Best Books of 2013

Big Books

I will just say that it felt like a journey. I have read some books this year that were big books, that were not good plainly put. When I reached the end of those books I did not feel that the time and effort that was worth it. All these books are the opposite they took me months to read but I feel that these books were worth the time. I look back on them and get happy.

1. David Copperfield

I did not do a review for this book yet.

2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame

https://themollyweather.wordpress.com/2013/08/03/331-the-hunchback-of-notre-dame/

3. Anna Karenina

https://themollyweather.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/338-anna-karenina/

4. A Game of Thrones

https://themollyweather.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/333-a-game-of-thrones/

Time For The Comebacks/Remembrance

This year I went through a major change in my reading. I gave up on many genres and authors. In my process of evolving my reading I discovered genres that I forgot or never got a chance to truly experience in its greatness.

5. Parasyte vol. 1- 5 [manga]

The horror and manga/graphic novels this year has made a comeback in my reading life. The two biggest things that I like about this series is the progression and the horror. The first thing I was excited about when I read the first volume is that the book had gore in it. Then there is humor and a good story to go along with the gore.

6. The Terrible Axe-Man of New Orleans [graphic novels]

I like that this book had a bit of history. The art style and thrilling story sells it.

7. The Walking Dead volume 1 [graphic novels]

https://themollyweather.wordpress.com/2013/11/09/library-checkout-7/

8. Before I Go To Sleep [mystery]

I have experienced  some awful mystery books in my life. I have not really enjoyed a mystery book in my reading life in a while. This book really made me experience a mystery book that actually is suspenseful. It made me experience a book that actually builds on the mystery.

https://themollyweather.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2304&action=edit

9.  Battle Royale [Japanese fiction]

I have talked about this book last time on my top new to me authors. This goes along the lines that Parasyte does it does horror like it needs to be done. My greatest complaint overall this year are books that take forever to get to the action or promises something that it never delivers. That is the reason that books like Battle Royale and Parasyte are on this list. They do what they promise to do and do it right.

10. The Child Thief

Among the awesome parts of this book is the three-dimensional characters and amazing artwork.

Back to the Classics Challenge

In collaboration with trying to read all the books I own 179 (leaving 80 desert island books over) I am joining another challenge: Back to the Classics.

Original post for more in detail instructions on the challenge.

Nothing after 1964 is going to be accepted.

Required:

1. A 20th Century Classic
2. A 19th Century Classic
3. A Classic by a Woman Author
4. A Classic in Translation
5. A Classic About War
6. A Classic by an Author Who Is New To You

Optional Categories:

1. An American Classic
2. A Classic Mystery, Suspense or Thriller  
3. A Historical Fiction Classic. 
4. A Classic That’s Been Adapted Into a Movie or TV Series.  
5. Extra Fun Category:  Write a Review of the Movie or TV Series adapted from Optional Category #4.  

My List Just For the Books I Am Reading in January

1. Lady Chatterley’s Lover:20th century, Adapted into movies and television shows, new to me author
2. The Good Earth: American Classic, adapted into a movie, new to me author, woman author
3. The Emperor’s Pearl: 16th century, adapted into movies and television shows,  new to me author, mystery author, classic in translation

 

Santa Please Bring Me More Books

Please bring me the rest of their books

I included all the books I already have.

The orange ones are the ones I have read and finished.

1.Charles Dickens

• A Tale of Two Cities
• Oliver Twist
• Great Expectations
• Hard Times
• David Copperfield
• Nicholas Nickleby
• Martin Chuzzlewits
• Dombey and Son
• Bleak House

2. H.G. Wells

• First Men in the Moon
• War of the Worlds
• The Time Machine

3. Victor Hugo

• Les Miserables
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame

4. Leo Tolstoy

• Anna Karenina

5. Conan Doyle

• The Sign of Four
• The Hound of Baskervilles
• His Last Bow
• The Complete Adventures & Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
• When the World Screamed & Other Stories [The Land of Mist, The Disintegrated Machine]

6. John Steinbeck

• The Grapes of Wrath
• East of Eden & The Wayward Bus

7.George r.r. Martin

• first five books in the Song of Ice and Fire series
• Fevre Dream
• Legends II

I just overall want books that are worth messing up my books left to read challenge for next year. Since I have so many books I want and a large threshold for dnfing I will list specific books I want to read. I will show three books that were worth breaking my reading only the books I own challenge instead.

