Hello everybody! Welcome to 2015! I hope everyone is having a good year so far. Last year was just okay for me, but I did get a ton of reading done.
According to Goodreads, I read 23 books in 2014. I was surprised I even read that many. I guess getting the Kindle Fire last year for Christmas really helped me read faster than I realized. I have downloaded numerous digital books from the library, a few audio versions as well, and made a few select purchases. I was surprised to see that I did not always wind up writing a review. I meant to review all the books I have read, but got caught up in other things this year. So, if I haven't written a review of one of my past year books yet, I will try to point out some things about it here.
The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury by Bill Watterson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have loved Calvin & Hobbes for years, and was excited when the Kindle version of this particular book was on sale for only $2.99. Luckily, I had just got a Kindle for Christmas that would support this book's format (not every Kindle does).
This book starts at the very beginning, where Calvin first catches Hobbes. The book is superbly illustrated and written. It is humorous, and relatable, and reaches to all ages.
The only complaint of the Kindle edition, which is very minor, is that unlike most illustrated Kindle books, this one does not let you enlarge the pictures to see them even bigger. It seemed to imply that it could, after I first purchased it, but I could never get it to do it. The pages also have to scroll up, versus sideways, which I actually like for the format of this particular book. Someone said that the pages show upside down on the Kindle, but if you tilt it sideways, and then put it the way you want it, it should go the direction you want it to.
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. I highly recommend getting them all in paperback as well. Calvin & Hobbes is truly the best.
The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 1: 1950-1952 by Charles M. Schulz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a really excellent book, that starts at the beginning of Sparky's (Schulz's) career. I was amazed how many of his strips felt before their time, and still hold up today. There are a few that are dated, but some strips definitely influenced Bill Watterson's "Calvin & Hobbes," about 30 years before that popular strip came to be. This is only one book in a long series. There are still many great strips from the Peanuts gang, but this is where they got their start.
Sparky: The Life and Art of Charles Schulz by Beverly Gherman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was short, but well-written. I learned some things I did not know about the man, his comic strip, and the holiday specials. I really wish I could have met this cartoonist when he was still alive, he sounds like a really great guy. He was definitely one of the best cartoonists of all time.
Sammy Feral's Diaries of Weird by Eleanor Hawken
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a great book! I was looking at books at my online library, and was drawn by the cover. There are cute little illustrations put randomly through the book. The book has suspense and intrigue. I suspect it may be too scary for little kids, but for young teenagers, it would be just fine.
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I decided I wanted to read this book after watching "Saving Mr. Banks" (which I really enjoyed). I listened to the audio version of this book while reading along. It is interesting to compare the original Disney movie, to the original book, to "Saving Mr. Banks."
Because I saw "Saving Mr. Banks" before reading the book, I feel there is a deeper meaning behind the characters, that I would not have noticed if I read the book first. I feel many of the characters reflect the author's father, and the way she dealt with it, was by writing it out, making a fictional story about it. I also can empathize on how she felt towards Walt Disney, because of how very personal this story is to her.
The narrator of the audio book does a fine job bringing it to life.
The illustrations from the book are fun, quirky, and amusing. The characters are quite the same. Some of the stories get quite bizarre, but I found that made them quite memorable. I am kind of interested now in reading some more of P.L. Travers works because of it.
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hmm... I started to read this book as a kid, but never finished it. Years later, I decided I want to listen to the whole thing.
It was not really what I expected. The title of the book seems a bit misleading... the title is humorous to me, but the book is not meant to be. There is a touch of humor in some places, but it is mainly a book to send a message.
I found the characters relatable, on some levels, but terribly dated. The father is emotionally abusive, which is difficult to listen to, The mother is overcompensating, which is annoying. The main character, a teenage girl, is highly critical of herself, which is understandable, due to her being a typical teenager as well as having a dysfunctional family.
The book feels a bit pushy for my tastes. However, it was written in a different time period, and much has changed since then.
I listened to the audio version of this book, which is unique in the fact that it has an entire cast of characters. I felt the cast did a pretty good job, though I feel they may have been directed to "overact" a bit.
