Allegiant

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what happened.  Veronica Roth did in Allegiant what I never expected any YA author to do.  Ever.  (I know there are some people who are hating on the book and author because of the ending.  Whether someone likes or dislikes any book is subjective and everyone has a right to their opinion, I just feel like there is a lot of negativity.)  I think the character growth over the course of Allegiant and the entire Divergent series has been great.  What Veronica Roth says in her [very spoilery] interview with MTV seems true to me.  By the end of Allegient, Tris has grown up.  By the end of Allegient, I was practically in tears.

*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*

* I wanted to make the spoilers obvious because a couple days ago, in the midst of me reading Allegiant, BAM!  I accidentally glimpsed a spoiler about the end.  Then I raced through the book, not just because it was a great read, but because I had to find out if what I saw was true or if I mis-read those words.  I hoped it wasn't true, but I knew it would be.  I was in such denial.

Even though I was going through a whole lot of - I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING, I didn't really start to get emotional until Tris's mother appears. I almost lost it.  It was only because my hubby was in the room, and I didn't want him to think I was crazy, that I kept some kind of control.  It was even more difficult to hold it together when Tobias lost it after learning the truth.

I'm proud of Veronica Roth, in a weird way, as I don't actually know her.  She knew what kind of reaction she would receive, but she chose to stay true to her vision for the series.  Do I wish Tris had lived, that Tris and Tobias could live happily ever after, be rewarded for all the difficulties they went through? Yes. After reading Roth's post on her blog and the interview that went up on MTV today, I understand why that didn't happen. I think Roth made a brave choice and that's a big part of what Allegiant was about, bravery.

While Tris is the star of the series, she and Tobias weren't the only things I enjoyed about Allegiant.  I think I loved (and loved to hate) the cast of characters in general. Uriah was always smiling and making jokes; did he have a secret drinking problem? Christina goes through so many changes herself from the beginning of the series to the end and her friendship with Tobias.  By the end, Cara had also become one of my favourite characters. Matthew was a great addition to their crew.  I love to hate Peter and Caleb and David.  David! So the love triangle was never going to be Tris's, but her mother's!  David was wonderfully awful.

There was a lot going on in Allegiant.  Maybe too much?  Was Nita and Reggie necessary?  I don't know. Though it did provide another shake-up in Tobias and Tris's relationship (was that necessary?) and they gave the reader a view of the real world outside of Chicago.  I enjoyed Johanna's growth.  I'm not sure how I feel about Evelyn. I'm glad Marcus finally disappeared.  The plot seemed maybe overly complex, more complex than the previous books, but I still enjoyed it.

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what happened.  This was not a simple novel with a simple ending. There was a crazy plot, multi-faceted characters and abundant emotion.  I'm keep feeling like my feelings may change the more time passes by, but I don't want to wait to post.  I've always enjoyed posting my first reaction to a book.  I think Divergent is a great series.  I think I might re-read it one day.  I'm thinking of re-reading the ending now...

It's Gotten A Bit Chilly: Top Ten Books On My Fall Reading List

I'm really hoping (more than usual) to actually stick to My Top Ten list for Fall books.  Can I read these 10 books by December?

1. Allegiant - Veronica Roth

2. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

3. The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton

3. The Thousand Orcs - R.A. Salvatore

4. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

5. Champion - Marie Lu

6. Fool - Christopher Moore

7. The Last Policeman - Ben H. Winters

8. The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater

9. Horns - Joe Hill

10. Carrie - Stephen King

Can I get all ten of these books read in three months?  Probably not, I never do, but I'll try.  There are definitely a few that are more of a "priority" than others, series conclusions, must-read-before-seeing-movie, but I do want to read all of them.

Thanks to The Broke and The Bookish for hosting.

Time to Lounge In The Sun! Top Ten Beach Reads

It seems like every year just as the beach season starts, The Broke and The Bookish want to know, what are your Top Ten Beach Reads.  This will in fact be my third "beach read" list.  This year the topic also specifically asks how YOU define a beach read.  

Usually, if a list is repeated or I've done something similar, I'll try not to repeat the books.  This time, I'm going to think about what I would want in a beach read and see what makes my top ten this week, even if it was on one of the previous lists.  For me, when I want to take something to the beach, I want it to be a page-turner.  It doesn't have to be fluff, it could be anything that will keep me engaged.  It also needs to be something I can put down at any point and come back to without feeling like I need to catch up.  What if I want to take a dip in the water?  Or build a sand castle?  I don't want to feel like I can't leave the story.  In no particular order, my Top Ten Beach Reads.

