What I'm Reading Monday During A Too Cold Day

I didn't get as much reading done as I would have liked over the break, but I finally got a few books finished that I've started and just stared at for ages. And, I as I wrote this up, I realized most of the books I didn't like. That probably played into why I didn't read as much - and a week at Disney usually means I don't read much because I'm at the parks.

At school

Legend by Marie Lu: I have just started this, so I don't have much to say about this yet. It is the first in a trilogy, and for once, I was smart enough to start the trilogy after all three were out, so I can read them closer together than the rest of the series when I usually have to wait years to get the next book. It's dystopian and is a dual narrator. I'm a little sad I left this at work; I could have read it today since we didn't have school.

At home

The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes: This takes place during WWI in France. It follows a woman whose husband has gone off to war, but her town is also being taken over by German troops. She and her sister run a hotel, and it hasn't had much business since the war started, but that doesn't stop the Germans from deciding they'll live there and force her and her family to provide meals for them. I really enjoyed Me Before You by this author, so I'm hoping this book is just as good!

Finished

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: I was hoping I didn't hate this book as much as I did the first time. No luck. I still got mad and kept saying it was stupid while I read it. I just didn't like it, and I don't think it holds up to the other two.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon: It took forever to get into this book, but once I got into it, I really liked it. Granted it took most of the book, but I am looking forward to the rest of the series. Once I finally got used to the terms and figured out what was going on, I really did enjoy it.

The Position by Meg Wolitzer: I really liked her other book The Interestings but this one just didn't hold my interest. It was set up a lot like the Interestings, but it seemed like more of a "test" project for the other book - like it was a rough draft. I didn't like any of the characters, and when that happens, I usually don't like the book. 

The Map of Time by Felix Palma: I have looked at this book several times at the store, and then finally picked it up this summer. It's broken up into three parts, and each part is really its own story. The thing that made me mad is that it takes forever to figure out the connection between the three parts (and I mean you don't get it until the end of a 600-page book). I also got frustrated because I didn't think the book matched up with the description on the back. There were several times while I was reading it that I would say "This book needs to get over itself." It has an outside narrator who interjects too much and is somewhat pompous. There's a sequel that I got when I picked this one up, but I'm not convinced I'll actually read it.

The Heavens Rise by Christopher Rice - This was his first foray into the supernatural, and it seemed like he was trying to write like his mom (Anne Rice), and not like himself. It was a little wackadoo, and I'm not convinced I liked the premise at all. While her books still deal with werewolves, witches and vampires - they're somewhat based in reality and still have themes everyone can connect to. I'm not convinced this one did that. I did like his first two books, and I think he should go back to writing his genre - not his mom's.

Up next

I think I'll start The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight at school. It's one of the books I got at the warehouse sale last month, and I've got to get through that stack! I'm really not sure what I'll start at home yet since I'm not too far into the Moyes book. I think it will be something quick because the sequel to Miss Peregrine comes out on the 14th, and I want to be able to start reading that right away!