No. 67 for 2014

Title: The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events #6)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Rating: 4/5
Book: 67
Pages: 259 pgs
Total Pages: 23,475 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 56
Version: Book
Next up: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Another good installment of the series. Looking forward to carrying on in this series.

About the Book:

Dear Reader,

If you have just picked up this book, then it is not too late to put it back down. Like the previous books in A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, there is nothing to be found in these pages but misery, despair, and discomfort, and you still have time to choose something else to read.

Within the chapters of this story, Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire encounter a darkened staircase, a red herring, some friends in a dire situation, three mysterious initials, a liar with an evil scheme, a secret passageway, and parsley soda.

I have sworn to write down these tales of the Baudelaire orphans so the general public will know each terrible thing that has happened to them, but if you decide to read something else instead, you will save yourself from a heapful of horror and woe.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

No. 66 for 2014

Title: One Plus One
Author: Jojo Moyes
Rating: 4/5
Book: 66
Pages: 368 pgs
Total Pages: 23,216 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 55
Version: Book
Next up: The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events #6) by Lemony Snicket

This book made me feel all the different feels. It was funny, dramatic and sad all at the same time. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking a light read.

About the Book:

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe.

No. 65 for 2014

Title: The Merciless (The Merciless #1)
Author: Danielle Vega
Rating: 4/5
Book: 65
Pages: 279 pgs
Total Pages: 22,848 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 54
Version: Book
Next up: One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

This book is completely messed up and I’m still reeling from it. There were times where I had to put the book down and remind myself that what I was reading wasn’t real and it takes a lot to phase me. Definitely worth the read if you are into the horror and don’t mind some gore. I will be checking out the next book!

About the Book:

Forgive us, Father, for we have sinned

Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream.

Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed.

Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls . . unless she wants to be next. . . .

Bout of Books 11.0 Readathon Wrap Up!

The Bout of Books 11.0 Readathon has now come to a close! I’ve had a lot of fun participating in it and I look forward to the next one!

Here is an overview of how I did each day!

Monday:

Book(s) Read: Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson
Book(s) Completed: N/A

Tuesday:

Book(s) Read: Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson
Book(s) Completed: N/A

Wednesday:

Book(s) Read: Before I Go To Sleep S.J. Watson, The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) by Lemony Snicket
Book(s) Completed: Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson,

Thursday:

Book(s) Read: The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) by Lemony Snicket, The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) by Lemony Snicket
Book(s) Completed: The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) by Lemony Snicket

Friday:

Book(s) Read: The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) by Lemony Snicket, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) by Lemony Snicket
Book(s) Completed: The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) by Lemony Snicket, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Saturday:

Book(s) Read: The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) by Lemony Snicket
Book(s) Completed: N/A

Sunday:

Book(s) Read: The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) by Lemony Snicket, The Merciless by Danielle Vega
Book(s) Completed: The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) by Lemony Snicket

TOTAL NO. OF BOOKS COMPLETED:  5

TITLES OF BOOKS COMPLETED/READ: 

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson
The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) by Lemony Snicket
The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) by Lemony Snicket
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Jim Kay
The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) by Lemony Snicket
The Merciless by Danielle Vega (Started but not finished)

TOTAL NO. OF PAGES READ: 1,384

No. 64 for 2014

Title: The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Rating: 3/5
Book: 64
Pages: 221 pgs
Total Pages: 22,569 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 53
Version: Book
Next up: The Merciless by Danielle Vega

Another fun book in the series but I’m starting to burn out on it. I think I’m going to take a little break from the books before I pick them back up again.

About the Book:

Dear Reader,

If you are looking for a story about cheerful youngsters spending a jolly time at boarding school, look elsewhere. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent and resourceful children, and you might expect that they would do very well at school. Don’t. For the Baudelaires, school turns out to be another miserable episode in their unlucky lives.

Truth be told, within the chapters that make up this dreadful story, the children will face snapping crabs, strict punishments, dripping fungus, comprehensive exams, violin recitals, S.O.R.E., and the metric system.

It is my solemn duty to stay up all night researching and writing the history of these three hapless youngsters, but you may be more comfortable getting a good night’s sleep. In that case, you should probably choose some other book.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

A to Z Book Challenge!

