Halfway point stats!

So I discovered the "Stats" bar on Goodreads.  So halfway to my goal and here's how I'm doing.

Total books read: 50
Total pages read: 16994
Average pages/book: 334
Fiction books read: 35
Non Fiction books read: 15
Audiobooks: 20

#51 - Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Wait a second - that doesn't sound like a book that Kris would read!  You are totally right - it doesn't! However, I live in a house with boys - boys who dig SciFi - boys who have already read Ender's Game and are piddling on the floor over the trailers for the upcoming movie adaptation of it.  So - I decided I could audiobook my way through a SciFi book on their behalf.  And...it pains me to say...I didn't hate it.

In fact...

I kinda liked it.

Written in 1985,  Orson Scott Card is easily the grandfather to the dystopian novels that exist today (think Hunger Games).  Kids fighting wars. Alien threats. The imposition of governments on families, religions and thoughts.  If you take away the backdrop of space, the core of the book is really about the abilities and limitations of people and strategy for survival in dire circumstances.

The other reason that I liked this book so much is that the audiobook production was superb.  It was more like listening to a radio play than an audiobook.  At the end there was a commentary by Orson Scott Card where he talked about being a playwright before he was an author and that the audiobook was what he thought of as the ideal way to experience this book.

Goodreads rating: 4 stars

On deck (audio): Memory in Death by JD Robb
In progress: Where'd you Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

#50 - Inferno by Dan Brown

Halfway to my goal of 100 books this year!  Right on schedule!

I was waiting for this book.  I have long been a fan of Dan Brown's writing and have read everything he has written, including the "non-Langdon" novels.  So I waited up until midnight of release day so I could download and start the newest one.  I really wanted to love it like I have some of the other books in the Langdon series...

The good: In classic Brown style, the book is fast paced and action packed.  I really enjoy getting a little bit of history with my fiction and there were enough little nuggets in here to keep it interesting.  The premise, combining concepts like population control and the historical view of Hell through the eyes of the Masters like Dante, Vasari and others, was enough to hold your attention and keep you intrigued.

The bad: **Sigh** I am usually happy when I don't see plot twists coming, predictability in my book is bad.  However, while I didn't see the way this setup was going to unravel, I din't really buy into the storyline when it did.  I can see misjudging the motivations of one or two characters but when absolutely nothing is what it seems, it gets to be too much for a reasonable suspension of reality.  The same goes for the cryptic clues that the villain leaves behind.  Why?  Do they want to be stopped? Really?

The ending was good - the final reveal of the threat that was actively being prevented was really interesting and leaves you thinking about what you would do and how humanity would react if this was really something that happened.

Keep it in your "to read" list! Just go into it with a realistic expectation of what you are going to find inside.

Goodreads rating: 3.5 stars (rounded down for the site)

In Progress (audio) Enders Game by Orson Scott Card
On Deck: Where'd you go Bernadette by Maria Semples

#49 - Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

If you happen to have the opportunity to listen this book on audio I promise you that you will not regret it!  David Sedaris reads his own essays and several are read in front of a live audience.

I definitely recommend throwing this one in your handbag for those times when you need a quick read.  Each essay can be read in just a few minutes, some will make you chuckle, some fall a little bit short of perfection but I always love when you can peel the layers back of a brilliantly damaged mind like Sedaris'.


Goodreads rating: 4.5 stars

On Deck (audio): Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
In Progress: Inferno by Dan Brown

#48 - Born In Death by J.D. Robb

Yup - I had been waiting for this installment of the Eve Dallas series.  **spoiler** Mavis has her baby and its kind of perfect.  If you read this series then the last 3 chapters are not to be missed!

Everyone has their guilty pleasures and J.D. Robb continues to be mine.  I was especially pleased when a plot development that I thought might be foreshadowed earlier in the book turned out not to come to fruition.

The main investigation story was really good and intriguing this time too. I loved how the main plot and the sub plot got twisted together at the end. Baby or no baby - this issue of the series is one of my favorites.

Goodreads Rating 4 stars

In Progress (audio): Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

In Progress (nook): Inferno by Dan Brown.

#47 - The Honest Toddler by Bunmi Laditan

I am grateful to NetGalley, the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'll be honest, I had never read The Honest Toddler blog but it sounds intriguing.  Written from a toddler's point of view, the perspective is definitely unique and I can certainly relate to having to deal with my own children in those situations when they were young.

I think this might have been better as a blog than a book because about halfway through the book I got a little tired of the theme of "if you are a good mom you will provide sugar and undivided attention to your toddler."

Some chapters were absolutely perfect (i.e. the comparison of Grandparents and Parents), others just became redundant.

I plan to subscribe to the blog and read it ocassionally but these stories and pieces of "advice" are best given in small doses in my opinion.

Goodreads Rating: 2.5 Stars (rounded up as a thank you for the preview copy)

In Progress: Inferno by Dan Brown
(audio): Born in Death by J.D. Robb

#46 - Matched by Ally Condie

**sigh** This has been on my "to read" list for awhile so when I found it on my library's audio book site I put it on hold.