Overall, I liked the book, I just wish there was more to it.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I believe I mainly listened to the audio version of this final book, that was not meant to be the end of this Stieg Larsson series. He died before he could write the next books.
The voice actor did a better narration of this series over the other two books. It was so much better, I thought it was someone else doing the narration. Despite my dislike for the last book, this one was better. It was not as exciting as the first book, and at times I got bored, but I still enjoyed it, and felt like it ended pretty well for a unfinished series.
The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Sometimes authors try something new with their writing and it works. In this case, it really didn't. I thought I would really like this book because it was written by one of my favorite authors, Shannon Hale. Many of her other books are fairy-tales, and are exciting and adventurous. This book is supposed to be set in modern day, real life.
The characters are supposed to be adults in this, but I feel the main character to be a selfish, clueless brat. She really annoyed me throughout the book. She tells people why the actor could not be interested in her because of the way she looks. I think he should not be interested in her because of her personality, that, and of course, she is married. The book seems to try hard to push religion, but does not give enough to make the reader interested in it, and basically preaches to the choir to those that already know about it. The characters are highly stereotypical, which also lessens my appeal to the book.
I also felt while reading the book, that the characters were sharing a personal joke that the reader was not allowed in on. If you are going to have a personal joke between characters, the reader needs to be a part of it!
One good thing I have to say is that Hale did pick good actor names. I actually had to look up "Felix Callahan" to see if it was the name of a real actor. The other name was "Celeste Bourgnine." Both names were believable celebrity names.
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I had to quit my book club a couple of years ago because my new work schedule, but they formed a new one, that worked for me, and this is the book that we read.
This book is fiction, but based on true events. It goes back and forth, from modern day life, then delves into the past. I found the book very interesting, yet sad. I never knew these trains existed before. The book is fairly mild, yet it has one scene that I felt could have been written differently, or left out all together. It is obvious that things happened, but until that point in the book, I would say it would be a great read for teens, but not with the way that scene was written.
Cybill Disobedience: How I Survived Beauty Pageants, Elvis, Sex, Bruce Willis, Lies, Marriage, Motherhood, Hollywood, and the Irrepressible Urge to Say What I Think by Cybill Shepherd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kindle offered this book for free when I purchased it, and even though I took my time reading it, I liked it a lot.
Cybill Shepherd does not hold back when she tells about her life as a celebrity, which seems to disappoint and even anger some of her previous fans. So, if you think Shepherd is the wholesome, girl-next-door type, and don't want to destroy that image, then maybe you should read another book.
I can totally see this book from Shepherd's perspective. There are misunderstandings, there are elements of humor, there are bits of juicy gossip about other celebrities.
I used to watch Moonlighting as a girl, and really liked the series. There are times I wondered why did Cybill's hair look like that, or why are they speaking so fast, or why do they look so tired? This book had the answers to those questions I thought of years ago.
I also remember her show Cybill, vaguely. She talks about that show quite a bit as well.
Overall, I really liked it. It was also fun to remember the shows that I used to watch a long time ago, and go behind scenes, to hear what really may have been going on.
According to Goodreads, I read 23 books in 2014. I was surprised I even read that many. I guess getting the Kindle Fire last year for Christmas really helped me read faster than I realized. I have downloaded numerous digital books from the library, a few audio versions as well, and made a few select purchases. I was surprised to see that I did not always wind up writing a review. I meant to review all the books I have read, but got caught up in other things this year. So, if I haven't written a review of one of my past year books yet, I will try to point out some things about it here.
The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury by Bill WattersonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have loved Calvin & Hobbes for years, and was excited when the Kindle version of this particular book was on sale for only $2.99. Luckily, I had just got a Kindle for Christmas that would support this book's format (not every Kindle does).
This book starts at the very beginning, where Calvin first catches Hobbes. The book is superbly illustrated and written. It is humorous, and relatable, and reaches to all ages.
