On My Kindle

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - So this is basically a reworking of Groundhog Day. A mean girl dies and then has to relive her last day alive over and over again. It's tough to write an interesting novel with a despicable main character, but that's what's done here. Samantha is pretty awful and her transformation is relatively unbelievable, but it's the secondary cast of characters who make this novel - her friends, her family, and that mysterious girl who plays a pivotal role at the end.

Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren - I wrote about this book already, so I won't bore you by repeating myself, but this book pissed me off. I want motivation and instead I get a giant void where explanations and desires should be.

The Eight by Katherine Neville - Actually, I got this from the library. It's not available on the Kindle. I read about half of this 624 page book before I just gave up and returned it. It was plodding, dreary, and I'm pretty sure some of the plot points would have come together if I had endeavored to finish it, but I didn't. If you love this book, good on you. I'm going to stick with Dan Brown for my badly written plot driven books.

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta - This book gets four and a half stars on amazon, which is the virtual equivalent of a standing ovation. However, I'm going to go ahead and admit (much to Elizabeth's chagrin) that I would be the person who clapped once for this book and then stared at my hands and picked the lint off my pants while everyone else finished clapping. Character development: nil. Suspense: nil. Number of times I had to flip to a map to see what the hell was going on: approximate six million. I can't recommend this book. This was the third time I've tried to read this book and the first time I've made it through. I now know why I've given up on it in the past.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Haunting, beautiful, and brilliant. I loved this. Please read this book and tell me you love it too.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan - I was so excited to see that part of this book was told from the perspective of a female character. I was getting a little tired of Percy Jackson and this book is an awesome way to bridge the Percy Jackson series to a new crew. Love!

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - I remember reading this book when I was young and loving it. But now as I read it I am horrified that my parents let me read such pretentious, sanctimonious bullshit! I'm pretty sure I can't read any more Alcott.

Soul Identity by Dennis Batchelder - This was a free download and it was a fun and funny concept. I enjoyed this bit of fluff.

Easily Amused by Karen McQuestion - McQuestion is one of amazon's writers and I like her a lot. This book was fine. She has traditionally written young adult books and this was a foray into romance/chick lit. Eh. Maybe she should stick to young adult work? I mean, this is perfectly acceptable, but there's no fire here in this novel.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - Really, this is what The Hunger Games led to? I was disappointed, but I take it that I may be in the minority here. However, I was disappointed by the last book in the Harry Potter series at first, but upon rereading (and rereading and rereading) I have grown to believe it may be my favorite HP book, so maybe I'll have to give this book another shot down the road.

Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen - I loved this book. Seriously loved it. That is all.

What have you been reading recently? What should I put on my Kindle for my travels in the next couple of weeks?