Here's the thing.  I generally enjoy a nice tale of Government gone wild, the juxtaposition of the Utopian/dystopian society, and youth revolt.  That being said, I don't feel like this series brought anything new to the genre.  In general, I find this to be The Hunger Games in reverse - whereas Suzanne Collins went from the perspective of the oppressed revolting, Ally Condie takes the viewpoint of those who are living the "good life" and realizes that things are not as they seem.  Oh, and there are less dead kids at the end of this one (at least not that we know of)

I've read some criticism of the love triangle, etc but really - when the premise is that Cassia is to be Matched by society to her perfect mate, it is to be assumed that there will be another boy to get in the way of that happy ever after.

I will read the other two books in the series, but I'm pretty neutral about this one.

Goodreads rating: 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

On Deck (audio) Born in Death by JD Robb
In Progress: Inferno by Dan Brown (all other reading has been preempted until Robert Langdon is avenged)

#45 - Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer

I am so glad that this was not another book on "Memory Techniques" that try to teach you about how to improve your memory.  Instead, Joshua Foer presented the pros and cons of improving your memory and along the way describes his training to accidentally become the United States Memory Champion.

When I was in college I spent more time trying to learn how to remember things than I did trying to actually study the material, Mega Memory was a favorite but I found a similar conclusion that Foer did in his book; that memorizing something is not the same as learning it.  The brain is one of the most important organs but its still a mystery in form and function.  The journalistic approach to this topic was really interesting and enjoyable.

I moved between a 3 and 4 rating but ended up rounding down just because there were a couple of chapters that didn't really hold my attention and could have probably been cut off a bit.  I will definitely be reading more of Joshua Foer's writing.

Goodreads rating: 3 stars

On Deck (audio) Born in Death by J.D. Robb
In Progress: Sway by Amber McRee Turner

#44 - The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald

The first time I read this book was for AP Literature my Junior year of High School.  Even back then I loved it.

The next time I read it was on a college bus trip where I found some amazing analogies to my real romantic entanglements.  That was when I first bought my now worn and faded copy.

There have been several re-reads since then but this year's pick up was in anticipation of the new Baz Luhrman film and the resulting Posse Fieldtrip.  If you are debating seeing the movie - let me tell you now - stop debating and GO SEE IT!  It's beautiful and true to the story and you need to see it now.

The thing that struck me on this run through wasn't just the characters and imagery because those things have been indelibly pressed into my mind for the past 20 years...it was how concise the writing is.  After reading so many modern novels that spill over into 300+ pages, I was struck by how light Gatsby is in pages but how heavy in theme. Fitzgerald lets his readers fill in his blanks.  He doesn't need to describe every blade of grass on the lawn, the shape or size of the green light, or even full physical descriptions of the characters but anyone who has read the book will describe Jordan Baker with the same birdlike precision, the house with the same magnificence.  It's a talent and the mark of a true author.

Loved it as much as the first time but for totally different reasons.

On Deck: Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
In Progress: Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer (audio)

#43 - One Click by Richard L Brandt

I am a sucker for entrepreneur biographies.  That being admitted, I really enjoyed this portrayal of the rise of Amazon.com.  It all seems so simple to have a good idea, implement it and build things a little bit at a time.  Jeff Bezos is a fascinating and seriously smart man and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about his logical processes that lead to big results.  It's fascinating to watch something small become the biggest Internet company in the world.

Quick read (only 5 hours on audio)- I picked it up on Audio through my local library's download site.  Well worth the time investment in the car for the inspiration.

Goodreads rating: 4 stars

On Deck (audio): Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer
In Progress: The Great Gatsby reread
The Honest Toddler

#42 - Origin In Death by J.D. Robb

JD Robb is one of my guilty pleasures.  Eve Dallas and I have spent plenty of highway miles together and we have been through bad books and good books...this was one of the good ones! :)

This story was incredibly original if not a little more sci-fi than the previous installments of the series are.  Moral and emotional ramifications of genetic testing, where lines are drawn in scientific research, and what lies under the surface of even the most heroic of heros.  "Anyone with a slate that clean has had it washed"

If it could keep me guessing it was worth my time. If it weren't part of a under-rated series, it was probably movie material.  The visuals are very detailed and paint an amazing picture of a crazy genius' mind and bring them to life.

I confess - I have looked ahead to the description of the next novel in the series "Born in Death" so I was pleased to see little peeks and previews of what's to come in the next novel and I'm a little excited (i.e. Mavis's baby being born!)

Goodreads rating: 3.5 stars

On Deck (audio): One Click: The rise of Amazon.com by Richard L Brandt
In Progress (fiction) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
(non-fiction) The Honest Toddler by Bunmi Laditan

#41 - The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

In case you were wondering, yes I did pick up this book just so I could watch the movie...its a thing...but I'm glad that I did!

I like stories that involve the struggles of mental illness in every day life so the story of Pat Peoples felt very real and genuine to me.  The journey he travelled down as he re-entered society was compelling and I felt like we were walking through his mind as he rediscovered all of his missing memories of the time he was in a mental institution.

I ended up giving the book four stars instead of five not because the writing wasn't flowing and enjoyable but simply because I could predict what was going on in the middle 1/4 of the book but thoroughly enjoyed the ending and how the definition of Pat's "Silver Lining" morphed throughout the book.

Now I have my rainy day movie rental lined up :)

Goodreads rating 4.5 stars (rounded down)

In Progress (audio) Origins in Death by JD Robb
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald **quick reread**
on deck: Where'd you go Bernadette by Maria Semple