Author you’ve read the most books from:

James Patterson at 73 books.

Best Sequel Ever:

Kiss the Girls by James Patterson

Currently Reading:

The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) by Lemony Snicket

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Water, tea and coffee.

E-reader or Physical Book?

Physical Book

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated In High School:

Simon from City of Bones.

Glad You Gave This Book A Chance:

Cinder, Scarlet and Cress by Marissa Meyer

Hidden Gem Book:

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

Discovering the BookTube community. I have read so many great books that I have heard book vloggers talk about and it has even encouraged me to pick up some books that I didn’t like in the past and give them a second try.

Just Finished:

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

Short of The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward, I’m not into erotica. I don’t even read romance too often unless there is another element to the story like a mystery.

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (870 pages)

Major book hangover because of:

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Number of Bookcases You Own:

2

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Preferred Place To Read:

On the couch or in my recliner. I would love to read in bed but I can only read a page or two before I fall asleep!

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

“Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here.” Neil Gaiman from his “Make Good Art” speech.

Reading Regret:

I wish I had read Harry Potter when it first came out! I jumped on the bandwagon after the Order of the Phoenix came out.

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

I am going to cheat with this one. I need to get caught up on the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan as I still need to read House of Hades!

Three of your All Time Favorite Books:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Give by Lois Lowry and The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

I will always hold a special place in my heart for the Sookie Stackhouse series.

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

The next installment of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer!

Worst Bookish Habit:

Taking more books out of the library than I can read in a three week period of time (or longer depending if I can renew!)

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards

Your latest book purchase:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

No. 63 for 2014

Title: A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness, illustrated by Jim Kay
Rating: 5/5
Book: 63
Pages: 215  pgs
Total Pages: 22,348 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 52
Version: E-Book
Next up: The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events #5) by Lemony Snicket

I heard so much about this book through some of the book bloggers that I follow on YouTube and I looked at it at the bookstore but I picked it up at the library and I definitely do not regret reading it! It’s such a good book and so sad! I would definitely recommend this book and I will definitely be piing this book up so I have it for my collection!

This was also my first Patrick Ness novel and it definitely will not be my last.

About the Book:

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

No. 62 for 2014

Title: The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Rating: 4/5
Book: 62
Pages: 194  pgs
Total Pages: 22,133 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 51
Version: Book
Next up: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Not my favourite of the series so far but still enjoyable. I look forward to reading more but taking a break for now.

About the Book:

I hope, for your sake, that you have not chosen to read this book because you are in the mood for a pleasant experience. If this is the case, I advise you to put this book down instantaneously, because of all the books describing the unhappy lives of the Baudelaire orphans, The Miserable Mill might be the unhappiest yet. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are sent to Paltryville to work in a lumber mill, and they find disaster and misfortune lurking behind every log. The pages of this book, I?m sorry to inform you, contain such unpleasantries as a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a terrible accident resulting in injury, and coupons. I have promised to write down the entire history of these three poor children, but you haven?t, so if you prefer stories that are more heartwarming, please feel free to make another selection.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

No. 61 for 2014

Title: The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3)
Author: Lemony Snicket
Rating: 4/5
Book: 61
Pages: 214  pgs
Total Pages: 21,939 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 50
Version: Book
Next up: The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events #4) by Lemony Snicket

Things just getting worse and worse for these kids.

Still an enjoyable series. I look forward to reading more of the series but I am curious as to how Snicket is going to keep the series interesting and not feeling like it is dragging on.

About the Book:

Dear Reader,

If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all.If you haven’t got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair.I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

No. 60 for 2014

Title: Before I Go To Sleep
Author: S.J. Watson
Rating: 4/5
Book: 60
Pages: 358  pgs
Total Pages: 21,725 pages
Library Book?: Yes
No. of Library Books read: 49
Version: Book
Next up: The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3) by Lemony Snicket

I really enjoyed this book! The beginning of the book was a little slow but once the story picked up, I got sucked right into it and there was an unexpected twist that I did not see coming. I really look forward to checking out other books by Watson.

About the Book:

“As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I’m still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me. . . .”

Memories define us.

So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?

Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love—all forgotten overnight.

And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story.

Welcome to Christine’s life.