My Summer Reading

   As I told you in my last post, my goal was to buy and read as many books as possible this summer.  And I would dub my endeavor quite successful.  Before, I only had one and a half shelves of books, and most of these books were from my childhood, so I no longer read them.  Now, I am close to a full bookcase, as you can see in this picture...

   The top shelf are for my classics, the next two shelves are the series, and books from favorite authors, the fourth shelf down is the shelf for the Percy Jackson series, and the last shelf is for the books from my childhood.  For a closer look...

 (Heartless, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is missing at the moment)

 (The Red Pyramid is missing at this moment also)

(Yes, I own a Dr. Seuss book.  I got it for my fifteenth birthday)

   

   Now that you've seen how one goal succeeded, it's time to show you what I read this summer.  I'll only write a few sentences for each book.

   I started the summer by reading The Chance.  It was a satisying choice to start with, even if the whole plot was a bit coincidental.  But Karen Kingsbury is a very talented author- even if she's not my first choice- and she pointed everything back to God.  If this is the genre you read, or if you enjoy her books, then this is a must read.  My personal rating would be a three and a half out of five.

  Not By Sight is a book my friend recommended to me years ago, and a great selection for a young reader who enjoys mystery.  It was an easy read, but very compelling, and a great exploration of faith.  I would give this book a three.

   Next, I read Goddess Tithe, a novella in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series.  It was an excellent story- not my favorite in the series, but excellent nonetheless.  I got it for my birthday, and I believe this book was a great addition to the series.  I would give it a four and a half.

    I can not begin to explain my love for Draven's Light, it is easily one of my favorite stories in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series- despite it being a novella.  If you are a lover of fantasy, this is a book you must read- matter of fact, just read the whole series.  I would give this book a five.

   This summer has dawned my love of the classics- and it began with Macbeth by William Shakespeare.  When I started this story, I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did, just because in the past I had never enjoyed classics.  But I was pleasantly surprised, I would encourage an avid reader to give Shakespeare a chance, because his plays are quite enjoyable.  I would give Macbeth a rating of four.

     From Macbeth I continued to Edgar Allan Poe, where I discovered I had a love for him as well.  I can't explain why I enjoy these stories so much, besides the fact that I enjoyed the feeling of my heart pumping in my chest as a rapid speed.  I've only read a couple of his stories, but I would rate the entirety of this author a four.

   I am speaking purely to Doctor Who fans for this review, so if you're not interested, I would recommend just skipping over this piece.  This book has twelve stories of each doctor, each by twelve different authors (I know it says eleven, I read a different edition with all twelve).  Some of the stories you'll find enthralling, others you might find disappointing, but this is a must read if you enjoy Doctor Who.  Overall, I would rate this book, and all it's stories in it a three and a half.

  I read Heartless twice this summer, after having already read it a year ago.  I had to read it the second time to come up with questions for the book club.  The third time was to read it for the actual book club.  As you've guessed, I love this book, and no matter what your general preference is, every person should read this book, and series.  I would rate this book a five.

   I wasn't too sure about this book when I started it- a friend recommended it to me, and she's not known for always having the best recommendations.  But I was given permission by my parents, and went on to read it.  Rick Riordan's review on this book is, "Will keep you guessing who is good and who is evil..." and he was certainly right!  After reading it, I realized I never had a reason to doubt this book in the first place.  It was a very enjoyable read, and I can't wait to read the second book.  I would give this story a four and a half.

   As soon as I finished the questions for Heartless, I started Veiled Rose to come up with questions for it.  I enjoyed it much more this second time then I had the first time, when I read it a year ago.  It's a great read, and addition to the series.  I would rate this one a four and a half (we've began the book club for this book, and everyone's enjoying a lot).

   I then read The Painter's Daughter which I didn't expect to enjoy, but I did.  It is the first romance I've ever come across that I've decided I would re-read if I got the chance.  I quickly went out and bought another one of the author's book, and while I haven't read it, I'm certain I will enjoy it just as much as The Painter's Daughter.  If you are a reader of romance, Julie Klassen is an author you need to check out.  I would rate this book a four.

   I read Moonblood for my second time, and enjoyed as much as I did the first time, and more.  Moonblood really raises the stakes in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series.  I would give this a rating of five.

   I read Trapped for a book club at the library.  It's from the point of view of a high school boy, who gets trapped in his high school during a blizzard with six other high school students.  For a week, the kids have to survive, while the snow piles around them.  It was an easy read, and perhaps interesting to someone in high school who doesn't actually enjoy reading, but it just didn't capture my full attention.  Also, the main character's narrative voice was really annoying.  I would rate this book a three.

   I read this book because it had been lying on my shelf for years and I'd never read it.  I thought a nice historical would be relaxing, so I picked it up.  And I wasn't disappointed.  It wasn't great, but all in all, I wasn't disappointed.  I would give this story a three.

   I read Starflower after I was done with Moonblood, and honestly I was a little nervous when I picked it up.  I was afraid that it would not be nearly as good as I remembered it being, and I wanted to keep that safe image there.  But, just like last time, it captured my attention immediately and did not disappoint until the moment I had to close the book.  I can't wait to read this book again for the book club. Everyone should read this book sometime in their life.  I would rate Starflower a five.

   I wasn't sure about The Selection before I read it, but two different friends assured me that it was appropriate.  So, I went for it.  I expected a typical romance that annoyed me out of my mind, but I was in for a pleasant surprise.  It was about two friends, and that's all they were- sure, they fell in love in the end, but it wasn't too overbearing.  I would rate this book a three and a half.

   I re-read this book this summer to prepare it for book club, and loved it.  I remember Dragonwitch as my favorite book in the series, and I loved it much more the second time around.  I encourage everyone to read this.  I would rate this a five (and it deserves more).







      I read The Elite soon after I finished The Selection.  I was looking forward to reading the story, wondering if it would delightfully surprise me like the first book did.  Unfortunately, this was not the case.  This book was exactly what I had been dreading when I started The Selection.  This book made me feel like I wasted my money.  I would rate The Elite a two.

   I've wanted to read an Agatha Christie book for forever!  And I finally got to, by reading The Unexpected Guest.  It did not disappoint me with the twist, mystery, and the guessing game it played in my mind.  I would give this a four and a half.

   I was watching a youtube video when I first heard of Tiger Lily.  It immediately grabbed my attention, and I was determined that I had to read it.  So, I got it from the library immediately.  It took a couple chapters, but I got to the point where I didn't want to put it down anymore.  I fell in love with the book, and cried when it ended (I balled.  It was sad.  I cried.  It was horrible.  I loved it).  I would rate this book a four and a half.