1. Anything by Sophie Kinsella.

2. The Undead Series, by MaryJanice Davidson

3. The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins

4. The Divergent Trilogy, by Veronica Roth

5. A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket

6. The Harry Potter Series, by J.K. Rowling

7. The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis

8. Anything by Jane Austen

9. The Sookie Stackhouse Series, by Charlaine Harris

10. Redshirts, by John Scalzi

Well, apparently I like taking mostly genre books to the beach....  What are your favourite beach reads?

I Want ALL Your Books: The Authors On My Auto Buy List

The topic from The Broke and The Bookish: "Top Ten Authors That I'd Put On My Auto-Buy List (basically an auto-buy list is no questions asked..you love this author so much that no matter what they wrote next you'd buy regardless of genre or subject matter) "

I'm not sure I have ten authors on my Auto-Buy list.  I also don't tend to buy a lot of new releases.  I already own so many books.... I often wait for sales/specials so as to slow the hoarding...  There are also some authors I love that have large back catalogues.  So I aim to eventually buy all their books, but that takes time and money.  

In no particular order, here is my Auto-Buy List.

1. Stephen King (So many books!)

2. Margaret Atwood (See above!)
3. Michael Ondaatje (I haven't read his newest novel yet.)

4. Alice Munro (Working through her many books.)

5. Lauren DeStefano (Probably the newest addition.)

6. Sophie Kinsella (But not Madeline Wickham?  I haven't actually read anything under Wickham, only Kinsella....)

7. J.K. Rowling (I liked The Causal Vacancy)

8 Veronica Roth might make it on to this list.

I couldn't make it to ten.  Maybe I'm too discriminating... maybe I'm too poor.

Who is on your Auto-Buy List?

End of Year Book Survey.

I'm so excited to be doing Jamie's End of the Year Book Survey.  I enjoyed it last year.  I find it a nice way to reflect back on a year of reading, as well as other stuff that happened, that you might have blogged about.  Do you agree/disagree with any of my answers?  Please leave a comment!  Also, let me know if you've done the survey too.  Happy Holidays!

1. Best Book You Read In 2012?

I decided to go with Jamie’s suggestion (cheat) of breaking it down by genre. I read some really great books this year. This list isn’t even half of them.

Best Children’s Book – Go Away, Big Green Monster, by Ed Emberly
Best Zombie Book – World War Z, by Max Brooks
Best Non-Fiction – How To Be A Woman, by Caitlin Moran
Best Classic – Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Best Short Story Collection – Forty Stories, edited by Cal Morgan
Best Literary/General Fiction – Canada, by Richard Ford
Best Fantasy – The Magician’s Nephew, by C.S. Lewis
Best Science-Fiction – Insurgent, by Veronica Roth

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling – It was slow to begin with, but it did pick up. In the end, I did enjoy it, but I didn’t love it. You can read my thoughts here.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

I knew I would probably like Night of the Living Trekkies, but I didn’t know how much I would love it. I loved every single quirky, geeky reference. It was so much fun!

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

For people who like literary fiction, I probably recommended Canada, by Richard Ford.
For genre lovers, I recommended Night of the Living Trekkies and Divergent…. and maybe World War Z.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

Divergent! I can’t wait until the third book is out.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Is this new to me - like the Top Ten list I did recently - or new as in first book? For new-to-me, check out my Top Ten list from December 11th.

If it’s first books, then I really enjoyed The Maladjusted, by Derek Hayes. Also Darcy Pattison’s non-fiction picture book, Wisdom, the Midway Albatross.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I read a lot of genres, but something I don’t read a lot of is non-fiction and I actually read three this year!  My favourite was How To Be A Woman, by Caitlin Moran. So fantastic.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

I read a few unputdownable books this year including: Divergent, Insurgent, How to be a Woman and Night of the Living Trekkies.

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

I don’t re-read a lot. If I do, it’s likely not a book that I only read a year before. But to answer the question, of all the books, I’d most likely re-read Night of the Living Trekkies.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

I can’t decide between:

Insurgent and World War Z.

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

Frankenstein’s creature from Frankenstein.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

Canada, by Richard Ford

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

Greatest impact? How To Be A Woman and maybe The Causal Vacancy.  They dealt with social issues, that continue to resonate with me.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited until 2012 to finally read?

The Garden Party and Other Stories, by Katherine Mansfield.  She was the only writer Virginia Woolf said she was jealous off.  How did I wait so long to read her?

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?

"Do you not think that there are things which you cannot understand, and yet which are; that some people see things that others cannot?" 
- Dr. Van Helsing from Dracula, by Bram Stoker.

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?

