AUGUST - DECEMBER 2018 BOOK LIST

I didn't read a lot last fall.... mainly because every free second I had I was working on planning our trip to Europe in November and doing DuoLingo for french lessons.
After that trip we were lucky enough to go to Disneyland for Thanksgiving... and after that I had surgery and discovered to my surprise that sometimes you really can be just too sick to read. I NEVER thought I would say those words in my life, but found them to be true.

Here are SOME of the books I did read in that time period ( as I didn't keep up-to-date on my blog I can only go by my electronic check-out history on Amazon and RichfieldLibrary.com). It doesn't count any hard copy books that I read either from my own collection or that the kids brought home from somewhere.



1) Dangerous by Shannon Hale / YA / Kindle
This was one of few books in my life that I almost quit reading. It was just super slow-starting for me.  I did keep going as I had nothing else to read and ended up enjoying the book for the most part. It is a story of a smart girl at space camp that ends up saving the world. There was a surprising amount of death and sexual tension for a Shannon Hale book. There were also some weird sub-plots (i.e. her mother's past) that didn't make any sense unless there is some type of sequel planned??
2) The Magician King (The Magicians Book 2): A Novel by Lev Grossman / YA / Kindle
I read the first book several years and thought the story took too much from Narnia and Harry Potter. Plus I just thought the main character was just kinda gross and icky.  I'm not sure why I picked up the second book but I LOVED this one. It had the right amount of personal challenge and growth which all took place in magical worlds.
3) The Magician's Land (The Magicians Book 3): A Novel by Lev Grossman / YA / Kindle
This is the last of the trilogy. Again, I thought this was brilliant writing. I really liked the narrative style of the author and his skill at dialogue. The writer still took from other series, but it made sense why he did so. I liked this trilogy especially as it really focuses on growth / the messiness of life / and learning to move on after tragedy.

4) One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus / YA / Kindle
This is a YA Novel that had a fascinating story line but kind of a ridiculous premise.  Four high achieving High School students are accused of the murder of a classmate. They all have a motive and they all claim they are innocent.   It had great character development and felt mildly addictive.

5) Before We Were Yours: A Novel by Lisa Wingate / A / Kindle
This book reaffirms to me my suspicion that things are missed up in the South. This was the story of poor children stolen from their parents and adopted out to wealthy families.   I know this book gave a lot of people the feels, especially as it was based on true events, but to me I just ended up feeling a little ambivalent about the whole thing.  It was a little too formulaic, overwrought, and contrived. I found myself rolling my eyes half the time.
6) Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly / JF / Kindle
This was the Newbery winner for the year. It tells the story of a group of middle-schoolers whose lives unexpectedly come together when one of the boys pulls a potentially life-threatening prank on a classmate.   I admit the book was just okay to me but really had a good lesson about the groups we put ourselves in or let others put us in.  The characters were real and well written and had the right amounts of bravery and friendship.
7) The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig / YA / Hardback
I don't remember this one a ton but I remember thinking the premise was super interesting. It is a YA fantasy book about a girl that can time-travel as long as she has an authentic map of the time/place.  I remember thinking it had the right amount of adventure, a strong female heroine, and some teenage angst (good stuff) but also some plot holes and some scenes where it just kinda plodded along.
8) The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay: A novel by Michael Chabon / A / Kindle
This book was so well written, full of detail.  The narrative covers the lifetime of two friends who are comic book artists during the post WWII boom of this genre. It explores their hopes and dreams and the choices they each make.  I am not interested in comic books AT ALL but the author was able to capture the artistic process and make it fascinating to me.  I'm watching the Marvel movies with Nathan and it gave me some insight into this world and the cultural significance of the comic book.
9) The Cruel Prince (The Folk and the Air Book 1): by Holly Black / YA / Hardback
Again, I don't remember much about this one ... I remember a fantasy faerie land and a strong female lead.  If I remember right the main character is human but was kidnapped as a child and lives among the fairies. This has made her an outcast. Her deepest desire is to win the approval of the King and be made a faerie herself.  I remember a cruel boy that she secretly loves ( I don't like this kind of story line... I feel it is a bit unhealthy... ).  Anyway, I am not sure if I will read the next one.

10) Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay / A / Hardback
My favorite author ever. He writes fantasy fiction based periods of our earth's history (this time Renaissance Europe).  His stories are so rich in detail that it can sometimes weigh you down.  He is a brilliant author and I'm still devoted even though his most recent books are not my favorites.