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Please post your reviews for books you read for this game HERE :)

Please include the shelf you read the book for.

I read Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot off the Chick Lit shelf (square 3).

I loved this book, and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun escape. The narrator is Lizzie Nichols, a recent college graduate, almost, who flies to London to spend the month with her boyfriend. When it turns out she doesn't know him as well as she thinks she does she makes a break for France, her best friend Shari, a fairy tale like castle and perhaps a new shot at love. I love the way the book is narrated, it feels like you and Lizzie are best friends and she is rehashing her disastrous trip for you. The book comes to a rather nice conclusion and certainly could have been a one off, luckily there are more in the series, which, if they prove to be as engaging as this one, I can't wait to speed through.

I read Red Dog by Louis de Bernières from the short-stories shelf (square 8).

I am not a dog lover, but I found Red Dog to be a delightful canine. I recommend this book to anyone who likes dogs or travel stories, but have a box of tissues handy!

I read Catching Jordan from the novel shelf.

I loved this book! It has a female QB and the book describes neatly the prejudices and the difficulties she encounters. There is a love triangle but it was resolved neatly and the best thing is - there are no a**hole characters. A feel-go contemporary YA.

I read The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love for chick-lit (square 3).

It's Mississippi chick-lit humor about men, women, food and parade royalty. (Must be read with a southern accent and attitude!) Some chapters include: The True Magic Words Guaranteed to Get Any Man to Do Your Bidding; The Five Men You Must Have in Your Life at All Times; Men Who May Need Killing, and What to Eat When Tragedy Strikes (I gained 30 pounds just reading this chapter). So totally enjoyable. What a fun read! Really trashy, but what a hoot!

I read Unaccustomed Earth for novel

I don't read many short stories and am not a fan so I can't say that I enjoyed it at all. In fact, after a couple of stories, I was kinda bored :p Mainly due to the fact that the stories all revolve around Indian Americans & their struggles between Indian traditions & Western culture. Don't get me wrong, I know exactly how such a struggle is, being Chinese Australian, so that might be a reason why I wasn't enjoying it much.

I read The Scorch Trials for e-books. It's the middle of a trilogy. I'd given the first book 5 stars, but gave this one "only" 4. My review here . And I'm kicking myself that I didn't already request the final book from the library sooner, so I'll have to wait for it.

I finished: Star of the Morning from the recommendations I got. It's a fantasy-romance. And if you ask me, a bit light on both fantasy and romance. It was an enjoyable read. I will be picking up rest of the books in the trilogy.

For my free-read shelf, I chose Lord of the Fading Lands. The Star of the morning book made me want to re-read this. The Tairen Soul series is also fantasy-romance but the fantasy world is built more strongly than the Nine Kingdoms one. And after the 2nd re-read, I'm still tempted to pick up the next book in the series.

I finished Bridget Jones's Diary and I really enjoyed it. Even though I thought Bridget was mad, I liked her sense of humor and laughed out loud a lot, although I wish that she wasn't as insecure to go out with such losers.

At some point I couldn't believe the behavior of these women, but as a Smug Married, what do I know? ;)

My next move is from the Have shelf but I haven't decided on the book yet. I'm trying to find a book that could work for the Bingo Shelf in SOS.

I finished Mockingjay and I loved it. (square 4 Novel)
I'm happy and sad that the Hunger game series is over, happy in the sense that it's not dragged out so long that it becomes horrible, sad that I won't be reading about that messed up place anymore.

If you have not read the Hunger Games yet, I do recommend it. Suzanne Collins has a wonderful way of painting a detailed picture without dragging out descriptions, she gets straight to the point.

I finished The Seduction of the Crimson Rose. Here's my review:

I love this series and its frothy blend of chick-lit, mystery, historical romance and spies. If you're looking for angst and tortured characters this isn't for you but they're fun, witty and highly entertaining. It took me a little longer to warm up to Mary and Vaughn as they both are kind of selfish and shallow people. I loved that they didn't change and fell in love anyway. They're perfectly matched in their pride and wit and cynicism. I'm still never as invested in the present day Eloise and Colin relationship as I am in the historical parts but it's a nice framing device that unites the series. Another fun read.

