December 2010
3 posts
2 tags
53 Grayson by Lynne Cox
A cute book about a little baby whale. Not the most exciting, but not terrible.
2 tags
52 Rising Sun by Michael Crichton
Not my all time favorite, but still good. It seemed kind of like a Michael Connelly book since it was more of a cop book. I still enjoyed it though, and now I really just have Crichton’s John Lange books and then I am done with his books forever… it’s a sad thought. :(
2 tags
51 Timeline by Michael Crichton
It started off kind of slow, but like I always say, never doubt Michael Crichton. I couldn’t put it down. This book could make such a great movie too. I just don’t understand how one man could come up with ideas like this. This was a bit different than his other books, but just as awesome as all the other ones.
June 2010
1 post
50/50 Freakanomics by Levitt and Dubner
Excellent read! It was slightly boring at parts, but all in all I’m glad I read it. I love the way they make connections that no one else could ever see, but are totally understandable. Definitely recommend this one.
April 2010
7 posts
49/50 Tyrannosaur Canyon by Douglas Preston
A great read! Some comments by critics bothered me a bit, though. Better than Crichton?!! I think not! He basically copied the writing style that Crichton had. It’s easy to copy. It was a very good book though, and I’m sure he did a lot of research because it was very well written. And I love dinosaurs… but no, he is not even close to being better than Crichton. One good...
48/50 Disclosure by Michael Crichton
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnddd back to MC! This one was another that I just could not put down! Crichton is just so addicting, he knows how to keep the reader turning the page for more. If you’ve read any of his book, you know that he usually follows a few different characters at the same time. Each chapter is normally pretty short, and each chapter is about a different character so you need to...
47/50 The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
This one was definitely as good as everyone said it was. It had me crying at parts, had me laughing, had me contemplating my own life. A very inspirational story from a very inspirational man. I highly recommend it.
1 tag
46/50 The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton
Yes, I was seriously on a MC run during the beginning of the year. His books are just so addicting. This one took me a while to get through… I don’t know, I guess I’m more interested in the crazy sci-fi books he writes as opposed to the historical fiction. It was still good, just slow in some parts.
1 tag
45/50 Binary by John Lange (Michael Crichton)
I also thought this one might be kind of boring, but it definitely was not! He never fails to surprise me… Crichton includes so much scientific language in his novels, but somehow still makes them understandable to the average readers such as me. LOVE HIM SO SO SO MUCH.
1 tag
44/50 Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
Way different than MC’s books usually are! This is the one that he was working on editing when he passed away. I always enjoy pirate books so this was a good read. There was not as much science-fiction stuff in the book as I would have thought but I still thoroughly enjoyed. The first couple chapters were a bit boring but it definitely picked up!
2 tags
43/50 Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Stormbreaker is always a classic for me. I find that there are only a few books I enjoy reading twice… and this is not one of them. I guess since it’s more of a teen book, so the plot is not too difficult to remember. Alex Rider will always be one of my favorite book characters though, and I definitely need to get around to reading that last book!
December 2009
3 posts
1 tag
42/50 A Case of Need by Michael Crichton
I really thought that I would not like this book but yet again, I loved it. I should never doubt Crichton.
EDIT: I got really excited because there was this huge book sale on campus and I was searching through books for some MC books and came across this one! I couldn’t remember if I read it or not, so I bought it… alas I did, but at least I have my own copy now!
2 tags
41/50 Sphere by Michael Crichton
I could NOT put this book down! Michael Crichton is an amazing author, it’s so sad that he passed away prematurely. The legacy he left behind with his books is a more than adequate remembrance though. I literally could not stop reading this book, I had to know what happened! Also, another great ending! He never fails. Unbelievable!
1 tag
40/50 Diary by Chuck Palahniuk
A very interesting book, just like Haunted. It was entertaining and a good read.
October 2009
39 posts
1 tag
39/50 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by...
“You will be required to do wrong no matter where you go. It is the basic condition of life, to be required to violate your own identity. At some time, every creature which lives must do so. It is the ultimate shadow, the defeat of creation; this is the curse at work, the curse that feeds on all life. Everywhere in the universe.”
Basically this quote is one of the reasons I love this book. ...
1 tag
38/50 Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
My only MC book of the year so far! Snap! I absolutely adore this book. It is a classic that everyone should read. The movie is great but the book is superb as well. I love the characters and use of DNA technology and chaos theory. “Life finds a way.” I love the way Crichton warns readers of the dangers of the scientific field without preaching. Everything about cloning and chaos theory are...
37/50 How to Survive a Horror Movie by Seth...
Funny and entertaining. I love the way this book reveals all the typical horror movie clichés and spins them in an interesting way.
36/50 Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz
ALEX RIDER!
35/50 Specials by Scott Westerfeld
I liked this book. Nothing beats the first one though.
1 tag
34/50 Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
I.love.this.book. Every story was captivating and terrifying at the same time. Every character had his or her own special sick and twisted story. The only problem I could possibly find is the back story was a little weird but other than that I absolutely loved it. Saint Gut-Free, Baroness Frostbite, and Matchmaker were probably my favorites. Guts is one of the most ridiculously grotesque, yet...
33/50 Marine Book ???
I can’t, for the life of me, remember what the book was called or who wrote it, but I remember that I absolutely loved it. The camaraderie and brotherhood of the marines was beautifully captured and I felt deeply for the characters and all their sacrifices and losses. If only I could remember the name…
32/50 Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz
Alex Riiiiiiider!
1 tag
31/50 I'm Not Myself These Days by Josh...
I think I liked this one even more than I liked the other one! Josh just is such a great storyteller, and what a great story he has to tell.
