Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy: This is a fun read for October because it’s a little bit dark but not too heavy. It takes place mostly in our world’s Dublin and the magic is unknown to most people. The characters are different and interesting. (3 stars, audiobook) ArchEnemy (Looking Glass Wars #3) by Frank Beddor: A fun and satisfying conclusion to this spinoff series of Alice in Wonderland. (4 stars, audiobook) The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean: There’s tons of interesting stuff here but I was hoping it’d be heavier on the anecdote side and lighter on the science detail side but that wasn’t the case. If you’re really into chemistry or physics you’d probably enjoy this but I’ve never…
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I go through phases with my hobbies and right now reading is sort of on the backburner as I’m spending time crafting and fixing up the house, but with audiobooks and reading a little bit every day I still make progress. I have a feeling the last few months of the year will be even lighter on number of books read, but during the third quarter I managed nine. Here they are: The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. LeGuin: Some really great fantasy here. Enjoyed the old characters and the new. (4 stars) Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead: Smart and entertaining summery read. The characters are kind of tragic but also hopeful. (3 stars) Insurgent by Veronica Roth : Liked…
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So I’ve still been reading, and here’s what I read and what I thought. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller: Although this isn’t my favorite of Donald Miller’s books I still appreciated so many things about it. I love his writing style and even when he seems like he’s just rambling I enjoy it. I have never really thought of my life in terms of a story and it was helpful to think about what makes a good one and how that can apply to real life. The anecdotes were great, some of them extremely touching. It was also a fast and easy read. (3 stars) Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist: I have never read Shauna’s blog…
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The Passage by Justin Cronin: Characters, plot, suspense, relationships, action, science, this book has it. And every once in awhile a gem of a bit of prose will pop out at you. I am seriously invested in what happens to these people now. (5 stars) Moby-Dick by Herman Melville: I was seriously reluctant to read this because I thought it would be majorly boring. It wasn’t though! Really! It was funny, and passionate, and enlightening. There were some boring parts about whales but I am totally glad I read it and enjoyed the process thoroughly. (4 stars) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss: Yeah okay, I guess this was pretty good. But I don’t know, it took me almost…
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My reading slowed waaaay down at the end of this year because a) holidays are crazytown, b) I mostly listened to Christmas music on my commute instead of audiobooks, and c) I started reading Moby-Dick and The Passage, both of which I am still in the middle of, and both of which are super long. But! Here is what I did finish. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: Exactly my kind of book – a little magical, mysterious, romantic, with lots of foreshadowing and pretty words. While I was reading I felt like it was a little too long, but I’d probably enjoy that on a re-read. (4 stars) The End by Lemony Snicket: The last of the Series of Unfortunate Events books, and…
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