The Readers Block

Didn't quite reach my goal for 2016, but I'm not stressed about it. My number goal for 2017 is 40, I decided to stick to doable instead of pushing it. As far as the challenges go, I've chosen two for 2017- so far- Book Riot's Read Harder and Better World Books 2017 challenge. I'm going to try this again- Maybe I'll get it done this year if I have the books listed beforehand. We shall see.... Book Riot’s Read Harder 2017 Challenge 1. Read a book about sports. Fourth Down and Inches (l) 2. Read a debut novel. The Bell Jar (k) 3. Read a book about books. The Book of Lost things (l) 4. Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author. The Sound of Things Falling (l) 5. Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative. Americanah (l) 6. Read an all-ages comic. X-men- The Age of Proteus (h) 7. Read a book published between 1900 and 1950. The Secret Garden (k) 8. R...

Whitefern did not pop for me. I'm not saying I didn't like it or think it's a bad read, but it seemed to lack something for me. I'm thinking it might be because I read My Sweet Audrina too long ago, or maybe I've just outgrown V.C. Andrews' novels. What I didn't like about the novel- Arden's constant reminders to Audrina about the business and why he needed to have all the say. The lack of darkness- My Sweet Audrina was a very dark, disturbing read. Whitefern seems to lack that darkness, though it alludes to the events that caused the darkness often... I stuck it out though because I liked Sylvia, needed confirmation about Mrs. Matthews, and knew I'd be proven right by the end of the novel. I think I'll re-read the originals now to see if I still like them. Whitefern by V.C. Andrews My rating: 2 of 5 stars View all my reviews

"The real life of Lady Anne Clifford, 1590 - 1676, is a story of feminine victory in a man's world, the men including King James I & VI, Charles I, Oliver Cromwell and two husbands: the Earl of Dorset, gambler, waster and womanizer, and the Earl of Pembroke, gambler, waster, womanizer and the richest man in England." -quoted from the description on Goodreads. I wanted to love this book, simply because I love reading everything I can get my hands on when it comes to the Tuder/Stuart era. But.... while there is a whole lot of interesting information in this book, it just didn't grab me. I would have liked to read more about Anne and less about the people around her... The First Feminist: My Lady Anne by Gordon Thorburn My rating: 2 of 5 stars I feel like it took me forever to read this book, and it just wasn't for me.... View all my reviews

I don't usually go for mysteries, but lately I've had a bit of a taste for them. This is an entertaining read and the characters are mostly likeable. The ones who are supposed to be likeable, that is. My favorite is dear old Mrs. Bentley, Mrs. Rodd's landlady and companion. I would recommend this book to friends and buy any subsequent volumes should it continue as a series. Now, if someone would only tell me what makes a mystery cozy.... The Secrets of Wishtide by Kate Saunders My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Life Interrupted by Yessi Smith My rating: 4 of 5 stars I read this book as part of a read along/ discussion for the Coffee and a Good Book group. I have to say I think it was a good pick. I was a little iffy during the first chapters, as the writing seemed a little shaky and unsure, but I feel like the author found her voice towards the end. Holly is a bit frustrating at times, but likeable overall, and she, Travis and Derrick balance each other out well, IMO. Kudos, Yessi Smith! You managed to bring tears to my eyes more than once. =) View all my reviews

This is my review of The Doll- Master, which I received from Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review. It has been over a month now since I finished this book and I still can't get The Doll-Master out of my head. Six stories are told in this book, six. But I could only give you a basic plot summary of the other five if you asked me for one, because The Doll-Master is the one that haunts me. And because it does, I will tell you nothing more about it than this- it really doesn't matter if you can see it coming, because you know you are helpless to stop it. And it made my skin crawl. Out of the other five stories, the one I can recall the quickest and with the most details is Gun Accident. I can relate to Hanna, the shy, quiet girl who can't seem to see that some people ARE just bad, and is picked by her teacher to house sit for her while she is with her husband in the hospital. Things quickly turn bad for Hanna, and the situations she faces are just too real...

The Blood Countess is a fictionalized retelling of the life of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and the life of her descendant- Drake Bathory-Kereshtur. The story tells of how their lives touch through mysticism, passion, and upheaval- creating passages to each other in the flow of time. Personally, I felt the accounts of Elizabeth's crimes in this book was mild, considering the legends attached to her. I have read other reviews that the book was too gory and the reviewers had to stop reading it, but that wasn't the case in my experience. I feel that the author was trying to show that while Elizabeth was guilty of cruelty, torture, and murder, she wasn't the monster history and legend have made her become. Or maybe she was. In either case, it was enough to get me interested in the history of Hungary and the current situation in that part of the world, so off I go to find more. =) The Blood Countess by Andrei Codrescu My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews