Monday, December 31, 2012

December 2012 Wrap-Up

Here's a summary of my book-related activity for December. Surprisingly, I didn't get a single book for Christmas (though I did get a Kobo Glo!). I guess my family doesn't want to contribute to my TBR problem.

Happy new year! :)

Books I read (linked to the reviews)

North Pole High: Rebel Without a Claus by Candace Jane Kringle (review copy)
The Tree With No Branches by Johnny Knew (review copy)
The Alien (Animorphs #8) by K.A. Applegate (TBR pile)
Fog by Caroline B. Cooney (NetGalley)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Vol. 1 (graphic novel) adapted by Denise Mina (library book)
The Journey by John A. Heldt (review copy)
The Slumbering Masses: Sleep, Medicine, and Modern American Life by Matthew J. Wolf-Meyer (NetGalley) (DNF)
Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom (library book)
The Living Room by Bill Rolfe (review copy)
Dented Cans by Heather Walsh (review copy)

Books I bought

Angel Omnibus
Witches of East End
by Melissa de la Cruz


Books I've been approved for on NetGalley

The Abacus Protocol:
Sanity Vacuum by
T. Gregory
Wild Children by
Richard Roberts


Other e-books I received for review

Water Harvest by Eric Diehl
Dented Cans by Heather Walsh


Progress on challenges


The Alien was my December book for the Read Your OWN Library! Challenge.

I didn't pick a Random Read this month, because I had too many review copies I wanted to get through before the end of the year. My January Random Read post will be up tomorrow!

I completed the following letters for the 2012 A-Z Book Challenge: N (and I'm done!)

I read 1 books for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

I read 0 books for the 2012 Anne Rice Challenge.

Operation: TBR Reduction: I added 6 books to my to read list and removed 8, so my pile decreased by 2 this month!

Megamorphs #1 - The Andalite's Gift by K.A. Applegate

Title: The Andalite's Gift (Megamorphs #1)
Author: K.A. Applegate
Publication Date: June 1997
Length: 240 pages

The Andalite's Gift is the first Megamorphs book in the Animorphs series, taking place between Animorphs #7 and #8. The Megamorphs books are just like the regular books in the series, but a bit longer, and narrated by all the characters instead of just one. The increase in length means that the story has more time to get fleshed out, which is a nice change in pace.

A huge monster that looks like a cloud of dust and is capable of destroying anything in its path has started attacking the Animorphs. Any time they morph, it appears. There doesn't seem to be any way of fighting it. Meanwhile, Rachel gets knocked out and forgets who she is, making her morphing instincts pretty scary!

The Valeek (the dust monster) was a terrifying enemy. A lot of the time it seemed hopeless. So I was kept on the edge of my seat. I also liked how the narrator changed each chapter. Getting to see events unfold from all the Animorphs' points of view was really interesting.

The ending of this one was really cool. Sometimes the plans the Animorphs come up with are just crazy, and I wonder what they could possibly be thinking, but this one was, while crazy, also really impressive. This is one of my favourite books in the series so far.

5 stars.

This book also counts for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

2012 Anne Rice Challenge Wrap-Up


Well, I didn't read nearly as many Anne Rice books as I planned to in 2012, but I still consider this challenge a success. My initial goal was based on drastically underestimating how big her books are, and how quickly I burn out if I read a lot of books of that size and density.

I ended up reading 7 Anne Rice books: the first 5 Vampire Chronicles, which were all rereads, as well as The Mummy and The Witching Hour, which were new for me.

If you read books for this challenge, don't forget to link up your reviews so the rest of us can check them out! The linky will be open until Jan. 31, 2013. And if you wrote a wrap-up post, feel free to link to it in the comments.

I hope you'll join me again (or for the first time) for the 2013 Anne Rice Challenge!

Uglies: Shay's Story by Scott Westerfeld

Title: Uglies: Shay's Story
Author: Scott Westerfeld
Publication Date: February 2012
Length: 208 pages

Uglies: Shay's Story is a graphic novel retelling of Uglies, from Shay's point of view. So, we get to see Shay befriending the Crims, meeting David, learning wilderness survival skills, etc.

I had big issues with this book. The writing was fine, and it was cool to see the other side of the events of Uglies, but I find it hard to believe that Scott Westerfeld actually signed off on this art.

First of all, everyone looks the same. I know, I know: I complain about that with all graphic novels. It's true I'm not the best at telling people apart in drawings. But in this story, it's particularly important for people to look different. Honestly, the uglies and pretties look pretty much the same. Which basically defeats the whole point of the books.

Also, Dr. Cable; this one, it's like they messed up on purpose. In the back of the book, there are early sketches, and notes about how Scott Westerfeld told the artists how to improve the look of the characters to be true to the books. From the notes: "She's a middle pretty, and Scott wanted her to look forty to fifty years old." Buuuut, Dr. Cable is not a Middle Pretty; she's a Special. That's kinda important to her character.

2 stars.

This book counts for the 2012 A-Z Book Challenge.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

2013 Seriously Series Challenge


On a Book Bender and Reading the Paranormal have teamed up to bring us the Seriously Series Reading Challenge. The goal is to finish series that we've started (or haven't started yet), or at least catch up on as much of the series as we already own. Click the image above for full details and to sign up.

Goals:
Series started before 2013 - Seriously Serious: 7-12 series
Series started in 2013 - Seriously Serious: 7-12 series
Series rereads - Semi-Serious: 1-6 series

I'm trying not to start too many new series until I finish at least a few of the ones I've already started, so those are my focus. My series rereads are all books I need to reread to refresh my memory before I read the newer books, and my series started in 2013 are largely ones that I only have 1 book of (though I might get more during the year).