The only complaint of the Kindle edition, which is very minor, is that unlike most illustrated Kindle books, this one does not let you enlarge the pictures to see them even bigger. It seemed to imply that it could, after I first purchased it, but I could never get it to do it. The pages also have to scroll up, versus sideways, which I actually like for the format of this particular book. Someone said that the pages show upside down on the Kindle, but if you tilt it sideways, and then put it the way you want it, it should go the direction you want it to.
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. I highly recommend getting them all in paperback as well. Calvin & Hobbes is truly the best.
The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 1: 1950-1952 by Charles M. SchulzMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a really excellent book, that starts at the beginning of Sparky's (Schulz's) career. I was amazed how many of his strips felt before their time, and still hold up today. There are a few that are dated, but some strips definitely influenced Bill Watterson's "Calvin & Hobbes," about 30 years before that popular strip came to be. This is only one book in a long series. There are still many great strips from the Peanuts gang, but this is where they got their start.
Sparky: The Life and Art of Charles Schulz by Beverly GhermanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was short, but well-written. I learned some things I did not know about the man, his comic strip, and the holiday specials. I really wish I could have met this cartoonist when he was still alive, he sounds like a really great guy. He was definitely one of the best cartoonists of all time.
Sammy Feral's Diaries of Weird by Eleanor HawkenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a great book! I was looking at books at my online library, and was drawn by the cover. There are cute little illustrations put randomly through the book. The book has suspense and intrigue. I suspect it may be too scary for little kids, but for young teenagers, it would be just fine.
Mary Poppins by P.L. TraversMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I decided I wanted to read this book after watching "Saving Mr. Banks" (which I really enjoyed). I listened to the audio version of this book while reading along. It is interesting to compare the original Disney movie, to the original book, to "Saving Mr. Banks."
Because I saw "Saving Mr. Banks" before reading the book, I feel there is a deeper meaning behind the characters, that I would not have noticed if I read the book first. I feel many of the characters reflect the author's father, and the way she dealt with it, was by writing it out, making a fictional story about it. I also can empathize on how she felt towards Walt Disney, because of how very personal this story is to her.
The narrator of the audio book does a fine job bringing it to life.
The illustrations from the book are fun, quirky, and amusing. The characters are quite the same. Some of the stories get quite bizarre, but I found that made them quite memorable. I am kind of interested now in reading some more of P.L. Travers works because of it.
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula DanzigerMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hmm... I started to read this book as a kid, but never finished it. Years later, I decided I want to listen to the whole thing.
It was not really what I expected. The title of the book seems a bit misleading... the title is humorous to me, but the book is not meant to be. There is a touch of humor in some places, but it is mainly a book to send a message.
I found the characters relatable, on some levels, but terribly dated. The father is emotionally abusive, which is difficult to listen to, The mother is overcompensating, which is annoying. The main character, a teenage girl, is highly critical of herself, which is understandable, due to her being a typical teenager as well as having a dysfunctional family.
The book feels a bit pushy for my tastes. However, it was written in a different time period, and much has changed since then.
I listened to the audio version of this book, which is unique in the fact that it has an entire cast of characters. I felt the cast did a pretty good job, though I feel they may have been directed to "overact" a bit.
Overall, I liked the book, I just wish there was more to it.
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg LarssonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I believe I mainly listened to the audio version of this final book, that was not meant to be the end of this Stieg Larsson series. He died before he could write the next books.
The voice actor did a better narration of this series over the other two books. It was so much better, I thought it was someone else doing the narration. Despite my dislike for the last book, this one was better. It was not as exciting as the first book, and at times I got bored, but I still enjoyed it, and felt like it ended pretty well for a unfinished series.
The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon HaleMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Sometimes authors try something new with their writing and it works. In this case, it really didn't. I thought I would really like this book because it was written by one of my favorite authors, Shannon Hale. Many of her other books are fairy-tales, and are exciting and adventurous. This book is supposed to be set in modern day, real life.
The characters are supposed to be adults in this, but I feel the main character to be a selfish, clueless brat. She really annoyed me throughout the book. She tells people why the actor could not be interested in her because of the way she looks. I think he should not be interested in her because of her personality, that, and of course, she is married. The book seems to try hard to push religion, but does not give enough to make the reader interested in it, and basically preaches to the choir to those that already know about it. The characters are highly stereotypical, which also lessens my appeal to the book.
