January 2013 Wrap-up

Read: 15 books

On the first day of the New Year, I signed up for Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge. I have 50 books to finish for this year. It is the same amount of books I have read for six months last year so others think I can do a hundred in a year. That may be possible, but I anticipate myself getting busy later this year so I got half of that.

For the first month of the year, I got productive in reading 15 books in a month. Some think I am an introvert who spends most of my free time stuck in books. But they are wrong. I do go out and spend quality time with my friends. Time is limited, true, but I do make time for reading. I am in constant “vigil” for my books. Even though Mom is perpetually angry whenever she sees light in my room after 11 PM, it did not discourage me to continue reading more. I learned to be covert about it instead. Hehe.

So what books did I read for January 2013? Here is the list with ratings and comments. They are arranged by the date I finished reading them.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Rating: 5/5

Why haven’t I read this book before? I so love this novel. It gave me glimpses on how American society was right after the war. Though I learned the facts in my history classes, it is still different to read something out of a fiction book. I am glad to note that as far as my knowledge permits, the characters are realistic during that time period. The crises are also appropriate. The storytelling is unique and magnificent. And of course, Gatsby. *sighs* Gatsby who is just like me.

The Diabolical Baron by Mary Jo Putney

Rating: 3/5

After reading two novels from the same author, I tried to read more of her work. This one held a lot of promise, but did not meet my expectation. I think it would be helpful if the author focused on a single love story in a book than having it two.

The Thing with Feathers by Anna Sweazy-Kulju

Rating: 4/5

I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. I posted my comments in this site and you can find it here.

The Gatekeepers’ Challenge by Eva Pohler

Rating: 4/5

I participated in a blog tour and received a copy of this book for review. You can find my comments here:

• The Gatekeepers’ Challenge Review

Beautiful Beings by Kailin Gow

Rating: 4/5

Again, I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. Please feel free to read my comments here:

• Beautiful Beings by Kailin Gow: Review

Necessary Evil by Adrian Lupsa

Rating: 3/5

The author personally contacted me to review his debut novel and I agreed to support him. Please read my thoughts on his first novel here:

• Necessary Evil review

Stop the Insanity by David Welch

Rating: 4/5

I personally like this book. Again, I received this via a book blog tour, and I am happy that I had read it. I have strong opinions about some of the points made by the author so you may find my review on it a bit lengthy. My blogger friend, Cush, also helped me discuss what arguments I actually opposed, so even the comments in that post are also long. Should you be curious enough, you may see the review here:

• Stop the Insanity Review

Unholy Testament by Carole Gill

Rating: 4/5

Even though this book consists of supernatural creatures which I found cliché already, this novel surprised me by adding character to the story. The history is rich and well researched, and I am looking forward to read the next book. For more of my comments, you may click here:

• Unholy Testament Review and Interview

Xingu by Edith Wharton

Rating: 2/5

I first saw this book from my blogger friend, Rebecca. The number of pages for this book caught my attention as it specifically mentioned in Goodreads that it is only 88 pages. I got the digital version of the book and guess how many leaves it has? 27. Anyway, I did not like this book as it only showed how vain people were before regarding books. And to think that the story revolved in a book club!

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Rating: 5/5

I love this book. It is not only entertaining. It also helped in stimulating cerebral processes in me which I thought already died after I finished studying. I caught myself closing the book for a while to think what the author actually said.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Rating: 3/5

The story from Divergent continues. I love the first book, but got disappointed in this recent installment. Don’t get me wrong – the book is still amazing. It is just that I hoped the author wrote more about the world the characters live in so we can actually understand where they are coming from.

For the Love of Hades by Sasha Summers

Rating: 4/5

I love Greek Mythology and I am glad that I read this book. This is for another book blog tour so I received a complimentary copy in exchange of a review. If you want to read more about this, please check out my post here:

• For the Love of Hades Review

Fairy Tale Fail by Mina Esguerra

Rating: 5/5

If I can give 6 stars, I would. I so love this book. I don’t know if the author knows me, but it’s as if she wrote my life story. If you want to know more about me, please read this book.

The First Time by Kevin Morris

Rating: 3/5

I admit I was not prepared when I read this book. It is a collection of short stories portraying real-life problems. Teenagers find themselves in situations difficult to handle and they tried to solve them in form of prostitution. It could actually be good if a. the author focused on creating a single novel showing this, or b. if all the stories relate about prostitution.