Series started before 2013 (7 series, 10 books):

Series started in 2013 (8 series, 10 books):
  • The Selection by Kiera Cass
    • The Selection
    • The Prince
  • Divergent by Veronica Roth
    • Divergent
  • Maze Runner by James Dashner
    • The Maze Runner
  • Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness
    • The Knife of Never Letting Go
  • The Well of Echoes by Ian Irvine
  • The Grimoire Saga by S.M. Boyce
  • Monstrosity by Jesse Petersen
    • Club Monstrosity
    • The Monsters in Your Neighbourhood
  • The Vampire's Promise by Caroline B. Cooney
    • Deadly Offer

Series rereads (1 series, 7 books):

There are going to be quarterly update posts, where we can share our progress and also update our goals if necessary, which I'll do if I end up buying more books in any of these series.

'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

Title: 'Salem's Lot
Author: Stephen King
Publication Date: 1975
Length: 427 pages

'Salem's Lot is a small town in Maine with more than its fair share of secrets. Ben Mears returns to the town, where he grew up, to write about the creepy Marsten House that scarred him as a child. But the Marsten House has strange new occupants, and before long people in the town start dying from mysterious blood loss.

This was my third Stephen King novel, and my least favourite so far. The first thing that bothered me was the writing. Stephen King is an amazing writer. But when he's writing mostly in the voices of uneducated people, his brilliance doesn't really shine through. I'm all for authenticity, but the slang and poor grammar can get tiresome to read.

Also, the sheer number of characters made this book one of those ones that I couldn't keep up with. I kept forgetting who people were, because it had been like 30 pages since that person had last spoken.

This is a good vampire story. I did really like that part of it. But I found it a bit drawn out. It seemed like I wasn't supposed to know ahead of time that the book was about vampires, so there was slow, spooky build up to that. But, I already knew, because this book is famous. So I kept thinking, have these people really not realised that it's vampires yet?

3 stars.

Friday, December 28, 2012

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

Title: The Witching Hour
Author: Anne Rice
Publication Date: 1990
Length: 1038 pages

The Witching Hour is a tough book to summarise, because there's just so much going on! It's really, really long, and just packed with plot. We have Michael, an architect originally from new Orleans, who lives in California. He falls into the ocean and drowns, and when he's revived, he has the power to see things when he touches objects with his hands. Then there's Rowan Mayfair, designated at birth as the eventual beneficiary of the enormous legacy of her old, New Orleans family, but adopted at birth by cousins and raised in California with no knowledge of her history.

And then of course, almost every significant Mayfair has a part in the story. A huge chunk of the book is the file compiled by the Talamasca on the history of the Mayfair witches. As Michael reads this, we get to, too. (It took me considerably longer than the two days it took Michael to read it!) It was great to be able to get so much back story; I've never read a book with so much backstory! However, it was very hard to keep straight. I recommend drawing a family tree as you go. I wish I had! It would be very tangled looking, though, because of all the incest. So much incest!

Whichever Mayfair inherits the legacy also inherits a mysterious being known as Lasher. Lasher's motives are not clear through most of the book. Most seem to agree that he's bad, or at least only cares about his own ends, whatever they may be. But several of the Mayfair witches did seem to have close relationships with him. We don't see him firsthand until he comes to Rowan, at which point it becomes pretty clear that Lasher is bad, though apparently it's not clear to Rowan.

I loved the way the different characters' stories interweaved (specifically Michael, Rowan, and Aaron). I also got very attached to each character. I was totally invested in the romance between Michael and Rowan, and my emotions were very tied up with theirs. So, the ending, which was quite shocking, was painful to read (in the good way, because I was so involved, not because it wasn't good). Rowan's actions near the end of the book seem kind of out of character, so it was very surprising, but I've heard that the second book reveals things which make her actions make more sense, so hopefully soon, when I read Lasher, things will come together!

I feel like I haven't done this book justice with this review. It's just a really hard book to adequately describe because it's so big and there's so much going on. But it's Anne Rice at her best. The characters are so well-developed, and the setting, as always, is so real it's like you're really there. (Seriously, because of Anne Rice I feel like I've been to New Orleans, and walked the streets of the Garden District, despite never having been there.)

4 stars.

This book counts towards the Read Your OWN Library! Challenge (hosted by The Beauty of Eclecticism) for September. For October, my book for the challenge was The Capture (Animorphs #6) by K.A. Applegate. (Which is not that interesting now, month's after the fact; it took me a while to finish this book and write the review!) This book also counts for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge and the 2012 Anne Rice Challenge, and is one of my longest books.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Title: Hunger (Riders of the Apocalypse #1)
Author: Jackie Morse Kessler
Publication Date: 2010
Length: 177 pages

Lisabeth Lewis is an anorexic teenager, who is appointed the position of Famine, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

This is one of those books where, looking back, I'm mostly remembering bad things about it, but at the time I gave it 4 stars. I trust my in-the-moment rating, because that's when my feelings are strongest. The main good thing I remember is the portrayal of eating disorders. It is very intense, and as far as I can tell, realistic. Lisa has a voice in her head, constantly telling her she's fat. It also tells her the number of calories in whatever food she's looking at, and how long she's have to go on the stairmaster to work it off. Lisa's friend has bulimia, and some of her scenes are downright disturbing. She also acts as an enabler for Lisa throughout the book. It was very powerful.

As for Lisa's duties as Famine, I found it confusing a lot of the time. I think she's supposed to cause famine? That would make sense, since she's a Horseman of the Apocalypse. But instead she feeds people.

So mostly now I remember confusion (I really should have written this review sooner!), so it's hard for me to comment on anything else. But apparently I liked it because I gave it 4 stars! :)

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Fog by Caroline B. Cooney


Title: Fog
Author: Caroline B. Cooney
Publication Date: 1989
Length: about 213 pages (ebook)

Christina Romney (lol, bad time to read about a character with that name) lives on a small island off the coast of Maine, called Burning Fog Isle. She's about to start grade 7, which means boarding on the mainland. Christina is excited to experience mainland life, but her older friends, who have been there before, warn her that everyone teases island kids.

