So I am in the process of reading several books, which can get very confusing, but I am loving every single minute of it. I have finished a few more, so I thought I would post an updated list. If you have already looked at my list before, scroll down to see the new additions.
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Reading through some classics as well…)
Stuck in the Middle Sister-to-Sister Series, Book 1 by Virginia Smith(These are okay…Easy reads…)
Age Before Beauty Sister-to-Sister Series, Book 2 by Virginia Smith (There is a 3rd book but I haven’t read it.)
The Apothecary’s Daughter by Julie Klassen (This is a good read.)
The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag by Chol-hwan Kang & Pierre Rigoulot (This book changed me. It is eye-opening, emotional, and riveting.)
Daughter of Joy Brides of Culdee Creek, Book 1 by Kathleen Morgan (I enjoyed these books and was glad to find Kathleen Morgan.)
Woman of Grace Brides of Culdee Creek, Book 2 by Kathleen Morgan
Lady of Light Brides of Culdee Creek, Book 3 by Kathleen Morgan
Child of Promise Brides of Culdee Creek, Book 4 by Kathleen Morgan
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation Book 1 by Lauren Willig (Okay, Lauren Willig has become a favorite of mine. I can’t believe I have to wait to read book 9 since it comes out in January 2012. I don’t know how I can get an Advanced Reading Copy to review, but I’m going to try…I love these books!)
The Masque of the Black Tulip Book 2 by Lauren Willig
The Deception of the Emerald Ring Book 3 by Lauren Willig
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose Book 4 by Lauren Willig
The Temptation of the Night Jasmine Book 5 by Lauren Willig
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily Book 6 by Lauren Willig
The Mischief of the Mistletoe Book 7 by Lauren Willig
The Orchid Affair Book 8 by Lauren Willig
The Hunger Games, Book 1 of The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins (Okay, if you haven’t read these books, you should. They are amazing, and I love them. Movies are in the process of being cast and set, and you should definitely read the books before they come out. There are two sets of books that I believe could be the next “Twilight”…This is one of them.)
Catching Fire, Book 2 of The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay, Book 3 of The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins
Decision Points by George W. Bush (I was shocked and surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.)
The Healer’s Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson (An easy and delightful read…)
The Thorn, Book 1 of The Rose Trilogy by Beverly Lewis (Okay, I am a sucker for Beverly Lewis. I love her Amish books. They are easy to read and I get pulled into them. They don’t change me so to say, but they do make me happy to read.)
The Judgment, Book 2 of The Rose Trilogy by Beverly Lewis
Nightshade, Book 1 of The Nightshade Series by Andrea Cremer (Here’s the second set of books I believe could be the next “Twilight”…I love them so much and Andrea Cremer has become a favorite of mine now. I’m a believer in her writing talents and abilities…and I really LOVE these books. Do I think you should read them?? YES!)
Wolfsbane, Book 2 of The Nightshade Series by Andrea Cremer
Sheet Music by Kevin Leman (A good read for all engaged/married couples-no matter how long you’ve been married.)
A Woman Called Sage by DiAnn Mills (Good, easy read.)
The Secret, Book 1 in Seasons of Grace Series by Beverly Lewis (Again…Beverly Lewis…I can’t help myself.)
The Missing, Book 2 in Seasons of Grace Series by Beverly Lewis
The Telling, Book 3 in Seasons of Grace Series by Beverly Lewis
Shiver, Book 1 in The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater (I reviewed this entire series HERE. Check it out to see more of what I think. I enjoyed these books, especially towards the end of Book 2 and all of Book 3. There is a lot of hype about the books right now-a movie company just picked up the rights to the 1st book.)
Linger, Book 2 in The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater
Forever, Book 3 in The Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater
Matched, Book 1 in the Matched Trilogy by Allie Condie (This dystopia trilogy is smart and well thought out. I love them so far. )
Crossed, Book 2 in the Matched Trilogy by Allie Condie (Releases November 1, 2011. Have I mentioned that I love these books??)