I just finished Uglies for the 2008 shelf. I enjoyed it enough to read the next in the series, but it didn't blow me away. I give it 3 stars.

Slayermel wrote: "I finished Mockingjay and I loved it. I'm happy and sad that the Hunger game series is over, happy in the sense that it's not dragged out so long that it becomes horrible, sad that..."

Ditto on the Rec and Don't forget the movie is coming out end of March!! So EXCITED! Can't wait!

Kazza wrote: "Slayermel wrote: "I finished Mockingjay and I loved it. I'm happy and sad that the Hunger game series is over, happy in the sense that it's not dragged out so long that it becomes ..."

Counting down the day's until the movie :0)

Definitely looking forward to the Hunger Games movie!

Susan, I agree with you on Scorch Trials, didn't quite have the magic of The Maze Runner. Personally, I felt Death Cure fell a little short too, but still good. Hope you enjoy it :)

I finished Daughter of Smoke and Bone for novel (square 4).
5 stars. This was such a fantastic book. Loved the writing, the imagery made the setting come to life without being overwhelming and taking away from the story, the mythology is unique. Only disappointed I have to wait so long for the next book.

I just finished The Reluctant Viking (square 7 Free Read)

This book made me laugh out loud so many times I couldn't keep track. It's a fun Romance of a 21st Century woman trying to juggle her family life and business and realizes she's not doing a very good job when her husband decides to leave. She finds herself swept back in time and on a viking ship still in her modern clothing and facing the head viking who looks just like her husband. Dream or Reality? Either way she's given a bit of a do over to try and figure out where she went wrong in her relationship.

This has got to be one of the funniest romances I've read in a long time. I'll be checking out more in Sandra Hill's Viking series.

I finished The Summer Book for the "have" shelf (square 9). It's the story of a Finnish 6-year old and her grandmother who spend the summer on their island in the sea. It's a slow-down and enjoy your family sort of book. I really liked it and am going to try to read more of this author's books.

Finished Kitty's House of Horrors for wish-list (square 5).
3.5 stars. These books are always fast, fun reads. It's been awhile since I've read a Kitty book, forgot how entertaining and snarky she is. The end brings back an old favorite, so looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series.

Finished The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements for historical (square 1).

4 stars - This is a highly entertaining and surprisingly interesting insight into the world of the periodic table and its creaters and contributers from the man who began it all (Mendeleev) to the battles fought over discovery rights and the naming of elements. Written in a very Bryson-esque way that is light-hearted, humourous and accessible Kean brings the subject to life without scaring the reader with lots of science. There are plenty of interesting ancedotes and tidbits of information that Kean has managed to find that makes the whole story far more entertaining to the non-scientific reader and that gives the whole book an extra dimension. A thoroughly enjoyable read that is funny, insightful and shows every aspect of the science related to the periodic table from physics through biology to chemistry and everything in between.

Sam wrote: "Finished The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements for historical (square 1).

4 stars - T..."

The title was so interesting that I've been waiting for your review, Sam. "Bryson-esque way", huh? That's definitely an interesting way to put things ;)

Btw, I might be a bit slow here but how does the title, 'Disappearing spoon', relate to the content of the book?

Just went to check if I was lucky enough for my library to hold it in their collection and THEY DO!! Will be checking it out when I next go! Unbelievably, the summary about the book on the catalogue explained also about the 'disappearing spoon'!!

Kazza wrote: "Sam wrote: "Finished The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements for historical (square 1).

4..."

