My 2014 Wrap Up

What a crazy year this has been. Have I mentioned that I am tired of crazy? My one ULTIMATE resolution for 2015 is to find a job teaching at another school - but the resolution post will come tomorrow (when I have thought of more things besides 'get another job'). This post is about what I read this year.

2014 Reading Challenge

Pan has completed her goal of reading 50 books in 2014!

76 of 50 (100%)
view books


OK. So according to Goodreads, I got through 76 books or 28668 pages! Shew! With my work schedule, I don't know how I did that!

There were two reading challenges that I had. The first was to read 30 books for the year (I was thinking one a week not including November (Nano), or the majority of the second and forth terms at school as I have ALL the English exams to set (16 in total) and sleeping is the only thing I plan to do when I am not working my 20 hours a day (no exaggeration there - see why I want another job?)). This challenge was met, raised to 50 and met again then surpassed. Yay!

My second challenge was less of an official challenge for me, but an incentive to try new things. It was the book alphabet challenge. It got me to read The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides (would you believe that my thoughts are still out on that one) and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I came close to actually finishing the challenge, but my TBR pile is short of books starting with J, Q, X and Z. But I think four short is not bad, considering the letters that were left (if I had another week, I would have got Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton).

This is the 3rd book in the Night
 Angel series and the one with
super stalking powers.

I had some great experiences reading this year. I discovered Brent Weeks and decided to give him a go. (Actually, his books were stalking me for months, and I decided to give them a go as a result.) I really enjoyed his Night Angel trilogy. It is high adult fantasy with plot twists and turns, but without the grim, gory details of GRR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Talking about GRR Martin, I suppose I should mention the low point in the reading year: Book 5 - A Dance with Dragons was such a disappointment. You can check out my review of it here.

Other great reading experiences happened too. I read a load of Neil Gaiman, and that can only ever please. I think he is fast becoming my favourite author. I discovered Cinda Williams Chima's Seven Realms series and breezed through those with delight (my first ever blog post was a review of this! You can read it here if you are curious.). Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking trilogy was also a HUGE hit for me. I read this during the BookTube-a-thon. It was brilliant. I read some classics and thoroughly loved them. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Oops! Just discovered that I wrote the review of this and never posted it!) and Brave New World by Albert Huxley come to mind here. I love it when books make you think about them months or weeks after the fact.

My TBR pile is still at a reasonable number. It did go through a moment  where it threatened to grow out of proportion when I got over stressed and needed to feel better (which means I spend a lot of time in book shops) but I got both it and myself under control in time. I have not totalled it recently - in fact I reorganised my book cases again and just put them where they are supposed to be so that I don't look at a pile of books that was starting to sway and threatening to fall. I am not worried about it though. I read from my TBR pile all the time. Since I can remember, I have always had a fairly healthy TBR pile and have liked it that way. Then, when I am in the mood for "insert genre here", I have something to read. I am looking forward to 2015's reading. My TBR pile is awesome and should keep me happy for months. It has a combination of classics, award winning books, light fluffy reading, more light fluffy reading, adult contemporary, middle grade and crime - to name a few.

Well, that was the 2014 brief wrap up. I apologise to all the books I loved that I didn't mention. (I didn't want my post to look like a novel.)

The Diviners by Libba Bray

I really enjoyed this one. Libba Bray can build suspense and maintain it! If you happen to be in the mood for a well-written piece of light reading with a scary atmosphere, then this is the book for you.

Something evil has been released in a post World War 1 New York. Mysterious murders are happening. Evie O' Neill, a girl with a strange gift and a penchant for getting into trouble, has been sent to stay with her Uncle in New York, who also happens to be the curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult. Noticing a connection yet? Interested? You should be.

I think that what I enjoyed the most about this was how it was written. Unlike many books these days where things are spelt out for the reader in such tiny little details that, as the reader, one feels a bit insulted, Libba Bray left much of that up to the reader. It was a pleasant change. I also felt that although this book is classified as YA, it was written in a maturer style. 