8-10.  

Anna Karenina

My mind frame: It is January first month of my read all the books I own challenge. I am supposed to be buying zero books for 2013 and just reading the books I own. I really was not (still mostly am) not into buying books because of many reasons. Despite, all of this I am stuck on a book that I started in November of last year that I do not own. I tried reading everything to not have to buy this book. I just broke down and it was worth it.

2014 Historical Fiction Challenge

In result of my trying to read every book I own (excluding 80 left overs) I am joining the 2014 Historical Fiction Challenge.

I am going to be forthright, I have not been into historical fiction lately for many reasons( that I have already ranted about a lot this year and honestly you will probably hear me rant about in 2014.) Of the 9 historical fiction I read this year I do not know if I can fully endorse any of them. I hope that this year my return to reading more historical fiction will be an excellent return.

I am going to try to do the Renaissance Reader- 10 books level

New To Me Authors I Want to See More Of

This list is in no particular order.

1. {S.J. Watson}

I am reminded that mystery can be a thrilling and interesting genre.

2. Anna Karenina {Leo Tolstoy}

The writing was so amazing that it immediately hooked me in a store. I was so into it that I could not even read any of my other classics that I actually own. I had to buy it during my kind of book buying ban. So worth it.

3.{Brom}

The artwork and story.

4. {Hitoshi Iwaaki}

I have read volume 1-5. The stakes get high with each volume.

This series and graphic novels/manga in general was rocking it in my life this year. It really made me remember my love for graphic novels and manga.

5.{Robert Bloch}

Horror can be so amazing with the right author. There does not need to be billions of pages neither does it have to take most of the book to get to the good stuff.

6.{Conrad Richter}

An unbiased view from both sides of the coin.

7.{Mary Shelley}

8.

I got so much sick joy out of this book. This is what I wanted this year books that are unfiltered horror that does not play nice.  I know that he does not have any other books published which, sucks.

9.

So many things were done well here but the best probably is the realism.

10.

I like that I could come in without having to read the other books in Batgirl’s back story. Girl power and just a character who is portrayed accurately.

November

Finished Clotel- I need to read more slave narratives!

Books I DNF

1. Velocity- Really? Is this little first chapter supposed to be funny? This is a direct [tie] into my October update. I am just so sick of authors trying so hard. I am at the point now that I do not even get mad I just dnf and move on.  DNF
2. Mr. Murder- I bought this book and Velocity last week at the thrift store because I have another book by Dean Koontz. I had this idea to read most of the books before adding the books to my books left to read list. The only good thing about this book is being able to dnf 3 books at the same time. Good thing I did not even bother adding this book to my list. DNF
3. In the dark of the night-No character investment and the horror factor was lame. DNF
4. The Vampire Lestat-  The flowery language, over description, and feels like no action is a struggle. I just feel like there is not any action happening. The action that is happening is drowned out by the flowery writing. Even better is the soul-searching emoness that is overflowing the story. I decided to give her books a dnf all around. DNF
5. The Celebrated Jumping Frog and Other Stories- DNF I just don’t feel into the story and I was not into A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court. I will just stop getting his books.
6. Three Parts Dead- [up to a little bit of chapter 4] I’ll get into it in my library checkout review but just know that it was a DNF.
7. War for the Oaks- It feels like a average paranormal romance book. I just could not get into it.
8. Book of Skaith [Ginger Star]- It feels like another book I read this year, which I cannot remember the name of right now. That book had some of the problems that that book did too. I felt that the adventure aspect of both was lacking. I did not think the adventure sounded like it was going to be exciting. I actually did start this book feeling really interested in the character and his journey. When he reached the planet I started to feel underwhelmed. The world and how it functions was very eh/blah. The more I learned about the world the more eh it became. Then the characters started to suffer. I felt that there was nothing here for me.
9. People of the Lakes- The first thing that turned me off is the prologue. I never realized that people skip prologues. I don’t skip prologues because they have a point to the story. I do skip all those things before the story such as forewords because they do not have a baring on the story. I wrote all this to get to the point of how pointless and boring the prologue in this book is. First of all, I didn’t actually read the entire thing in result of it being 23 pages that I felt had nothing to do with the story at all. The pages I read only made me think the authors are pretentious. So skipped the prologue to the story. I have four or five books in this series which people said you can read out-of-order. I did not like it. I just feel that this book and the rest of the books is going to be blah. I tried to read a bit of the other books but it was a no go.
10. The Weight of Numbers- I just feel that this book is going to be one of those books that is too literary (boring, not to say all literary books are boring just this one) to do anything involving science fiction.
11. Dragon’s Pawn- eh
12. Conan the Raider- eh