I also felt while reading the book, that the characters were sharing a personal joke that the reader was not allowed in on. If you are going to have a personal joke between characters, the reader needs to be a part of it!
One good thing I have to say is that Hale did pick good actor names. I actually had to look up "Felix Callahan" to see if it was the name of a real actor. The other name was "Celeste Bourgnine." Both names were believable celebrity names.
Orphan Train by Christina Baker KlineMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I had to quit my book club a couple of years ago because my new work schedule, but they formed a new one, that worked for me, and this is the book that we read.
This book is fiction, but based on true events. It goes back and forth, from modern day life, then delves into the past. I found the book very interesting, yet sad. I never knew these trains existed before. The book is fairly mild, yet it has one scene that I felt could have been written differently, or left out all together. It is obvious that things happened, but until that point in the book, I would say it would be a great read for teens, but not with the way that scene was written.
Cybill Disobedience: How I Survived Beauty Pageants, Elvis, Sex, Bruce Willis, Lies, Marriage, Motherhood, Hollywood, and the Irrepressible Urge to Say What I Think by Cybill ShepherdMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kindle offered this book for free when I purchased it, and even though I took my time reading it, I liked it a lot.
Cybill Shepherd does not hold back when she tells about her life as a celebrity, which seems to disappoint and even anger some of her previous fans. So, if you think Shepherd is the wholesome, girl-next-door type, and don't want to destroy that image, then maybe you should read another book.
I can totally see this book from Shepherd's perspective. There are misunderstandings, there are elements of humor, there are bits of juicy gossip about other celebrities.
I used to watch Moonlighting as a girl, and really liked the series. There are times I wondered why did Cybill's hair look like that, or why are they speaking so fast, or why do they look so tired? This book had the answers to those questions I thought of years ago.
I also remember her show Cybill, vaguely. She talks about that show quite a bit as well.
Overall, I really liked it. It was also fun to remember the shows that I used to watch a long time ago, and go behind scenes, to hear what really may have been going on.
Wings by Aprilynne PikeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun read. It had some mystery as well I am torn on what I think should happen later in the series.
Spells by Aprilynne PikeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I am continuing to enjoy the series. This one seemed to have a bit more suspense to it. I am intrigued to see what happens next, especially with that ending.
Illusions by Aprilynne PikeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Some new characters have been added to this book to up the intrigue and suspense. I believe there is only one more book in this series? I have some thoughts on how it is all going to wrap up, and if I am right, I will be totally happy with it.
Destined by Aprilynne PikeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I found this book particularly suspenseful towards the end. Some things were totally unexpected. I really enjoyed this book and series as a whole. I will miss the series, the main characters, as well.
Divergent by Veronica RothMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I decided to read this book a second time, before the movie comes out. To be honest, I did not remember most of it, till I read it again. It is much more violent than I remember it, and I am wondering if I am going to be able to watch some scenes on the big screen. It was still a page-turner for me. It was visually intriguing, and interesting how the characters interacted with one another. The suspense also grabbed me. Divergent is not very realistic, but I enjoyed the book, nevertheless.
(For the record, the scenes that bothered me the most, were not in the film).
Insurgent by Veronica RothMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was suspenseful and chilling. I would be reading along, and think, "just one more chapter," and have to read more.
Allegiant by Veronica RothMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I remember thinking how I did not like the two-person perspective in this book, since I felt like it wasn't a new concept anymore. I had read it in the last book of the Twilight series, then in the last two books of the Matched series. In both books, the format worked well.
I guess it was a bit necessary in this book for that kind of perspective, but I did not feel the characters "sounded" much different from each other, and I often got mixed up knowing which person I was reading. I often had to check the beginning of the chapter to find out.
This book surprised me. I did not realize they were going to take it this direction, but that made it more interesting. Some of my friends did not like the ending, but I felt it was appropriate.