When they get to the Schooner Inne, where they'll be boarding, the home of the principal and his wife, things immediately start to go poorly. Mrs. Shevvington is awful, and accuses Christina of having a bad attitude whenever she questions anything. Mr. Shevvington seems nice at first, but becomes increasingly disturbing as he makes everyone around Christina doubt her sanity.

This book turned out to be something other than I expected. It's very much a psychological horror story. It's kind of weird because it's written for pre-teens, yet it's filled with what is basically emotional torture. So, I enjoyed it, and found it terrifying, but I'm in my 20s. But then, I don't usually understand age guidelines. Anywho, at times it's suggested that the sea is what's out to get them, and that's rather creepy in itself, but most of the time I found it clear that the Shevvingtons were the ones to be worried about; they were straight up horrifying.

This is one of those stories that really makes me feel the character's pain. Every time someone doesn't believe her, or becomes convinced she's crazy, I just wanted to yell at them. It was very powerful. I think that's one of the scariest things a horror story can be about: your loved ones turning on you because they think you're the bad guy.

5 stars. The night I finished it, I was up half the night because I could not put it down.

Full disclosure: Free e-book copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Animorphs #7 - The Stranger by K.A. Applegate

Title: The Stranger (Animorphs #7)
Author: K.A. Applegate
Publication Date: April 1997
Length: 163 pages

Marco and Tobias find another entrance into the Yeerk pool, and the Animorphs decide to go in to spy, in hopes of discovering the location of the Kandrona, which keeps the Yeerks alive. They go in as roaches, which it turns out Taxxons like to eat! Just as a Taxxon is about to swallow them, time stops. An Ellimist, a being that exists outside of normal space-time, gives them a choice: continue their fight, and lose, or be taken to a new planet where the human species will be repopulated.

In order to convince them, the Ellimist shows the Animorphs a future in which the Yeerks have won. But the more they think about what they've seen, the more they start to question the Ellimist's motives.

This was a strong Animorphs book. The one part I took issue with was when they escape from the Taxxons, because it seems like they left a lot of bad guys alive, who presumably saw them morph, so shouldn't their secret be out now? It seems like they would have figured out that the Animorphs were human, not Andalites. So I'm not sure what's going on there.

This story ended up being a lot more hopeful than a lot of the books in the series. It's nice to have something good happen sometimes, instead of just always trying crazy plans, nearly getting killed, and having only tiny effects on the Yeerks.

4 stars.

This book also counts for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

Monday, December 24, 2012

2012 Mount TBR Final Checkpoint


Alas, I did not make it up Mt. Ararat this year! There were just such pretty sights to see along the way! I took some scenic routes off the beaten path, did some bird-watching...

Yeah, I only read 31 books from my TBR pile (my goal was 40). Since I've read 86 books altogether, this seems ridiculous! But I guess I did start getting more review copies this year, and it took me awhile to learn to ever say no. Also, I got some new books in 2013 that just begged to be read! There were some library books in there too. Here's what I did end up reading for this challenge:

  1. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
  2. The Grimoire Chronicles: Veil Between Worlds by Sally Dubats
  3. The Hollow Tree by Janet Lunn
  4. Stolen by Kelley Armstrong
  5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
  6. John Dies at the End by David Wong
  7. The Twits by Roald Dahl
  8. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
  9. Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke
  10. Charmed Season 9 Volume 1 by Paul Ruditis
  11. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More by Roald Dahl
  12. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
  13. Jesus on Mars by Philip José Farmer
  14. The Mummy by Anne Rice
  15. The Visitor (Animorphs #2) by K.A. Applegate
  16. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
  17. The Wish List by Eoin Colfer
  18. The Encounter (Animorphs #3) by K.A. Applegate
  19. Sabrina the Teenage Witch #14: Spying Eyes by Nancy Holder
  20. You are Microscopic (Choose Your Own Adventure #130) by Edward Packard
  21. Claws by Will Weaver
  22. The Message (Animorphs #4) by K.A. Applegate
  23. Carrie by Stephen King
  24. The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll
  25. Killer Virus (Choose Your Own Adventure #177) by R.A. Montgomery
  26. The Capture (Animorphs #6) by K.A. Applegate
  27. The Stranger (Animorphs #7) by K.A. Applegate 
  28. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice 
  29. The Andalite's Gift (Megamorphs #1) by K.A. Applegate
  30. S is for Space by Ray Bradbury 
  31. The Alien (Animorphs #8) by K.A. Applegate
But, I've already signed up for the 2013 challenge, with an even higher goal of 48 books! (Apparently, perhaps due to continental drift, or something, Mt. Ararat is growing.) 'Cause darn it, I set out to climb this mountain, and I'm gonna do it!

North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus by Candace Jane Kringle


Title: North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus
Author: Candace Jane Kringle
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Length: about 269 pages (ebook)

This book is the memoir of Santa's teenage daughter, Candycane. 16-year-old Candycane is the most popular girl in school, and has a boyfriend, Tinsel, who's totally hot chocolate (they totally talk like that in the book and it has rubbed off on me). Life is pretty much perfect. But then, the new kid arrives. Rudy Tutti hates Christmas. And yet, Candycane's feelings start to get pretty confused! Add to that an unbearably overprotective Santa, and you've got one heck of a story.

First of all, I LOVE the writing. "Oh, for Christmas sake!", "I think Rudy's hot chocolate!", and other such phrases had me giggling on every page. Also, a penguin who immigrated from the South Pole, reindeer that poop chocolate, and a whole lot of really disgusting foods like fruitcake pizza. The funny thing is, it still reads like a normal YA novel underneath all the Christmas. Candycane is still a normal teenager.

The story is also great. Candycane tries to figure out why Rudy hates Christmas, Christmas is almost ruined due to a lack of Christmas spirit, and the romance is both adorable and just a bit steamy. This is a Christmastime must-read!