Previews

I saw this show recently called Twisted that airs on ABC Family on Netflix. Twisted made me want to read books that embodies different themes from the show. One of the themes is a good murder mystery. If there is anything I can say about the  first books of the Pretty Little Liars series is that the mystery was really good. I started watching The Lying Game show to have something to watch after Twisted. So I ended up previewing the first book because of the show. My Review: I did not feel compelled to finish this book for the same reason I decided to stop reading the Pretty Little Liars books. I simply am not into the teen scene. I have so many problems with how teens are portrayed in media. DNF

Now that we are passed those let’s get to the books that I liked this month

I seem to be into the Psychos lately.

1. Psycho FINISHED
2. East of Eden- I was supposed to finish this book by the end of this month but I just don’t feel like it. This is actually a good book but putting pressure on myself to read x amount of pages a day is making it feel like a chore. I need to take my time on this one.

What I want right now

• Interracial relationships
• Diversity in terms race, body size, portrayal of the different genders, fantasy worlds, supernatural creatures, and overall what authors talk about
• A Fantasy world that is unique and interesting. I do not want a fantasy world that is set in our world.
• Murder mystery/horror/

Pet Peeves of the Month  I know that this is the rant that seems to keep coming from me. I was being nice about this at first but I’m getting trigger happy now. Do not say you are a action/adventure/mystery/horror or whatever genre then not be that genre. Or even more irritating make me wait until past 100+ pages to do anything. I need a story that does what is needs to do right now. Not a story that says it is x but has people walking around and talking to each other. Speaking of things that annoy me what is it with fantasy/sci-fi worlds that are not creative. Then if I am lucky enough to see creativity then the characters are off. Something is always wrong. You know what, I could even deal with a world that is not that creative if the author sells it. I’m not going to fool myself because the lack of uniqueness in the worlds is making me angry. Why does every fantasy world seem to just be kings with a little magic thrown in? We have a gift of creating a world why are we just making worlds that look like ours?

• My 2014 Reading Plan: I think I am going to stay home for another year so YEAH!
• The Perfection Theory: Coming Soonish
• A lot of things coming to a head: I am realizing a lot of things that are making what I will read smaller. I am becoming way more conscious of the way women are being portrayed recently. I do not like that women are most of the time stereotypes. Why is every woman cookie cutter or an evil villainess? Then again I am having a problem how a lot of issues are being dealt with.  This week I dumped a couple of books from authors who in the past I would have said that I liked. I feel that my feeling have not changed but become more up front about books. In result of starting this blog I have become less tolerant. I feel that I have to be a happier reader. The secret to my happiness as a reader is cutting a lot of ties that I keep holding onto. I need to move forward and not look back.

More Reasons I am Happier in My Reading

G. I am reading outside of the box I put myself into. Realizing a lot of issues in books and media period has made me want to read outside of my box. One of the issues that I am really thinking about lately is how women are portrayed  in books. Another issue that I am actually addressing more in my reading is diversity. Specifically, I am trying to read more books with people of color in fantasy. The lists on goodreads and on the internet are really helpful to these goals. One of the lists I am starting on right now is: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/11395.Non_Caucasian_Protagonists_in_Science_Fiction_Fantasy_Horror_and_Paranormal_Romance it

I. I don’t feel hopeless. List like the one I listed above let me know that there are books out there that I am looking for. It is a wonderful amazing feeling to know this. I just need to search, acquire, and read.

& goodreads

I. I am letting go of genres and authors. I feel that a lot of genres and books could functionally could work for me. That  is why I kept reading them. I kept looking for this needle in a haystack. The bottom line is that these genres are just not going to be what I want them to be. I feel that these genres have not grown with me as a reader. I need to move on than staying around and ranting.

J. I am not giving up on a genre after reading a bad book. In the past I would read a bad book then not read a genre for a while. This may seem contradictory to point I, it is just a point of feeling hope in overall in certain genres. While feeling none in contrast for other genres.