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Anna's Books for 2014


Anna Begins

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This has been on my tbr shelf for AGES.  I do like dystopian fiction, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Atwood, is one of my favourite books, so I am determined to read this soon.  Thanks for the review :)

IMO, if you liked Handmaid's Tale, you will probably like Oryx and Crake.  It's pretty good.  The second in the trilogy is difficult, right up til the end, but I am finding MaddAddam to be a TON easier.  I love chatting about Atwood, so if you do pick up Oryx and Crake, you can always post in my thread :smile:

 

Ruth, I love dystopian, but could not get into the  above Atwood books.  At all. 

:wink: They are a bit difficult to read, but it pays off, at least, so far.  This is my fourth Atwood.  I want to read Alias Grace and Stone Mattress some time too.

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IMO, if you liked Handmaid's Tale, you will probably like Oryx and Crake.  It's pretty good.  The second in the trilogy is difficult, right up til the end, but I am finding MaddAddam to be a TON easier.  I love chatting about Atwood, so if you do pick up Oryx and Crake, you can always post in my thread :smile:

 

 

:wink: They are a bit difficult to read, but it pays off, at least, so far.  This is my fourth Atwood.  I want to read Alias Grace and Stone Mattress some time too.

Difficult? :). No, just not my taste.

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Difficult? :). No, just not my taste.

Ugh, I totally struggled with Oryx and Crake and Year of the Flood was even worse!  MaddAddam is proving to be real easy (so far).  She's just so... I don't know.  So different from anything I've read.  (oh and I HATED Handmaids Tale!)

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I have a couple of her other books on the shelf, I ought to pull one, just for comparison's sake. :)

I'd be interested in reading your thoughts.  I saw an old thread about A Handmaids Tale and if I remember, you weren't that impressed (I wasn't either)?

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Now I am 15% in and it is getting strange again! :doh:

Awww :(, I hope it gets better soon!

 

It might not be a bad idea if you picked an 'easier' book to read after you finish the trilogy. Up to you of course though :), that's just what I would do.

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Awww :(, I hope it gets better soon!

 

It might not be a bad idea if you picked an 'easier' book to read after you finish the trilogy. Up to you of course though :), that's just what I would do.

Well, this should take me to the read a thon.  So I will have something easier.  Then we will have the Maze Runner read.  So it's all downhill from here :smile: I might do a CRH in there too somewhere.  Or, I was thinking about The Humans, which is getting a tad bit of talk around here lately.  Maybe that for the December read a thon, as it is only 320 pages.  I know I want to read Wool asap, possibly in January, after I re read A Handmaids Tale (which is short and I did not find strange at all).  I'm already planning next year :P

 

Here will be my "roll over" list, from 2014 to 2015:

Salt by Colin F. Barnes (own it) 

World Without End by Ken Follett (Own it)

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

something by Clive Barker

Where We Belong- Catherine Ryan Hyde

When You Were Older- Catherine Ryan Hyde

The Boy From Reactor 4- Orest Stelmach

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

A Time to Kill by John Grisham

I, Claudius by Robert Graves (Own it)

Wool by Hugh Howey

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Some interesting books there :)! A couple that I have on my TBR as well. I hope you enjoy them :)!

 

I don't normally plan my reading far ahead personally because it really depends on my mood what I feel like reading. But I do generally have an idea of I want to read this book or these books in the next while.

 

I look forward to see your reading log in 2015!

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Short list for remainder of the year

 

November

 

The Humans- Matt Haig (320 pages)

(^ November read a thon)

 

The Maze Runner- James Dashner (386 pages)

(^November group read)

 

The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner series 2)- James Dashner (370 pages)

 

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents- Julia Alvarez (344 pages)

 

*************************

December

White Bird in a Blizzard- Laura Kassischke (240 pages)

(^December read a thon)

 

Disconnected- Jennifer Weiner (60 pages)

(^part of December's read a thon)

 

The Death Cure (Maze Runner 3)- James Dashner (354 pages)

 

The Kill Order (Maze Runner 4)- James Dashner (370 pages)

 

A Time to Kill- John Grisham (530 pages)

 

Potential in betweens:

Blaze- Richard Bachman (386 pages)