Eena, The Curse of Wanyaka Cave by Richelle E. GoodrichMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is probably my favorite in the series so far. The cover is my favorite too, really like the colors used, and I like how it has some depth perspective to it.
There are many memorable and interesting things that happen in this book. Like meeting the other civilizations on the planet, and how they live. Ian's new talent. Getting a peek into the past, to understand the characters better. I liked how it ended, too. I could even be okay if the series just ended there, leaving it up to the reader's imagination -- but I know that is not where it ends.
It will be interesting to see what happens next.
Eena, The Two Sisters by Richelle E. GoodrichMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A lot of interesting things happen in this book, and I am honestly torn on what I think of them. This book is the hardest to review, because if I say anything, it might spoil it for others reading the book. I can say I really like this cover. It has beautiful colors and a nice perspective. There are some definite surprises in this book. I am certainly curious where it might lead next. My mind is full of question marks.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria SempleMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I listened an audio version of this book in the car. It was funny, had some suspense, and some sad moments as well. The characters are pretty crazy. It is mostly set in Seattle, which made it interesting to me. It seemed a little wordy at the end. This book sort of reminded me of "A Confederacy of Dunces," (which I didn't like at all), but this book seems more to target a female audience, where "A Confederacy of Dunces" seems to target a male one. The narrator does an excellent job. There was a singing part which she also did very well. I liked it.
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy TooleMy rating: 1 of 5 stars
I am giving this book one star because I personally did not like it. My dad thought it was hilarious.
I borrowed the audio version of this book, and listened to it while driving. I mainly felt tense and irritated while listening to this book, thinking, "this book is horrible, I hate this book, does he have to constantly say that? It's annoying every time that other guy says, 'whoah!' I really hate this main character...a Master's Degree? In what? The only thing he has a Master's in is BS! My dad thinks THIS is funny? Okay, that was a little funny. Ugh, I hate this book. Does it ever end? When is it going to end? Maybe it is time to listen to some music instead. Do I want to finish this book? Might as well, my dad liked it. I like Trixie. "I am a very attractive woman..."
I do understand why some people would find it funny. I think the author does a good job of creating a world of annoying characters with distinct personalities. If it was to my taste in books, I may even rate it 4-5 stars, but I can't, because overall, I really did not like this book.
The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry by Kathleen FlinnMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this audio book. It was recommended by a friend from work. It is about a woman who goes to cooking school in France. It has humor, heartache, annoyance, and frustration throughout the entire book. I like the narrator's voice, it almost has maybe a bored quality to it, but it is still interesting to listen to.
As someone who enjoys cooking, the book was particularly interesting to me. I am pretty sure I don't have a passion for it, because I could not stomach doing some of the things the students are asked to do. There is at least one recipe at the end of each chapter. I could imagine the taste of each recipe read to an extent.
A hard copy would be easier to try out the recipes, however, the audio is nice, in order to hear how some of the words are pronounced in French.
If you like to cook, you would probably enjoy this book.
![By Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird CD [Audiobook]](https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1390199916m/20582264.jpg)
By Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird CD [Audiobook] by -HarperAudio-My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have read this book several times now, and was excited to hear that not only is it available in digital form, but in audio as well.
Sissy Spacek does the narration for this book. She does a pretty good job. Her voice doesn't change much for the variety of characters, so sometimes I forgot which character was supposed to be speaking. Her voice is very soothing, however, so it makes it pleasant to listen to. There is one instance however, when she is doing a slightly different voice for one character, and it went into another character's line.
Even though I have read this book several times, I always seem to forget the humor that is in it. I think it is because it covers a very serious subject. It is one of those books where you can read it over and over, and get something more out of it each time. It is one of my favorites.
View all my reviews
Well, that is it! I am not sure if I will read that many books this year or not, but I kind of hope to finish all the books I started and haven't finished yet by this year. One I am currently reading is "Gone with the Wind," it is a long book, and it does not come with the text-to-speech feature on my Kindle, so it is taking me longer to read it. I will feel accomplished if I can get through the whole book this year.
