with real people and their lives? Does anything go, in fiction as in Cole Porter songs? ...
I don't have an answer to this, I confess it freely, but I have a great many variants of the question. Can we make Elizabeth I of England say anything we want her to say to her secret lovers - lovers for the allegedly Virgin Queen - because, well, it is just a novel or a film, everyone knows we are making it up? Can we do it with Elizabeth II right now? Can we hide behind the fact that our work is fiction, even while we seek to gain readers and a thrilled attention by using real, famous people? Is there, in short, a moral issue here? Does privacy or respect for lives lived have anything at all to do with novelists? Should it?
If someone is famous can we do whatever we want with their life? If they are utterly obscure - like Almasy - can we do it? If they are dead, like Jackie Gleason? Long dead, like Richard III? Living, but so famous their lives and names might be considered public property - like Queen Elizabeth or Elizabeth Taylor? These are issues I find worth wrestling with, as more and more works today seems to be incorporating the existence of real people, with too little thoughtful discussion ensuing about the implications." (You can read the essay in its entiretly at Kay's website (http://www.brightweavings.com/ggkswor... )
I felt kind of sorry for Vermeer's wife and daughter. They were portrayed in such a negative light and all of it conjecture without any real information beyond their names and relationship to Vermeer.
I can see why many people enjoyed the novel. It was a fast read that was very successful bringing the historical era alive. The tension between Griet and Vermeer was well done. Overall, though, I felt that it missed the mark for me.
26. A Criminal Magic - Lee Kelly
3 1/2 stars (rounded down to 3 on my shelf)
A Criminal Magic tells of a world where prohibition outlawed magic rather than alcohol. Sorcerers can bottle magic into a powerful and addictive drug. Its distribution is controlled by organized crime. Joan, a poor girl from the country gets the opportunity to make a better life for herself and her family when she is invited to try out for a spot as an entertainment sorceress in a secret magic salon operated by a gang. Alex's life was shattered when his father, a member of a different gang, is arrested for distributing the magic solution, called shine. He joins the federal law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing prohibition in hopes to destroy the lifestyle that destroyed his family by going undercover. Alex and Joan and drawn into a dangerous situation where they both have to tread carefully if they want to get out alive.
The idea of this book was very interesting. I really liked Joan and Alex and found myself routing for them both. However, I don't think it lived up to its potential. After a good start, I felt like the supporting characters were short changed. I wanted the other sorcerers' characters to be developed more fully, but they were sort of left behind. Also, the performance magic aspects were nice, but I couldn't help but compare it to the descriptions in The Night Circus and they did not compare to the wonder I felt reading about the magical illusions in that book. I did like the chemistry between Alex and Joan and found the ending satisfying. I was afraid the ending would be like every other undercover cop infiltrates the mob story and I was pleasantly surprised that the author went in a more interesting direction. Overall, I liked this book and was glad I read it but I am not sure it will stick with me.
28. Once Was a Time - Leila Sales
4 stars
Lottie and Kitty are best friends. They are 10 years old and live in Bristol, England in 1940. Lottie's father is a physicist studying time travel. He is working to try to discover how to time travel in order to help the British government defeat Hitler. One day, the girls are kidnapped to use as leverage to gain access to Lottie's father's research. In the nick of time, a time portal opens up and Lottie jumps through. She wakes up alone, in Wisconsin, USA in 2013. Lottie feels incredibly guilty that she left her friend in enemy hands. Lottie must find her way in 2013 in a foreign country, but what she really wants to to find her way back to Kitty.
This was an interesting book about friendship written for the middle school age level. I liked how a girl from 1940 gets transported into the future instead of someone from our time being transported to the past. The author does a great job of showing how kids are pretty much the same in both times and places as Lottie has to deal with school cliques and mean girls in both of her schools. I appreciated a story about a strong friendship that is an example of what real friendship is compared to some of the more superficial friendships Lottie has in Wisconsin. There was a little bit of mystery and a little bit of travel and adventure that balanced out some of the day to day life of Lottie in our time. I enjoyed reading this book and I will pass it on to my 10-year-old daughter to read.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in return for an honest review.
27. Etiquette & Espionage - Gail Carriger
3 1/2 stars
This was a fun book and a good start to a series. I liked the concept of a finishing school that is really a school for spies and assassins. The characters were likeable and easy to root for - the good guys were very good and the bad guys were very bad. The characters were a bit one-dimensional and the dilemma did not seem to be clear (we never know exactly what the item everyone is after does or why everyone wants it...maybe in the sequel). But if you are looking for a fun young adult series, you should give this a try.
