BSchultz19

Gilmore Girls was put on Netflix about a month or two ago and I have been re-watching the whole series, which just makes me want to do this challenge even more than I did before. Definitely part of my goals for 2015 reading.

I have read quite a few books since I was last on and I can't remember them all. Most of them were library loans so I have no way of tracking them. I should probably write these things down... I know for sure that I read Pride & Prejudice and I enjoyed it. The other books were mostly Jodi Picoult which are always great for an easy and interesting read.

Picture Perfect To the outside world, they seemed to have it all. Cassie Barrett, a renowned anthropologist, and Alex Rivers, one of Hollywood's hottest actors, met on the set of a motion picture in Africa. They shared childhood tales, toasted the future, and declared their love in a fairy-tale wedding. But when they returned to California, something altered the picture of their perfect marriage. A frightening pattern took shape--a cycle of hurt, denial, and promises, thinly veiled by glamour. Torn between fear and something that resembled love, Cassie wrestled with questions she never dreamed she would face: How could she leave? Then again, how could she stay? I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found it hard to put down. The surprising suspense kept me turning the page even late into the night. It's a great story and, like Jodi Picoult always manages to do, talks about something difficult and painful. I love the realness of all her books, especially this one. 9.5/10

A Dance with Dragons Writing or copying a spoiler-free blurb for this book is basically impossible. Read the entire series to get an idea of what happens. I really enjoyed this book. I love Martin's ability to write 1000 pages of action-packed and suspenseful writing. Granted, there were some slow chapters, but the next chapter after never disappointed. I disliked certain plot choices, but it definitely surprised me. I love that I never know what is going to happen in these books. I know that someone will most likely die, but I never know who or why. I can't wait for the sixth book to come out. 8.5/10

I just discovered that there was a big conversation about Cersei earlier in this thread and I'm sad I missed it. She is one of my favorite people to talk about in the series because it's hard to take her side, but it's also hard to blame her for everything she's done. Such an interesting character.

Not difficult to read, but more daunting because of its size. I read at a high school level in 3rd grade. In 4th grade our reading test thingy made a list of recommended books and one of the books it recommended me was The Great Gatsby

It was the best deal I've ever gotten on books. I was so excited afterwards I just wanted to read them all

NEW BOOKS!!!! :D Books 1-6 of the Patterson Women's Murder Club books. True Blue by Luana Rice Dance with me by Luana Rice Message from Nam by Danielle Steel The Murder Book by Jonathan Kellerman Each book was $0.25 so the total was only $2.50!!

I just bought a bunch of books!!!! So I plan on hopefully getting into some of them this weekend. I'm about to post the list on my reading log

Yes a little bit. Luckily I'm away at school, so I'm not even in the area. My family knows a couple people there so it's been scary and we've been thinking about them a lot. For some reason I've always thought of Gone with the Wind as long, but that might be because I tried to read it in 8th grade.

That's a good idea. Mostly its just character names. I read a name and feel like there is a connection somewhere, but I'm not certain. So maybe I can just look up a list of characters with descriptions.

I'm finally getting around to reading the fifth ASOIAF book, A Dance With Dragons. It's good so far, but it's been awhile since I read the fourth book, so I don't quite remember everything that's going on which in this series makes it very difficult to fully understand.

I think they would be perfect for read-a-thon. I blew through the book. I didn't think they were the best writing, but I liked that I got to read more of the story, because I loved the series. After reading it, I wish I would've just borrowed it instead of buying it. It was "meh"

I didn't even think about Gone with the Wind! Thank you for that suggestion. I've always wanted to read it but its so long its scary.

Me too! I love Tyrion's whole character. In the show, he isn't as ugly or monster-ish as he's supposed to be but I think Dinklage does a great job of portraying him. He's by far my favorite character.

Well I've been reading them for quite a few years. I would guess around 4 or 5 years.

Sounds like a good book. I've recently become interested in more mystery/detective/lawyer books.

That second one is a really interesting take that I've never thought of before. It makes a lot of sense considering the attitude of the people in the town at that time.

The one I'm using currently is a Tyrion Lannister quote from A Game of Thrones "A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge"

This sounds interesting. It may be a good way to introduce myself to King's work considering its not horror and not too exciting (I always end up scared )

The Longest Ride BLURB: Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health, and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash. Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife, Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by reminiscing about their lifetime together--how they met, the precious paintings they collected, the dark days of World War II, and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can't possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and joys that defined their marriage. A few miles away, at a local bull-riding event, a Wake Forest University senior's life is about to change. Recovering from a recent breakup, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys that she has encountered at school. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes are high: Reward and ruin--and even life and death--loom large in everyday life. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans--a future that Luke has the power to fulfill. . . if the secret he's keeping doesn't destroy it first. Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart. MY TAKE: I have now officially read every single Nicholas Sparks book. Whew. I liked this book, but as I have found over the years of reading his work, I predicted exactly what would happen. The one thing I really enjoyed was that the book was in two different periods of time until the two timelines finally converge. Maybe it's because I have read so much Sparks that I can predict the ending of his books, but it has become almost less enjoyable to read his books because of this. I still enjoy the romance and the occasional suspense, but he has become predictable and gone away from his more tragic books. I like a little tragedy, just so I don't always expect a happy ending, but in some of the more recent books of his I've read there hasn't been tragedy. I'd like to see him go back to that. RATING: 8/10

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud BLURB: In a snug New England fishing village, Charlie St. Cloud tends the lawns and monuments of an ancient cemetery where his younger brother, Sam, is buried. After surviving the car accident that claimed his brother's life, Charlie is graced with an extraordinary gift: He can see, talk to, and even play catch with Sam's spirit. Into this magical world comes Tess Carroll, a captivating woman training for a solo sailing trip around the globe. Fate steers her boat into a treacherous storm that propels her into Charlie's life. Their beautiful and uncommon connection leads to a race against time and a choice between death and life, between the past and the future, between holding on and letting go--and the discovery that miracles can happen if we simply open our hearts. MY TAKE: I enjoyed this book, because I'm a sap for love stories and this was a great one. Although, one of my friends had already spoiled the book in a way because she had seen the movie I enjoyed reading it and waiting to get to the part I knew was bound to happen. Sometimes it's just as exciting that way, because you are screaming at the characters to figure it out. The main theme in this book was to enjoy life and I love how the author made it very clear through a narrator in the first and last chapters. RATING: 9/10

I found myself not wanting to read Perfect Match late at night because it creeped me out so much that I couldn't go to sleep.

I'm glad you like it!

A book I just recently read, Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult, doesn't have a horrible antagonist but it deals with horrible things and I found it quite interesting. The book is first person, if I remember right. Different parts of narrated by different characters. I think the book does a great job of making you love and hate some of the characters.