This month I had a couple more books for group reads and reading challenges, as well as the book I started reading on Halloween, but didn't have a chance to finish until a few days in to November. Hey, in my defence, it was only released on Halloween, and is a short story anthology.
Oh, and speaking of reading challenges: I'd hoped to be completely caught up with my 2018 reading goal by the end of November. I wasn't. One of the books I read took a lot longer to finish than planned, so I'm still several books behind schedule. Looks like I might not make my reading goal this year. Never mind. I'll try and get as close as I can. But if I don't make it... Well, I'll still have read a lot of books, most of which were pretty good. At the end of the day, the fact I've enjoyed most of what I've read is what matters most.
Oh, and... Speaking of reading goals: here are five simple rules for finding time to read. I don't think you need to read several books at once though. You can use the same sort of tips and read one book at a time. I usually have two on the go at once, but only because I have one in the CD player for bed time, and one on the go on my Kindle. The one in the CD player is often a re-read though, so I don't count it in the number of books I read. My point is though, if you want to use the "rules" in the post I just linked to, but can only read one book at a time, that's totally fine. Don't let that fact bother you. Any reading is better than no reading. The point is to set yourself a reading schedule, stick to it, and snatch any extra reading time you can. That's the simple answer to how you find time to read a lot.
Anyway, as with the previous posts like this one, if you want to know more about the book, or the author, click on whichever it is you want to learn more about, and it will take you to the appropriate page on Goodreads. Clicking on my rating should take you to my actual Goodreads review for the book in question.
Don't forget: the format I've reviewed may not be the format I read. Also, please remember that I read across multiple genres and age ranges, so you should always check if a book is suitable for the intended reader, especially when children are involved. Sometimes reading the book's description on its Goodreads page will be enough for this, but other times you may need to check elsewhere to figure out the genre and/or recommended reading level.
OK... On to the reviews!
Ghostly Writes Anthology 2018 by Ghostly WritersMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Collections like this are always difficult to rate and review, since there will always be stories you prefer over others. Naturally, this is the case this time too. This was a nice collection, and the stories were well-written (though the writing style of some appealed to me more than that of others). But there were stories I really enjoyed, and stories I just thought were "OK" but didn't really enjoy. My rating is based on averaging things out. I'd have given some of the individual stories a higher rating, while others would have had a lower one. Over all, a nice read for Halloween, or any time you want a horror or paranormal theme to your reading. But not quite as enjoyable as their previous collections, in my opinion.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre DumasMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book, but didn't love it. It had a plot that was at times fascinating, but other times seemed to drag a bit. It was only really those parts where the plot dragged a bit that spoiled it for me. I can see why it's a classic.
An Angel Among Us: by J.E. SpinaMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a wonderful and well-written collection of stories. Most of the stories are beautiful and heartwarming, and those that aren't are enjoyable in other ways. The only thing stopping me from giving this book the full five stars is that some of the stories felt like they should have been the start of something longer, so their endings didn't leave me feeling entirely satisfied.
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid LindgrenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I remember watching the movie for this one in the past, and loving it. I also vaguely remember having these stories read to me when I was younger, but didn't remember much about them, except that I loved them. Now I'm reading them as an adult, and I still love them. Pippi is a great character, and the plot is fun and action-packed.
Pippi Goes on Board by Astrid LindgrenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
It was great to read more of Pippi's adventures. Also, the ending almost had me in tears.
Pippi in the South Seas by Astrid LindgrenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a fun and entertaining read, but not as good as the first two books, in my opinion.
Spellcaster by Claudia GrayMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It has great characters, who are believable as real people. It also has a plot that grabbed my attention quickly, and then held it until the end. Plus, I think it's interesting how the magic works, and fantastic how well the author has combined those elements with the everyday so well that it feels like it could really work like that. There are some story threads left looser than I would have liked, which stops this book from being totally amazing to me, but the ending was mostly satisfactory, and I consider the book to be a great read.
Steadfast by Claudia GrayMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
WOW! What an excellent second book in this series! I think it was even better than the first. Can't wait to find out what happens in the third book!
Sorceress by Claudia GrayMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this third and final installment. It was an awesome ending.
2 comments:
I loved the Pippi books -- they are making a movie about the author. I think I'd like to give Count of Monte Cristo a try.
Jeanie:
I didn't know that about the movie thing.
If you read Count Of Monte Cristo, be prepared for it to take a while. It even took me a couple of weeks to read that one. It's worth doing though. If nothing else then to be able to say you've read it.
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