Twitterature: The So-Far Edition

Today, I'm linking up to Modern Mrs. Darcy (yes, the best blog name ever!!) for Twitterature. The premise is mini book reviews, like those little 120-characters from Twitter. I thought I'd go ahead and do a 'so far' edition, since it's June and the year is officially half over. I'm still not over that.

My goal for this year is to read 30 books, and I'm at 11 so far. Not too shabby, but I'd like to do better. Compared to my reading for last year, though, I'm two books ahead! the Goodreads reading challenge has been my absolute favorite thing lately. It's great motivation, shows me all my books in one place, and tells me how far behind I am (because let's face it....I'm always running behind).

one // The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Lit-class, The Classics Club.

I love Twain's humor, but this was a necessary re-read and therefore I wasn't really into it. While everyone should read this, and I loved being older and picking up on themes I hadn't thought about before, overall I came away just happy to finish it up. An anti-climatic first read, that's for sure.

two // Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence. Five-stars, Biography.

Loved. This. So. Much. It totally converted me to a biography and non-fiction fan. It's a great look at the life of Jane Austen, one that I feel is accurate and warm. You come away with so much respect for her. I love that Spence speculated on areas we simply will never know about, without putting words in her mouth.

three // My Bonny Light Horseman (Bloody Jack #6) by L.A. Meyer. Five-stars, Historical Fiction.

Honestly, each book in this series is the exact some story. She gets separated from her fiance, proves how awesome she is, travels to a new country, almost gets reunited, and then gets taken away again. Every. Single. Time. But I still love them with all my heart, and could read these all day. They're fast and full of adventure. What's not to love?

four // The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride #1) by James Patterson. Read on audio, Downward Slopes.

Guys, I have absolutely no respect for James Patterson. He is NOT worthy of all the praise he seems to get. While the plot/concept was very interesting, the execution was terrible. I won't be finishing off this series, that's for sure. It was so boring, so obvious, and I couldn't get close to the characters at all.

five // The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerlad. Lit-class, The Classics Club.

It's a sin not to be head-over-heels for this book. So call me a sinner. I loved the thoughts, premise, and general writing style, but I very seldom love a book if I can't love the characters. While this is definitely a good book, and very thought provoking, I wouldn't go out of my way to read it again. At least not anytime soon.

six // The Old Man And The Sea by Ernest Hemingway. Lit-class, The Classics Club.

This is a likable book. Not lovable, but definitely likable. Hemingway's style is interesting, and not completely unlike Fitzgerald's, even if Hemingway is less glitzy. For such a short book, there were certainly times where the story just dragged. But there were also several points I enjoyed.

seven // Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham. Classy Chick Lit, Five Stars.

This book is the definition of classy chick-lit. Intelligent. Relate-able. And fun. I can't even express how much I loved this book. The premise is what really got me. The feeling that you're running out of time to reach your goals, that you aren't adequate. Those are things that I've been feeling, especially in the last year, and this book gave contentment.

eight // The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma. Biography, Downward Slopes.

I got this when our library did a blind date with a book, so I felt obligated to read it. Eh. It started out okay, but by the middle I had totally lost interest. If it wasn't fairly short anyway I probably wouldn't have bothered finishing it. Ozma was too scattered. What was supposed to be about her 'father and the books they shared', ended up just a rather mundane biography of her life, with no real point or conclusion.

nine // Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Five-stars, The Classics Club.

How can one review Pride and Prejudice? Honestly, this was my first time reading it, but I've been a die-hard fan of the 1995 movie version since I was 10. The book is EVEN BETTER than that version. I loved everything about this, but my favorite part were the last two chapters. I found them so sweet, and they answered questions I'd always had about 'after the story'.

ten // How to Murder a Millionaire (Blackbird Sisters Mystery #1) by Nancy Martin. Classy chick-lit, Mystery.

This book was so cute! Fast and funny, it's another great classy chick-lit choice. I didn't particularly like the ending (it wrapped up to quickly, and seemed a little forced...), but otherwise this book was great. Great beach reading!

eleven // I Dare You by William H. Danforth. Motivation, Self-Help.

Weird, I know, but I'm kind of in love with the self-help genre. This is classic self-help (if there is such a thing...). Written in the 30's (or 40's?), some of the language/layout is a little hokey, but the message really can't be argued with. It was a re-read for me and the kind of 'you can do it, stop focusing on the obstacles, put forth your best' pep talk I've been craving.

There we have it! 11 books so far! We're leaving for camping on Monday, and I can't wait for the extra reading time. I went to the library yesterday and went on a bit of a spree. :) But enough about me, how's your reading going? Do you have a number goal this year?