The book loses one star from me because of a single scene, in which Candycane talks about the origin of Christmas trees, and includes a story about Pagans sacrificing children. Seriously, people, can we stop with that? Discrimination against Pagans is a real thing and stories about sacrificing children really are not helping.

4 stars.

Full disclosure: Free copy received from the author.

With this book, I finish off the 2012 A-Z Book Challenge. This book also counts for the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

2013 A-Z Book Challenge


It's back! In 2012, the A-Z Book Challenge ended up being my favourite challenge. So I'm thrilled that Lindsey at Babies, Books, and Beyond has decided to host it again for 2013. In case you missed it last time, the goal is to read a book whose title starts with each letter of the alphabet.

I will once again be choosing the second option: instead of having a preset list, I will just fill in letters as I go, and near the end of the year I'll hurry to fill in any missing letters. I'll list the books below, and link to the reviews as I post them:

A: The Archived by Victoria Schwab
B: Bright Star by Nickie Anderson
C: Caarina the Cooking Fairy by Julia Dweck
D: Damage Control by J.A. Jance
E: The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl
F: The Forgotten (Animorphs #11) by K.A. Applegate
G: Geomancer (The Well of Echoes #1) by Ian Irvine
H: The Host by Stephenie Meyer
I: Industrial Magic (Women of the Otherworld #4) by Kelley Armstrong
J:
K: Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #3) by Louise Rennison
L: Lasher (The Mayfair Chronicles #2) by Anne Rice
M: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins
N:
O: The Orphanage of Miracles by Amy Neftzger
P: Pie-Rits by Julia Dweck
Q: The Queen's Army (Lunar Chronicles #1.5) by Marissa Meyer
R: The Reaction (Animorphs #12) by K.A. Applegate
S: The Secret (Animorphs #9) by K.A. Applegate
T: The Testing (The Testing #1) by Joelle Charbonneau
U: The Uninvited by Liz Jensen
V:
W: Water Harvest by Eric Diehl
X: X-Men: Schism by Jason Aaron
Y:
Z:

Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories by Zack Whedon

Title: Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories
Author: Zack Whedon
Publication Date: 2010
Length: 78 pages

Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories is a graphic novel, which collects a few short stories about the characters in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (which you should watch, if you haven't already).

The first story is called Captain Hammer: Be Like Me! Captain Hammer narrates it, talking about how awesome he is and urging people to do their part fighting crime, by doing things like reporting your friend who's good at science, because he might be a supervillain. It's basically an intro to the character, and is pretty funny.

The next story is Moist: Humidity Rising, which is Moist's origin story. I'm glad they included this, because I always wondered about Moist in the movie, and what his deal was! I won't spoil it for you, but I will tell you that Moist was actually once a very dry child.

Penny: Keep Your Head Up is a cute little story about Penny, and how she's too busy with all her volunteer work to date anyone. Her attempt at a date does not go well, but things look up at the end.

The Evil League of Evil is a look at some of the members of the E.L.E., and also shows us a bit more about Johnny Snow, who's only mentioned in the movie.

The last story, Dr. Horrible, is the longest. It shows us how Dr. Horrible became a villain (and his reasons are pretty legit!), and continues through his rivalry with Captain Hammer, leading up to probably not long before the movie.

This collection was really entertaining. I enjoyed the little references to the movie, and getting some back story for the characters, including some more minor ones. This is a must-read for any Dr. Horrible fan!

5 stars

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publication Date: 2009
Length: 391 pages

Note: This is a review of the second book in a trilogy, and will therefore contain spoilers from the first book.

Katniss has beaten the odds and won the Hunger Games, even managing to keep her fellow District 12 tribute, Peeta, alive as well. But the Capitol is not pleased, to say the least, with Katniss's open defiance, or with the seeds of rebellion she has unknowingly planted. Now it's time for their Victory Tour, and the message to Katniss is clear: convince everyone that you did what you did only because you're hopelessly in love with Peeta, or else. But despite the danger to herself and her family, Katniss isn't sure she should be trying to stop a rebellion against the Capitol.

Aaah, so good! I'm sorry, I read this book like 2 months ago, so now my memory's all fuzzy and it's hard to write intelligent things. But I do remember it was awesome. I know a lot of people felt like there was too much basically repeating the first book, but I thought it was just right. Things were different enough to keep it interesting (and the new arena is SO cool!), and it all seemed necessary to how things developed.

I'm really excited about the direction the story is going, and now I'm itching to read the conclusion!

5 stars

Friday, December 21, 2012

2013 Out of Your Comfort Zone Reading Challenge


The Out of Your Comfort Zone Challenge is all about using creative methods of finding books you wouldn't normally read, and then reading them. Twelve methods are suggested, with the recommendation being that you do one each month, so I'm going to try to do that. Here are the listed ways to get out of your comfort zone:

1) Go to your favourite bookshop/library and go to a section you don't normally visit (e.g. always read historical fiction? Try the fantasy section) count how many bookcases there are then add this as your top number at random.org whatever number comes out count the bookcases and go to that number case. Count how many shelves there are and get another random number, count that many shelves down and books across, read the book you land on.

2) Go to amazon's book page and pick a section your don't usually read from, try to make it a different section to option 1. Look at the bestsellers list and read the number 1 spot, if it's part of a series read the first in a series.

3) Visit a blog which reviews a genre you don't normally read. Read the first book they review (as with 2 if it's part of a series read the first in the series).

4) Visit a blog which reviews a genre you don't normally read. Ask the blogger for a recommendation for someone who wants to start reading their favourite genre.

5) Type book into an image search. Read the first book which pops up.

6) Find an article/list of the best books of 2012. Read a book from the list.

7) Visit a blog which reviews a different genre. Read their best book of 2012.

8) When out and about look to see what people are reading. Read one of the books you see.

9) Look at the daily/weekly/monthly offers at your favourite bookseller. Read one of the books on offer.