To Catch an Heiress by Julia Quinn

Rating: 3/5

I read something from one of my favorite authors to end the month. This book is utterly hilarious yet romantic and it never failed to capture my interest in regency era. I especially like the vocabulary words used at the start of each chapter and their sentence usage. However, there are rooms of imporovement when it comes to the characters. For one, the heroine must not be over-talkative like me.

There you go. My 15 books in the first month of 2013. As of the moment, I have read three books for this month, making me 32 books away from my 2013 Reading Goal. Yay! Let’s read more. What are you currently reading? Any good suggestions based on the books I have read?

Now, I’m off to watch Les Misérables with a friend. Better try not to hide from those paperbacks and be sociable instead. Or else, my surrogate grandfather might play matchmaker again!

2012 Reading Challenge: Done!

Before I totally put 2012 in the past, I would like to share you my accomplishment last year. As the title suggested, I finished my Goodreads Reading Challenge with a time to spare. Last June 28, I joined the quest to read 50 books until the end of the year. That’s like 50 books in six months.

At first, I thought it would be easy. I am a fast reader and have a lot of free time. I am single (never married and no boyfriend), a bit of a loner, and dependent to helpers for house chores. So I was confident I can effortlessly finish what I signed up for. However, a few months after, I got engaged in a lot of social activities, thanks to my Korean friends who flocked the country all of a sudden. I became friend/translator/tour guide rolled into one. Slowly, my readings decreased.

But then I have to finish what I have started. So in the following days and months, I read a lot. You may notice that during the last months of the year I have read more than in the earlier ones. Is it possible to read more than ten books in a month? Yes. I didn’t know I could do that before; it never occurred to me to count the books I’ve read in a month. So in those months that I have read more than enough, I feel elated. Those novels were not audiobooks that could be easily finished; some were paperbacks while others are e-copies.

I have met new authors and tolerated other genres in this challenge. I went back to my comfort zone a lot of times after reading heart-wrenching or traumatic books for me. I laughed and cried. I experienced a lot in this journey and I am glad that I have chosen to do this. Now, I would like to share you the titles I have finished for my Reading Challenge.

Note: You may find my reviews/comments about the books in the month headings.

June Reads

Rapture – Lauren Kate

A Night like This – Julia Quinn

July Reads

Hades – Alexandra Adornetto

Beautiful Disaster – Jamie McGuire

Fallen in Love – Lauren Kate

The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky

Underworld – Meg Cabot

A Duchess to Remember – Christina Brooke

Once a Princess – Johanna Lindsey

Let Love Find You – Johanna Lindsey

A Knight in Shining Armor – Jude Deveraux

Paradise – Judith McNaught

Thoughtless – S. C. Stephens

Playing the Odds – Nora Roberts

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

August Reads

Effortless – S. C. Stephens

Perfect – Judith McNaught

The Rise of Nine – Pittacus Lore

September Reads

The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

Heaven – Alexandra Adornetto

Fifty Shames of Earl Grey – Andrew Shaffer

The Time Keeper – Mitch Albom

To Marry a Prince – Sophie Page

The Proposal – Mary Balogh

The Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad – David Soman

The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven: A Remarkable Account of Miracles, Angels, and Life Beyond This World – Kevin and Alex Malarkey

October Reads

The Bargain – Mary Jo Putney

The Mark of Athena – Rick Riordan

To Dare the Duke of Dangerfield – Bronwen Evans

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

The Viscount Who Loved Me – Julia Quinn

November Reads

A Thousand Splendid Suns – Kahled Hosseini

Art Geeks and Prom Queens – Alyson Noel

An Offer from a Gentleman – Julia Quinn

A Rogue by Any Other Name – Sarah MacLean

Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin – Bob Ong

Clockwork Angel – Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince – Cassandra Clare

The Catcher in the Rye – J. D. Salinger

I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere – Anna Gavalda

The Torturer’s Daughter – Zoe Cannon

December Reads

The Drought – Steven Scaffardi

Kindred – Michelle Cornwell-Jordan

Deadly Eyes – Michael Meyer

His Black Wings-Astrid Yrigollen

The Stone Guardian – Theresa McClinton

Tempting Fate – Nora Roberts

Romancing Mister Bridgerton – Julia Quinn

To Sir Phillip, with Love – Julia Quinn

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

** End of Challenge (50 books reached)

Divergent – Veronica Roth

The Ugly Duchess – Eloisa James

Looking for Alaska – John Green

I have read 53 books by the end of the year. It is something of an achievement to me. Thus, I decided to join this year’s challenge again. I hope to see you there, too! If you have Goodreads account, you may add me as a friend here.

How many books have you read in 2012?