As you've probably just found out...it's to do with a prank scientists play on their guests, they make Gallium spoons which promptly dissolve in their guests tea, better descibed here

I hope you enjoy it when you do read it, I did :-) and Bryson-esque is the only way I could think to put it, you know that strange mix of humour and knowledge that he has...I wonder if I can get an entry into the English Dictionary with that...uhmmmm

I read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close for the shelf, Novel (Square 4)

I had seen this book several times at the library, but never picked it up - the cover while intriguing just didn't do anything for me. However, when it showed up as a group read for another group, on this shelf and fit onto the abandoned shelf, I took that to be a sign. If i could rate it with 1/2 stars I would give it 4.5, only because at first I was a little bit confused over who was telling the story at various times (there were 3 distinct POV's) - however, I quickly figured it out and wow. Can't wait to see the movie now - since its always my rule to read the book before I see the movie.

My read-2011 book was Divergent, also on the abandoned shelf for the month. I really liked it (as a think a number of the rest of you have), and gave it 4 stars. My review here .

I read Twenties Girl for Chick-Lit and I loved it. I enjoy Sophie Kinsella as an author and this was just as upbeat and lighthearted as her other novels. I enjoyed the characters and the ending. Lara was very spunky as the main character which I enjoyed. I gave it 4 stars!

The Disappearing Spoon is one I keep meaning to get back to. I got it from the library, started it, then had to return it before I finished. Glad you liked it!

Oops. Wrote my review then forgot to post it here as well. I read Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson for square 2 (2007) and gave it 3.5 stars:

I did end up enjoying this, but in the beginning I wasn't sure I wanted to be in this boy's head! His thoughts in just the first few pages about teen girl tennis players washing cars were a bit much for me. And there were a few other places in the story where Tyler's thoughts were a bit much for me. But they did feel completely authentic - at least as much as I can judge from my perspective, never having been a teenage boy. It feels like Laurie Halse Anderson got it just right - even though she did make me a bit uncomfortable at times.

This also felt a lot like being in high school again, so that felt authentic as well. I came to care for most of the characters, although I'm not sure any of them would be people I would be friends with if I were back in high school.

This isn't my favorite Laurie Halse Anderson, but I am glad I read it. She took the story in some places I wasn't expecting and really kept my interest. 3.5 stars.

Note: This does have just a bit of strong language.

I read Extreme Exposure for the contemporary shelf. Quite a few people recommended it and I picked it up today on a whim. The series is basically about investigative journalists. The book started off with a bang - there were so many laugh-aloud funny moments in the book (I unfortunately, read a funny part in my office today and I started laughing out loud. Needless to say, I spent uncomfortable minutes trying to explain that) in the beginning. But then, as we get to see Kara investigating, it turns out more serious. The romance aspect was kept just right and the action part had a bigger focus towards the end. The end was sooooo cheesy I couldn't believe it. I wish they'd left the epilogue out. Or that I hadn't read it. Otherwise, the book was very engaging. I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series. 3.5 stars.

I read The Weird Sisters for the chick-lit shelf. It's been on my list for awhile. Eleanor Brown certainly did her homework with the Shakespeare quotes! There are a lot of them. But as Shakespeare-illiterate as I am, I managed to get what was being said.

I liked this book. It was satisfying. The characters didn't necessarily start out as fabulous people, and they don't necessarily do what you would have them do, but the ending left me content.

It is written partially from the second person. And it changes in the middle of a sentence. My English teacher taught me not to do that. Now I know why. It's disconcerting to be reading a sentence that starts in the third person and switches gears in the middle. Like, "Rose and Cordelia were sitting in the kitchen when our mother came in."

I managed to get over it, and I get the point of why Ms Brown chose to write it that way. The whole Greek Chorus sort of thing. It only took away from the whole a little bit.

I first chose Marked but it's a buddy read and it's taking forever... so I changed to The Unlikely Spy

The beginning of the book felt messy. There were a lot of characters being introduced and timeline was slightly back and forth within a few years. So, I quickly got confused however after a handful of chapters, the story settled down and the main characters are now on focus. Up to halfway, it was slightly slow but after halfway, it was suddenly Bam! Bam! Bam! Fast paced and action packed. I really liked this part of the book. Unfortunately, since I'm not up with the technicalities and lingos of espionages and was strategies, I was slightly lost. In any case, it didn't drag me down too much.