30/50 Midnighters 1: Secret Hour by Scott...
Another interesting series. This is my kind of ‘teen’ book… a secret place where only a special few can visit. They all have different powers, there are bad guys, there is a couple love stories… it’s a fun read.
29/50 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by...
Not my favorite of the bunch. I like the first one a lot better. This one is still fun though, with new creatures and characters to meet and adventures to be had. The wardrobe idea is cool too.
28/50 How to Survive Your Freshman Year
It’s informative and funny. I still refuse to accept that everyone gains the Freshman 15. NOT HAPPENING!
27/50 My Bonny Light Horseman by L.A. Meyer
Again, these books just keep getting better and better! And so many familiar faces… Joseph Jared, Davy Jones, Randall Trevelyne and even TINK! All Meyer’s characters, even minor ones, are so real and genuine and loyal. This makes it so easy to become attached to them. Jacky does have such good friends… even if she is hard on them. Jean-Paul, Laurent and the Clodhoppers, Captain Bardot (RIP),...
26/50 Candy Everybody Wants by Josh Kilmer-Purcell
It was a fun and entertaining book. I loved Devlin’s character and Josh Kilmer-Purcell is a really great writer. Jayson was slightly annoying at parts but overall he was a good guy and he did save Trey!
25/50 College Book
It was good. A bit outdated.
24/50 The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
Probably my favorite Chronicles of Narnia book! I love the characters and I love seeing the beginning of Narnia… and the wood between the worlds is such a cool concept.
1 tag
23/50 Heroes of the Negro Leagues by Mark...
A book that honors the stories of many Negro League players including Judy Johnson, Double Duty Radcliffe, Willie Mays, Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell, Satchel Paige, Monte Ervin, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron… the list goes on. It’s a bittersweet book, depicting the life of all these great men who never got a chance because of the color of their skin. Some stories are inspirational, some are sad, but...
22/50 Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
It was a cute book, very interesting. It reminded me of Lemony Snicket is a mysterious way.
21/50 The Unwritten Rules of Baseball by Paul...
Funny, clever, and informative.
20/50 Whistling in the Dark by Lesly Cagan
I loved the way the book was written, from the POV of a ten-year-old girl. It was kinda ridiculous in some parts but it was enjoyable and well written.
19/50 The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
It was a really great book! The way that one secret affected so many people so deeply was incredible. I loved the photography motif as well.
18/50 Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Billy Shakes.
1 tag
17/50 Hank Aaron and the Homerun That Changed...
It amazes me how cruel and unfair people were towards Hank merely because he was a black man trying to break a record set by a white man. It truly takes a strong individual to endure the hateful letters and criticism that he received. Hank Aaron has done so much to change the game of baseball for the better and I am glad he is finally receiving rightful recognition for it. Hank will always be...
15/50 Scorpia by Anthony Horowitz
Classic.
1 tag
16/50 Mississippi Jack by L.A. Meyer
OMGGGGG! Fave Bloody Jack book ever?!!! I loved all the crazies on Jacky’s boat! Capt. Richard Allen… woooo baby what a playa. I really loved Lightfoot too bcuz he always seemed to save the day. Jacky gets to see Jaimy for a very short time yet again… will they ever be together?
14/50 The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Not the best but good enough for me… plus it’s only 70 pages.
13/50 Nightrise by Anthony Horowitz
It was kinda slow but the ending was AMAZING! SOOOO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT ONE!
12/50 Clemente by David Maraniss
An interesting book about the life and death of an interesting and inspirational man. Roberto Clemente was extremely passionate about many things, and his early death was so tragic to baseball and the world in general. Roberto cared greatly for the Latino people and he deserves to be highly honored for all the work he accomplished in his short life.
11/50 Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Again I have a thing for minor characters… aka Croy and Fausto. Great book. I like Zane but he still can’t beat David! :)
1 tag
10/50 Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Another incredibly well written book. The fact that the narrator has no name and is the “invisible man” is just so incredibly powerful. Between the imagery and symbols and storyline, this is just an incredible book that I highly recommend. The symbolism is just ridiculous, how well Ellison fits everything together. Read it.
1 tag
09/50 Soul of Baseball: Buck O'Neil's America by...
Buck O’Neil is seriously my hero. He is such an inspirational and optimistic man and he deserves so much more than he gets. It makes me so mad that he’s not in the Hall of Fame because he deserves it more than someone who gets in for hitting 500 homeruns or winning 300 games. Buck O’Neil is the hero of the Negro Leagues, a great manager, and a man who has advocated for the remembering of the...
08/50 Beloved by Toni Morrison
Not my favorite. Morrison really is a great writer though and she uses vivid imagery in this book which I do appreciate.
07/50 Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz
I’m reading the series backwards! I like this one a lot. The Alex Rider series is great (even for older people thank you very much) with interesting characters and plotlines.
06/50 Watching Baseball Better by Zack Hample
A very informative book for those who love baseball or for those who wish to learn more about it.
05/50 Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
An interesting series. Crazy sci-fi stuff… I love Croy the best… and David of course! Tally is a fairly likeable character, she is a tad annoying though. I like the concept of The Smoke and The Rusty Ruins and uglies/pretties.
04/50 In the Belly of the Bloodhound by L.A. Meyer
God this book was soooooo good!!! I love Bloody Jack and I even liked Clarissa in this one. Soooo awesome. Possibly my favorite one so far!! I love all Jacky’s sailor boys… Charlie Rooster, Jaimy of course, Davy, Jared, Robin, Randall, Andrew all of them… I can’t wait to read the next one!