10) Go to Whichbook? choose characteristics which your wouldn't normally go for in books e.g. if you usually read funny books slide the bar towards serious.

11) Read a book by an author who has friended you on goodreads, followed you on twitter, liked you on facebook, followed your blog or sent you an e-mail, providing you wouldn't normally say yes to their request.

12) Ask a favourite blogger which book surprised them last year because they liked it. e.g. The Hunger Games is not my usual genre but I really liked it.

I'll list each month's book here as I choose it, and link to the review once I've read and review it.

January: Damage Control by J.A. Jance
- Chosen using the first method. I went to the library, and used the mystery section. To avoid having to carry my laptop, I got my partner to pick random numbers. :) It's not the first in the series, but I figure mystery books are kind of like episodes of Law and Order. I might miss some character development, but the story should stand on its own.

February: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
- Chosen using the second method. I went to the Amazon.ca book page, clicked on Romance, and then Bestsellers. The number one book is Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks.

Shifted Perspective by J. Bridger


Title: Shifted Perspective
Author: J. Bridger
Publication Date: August 28, 2012
Length: about 231 pages (ebook)

Caleb is a senior in high school with a pretty normal life, when he wakes up one day as a Cocker Spaniel. He soon learns that it runs in the family; his mother was a carrier, and he is a runt (because he changed years later than normal). He goes to stay with his mom's side of the family in California, so he can become part of the pack and learn the ways of the shifters.

This was a neat spin on the usual shifter mythology. I love shifters, and the idea of there being a hierarchy based on the type of animal you shift into is pretty cool and not something I've seen before.

So I liked the idea, and the main plot line involving a serious of mysterious murders that seem to be the work of a rogue werewolf was pretty interesting. But I did have some issues, which seem easiest to describe in point form:

  1. This is kind of minor, but the shifters are real jerks in this book. I found I didn't care for that. Their disdain for humans and thinking they're so superior was a little tiresome.
  2. When Caleb calls his (ex-)girlfriend, a high school journalist, to California to help solve the mystery, that just felt like a plot device to get her there to complicate things. First of all, it was weird that a teenager was working on solving a mystery rather than going to the pack leader or just letting someone else deal with it, but calling in a high school journalist because she's good at figuring things out?
  3. There are a couple of pages of racism regarding the Romani people. They are called gypsies, described as having magical powers and being the enemies of the shifters, and Caleb says that he didn't think they existed anymore. It was actually hard to read.
So, there were things that bugged me. Overall it was an enjoyable story, though, and I'll probably check out the next book in the series.

3 stars.

Full disclosure: Free ebook copy received from the author.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

2013 Women Challenge


I found another challenge! Peek-a-booK has started a new challenge: the 2013 Women Challenge. The challenge is to read more books by women authors, which I think is awesome. I'll be going for the highest level, Wonder Woman: read 16+ books written by a woman author. I already read a lot of books written by women, so that'll be easy peasy. But I'm hoping this challenge will help make me more aware of gender in my reading habits. Maybe it'll even spark some interesting blog posts!

  1. The Secret (Animorphs #9) by K.A. Applegate
  2. The Uninvited by Liz Jensen
  3. Damage Control by J.A. Jance
  4. Caarina the Cooking Fairy by Julia Dweck
  5. Bright Star by Nickie Anderson
  6. The Archived by Victoria Schwab
  7. The Android (Animorphs #10) by K.A. Applegate
  8. Burnish Me Bright by Julia Cunningham
  9. The Ghost Witch by Betty Ren Wright
  10. The Forgotten (Animorphs #11) by K.A. Applegate
  11. The Reaction (Animorphs #12) by K.A. Applegate
  12. Lasher (The Mayfair Chronicles #2) by Anne Rice
  13. The ABACUS Protocol: Sanity Vacuum by Thea Gregory 
  14. The Host by Stephenie Meyer 
  15. The Change (Animorphs #13) by K.A. Applegate
  16. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins
  17. Ghosts Beneath Our Feet by Betty Ren Wright
  18. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous [Beatrice Sparks]
  19. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
  20. The Andalite Chronicles by K.A. Applegate
  21. Dime Store Magic (Women of the Otherworld #3) by Kelley Armstrong
  22. The Testing (The Testing #1) by Joelle Charbonneau
  23. Industrial Magic (Women of the Otherworld #4) by Kelley Armstrong
  24. The Orphanage of Miracles by Amy Neftzger
  25. The Testing Guide (The Testing #0.5) by Joelle Charbonneau
  26. Angel on the Ropes by Jill Shultz
  27. Brianna the Ballet Fairy by Julia Dweck 
  28. Lichgates (The Grimoire Saga #1) by S.M. Boyce
  29. Ten Girls to Watch by Charity Shumway
  30. Hello Hot Lunch, Hello Cool Lunch by Lisa Leconte
  31. Love Rehab: A Novel in Twelve Steps by Jo Piazza
  32. The First Rule of Swimming by Courtney Angela Brkic
  33. The Dark Victorian Vol. 2: Bones by Elizabeth Watasin
  34. The Unknown (Animorphs #14) by K.A. Applegate
  35. Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb by Ally Malinenko
  36. Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth
  37. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #1) by Louise Rennison
  38. The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler
  39. Wanted! by Caroline B. Cooney
  40. Glitches (Lunar Chronicles #0.5) by Marissa Meyer
  41. On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #2) by Louise Rennison
  42. The Queen's Army (Lunar Chronicles #1.5) by Marissa Meyer 
  43. This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
  44. Taltos (The Mayfair Chronicles #3) by Anne Rice
  45. The Escape (Animorphs #15) by K.A. Applegate
  46. Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #3) by Louise Rennison
  47. The Warning (Animorphs #16) by K.A. Applegate
  48. Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #4) by Louise Rennison
  49. Club Monstrosity (Monstrosity #1) by Jesse Petersen
  50. The Monsters in Your Neighborhood (Monstrosity #2) by Jesse Petersen
  51. Haunted (Women of the Otherworld #5) by Kelley Armstrong
  52. Donuts by Julia Dweck
  53. Pie-Rits by Julia Dweck
  54. Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer
  55. The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass
  56. Deadly Offer (The Vampire's Promise #1) by Caroline B. Cooney

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Title: James and the Giant Peach
Author: Roald Dahl
Publication Date: 1961
Length: 160 pages

I've always loved the movie adaptation of James and the Giant Peach, but since my childhood was strangely lacking Roald Dahl books, I just read the book for the first time. One thing I noticed was the the movie was quite true to the book in this case.