Just finished Heartsick for square 22 (mysteries). Although it was really gory, I liked the story surrounding Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell. The other part of the book, the kidnapping of young girls, was typical murder mystery fare. I would give this ***1/2 stars since it left me wanting to read the next in the series.

Amy - glad you liked it - I have it tagged as a potential book in the future ;)

Just finished How Green Was My Valley for wish-list (square 5) and gave it 5 stars, reviewed as follows:

Tidy, absolutely tidy! This book is amazing and I can't believe it has taken me so long to get around to reading it. Llewellyn captures the essence of the Welsh Valleys through descriptive and beautiful prose that will melt the most hardened of readers as we follow Huw Morgan through his childhood, adolescent and young adult years where he finds his feet and learns many an important lesson. Yes Llewellyn combines events and feelings of a wider era than that covered by Morgan's story but in doing so he brings to life every aspect of the Valleys, from their mining history, their battles for better conditions, pay and benefits, their struggle to make ends meet and most importantly their sense of family and community and of course their pride in being Welsh. A superb book that I am bound to read again and again.

I just finished Winter Garden

So, I'm writing this review with slightly swollen eyes... Yes, I've shed lots of tears for this story - in fact, I came very close to sobbing out loud...

For me, I think it was because I was so invested in Meredith right from the beginning where she was experiencing emotional issues and wasn't able to work her way through it and when she started to open up, I was drawn into the story.

The story touches me a lot. Besides Meredith, I found Vera's (Meredith & Nina) story so sad because I keep imagining how I would be if I were in war and starved near to death. How would I treat others and most especially, what about my little one? This is the one question which always has haunt me even though I'm living in Australia in the 21st century! But I hope I can be as strong & courageous as Vera.

Kazza - I don't think I've finished a Kristin Hannah book where I haven't been teary-eyed

Finished my book for the "Have" shelf. :)



Title/Author: Angelfall by Susan Ee
Read for shelf: Have
Date finished: Feb 8th
Rating: ★★★★½
Review: This is a thought-provoking book, wrapped in an end the world setting. It may seem weird to mix a post apocalyptic world with heavenly beings but now that I think about it, I’m surprised this is the first “Apocalypses brought by Angels� story I’ve read, given that anybody who’s vaguely familiar with the Book of Revelation knows that angels and the end of world go hand in hand.

Although Penryn is only 17-years old, this is really grown-up book. The author doesn’t gloss over the terrible consequences of war, the realities of sexual desire or the question about the existence of God. They all have a place within the story and they are very well handled.

All I can say is that this book was terrific and that I cannot wait until book 2.

See full review here.

I read Murder Shoots the Bull by Anne George for square seven (free read). I gave it two stars, which now feels a bit harsh. But I just didn't enjoy it as much as the other Southern Sisters mysteries. You can read my full review here.

Read The Theban Plays: King Oedipus / Oedipus at Colonus / Antigone for free read (square 7) and gave it 3 stars, review as follows:

I actually rather enjoyed these, which I was quite surprised about since I'm not usually one for reading plays, especially tragedies but these were actually rather enjoyable. Together they tell the tale of Oedipus as he becomes king and finds that he has commited some of the most treasonous and despiccable acts without thought or realisation and the consequences of these events for both him and his remaining family. This translation is very readable and thoroughly engrossing, keeping the reader interested throughout each of the stories. The introduction adds meaning and clarity to each of the plays and sheds a little light on the writer and his motivation without bombarding the reader with too much detail or ruining the enjoyment of the plays themselves.

I read The Art of Fielding for #15, Book Club.

I wasn't expecting to like this book, but I did. It centers around the relationships between five main characters at Westish College: Henry Skrimsander, Owen Dunne, Mike Schwartz, the college President and his daughter, Pella. It takes place during Henry's college years. The book ended differently than I had expected, but I thought it was an appropriate ending. A few people have mentioned it has too much baseball in the story, but I didn't think so (disclaimer that Spring Training is a place I like to be). Overall, the book was well-written and enjoyable.