By Page Count:
Longest: 541 – City of Glass, The Mortal Instruments #3, by Cassandra Clare
Shortest: 16 – I Love You, Stinky Face, by Lisa McCourt (Children's Book) OR 112 – Matchless, by Gregory Maguire

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling… so many WTF scenes.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

For very different reasons: 

Jim Pike & Leia, from Night of the Living Trekkies
Mina and Van Helsing, from Dracula
Sukvinder and Gaia, from The Causal Vacancy

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

Blockade Billy, by Stephen King
Fever, by Lauren DeStefano

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Like I said previously, I don’t read a lot of non-fiction. If I wasn’t recommended How To Be A Woman by a few bloggers I like and respect, as well as one of my real-life friends, whose reading tastes are very similar to mine, I don’t know if I would have picked it up.

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2012 

1. New favourite book blog you discovered in 2012?

Probably Bridget’s Books.  I only just started following this contributor to The Broke and The Bookish. She has an entire reading project about Stephen King! So awesome.


2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012?

If I have to pick one, I’d say, Forty Stories, edited by Cal Morgan. I did Twitter sized reviews. It was fun.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

The best discussions/comments I had this year weren't on posts about books.  There were on my posts: Image Use, where I talked about copyright and someone getting sued for using images on their website and I Am Without Job, where I talked about getting laid off this year.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

I read the blog, Feminist Philosophers a lot.  It's not a book blogs, though they discuss books sometimes.  I always find myself diving into their posts about genderized products.  I especially enjoyed reading about the new "BiC for Her" pen.  It's so awful.  Ellen even made a video about it on her show a few months back.  

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

I don’t get a lot of event in my neck of the woods. I’d have to drive an hour to go to any bookish events and with the little ones, that’s not happening.  I do enjoy Short Story Monday and Top Ten Tuesday.  I participate in them as often as I can, but it's been a while since I did Short Story Monday.  There's a story I plan on reading this week...

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

Even though it’s not bookish, it happened because I blog about books -I appreciate all the support I got when I posted about losing my job. Thank you again, everyone.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

By views, my most popular post was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! Such a great book.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

This one is a little difficult. I feel pretty loved. My posts get an okay amount of views (okay to me, I guess). In general, I’d like more comments and more discussions about the books (or whatever) I’ve posted about. But there isn’t one post that’s fallen by the wayside. So thanks for the love everyone!

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I just started using Goodreads this year. It’s a little addictive. I love scanning books with the Goodreads app. I like tracking my progress through a book; I find it encouraging.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I don’t join challenges, but I set myself a personal goal of reading 26 books (one every two weeks), which I decided to track on Goodreads since joining this year. I’m at 32 right now. I might get to 33 or 34 before the end of 2012.

Looking Ahead…

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

Hmm… Number 1 Priority?? I plan on reading His Dark Materials next. However, I did buy The Raven Boys a couple months ago and didn’t read it right away. I don’t want to let it sit on my shelf too long like some other books I have.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

Though I’m excited for Dead Ever After (I'm loving the cover) and Divergent #3, the book I’m most looking forward to in 2013 is Sever, by Lauren DeStefano. I loved Wither and Fever had me longing for more. Just a couple more months until February!

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

I want to read more. I’d like to decrease the number of books I’ve owned for years and haven’t read yet. I’d especially like to read more Stephen King and Margaret Atwood and catch up on the Legend of Drizzt, by R. A. Salvatore.

I guess that’s it for the survey. Thanks to everyone who made it all the way to the end. See you in the blogosphere!

It Was Nice Meeting You: Top Ten New-To-Me Authors of 2012

This is a great question from The Broke and The Bookish.  I think it not only allows us to share authors who perhaps need more exposure, but it is combined with the end-of-year theme.  December often seems to be a time of reflection.  So let me share with you my new-to-me authors of 2012, in no particular order:

1. Susan Tsui (Identities)

2. Kevin David Anderson & Sam Stall (Night of the Living Trekkies)

3. Caitlin Moran (How To Be A Woman)

4. Max Brooks (World War Z)

5. Katherine Mansfield (The Garden Party and Other Stories)

6. Derek Hayes (The Maladjusted)

7. Richard Ford (Canada)

8. Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments series)

9. Veronica Roth (Divergent series)

10. Rayne Hall (Scylla and the Pepper Pirates)

I read quite a few new authors this year.  I didn’t even realize.  I thought I’d have a difficult time getting to ten, but I actually had to remove a few people.  I read some great new authors this year.  How about you?

*Clicking on the author name will take you to their website.  Clicking on the book title will take you to my post.