James is an orphan, living with his two horrible aunts, Sponge and Spiker. A mysterious man gives James some magic crystals that will make marvelous things happen to him, but James accidentally drops them on the roots of an old peach tree that doesn't grow any peaches. But then, the magic works on the tree, and it grows a giant peach. Inside the peach, James finds several giant insects, and when the peach breaks off the tree, they go on an adventure! (I love Roald Dahl.)

This story is typical, fun Roald Dahl. The characters are lovable, the illustrations by Quentin Blake are delightful as always, and the adventure is exciting. Any kid or adult would love this book.

5 stars.

This book counts for the Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Twelve Months by Steven Manchester

Title: Twelve Months
Author: Steven Manchester
Publication Date: August 14, 2012
Length: 323 pages

When Don DiMarco finds out that he is dying of cancer, and only has an estimated twelve months to live, he decides to spend his remaining days accomplishing things he's always dreamed of doing, and spending time with his loved ones, rather than undergoing painful treatments in a futile effort to prolong his life.

The premise is great. I was expecting something like the movie The Bucket List, wherein two terminally ill men, played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, set out to do the things they want to do before they kick the bucket. Their list included things like skydiving, and riding motorcycles on the Great Wall of China. I love that movie.

Unfortunately, Don DiMarco's list is made up of things like driving a racing car, and getting a story published in a newspaper. So, while I appreciated that there was a bit more focus on spending time with his wife, daughter, and grandchildren than on the less important things in life, the result was not terribly exciting to read. Also, since Don seemed to already be a pretty good guy who spent time with his family before finding out he was dying, there wasn't the contrast you expect in this sort of story, where the main character learns a life lesson, and grows to appreciate the important things.

The other issue I had was the first chapter. It takes place in the present, before the story goes back in time to when Don finds out he's dying. In it, he is alive, and enjoying life like he never did before. It apparently takes place after the twelve months chronicled in the rest of the book. This seemed fine at the time, until I got to the end of the book and it became clear that the first chapter never happened. I'm not sure what the purpose of this was, but it left me feeling like I'd been tricked. Like the chapter is just there to throw you off.

2 stars. A moving story, that did make me shed a few tears, but I'm underwhelmed.

Full disclosure: Free copy received from the author.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Completed: A-Z Book Challenge


I've successfully completed the 2012 A-Z Book Challenge! It started off really easy (obviously, since every book counts at the start), and then after a while it seemed like all my books started with the same letter! But, as the end drew near, I got caught up, and I did it! Here are the 26 books I read for this challenge:

A: Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke
B: Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
C: Caught in Crystal by Patricia C. Wrede
D: Dream Magic: Awakenings by Dawn Harshaw
E: The Encounter (Animorphs #3) by K.A. Applegate
F: Final Crossing by Carter Wilson
G: The Grimoire Chronicles: Veil Between Worlds by Sally Dubats
H: The Hollow Tree by Janet Lunn
I: Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice
J: John Dies at the End by David Wong
K: Killer Virus (Choose Your Own Adventure #177) by R.A. Montgomery
L: Lucretia and the Kroons by Victor LaValle
M: MWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best Friend by Rachel Bertsche
N: North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus by Candace Jane Kringle
O: Offbeat Bride: Creative Alternatives for Independent Brides by Ariel Meadow Stallings
P: The Predator (Animorphs #5) by K.A. Applegate
Q: The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
R: Risen (The Dark Victorian #1) by Elizabeth Watasin
S: Steam-Powered 2: More Lesbian Steampunk Stories edited by JoSelle Vanderhooft
T: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
U: Uglies: Shay's Story by Scott Westerfeld
V: The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
W: The Whipping Club by Deborah Henry
X: Xoc by Matt Dembicki
Y: You are Microscopic (Choose Your Own Adventure #130) by Edward Packard
Z: Zombie Surf Commandos from Mars by Tony Abbott

The Mine by John A. Heldt

Title: The Mine
Author: John A. Heldt
Publication Date: February 2012
Length: 306 pages

The story starts in the year 2000. Joel Smith is about to graduate from university, and goes on a road trip with his friend. On the way home through Montana, they stop at an abandoned gold mine, so that Joel (a geology major) can check it out. When Joel comes back out of the mine, it's 1941. His friend is gone, his phone doesn't work, and his money can't be spent.

Remarkably quickly, I thought, Joel accepts that he's stuck in the 40s, and begins to build a life for himself. By helping out a guy being beaten up outside a bar, he makes a new friend, who helps him find a place to sleep and a job.

(I'm going to say things that seem negative now, but you should know that they didn't really sway me much. Everything else was so good that I didn't really mind!) There were times when Joel's actions seemed absurd to me. He would talk about not wanting to mess up the timeline, particularly when he met his own grandmother. Yet he seemed only to care about his own timeline. He dated, affected other people's relationships, etc., seemingly without thinking about the consequences at the time. I mean, he was resigned to living his life in that time, so it wouldn't really have been possible for him to not affect anything. It just seemed a little hypocritical is all.

I loved the romance aspect of this book. I'm not a romance reader by any stretch of the imagination, but I can definitely appreciate a good love story in the right context. This one was beautiful.

As it says in the blurb, when an opportunity comes along to possibly get back to his time, Joel finds himself faced with a tough decision, between returning to his time, leaving the love of his life behind and breaking her heart, or staying in the 40s and probably having to go to war. Right up until very close to the end I was kept guessing, and really didn't know how things were going to end. I was worried for a bit that I wasn't going to like the ending. But then the ending came, and I loved it. I can't tell you any more without spoiling it. You'll just have to read it.

5 stars. I now have renewed hope for independently published books!

Full disclosure: Free copy received from the author.

Monday, December 17, 2012

2013 Dystopia Challenge


I have yet to read a dystopian novel that I didn't like. So, another challenge! I'm going to go for the Contagion level, with a goal of reading 15 dystopian books in 2013. On Goodreads, I only have 8 books shelved as to-read and dystopian, but I figure I'll probably end up buying a few more, since they're so big right now, and if necessary I can just ask my lovely readers and fellow book bloggers for suggestions!

I won't pick my books in advance, because that's hard. I will list the books below as I read them, and link to the reviews as I write them.
  1. Bright Star by Nickie Anderson
  2. Uglies: Cutters (Uglies: Graphic Novel #2) by Scott Westerfeld
  3. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
  4. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins
  5. The Testing (The Testing #1) by Joelle Charbonneau
  6. The Testing Guide (The Testing #0.5) by Joelle Charbonneau
  7. Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth
  8. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
  9. This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
  10. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  11. Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer
  12. The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness
  13. The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass
  14. The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner
  15. Apocalyptic Organ Grinder by William Todd Rose

2013 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge


The perfect challenge for me! The goal of the Finishing the Series Reading Challenge is to finish a few of those series that we started and then got distracted from. We all know I have a lot of those!

I'll be participating in this one at level 3 - finish 3 or more series. I'm not sure which ones I'll do. The Hunger Games trilogy will definitely be one of them. Do you think I could read the 54 books I have left in the Animorphs series in one year? Maybe, but I'm not sure I want to commit to that. :D

As I pick series, I'll list them below, and keep track of my progress here as well.

2013 Mount TBR Reading Challenge


In 2013 I will again be participating in the Mount TBR Reading Challenge, in an effort to get through some of the piles upon piles of books on my shelves! Any books read in 2013 that I owned before the beginning of 2013 count for the challenge.

Despite my failure in this challenge in 2012, I will be sticking with my previous level of Mt. Ararat, even though it has been increased from 40 books to 48. I really need to do better in this, so I'm not going to drop down a level to make it easier! I have a personal goal this year of getting through 45 books from the original collection I added to Goodreads when I signed up (in other words, books that have at this point spent anywhere from 4 years to over a decade unread on my shelves). I intend to reach that goal, so Mt. Ararat it is!

I'll list the books I read for the challenge below, linking to the reviews as I write them.

  1. Geomancer (The Well of Echoes #1) by Ian Irvine
  2. The Secret (Animorphs #9) by K.A. Applegate
  3. The Android (Animorphs #10) by K.A. Applegate
  4. The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl
  5. Burnish Me Bright by Julia Cunningham
  6. The Ghost Witch by Betty Ren Wright 
  7. The Forgotten (Animorphs #11) by K.A. Applegate 
  8. The Reaction (Animorphs #12) by K.A. Applegate
  9. Lasher (The Mayfair Chronicles #2) by Anne Rice
  10. Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic Version 5 by Bruce Buzbee 
  11. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
  12. The Change (Animorphs #13) by K.A. Applegate
  13. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins
  14. Ghosts Beneath Our Feet by Betty Ren Wright
  15. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
  16. Dime Store Magic (Women of the Otherworld #3) by Kelley Armstrong
  17. Industrial Magic (Women of the Otherworld #4) by Kelley Armstrong
  18. The Unknown (Animorphs #14) by K.A. Applegate
  19. Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth
  20. This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
  21. Taltos (The Mayfair Chronicles #3) by Anne Rice
  22. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  23. The Escape (Animorphs #15) by K.A. Applegate
  24. The Warning (Animorphs #16) by K.A. Applegate
  25. Haunted (Women of the Otherworld #5) by Kelley Armstrong
  26. The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness
  27. The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner
  28. Angel Omnibus by Christopher Golden, Joss Whedon, etc.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Title: The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story
Author: Susan Hill
Publication Date: 1983 (audiobook: 2011)
Length: approx. 4.5 hours
Read by: Ralph Cosham

I made the mistake of reading this book after watching the movie, and actually quite soon after. So when there were differences, I got confused, whereas when watching a movie after a book it's easy to just roll with it. So, I'm having trouble separating the book and movie in my head, in some ways. I'll start by saying, both were really good! So this will sort of be a review of both.

The Woman in Black tells the story of Arthur Kipps, a young lawyer from London, sent to a distant small town called Crythin Gifford to settle the affairs of a recently deceased widow named Alice Drablow. Mrs. Drablow lived in the delightfully creepy Eel Marsh House, which becomes completely cut off from the mainland at high tide.


This is a great, gothic-style horror story. The atmosphere is amazing, and was captured well both by the excellent reader in the audiobook, and by the movie. The creepy house, surrounded by marsh, with mists in which you could easily lose your way and suddenly sink, the sound of a pony and trap sinking in the marshes, and a child screaming for help... it's perfect!

I can't say much more without spoiling it. The ending was not what I expected. The ending is also quite a bit different between the book and the movie. I think I like the book's ending better. I do recommend both!

4 stars.

Nerdy Non-Fiction Reading Challenge 2013


I'm always neglecting my non-fiction shelves (non-fiction is hard!), so I thought a good challenge would help with that problem! And, well, it has nerdy in the name. I couldn't resist.

Check out the challenge page for the full details.

I'll be going for the second level, Dork, which means reading 7 to 10 non-fiction books in 4 to 5 of the specified categories.