I really enjoyed Daemon. Kerri, if you're still looking for more good cyperpunk, you should check it out. But be warned that it has a sequel, and now I can't wait till I get my hands on that.

I gave it 5 stars, and have already requested the sequel at the library. My review here .

(duplicate review in abandoned thread)

Title/Author: Firelight by Kristen Callihan
Read for shelf: Free Read
Date finished: Feb 11
Rating: ★★�
Review: I should first clarify that I'm not a fan of historical paranormals. I always feel that these books are set in a historical setting to justify some weird aspect of the PNR plot. And this is exactly what happened in this book. There's no reason for this book to be set in the Victorian era, if you don't count that having a masked hero would look really weird in this day and age or that the heroine needed to have fire around to do her neat tricks.

I liked some things in the book. The paranormal aspect was original if a bit convoluted. Also, there was real emotion between the leads and you could see why there attracted to each other besides the physical. Both are people that hide a lot, that feel lonely and left out and they are definitely kindred spirits.

Now the things I didn't like. The book was set in the Victorian era but felt like a Regency. The paranormal plot was a mumbo jumbo of pseudo-myths of different cultures. There was a mystery, paired with a CID investigator, that was poorly handled and which society never sees a satisfactory solution, even though there were neon signs pointing at the hero.

Overall, not a bad first book but I'm not sure that I'm that intrigued to read the sequel.

I realized I forgot to post my review for A Discovery of Witches so I'm doubling up.

A Discovery of Witches**** I really liked this book despite some faults. There were pacing problems for the first half but the last 200-250 pages really flew by. I thought the characterization was very strong and I was particularly intriuged by many of the secondary characters. I'm hoping we get more of their POV in the next book, which I'm very much looking forward to.

The Unsung Hero**** I guess I liked this one more than most people. I went into it with some lowered expectations since it's not as well reviewed as later books in the series. It may be because I've actually read the third book already so this is not my introduction to these characters or because many in my family served in WWII but I got wrapped up in this one. The central romance wasn't the strongest one ever but I was still invested in it and I really enjoy the flashbacks to WWII. Also, the secondary romance with Tom's niece is really very sweet.

Just finished The Day of the Triffids for square 13 (suspense) and I loved it, review as follows:

A superb tale that combines genetically engineered plants with a post-apocalyptic world that makes life more than a little difficult for the survivors. Wyndham has a knack for brilliant story-telling that brings to life not only a scarily realistic world where all civilisation has utterly collapsed but also an all new breed of flesh eating plants that can walk, talk and stalk (excuse the pun). Why I have not read this before I do not know but I am sure I will be reading it again and again (and probably keep a closer eye on the plants I see out and about...just in case).

I read The Rabbi's Cat during graphic novel month last year, and thought it was great. I wasn't so taken with The Rabbi's Cat 2, which I just read for square 60. My review here .

I read Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka for the 2009 shelf. He is a children's author and this is a children's book but it was a fun read. He is one of 6 brothers! His poor mother.

I was excited to find Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on the reference shelf. But truly, I have to admit its only advantage was that it was very short. I only gave it 2 stars. My review here .

I found Prom and Prejudice on the juvenile shelf. I wanted to give it a chance, but didn't really like it much. My review here .

Susan - your review link is to Anna's for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ;)

Dee wrote: "Susan - your review link is to Anna's for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ;)"

Thanks. It should be fixed now.

I just finished Rot & Ruin for shelf 28 and give it 3 stars. It was a zombie book that kept my interest but held few surprises. The author did a bit too much foreshadowing so I saw what was coming throughout.

Susan wrote: "I was excited to find Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on the reference shelf. But truly, I have to admit its only advantage was that it was very short. I only gave it 2 stars. ..."

Yeah, that was pretty boring, huh!

Dee wrote: "Kazza - I don't think I've finished a Kristin Hannah book where I haven't been teary-eyed"

That was my first Kristin Hannah, Dee. I don't think I'm in a hurry to read another one. Should wait for the swelling to come down a bit, I think, lol