Top Ten Books I’m Excited For In 2013

This week The Broke and The Bookish want to know what books we're most excited to read in 2013.  My list might be different than what everyone else is putting down.  I honestly don’t tend to read a lot of new releases.  I might only read one or two a year.  So, I’m breaking the list into two parts –

Part 1 - Books that will be released in 2013 that I’m excited to read.

1. Dead Ever After, by Charlaine Harris - The final book in the Sookie Stackhouse series! (May 2013)
2. The Clockwork Princess, by Cassandra Clare - The final book in The Infernal Devices trilogy. (May 2013)
3. Sever, by Lauren DeStefano - The final book in the Chemical Garden trilogy.  I'm so excited to read this one! (February 2013)
4. Divergent #3, by Veronica Roth - No title yet...  Also, another final book. (September 2013)

Part 2: Books that are sitting on my shelves that I need to read in 2013.

5. Everything's Eventual, by Stephen King
6. Bodily Harm, by Margaret Atwood
7. The Deception of Livvy Higgs, by Donna Morrissey
8. Fool, by Christopher Moore
9. The Thousand Orcs, by R.A. Salvatore
10. City of Fallen Angels, by Cassandra Clare

I was tempted to add Undead and Underwater, by MaryJanice Davidson (March 2013), but I'm not caught up in the series yet, so I don't know if I'd definitely read that book next year.  I'm often a mood driven reader.

What are you looking forward to reading?

Insurgent (Divergent #2)

Insurgent was everything I wanted.  I know a lot of people who have read this book and I'm not talking just about girls.  A LOT of people, even my middle-aged boss loved this book (and Divergent).  From what he said to me, I think the fighting appeals to him.  Not that the story is particularly gory.  It’s just not glossed over, like I’ve seen in other Young Adult books.  The “fights” are well-written; the scenes are charged with emotion and purpose, the details are refined and you get a clear picture in your head.

Also, no love triangle!  It’s not even attempted.  I love that about this series.  Tris and Four's relationship is important, not just to them, but to how certain scenarios play out.  They aren’t a “perfect” couple either.  They have problems, there are trust issues, intimacy issues and family issues all coming into play.  It’s almost like a real relationship (except that it’s in a dystopian Chicago).  I like that they have problems; it makes the relationship more substantial for me.

I don't know what else I can say that won't give away this amazing story.  Veronica Roth did an amazing job.  Insurgent reached all my expectations.  While I saw the "twist" coming since book one, I didn't quite predict everything.  That's probably my favourite kind of foreshadowing; the setup was there without giving everything away.  I can't believe I have to wait a year until the as-yet untitled conclusion to the trilogy is published.  It will be one of those books I snap up as soon as it’s released. After reading Insurgent, I think the Divergent will save the world.

When It Gets Chilly, I’ll Be Curling Up With… The Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Read List

This week’s topic from The Broke and The Bookish was easy… and yet, in a way hard…  Here are the top ten books on my fall reading list.

1.  Insurgent, by Veronica Roth

2.  Undead Reckoning, by Mike Slabon

3.  Everything’s Eventual, by Stephen King

4.  A Thousand Orcs, by R.A. Salvatore

5.  Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

6.  Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare

7.  The Girl Who Played With Fire, by Steig Larsson

8.  Bodily Harm, by Margaret Atwood

9.  Binu and the Great Wall, by Su Tong

10. Night of the Living Trekkies, by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall

Some of these books have been on my list since the Spring…even Winter…  I just can’t seem to read ten books a season (that’s 40 books a year… totally not happening).  So, though I’ve wanted to read them for ages, they just keep getting pushed back.  Plus, I’m easily distracted by other books and influenced by my mood.  There are some great, new/different books on the fall list though.  I’m saving Frankenstein for October.

What’s on your Fall list?

Talking About Myself: A Quick Bookish Survey

I saw this quick little update/list over at The Broke and The Bookish yesterday.  I’ve read three of the five books Kelly mentioned.  It’s a nice, fun update, but I had to really think about number five.  For someone who has a slight book obsession, I haven’t gotten that many bookish gifts in the last year or two. 

1.  Book I Am Currently Reading:  Forty Stories, edited by Cal Morgan.  Forty Stories is probably the main reason I’m doing this survey.  I just want to tell everyone about it.  The ebook is a FREE collection of forty short stories by forty different authors.  Some have books out, some don’t.  They are fantastic stories (I have about a fifth of the book left).  I think these are the authors at their best.  They are intense, fascinating stories and I’d be happy to read a book by (almost) all of these people.

 

2.  The Last Book I Finished:  City of Glass (Mortal Instruments 3) by Cassandra Clare.  So good!  (Review here.)

3.  The Next Book I Want To Read:  I haven’t quite decided which book I’d like to read.  It will likely be either Insurgent, by Veronica Roth or Prismatic by Sarah Elle Emm (won on Goodreads).