As I read books for this challenge I will list them below.
  1. Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic Version 5 by Bruce Buzbee (category: Self Improvement, Self Help, How To)
  2. Hello Hot Lunch, Hello Cool Lunch by Lisa Leconte (category: Food - Cookbooks, Cooks, Vegan Vegetarianism, etc)
  3. The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King (category: History - US, World, European, etc., and/or category: Politics, Government, Current Affairs)

Sunday, December 16, 2012

2013 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge



I will once again be challenging myself to read more books in the next year than I did in the last year! I honestly don't know how long I can keep this growth up (I went from 37 in 2010 [still in university] to 72 in 2011, and I'm already up to 82 in 2012 with a few weeks to go), but I'm liking it! That 100 book goal that once seemed so unattainable suddenly seems within reach!

In 2012 my goal was the Out of Breath level (6 to 10 more books), but I ended up reaching the Breaking a Sweat level (11 to 15 more books). So I'm going to go with Breaking a Sweat for 2013. That means that my 2013 reading goal will be at least 93 books. I'll update this post at the end of the year with the final numbers.

Oh, one other quick thing. I just realised that I cheated a bit last year, as I didn't realise kids' books aren't supposed to count. But I count them everywhere else, so I'm just gonna keep counting them. There aren't a lot of them, and I figure the huge chunksters I read balance them out. According to Goodreads I'm already at almost 20000 pages in 2012, so I think overall my books are a decent size!

I will list my 2013 books below to keep track for this challenge.

Update: I read 90 books in 2012, so since I signed up for the Breaking a Sweat level, that means my 2013 goal is 101!

  1. Geomancer (The Well of Echoes #1) by Ian Irvine
  2. 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga by David Alexander Robertson
  3. The Secret (Animorphs #9) by K.A. Applegate
  4. The Uninvited by Liz Jensen
  5. Shadows of Kings by Jack Whitsel
  6. Damage Control by J.A. Jance
  7. Caarina the Cooking Fairy by Julia Dweck
  8. Bright Star by Nickie Anderson
  9. The Archived by Victoria Schwab
  10. The Android (Animorphs #10) by K.A. Applegate
  11. The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl
  12. Burnish Me Bright by Julia Cunningham
  13. The Ghost Witch by Betty Ren Wright
  14. The Forgotten (Animorphs #11) by K.A. Applegate
  15. The Reaction (Animorphs #12) by K.A. Applegate
  16. Lasher (The Mayfair Chronicles #2) by Anne Rice
  17. Uglies: Cutters (Uglies: Graphic Novel #2) by Scott Westerfeld
  18. Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic Version 5 by Bruce Buzbee
  19. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
  20. The ABACUS Protocol: Sanity Vacuum by Thea Gregory
  21. Water Harvest by Eric Diehl
  22. The Host by Stephenie Meyer
  23. The Witches by Roald Dahl
  24. The Change (Animorphs #13) by K.A. Applegate
  25. Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins
  26. Ghosts Beneath Our Feet by Betty Ren Wright
  27. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
  28. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (Twilight #3.5) by Stephenie Meyer
  29. Wild Children by Richard Roberts
  30. The Andalite Chronicles by K.A. Applegate
  31. Dime Store Magic (Women of the Otherworld #3) by Kelley Armstrong
  32. The Testing (The Testing #1) by Joelle Charbonneau
  33. Wars in Toyland by Joe Harris
  34. Industrial Magic (Women of the Otherworld #4) by Kelley Armstrong
  35. The Orphanage of Miracles by Amy Neftzger
  36. The Testing Guide (The Testing #0.5) by Joelle Charbonneau
  37. Angel on the Ropes by Jill Shultz
  38. Brianna the Ballet Fairy by Julia Dweck
  39. Lichgates (The Grimoire Saga #1) by S.M. Boyce
  40. Riding on a Beam of Light by Ramsey Dean
  41. Ten Girls to Watch by Charity Shumway
  42. Hello Hot Lunch, Hello Cool Lunch by Lisa Leconte
  43. Love Rehab: A Novel in Twelve Steps by Jo Piazza
  44. Red Moon by Benjamin Percy
  45. The First Rule of Swimming by Courtney Angela Brkic
  46. The Dark Victorian Vol. 2: Bones by Elizabeth Watasin
  47. Three Lives of Tomomi Ishikawa by Benjamin Constable
  48. The Unknown (Animorphs #14) by K.A. Applegate
  49. Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb by Ally Malinenko
  50. Divergent by Veronica Roth
  51. The Show (Northwest Passage #3) by John A. Heldt
  52. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #1) by Louise Rennison
  53. The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler
  54. Wanted! by Caroline B. Cooney
  55. Glitches (Lunar Chronicles #0.5) by Marissa Meyer
  56. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
  57. On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #2) by Louise Rennison
  58. The Queen's Army (Lunar Chronicles #1.5) by Marissa Meyer
  59. This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
  60. Taltos (The Mayfair Chronicles #3) by Anne Rice
  61. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  62. The Escape (Animorphs #15) by K.A. Applegate
  63. Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #3) by Louise Rennison
  64. The Warning (Animorphs #16) by K.A. Applegate
  65. Dancing in My Nuddy Pants (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson #4) by Louise Rennison
  66. Club Monstrosity (Monstrosity #1) by Jesse Petersen
  67. The Monsters in Your Neighborhood (Monstrosity #2) by Jesse Petersen
  68. Haunted (Women of the Otherworld #5) by Kelley Armstrong
  69. Donuts by Julia Dweck
  70. Pie-Rits by Julia Dweck
  71. X-Men: Schism by Jason Aaron
  72. Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer
  73. The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) by Patrick Ness
  74. The Selection (The Selection #1) by Kiera Cass
  75. Deadly Offer (The Vampire's Promise #1) by Caroline B. Cooney
  76. The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner
  77. The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
  78. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
  79. Angel Omnibus by Christopher Golden, Joss Whedon, etc.
  80. Apocalyptic Organ Grinder by William Todd Rose
  81. Will O' the Wisp by Tom Hammock