I also appreciated her characters. First, I have to talk about the individual voices. Memphis was a young black man. I could hear it in his diction and accent. I did not have to be told it (and if memory serves me right, I wasn't told it - well, not bluntly at least). Second, the characters were different. While Evie and I would probably never agree over much (I am more of a Mabel), I could still appreciate her and enjoy her. And Sam! I really liked Sam. I can't wait to see what happens with him in the next book. The mysteries surrounding these characters were awesome, and kept me busy trying to guess what had happened in their pasts. If there is one thing I could fault, it would be that Evie was not a very realistic 17 year old. She would have been better off being in her early 20s, which would have matched her behavior a lot better. But is that necessarily a fault? I think it is what made me enjoy this more. I am tired of YA reads where the heroine's main concern is finding true love. Evie was not that girl and I loved her even more for it.

And now I am going to be left guessing what is going to happen until the next book comes out! In the mean time, I think I am going to see if I can get my hands on Beauty Queens  by her. It sounds like fun (and she seems hilarious too).

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

So apparently social media and I just don't agree with one another. Or more accurately, my job's time requirements and social media just don't work together. I just never seem to get the chance to write up my thoughts on books. Hell, I barely get to read books at certain times in the year. But that is a whinge for the second and fourth terms of the school year. For now, finally, the long awaited summer holidays are here.

I will be posting (hopefully) reviews on all the books I have read over the past few months. But to start, I figured the most recent book I have finished would be easiest.

OK, quick synopsis. The story starts with Christopher Boone finding his neighbour's dog murdered and declaring that he will discover who did it. And that is all I am going to say on it. That was all I knew when I started this story, and I am really glad about that. It led to a few unexpected surprises.

Now for my thoughts: This book and I took a while to get to grips with one another, not because it was bad, but because the narrator was so realistically done. I could see one particular kid I teach in Christopher Boone and it took me a while to get immersed in the story as a result. The story line, however, went in a completely different direction to that which I was expecting which I enjoyed. 

I enjoyed the character growth in the story. I really enjoyed how Christopher pushed himself in areas that he found horribly uncomfortable to reach objectives. The characters that I appreciated, not in a humanitarian sense, but in a 'they were well crafted' sense were the adults in Christopher's life. Asperger is not something that is even remotely easy to deal with, and I appreciated the honesty with which the were shown.

One thing that pee'd me off: it spoilt The Hound of the Baskervilles for me. Ahhhh. I generally don't expect to get spoilers in other books.

I gave this book 4.5 stars, although, as it has given quite a bit to think about as far as Asperger Syndrome goes, maybe it should be upped to a 5. 

Holidays are for reading!

Finally! I have had some time to catch up on my reading!

Since school knocked off for the third term holiday (It is a week, not too sure if the word 'holiday' is necessarily appropriate. Perhaps 'evil taster' is the better word.) I have read:

(Yes, I am in the mood for crime novels. I get the buzz every now and again, and devour them.)

Pages read: 2084
Books finished:6
Currently reading:

 And I still have two more days to go!

I was tempted to just pop the reviews in below, but for the sake of my referring back to old reviews, I just figured I would keep it at one review a post. Hmm, now the question is whether to sit and write reviews, or to continue reading! Reading it is!

The Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon Non-update

In the spirit of remaining positive on this blog, I am just going to state that there will never be a final progress report on this read-a-thon. Onwards and upwards right! Maybe I will kill my TBR pile when I find another job in the next read-a-thon - or during the short holiday coming up!

Toodles!

Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon Progress Report

I wish I had good news to add here. I don't. My read-a-thon has become a work-a-thon.

My already tight schedule has become tighter than JK Rowling's lips were while we were still waiting for the end of the series.

For this entire week, we have compulsory staff development for 3 hours after school each day. Next week the tests begin. I still have to prep lessons for the week. Anyone can do the maths. My goal at present is to get more than 4 hours sleep a night. And no. I didn't leave this all for the last minute. I have been working on it for weeks already.

But, just because this is an update post, I will update my pathetic progress.

I have finished 1 book. (That was on Day 1)
I have read a grand total of 220 pages.

Yeah.

Well, so much for the procrastinating. Back to work I go.

Tackle Your TBR Read-a-thon Progress Report and Challenge

I am pleased to announce that I have FINALLY finished The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. I have been wading through it as though it were a marsh made of glue: very slowly and with great effort and little enjoyment.

I am glad to say, though, that it improved as the book neared the end. Enough for me to buy the next one? Nah. There are other books that are out there that I would rather read.

Day 1: Progress
Pages read: 112 (Excellent for a work day!)
Books completed: 1

Now reading: Pyramids by Terry Pratchett.

Challenge: Day 2

Paij at My Love for Reading Keeps Growing  has been kind enough to host today's challenge.

