READ A HORROR BOOK
Misery by Stephen King
This was my first Stephen King novel; I decided to go read something of his that I haven't seen before so I won't be derailed with details that might be/not be in the movies. It's very character driven, and when there's an event unfolding, you do get to fear for Paul Sheldon's life. However, I found the progress of the narrative really slow, and it really only picks up when the story begins to reach its climax.
READ A NONFICTION BOOK ABOUT SCIENCE
READ A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS
READ A BOOK OUT LOUD TO SOMEONE ELSE
The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
I wasn’t going to read a very long book out loud, but while this was written for children, I assumed that the child wouldn’t immediately get the humor behind it. This is a sequel to another children’s book though you don’t have to read the first one to understand it. However, if that one is as funny as this one, I recommend reading both books just the same.
READ A MIDDLE GRADE NOVEL
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
I have no idea why I didn't pick up this book sooner. It has a wonderful story, the writing made all the narrations unique to the person telling the story. I haven't been moved by a book in such a while, and this was really heartwarming that it's hard not to love.
READ A BIOGRAPHY
READ A DYSTOPIAN OR POST-APOCALYPTIC NOVEL
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
This is my first Patrick Ness novel (and I am attempting to read more of his works this year) and I really enjoyed this one. It takes the perspective of the people outside the ‘hero story’ – like the townspeople that the heroes have to save.
READ A BOOK ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE DECADE YOU WERE BORN
LISTEN TO AN AUDIOBOOK THAT HAS WON AN AUDIE AWARD
READ A BOOK OVER 500 PAGES LONG
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
It's a lot more interesting than the first book (The Knife of Never Letting Go), but I was starting to not like the characters even more. They just keep on whining and pining (and this is a world where they could read each other's thoughts) while there is conflict going on.
READ A BOOK UNDER 100 PAGES
The Library of Unrequited Love by Sophie Divry
This was written as a one-way conversation, though the reader does a lot of listening so it's not hard to form an opinion on what is happening. The librarian discusses a plethora of topics that she manages to wave in the conversation so easily that she does not miss a beat.
READ A BOOK BY OR ABOUT A PERSON THAT IDENTIFIES AS TRANSGENDER
READ A BOOK THAT IS SET IN THE MIDDLE EAST
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Aldieh
I expected more from this book. It's been so hyped up that I really thought it was going to be good. It was very descriptive, but nothing really happens to the story. It moves so slowly because of all the descriptions. Do I really need the details of all the clothes she wears? I didn't like the main character; she was initially portrayed to be strong, but easily succumbs to the charms of the king after a few pages. The re-telling jumped ship a third of the book in, and in the end I was just reading it to finish the book.
READ A BOOK THAT IS BY AN AUTHOR FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA
READ A BOOK OF HISTORICAL FICTION SET BEFORE 1900
READ THE FIRST BOOK IN A SERIES BY A PERSON OF COLOR
Legend by Marie Lu
I initially dismissed this because this was really hyped and I didn't need another YA dystopian novel in my life. I gave in and read it for the challenge - and read the rest of the books in succession. I didn't expect to enjoy and like this one. I wasn't sold on the romantic arc, and I had a few problems with the rest of the series, but as a first book, it was filled with lots of controversy and action.
READ A NON-SUPERHERO COMIC BOOK THAT DEBUTED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS
SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian and Mariko Tamaki
It's a series of strips depicting the lives of students in the academy and the adventures they get into. I would have preferred it if it had a clear narrative, as some of my favorite story arcs are those that last for more than a page.
READ A BOOK THAT WAS ADAPTED INTO A MOVIE, THEN WATCH THE MOVIE. DEBATE WHICH IS BETTER
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
The series as a whole is an easy read. It's a time travel conspiracy book so there's a lot of action in the time travel parts, as well as trying to figure out the mystery behind the theft that had happened years ago. This isn't the best book in the series but it does well enough to introduce the world that the trilogy is running in. I didn't care for the romantic arc of this book as I found it unbelievable, not to mention the lead guy is very dull. This is also one of those series where just about every supporting character is more interesting than the lead characters. The movie adaptation doesn't make the book any better, though it is very friendly to non-book readers. It already explains a lot about the world and the conspiracy, even if the scenes haven't happened yet in the book.
READ A NONFICTION BOOK ABOUT FEMINISM OR DEALING WITH FEMINIST THEMES
READ A BOOK ABOUT RELIGION
READ A BOOK ABOUT POLITICS, IN YOUR COUNTRY OR ANOTHER
The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
I thought this category would be difficult because I rarely read anything political but since it can be fiction, I went with this. It's like a PG version of Scandal - the world of fixers, conspiracies, threats - this book is very thrilling. I didn't even notice that the book was already at its last pages; it's hard not to stop as each page makes the story quite intriguing. The events are very fast-paced, introducing characters here and there, never stopping to just take a breather.
READ A FOOD MEMOIR
READ A PLAY
Asuncion by Jesse Eisenberg
The actors who played the characters were mentioned so it wasn't hard to imagine them portraying the character. The play was all right; it's nothing extraordinary. The two main characters (besides the titular Asuncion) were detestable beings. I think the humor just didn't sit well enough for me. It's quite forgettable; I don't think I would remember much of it by the end of the year.
READ A BOOK WITH A MAIN CHARACTER THAT HAS A MENTAL ILLNESS
Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford
This has a well-rounded story, with the plot and narrative easy to digest. At first I had a problem with the character, particularly how his aloofness seems to be a bit of a stereotype - coining nicknames for adults he didn't care much about - and worried that this might be a typical read, instead of shedding some light to the issues in the novel. Thankfully, it doesn't. It's not quite dramatic as the other similarly themed books I've read, but I like how this has a positive outcome, but doesn't hide the reality either.
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