Hourglass by Myra McEntire( I LOVED this book. It is one I will reread and reread again. In my definite top 5 for 2011 so far. Check out my review on it HERE.)
NEW ADDITIONS START HERE>>>>
Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Dystopia genre and its good. It’s not my favorite that I’ve read in the dystopia genre this year, but it is good. You can read my review of it HERE.)
Divergent by Veronica Roth (Dystopia genre and so, SO good. You will love this book if you like dystopias. It is well thought out and the world Roth creates is genius. If you liked Hunger Games, you WILL like this. It is fantastic and I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series which absolutely cannot come fast enough for me. You can read my review of it HERE.)
Across the Universe by Beth Revis (Another dystopia genre that is very good. I’m noticing a trend on my reading list of dystopia genre. Have you noticed that trend as well. Revis is not afraid to ask hard questions in her writing and make you squirm a little and I appreciate that as an author
and a reader.)
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (Total fantasy complete with fairies and the like. This is the first book in the series and I liked it. That being said, I had a hard time with the pacing of the book. Still, it was good enough for me to go on to the second in the series as I heard each one gets better and better.)
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (Yes, the 2nd book in The Iron Fey series. What I heard was right. They do get better it seems. I fell in love with this series once I read this book. Now, I have to know what happens…)
Legacy by Cayla Kluver (Oh my word…this book’s pacing was a little hard for me in the beginning but it picked up about ¼ of the way through. It is fairy tale meets fantasy meets romance…and I liked it a lot. There are some gripping moments in it, and it is the first book in a series.)
Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz (Wow…just wow. That is really all I can say about this book. It is the first in a series and I am in LOVE with it. Cara Lynn builds amazing tension between the characters and the romance is top-notch. It’s not over the top romance-I don’t read those-but it is the perfect mixture. You will fall in love with the characters. It is a great urban fantasy/paranormal read.You can read my review HERE. Cara Lynn is amazing, quirky and funny and an author I just really want to be friends with. You can see my interview with her HERE. This is probably in my top 5 books of the year so far.)
The Strange Case of Finley Jane by Kady Cross (This was my first Steampunk genre to read. I was surprised at how much I liked it. Steampunk is a mix of the Victorian age meats the robotic and steam age. Finley Jane is a prequel of sorts for The Steampunk Chronicles series by Kady Cross and it is free on Amazon right now for your Kindle.)
The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross (I loved this book. You can read my review HERE. The author rocks and is extremely personable which always makes me like their books more. You can see my interview with her HERE. I am awaiting the second book in this series. If you haven’t read Steampunk before, Kady Cross’s books are great ones to cut your Steampunk teeth on.)
Cinder and Ella by Melissa Lemon (Well, I wish I had something great to say, but I don’t. It is supposed to be a twist on the Cinderella fairy tale, which I usually love. Fairy Tales are some of my favorite genre, but I just wasn’t thrilled with this one. You can read my review of it HERE.)
Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff (I really liked this book. It is set in this day and age and has no fantasy to it. There is raw truth and I would say it took some courage to write. Brezenoff brings what is stark reality to some in our world today to sharp focus for the rest of us. If you can handle it, I say read it. You can read my review of it HERE.)
So I’m at 48 so far…Those are the books that I have finished at this moment. I have several I am in the middle of right now. They are:
The Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson (Seriously, one of my favorite authors of all time.)
Peter Nimble and the Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier (I’m 2 chapters in and already in love.)
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa (3rd book in the series and I’m flying through them. Luckily I have the 4th one-not yet out-to be able to quickly get to when this is finished.)
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (One in my classic pile…I am reading it slowly…)
Stupid American History: Tales of Stupidity, Strangeness, and Mythconceptions byLeland Gregory (This is something I read a few pages of here and there. It has a different fact on each page that it discusses.)
Aesop’s Fables by Aesop (The boys and I are reading these together.)
Grimm’s Fairy Stories by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (Again, the boys and I are reading these together.)
Feel free to take off my list, or check out www.bookshelfbanter.com for more recommendations! Hope you enjoy!
Staring Up,
KP