Random Page Challenge

For this challenge, you must pick a random page from the book you are reading and share it, without giving anything about the book away.

This is from pg. 12 of Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

'Inhume?'
'I think it's like exhume, O flooding of the waters, only it's before they bury you.'

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

It is strange. I am sitting here, having just finished reading Brave New World, and I don't know what to think. I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the language and the story line kept moving. I would pick the book up and, in what would feel like no time at all, I was chapters ahead of where I had started. So why didn't I like the story? Because clearly I did?

Aldous Huxley creates a utopian world where everyone is happy. People are made (yes, not born) to be satisfied with their jobs, they have soma to make them happy and are conditioned from a young age to not fear death. Also in this world, recreational sex is encouraged. There are no lifelong partnerships, no Gods and no unpleasantness. As a reader though, I could not help but feel that all this happiness was frivolous. There was no value to any of the lives being lived. People were like bees in a hive, each performing their tasks and doing what they were told, their existence falsely sweetened by honey. It was definitely thought-provoking especially as we live in a society that equates freedom with happiness. There was no freedom. There was no art. Even their entertainment was shallow and meaningless. But then, in a perfect society, one cannot have people asking questions as a result of independent thought because questions lead to change which leads to imbalance which is an imperfection. Excuse the slippery-slope; I did not write the book.

Half way through the text, a character is introduced that really highlights these points. I thoroughly enjoyed his debate with the leader. While I might not have agreed with his methods, I could clearly see his motivation behind his actions. He provided an interesting contrast to what had been shown of civilisation before. He was also the character the reader was most likely to identify with - at least in some ways. I also appreciated that while he was questioning civilisation, the reader was made to realise that his views were not perfect either (and in that way, perhaps being 'perfect').

This review is proving more difficult than I had imagined to write. I feel I am trying to sprout a poor literary essay while trying not to give any spoilers - a pointless task. I am going to leave this here and sit and ponder my thoughts on my own. I have a feeling that this book is going to continue floating through my head for quite some time.

I gave it a 5/5 star rating on good reads.

Tackle your TBR Read-a-thon

If there ever was a read-a-thon I should do, it is this one. Can the timing be any worse though? I have a gazillion tests to finish setting for this term, and only 5 weeks before the kids start writing their final exams for the year, so I have all those exams to set too - and all the assessment tasks for that term!

But, I need to take some time out for myself and I have promised myself that I am going to do just that. And that is why I am going to sign up for this read-a-thon. It will encourage me to take breaks from working and spend some time reading instead.

I have a few books on my TBR pile that I am strongly considering reading for this.



Come hell or high water, I am going to finish The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter! The pace has definitely picked up, but the boredom I felt during the first half is still very vivid in my memory. And even though the pace has picked up, I still can't say that the story is exactly thrilling. I don't see myself continuing with this series. One was enough.


Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the book for the month of September for The Little Book Club. I feel that I should read it, but some soul on the internet (I can't remember who it was) said that if you enjoyed Twilight, you will love this. I DETESTED Twilight. So, I suddenly find myself not very keen to read this at all.


A really good friend bought The God's Trilogy, a collection of three Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett, for me. I have loved the Discworld, and am looking forward to diving into this as soon as I can! I have not read any of the gods books before, my favourite are the City Watch books. I am confident that this will not disappoint!

I have read all the Cherub books by Robert Muchamore in the series up until this one. I read them so that I could give the boys I teach a few very gripping reviews that would encourage them to try out the series. I have two left to read that I have purchased, but I have been putting them off, because, well, let's face it, I am not a 14-year-old boy. Brigand is the next for me to read, and at least, they go very quickly. I can kill two a day. Maybe this would be a good option for a read-a-thon after all.


Look familiar? Yes, Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo was on my TBR for Bout of Books. Maybe I will get past this one in this read-a-thon? I am not racing to read this. The first book was ok, but I am missing where all the hype is. Perhaps the series improves? There is only one way to find out.


Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi was an impulse feel good buy - not because romance is my genre, but because I like books. I had heard of the book before, saw it on special and bought it. I have also been trying to read outside my favourite genres, and at the time I had bought this, I think I could only notch two or three Sci-fi books to my reading post. Maybe I will enjoy it, maybe I won't. Won't know until I read it.