29. Pyramids - Terry Pratchett3 stars
This was an entertaining satire of religion, government, tradition, and resistance to change. The story was OK. The characters were not as interesting as some of the other Discworld characters. There was a bit of humor, but nothing that made me laugh out loud. Overall it was an average Discworld novel, not one of my favorites but also not my least favorite.
30. Kill the Dead - Richard Kadrey
4 stars
This is the second book in the Sandman Slim series. It is about James Stark (aka Sandman Slim) who was sent to Hell as a young adult (while still alive). While there he became famous fighting Helions in the fighting pits and was chosen by Lucifer to be an enforcer. In the first novel, Stark escapes from Hell determined to get revenge on those that sent him there. This book picks up where that left off. I read the first book a couple of years ago and it took me a while to remember the details of the different characters and events from that book. About half way through I was finally comfortable with who everyone was and what was going on. I like the character of Stark, he is a great anti-hero. I also like the supporting characters. They were a lot of fun and add to the character development of the main character. I also appreciate the moral ambiguity of the stories. Lucifer is not always the evil bad guy and God and the Angels may not always have the interest of man at heart. I am definitely interested in continuing the series. Some of the events from this book seem to be the type of things that happen later in these types of series, so I am curious to see where the author is going with the story.
31. Aloha from Hell - Richard Kadrey
3 1/2 stars
The third book in the Sandman Slim series is full of action. If you like cool fight scenes, then you will probably enjoy this book. I am not a fan of chase and fight scenes, so I did not like it as much as I have liked the earlier two books in the series, but I know that is simply due to personal preference. The action was non-stop as Stark once again finds himself fighting his way through Hell. Although they were in the beginning of the book, I missed the supporting characters in the later parts of the book. I really liked how it ended though and I am looking forward to seeing where the series goes from here.
32. The Tower at Stony Wood - Patricia A. McKillip
4 stars
The Tower at Stony Wood is a beautiful written fairy tale. It is about a knight that is sent on a quest to save a lady in a tower. But there are many magical towers in the land and during his quest to save the mysterious lady he finds a castle full of gold guarded by a dragon and another with a older woman and her daughter that are creating mysterious cloth and needlework as they observe the outside world in a magical mirror. The story of his quest and the magical castles eventually come together in a satisfying conclusion, although not the obvious one. McKillip creates beautiful imagery with words. The novel has a magical dreamlike feeling as the reader is drawn into the knight's quest. I definitely recommend this to readers that enjoy magical fairy tales.
33. Wild Seed - Octavia Butler
4 stars
Wild Seed is about an immortal man, Doro, with the power to jump from body to body (killing the host in the process). Immortality can be lonesome so he begins breeding people with special gifts in the hopes that one day he will be able to breed someone like him rather than those that die so fast. In 17th century Africa he meets a woman who has the ability to heal herself and change her shape and he convinces her to accompany him to the New World to lend her seed to his breeding program. But those born into the wild are not always happy in Doro's communities and soon she will have to decide if the possibility of children that she will not outlive is worth being breeding stock for Doro.
This was an interesting and unique concept that examined issues involving identity, slavery and freedom. It reminded me of some of the themes explored in Butler's Dawn - especially genetic engineering and the creation of new species. I liked that the story took place between the 17th century and went through the 19th century. It was interesting reading the types of things that usually take place in futuristic books in our past. It also gave the author the opportunity to present social commentary on race relations and our violent history of slavery.
34. Fever 1793 - Laurie Halse Anderson
3 1/2 stars (rounded up to 4)
36. Crenshaw - Katherine Applegate
4 stars
38. The Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham
4 stars
39. Red Rising - Pierce Brown
4 1/2 stars
41. The Call - Michael Grant
2 stars
42. Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates
4 stars
40. Jagannath - Karin Tidbeck
4 1/2 stars
43. The Magnificent 12: The Call - Michael Grant
2 stars
44. Crispin: The Cross of Lead - Avi
4 stars
45. The Kraken Sea - E. Catherine Tobler
4 stars
46. The Greatest: My Own Story - Mohammad Ali
4 stars
This autobiography/memoir was written in the 70s while Ali was still fighting. I found his life told from his point of view fascinating. Reading about his struggles as an African American male made me think of how far we had come and how other things have yet to change. There were times the style of writing, specifically flashbacks within flashbacks, were a bit confusing regarding where you were in the timeline of his life. I liked how he included transcripts of conversations with Frazier and his first wife to give the reader their perspectives (although the conversation with Frazier was mostly the two of them boasting about their ability to beat the other). It was interesting to get inside his head during his fights and his decisions regarding his stand against white power and the Vietnam War. I am very interested in reading one of the books he wrote later in life because I know some of his positions changed a little over time and I would like some insight on what caused those changes.