Suspicious River- Laura Kassischke (288 pages)

Phoenix- Chuck Palahniuk (28 pages)

Crash- JG Ballard (255 pages)

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I wholeheartedly recommend that Where We Belong be considered for near the top of your list for 2015. :)

I'm thinking January for that one... Athena just finished it!  I think When You Were Older is the beez kneez  right now :wub:

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older.jpg

Pages: 565

Dates: 11/1- 11/5/14

Book #66 for 2014

 

"And I knew that my only way through this mass of simultaneous future outcomes was to hold tight to the idea that it was possible to get to ok from where we were now.  Not assured.  Just possible."

 

Catherine Ryan Hyde’s prose continues to amaze in When You Were Older, when Rusty barely survives the World Trade Center attacks by being late to a meeting in the buildings before they were hit.  The reason why is because his mother has died, leaving no one to care for his mentally ill brother. 

 

However, When You Were Older was a disappointment to me.  Rusty and Ben (the mentally ill brother) were one dimensional, there was little to no conflict.  No twists, no turns, just a story.  Which might be ok, but my favorite of Hyde’s are the ones that make me feel deep down, touch my insides, make me cry.  When You Were Older had none of that for me.   I've given up ratings but would not recommend this to someone trying to get into her writing, instead recommending Don't Let Me Go, still my favorite of hers to date.

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older.jpg

Pages: 565

Dates: 11/1- 11/5/14

Book #66 for 2014

 

"And I knew that my only way through this mass of simultaneous future outcomes was to hold tight to the idea that it was possible to get to ok from where we were now.  Not assured.  Just possible."

 

Catherine Ryan Hyde’s prose continues to amaze in When You Were Older, when Rusty barely survives the World Trade Center attacks by being late to a meeting in the buildings before they were hit.  The reason why is because his mother has died, leaving no one to care for his mentally ill brother. 

 

However, When You Were Older was a disappointment to me.  Rusty and Ben (the mentally ill brother) were one dimensional, there was little to no conflict.  No twists, no turns, just a story.  Which might be ok, but my favorite of Hyde’s are the ones that make me feel deep down, touch my insides, make me cry.  When You Were Older had none of that for me.   I've given up ratings but would not recommend this to someone trying to get into her writing, instead recommending Don't Let Me Go, still my favorite of hers to date.

I totally agree with your review.  It was not one of CRH's good books. However, when you get around to reading "Where We Belong" by CRH you will......

"feel deep down, touch your insides, make you cry" as the book is pretty darn good. There is one part in the book where the young girl sat down in the middle of the room and cried....and that is when it also brought a tear or two to my eyes. :)....and I know it will to you also. :)

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I totally agree with your review.  It was not one of CRH's good books. However, when you get around to reading "Where We Belong" by CRH you will......

"feel deep down, touch your insides, make you cry" as the book is pretty darn good. There is one part in the book where the young girl sat down in the middle of the room and cried....and that is when it also brought a tear or two to my eyes. :)....and I know it will to you also. :)

Ok, at least I wasn't totally off the mark then.  I was afraid it was just me :blush2: I saw you had answered and I was afraid you had disagreed :giggle2:  :giggle2:

Ya, I get the feeling Where We Belong will get me!  That will definitely be my next CRH.  Athena just finished it, but I haven't read her review yet.

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Great review! It's a shame you didn't enjoy this one as much as some of the other CRH books you've read. I'm glad it was still good but it's a shame you didn't enjoy it as much. I hope your next CRH book will be more enjoyable :)! Personally I'm not yet sure which one I'll read next, because those I have all sound good :D. I'll see how I feel when I feel in the mood to read one. First I'm going to read the Maze Runner books (with you!) so I won't be reading one just yet.

 

Please read my review when you have some time, if you want :D (*shameless self promotion*). I do hope you enjoy it when you read it :).

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Please read my review when you have some time, if you want :D (*shameless self promotion*). I do hope you enjoy it when you read it :).

I totally will.  I didn't know if I should wait to read the review til I read the book or read the review before I read the book!

 

I must get around to reading a Catherine Ryan Hyde following all these recommendations!

Yes, I think you should :smile:  :D

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