Cassandra Clare... I read the Mortal Instruments series and thought it was ok. I thought that some of the girls I teach would enjoy it, and lets face it, at least the female lead has more important things to do in that series than just get a boyfriend. One of the ladies at my favourite bookshop assured me that The Infernal Devices series is even better, and hence I bought this one so that I could give it a try. (The kids I teach HATE reading, and I try everything to get them to change their minds.) As a result, Clockwork Angel is on my TBR again. Maybe this month I will feel inspired to read it. Actually, considering the amount of work I have to do, maybe some light reading would be better.


My actual TBR pile is quite a bit larger than this. I have some books set aside for the holiday (coming up in a few weeks) because I don't want anything to get in the way of the reading experience. I also have more books that are to my taste and not selected for reluctant readers.

Bout of Books 11: Final Update

And it is finished.

I need to get back to work so I am going to make this quick. Maybe over the weekend, I will put together a more thorough review of what happened.

Pages read on day 7: 151
Overall pages read: 1070
My goal was 1050 so I am very happy with that.

Total books completed: 3
I am also halfway through a 4th book.

 So much for my TBR. I only touched 50% of it.

This week showed me that I can fit in more time for reading than I normally do in a week. Granted, there were things that I neglected to do for work, but it didn't cause any problems. I am going to give a good effort at trying to read at least 700 pages a week from now on. (I usually do all my reading over school holidays, and wade slowly through books during the term.)

5 Book Challenge | Post-Apoctolyptic Edition

Another challenge that I cannot resist taking part in. This one was created by Falling Down the Book Hole. You can click on the link below. 
The scenario! 

It is 11:00 PM on a Sunday night. You are laying in bed thinking about all of the things you must do the next day. Tasks of the coming days consume your thoughts and while your mind is somewhere else you are caught off guard by a flash in the sky that is followed by a large wailing screech that pierces the air and shatters your bedroom window. Slowly you move to the window and what you see catches your breathe and causes you to stumble back a few steps. The aliens (at least you think they are aliens) have began to enter the city and destroy everything that is in their path. Through the window your view is consumed with destruction, screaming people and large flames that are dancing across the city at a fast pace. You notice that the creatures are heading in your direction and you realize you probably have about fifteen minutes before they reach your home. That means you have only about ten minutes to gather your belongings and escape before you are caught in the attack from the aliens invading the city.

Given the short amount of time you are only able to take 5 books with you. What books would you pick to take with you as you escape and prepare for the end of the world. Would you choose books that would help you survive in the post-apocalyptic world ,books for pleasure that would make you happy and take you to a fantasy reality or books that you can’t live without? 

______________________________________

1. I really was unsure whether to take The Mosquito Coast by Paul Therox along, because it is not my favourite by a long shot. But, there is good reason for it being here. 
a) I can use the information in this book to build a functional habitat for myself. 
b) The father in this book annoyed me to such an extent, I am sure it could fuel me to actually shoot to kill, should I need to save my life. 


(I would highly recommend the movie version of this book. It is a lot less painful to get through, and River Phoenix and Harrison Ford are amazing in it.)

2. Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden. A crash course on how to fight an alien invasion - in this case though, not aliens from another planet. But I am sure the principles would be the same. Plus, the female protagonist is really kick-ass!



3. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness would go in next. This is to keep me grounded so that I remember that pretty much all sides are in the wrong - unless it is my side of course. This book (the whole series actually) was an amazing read, so it would also be great for some entertainment value. 



 
4. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell just so that through all the battle and bloodshed, I remember who I was in the good ol' days - a geeky fangirl who preferred the quiet life with a book. It would also be a completely non-war related story, so it would help for some well-deserved escapism.

 
5. And lastly, the back up plan in case all else fails. If the situation ends up dire, I don't plan on hanging around for long, so what other book can help you get around than The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I'm going to get off of this rock!

My book has four of the stories in it, so I am sure this is a legal cheat.

Bout of Books 11 Update: Day 6

Just a quick update again so that I can get back to reading.

Pages read: 233
Total pages read: 919
Number of books read: Completed 2, started 2
Currently reading: Panic by Jeff Abbott and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Panic has definitely picked up. Either I have got to the point where I no longer notice the stinted dialogue, or else it has improved. Either way, the story is keeping the pages turning. As a result, I didn't touch Brave New World, as I was busy avoiding being murdered by - well, pretty much everyone.