47. More Than This - Patrick Ness
4 stars
Shelfari 50 Book Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Elephant Whisperer: Learning about Life, Loyalty and Freedom from a Remarkable Herd of Elephants (other topics)Zel (other topics)
More Than This (other topics)
The Cross of Lead (other topics)
The Kraken Sea (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Avi (other topics)E. Catherine Tobler (other topics)
Richard Durham (other topics)
Muhammad Ali (other topics)
Charles E. Gannon (other topics)
More...
2. Skellig - David Almond, completed 1/5/16, 4 1/2 stars (kindle)
3. Seven for a Secret - Elizabeth Bear, completed 1/7/16, 3 1/2 stars (kindle)
4. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves - Karen Joy Fowler, completed 1/22/16, 3 1/2 stars (kindle, audio, library)
5. Uprooted - Naomi Novik 1/26/16, 4 stars (library)
6. Eros, Philia, Agape - Rachel Swirsky 1/26/16, 5 stars (kindle, short story)
7. The Scorpion Rules - Erin Bow 1/28/16, 5 stars (kindle)
8. The Alloy of Law - Brandon Sanderson 1/31/16, 4 1/2 stars (kindle, audible)
9. The Race for Paris - Meg Waite Clayton 2/8/16, 3 stars (library)
10. Shadows of Self - Brandon Sanderson, 4 1/2 stars (audible)
11. Three Hearts and Three Lions - Poul Anderson 2/20/16, 2 1/2 stars
12. The Bands of Mourning - Brandon Sanderson 2/23/16, 4 1/2 stars (audible)
13. City of Stairs - Robert Jackson Bennett 3/3/16, 4 1/2 stars (kindle)
14. A Head Full of Ghosts - Paul Tremblay 3/4/16, 4 1/2 stars (kindle)
15. The Secret History - Donna Tartt 3/9/16, 3 1/2 stars (kindle)
16. The Library at Mount Char - Scott Hawkins 3/11/16, 5 stars (paperback)
17. The Disappeared - Kristine Kathryn Rusch, 3/18/16, 4 stars (kindle, audiobook)
18. Persona - Genevieve Valentine 3/20/16, 3 1/2 stars (kindle)
19. A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story - Linda Sue Park, 4/3/16, 3 1/2 stars (audible)
20. We Live in Water - Jess Walter, 4/7/16, 4 1/2 stars (kindle)
21. Doc - Mary Doria Russell, 4/9/16, 4 1/2 stars (library ebook)
22. Rain Girl - Gabi Kreslehner, 4/11/16, 3 1/2 stars (kindle)
23. Boundary Crossed - Melissa F. Olson, 4/12/16, 4 stars (kindle)
24. The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison, 4/14/16, 3 1/2 stars (kindle, audible)
25. Girl With a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier, 4/18/16, 3 stars
26. A Criminal Magic - Lee Kelly, 5/3/16, 3 1/2 stars (kindle)
27. Etiquette & Espionage - Gail Carriger, 3 1/2 stars (kindle, audible)
28. Once Was a Time - Leila Sales, 5/11/16, 4 stars (paperback)
29. Pyramids - Terry Pratchett, 3 stars
30. Kill the Dead - Richard Kadrey, 6/2/16, 4 stars (kindle)
31. Aloha from Hell - Richard Kadrey, 6/5/16, 3 1/2 stars (kindle)
32. The Tower at Stony Wood - Patricia A. McKillip, 6/10/16, 4 stars
33. Wild Seed - Octavia E. Butler, 6/19/16, 4 stars (kindle)
34. Fever 1793 - Laurie Halse Anderson, 6/21/16, 3 1/2 stars (kindle)
35. Paper Towns - John Green, 6/22/16, 4 stars (kindle)
36. Crenshaw - Katherine Applegate, 6/23/16 (kindle) 4 stars
37. White Fang - Jack London, 6/24/16 (audible) 4 stars
38. The Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham 6/30/16 (kindle) 4 stars
39. Red Rising - Pierce Brown 7/5/16 (kindle) 4 1/2 stars
40. Jagannath - Karin Tidbeck (kindle) 4 1/2 stars
41. The Call - Michael Grant (kindle) 2 stars
42. Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates (kindle, library) 4 stars
43. The Cross of Lead - Avi (kindle, library) 4 stars
44. The Kraken Sea - E. Catherine Tobler (kindle) 4 stars
45. The Greatest: My Own Story - Richard Durham and Muhammad Ali (audible, kindle) 4 stars
46. Fire with Fire - Charles E. Gannon (audible, kindle) 3 stars
47. More Than This - Patrick Ness (kindle) 4 stars
48. Zel - Donna Jo Napoli (library) 4 stars
49. The Elephant Whisperer - Lawrence Anthony (kindle, audible) 4 stars