 4.  The Last Book I Bought:  I actually just ordered a bunch of books from Chapters that were on sale.  Yay, sale!  I bought Cinder by Marissa Meyer, The Good Man Jesus and The ScoundrelChrist by Phillip Pullman and The Fall (The Strain Two) by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan.  I also bought a copy of Wither (which I already own) as a present for someone.

5.  The Last Book I Was Given:  The Dark Tower:The Gunslinger – The Little Sisters of Eluria, by Stephen King (plus many others).  I haven’t read it yet because it’s based on a short story that he wrote that is in the collection, Everything’s Eventual.  I have the collection beside my bed.  Why haven’t I read it yet?  I don’t know.  Maybe that should be my answer to number 3.

Thoughts?  Leave a link if you answer the questions on your site or answer them in the comments below.  Be sure to check out the answers from The Broke and The Bookish too!

Divergent (Divergent #1)

I devoured Divergent.  That’s right.  DEVOURED.  I haven’t read a book that quickly since The Hunger Games.  I feel a little late to the party.  I was a bit wary going into Veronica Roth’s Divergent, though I think my expectations were high.  I heard all the buzz; I’m always a little hesitant with books that have a lot of hype.  Then a friend, who has very similar reading tastes to mine, gave this book five stars on Goodreads.  In a comment for that rating, she called it better than cheese.  She loves cheese!  Without doubt, that was what really made me want to read it.

Divergent was exactly what I needed.  It folded me into the world of Beatrice and the factions.  I forgot everything around me and all I wanted to know was what was going to happen next.  I know it gets compared to The Hunger Games a lot and there are similarities.  Female lead.  A segregated population (Districts/Factions).  Violence.  A teenager being asked to kill people.  But these are different worlds.  Unlike other dystopian novels I’ve read, I can’t actually see our world becoming like the world in Divergent.  However, these characters never leave the city.  I wonder what the rest of the world is like.  I hope to find out in the next books.

Another difference I really liked:  NO LOVE TRIANGLE.  Roth could have easily put one in.  There was almost the set-up for one, but Tris was focused.  Her entire world was about passing the initiation.  When she did let herself feel things, she only had eyes for one man.  Because of their backgrounds, their relationship seemed so natural.  The conflict in Tris’s life involved staying with her family, doing the right thing, and degrees of violence (should I shoot him in the head or the foot?).  There was never a struggle about which guy should she coose.  Tris was great.  So was Four.  He’s not what I’ve come to expect from a male lead.  I like being met with the unexpected.

I don’t feel like I need to go on.  A lot has been said on Divergent already.  I’ll read Insurgent soon, just not right away.  I have a lot to do over the next few days and if the sequel is anything like the first book, I don’t want to be consumed again.  I’m itching to read it though.  I almost picked it up and cracked it open when Divergent was finished.  

A Quick Question...

What should I read next?

Divergent, by Veronica Roth
City of Ashes, by Cassandra Clare
The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis
The Thousand Orcs, by R.A. Salvatore

All genre. Only one "grown-up" book. What do you think?

It’s Hot Out Here: Part 2

Another heated top ten from The Broke and The Bookish.  Last week was a list of our Top Ten Beach Reads.  This week we look at the Top Ten Books On My Summer List.  In no particular order (mostly because I can’t decide if I should read number 1 next or number 6).

1. City of Bones (Mortal Instruments 1), by Cassandra Clare
2. City of Ashes(Mortal Instruments 2), by Cassandra Clare
3. City of Glass (Mortal Instruments 3), by Cassandra Clare
4. City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments 4), by Cassandra Clare
5. City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments 5), by Cassandra Clare
6. Divergent (Divergent 1), by Veronica Roth
7. Insurgent (Divergent 2), by Veronica Roth
Side note: Don't judge.  I saw all these books on sale and couldn't resist.  I keep hearing amazing things about them. So, the price was right and I bought them (not all at the same time).
8. Everything's Eventual, by Stephen King - I know it's been on my short list forever, and I keep meaning to get to it.  I don't know what my problem is.
9. The Chronicles of Narnia:  The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis
10. Bodily Harm, by Margaret Atwood
11. The Hunter's Blade Trilogy 1: The Thousand Orcs, by R.A. Salvatore
12. Fool, by Christopher Moore

We will see if this list works out better than the last.  I also know it’s more than ten books, but from what I've heard, those books on the first two-thirds of my list are quick reads.

What will you be reading this summer?

Also, should I read 1 or 6 next?  (Currently, I’m reading Canada, by Richard Ford.)