Bout of Books Update: Day 5

A quick update of yesterday's progress:

Pages read: 87
Currently reading: Panic by Jeff Abbott and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Pages read in total: 686
Books completed: 2

I'm not completely hooked on 'Panic'. So far, the story is not losing me, and I feel that that might have a lot to do with the writing. The dialogue reads unrealistically, so I am constantly aware that I am reading and not living in the story. Hopefully it will pick up soon - or I will get used to it and be able to ignore it. I really do not feel like abandoning another book this year. Besides being a huge waste of money, it is time wasted on a book where there are millions out there I still would like to read in this life time.

I also picked up 'Brave New World' and just began skimming the first page to see if I was in the mood to read it, and the next thing I knew, I had finished chapter 2. I guess that is a yes! It does seem to be set in a very strange future though. Glad I don't live there.

Now to get back to the books.

Happy reading!

Bout of Books: Day 4 update

Yesterday: Now this is what I call a super day's reading!

I started and finished reading 'Wonder' by R.J. Palacio. You can read my review here, if you are interested.

So! This leaves today's stats at:
Pages read on day 4: 315
Total pages read: 599 (I would have read one more page of anything if I had seen that last night.)
Books completed: 2

Well, today is now Friday, so hopefully that means I can get a lot of reading in for the next 2 days. I am really enjoying this!

I'm not too sure what I am going to read next though. The TBR I put together for this just - well - seems like a disappointment after the books I have read and finished this week.

I did some retail therapy today (this means I either upgraded some technology or I bought a book - I bought 3 books! :D ) so I have one more to choose from:

I think I heard about this on BookTube but I won't swear on it - I have heard about so many books on BookTube that they all are starting to fuzz into one.

The synopsis seems intriguing although the Goodreads ratings are quite low. It has 3.45 stars but only 2336 ratings.

I am very tempted to read this one though, as I am not really in the mood for YA (I have had Young Adults up to here today *points at a spot near the ceiling*.)


I bet you are asking what else I bought since I only have one option for the readathon and I purchased 3. Well, I got a beautiful copy of "The Divine Comedy" and then a volume of Sherlock Holmes long stories to match the copy of the collection of short stories I already have. (I read them all between Primary and High School and owned old bashed up second hand copies that I got in a book exchange yeeeeears ago. It is so nice to have beautiful, hardcover copies on my shelf now.)

Hope Bout of Books is going well for everyone out there.
Happy reading!
3.45 of 5 stars

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

"Like a lamb to the slaughter." These are the first words August Pullman hears when his parents are discussing his going to school.

August is not an ordinary boy. He was born disfigured - horribly disfigured. All his young life he has been sheltered at home, homeschooled by his mother between multiple surgeries. But all that is going to change as August heads off to middle school.

With a collection of astounding characters who come across as genuine, multi-layered people, 'Wonder' really tugs at the heart strings while making the tale completely believable. I loved the multiple narrators as the tale was definitely developed from seeing the other characters' perspectives. It helped me as a reader to see their hearts - and I really mean that. Even the less than pleasant characters were humanised as their own problems (those not worn on their faces for the world to see) were bared for us.

"Wonder" covers some really important themes that young folks, and even us not-so-young folks, deal with every day - the need for kindness. It looks at bullying, and family. (August has a wonderful family.)

I want to read this book to my homeroom class at school! Not only do I think the kids could learn something of value from its pages, but it is an entertaining read that covers the full spectrum of emotions. What more could a reader ask for?

Bout of Books Update: Day 3

It's finished! No, not the read-a-thon, just the first book. You can see my review on Gone Girl below.

I'm keeping the update short today.

Pages read: 88
Books completed: 1 (YAY!)
Total pages read: 284
Time: never enough






Currently reading:

Read the very beginning this afternoon. It looks like it is going to be a quick read. I am already enjoying the writing too.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This book was the reading equivalent of watching an accident in slow motion. I just could not tear my eyes away from the horror that was to come!

I really do not want to say to much about the plot, as it is better to go into this knowing as little as possible. I will say, though, that Gillian Flynn wrote a book about horrid people that keeps the pages turning. I only guessed a few things that were going to happen - and for a crime thriller, that is unusual for me. 

What I loved the most about this book was the unreliable narrators. Generally in any crime thriller (that is if you can really call this a crime thriller - but allow me this one) you follow a neutral detective who hunts for clues. You read the clue, you store the clue, you solve the 'crime'. With this book - well, it isn't that simple.

I am definitely going to pick up some more of her books. As I said in a comment earlier this week, this book has definitely raised the bar for all future crime books I read.